BANG-KOE, the new capital, and Ayuthia, the ancient capital, are on the banks of the Menam River. Ayuthia, or Yutkia, stands on an island formed by two arms of the river Menam, and is also called Duarawadi, and sometimes ludara, or by the Europeans Siam. It was taken in 1767 by the Birmans, and from that time ceased to be the capital. It is. now a mere ruin, with scarcely any inhabitants. The country which extends from this town southward to Bang-kok and the month of the river is well cultivated and has numerous villages, except near the sea, where the low shores, inundated by the high tides at full and change, are covered with trees, and only inhabited by persons who make salt.
Pang-N.80'e is near the mouth of the river Baug-pa-kung, which has a mud-bar with only 12 feet of water on it, but within the river deepens to from fathoms to 3 fathoms. The town is a con siderable place, and carries on an active commerce with Bang-kok. Around it is a large tract of low alluvial ground of great fertility and very productive in rice and sugar-cane. Farther up on the banks of the same river is the town of Patriyu, which contains a considerable population, and is fortified.
Clan-ti-l7n, the capital of a province of the same name, stands near the coast, 180 miles S.E. from Bang-pa-Siie ; it is a small hut rather populous and busy place, exporting the produce of tho pro vince, consisting of rice, pepper, gamboge, cardamums, and aquila wood. The river on which it is built forms at its mouth a harbour that affords anchorage in 5 or 6 fathoms water, but the river is only navigated up to the town by small boats which carry goods front this place to Bang-kok. South of Chan-ti-bun is the small town of Tung-hay, near the mouth of a little river which falls into a broad arm of the sea. It exports pepper and aquila-wood.
Pi-sa-luk is a considerable town on the Menham, near 18° 30' N. lat.
In the valley of the Mekblong River, west of Bang-kok, there are also some commercial towns. At the mouth of the liver is the town of Alaldong, with 13,000 inhabitants, which has a harbour for small vessels, and carries on a considerable trade. Higher up, Rat-phri, has
10,000 inhabitants, Pak-prek, 8000 inhabitants, and Bane-elciont, 5000 inhabitants, and these places have a considerable trade with the adjacent countries. Much sapan-wood is cut in the forests ou the neighbouring mountains. At Landehang, which is a small place, but has some commerce, the river becomes navigable. South of Mekli long, near the shores of the Gulf of Siam, is the town Piispri, which has a considerable population, and exports rice and palm-sugar. The harbour is only accessible to vessels of small burden.
On the isthmus of Krah, along the coast of the Gulf of Siam, are the towns of Choomphon, Cbai-ya, Bandon, Phumphin, and Phosuga, but none of them are of much consequence.
In the part of Siam proper which lies south of the isthmus of Krah, on the Malay peninsula, are several towns. Lip,' has about 5000 inhabitants, and some trade with China, to which country cotton, black pepper, tin, and rattans are exported. Tatung lies farther to the south, ou a river which falls into the channel between the main land and the island of Tantalem. From this place a road crosses the peninsula, which leads to Trang, a small harbour and town on the Gulf of Bengal: it is not much need. Still farther south, and near the boundary of the Malay kingdom of Patani, is the town of &agora, or Sungkla, which is built 'partly on the continent and partly on the southern extremity of the island of Tantalem.
•S'amui, a island in the Gulf of Siam, near 10° N. lat., and several miles from the eastern coast of the isthmus of Krah, is very fertile, and a place of trade, being visited annually by some Chinese junks, which export cotton and edible birdis'-nests. The group of the &chant/ Islands lies within the more narrow portion of the Gulf of Siam, not far from the eastern coast. They are eight in number, and the largest, properly called Sichang, is five miles long and about a mile • • and a quarter wide in its broadest part. Between this island and Kolikam, the next in magnitude, is an excellent harbour.