S I A 



of the kingdom, and contains tlie names, funAions, and pre- 

 rogatives of all the officers; the third, which is about 150 

 years old, contains additional rej;ulatioiis. Of thefe, the 

 ilril is the moll celebrated and the molt deferving the at- 

 tention of Europeans. 



The T'hay exhibits conliderable variety of meafures in 

 compolition, and frequently introduces feveral of them in 

 the fame manner as is frequently done in Brij'h, Punjabi, 

 and Sik'h compofitions. The jnoft frequent mcafure, how- 

 ever, among the T'hay, as among the Ruk'heng and 

 Barma, feems to be that denominated rap, which confifts 

 of four long fyllables, but admits occafionally of one or 

 more intercalary (hort ones : the Ja-ni, which confiils of 

 five fyllables, the Cho-bang of fix, the Pat'hamang of 

 feven, the Jefuiita of eight, are alfo frequently employed. 

 The Siamele are not deficient in literature, and their modes 

 of education are well explained by Loubere. 



From Mandelflo we learn, that the commerce of the 

 capital of Siam confilted in cloths imported from Hindoof- 

 tan, and various articles from China ; in exports of jewels, 

 gold, benjoin, lacca, wax, tin, lead, &c. and particularly 

 deer-flcins, of which more than 150,000 were fold annually 

 to the Japaneie. Rice was alfo exported in great quantities 

 to the Afiatic ifles. The king was, by a ruinous policy, 

 the chief merchant, and had fadors in moil of the neigh- 

 bouring countries. The royal trade conlilted in cotton 

 cloths, tin, ivory, faltpetre, rack, and (kins fold to the 

 Dutch. A late writer informs us, that the produftions of 

 this country are prodigious quantities of grain, cotton, ben- 

 jamin ; fandal, aguello, and Japan woods ; antimony, tin, 

 lead, iron, load-ltones, gold, and filver ; fapphires, eme- 

 ralds, agates, cryltal ; marble, and tambac. Siam, in 

 refpedl of fertility, loco-pofition, and productive labour, 

 poifefles commercial advantages of the fame nature with 

 thofe of the Birraan empire ; but on the coail at leaft, the 

 climate is far from being healthy. 



The two firll months of the Siamefe year, correfponding 

 ■with our December and January, form their whole winter ; 

 the third, fourth, and fifth, belong to that portion which 

 is called their little fummer ; and the feven others to their 

 great fummer. As they lie north of the hne, their winter 

 correfponds with cur's, but it is almod as warm as a French 

 fummer. The little fummer is their fpring ; autumn is un- 

 known in their calendar ; the winter is dry, and is diftin- 

 guifhed by the courfe of the wind, which almoll conltantly 

 blows from the north, and is refrelhed with cold from the 

 fnowy mountains of Thibet, and the bleak waltes of Mon- 

 golia. 



We have already defcribed this country as a wide vale 

 between two high ndges of mountains ; but compared witli 

 the Birman empire, the cultivated land is not abovj hajf the 

 extent either in breadth or length. Lefs induftrious than 

 the Birmans the agriculture of the Siamefe does not extend 

 far from the banks of the river, or its branches ; fo that to- 

 wards the mountains there are vail aboriginal forefts filled 

 with wild animali, whence they obtain the (kins which are 

 exported. The rocky and variegated fhores of the noble 

 gulf of Siam, and the fize and inundations of the Meinam, 

 confpire with the rich and pidlnrefque vegetation of the 

 rorelhi, illumined at night with crowds ot brilliant fire- 

 flies, to imprefs (Irangers with admirati .11 and delight. 



Tlie foil towards the mountains is parched and infertile ; 

 but on the fhores of the river confifts, like that of Egypt, 

 of a very rich and pure mould, in which a pebble can 

 fcarcely be found ; and the country would be a terreltrial 

 paradile, if its government were not fo defpotic as to be 

 juftly reckoned far inferior to that of their neighbours the 



Vol. XXXIl. 



