The mountains of the MALAT let:ettesuea have been noticed under that head. The undulating country which separates the Malay mountains and the mountains of Siam from the Bay of Bengal, and extends a few miles inland, terminates ou the shores with a coast of moderate elevation. It appears to be of slight fertility, and is thinly inhabited. At a distance of from 10 to 20 miles this coast is lined with a series of islands. The long channel between them and the mainland has depth enough for the largest vessels; near the conti nent there is indeed seldom above 4 or 5 fathoms, but near the islands there are generally from 20 to 30 fathoms. Matey vessels sail through It during the south-western monsoon, as the heavy sea is greatly broken by the islands. The islands themselves are rocky, and most of them high: some rise to more than 3000 feet. The channels between them are very deep, and usually free from danger. Most of these islands are only from 2 to 6 miles long. The largest, from north to south, are the following :—St. Matthew's Island (10° N. lat.), also called Elephant Island, is about 12 miles long and 0 miles wide, and bat at the north part an excellent harbour, 4 miles long and 3 miles wide, csdled Elephant's Harbour. The highest part, situated in the middle of the island, is nearly 3000 feet above the sea-level. Salanga, or Junk Seylon (3° N. lat.), is about 16 miles long and 6 miles wide. It is separated from the continent by the Strait of Papra, in which there are only from 2 to 3i fathoms of water. On the east side of Salanga are some tolerably good harbours. Provisions are abundant, and tin was formerly exported. Towards its southern extremity is a high mountain. Farther south, between 49' and 6° 8'N. late, is the group of the Lancara Islands, which, in addition to several smaller ones, contains the islands of Trotto, Lancawi, and the two Laddas. They are also very elevated, and have some good though little frequented harbours.
The eastern coast of that portion of the Malay peninsula which belongs to Siam is much lower and wider, the mountains being fre quently 15 and 20 miles distant. In fertility it is also superior to the western coast : several extensive tracts yield rich crops of rice; and others, though uncultivated and covered with jungle, exhibit a vigorous vegetation. The islands along this coast are not numerous, nor elevated, except Tantalem, the largest, which however is not very high.
To the east of the mountains of Siam is the large valley of the river Menam. According to Crawfurd, it extends from the most northern recess of the Gulf of Siam to Pech-ai (between 19° and 20' N. lat.) 360 miles; and its breadth at its southern extremity does not exceed 60 miles. But this alluvial tract towards its southern extremity, at least on the west, ie inclosed by it more elevated country of equal width and of considerable fertility. Iu this valley, as far as it is known to Europeans, the fertility of the soil is not interior to that of most countries between the tropics which are subject to the inunda tions of a large river. The banks of the river, being more elevated than the country at a distance, are studded with villages and towns, and the lower grounds are covered with extensive rice-fields.
The mountain range which divides the valley of the Menem from that of the river Maekbaun, or Camboja, is little known. Between 19* and 20° N. lot. a great interruption in the mountain chain occurs; and it is said that in these parts an arm of the river Maekhauu branches off and runs to the Menem, so as to constitute, at least during some part of the year, a natural water communication. This mountain range, which is called the mountains of Camboja, in conse quence of its dividing the last-mentioned country from Siam, where it approaches the Gulf of Siam between the river Bang-pa-kung (14° 40' N. lat.) and Cban-ti-bou (12° 20' N. lat.), and again between Tung-yai (12* N. lat) and Kong (11° N. lat.), is of moderate elevation, and covered to its summits with high trees and vegetation.
Between the towns of Chau-ti-bon and Tung-yai lies a plain, which extends from the shores of the Gulf of Siam far inland, the mountains in these parts receding so far from the shores as not to be visible from the sea. This tract, which constitutes the province of Chan-ti
bon, is one of the most fertile and populous districts in the Siamese empire. It is in general well cultivated, and from 300 to 400 vessels are employed in taking the produce to Bangkok, near the mouth of the 3Ieuam, whence a great portion of it goes to China.
That portion of the Siamese empire which lies east of the Moun tains of Camhoja belongs to the basin of the river Maekhaun, or river of Camboja. It is almost entirely unknown, but seems to extend in wide plains, which terminate south of 15° N. lat. on the river Maekhauu, which hero divides Siam from Cochiu-Chiva, but north of 15° the plains reach so fat• east as to come up to the moun tain range of Cochin-China, whose western declivity is in these parts included within the territories of Siam. This extensive country, though fertile, is but thinly peopled.
hirers and Lakes.—The river Saluen, which forms the boundary between Siam and the Birman empire for 150 miles, is noticed under BIRMA. The Maekbaun is noticed under Coente-Cutee. Several of the small rivers which drain the eastern side of the Malay peninsula are navigable for a few miles, as the Thawang, which passes near Ligor (between 8° and 9° N. lane But the most important of the rivers of Siam is the Menant, a name which signifies, iu the Siamese language, mother of waters.' This river rises in the south-western districts of the Chinese province of Yunnan, with two brauches. The western and longer one, called Nanting-ho, has its origin near 24° N. lat, and has a general southward course until it joins (south of 22° N. lat.) the other branch, called Maepraen, which the Siamese regard as the principal branch. The united river preserves the name of Maepraen, and traverses Lower Laos, or Yunetban, where it becomes navigable fur boats at the town of Chang-mai, or 'Lamas, the capital of that country. Farther down the navigation is much impeded by rapids and cataracts, so that in several places, according to Iiiimpfer, goods must be taken out of the boats and transported to some distance by land. From the place where an arm of the Maekhauu is said to join the Menem, the river is called Menam, or Meinam, and, so far as we know, no impediments to navigation occur farther down. Above Ayuthia, the ancient capital, the river divides several times, and contains some very large and several smaller islands. On one of the latter Ayuthia is built. The last division of the waters occurs below Bang-kok, the present capital. Wheu Kiimpfer wrote, 1690, the middle embouchure called Tachin was the deepest, and by it large vessels entered the river, but at present both thie and the western branch have only from 8 to 12 feet of water on the bar. The eastern arm, which at present is the only one navigable for largo vessels, varies below Bangkok from three-quarters of a mile to a mile and a half in width, and the depth, even close to the low banks, is from 6 to 10 fathoms, whilst its rapidity during the low tide is about 3 miles an hour; the navigation is however impeded by an extensive mud-bank which lies opposite its mouth, and extends about 10 miles into the sea. The highest water on this bar from February to September is about 13e feet, and in the remaining four months, in which the country is inundated, somewhat more than 14 feet. The Menem, like all large rivers which have their source or course between the tropics, inundates the flat country contiguous to its banks. In the lower part of the river the water begins to overflow in the month of September, and continues to rise to the beginning or middle of November, when it decreases; and at the end of December the waters re-enter the bed. But farther to the north the increase takes place sooner. The inundations contribute greatly to the fertility of the alluvial tract by the mud which they deposit. The whole course of the Menam does not exceed 800 miles, and this river is therefore greatly inferior to the Irawaddi and the Maekhaun.