SETTLED BY LAKON—POPULATION—SMALLPOX—TUTELARY SPIRITS—ANCIENT
CITIES—TRADE-ROUTES AND COST OF TRANSPORT—THE CENTRE OF
PING STATES—A LAKON PRINCE—VIEWS ABOUT RAILWAY—SMALLPOX
RAGING—CALLOUSNESS OF NATIVES—DR CUSHING INFECTED—DESERTED
CITIES—FAMOUS FOR POTTERY—GAMBLING CURRENCY—GAMBLING GAMES IN
SIAM—FIGHTING CRICKETS, FISH, AND COCKS—COCK-CROWING IN
INDO-CHINA—VARIATION IN TIMES OF NEW YEAR—GAMBLING MONOPOLY IN
SIAM—PROCLAMATION OF THE KING—GAMBLING CHIEF CAUSE OF
SLAVERY—PARENTS SELLING CHILDREN INTO SLAVERY—SLAVERY NOT
ABOLISHED—PROCLAMATION ISSUED TO DELUDE FOREIGNERS—POSITION OF
PEOPLE DAILY GROWING WORSE—A MONEY-LENDER BUYING INJUSTICE FROM
PRINCES AND NOBLES—ENCOURAGING GAMBLING—GAMBLING-HOUSE JAILS—STATE
OF SIAMESE GOVERNMENT MONOPOLIES—EFFECT OF CORVÉE LABOUR—BURDENSOME
TAXATION—NO JUSTICE—GENERAL DEMORALISATION—SHAN STATES BETTER
GOVERNED.
On our reaching Penyow, the Chow Phya, who was conducting us, went to
the governor to announce our arrival, and we were assigned the
court-house for our habitation; but as it was far from waterproof, we
put up at a _sala_ near the south wall. It would have been better to
have camped near the temple outside the city, for during our stay our
water had to be fetched from the well we had passed near the
entrance-gate. The water drawn from the only well inside the city was
nauseous and undrinkable, and the Meh Ing, which winds round three sides
of the town, looked like a foul sewer, black with mud and filth held in
solution. The current in the stream was barely perceptible.
In the morning we called on the governor, who has the title of Chow
Hluang, or Great Prince—a pleasant old gentleman, who received us most
courteously, and kept us in conversation for about an hour. He told us
his Muang was resettled by Lakon, and is a sub-State of that
principality. It contained 4820 houses, 300 of which were in the city.
Each house on an average contained eight inhabitants: this average would
give the Muang a population of 38,560 souls. Paddy, he said, yielded in
his district a hundred-fold on well-irrigated land, and eighty-fold on
land subject to drought or inundation.
After the chief had recounted the Buddhist legends, previously given, Dr
Cushing was so disgusted at seeing him fondling his young son, who was
covered with smallpox scabs, that he bade adieu. On passing me, he
whispered that there were four cases of smallpox in the family. Dr
M‘Gilvary kindly stopped on to the end of the interview, as I wished to
learn about the trade-routes and geography of the country.
The _Pee_, or tutelary god, of the Muang,[8] is Chow Kam Doeng, the
spirit of an ancient Lawa king who formerly ruled in Penyow: his
predecessor is said to have been Phya Choo-ang.
The ancient cities whose names are known, situated in the chief’s
jurisdiction, include Viang Tum, Viang Tom, Viang Muang, Viang Heang,
Viang Chaum Taung, Viang Poo Lam, and Viang Meh Ta Lat. Besides these,
the following lie outside the district: Muang Teung to the west of Loi
Mun Moo, between it and the Meh Wung; and Viang Moo Boon and Viang Kyow,
two days’ journey to the south-east. The journey over Loi Mun Moo to the
Meh Wung, and thence along the valley of the Meh Wung to Lakon, takes
eight and a half days; the journey to Zimmé by the Loi Sa-ket pass,
takes five days; and the journey to Kiang Khong, on the Meh Ing near its
junction with the Meh Kong, is done by elephants in six days.
With reference to the export of rice from Penyow to Lakon, which was
suffering from drought, the chief told me that the cost of carriage for
an elephant load of 266 lb. over the distance of 71 miles, was 13 rupees
and 8 annas, which, at an exchange of 1s. 5d. to the rupee, is
equivalent to a charge of 2s. 3d. a ton per mile. As rice is carried by
train in Burmah for a halfpenny a ton per mile, the cost of elephant
carriage is fifty-four times as expensive. Dried fish taken to Zimmé
fetch double the Penyow price.
In Mr Archer’s report, he notes the importance of Penyow as the seat of
a large fishing industry, and as a station “on the important route from
Chienghai (Kiang Hai) to the southern Lao provinces. This town may well
be called the centre of the Lao (Ping Shan) country, for it is situated
at an equal distance of six days’ march from nearly all the important
places in the five States: Chiengmai (Zimmé), Chiengsen (Kiang Hsen),
Nan, Phrë (Peh), and Lakhon (Lakon).”
On returning to our _sala_, we found Chow Rat, one of the princes of
Lakon, who with his attendants was encamped outside the city, had come
to pay us a visit. He, like all the princes of the Ping States whom I
met, was free from awkwardness and affectation, courteous and
well-mannered, and seemed anxious to oblige us by all the means in his
power. He was evidently a highly intelligent man, and became much
interested in the proposed railroad. After going fully into the matter,
he said that the Ping princes would certainly do all in their power to
facilitate its construction. Trade was as life-blood to the chiefs and
people, and such a line would greatly increase the trade and wealth of
the country. I had many talks with Chow Rat before we left for Zimmé,
and he gave me a good deal of information about the country.
At the time of our arrival, smallpox had been raging in the city for
twelve days, and had caused the death of seventy people. We visited
house after house, and the disease seemed to be everywhere. Five and six
deaths occurred each day during our stay: the pitiful screaming of the
children suffering from the fell disease was heartrending. The deep boom
of the chief’s gong, the finest-toned one that I ever heard, sounded
nightly at about eleven o’clock, when the bodies were taken from the
city for interment.
Our servants and followers were utterly callous of the possibility of
contagion—they had most likely all had the disease; and notwithstanding
our injunctions to the contrary, ate and slept in infected houses. Had I
been aware of the state of the city, I would have camped near the well
at the entrance-gate. I have little doubt that Dr Cushing was infected
with the disease whilst being shampooed by one of the interpreters, who
had been sleeping and taking his meals at a house in which there were
two or three cases of the disease.
[Illustration:
_Terra-cotta pedestal._
]
One day we strolled through the remains of two deserted cities, situated
in a park-like forest neighbouring Penyow. Viang Meh Ta Lat lies
adjacent to the town, and was built in two or three compartments. It
contains ruins of temples and pagodas, and is upwards of a mile long.
Viang Poo Lam, which lies to the north-east of Viang Meh Ta Lat, is
surrounded by double ramparts, with a ditch separating them. The ditch
is 60 feet in width at the top, 15 feet at the bottom, and 20 feet deep
from the crest of the inner rampart, which is 5 feet high, and 15 feet
from the outer rampart, which is 10 feet high.
Amongst the ruins we came across several fine images of Buddha cut out
of stone; and near one of the pagodas, saw some octagonal tiles, which
measured 2 feet across, and were 2 inches thick—the largest I have seen
in Indo-China. The neighbourhood must have been famous at one time for
its pottery, for besides the tiles, I found the remains of a large and
handsomely executed terra-cotta image and pedestal in the grounds of one
of the monasteries in the city. The mutilated supporters to the pedestal
are elephants and eagles, the latter representing “Garuda,” the sacred
bird of Vishnu, in the Hindoo Pantheon, which was the mortal foe of the
_nagas_ or dragons, and all the snake race. Whilst rambling about these
cities I became nearly clothed with caterpillars—whether of the
silk-worm or not I do not know—which were dangling in myriads by long
threads from the branches of the trees.
