Though to a man whose experience has always been quite contrary, and who has never heard of anything like it, the most untainted credit of a witness will scarce be able to find belief. As it happened to a Dutch ambassador, who entertaining the king of Siam with the particularities of Holland, which he was inquisitive after, amongst other things told him, that the water in his country would sometimes, in cold weather, be so hard, that men walked upon it, and that it would bear an elephant, if he were there.
Ostera, beti erabat bestelako esperientzia izan duen eta sekula halako gauzarik entzun ez duen pertsona baten kasuan, lekuko sinesgarrienaren hutsezinezko fidagarritasunak ere nekez makurtuko du halakoei fede ematera. Horrelako zerbait gertatu zitzaion Holandako enbasadore bati, lurralde horretako berezitasunez galdetu zion Siameko erregeari informazioa ematerakoan, beste zenbait gauzaren berri eman ondoren, zera esan zionean: