w SI AM. 



Pali uxi Devonagwi It u i**d iu common life, and some poetry 

 ltd DorcU, M well as historical compositions, are written it) it But 

 UM Mend literature is only written iu the 1'uli language, which, 

 tOMtbor with Uie wonhip of Buddha, was introduced into Siam and 

 UM djaoent countries in the 4th century of our era. 



//irwiviu and JW. The government of Siani is an absolute 

 dccpotuui, not lioiitcd ercu by ancient customs, by the MtaMUwd 

 UneU of religion, or by the authority of hereditary chiefs. Siam is 

 " of countries which constitute the kingdom of Siam, and 



SIAM. 



611 



com 



uumedjatoly subject to the sovereign; and also of tributary 



countrir*, governed by their own princes, who are dependent on the 

 king of Siam. The former consist of the kingdom of Siam, called by 

 tho natives ludara Tbay-nu, and of a portion of the kingdom of Cam- 

 boja, called by tho Siamese ludara Shan. The tributary princes 

 inhabit the countries north and south of the kingdom. On the north 

 are the countries of tho princes of Laos ; and on the south the princes 

 who govern ft portion of the eastern coast of the Malay peninsuln. 



Itiiiara Thay , or Siam /Vojxr, comprehend* the countries along 

 the eastern coast of tho Gulf of Siam, as far inland as the mountains 

 of CamboJA, and those in the basin of the river Menam ns far north 

 as 19* N. lat, together with the isthmus of Krah, the Malay Penin- 

 sula, and as fr south as tho British colony of Province Wellesley, 

 6 X. lat. The small Malay kingdom of Kcddah, or Queda, has been 

 incorporated into Siam proper, and now constitutes a part of the 

 province of Ligor. Siam proper is divided into eighteen provinces. 



BAXG-KOK, the new capital, and Ayuthia, the ancient capital, are 

 on the banks of the Menam Kiver. Ayuthia, or Yuthia, stands on an 

 island formed by two arms of the river Menam, and is also called 

 Duarawadi, and sometimes ludara, or by the Europeans Siam. It 

 was taken in 1767 by the Birmans, and from that time ceased to be 

 the capital. It is now a mere ruin, with scarcely any inhabitants. 

 The country which extends from this town southward to Bang-kok 

 and the mouth of the river is well cultivated and has numerous 

 village*, except near the sea, where the low shores, inundated by the 

 nigh tides at full and change, are covered with trees, and only inhabited 

 by persons who make salt. 



Eang-pa-toe is near the mouth of the river Baug-pa-kung, which 

 has a mud-bar with only 12 feet of water on it, but within the river 

 deepens to from 2J fathoms to 3 fathoms. The town is a con- 

 siderable place, and carries on an active commerce with Bang-kok. 

 Around it is a large tract of low alluvial ground of great fertility and 

 very productive in rice and sugar-cane. Farther up on the banks of 

 the same river is the town of Patriyu, which contains a considerable 

 population, and is fortified. 



Chan-ti-lun, the capital of a province of the same name, stands 

 near the coast, 180 miles S.E. from Bang-pa-Soe ; it is a small but 

 rather populous and busy place, exporting the produce of the pro- 

 vince, consisting of rice, pepper, gamboge, cardarnuuis, and aquila- 

 wood. The river on which it is built forms at its mouth a harbour 

 that affords anchorage iu 5 or 6 fathoms water, but the river is only 

 navigated up to the town by small boats which carry goods from 

 this place to Bang-kok. South of Chan-ti-bun is the small town of 

 Tuny-hay, near the mouth of a little river which falls into a broad 

 arm of the sea. It exports pepper and aquila-wood. 



Pi-ta-luk is a considerable town on the Menham, near 18 30' N. lat. 