On our return, Jewan came to me with a long face, complaining that the
people in the town had given him some pieces of pottery instead of
change, and asked what he should do. On looking at them I found they
were octagonal in shape, and stamped on one side with Chinese letters.
After showing them to Dr M‘Gilvary, he said they were the ordinary
gambling currency of the place, and represented two-anna and four-anna
pieces. It appears that the gambling monopolist has the right to float
them, and they are in general use amongst the people as small change.
They remain current as long as the Chinese monopolist is solvent or has
the monopoly. If he loses it, he calls the tokens in by sending a crier
round, beating a gong and informing the people that he is ready to
change the tokens for money. Dr M‘Gilvary said that such tokens formed
the sole small change at Zimmé before the Bangkok copper currency
supplanted them.
[Illustration:
_Phya Khrut or Garuda, the king of eagles._
]
In every village throughout Siam may be found common gambling-houses.
These houses are usually built of bamboo; the entire front being of
unsplit bamboo placed perpendicularly, every other one extending not
more than four feet from the ground. This plan enables those passing to
see what is going on inside, and is evidently intended as a bait.
Everything is done to attract people to the den. Musicians and
play-actors are hired and separated from the gamblers by a paper screen,
with lamplight on the side of the performers, behind which a man is
employed making shadow puppet-shows for the amusement of the spectators.
A great gong is beaten, men utter unearthly sounds through horns, and
the discord is made more complete by the grating notes of various
stringed instruments and unmusical human voices. Play usually begins
late in the afternoon, and lasts far into the night. At one end of a
Chinese gambling-saloon is often an altar, and on it a figure of the god
of luck. When weary with gambling or temporarily dispirited, the Siamese
retire to watch the musicians and play-actors. The gambling in Siam
consists, besides lotteries, of the mat game, the brass-cup game, the
fish, shrimp, and crab game, and games at cards, which are conducted as
follows:—
_The Mat Game._—The gambling is conducted on one general plan, which is
subject to certain modifications, probably for the sake of variety, lest
the gamblers should weary of the monotony of a single method. A large
mat, twelve or fifteen feet square, is placed on the floor. On this mat
are two lines forming a rectangular cross. The four angles made by the
two lines are marked respectively 1, 2, 3, 4. The proprietor sits on the
mat in the angle marked 4, and has near him a pile of cowries (small
shells formerly used as money in Siam). From this pile he takes a double
handful. The gamblers place their money on any one of the numbers they
choose. We will suppose there are but four playing, and that each places
a tical on a different number.
After the players have put down their stakes, the proprietor counts out
his double handful of shells into fours, and notes the remainder. If
there is a remainder of two, the man who placed his money on No. 2
doubles his money. No. 4 loses his, while Nos. 1 and 3 neither lose nor
win. If there is a remainder of 1, No. 1 doubles his money, No. 3 loses,
Nos. 2 and 4 neither lose nor win. But there may be twenty or thirty
playing. The principle is the same. All whose money is on the number
representing the remainder, after counting out the fours, double their
money; while all on the opposite numbers lose, and the other two numbers
neither lose nor win. If the shells amount to even fours, No. 4 wins.
There is one modification of this game. The gamblers may place their
money on the diagonal line between 2 and 3: then if there is a remainder
of 2 or 3, that money is doubled; while if there is a remainder of 1 or
4, it is lost. In this case the chances both of gaining and losing are
doubled.
In many of the gambling-houses smaller mats are used, and there are then
several modifications of the game, according to the position of the
money laid down. But the principle of the game is the same as that
already described. The proprietors of these gambling-houses issue the
porcelain money that we see in the market, which, when they are unable
to redeem it, becomes absolutely worthless.
_The Brass-cup Game._—In this game the proprietor has a square brass
cup, in which he places a cube of wood. One-half of one face of the cube
is white and the other half red. The cube is put into the cup, which is
then inverted on the mat or table, and gamblers place their money
opposite any one of the four sides they choose. The cup is then removed,
the cube remaining with the painted face uppermost. The money opposite
the white wins, three for one, and the other three sides lose.
