The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-15

years. and the majority OF the inhabi-
tants are consequently nomadic. After
telling the natural forest growth of q
given section and burning it in toto,
these ignorant peasants appropriate the
area thus fertilized by the ashes for
their scanty rice crops until the rains
Of several seasons have washed away
the surface soil, when they desert the
impoverished territory to repeat their
shortsighted policy elsewhere In
place of forests of valuable timber a
worthless jungle OF lesser growth
springs up. game disappears. the rain
fall is seriously diminished and still
wider areas are made useless to future
generations
But in the lower country is a vast
alluvial plain partly flooded every
year by the large rivers and extern
sively irrigated between the lesser trib-
utaries by a system OF canals Here
rice grows in abundance, market gar
dening is carried on and fisheries
abound On the drIer reaches pine
apples thrive. and cotton and tobacco
are also cultivated. Cocoanuts, man
goes, bananas and other tropical fruits
are indigenous, and rare spices are
gathered. The valuable teak wood is
f1oated down stream in RATS or by the
single log. TO the coast and exported
in large quantities. Tin mines exist
in the eastern mountain ranges, but
are not worked by the natives. Rubies
and sapphires are still found and ivory
is an important product
In the northern regions tea grows
wild on the hillsides. but 1t is not
locally employed as a beverage, the
peasants preferring to chew the fer
mented leaves as one would chew to-
bacco. Farther south, however, the
fragrant cup is not infrequently prof
fered to guests An intoxicating
liquor is manufactured from rice and
the natives are universally fond of
chewing the areca nut. This is cut up
and mixed with a small proportion of
tobacco, each quid being wrapped in
leaf from the betel vine and further
garnished with pink coating of lime
and turmeric.
The ChiIdIike Siamese
The typical Siamese is of childIike
natpre, indolent, pleasure loving and
hospitable. If somewhat careless of
property rights and lacking moral
pride, he is yet without the lower
vices which demoralizes some other
oriental peoples. Free to claim and
cultivate sufficient land for the subsist-
ence Of his family without further
payment to the crown than a moderate
tax. able to live upon the simplest OF
diet, needing but few clothes and scant
shelter from the weather, and op-
pressed by no false standards of
worldly success, he drifts through life
blissfully ignorant of dyspepsia, brain
flag or neurotic disorders, and willingly
shares the stores of his humble menage
with the passing stranger. That he
possesses artistic sensibilities is man.
ifest in the national architecture, boat
building and lesser handicrafts.
The characteristic Siamese garment
is the bright hued and picturesquely
draped silk ''panung." which though en-
tirely unstitched, somewhat resembles
pair Of loose knickerbockers. With
this are worn white stockings, an up
per garment Of varying pattern-some-
times in the cities a white linen coat,
often a simple tunic-and usually a
Panama hat The women also affect
the comfortable panung, but prefer
dark stockings, while In lieu of the or
namented feminine tunic they some
times wear a long silk scarf wound
about their chest and Shoulders. Dis
pensing with millinery or elaborate
coiffures they wear their hair cut short
like that Of the men, and protect their
compilations by carrying parasols.
Among the bare footed peasant farm
ers and the coolies. except it be a
holiday, silk garments are replaced by
cotton ones, which are often quite
abbreviated. and the smaller children
wear nothing at all
Like the Chinese the common people
Of this country are much given to
bathing, but are lamentably indiffer-
ent to the condition OF their immediate
surroundings and wholly ignorant of
the laws of sanitation, so that disease
not infrequently becomes epidemic
among them. The fact that they drink
from the streams into which all their
refuse is thrown is a fair illustration
Of their status in this regard.
To the farmers OF the lowlands
the water buffaloes are indispensable
in blowing the rice fields and hauling
the crop to market. These clumsy ami
mails. like their easy going masters, in
sist upon frequent rest, and in crossing
shallow fords they wait for the drivers
TO splash water over them before they
will go on again. In their leisure
hours they delight in wallowing in the
liquid mud, burying themselves until
only their noses and horns are visible.
These horns curve out and backward
at each side of the head and are so
wide spreading that they often inter-
fere with the comfortable yoking of a
span On higher and drier land the
farmers drive bullocks, and the small,
sturdy Siamese ponies are ridden bare
back and used in cities to draw public
conveyanccs.