The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-11 00:00:00

Sir J. Bowring on Siam and the Siamese.

On Monday evening Sir John Bowring delivered
a lecture at the Bristol Philosophical Institution, the
subject being " Siam and the Siamese. The learned
knight, in commencing his lecture, referred to the
Siamese twins, who, he said, were not, after all,
Siamese. Their father was a Chinaman, and their
names were Chinese. They had the good fortune to
amass a good deal of money together, and went to
the United States, where they settled, where they
married, and where they both of them had had chil-
dren. He could not enter into the embarrassments
of their domestic arrangements—(laughter)—but
certain it was that they were attached to one another
at this very moment. The country of Siam was a
very remarkable one ; it was about 200,000 miles in
extent, and had a very large population, and until
recently we had had very little intercourse with it.
Something, but not much, was known of the early
history of this remarkable land ; but it was cele-
brated in the most distinguished of the epic poems
of Portugal. Some time ago we succeeded in estab-
lishing commercial relations with Siam, but They had
fallen into desuetude ; and the conditions of the
treaty had not been observed. The lion. knight
spoke of the fruitless efforts of Mr. Craufurd and
Rajah Brooke to re-establish those relations which
he was afterwards the instrument of re-establishing;
and at the same time remarked that these gentlemen
did the best they could under the unfavourable circum-
stances in which they were placed. He then spoke of
the sovereigns of Siam, and of the great advan-
tages which had accrued to Siam, China, and other
countries by the extension of free trade, and said
that free trade was producing throughout the world
a revolution of thought and feeling, more kind and
tolerant and charitable, and more Christian, than
had existed in the generations which had passed
away. He adverted to the small amount of trade
formerly carried on with Siam, and observed that—
thanks to a liberal policy, and the results of the com-
mercial treaty—no less than 200 vessels were engaged
in traffic with that country. Sir John gave inte-
resting details of his mission to Siam with a view to
re-establish commercial relations, and pointed out
how amicably the difficulties which beset his
mission were subdued. He then spoke of a few
topics which , particularly characterised the
Siamese nation. The Siamese might be consi-
dered as the most attached to the Buddhist faith ;
indeed, Buddhism was the most universal faith
amongst the Chinese, Thibetans, Siamese, and
amongst most of the nations east of the Ganges.
The Siamese were singularly attached to Buddhism,
and no man exercised the rights of citizenship until
he should have passed a certain time in the Buddhist
convent. Every youth in Siam spent some months
under the teaching of the priests, and there he was
initiated into the great characteristics of his faith.
Most of the priests were maintained by contributions
which were brought to them from every house in
the morning. The priest came in silence and took
up the gift of the people, and in that way he was
provided, and provided superfluously for his wants,
and the wants of the convent. With the Siamese,
drunkenness was one of the rarest offences. In the
religions of about 700 millions of human beings—
amongst the Buddhists, amongst the Brahmins, and
amongst the Mahomedans—the use of acohol was
prohibited and considered an offence. He was not
one of those who went to the full extent of many of
his friends, because he thought abstention was not
necessary or desirable if these blessings of Provi-
dence could be used wisely or temperately ; but still
if he were to be asked whether abstention was not
far better than excess, he could not at all doubt
what the result should be, and he could not but own
the
that
crimesamongof
vi
violence
the nations
w were
e far thatm orea
r utterlyre abstained
than they were
amongst us. He had seen but few drunken men in
China. He had never seen a drunken man in Siam.
It was true they used opium, but the use of opium
had not led to those crimes of violence which were
associated with intoxication produced by alcoholic
liquors. Sir John, in conclusion, spoke elusion of the vari-
ous productions of the country, and the commerce
which they afforded with the country and the colo-
nies. On the motion of the Rev. F. C. Skey, thanks
were accorded to the learned lecturer for his interest-
ing discourse.

A DOMESTIC TRAGEDT.—The Armorican of Brest
relates the circumstances of a fearful tragedy which
has just occurred in that city. A workman named Prigent
married, about a month ago, a widow named Mazares, the
mother of four children, but an industrious woman, who
aided by her labour in supporting the household. A few'
days back the husband returned home in a state of intoxi-
cation, quarrelled with his wife, and ended by beating her.
The unfortunate woman passed the night in tears, and the
next morning went out early, telling a neighbour that she
was going to visit one of herchildren who was in an asylum
She was not again seen alive. She, as it was afterwards
discovered, went with her three remaining children to a
deep pond, where she first threw in the two younger, and
then taking in her arms the eldest, aged 11, jumped in with
her, and the whole wore drowned.
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HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

Tins DAY.—Morning, 6h. 27m.—Afternoon, 6h. 54m.
Ta-Monnow.-Morning, 7h. 20m.—Afternoon, Bh. Om.