_The Fish, Shrimp, and Crab Game._—While passing along the street one
often sees an old man with a crowd of boys about him. He has a board
before him, in size about 18 by 20 inches, and divided by lines into six
equal oblong squares. In one of these squares is the picture of a fish,
in another of a shrimp, in another of a crab, &c. The man has a
cocoa-nut shell, in which are three large wooden dice, on the faces of
which are pictures corresponding to those on the board. The boys place
their pieces of money on any picture they choose. The proprietor rattles
his dice in the shell, and then inverts it on the board. All who have
money on the pictures corresponding to the upper faces of the dice, win;
all the rest lose.
_Card Games._—The cards used in gambling are about one inch by three.
These are marked to represent kings, governors, officers, soldiers, &c.
A full pack contains 116 cards, and the principle of the game seems to
be similar to that of games of cards in more enlightened countries.
The alphabet of gambling is learned by Siamese children nearly as soon
as they can run alone. They are seen pitching their coppers in the
street, according to rules they seem to understand, and their parents
are often among the most interested spectators. The appetite for
gambling is likewise fostered by the universal custom of fighting
crickets, fish, and cocks, and the Government allows all classes to
gamble without a licence during the three days the festivities of the
New Year last.
Siamese children have few pets, and those they have are used for
fighting. Just at sunset the boys may be seen searching for crickets.
These little creatures are put into small clay cages, closed at the top
by bars of little sticks, which let in the light and air. When they have
collected a good number, the boys gather together in the evening and put
all their crickets into a large box. Then commences a general scrimmage.
Cricket meets cricket, as Greek met Greek, and the excited boys bet
every copper in their possession on the one they think likely to win.
Small fish, called needle-fish, are also used for this sport. Two fish
are put into separate bottles. The moment the bottles are brought
together, the fish begin snapping, but of course cannot reach each
other. Sometimes a looking glass is held before one, and it is amusing
to see how angry it will become. This passion for mimic fights grows in
the boys; and when they become young men, they spend most of their time
at cock-pits, where nearly all their betting is done. The cocks in
Indo-China resemble small game-cocks, and crow four times in the
twenty-four hours—at midnight, dawn, noon, and sundown,—and thus serve
to note the time.
In Siam, not including the Ping and Lao Shan States upwards of £100,000
is paid by the Chinese gambling monopolists for their licences.
Five-ninths of this amount comes from the lottery-holders, and
four-ninths from the gambling-houses. Nine-tenths of the monopolists
sublet their farms, making from 15 to 20 per cent profit: 2 per cent of
the money paid by the monopolists is said to be a private perquisite of
the King of Siam.
In his proclamation, “concerning the limitation of the ages of the
children of slaves and of free people,” issued in 1874, the King of Siam
declared: “With reference to gambling and all games of chance, where
money is lost and won, it is a prolific source of slavery. These
subjects have his Majesty’s best thoughts as to their eventual
termination. They now yield a revenue of 11,000 catties (528,000
dollars), which is regularly expended in defraying the expenses of the
Government. If gambling were completely abolished, there would not be
enough at the command for Government and military purposes to meet the
deficit that would be occasioned by such abolition. This subject,
however, his Majesty has presented for the deliberation of the council,
and when definite conclusions have been arrived at they will be made
known to the public.” Fourteen years have elapsed since this
proclamation was issued, during which time no further action has been
taken in the matter. The king still draws revenue from the monopolists.
The monopolists can still force the Prai-luangs, who form the majority
of the inhabitants of Siam, to sell themselves, together with their
wives and families; can still force freemen to sell their children,
without the children’s consent up to the age of fifteen, and with the
children’s consent up to the time that they reach their twenty-first
year.
