A Description of Siam

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 26, 31 July 1893, Page 3

A Description of Siam

» The recent hostilities between Hie French and Siamese (says a contemporary) resulting in the bombardment of the forts commanding the entrance to (he Menam river, and the passuge of the French squadron to Bankok, the capital, invests the country with sppcial interest. Siam retains only a weak hold of the territory between the river Mekong and the range of mountains running parallel to the sea coast of Annam, and France has exhibited a strong desire to extend her Indo-Chinese possessions to the eastern bank of that stream. This fact supplies the key to the present attitude of France towards Siam. Siam has a standing army of 12,000 men organised en the British system, and largely officered by Englishmen. There is no regular militia, but under the corvee every man capable of bearing arms may be called upon to serve the State. The fleet comprises two screw steamers of 2000 tons each, armed with 8 modern rifled guns, besides a number of gun boats, and sea going yachts. A cruiser of 2500 tons with (lie latest armament will shortly be added to the fleet. The entrance to the river Menam is defended by several forts, mounted with heavy guns, and batteries have recently been built nt Bankok, which is 30 miles distant by water, and 20 miles as the crow* flies. Siam is said to be fairly well supplied with cannon and materials of war, the armouries being stored wilh 80,000 modern rifles. The city of Bankok was founded about the end of the eighteenth century, Anythia (the former capital) having been captured and burnt in 1768 by the Burmese, who were afterwards expelled from the country. Bankok has a population of 300,000. The annual revenue amounts to about L 2,000,000, classed under the following heads:— Land tax, L387.00O; tax on fruit trees, L 65.000 ; spirits, LIOO.OOO ; opium, L 120.00 0; gambling licenses, L1OO.O00 ; customs duties (vory high), L 143.000; liv mines, L9u,000 ; edible birds' nests (a great luxury among the Chinese). L 27.050; fisheries, L 27.000. Expenditure ia kept within the income. There is no national debt, and the Treasurer is never culled upon to make a Financial Statement. The imports for 1891 amounted to about L 1.440,703, consisting of treasure-, goldleaf, cotton, cot* ton yarn, jewellery, opium, kerosene oil, silken goods, iron, and machinery ; the exports, L 1,696,827, mainly rice, tenk wood, paper, bullocks, dried and salt fish, hides, tin, cardamuns, etc.