of Hung-wu, 1372, it sent tribute to China, under the name of Sien Lohok.  The country was first called Sien Lo in the first year of Yung Lo, 1403.  In the T’ang Dynasty it appears to have been known as Lo-yueh, pronounced Lo-gueh at that period.  This Lo-yueh would seem to have been situated on the Eastern side of Malay Peninsula, and to have extended to the entrance to the Straits of Singapore, in what is now known as Johore.”  —­H.C.]

In 1864, Dr. Bastian communicated to the Asiatic Society of Bengal the translation of a long and interesting inscription, brought [in 1834] from Sukkothai to Bangkok by the late King of Siam [Mongkut, then crown prince], and dated in a year 1214, which in the era of Salivahana (as it is almost certainly, see Garnier, cited below) will be A.D. 1292-1293, almost exactly coincident with Polo’s voyage.  The author of this inscription was a Prince of Thai (or Siamese) race, styled Phra Rama Kamheng ("The Valiant”) [son of Sri Indratiya], who reigned in Sukkothai, whilst his dominions extended from Vieng-chan on the Mekong River (lat. 18 deg.), to Pechabur, and Sri-Thammarat (i.e.  Ligor, in lat. 8 deg. 18"), on the coast of the Gulf of Siam. [This inscription gives three dates—­1205, 1209, and 1214 s’aka = A.D. 1283, 1287 and 1292.  One passage says:  “Formerly the Thais had no writing; it is in 1205 s’aka, year of the goat = A.D. 1283, that King Rama Kamheng sent for a teacher who invented the Thai writing.  It is to him that we are indebted for it to-day.” (Cf. Fournereau, Siam ancien, p. 225; Schmitt, Exc. et Recon., 1885; Aymonier, Cambodge, II. p. 72.)—­H.C.] The conquests of this prince are stated to have extended eastward to the “Royal Lake”, apparently the Great Lake of Kamboja; and we may conclude with certainty that he was the leader of the Siamese, who had invaded Kamboja shortly before it was visited (in 1296) by that envoy of Kublai’s successor, whose valuable account of the country has been translated by Remusat.[3]

Now this prince Rama Kamheng of Sukkothai was probably (as Lieutenant Garnier supposes) of the Thai-nyai, Great Thai, or Laotian branch of the race.  Hence the application of the name Lo-kok to his kingdom can be accounted for.

It was another branch of the Thai, known as Thai-noi, or Little Thai, which in 1351, under another Phra Rama, founded Ayuthia and the Siamese monarchy, which still exists.

The explanation now given seems more satisfactory than the suggestions formerly made of the connection of the name Locac, either with Lophaburi (or Lavo, Louvo), a very ancient capital near Ayuthia, or with Lawek, i.e.  Kamboja.  Kamboja had at an earlier date possessed the lower valley of the Menam, but, we see, did so no longer.[4]