To explain this clearly, and to show the present state of slavery in
Siam, I will here quote Articles 6, 7, 8, and 11 of the law passed by
the king in 1874, which has not been rescinded:—
“_Art. 6._ If any of the people who are now free, having had no
trouble necessitating their becoming slaves, should subsequently
become involved, and the father, mother, the paternal grandfather,
grandmother, the maternal grandfather, grandmother, uncles, aunts,
elder brothers or sisters, be inclined to sell their children or
relatives that were born in the year of the Major Dragon, tenth of the
decade (A.D. 1868), (as the starting-point)—if less than fifteen years
old, they may do so only temporarily (until they reach their
twenty-first year)—and allow their services to the purchaser in lieu
of interest, inserting their names in the bill of sale of the
purchaser, with or without the knowledge of the person sold, the sale
is valid according to the laws of the land, because the father,
mother, and elder relatives are paramount, &c.
“_Art. 7._ If a child or a relative that has been born since the year
of the Major Dragon, tenth of the decade (A.D. 1868), has attained any
age between the fifteenth and twentieth year—that is, knows the
difference between right and wrong—and the parents or elder relatives
wish to sell and give their services to the purchaser in lieu of
interest, and the seller places that person’s name in a bill of sale,
the party so doing must inform the person to be sold, that he may know
and see the transaction, and attach his name to the instrument in
confirmation thereof, to give it validity, and make it available to
the purchaser: his valuation, however, shall be according to the rates
of the present laws. If the person sold neither knows of nor saw the
transaction, and has not appended, nor hired, nor asked others to
write his name to the instrument, he cannot be regarded as a slave.
“_Art. 8._ If the child of a slave or of a free person born in the
year of the Major Dragon, as the starting-point, has reached the
twenty-first year of his or her age, should the parents or the
relatives or the persons themselves become embarrassed and involved,
and apply to sell such persons, offering their personal services in
lieu of interest on the purchase-money, all moneyed people and
property holders are hereby absolutely forbidden to purchase them as
slaves, &c.
“_Art. 11._ All persons under obligation to the Government known as
Prai-luangs,[9] soldiers, artisans, labourers, miners, provincials,
attamahts; those whose freedom has been forfeited to the State for
crimes against the laws,[10] royal domestics, labourers at the
Government rice-mills, Government weavers, silk manufacturers, female
guards of the inner apartments of the palace, and the distributors and
objects of royal charities; all people under obligation to the
Government, and known as Kon-hluangs, who clandestinely and
fraudulently allow their names to be entered into bills of sale,
pledging their personal services in lieu of interest to the purchaser,
if they have children born to them in the house of the money-master
from and since the year of the Major Dragon, tenth of the decade, and
those children have attained the twenty-first year of their age,—in
all these cases let the money-master make known the circumstances to
the Krom Pra Surasadee, that the real Government master may have him
tattooed and designated to his proper group, the group to which his
father and mother belonged, so that when off required (Government)
duty he may serve his money-master, and when on required duty he may
serve his Government master, according to the original laws.”
As the majority of the non-Chinese inhabitants of Siam are included
among the above-mentioned classes, and there is no penalty for their
selling themselves and their children _clandestinely and fraudulently_
as slaves; and as the money-masters are told that they can keep them as
slaves, and the original laws will apply to them and their children so
long as they are permitted by their money-masters to serve the
Government for three months in the year as Government slaves,—the law
affords no protection to these people, and was evidently not meant to be
a protection to them. The law was, in fact, merely enacted and published
by the king in order to throw dust into the eyes of foreign nations, so
that they might imagine him to be an enlightened and civilised monarch.
I was only lately assured by gentlemen residing in Bangkok that slavery
was never more prevalent in Siam than it is at the present time.
Instead of improving the position of the majority of the people, the law
of 1874 makes it considerably worse; for the former law of A.D. 1787
states—“It is well known that registered slaves are exempt from monthly
service to the Government. Government can demand their services only
when there is war.” For the future, the Government will be able to
demand their services for three months in the year, during which time
they will have to provide their own lodging and food, and during the
remaining nine months they will have to serve their money-masters, and
their children will have to bear the same burdens and servitude.
