The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-07
The Kingdom Of Siam.

M. A. Grehan, Consul OF the supreme King"
Of Siam, has just published, in Paris, history
of this singular country, from which the follow
ing new and comparatively unknown particu
lars are gathered.
Siam is kingdom OF monopolies. The reve.
nues of the royal treasury are derived from i'm
posts laid upon agriculture, commerce, aud
trade. There ere fixed taxes upon the cultiva-
tion of the fields, customs duties, the sale OF all
kinds of merchandise, AMI upon all vessels
entering or leaving ports in the realm. Arrack,
tobacco, oil, palm leaves, charcoal, wood, fish,
ores, are all monopoles, the Government grant,
ing the right to deal in these to individuals or
companies at certain rates. The entire revenue
from all these sources amounts to about twenty
millions of dollars.
The mode of collecting these imDosts is simple.
The King chooses certain mandarins in each
district whose duty it is to make the colec ion
and deliver the money to the Chief of the Pages.
This iunctionary keeps book wherein the
various sums paid and by whom paid into his
hands, are recorded. He shows this at stated
periods to the King, who verfes the amounts,
and the whole is then deposited in the Royal
Treasury. The King is, therefore, the sole
administrator of the public funds.
The King has tWenty-nlne sons and thirty
three daughters, children of thirty wives
Polygamy is the established rule of the king
dom, but although rich Siamese may have
thirty wyes only one of these Is legally his wife,
can inherit his property or command his house
hold. The others are merely his slaves.
The manners of the Siamese are simple, their
habitsIfrugal, and they are an extremely clean
but tea and water.
The value of the exports of Siam in 1864 was
as follows:
TO China...........about 900 600
10 lnd1a......... do go 5000
To North America, do. .................... $4,000
To do 80O QUO
To England. do. 90 OOO
To South America. do. ..................... $4,000
The chief article of export is rice. The other
most important products exported are sugar,
salt, fish, teak wood cotton, and buffalo horn.
The kingdom is rich in minerals. Gold iron,
copper, lead antimony, and tin are found in
greater or less quantities. Rubies, sapphires,
amethysts, opals, agates, garnets, and cornehan
also abound.
The palace and temples OF the king contain
immense treasures of gold and Jewels,
Copper is the metal in most common use. All
household utensils, both among the rich and the
poor, are made of this metal, the only difference
| being III the style OF manufacture and orna-
mentation.
The Siamese artisans excel in the making of
gold and silver enamelled work. Six hundred
such artisans are employed at once, occasionally
| in the Kings palace.
They also manufacture silk scarfs and sashes,
| broidered with gold, of remarkable beauty.
| Some of these sell for hundred dollars piece.
| The national language is chiefly mongolia
| bic, and is called the Thai language. Its
singularity consists in the fact that Its alphabet
| constitutes almost it's entire vocabulary. When
that is once learned the whole language Is
| understood.
| The religion is pure Buddhism, but the pre-
| sent King Is exceedingly liberal and tolerant OF
| all creeds in his dominions.