The whole ealtern fide o f Siam is low, fleep, and rocky, but
inland rifes into lofty mountains. Towards the bottom o f the
gulph the land approximates, and the contracted part is called
the bay of Siam ; its entrance is by the mounts o f Penfels or
Pentens, impending over the water on the weftern ihore, and
the high cape Siam an the oppofite. The laft may be feen from
the bar of Siam, or the Meinam river, twenty-two leagues diftant.
A b o u t four hundred and eight miles from Ligore (following
the curvature o f the gulph) at the vefy bottom of 'the bay of
Riyer M e i n a m . Siam, is thé mouth of the great riyer Mtewam, -the Çerus. o f
Ptoleniy, and the moil confequential in the kingdom. The road
for ihipping extends for the fpaçe o f three leagues, in which all
forts o f veflels may fafely ride ; fuch was the cafe when that
learned traveller Koempfer vifited the place in 1690. The country
on both fides the river is marfhy, compofed o f the mud
brought down in the annual floods ; this riyer, like the Ganges,.
being fubjeft to periodical inundations. Koempfer informs us
that the name Manam or Meinam, in the Siamefe language, fig-
nifies the mother of humidities, from its abundance o f water,
which fo greatly fertilizes the country. It is deep, rapid, and
broader than the Elbe ; the upper part is rocky, violent, and interrupted
by cataraéls ; .the lower, divided into feveral channels,
pafles through a very level country to the fea. The banks of
the river are covered with trees, animated by monkies; numbers
o f villages may be feen on both fides ; the houfes generally ftand,
I may fay, upon ftilts or lofty polls, fo that the water during the
inundations may pafs without incommoding the occupiers. Near
the city of Jadia, many o f the villages confift o f inhabited ihips,
4 ° r
or floating habitations; thefe occafionally move from place to
place when the waters are h ig h ; the inmates keep a fort o f fair,
and difpofe o f their various commodities.
T h e Meinam rifes at a confiderable dillance to the north, in
the very extremity o f the kingdom, pofiibly far beyond, for
its fountains feem never to have been traced, and the bell accounts
are very uncertain; its courfe, as far as we know, runs
due north and fouth.
Juthia or Judia, the capital o f Siam, is feated in about Lat. C i t y o f
14” 30', on a low ifland in the form o f a man’s foot. It is fur- JUTHIA'
rounded with a lofty brick wall. The ftreets are ilrait, and accommodated
with canals, which pafs quite through from eail to well.
As Mr. Caverbill very reafonably fixes the Zaba of Ptolemy to
have been in the bottom o f the bay of Siam, I fee no reafon
again!! fuppofing that it might have been either at Juthia, or at
fome place not remote from that port. Ships may enter into
many of th e canals, and difcharge their cargo near the principal
houfes. The greater part o f the llreets are very mean, built
with bamboo, covered with the leaves of palms. Thofe of the
Chinefe, Hindoos, and Moors, are of Hone, but very low ; the finefl
houfes in Kosmpfer's time, were fuch which had been inhabited1
by -the Englijh, Hutch, and French. The palace o f the unfortu- H i s t o r y o f
nate Phauiko-n, minifter o f flate in the laft century, makes the PhaulkoN-
moil confpicuous figure f Phaulkon was a Grecian by birth,
and feaman by profeflion ; he had ferved various nations, but
chiefly the Englijh. In their fervice, in capacity o f a cockfwain,
he came to Siam,' and obtained an employment at court. He
was a man of very fine natural abilities ; and by his good con-
• G a duil