The usual method employed by money-masters in Siam wishing to retain
bond-slaves who wish to pay off their debts and regain their freedom, is
fully explained by a proclamation that was issued by the late king in
1867, which runs as follows:—
“PROCLAMATION OF HIS MAJESTY SOMDETCH PRA SHAUM KLOW, THE 4TH OF THE
PRESENT DYNASTY. ABOUT THE MERCHANT BAHNG MEW.
“His Majesty issued a royal mandate to be proclaimed and published to
all the princes and Government officials without and within, and to
the people of the capital and of the provinces, north and south, for
general information, about the merchant Bahng Mew, whose official
title is Kun Penit Wohahn.
“He is truly a rich man, but he is tortuous. He is tricky in words and
in litigation. His Majesty has really detected his artifice, his
tortuousness, and lack of honesty. He has no compassion on the common
people, who are his debtors and slaves, who are desirous of paying
their indebtedness and the moneys advanced in purchasing them.
“When money is offered to him, he will not receive it, and contends
about the necessities of the seasons. ‘Waters are worked for fish, and
fields for grain.’ If it happens to be the 4th or 5th lunation, he is
invisible, cannot be seen. If it happens to be the 10th or 11th
lunation, he offers sundry excuses, and for three years he has evaded
receiving proffered payments.
“The slaves have poured out their complaints and deposited their
payments at the courts. He makes interest with the legal officers, and
has evaded receiving his money for more than three and four years. A
number of other persons also have poured forth their complaints of
wrongs received from his Satee (Chetty, a banker and money-lender)
Bahng Mew, and because he is wealthy he has confused the legal
officers.
“He has access also to princes and nobles, who support him in his
wrongs. This royal mandate is issued to be made known to the princes,
nobles, and Government officials within and without, forbidding all to
give him any further support in his practices. If they persist in
backing him up, they will no longer be objects of royal favour. Given,
Saturday, 1st of the waxing, 6th lunation, year of the Rabbit, 8th of
the decade, Siamese civil era, 1229 (May 4, 1867).”
Returning to the subject of gambling. The latest law dealing with it was
issued in 1794. In the previous reign an Act had been passed whereby the
gambling-house keepers were not allowed to advance money for gambling
purposes to the people. This caused a great falling off in the amounts
paid to Government for the monopolies. The law of 1794 states that—
“When his Majesty ascended the throne, having quelled all commotions,
he was graciously pleased to revise the laws. What it was befitting
should be retained, were left as before. What was not fitting, was
abrogated; but this (former) proclamation on gambling was not
repealed, because his Majesty was graciously disposed towards the
common people, who were biassed by avaricious desires, because the
managers of the gambling establishments trusted them and allowed them
to get into debt, even though they had not at their homes the means of
meeting their liabilities—still the managers trusted them; but they
did not think of their children and wives, but borrowed from the
managers, played, and were trusted. When their losses increased, and
the managers arrested them and enforced payment, they were obliged to
borrow, run in debt, sell their wives and children, and submit to many
hardships.
“With these facts in view that proclamation was allowed to stand, that
the players might play only to the extent of their means. At the
present time, however, the players have greatly diminished, have been
impoverished more than in former times, and the royal revenue has
diminished withal. The holders of the royal patents and the managers
of the gambling establishments perceive that there are no players, and
they fear they will not be able to meet their Government liabilities.”
Further on the Act goes on to state—
“The former law cannot longer be retained, and is therefore abolished.
Henceforth if players enter a gambling establishment to play, and are
in want of wherewith to play, and wish to borrow the money, or the
current pieces of crockery belonging to the gambling establishment, to
stake as wagers, let the gambling farmer or his agents in charge of
the establishment form an approximate estimate of the ability of the
player, and lend him accordingly, and only allow him to play within
his approximate ability, and the power of the gambling establishment
to collect, as in the last reign.”
