NOTES ON THE SIAMESE PROVINCES OF KOOWI, &C. 73 



the sickle, and the grain trampled out on the threshing-floor 

 by buffaloes. The paddy is stored away in small raised bam- 

 boo houses specially made for the purpose. 



An extremely small proportion of the land is under cultiva- 

 tion — less than 2%. Those four provinces include 2,200 

 square miles of the King of Siam's kingdom, and out of these 

 2,200 square miles about 3! square miles only are under culti- 

 vation. An average crop produces about 1,000 lbs. of clean 

 rice, so that in an average year the total production in these 

 provinces would be about 2,300,000 lbs of rice. This has to feed 

 a population of some 16,500 souls — rather less than one half 

 pound per head per diem — for as far as I know, there is neither 

 export nor import in this commodity. A man and his wife 

 could with ease cultivate four acres of rice and produce 4,000 

 lbs of rice, but nearly everyone grows his own supply only, 

 and very few cultivate that amount. 



From passing through those provinces and residing in 

 them, I believe their size, acreage under cultivation, and popu- 

 lation are approximately what I here tabulate : — ■ 



Province. 



Total 



square 



mileage. 



Acres 

 cultivated. 



Population, 



Champoon, 

 Pateeo, 

 Bangtaphan, 

 Koowi, 



740 



450 

 480 

 560 



800 

 500 

 300 

 700 



6,000 

 3,000 

 2,500 

 5,000 



Fishing Industry. 



In the dietary of the Siamese, fish occupies almost as im- 

 portant a place as rice, and although every Siamese is partly 

 an agriculturist, yet there are many that devote their lives 

 entirely to either calling. All the villages have easy access 



