Dec. 10, 1855.] PARKES. 13 



diiFerent points in succession along the entire nnargin of this Lake, and 

 asserted that he was well acquainted with the names given by Mr. 

 Macqueen, and ascribed by him to different lakes, but that they simply 

 refei*red to two reaches at the very southernmost extremity of the same 

 lake : the lesser one, which ran N. and S., being usually ferried across by 

 traders ; and the greater one, running E. by W., seldom if ever crossed 

 by them, because of its greater breadth, and because the direct routes 

 of the caravans ran alongside of it. 



4. Geographical Notes on Siam, with a new map of the lower part 

 of the Mencim River. By Harry Parkes, f.r.g.s., H.B.MJ's 

 Consul at Amoy. 



Mr. Parkes commenced by alluding to the treaty lately concluded 

 by Sir John Bowring with Siam, which has brought that country into 

 prominent notice, and entered at length into the history, political divi- 

 sions, and geography of Siam. For the map which accompanied the 

 description he was indebted to the kindness of Dr. S. R. House and 

 his colleagues of the United States mission. 



The kingdom of Siam may be described generally as lying between 

 5° and 21° N. lat. and 98° and 105° E. long., but its eastern boundary 

 is almost entirely unknown. It comprises — 



1. Siam proper, divided into 41 provinces, each governed by a 

 mandarin of the first class. 



2. Tributary Malayan States on the south, whose submission is rather 

 loose, and consists in sending an embassy once in three years to the 

 Siamese Court with a tribute composed of a gold or silver tree, and 

 in being bound to furnish men, money, and provisions when Siam is 

 at war. 



3. Conquered territory of Camboja and Korat on the east. 



4. Tributary Lao states on the north and north-east. 



Camboja, three or four centuries ago, was much more powerful than 

 either Siam or Cochin China, but it has gradually been encroached 

 upon, so that it is now reduced to a mere shadow of its former great- 

 ness, containing only half a million of inhabitants, while the son of 

 their king is a hostage at Bankok, and the Cochin Chinese possess 

 the exclusive navigation of the river of Camboja, the Mekong. 



The Lao states furnish a very interesting people, w^hose ancestors 

 appear to have formed the parent stock of the Siamese. Thus, the 

 Laos call themselves the *' Elder Tai ;" and the Siamese the '' Younger 

 Tair Lao is a Chinese word, and means " Ancient^ When the 

 Siamese separated themselves from the Laos, they became a tributary 

 province to Camboja. 



