IMHi- ulna. 



80 



The country it partly tributary, pirlly iti veiI^mI into province 

 tulimnHtored duvctly by ,Sinin. A-vm-diu* t» IWk, ilu-re at iuvm/ui 

 •six States directly tributary to Sintu ; L<ihm> L-t.uf. /rt r 



lA"(>Jlj/Jjri«i or Jfli'tflN^f J/jW IltlM£ftg']*mbii>t;l , .ni'L M/t'iif/-f'/-\ti, 



Those lie ehkfiy in th" north U»twv.-u (in; Jt.-kU-Jij^ imd Sidwiti, thus 

 ilJcluiLiij^ jlII tin- liusul miters i>f thu Mnruiln. 



Of the Lap moftnMI ruled ley Si.nnt, "fieri through governors ehosen 

 frntii tiii> nui'iciit r>iy;il ftimity, ttio chinf arc ; U?»">t su\<i HiiMW rr whom 

 rulcn benr thr litta of king; K'mmnmt, A r vwj-kni, jftcmgHtottft Kcn Uw, 

 Xir.ug-kuttg % :lim! Xkny-hai, 



Administration,— All tlio I-no States are absolutely independent 

 of each oilier, their mien} being autocratic and elected fur life, 

 alilmiigh flii: office is not hereditary, but lilk'il by the King of Shun 

 mi c hi' miiifin hit of lh" [. ■ ■ r ■ 1 1 Karh nf the-e Stales ha* two 

 cliids, like Siiiiii itself, I lie nr?t with tin- title Chow ffluang, the 

 tecond called Chow Ojiemt, The tribute to Sijim consists of pre* 

 peul?s Mich as f$old and silver been, gold and silver betel-lioxe.'S mby- 

 studded vases, and the like t paid triennial 1 v. 



Although bearing ibe official designation of Muiing-Tlmi, or 

 u Land of the Free/' Siam proper in essentially a land of abject 

 RcrviltmV Theoretically the whole population, from the highest 

 official to the lowest subject, are slave* nf the Crnwn, wln^e power 

 is limited only by custom. A nuinber of distinct cllMBMfl are, bow- 

 :'\\-T< rvcoguned fmni tin- nobles and tailitary down to the slaves 

 properly so-called. The poliLim] nnwi-r \< reserved to the noblc^ 

 the highest uutlmrily I ■ • - i 1 1, :_r vc-ted in two kings, one puramount, the 

 second witli tho title of Wagiiu, satb .n<l a n: Li - ■ and n< >i:i m.i L h«-ad of 

 the Jiriuy, These offices nre hereditary within th" royal dynasty, 

 but do not necessarily paw to the eldest VOL The present king, 

 whose full title in Plira Bat s.inidHh Phra Pariimmdr Maha Clntla- 

 bmkoni 1 1 Sjri t'hnht t 'h'Hjt Kin-* t 'how Vu lliiii. is ihe ninth of 

 his father and predereK*or, King ifongktit, whom he succeeded tm 

 OetobcT 1, 186R, in hi* fifteenth year. He is a wise and enlightened, 

 sovereign, win* ha* profited by the liberal oduniliou wbit-b hi? father 

 was careful to give him. His earnest desire to elevate the social 

 condition of his people was shown by the abolition nf shivery in his 

 immediate dominions an aet which begun to tuke'ctfccl in |s7l*. 

 The children of slaves arc free, and other important social reforms 

 are in progress. 



Topography.— Bnn>jkoJ,; the capital of Siam since the year 

 17GQ t lies on both bnnka of tho Lower Mcnnm, about 20 miles from 

 the nen, in 13' 18* N. lnt. t 100" 34' E. long- , the river being ruivigablc 

 to this point for ve-ssvU of 3">0 tun-;. The htrikin^ appearance nf the 



