SIAM. SIAM. This portion of southeastern Asia is rich in natural productions. Rice is most extensively cultivated. On the alluvial soil of the Menem it generally yields forty fold. Maize, several leguminous plants, sweet potatoes, cocoa, and areca palms, are cultivated. Siam is noted for a great variety and abundance of fruit-trees, and their produce surpasses that of all other parts of India in flavour. Several plants are cultivated as articles of foreign trade. The most important is the sugar-cane, which indeed has been grown in Siam from time immemorial; but its culture for the foreign market has now become very large. Tobacco, cotton, and black pepper, are also exported. The forests, which cover nearly all the mountain-ranges of this country, yield several articles of trade ; among which are cardamums, gamboge,aquila-wood, sapan•wood, gum trees, and a great timber trees. The elephant exists in the greatest perfection, and the ivory, hides, and bones are largely ex ported to China.
Gold is found in the mountains of the Malay peninsula, and at the southern extre mity of those of Siam, and is worked in some places. Tin, iron, copper, lead, zinc, and antimony are met with in many places. The only precious stones which are known to exist in Siam are the sapphire, the oriental ruby, and the oriental topaz. Salt is made in the low wooded and uninhabited country which extends between the mouths of the Menam along the sea.
The Siamese do not distinguish themselves in any of the useful arts, and are much be hind the Hindoos and Chinese. Even their vessels and trinkets of gold and silver areim. ported from China. Considerable manufac tures are carried on : but they are mostly in the hands of Chinese who have settled in Siam.
. Siam in a commercial point of view is considered the most important of the three empires which divide among them the coun tries between the Gulf of Bengal and China. As all the provinces of the empire produce some articles which are in demand in foreign countries, andnearly all the foreign commerce is at present concentrated in the town of Bangkok, the inland and coasting trade is very considerable. Large quantities of produce are brought down to Bangkok from the inland districts, by the rivers, especially the Menam. The most important branch of the foreign trade is that with China. It is partly carried on by Chinese vessels, but mostly in vessels built in Siam and navigated by Chinese. Very little if any commercial intercourse exists between Siam and the Birman empire. • With Cochin-China there is much commerce. The most important trade, next to that with China, is with the European establishments on the Malay peninsula, and the Sunda Islands, , especially with the British colonies of Singe , pore, Malacca, and Pulo Penang, and with the Dutch establishments of Batavia, Cheribon, and Semarang in Java, Pontianac in Borneo, and Rio in Bintang. Formerly the commodi ties of Hindustan and Europe reached the ' capital of Siam by being transported across the isthmus of Kraw and the Malay penin sula ; but at the present day Singapore is a better emporium for procuring the goods, and the conveyance by this route is less expensive.