The Press. — London, England, 1857-03-14 00:00:00

MARCH 14, 1857. if ittraturt. The Kingdom and People of Siam. With a Narrative of the Mission to that Country in 1855. By Sir John Bowling,. Two Vols. London : J. W. Parker and Son. HOWEVER widely opinions may vary as to Sir John Bowling's conduct at Canton, we appi e bend that there will be perfect agreement as to the merit and usefulness of his account of Siam, just published. It is not indeed free from faults as a literary production. It bears many marks of haste and carelessness ; it is disfigured by unnecessary repetitions ; and it consists to a great extent of extracts from previous works, which, if published at all, might have been included among the appen dices. But on the other hand the account of Siam is so full and interesting, and includes so much information on the present state of that kingdom, of its rulers and people, that it deserves, and we have no doubt will receive, a warm welcome from all classes of readers. The personal character of the author appears tp advantage in this work. He was sent to Siam in March, 1855, on a special mission to conclude a commercial treaty with the King. 12'..0m first to last he appears to have been singularly fortunate. A treaty between England and Siam hail been concluded by Captain Burney in 1820 ; but some of its conditions were unsatisfactory, and others had been infringed by the Siamese Government. The mission of Sir James Brooke in 1850 was com pletely unsuccessful. It was the good fortune of Sir John Bowriug to meet with a most favourable reception, and to be able to say : In the treaty I concluded with Siam, every advantage obtained by Captain Burney was re-asserted and confirmed ; securities against the infringements of the treaty were obtained; and many points were conceded by the Siamese to which Captain Burney was not able to obtain their consent. The treaty, with accompanying documents, is inserted at full length, and so far as we can judge appears to be eminently successful. Every part of the author's narrative indicates him to be a man of humane sentiment. He speaks with generous warmth of the many admirable points in the Siamese character; and when he has occasion to speak of the Chinese, who seem to form nearly one-half of the total population of Siam, he praises their industry, orderly habits, and mildness. Nearly all the active trade of Siam is in their hands, and their affection for their children is especially noted:— That strong parental affection which has been remarked as one of the characteristic virtues of the Chinese is almost invariably exhibited. Fathers are constantly playing with and carrying about their children ; encouraging their gambols, teaching them to observe, pleased when they are noticed by strangers, and generally deeming their children objects of pride and pleasure. With rare exceptions, the Siamese women are well treated by their Chinese husbands. Of their industry it is said : I believe there is no class of settlers who, under proper control, are so likely to be useful—that the very quality, the passion for acquiring wealth, which leads them to dare all danger and difficulty, is a most valuable recom mendation. Their own habits of subordination—their inborn and inbred respect for authority—their gregarious spirit, which drives them into associations of every sore, private and public, praiseVrthy and pernicious—only require a thorough knowledge of their character to be turned to the best account. There is nothing in the whol e wor k t o in dicate that the author would willingly have originated those hostilities which have already been so calamitous to Canton. He was, how ever, accompanied in his mission by the Mr. Parkes who took a prominent part in the Canto' dispute; and it is not difficult to see that this gentleman exercised great influence Over Sir John's mind, and prompted him to insist on points of etiquette which, but for the e . x . treme good sense and good t em p er o f t h e ha!ig of Siam, might have disconcerted the objects of the mission. When the question was raised with what ceremonies the reception should take place, the author writes in his personal narrative : Discussions have taken place as to the mode of recep• t len, and Parkes very properly insists that the same ceremonial +.holl take place as when the Ambassador of Louis XII% arrived. They slid they hail no records, but wished to receive me as the envoys of Cochin China, Birmah, and other Asiatic sovereigns have been received. I did net THE PRESS. deem this satisfactory, and therefore have written to the Pln-a Kalahom, representing that my position is more elevated, and that greater respect should be shown to my credentials; and I have sent a copy of my powers to the Phra Kalahom. One important question was raised. The Siam authorities said it was against all precedent for strangers to enter the royal presence with their swords. The King wrote privately to Sir John to that effect ; but as Sir John found it " recorded in history