un o ºr a tº E CARE of T H E Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church 5iSíOrical Sketch ºf its |missionsin Siam & £aOS fifth €dition C REv is so 2 Woman's Foreign Mis sionary Society of the Presbyterian Church, Witherspoon Building, Philadelphia ; ſº 1903 Price, 10 cents U N D E R T H E C A R E o F T H E Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church DiStorical D)is SiOnSin Siam & £aOS 7ifth 6dition ( R Ev is E D ) Woman's Foreign Mis. sionary Society of the Presbyterian Church, Witherspoon Building, Philadelphia ; ; 1903 MISSIONS IN SLAM, 108 KTAVZNº. O4- zº- Krºm r \ - - s Awari Lºr- ſºn z. I 3* - K wºn A N ºf{* 'e-se Pºss };A < *** caneer --------- tºwn * - * \ ºr \;=z. Q ºn tº Halºg, As. - * sº £: . "... A … gº lina 27 •se d bou º * - Hº TONG KING ºf ~~ ſº - - Auºng Harbour - W. Nº * Bay - (A. º S 2 |ron pissa) - ſº Sºngkhºnongkha, Cº- - 2?” | Itarulut £ºey tº tº ,” yºnºnm %3 > z sº ºst ºils ºn 2. - - - S --- --- uncº" * ------ º - ... ".…: ' ... --- M. --orna º - - “” º y ** pºf Mººngton, ºranjº wº §. - ºrºuſ"" } ſº rua ºn Arrº %rrn SºBattambang h; jºr sº un- - º ` or Tonlé Sº antaboon Grº | Koh Ka N "… ºfºrº - Roh - - - - r º “F* * **** tº samt Sullivam.gº, º t % A.,A | º an | > Lºughborough to Koking r ºw, º,Grrrn ~ - mº"º wan. | cº º: o Tau Pussao- Pulo Marth- 1% - Davis I ****,xon perman #. (hannel S. mru * in Wankeou Sanue chance 1. § $º º Straut rulo Trºjany. Mºlal-u. :4. Afona.ofºº 'Samuia Nºrtheast tº - -- º: - * - - º ferrerntra ſº Jaſ } f - / Hºana-ana ºr º º Pro aht ". nº polrhun **Prono º ... * * Taawºnº. Rao Loonges º ſy-Reang Puk Nºr; - alº Jºãºfſº Farra sºrºſ .." T ºf C // / N A S E A | 2: ****, *...; English Mile, Tº Tºo &TFT5 -o so Trø Mission stations are underlined. black Other places of inter; are shown l with a l loB == - 9% - - cºpyright SIA. M. China and India are far more widely known than Indo China, which lies between the two, in the extreme south east corner of Asia. Siam occupies the central and larger part of this region, with Burmah on the west and Cochin China on the east, including also most of the long, narrow Malayan peninsula which juts out from the mainland and forms the sharply-defined corner of the continent. The limits of the tributary states on the north have - yº much at different times. In 1893 the French Gov ernment claimed a large region on the eastern frontier, and enforced its demands by an attack on Bangkok. The war was ended by a treaty which reduced the area of Siam to about 200,000 square miles. Further demands made by the French in 1902 have added other provinces to their territory. Most of the country is a low-lying plain, completely Overflowed every year by its four great rivers. Journeying northward along the chief river, the Menam, this plain is found to continue for some four hundred miles, when great mountains close in upon the stream, and the traveler en counters more than forty very difficult rapids in the midst of singularly impressive scenery ; after which the country opens again into another wide plain, very much like the former one, inhabited by the Laos people. The annual Overflow of the rivers, with the abundant rainfall, favors the production of such crops as rice and sugar in great abundance. It claims to be the garden-land of the world– the land of fruit and flowers and of never-ending summer, with grand old trees overshadowing every hamlet, and plant-life in fullest variety bursting on every side from the fertile soil. The water swarms with fish, and the air with insects, while all manner of tropical birds and beasts exist in teeming multitudes. Especially is it the land of elephants. One variety is that which is known to us as the “white'' elephant, though the Siamese name for it is “ the strange colored,” and it is really a whitish brown. Its form is used On the Siamese flags as the national symbol, and it is held in great honor, though not actually worshipped. The climate is on the whole less unwholesome than in most tropical regions, but there are no invigorating changes. The dry season, extending from November to May, is cooler than the summer months, the thermometer sometimes falling 4. I I ISTORICAL SKETCH Ol' to 56° at night, but the average conditions even then cor respond with July in New York. Cholera and malarial fevers are the chief diseases to be dreaded. Frequent fur loughs are necessary to preserve the health of foreigners. The traditions and annals of Siam contain little but a dreary succession of cruel and causeless wars, by which the whole peninsula has been devastated during all the Christian era. Shans, Peguans, Burmese, Anamese, Cambodians, Siamese, contended