P ersonal
F eatures.
iLrdk
Arnnfements.
Language.
In perfon the Siamefe'are rather fmall bnt-well made.* “ The .figure
of the countenance, both of men and womens ha;s\'|ell'pf thè oval t||td
of the lozenge form* being broad, and raifed
and thé forehéad fuddenly contracts, and- is .almoft as pointed las »the
chtn. - Befides their eyes* riling fomewhat towards the temples, .are
:fmail and dull; and the •white is ComW^{yCQT|i|^et^|lvy^fe%v’i
.cheeks are hollow, bècaufc the upper part -is top;high:
-large, with thick pale lips* and teeth blaekened.-by • a^ti ■ ^Qomplexion
eoarfe, brown mixed with red, to which- the cfimate greatly, pontri-
Ibutes.” * : ::
From this defcription it would appear that the Siamefe-aremucl^in-
ferior in perfonal appearance to the Birmans j and rather approach to
the Tataric or Chinefe features. g
The drefs is extremely flight, the.warmth of the climate rendering
clothes almoft unneqeflary. A muflin fhirt with wide - fleeyes, and a
kind .of. loofe drawers, are- almoft jhe onlv garments’ of 4he^ rich; a
mantle being added in winter. A high come.cap>co.FersttheAead. The
women do not ufe the fhirt but a fcarf;. and the petticoat is of painted
calico: but with this flight drefs they are extremely modeft. ,
The Siamefe exeel, as already mentioned, in theatrical amufements,
The fubjeóts are often taken from their mythology, andiron! traditions
concerning their ancient heroes. - According,, to Loubere; the 'Qon'e
is a kind of pantomime, with mufic and dancing ïjfêfc-
xious drama, generally requiring three days to reprefent: the fëc&grii, j$*
a jocund dance by men and women. For an accopnt of the other
amufements the reader muft be referred to that intelligent' voyager;
who defcribes the races of oxen and thofe of boats, the combats of
elephants, cock-fighting, tumbling, wreftling,' and rope-dancing, religious
pröceflïons, and illuminatibns, and the beautiful exhibitions of
fire works. The men are generally indolent to excefs, and fond of
games of chance, while the women are employed in works of induftry.
Like the other languages, of further India the Siamefe has not been
completely inveftigated, and compared with the adjacent tongues.
- I Lonb. i. 8l.
* Ksempfer, i. 29. calls them negroes, fo dark did their complexions, appear to him ; and he
compares their perfons to apes. .
, I There
There,are_,th;irty-fieven letters,- all confonants, while the Bali rhas thirty- -Langu
threë.1 The ÿowekrind diphthongs conftitute ajdiftinâ alphabet. The
R appears, which lis^net- known to the Chinefe*.; and the W. There, js
..a'èonfiderable chant in the enunciation.* as in other ancient languages,:
and as Europeans in as -ridiculous,
t h o u g h H plfa^ant -and-ftriftly conformable^ mture,,i||i^iq yain to
attempt téijc ft uft pronunciation; of even-Greek-or T^in* till this prejudice
be,o\sercome, if it be not indeed rinvineibl e. ,rThere are no inflexions of
verbs,or nouns,; arid -the fi^ipias he-ip^very thofe of Europe
any tranfladon becomes very difficult. The words fieem moftly
tncwiofyllabic, liketh^ Chinejep|£j| ; ,*3.^’.^ ; 4^1^ * , ,
theiSi^metp rÆÂHef|h'ài; of the Bifma^s ; but a cprious
topic of rgfeaçch would tsTio Tprop^e^he vulgar jppgrfespf exterior
India. ',
In Îîtferatürd the Siamefe are far from being'deficreht?J htid Louhere Litem
1 has‘well Explained their modqsfof education/ f At the' rige'pf feven or
-ei^hfy.ears the children, are often placed in'thç- convents ‘of the Talà-
poins, where they are inftru&ed in readings ( ■ writing, and hbcompts, for
the mercantile prpfeffimi is very general. ’* They are alfo taügKt precepts
of morality ; but it is fo be regretted that Bpodh£fs3ftotbidy, the
god of wifdom but of cunning, whichTs cfteemed ih'hpt'a pbfttive vif-
"the yet a proof of fuperior .abilities, ‘ whence ' hisToHo wers ever attempt
' to over-reach oftièrs.“ This ’fingul'af 'perverfibB d f the ' moral [eûfe, bjr
1 which honefty and fincerity are branded as marks bf'folly; is-riot .unknown
to fôme Europeans,- but has '^ t^ j f c ^ a d ^ t e d a s a precept
■ of réïigioif: îri'this refpeà' therefore the morals of the Chinefe, and
' other oriental traders, muft be computed by a ne w ftaWard. Books'o f .
hiftory are not unknown, and there is an excellent codé of laws. 'Toe-
try; talèsj ànd. mythologie fables, fee'm to çonftitute-the other departments
1 of Siarnefeftiterature..
The capital city of the kingdom has been called Siam, by the vagüe
. ignorance of the Portuguefe navigators. In the native language the natoe
, approaches to: the.European enuticiatjop of Yuthia.. It is fituatedvin an
ifle, formed by the river Meinam. - The walls, in Loubere s time, were
* Loulfcji}, 73. . 4 ^
f F 2 extenfive ;
HQ