that the French Ambassador in the time of Louis " XIV. wore his sword," he stood on his dignity the King with true politeness gave way, and the envoy was allowed to appear before the King exactly in the same costume which I wore at my audience with my own Sovereign on my departure from her Court. Before his departure for Hong Kong. we knew Sir John Bowring well, and always esteemed him as a humane and goodnatured man. Ho was one of the brood of bustling politicians cast up by the Reform Bill, eager to meddle in every business that came in his way, and with a tolerable keen eye to his own advancement. He had much of the busybody in his disposition, and, like most persons of that class, had no great discretion or firmness of mind. He was very likely to be swayed by a more resolute will than his own ; but all desire for bloodshed seemed foreign to his disposition. No doubt Mr. Consul Parkes exercised great influence over him throughout the Canton business ; but it is most impro bable that he would have sanctioned the extreme measures resorted to without some kind of pressure had been put upon him by the Home Government. Of the chapters into which the book is divided, those will be read with the most interest which relate to the Kings of Siam (for there are two) and their Court. Persons who know little of the state of this fine country will be surprised to learn that the First King is well versed in the works of Euclid and Newton ; that he writes and speaks English with tolerable accuracy ; that he is a proficient in Latin, and has acquired the Sanscrit, Cin galese, and Peguau languages ; that he can project and calculate eclipses of the sun and moon, and occultations of the planets ; that he is fond of all branches of learning and science ; that he has introduced a printing-press with Siamese and English types ; and that his palace and table are supplied with all the elegancies of European life. He lived twenty seven years in retirement before he came to the throne; and during that time he acquired the accomplishments which make his reign a memorable and most beneficial era in Siamese history. He was born in 1804, and is now con sequently fifty-three. The S..!eond King (his brother) appears to be equally estimable : My intercourse with the Second King was in all respects most agreeable. I found him a gentleman of very culti- vated underitanding--quiet, even modest in manners— willing to communicate knowledge, and earnest in the search of instruction. His table was spread with all the neatness and order that are found in a well-regulated English household. A favourite child sat on his knee, whose mother remained crouched at the door of the apartment, but took part in the conversation. The King played to his guests very prettily on the pipes of the Laos portable organ. He had a variety of music ; and there was an exhibition of national sports and pastimes, equestrian feats, elephant combats, and other amusements. But what seemed most to interest the King, was his museum of models, nautical and philosophical instruments, and a variety of scientific and other curiosities. These Kings reign, each in prescribed limits, in perfect harmony. This double monarchy is an old institution of Siam, and is popular with the people. The Siamese, by the report of the author, are an amiable and intelligent race, with a high degree of civilisation in all that relates to social institutions. He relates a conversa tion which an English gentleman had with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in which the latter showed by far the keenest apnreciation of the sources of England's greatness : His Excellency commenced the conversation by asking " the reasons and object of the present war between the Engliih and Russians." This I explained at great length, and his Excellency expressed himself as perfectly satisfied both as to the propriety and justice of the war. His Excellency then asked, " How the English, who inhabit such a small pint of the surface of the earth, have conquered the whole of India, and have made themselves feared and respected in every part of the globe ? " I assigned as the reason—" Ist, their insular position, 255 which, rendering them less liable to invasion at home, permitted them to undertake greater enterprises abroad ; 2ndly, that the English are descendants of Saxons, Drinans, and Celts ; and that while we have inherited many of their bad qualities, we have also inherited and amalgamated the various styles of valour for which those nations were so famous—viz., the Norman impetuosity, thl Celtic enthusiasm, and the Saxon solidity." Having, as I thought, given a very sufficient reason, I was much surprised to hear his Excellency burst out in dignantly, and with a fluency that gave me the greatest difficulty in following him; and although, in general, neither his form nor features appear calculated to express much feeling, yet, as he warmed with the subject, he really seemed to become another man. I gi►e his general meaning, as far as