together in bitter internecine warfare until the British occupation of Lower Burmah stopped the annual invasions of the Burmese armies. Siam, whose independent existence dates only from the founding of Ayuthia in 1350, is just recovering from these centuries of strife. The population, numbering about 9, OOO, OOO, is but partly Siamese, nearly one-half being made up of the tributary races and of Chinese immigrants. The Chinese are much the more energetic race, and have rapidly secured for themselves the positions of profitable enterprise in the land, The Siamese are a branch of the great Shan family, originating far to the northward. The name by which we call them is derived by some from the Sanscrit word syam, meaning “ the brown '': they call themselves Thai, “the free.'" They are a gentle, passive, rather weak race, given to dissimulation, and very conceited ; but they are reveren tial to the aged, especially to parents, are kind to their children, liberal in alms-giving, orderly and peaceable. They have quick though not strong minds, and are said to be more receptive than the Chinese. The universal inert ness due to the enervating climate is encouraged by the fact that food is excessively cheap, and that small exertion is required for satisfying the need of clothing, a waist-cloth having usually been all that was held necessary, with some times a light cape over the shoulders. A large proportion of the people have continued to live in a state which is nominally that of slavery, though it is of a mild type, and terminable at any time by the payment of a fixed sum. It is now in process of being entirely abolished, by order of the King. Women are not held in restriction, but go about the streets at will, aud transact business freely. They are, however, considered to be of so inferior a nature that they were formerly not educated at all, whereas most of the men and boys can read and write.” Polygamy is usual among *The government is now opening free public schools for both sexes. THE MISSIONS IN SIAM AN ID LAOS 5 those who can afford it, and divorce is easy in all cases, though there are many happy marriages. The use of the betel-nut is universal among men, women and children Intemperance and opium-eating prevail to Some extent, but the national vice is gambling. In all the towns the gaming-halls are the most conspicuous buildings, and the government is largely supported by the licenses received from them. At their New Year season the people of Bangkok are allowed three days of free gambling, as an especial indulgence, and during that time every other occu pation is laid aside. tº The government is an absolute monarchy, entrusting all power of every kind to the King. When the King dies, it is the assembly of nobles which chooses his successor, either from among his sons, or, if they prefer, from some other family. By ancient custom there were always two kings, of whom the second acted as counsellor and regent in emer gencies. On the death of the last holder of this office in 1885, no successor was appointed. The thing which most strikes a visitor to Siam at the present day is the extent to which the inventions of modern civilization have been introduced. This extraordinary development, more marked than in any Asiatic country except Japan, is due to the personal initiative of the King and his officials. King Chulalongkorn, who came to the throne in 1868, is one of the ablest of Eastern monarchs and is well seconded by several capable advisers. He has traveled widely himself and the Crown Prince was educated in England. Many of the government departments are superintended by foreigners. Lines of telegraph and a good postal system extend all over the country. Two railroads have been completed and a third will soon be opened. In Bangkok telephones, trolley cars and electric lights are in daily use. A royal decree dated February, 1899, directed that Sunday be observed as a legal holiday and the govern ment offices closed. It is true that the King and his advisers are far in advance of the majority of the nation ; but if the present enlightened policy can be maintained for a genera tion, it cannot fail to break up the intellectual stagnation of the people, and open the way for moral and religious improvement. England has large commercial interests in Siam, and Germany is rapidly acquiring control of the lines of foreign shipping. The political danger is from the ambition of France, who makes no secret of her designs to add the rich 6 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF plains of Siam to the great colonial empire that she is building up in Indo-China.