Siam : The Land of the White Elephant as It Was and Is

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Bacon George Blagden. Siam : The Land of the White Elephant as It Was and Is

CHAPTER I. EARLY INTERCOURSE WITH SIAM – RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES

CHAPTER II. GEOGRAPHY OF SIAM

CHAPTER III. OLD SIAM – ITS HISTORY

CHAPTER IV. THE STORIES OF TWO ADVENTURERS

CHAPTER V. MODERN SIAM

CHAPTER VI. FIRST IMPRESSIONS

CHAPTER VII. A ROYAL GENTLEMAN

CHAPTER VIII. PHRABAT SOMDETCH PHRA PARAMENDR MAHA MONGKUT

CHAPTER IX. AYUTHIA

CHAPTER X. PHRABAT AND PATAWI

CHAPTER XI. FROM BANGKOK TO CHANTABOUN – A MISSIONARY JOURNEY IN 1835

CHAPTER XII. CHANTABOUN AND THE GULF

CHAPTER XIII. MOUHOT IN THE HILL-COUNTRY OF CHANTABOUN

CHAPTER XIV. PECHABURI OR P'RIPP'REE

CHAPTER XV. THE TRIBES OF NORTHERN SIAM

CHAPTER XVI. SIAMESE LIFE AND CUSTOMS

CHAPTER XVII. NATURAL PRODUCTIONS OF SIAM

CHAPTER XVIII. CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN SIAM – THE OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE

CHAPTER XIX. BANGKOK AND THE NEW SIAM

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The following description of the country is quoted with some emendations from Mr. Carl Bock's "Temples and Elephants."

The European name for this land has been derived from the Malay word Sayam (or sajam) meaning "brown," but this is a conjecture. The natives call themselves Thai, i. e., "free," and their country Muang Thai, "the kingdom of the free."

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"After the demise of the king, at an extreme old age, the personage whom he had appointed as regent, in full council of the nobles, raised his eldest son, then sixteen years old, to the throne. A short time after, the regent caused the second son to be slain, under the pretext of a rebellion against his elder brother. Those who were envious of the regent excited the king to revenge his brother's death as causeless, and plan the regent's assassination; but he, being seasonably apprised of it, called a council of the nobles and dethroned him after one year's reign, and then raised his youngest brother, the third son, to the throne.

"He was only eleven years old. His extreme youth and fondness for play, rather than politics or government, soon created discontent. Men of office saw that it was exposing their country to contempt, and sought for some one who might fill the place with dignity. The regent was long accustomed to all the duties of the government, and had enjoyed the confidence of their late venerable king; so, with one voice, the child was dethroned and the regent exalted under the title of Phra Chan Pra Sath-thong. This event occurred A.D. 1630," and forms the commencement of the third dynasty.

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