Iu the valley of the Mekhloug Kiver, west of Bang-kok, there are 

 also some commercial towns. At the mouth of the river is the town 

 of JUtlhlotig, with 13,000 inhabitants, which has a harbour for small 

 Teasel*, and carries on a considerable trade. Higher up, llat-pkri, has 

 10,000 inhabitants, Pak-prck, 8000 inhabitants, and Bant-chiom, 5000 

 inhabitants, and theee places have a considerable trade with the 

 adjacent countries. Much sapan-wood is cut in the forests on tho 

 neighbouring mountains. At Lamtchang, which is a small place, but 

 has some commerce, tho river becomes navigable. South of Mekh- 

 loug, near the shores of the Gulf of Siam, is the town Pri-pri, which 

 bos a considerable population, mid exports rice and palm-sugar. The 

 harbour is only accessible to vessels of small burden. 



On the isthmus of Krah, along the coast of the Gulf of Siam, ore 

 tl.e towns of Choomphon, Chai-ya, Bandon, Phumphin, and Phosuga, 

 but none of tln-m .in- of much consequence. 



In the part of Siam proper which lies south of the isthmus of 

 Krtih, on the Malay peninsula, are several towns. Ligor has about 

 6000 inhabitants, and sonio trade with China, to which country cotton, 

 black pi ppt r, tin, and rattans are exported. Tailing lies farther to 

 the couth, on a river which falls into the channel between the main- 

 land and the island of Tautalem. From this place a road crosses the 

 peninsula, which leads to Trang, a small harbour and town on the 

 Gulf of Bengal: it is not much used. Still farther south, and near 

 the boundary of the Malay kingdom of Pataui, is the town of Sungora, 

 or Sungkla, which is built partly on the continent and partly on the 

 southern extremity of the island of Tantidem. 



Samui, a mmll inland in the Gulf of Siam, near 10" N. lat., and 

 several milex from the eastern coast of the isthmus of Krah, is very 

 fertile, and a place of trade, being visited annually by some Chinese 

 junks, which export cotton and edible birds' -nests. The group of the 

 Kichang lel'indt lies within the more narrow portion of the Gulf of 

 Siam, not far from the eastern coast. They are eight in number, and 

 the largest, properly called Sichang, is five miles long and about a mile. 



and a quarter wide in its broadest part. Between this island and 

 Kohkuni, the next in magnitude, is an excellent harbour. 



That portion of the kingdom of Siam which formerly belonged to 

 the kingdom of Carnboja lies on the west of the river Maekhaun, and 

 is called Bongtang. It consists for the most part of extensive level 

 flats, which stretch from the river many miles westward to the moun- 

 tains of Carnboja, but the population is said to be small. 



The tributary states of Laos, and those on the Malay peninsula, are 

 noticed under LAOS and MALAY PENINSULA. 



Manufactures. The Siamese do not distinguish themselves in any 

 of the useful arts, and are much behind the Hindoos and Chinese. 

 Even their vessels and trinkets of gold and silver are imported from 

 China; but certain gold and silver vases of handsome form and neat 

 workmanship are fabricated in the palace of the king, and presented 

 to the chiefs as insignia of title and office. The manufacture of silk 

 and cotton stuffs is wholly in the hands of women ; the fabrics are of 

 a very coarse and homely texture, and greatly inferior to those made 

 iu Java and Celebes. A common description of coarse pottery is made 

 in the country, but all the ordinary aud better descriptions are 

 imported from China, and iu large quantities. The Chinese, who 

 settled in Siam during the last century, have introduced some 

 branches of industry. Besides the fabrication of sugar, which they 

 have greatly extended, and the working of the neglected m'. 

 iron, they carry on the trades of blacksmith, tinsmith, and currier on 

 a large scale. Considerable quantities of wrought-irou are produced 

 by them, and at Bang-kok there are several extensive manufactures of 

 cast-iron wholly conducted by Chinese. The manufacture of tin 

 vessels is very considerable. The preparation of leather is carried on 

 to a great extent, not for the purpose of making shoes, which are 

 scarcely used, but for covering matrasses and pillows, and for exporta- 

 tion to China. Tigers' aud leopards' skins, &c., are preserved with 

 the fur on, and exported to China. 



