240 



SHROUDS -SI AM. 



five in breadth from east to west. The 

 outline of this county approaches to a quadrangle, 

 with several considerable indentations and projec- 

 tions. Its aspect is much diversified; the western 

 parts, especially towards the south, being moun- 

 tainous and rugged, while the eastern side is more 

 level, though not destitute of hills and some eleva- 

 tion. What is called the Plain of Salop extends 

 about thirty miles from Whitchurch and Oswestry 

 on the north, to Colebrook Dale and Church Stret- 

 ton on the south: it is unequally divided by the 

 Severn ; and from this plain, near Wroxeter, rises 

 the hill of Wrekin, the height of which is about 

 1200 feet. On the south-eastern border of the 

 plain is the more elevated district of Colebrook 

 Dale, but the loftiest eminences in the county are 

 the hills called Stiperstones, near the western bor- 

 der; and towards the south are the Glee Hills. 

 The views from these heights are varied and ex- 

 tensive. All the rivers of this county communi- 

 cate with the Severn, which enters Shropshire just 

 after its confluence with the Wirnew, which joins 

 it from the north-west; after which, passing in a 

 south-east direction, winding through deep roman- 

 tic valleys, finely wooded, it receives, on the east- 

 ern side, the united streams of the Tern and the 

 Rodon, the former of which rises in Staffordshire; 

 and on the western side several small rivers. This 

 part of the county also is watered by the Camlet, 

 the Clun, or Colun, the Oney, and the Corve, 

 which, uniting with the Teme, join the Severn 

 below Worcester. This county contains several 

 lakes, or meres, the largest of which is that of 

 Ellesmere. The soil presents many varieties of 

 quality ; but it is in general well cultivated. In 

 the more level districts, great numbers of cattle 

 are pastured; and much cheese is made, of a similar 

 kind with that of Cheshire. The sheep, which 

 are fed on the hilly tracts, afford some of the finest 

 wool produced in England. North-eastward of the 

 Severn, turnips are largely cultivated; there is a 

 good deal of arable land, yielding large crops of 

 wheat and other grain; potatoes are raised very 

 extensively; and on the south, bordering on Here- 

 fordshire, are hop-yards and orchards. This county 

 has been denuded of much of the timber which 

 formerly clothed it, considerable quantities having 

 been used for ship-building in the western ports, 

 but there are yet remaining some fine woods and 

 coppices. Extensive moors and mosses exist in 

 some parts of the county, especially near Kinners- 

 ley ; and there is a tract called Clun Forest, con- 

 sisting of more than 12,000 acres of land, forming 

 an extensive sheep-walk. The mineral productions 

 of this county consist of iron and lead-ores, lime- 

 stone, freestone, pipe-clay, and coal, besides petro- 

 leum and salt-springs. The district of Colebrook 

 Dale, eastward of the Severn, is noted for its 

 iron-works, which are among the most important 

 in our island. The other manufactures of Shrop- 

 shire are those of China-ware, earthen-ware, pipes, 

 bricks and tiles, glass, and flannel. Population in 

 1841, 239,048. 



SHROUDS ; a range of large ropes extended 

 from the mast-heads to both sides of a ship, to 

 support the masts, and enable them to carry sail, &c. 



SHROVETIDE, OR SHROVE TUESDAY; 

 the day before the first of Lent or Ash- Wednes- 

 day, so called because on that day it was customary 

 for all persons to confess their sins. (See Carni- 

 val, and Lent.} After confession, at least in Eng- 

 land, it was usual to eat pancakes. Shrove Tues- 



day is called in German Fustnacltt (fast evo , ;ind 

 in French Mflrdi Gras (fat Tuesday). 

 SHUMLA. See Choumla. 

 SIAM; a country in the peninsula of Farther 

 India, or Chin- India, which is but imperfect Iv 

 known to us. The Siamese empire is composed of 

 Siam Proper, a large portion of Lao, a portion of 

 j Cambodia, and some tributary Malay states, ex- 

 ! tending from about lat. 5 to 21 N., and from Ion. 

 97 50' to 105 E. Its area may be estimated at 

 190,000 geographical squares miles, with a popula- 

 tion of not more than 2,790,500, of which 1,260,000 

 are Siamese, 840,000 Laos, 195,000 Malays, 440,000 

 Chinese, &c. The greater proportion of the terri- 

 tory, although it contains some rich alluvial plains, 

 appears to be mountainous : the soil is, much of it, 

 fertile, the climate favourable, and the communica- 

 tion easy, so that the thinness of the population 

 must be ascribed to the barbarism and bad govern- 

 ment of the country. The capital of the empire 

 is Bangkok (lat. 13 50' N.), near the mouth of 

 the Menam, the great river of Siam, the population 

 ; of which Crawfurd estimates not to exceed 50,000. 

 Ayuthia, the old capital, eighty miles from the 

 mouth of the same river, which here becomes na- 

 vigable, is the next considerable city of the empire. 

 Siam Proper is the valley of the Menam, which, at 

 its southern extremity, does not exceed sixty miles 

 in breadth : its length is stated at about 360 miles, 

 and its superficial area may amount to 20,000 

 square miles. The country of the Laos a people 

 speaking a dialect of the Siamese language ap- 

 pears to be divided between the Siamese, the Chi- 

 nese, and the Birmans, with which latter empires 

 that of Siam is thus brought into contact. Subse- 

 quently to the civil war which broke out in Cam- 

 bodia in 1809, that kingdom was divided between 

 the Siamese and the Cochin-Chinese governments. 

 The Malay states tributary to Siam are Queda, on 

 the western coast of the peninsula, with Patani, 

 Kalantan and Tringano on the east. The Siamese 

 are one of the most considerable and civilized of 

 the group of nations inhabiting the tropical regions 

 beyond Hindoostan and China. In stature they 

 are shorter than Europeans, averaging about five 

 feet three inches in height. Their complexion is a 

 light brown, rather darker than that of .the Chi- 

 nese. In the useful arts they have made little pro- 

 gress, and, in this respect, are much behind the 

 Hindoos and Chinese. Their alphabet consists of 

 thirty-eight consonants, and numerous vowels and 

 diphthongs, and the characters are written from 

 left to right. The language is destitute of inflec- 

 tions, and its construction depends, therefore, like 

 the English, on juxtaposition. The literature is 

 very meagre, consisting merely of some songs, ro- 

 mances and chronicles. Their sacred literature, 

 like that of all other Buddhist countries, is in the 

 Bali or Pali language. The Siamese are represented 

 by travellers as servile, rapacious, slothful, disin- 

 genuous, pusillanimous and vain. The religion is 

 Buddhism, resembling, in its morality and doctrines, 

 that which prevails in Ceylon, but differing consi- 

 derably from the Buddhism of Tartary, China and 

 Japan. (See Buddha, and JFb.) The priests, or 

 talapoins, live in monasteries, and are bound to celi- 

 bacy. The earliest event of which we have any 

 information in Siamese history, is the introduction 

 of the religion of Buddha from Ceylon in the 

 seventh century of the Christian era. In 1511 be- 

 gan the first intercourse of Europeans with this 

 country, through the Portuguese. In 1684, the 