either Mr. Hunter or myself can recol lect :—" No ; it is neither their position, advantageous as it doubtless is, nor the men, through brave as lions, that has raised them to;their present position. Other nations have had the same opportunities in situation, and have hail brave soldiers; yet they never held their ground like the English. It is their government—that admirable form of administration which is held in equal balance by the king, by the nobles, by the people--that government in which every man feels that lie has a certain share—that country in which he feels that his interest is cared for: these are the things that enable a man to fight—the man with a free spirit will dare things that would appal a slave. C'an it be good that a few should legislate for all ? Look at the Laos country : there, each district chooses one man to become a member of the Council of Six. These are the advisers of the King, and without their sanction the King can do nothing ; but still he is entitled to dissent. Consider the consequences. The King and council vote for war : every man hastens to be the first to show his faith in the opinions of the council. There you can sleep without thinking of shutting or barring a door; whilst here you must watch everything with the greatest care, and even then you are not safe. We have hitherto given all the power to the nobles, and what are we? Let us give a little to the people, and try whether we shall not improve. Let us not have our Ministers appointed fur life ; let them be elected for a term of years, and let their election depend upon the voice of the people. The more we mix with the English, the sooner will our people feel that they have a right to have some voice in the framing of laws by which they are to be governed. And if they do assert that right, who will oppose them? We have no regular army ; a few slaves of the King take that name, but they would not fight against their fellows." The people profess the faith of Buddha, and seem affectionately, though not bigotedly, attached to it. They are willing to engage in controversy with our missionaries, and show much acuteness in their arguments The au• thor relates found no indisposition among the Siamese to discuss religious questions; and the general result of the discus sions was—" Your religion is excellent for you, and ours is excellent for us. All countries do not produce the same fruits and flowers, and we find various religions suited to various nations." The present King is so tolerant, that he gave three thousand slaves (prisoners of war) to be taught religion by the Catholic missionaries, saying, "You may make Christians of these people." Pallegoix reports several conversations with the First King, which do honour to his liberal spirit. " Persecution is hateful," he said; "every man ought to be free to pro fess the religion he prefers :" and he added—" If you convert a certain number of people anywhere, let me know yon have done so; and I will give them a Christian governor, and they shall not be annoyed by Siamese authorities." I have a letter from the King, in which he says that in the inquiries into the abstruse subject of the Godhead. " we cannot tell who is right and who is wrong ; but I will pray my God to give you his blessing, and you must pray to your God to bless me ; and so, blessings may descend upon both." The free distribution of bibles is allowed, and facilities are given to the efforts of Chris tian missionaries, but the author doubts whether a single sincere convert ills ever been made among the Siamese. Their faith rigidly enjoins the practice of virtue, and its teaching is in some respects remarkable for high moral purpose and spiritual conception. Of their amiable disposition, it is remarked : We were led to expect that we should find rapacity in trusive, insatiable, and extortionate—every art employed to obtain much, and to give little in return. Far different was my experience. It seemed as if nothing was expected from me, while upon me and around me every kindness was profusely and prodigally showered. Even the children brought their garlands, which they hung on our arms ; coronals of fragrant flowers, fresh roses, were every morn ing upon my table. In great things as well as small, I found a hospitality that was almost oppressive, and of which I retain the most grateful memory. They are pleasing in person : The Siamese, aro a small, well-proportioned race; their skip► is of an olive hue; they have black hair, of which they keep a coarse tuft (which has somewhat the appear ance of a brush) on the top of the head, all around being closely shaven. Women adopt the same practice of cherishing a tuft of hair, which, however, they carefully oil and comb. The preservation of the tuft, and the changes it undergoes under different circumstances, are objects of greet interest and attention in Siam. In general the natives wear only a girdle round their waists. They are excessively submissive to their superiors, the kings receiving universal