, 1912-01-17

the principal food of the peopleb and teak,
the splendid wood sometimes called La
dian oak, which abounds in the forests of
Siam. The imports are all kinds of Euro
pean goods, and, as we all know, the Danish
steamers of the East Asiatic Company have
an important part in this traffic. as regards
both imports and exports.
But what about the people and their
neighbours 2 The Siamese, like most of the
people of lndo-C China are inclined TO. the
Monaghan. type: Fhey are rather short and
stout, a good natured and peaceful people.
For neighbours they have on the east a line
OF countries (Tonkin, AMMAN, Cambodia and
french Cochin Chinal all under the Govern
ment OF France, some as colonies, others as
protectorates and on the west they have Bur
ma and to the south of the strip in the Malay
Peninsula several small states known as the
Straits Settlements, all, including Burma,
under the Government of England. Hence
Siam has q great European power on, either
h"nd, and IN this respect reminds us, of
Persia. So far as we know, there is no
question now pending chat affects Siam;
but she has had at times her troubles from
the pressing demands of her powerful neigh
bours. En- 1893 France demanded that the
river Mekong should be regarded as the
boundary between AMMAN and Siam, where.
as previously a chain of mountains much
farther east had been regarded as the boun-
Diary. The Siamese refused and made q
show OF resistance, whereupon a couple Of
French war ships went up to Bangkok and
of course that settled the matter. AS Cham
bers's Gazetteer puts it, "the French die
tated a treaty granting themselves a large
slice of Siamese territory" The English do
not appear to have been so high-handed,
but from time to time they also have got
mo &c 4o:4 l- - IL
for which it is to be hoped, however,-th That
they paid a fair price.
We believe that, besides the East Asiatie
Company, a good many Danes are interested
In Siam, some as officers in the army and
navy, others as officials on in connection with
various enterprises.
Looking up our file of the Avjs for 1893,
we find several paragraphs referring to the
proceedings Of the French at that time, one
of which, from the Spectator Of 20 July, we
reprint below.
"The Temps of Wednesday (26 Jnly) pub
fishes an account of how the French gunbCats,
forced the passage of the Bangkok river At &.
LII the evening, preceded by a steamer jean
Baptiste Say they began the ascent of the
river and were at once fired on by the fort
commanding the channel, which is armed
with Armstrong, guns. To this fire the
French ships replied and also to the fire of
seven Siamese gunboats anchored in the,
stream. The Jean Baptiste Say was hit
and put h0rs de combat: but the war vessels
in spite of the explosion of q submarine tor
pedo, went on and crossed the bar Just be-
fore dark The 'Inconstant,' which was hit
and sighted injured by the Siamese; ram
med and sunk one Of the enemy's gunboats.
and the 'Comete' stopped the rife fre Of
the Siamese training ship, which had caused
the death of two French gunners." Towards
8 O'Clock the forts of Paknam opened fire at
e range of g quarter of a mile. The gunbnats
all this time were making ten knots az inst
the stream. It does not appear that the
eannsnade. taking place as it did in the dark
night, had any effect on the forts. At all
events, our ships were not struck in the hu1ls.
At $50 the 'Iuconstant' aud Comete' an
chored in front of the French Legation at
Bangkok, having accomplished an act of rare
daring. The Siamese projectAes caused
only slight damage" The French have no
doubt, the right to be proud OF their sailors
pluck and daring, but the odds were, of
course, as always, very much in favour of
tba Howar snOpOrted nv nthe reSOuccaS of