Commerce. Siam, in a commercial point of view, is considered the 

 most important of the three empires which divide among them the 

 countries between the Gulf of Bengal and China. As all the pro- 

 vinces of the empire produce some articles winch are in demand in 

 foreign countries, and nearly all the foreign commerce is at present 

 concentrated in the town of Bang-kok, the iulaud and coasting trade 

 is very considerable. The most important branch of inland commerce 

 is that with the 'northern provinces of Siam Proper and with Laos, 

 and a vast number of boats come down the Menam laden with grain, 

 cotton, sapan-wood, oil, timber, stick-lac, benzoin, some raw silk, 

 ivory, bees' -wax, horns, and hides. The goods carried back are snlt, 

 salt fish, and Chinese, Indian, and European manufactures, aud also 

 those of Bang-kok. The produce of the province of Bang-tang, and 

 also of Lan-jaug, or Southern Laos, reaches Bang-kok by the river 

 Bang-pa-kuug. By this route are brought down gamboge, cardamums, 

 Btick-lac, varnish, raw hides, horns, aud ivory. From the countries 

 west of Bank-kok, especially those ou the banks of the rivers Mukh- 

 long and Tachin, great quantities of sugar, cotton, and sapan-wood are 

 brought to Baug-kok. From the other ports goods are in general 

 exported directly to China, 



The most important branch of the foreign trade of Siam is that 

 with China. It is partly carried on by Chinese vessels, but. mostly in 

 vessels built in Siam and navigated by Chinese. The principal com- 

 modities imported from China are coarse earthenware and porcelain, 

 spelter, quicksilver, tea, vermicelli, dried fruits, raw silk, crape?, 

 satins and other silk fabrics, nankeens, shoes, fans, umbrellas, writing 

 paper, sacrificial paper, incense rods, and many minor articles. A 

 considerable number of passengers come annually to settle in Siam. 

 The commodities exported to China have been already noticed. 

 Besides the trade with China, which is carried on by sea, there is mi 

 overland trade between Laos and the province of Yun-uau ; but as 

 the roads traverse high mountain ranges the commerce is not very 

 active. The imports consist of coarse Chinese woollens, soino 

 English broadcloths, phis, needles, and other descriptions of hardware, 

 with some gold, copper, and lead. The returns are principally ivoiy, 

 stick-lac, rhinoceros horns, and some minor articles. The commerce 

 with Cochin-China is also considerable; but there appears to bo 

 scarcely any commercial intercourse existing between Siam and the 

 Birman empire. Some trade is carried on between Molmcin, in 

 Tenasseriui, and the northern districts of Siam. The British colony 

 is supplied with live stock, and the trade seems gradually extending 

 to many other articles. But the most important trade, next to that 

 with China, is with the European establishments on the Malay Pi nil - 

 stda and the Sunda Islands, especially with the British colonies of 

 Singapore, Malacca, and Pulo Penang, and with the Butch establish- 

 ments of Batavia, Cheribou, and Samarang in Java, Pontiauac in 

 Borneo, and Ehio in Bing-tang. The staple exports of Siam to theeo 

 colonies are sugar, salt, oil, and rice, to which may be added the minor 

 articles of stick-lac, iron-pans, coarse earthenware, and hog's lard. 

 The returns are British and Indian piece-goods, some British woollens, 

 opium, and glass, with the products of the adjacent countries which 

 are suited for tho Chinese market, such as pepper, tin, dragon's blood, 

 rattans, tripang, edible birds'-nests, and camphor. The crews of the 

 Siamese junks engaged in this trade are almost exclusively Chinese, 

 but tho vessels are built at Bang-kok. 



Formerly the commodities of Hindustan and Europe reached the 



