424 



SIAM 



fashion without sugar or milk. A spirituous liquor 

 is distilled from rice, but drunkenness is rare. 

 Betel-nut chewing and tobacco-smoking are uni- 

 vemal. Child ren negin to smoke at a very early 

 age, and ladies do not disdain the use of the fragrant 

 weed. Betel-nut discolours the teeth, and t hid pro- 

 cess is often aided l>v tin- use of various materials 

 to render them quite black and polished. The 

 characteristic vice of the Siamese is gambling, 

 which can only be carried on in the licensed 

 government gambling houses. At the new-year 

 holidays (in April), and on two or three other 

 public holidays, the people are allowed as a 

 privilege to gamble at home or in the streets. 



Marriages are negotiated by elderly women, who 

 find out if the birthdays of the intended bride and 

 bridegroom are suitable for the Siamese are super- 

 stitious in this respect and arrange the amount 

 of property or money the parent* on each side are 

 wilting to give to set up the young couple in life. 

 The marriage ceremonies, during which the chew- 

 ing of betel-nut plays an important part, last two 

 or three days, and all friends are entertained 

 liberally during this time. Priests are sometimes 

 engaged to recite prayers, the bride and bride- 

 groom are sprinkled with consecrated water, and on 

 a favourable astrological day generally the third 

 the marriage-bed is prepared ny an old couple, 

 friends of the family who nave in their time been 

 blessed with a large and prosperous family. Among 

 the poorer classes there is little ceremony. The 

 main feature of the contract is that the swain 

 bands over to jiU mother-in-law a certain sum of 

 money, which is termed 'ka nam nom,' or price of 

 the mother's milk. 1'nlygamy is universal amongst 

 the wealthy and noble classes. 



The system of medicine is curious. The Siamese 

 believe that the arteries are filled with air, and 

 that most diseases are caused by some disturbance 

 in this internal wind. Apoplexy, for example, 

 results from wind blowing upon the heart with 

 sufficient force to rupture it. The vegetable, 

 mineral, and animal kingdoms are largely drawn 

 npon to supply medicines, and the use of such 

 peculiar articles of pharmacy as cat's eyes, bile of 

 snakes, rhinoceros horn, sea-shells, tic. is not 

 despised. Patients are accustomed to take medi- 

 cines compounded of numerous ingredients and in 

 enormous quantities. It is a painful custom of 

 obstetrics that after the birth of a child the mother 

 lies thirty days roasting tefore a hot fire. The 

 number of days is diminished with the number of 

 children. The mode of paying doctors might lie 

 adopted with advantage elsewhere. A fixed sum 

 is agreed upon for a cure, and if the condition of 

 the patient does not improve, or if he dies, the 

 doctor get* nothing. The dead, after being kept 

 for a period varying from two or three days for a 

 poor man to eight or nine months for a prince, 

 are cremated with much ceremony and at great 

 expense. 



Every Siamese, with certain exceptions, is l>ound 

 to give the state free lalmur for about three mouths 

 in the year, and to supply travelling officials with 

 provisions and means of transport when called 

 upon. A form of domestic slavery exists, by which 

 any one borrowing money may oiler his person MS 

 security. The creditor can put his debtor in chains, 

 if necessary, and compel him to work in his service 

 till the principal is paid off, the value of his laltour 

 being reckoned only as interest. 



The religion of the country is Buddhism. The 

 sacred books are written in Pali in the Caml>odian 

 character, and have been originally brought from 

 Ceylon. All Siamese enter the priesthood for a 

 rhort time. Priest* are clothed in yellow robes, 

 and their heads and eyebrows are shaved. They 

 ollect their food from 'the charitable in the early 



morning. The temples are numerous, and they 

 are the only buildings, except the palace, on whioL 

 any aichitect unil eflort has lieen expended. Their 

 gilded minarets, roofs of coloured tiles, and quaint 

 pagodas draw forth the admiration of the stranger 

 on his arrival at Bangkok. 



Government and General Progretf. The old 

 system of lirstand second kings ha* IK-CM abolished, 

 and the present and only king is Chulalongkorn I. 

 (Phra Paramindr Maha), who was IMMM September 

 21, 1853, and succeeded to the throne October 1, 1868. 

 He is an amiable but dignified monarch, knows 

 the English language thoroughly, and is possessed 

 by a sincere desire to ameliorate the condition of his 

 country. The eldest son of the queen was nominated 

 crown-'prince in 1887, and this innovation will tend 

 to make the throne hereditary, which was not 

 formerly the case. The legislative power is vested 

 in the king in conjunction with a council of minis- 

 ters, who nave charge of the departments of war 

 and marine, foreign affairs, home government, 

 justice, agriculture, royal house, and finance. 

 The country is divided into provinces administered 

 by governors. The ablest of the king's brothers 

 (two full and twenty half-brother, i. nc.nlv all 

 English-speaking, fill some of the more ini|>ortant 

 public offices. There is a small permanent army, 

 modelled after the fashion of the British army, 

 and drilled by Europeans. The navy consists of "a, 

 modern cruiser of 3000 tons, a smaller cruiser, and 

 a few gunboatw, despatch vessels, \-c. 



The government, assisted by many British and 

 other resident officials, has in recent years made 

 rapid strides in reforming the administration. Mr 

 Mitchell limes, who acted as financial adviser to 

 the king during 1896-97-98, greatly improved that 

 department. The revenues nave "been increased. 

 are now paid directly into the Treasury ami 

 regularly audited, and an annual budget in- 

 stituted, .(udicious expenditure has been made 

 on public works, the Civil List has been put on a 

 definite footing, and all salaries and accounts are 

 paid regularly at fixed interval-, instead of being 

 months in arrear. Taxation is lightened and 

 simplified, so that Siam is now the most lightly 

 taxed country in Asia. In oilier directions similar 

 reforms are being carried out. Sanitation, educa- 

 tion, and the administration of law and justice 

 are all greatly improved. By improvements in 

 forest conservation the teak revenues have been 

 trebled and waste prevented. An improved and 

 now effective police system bos bad beneficial results 

 in many direct ions. "Bangkok is lit with electricity. 

 Telegraph lines connect Bangkok with Europe 

 rii'i Saigon, and also viA Tavoy in Burma, and with 

 Chiengniai in the north. 1'he |x>stal union \\as 



Ced in 1SS.~>, ami a telephone exchange exists in 

 gkok. A railway connecting Bangkok with 

 I'aknam at the mouth of the river was opened 

 in ISiCi, and a line to Korat, KM miles NK. of 

 Bangkok, slowly constructed ; other railway lines 

 (to Burma and the Chinese frontier) have teen 

 surveyed. Bangkok has tramways. Education, 

 which is carried on by the priests'in the temple., 

 has been supplemented by schools for the teaching 

 of Knglish. Extra-territorial jurisdiction exists in 

 Siam i.e. foreigners are not subject to Siamese 

 laws, but to the laws of their respective countries 

 administered by consuls. 



The revenue is estimated at 2,000,000, and 

 includes 1,000,000 for opium, spirit, gambling, 

 jwwnbroking, and other monopol ies : .OHI.IHNM.I 

 on houses, shops, boat*, fisheries, theatres, &v. 

 200,000 land-tax ; and 100,000 customs. 



History. Authentic Siamese history does not 

 Ix'gin till the year 1350, when Avuthia (<|.\.)was 

 founded. Cambodia was conquered and made tribu- 

 tary in 1532. The period from 1659 to 1688 was 