S i A 



Birmans. Rice of excellent quality is the chief produd of 

 their agriculture ; wheat is not unknown ; peafe and other 

 vegetables abound ; and maize is confined to their gardene. 

 The fertility of Siam depends in a great degree, like that 

 of Egypt on the Nile, 011 their grand river Meinam, and 

 its co;itributa:y llreams ; for an account of which, fee 

 Mkinam. 



Of the lakes of this country little is known : a fmaU 

 one, however, lies in the call of the kingdom, which n 

 the fource of a river that flows into that of Cambodia. 

 To itsextenfive ranges of mountains, inclofing the kingdom 

 on tlie call and well, we have already referred. A fmall 

 ridge alfo palies from call to weft, not far north of Yuthia, 

 called by Loubere Taramamon. The forefts of the country 

 arc large and numerous, and produce many valuable woods. 

 Its chief animals are elephants, buffaloes, and deer. The 

 elephants in particular are diftinguifiied for their fagacity 

 and beauty ; and thole of a white colour are treated by the 

 Siamefe with a kind of adoration, as they believe the foul 

 of fuch is royal. Wild boars, tigers, and monkies, are 

 numerous. The reports of the mineralogy of Siam are 

 various. Mandelflo, or rather hii tranflator Wicquefort, 

 who added, about the year 1670, the accounts of Pegu, 

 Siam, Japan, &c. informs U9, that Siam contains mines of 

 gold, filver, tin, and copper ; and Loubere fuggefts, that 

 they were anciently more diligently wrought, as the ancient 

 pits indicate ; not to mention the great quantity of gold, 

 which mult have been employed in richly gilding the idols, 

 pillars, cielings, and even roofs of their temples. In his 

 time no mine of gold or filver, worth the labour of being 

 wrought, could be found. The mines chiefly wrought by 

 the Siamefe were thofe of tin and lead. The tin, called 

 " calin" by the Portuguefe, was fold throughout the 

 Indies ; but it was foft and ill refined. Near Louvo was a 

 mountain of load-ftone, and another of inferior quality in 

 Junkfeilon ; which fee. Piiikerton's Geog. vol. ii. 



The Siamefe, though of a melancholy turn, have no ob- 

 jcdtion to lively mufic. They have often parties on the 

 water, which they render very pleafant by a number of 

 voices, and the clapping of hands, with which they beat 

 time. 



The inftrument in the higheft favour with them produces 

 a found fimilar to two violins perfetlly in tune, played at 

 the fame time. But there h nothing more difagreiable than 

 its diminutive, the kit of this inllrument, which is a kind of 

 rebec, or violin with three brafs ftrings. 



Their copper trumpets vu-ry much relemble, in tone, the 

 cornets with which the peafants of France call their cows. 

 Their flutes are not much fvveeter. They make likewife a 

 kind of carillon with fmall bells, which are lively, and not 

 dilagreeable, when not accompanied by their iron drum, 

 which ftuns every one that is not accultomcd to its noify 

 harihni'fs. They have drums made of terra colta, a baked 

 clay, with a long and very narrow neck, but open at the bot- 

 toru : they cover the drum with a buftaloe's hide, and beat 

 it with the hand ni fuch a manner, that it ferves for a bafi 

 ill their concerts. Their voices are not difa^jrecable, and if 

 we were to hear them ling fame of their airs, we Ihould not 

 be difpleafed. Latorde. 



Si.wr, a name (bmetimes given to the cou.itry aboTe de- 

 fcribed. Sec Jui'iil.v, and the preceding article. 



SiA.M, Gulf of, a large bay of the Eall Indian le.i, be- 

 tween Cambodia and the peniiilula of Malacca, having to 

 the north Siam. 



SIAMODEL, a town of Hindoollan, in the Caroatic ; 

 13 miles N. of Nellore. 



SIAMPA. SecCniAMPA. 



4 M SIAN, 



