SIAM 



423 



{see map in Vol. II. p. 562). The territory ceded 

 to France may amount to 100,000 sq. m., and its 

 pop. to 100,000. The area of the present kingdom 

 of Siam is about 220,000 sq. m., of which 60,000 

 are in the Malay Peninsula. The population is 

 estimated at about 12,000,000, of whom about 3 or 

 4 millions are Siamese, about 3,000,000 Chinese, 

 the remainder being Shuns, Laos, Malays, Bur- 

 mese, and hill tribesmen. 



Physical Features. The Malay Peninsula ex- 

 cluded, the plain of the Menam Valley, the adjoining 

 eastern coast, and the Korat plateau ( from 400 to 

 1000 feet high ) occupy the greater portion of the 

 country. These plains are fringed by hills up to 

 5000 feet high, and the north generally is lullv. 

 The Menam, with a course of about 600 miles, is 

 the principal river. It is formed by the junction 

 of the Meping and Meyome, and at a point 130 

 miles from the sea it divides itself and falls into 

 the Gulf of Siam by two months, the westerly of 

 which U named the Tachin River. Two other 

 streams, the Meklong and the Bangpakong, flow into 

 tlieGulf of Siam. Tim Meklmng(q.v. ) or Cambodia 

 has the main part of its course in or along Siamese 

 territory, but navigation for vessels of any size is 

 impeded by rapids, and, commercially speaking, this 

 magnificent river is of little importance at present. 

 The rivers form the principal trade-routes, and in 

 and around Bangkok there is an intricate network 

 of canals. Only the land adjoining the rivers is 

 under cultivation, and the greater portion of the 

 country is covered by pathless jungle. 



The climate is considered healthy for the tropics. 

 Low malarial fever is the most frequent illness 

 amongst the European community. Tin-re are two 

 seasons the wet and the dry, the former lasting 

 from May till November, and the latter the rest 

 of the year. The average rainfall is 54 inches 

 per annum, which is slight compared with that of 

 the adjoining countries of Burma and Cochin- 

 China. April U the hottest month of the year, 

 but even then the thermometer rarely rises above 

 94 in a well-constructed house, and as a rule there 

 are cool breezes at night. The average tempera- 

 ture for the year is 81. 



Productions, Commerce, Exports, and Imports. 

 The chief production of Siam is rice. It is the 

 national food, and its export forms the great source 

 of wealth of the country. The system of agri- 

 culture is of the most primitive kind, but a genial 

 sun, refreshing rains, and alluvial soil combine to 

 produce abundant crops. In 1890, 479,660 tons of 

 rice, valued at '2,508,816, were exported, chiefly to 

 Singapore and Hong-kong for transhipment. This 

 item formed more than two-thirds of the total 

 exports, which amounted to 3,209,621. The other 

 principal exports were teak-wood, obtained in the 

 north, to the value of 200,178, pepper, salt, and 

 dried fish, cattle (for consumption in Singapore), 

 and til (sesame) seed. Goods were imported to the 

 value of 2,631,020. The most valuable items were 

 treasure and gold-leaf, 995,003 ; cotton manu- 

 factures and China goods, 403,184; jeweller}-, 

 131,400; opium, 118,292. The principal com- 

 merce of the capital is in the hands of Chinese, 

 who own 17 out of a total of 23 steam rice-mills. 

 The labour market is supplied by Chinese coolies, 

 and the best tradespeople and artisans are Chinese. 

 The native Siamese are handicapped to some extent 

 by the requirements of corvee, or state labour, but 

 besides they are deficient in that enterprise and 

 energy which are indispensable to successful trading. 

 They confine themselves to agriculture, fishing, 

 Imating, and petty hawking, ana many are simply 

 idle hangers-on of the nobility. In addition to 

 the exports above mentioned, the country produces 

 hemp, tol>acco, cotton, coffee, cardamoms, and many 

 other articles of tropical growth, which are culti- 



vated for local consumption only. Tropical fruits 

 are abundant, the most highly prized being the 

 durian, mangosteen, and mango. The banana is 

 cheap and plentiful. 



Animals. The wild elephant, tiger, bear (in the 

 north ), wild pig, deer, monkey, and squirrel abound 

 in the distant jungles. Tame elephants are em- 

 ployed for travelling and for labour, especially in 

 the teak forests in the north. Several specimens 

 of the famous 'white elephant' are kept in th" 

 courtyard of the royal palace at Bangkok ; but they 

 are not, as is popularly supposed, fed from golden 

 dishes, nor are they regarded with any special 

 veneration (see Vol. IV. p. 290). Crocodiles arc 

 found at the mouths of the rivers. The python, 

 cobra, reptiles of various kinds, mosquitoes, ants, 

 fireflies, and tropical insects are plentiful. There 

 are many species of birds, and the rivers and coast 

 swarm with excellent fish. 



Minerals. Gold has been produced in Siam 

 from time immemorial ; and argentiferous coppei 

 also is found. Alluvial tin-mines are worked 

 by Chinese in the Malay Peninsula, and iron is 

 turned out in the north by native smelters. Rubies 

 and sapphires are found in the Chontal>oon district 

 on the east coast of the Gulf of Siam, and the work 

 of mining for these gems is carried on by Burmese 

 immigrants. The country has lately been a field 

 for the researches of mining prospectors, and several 

 concessions, mostly for gold and gems, have been 

 granted to European speculators. 



Manufactures The Siamese are very deficient 

 in manufacturing arts. The only manufactures are 

 a species of coarse cloth and silk, rough paper made 

 from the bark of a tree, water-jars, and coloured 

 tiles for the roofs of temples. These industries, 

 paltry as they are, are gradually giving way to the 

 import of foreign goods. Native gold- and silver- 

 smiths display considerable ingenuity in their 

 work. 



In/tabttants and Customs. Pure Siamese are esti- 

 mated to number only a third of the total popula- 

 tion. The north and east are occupied by Laos 

 or Shans (q.v. ), who are tattooed, and differ some- 

 what in speech from the Siamese, and besides the 

 Chinese there are considerable numbers of immi- 

 grant Burmese, Indians, Malays, and Cambodians. 

 The character of the Siamese is essentially peaceful 

 and indolent. They are very social, vain, and fond 

 of bright dresses and jewellery. Their intercourse 

 with each other is conducts! with a ceremonious 

 attention to distinction of rank. They are a small, 

 well- proportioned race, with olive-coloured skin, 

 black hair, slight black moustache, and no beard. 

 They shave the heads of their children, with the 

 exception of a tuft on the crown, which is cut off 

 with great ceremony at the age of puberty. The 

 hair is then allowed to grow in the usual fashion, 

 both sexes being alike closely cropped. The 

 national dress both for men and women consists 

 of a bright-coloured panung a cotton or silk cloth 

 arranged somewhat in the form of Turkish trousers, 

 and reaching to the knee. Princes and well-to-do 

 people wear in addition a white jacket, often with 

 gold or silver buttons, shoes, and white stockings, 

 while the women are distinguished by a gaudy 

 scarf thrown across the bosom. 



The houses are built of wood or bamboo, thatched 

 with the leaf of the attap palm, and are raised a 

 few feet from the ground on piles. Both sides of 

 the river at Bangkok (q.v.) are lined for several 

 miles with houses floating on wooden pontoons or 

 on bundles of bamboo. Furniture there is none, 

 unless a mosquito-net, a mat or two, and cooking 

 and betel utensils be reckoned furniture. 



The food of the moss of the people consists simply 

 of rice, curry stuff, a little dried fish, and fruit 

 Large quantities of tea are consumed in Chinese 



