Agricnitnre, Pbnyt, and FIV,!Pe7.--III Siam, few of the instruments in use in scientific agriculture are known, and in many parts of the country, in It 55. the ground was pre pared for the seed by turning herds of buffaloes into the fields to trample down the weeds and move the soil, and afterward by harrowing the ground with thorny shrubs. But the soil here is so rich that the smallest outlay of capital and labor is rewarded by abundant harvests. A much more advanced system of agriculture, however. has been introduced within recent years, and the geniality of agricultural products exported has greatly increased. Rice and sugar are the principal crops. Of the (Mier products. the chief are win Pa, or eagle-wood, renowned for its perfume, and extensively used on that account at funerals, marriages, and other ceremonies in eastern Asia; gutta-percha, cardamoms, gamboge, bamboo, the rattan, valuable palms, the guava, mango; daurien, esteemed the king of fruits in Slain; the mangosteem, and ninny other fruits and other trees, including leak and a variety of valuable ship and house timbers. Among the animals, the most famous is the elephant, which abounds in the forests, It is against the law of Siam to kill elephants, as these animals are considered the property of the king; but many of them are nevertheless slain for the sake of their tusks. A variety of this animal, said to be peculiar to Siam, is the white elephant, which is not really white, bat of a light mahogany color. This:mini:II is held in the highest veneration. the cause of which is that he is "supposed to tic the incarnation of some future Buddha, and will therefore bring blessings on the country which possesses so great a treasure." Ile is fed. upon fresh grass, and sugar-canes and plantains, served in rich dishes, is covered with ornaments, inhabits a huilding attached to the palace, enjoys the rank of nobility, ant" is tended by a staff of officers, guards, valets, etc. Tigers abound, especially in the Laos country in the n.; tiger-cats, rhinoceroses, boars, wild pigs, elks, and deer of many kinds, tenant the woods. Crocodiles, lizards, and serpents of various kinds are numerous. Excellent fish are found ou the coasts and in the rivers.
ifinerals.—Gold is found among the mountains,. and silver in combination with other metals; copper, tin, lead, and iron are abundant, and are extensively worked by the Chinese. Precious stones are found in great number and variety.
.lfanufactures.—Vases, urns, and other vessels, in the manufacture of which gold is embossed upon silver, are made here in great numbers, and have an oriental celebrity. Gold-beating, irou-founding, and manufactures of line cloth, glass wares, and pottery arc carried on.
Commerce, Exports, and Imports.—In former times, Bangkok (q.v.), the capital, was the most commercial city e. of the cape of Good Hope, after Calcutta and Canton, and 60 British ships were_ engaged in trade with the river Meinans But in 1855, such had been the influence of bad legislation, and such the destructive progress of monopoly, that the foreign trade had become reduced almost to nothing. Sir John Bowling, her majesty's plenipotentiary, arriving in Siam, negotiated a treaty of friendship and com merce with the Siamese rulers (signed at Bangkok, April, 1855), which provides that British subjects are permitted to trade freely in all the sea-ports of Siam, may purchase lands, houses, etc., and may profess the Christian religion undisturbed. By this treaty all monopolies are rescinded, British traders purchasing directly from the producer, and selling directly to the purchaser, without the interference of any third party. Export duties are levied upon all goods that leave the country, but they pay one impost only, whether this be levied under the name of inland-tax, transit-duty, or duty on exporta tion. Prior to 1S56, when the treaty. first took effect, the British arrivals (including Mussulinan vessels under the British flag) amounted to only 12 per annum; in 1858 they amounted to 81 vessels; and in 1875 the entries at the port of Bangkok, which is the center of the foreign trade of Siam, included 211 British vessels, of 110,625 tons, and the clearances included 204 British vessels, of 107,789 tons; lint the trade with Britain is of a very fluctuating character. The total exports in 1875 amounted to
£1,755,711, and the total imports amounted to £1,329,841. In 1875 the chief articles exported were rice and sugar, and the principal imports of British stiods were iron and machinery. These statistics are for the port of Bangkok alone. No statement can be given of the revenue and expenditure; but judging from the quantity of duty-paying goods exported, it may be supposed that the former is satisfactory.
Inhabitants and Uovernment —The Siamese proper, that is, the Thill race, form about a. third of the entire population. "They are gentle, timid, careless, and almost passionless." They differ in several respects from many eastern nations. Lying, though frequently resorted to as a protection against injustice and oppression, is not a national characteristic. The Siamese are inclined to lie idle, inconstant, and exacting; but they are sincere, very affectionate in their domestic relations, witty in conversation, anti, like the Chinese, expert in mimicry. About a third of the whole population are Chinese, who are great emigrants, but who, wherever they go, preserve their own lan guage, customs. costume, habits, and social organization. There are, it is estimated, 1,500,000 Chinese in Siam; in Bangkok alone there are 200.000. All the active business of the country- is in their hands. The Laos people (see SIIAN STATES.) are also very numerous in the country, and there are considerable numbers of Malays -arid Cam bodians. The religion of the Siamese is Buddhism (q.v.), which inculcates the highest veneration for life in whatever form. A Siamese will not kill vermin or serpents; and the tameness of many creatures that in Europe flee from the presence of man is observed by all st•uozers. The use of betel (q.v.) is almost universal in Siam. All the belles of Siam stain their teeth black. The Siamese are extremely ceremonious in their intercourse one with another. An inferior crouches and crawls on the ground before a dignitary, and speaks of himself as "your slave—a hair—a little beast." They are a small well-proportioned race, with olive-colored skin, and black hair, of which all that they allow to grow is a tuft about two inches long on the top of the head—the rest being shaven off. They are remarkably fond of jewelry and ornaments, and the dresses of the higher functionaries and nobles is splendid and beautiful. They are fond of music; have a number of good native instruments, as well as the common European ones, and are skillful performers The government is an absolute and hereditary monarchy, and there are two kings. The first king is the actual monarch; the second king, who receives about one-third of of the revenue, and has an army of 2,000 men, seems to occupy the place of first coun selor, and is invariably consulted by the first king before any decisive step in the administration of affairs is taken. The present first king, Plirabat Somdctja Pura Para minthara, was born in 1823, and ascended the throne on his father's death, Oct. 1, 1808. The second king, Kroman Bawarawichai Chau, son of the last named, succeeded his father in 1868. Since a decree of 1874 the king shares the legislative power with the supreme council of state and with his cabinet or senabodi.
Hidorts.—The annals of the Siamese begin about five centuries B.C. But nothing authentic is known of the history of the country till 1350, in which year Ayuthia, the former capital, was founded. Cambodia was first conquered in 1532, and in this cen tury the Siamese dominion extended to Singapore. The present dynasty ascended the throne in 1782. There have been numbers of Protestant and Catholic missionaries in Siam since the year 1828, but so far as the Siamese are concerned, their labors have been almost if not altogether fruitless. For further information on this most interesting country and people, see Bowring's Siam (Loud. 1857.)