After indicating the amounts that may be safely lent, which includes six
dollars to a female who comes without ornaments or attendants, it
continues—
“Again, players come to play at a gambling establishment who have no
money of their own: they do not at first borrow from the manager, but
take part in a play and lose, and having the money obstruct the
interest of the game in the height of their excitement, and cause a
delay of the fees: in such cases let the manager and his collectors
remove the difficulty and make the necessary advances, remove the
loser who does not pay, bind and fetter and enforce payment, according
to the power granted to the gambling establishment. If the money is
not obtainable from the party, make him or her over to the general
farmer, and let him enforce payment to the particular manager.”
The farmer has his own jails, where he can keep debtors in fetters,
until they _clandestinely and fraudulently_ pay their debt, by selling
themselves and their children to him as slaves.
If it were not for slavery, serfdom, vexatious taxation, and for the
vices of the people, the Siamese might be a happy race. Living as they
do chiefly upon vegetables and fish; in a country where every article of
food is cheap; where a labourer’s wages are such as to enable him to
subsist upon a fourth of his earnings; where a few mats and bamboos will
supply him with materials for a house sufficient to keep out the rays of
the tropical sun and the showers in the rainy season; where little
clothing is needed, and that of a cheap and simple kind; where
nine-tenths of the land in the country is vacant, without owners or
inhabitants,—surely such a people might be contented and happy. The land
is so fertile and the climate is so humid, that every cereal and fruit
of the tropics grows there to perfection. Yet among the common people it
is seldom a man or woman can be found who is not the slave of the
wealthy or the noble.
The Government battens on the vices of the people by granting monopolies
for gambling, opium, and spirits. Government places the people under
unscrupulous and tyrannical Government masters—merciless, heartless, and
exorbitant leeches—who, unless heavily bribed, force the peasantry to do
their three months’ _corvée_ labour at times and seasons that
necessarily break up all habits of industry, and ruin all plans to
engage in successful business.[11]
Government imposes taxes upon everything grown for human requirements in
the country; fishing-nets, stakes, boats, spears, and lines are all
taxed. The Government net is so small that even charcoal and bamboos are
taxed to the extent of one in ten, and firewood one in five, in kind.
Fancy the feelings of an old woman, after trudging for miles to market
with a hundred sticks of firewood, when twenty of the sticks are seized
by the tax-gatherer as his perquisite! There is a land-tax for each crop
of annuals sown, and paddy and rice are both subject to tax; so that
three taxes can thus be reaped from one cereal. The burdensome taxation
is levied in the most vexatious manner that can be conceived; for the
taxes are let out to unscrupulous Chinamen, who are thus able to
squeeze, cheat, and rob the people mercilessly. It is no use appealing
from the tax-gatherer to the officials. Money wins its way, and justice
is unknown in Siam. Every one who has not a friend at Court is preyed
upon by the governors and their rapacious underlings.
Such being the present state of Siam, one is not surprised to learn that
the majority of its inhabitants, besides being slaves and selling their
children, are libertines, gamblers, opium smokers or eaters, and given
to intoxicating beverages. No amount of earnings will bear these heavy
strains upon their industry and their purse. The effect of over-taxation
has been showing itself of late years in the import of betel-nuts,
bee’s-wax, cocoa-nuts, molasses, and other articles, which were formerly
exported. The effect of sapping the morals of the people by encouraging
gambling, opium smoking and eating, and spirit-drinking, is displayed by
their present state of degradation.
Nowhere in the Shan States is misgovernment and oppression of the people
so rampant as in Siam. Taxation in the Shan States is exceedingly light;
and the people are not placed under grinding Government masters, but
have the power to change their lords at their will; they are not
compelled to serve for three months in the year without receiving either
wages or food; amongst them gamblers, opium smokers, and drunkards are
looked down upon and despised; and libertinism is nearly unknown. The
only loose women seen by me in the Shan States were a few Siamese, who
had taken up their quarters at Zimmé, the headquarters of the Siamese
judge. Siam, in comparison with the Ping Shan States, is as pest-ridden
Penyow, situated on its sluggish and fetid streams, to the healthy city
of Muang Ngow, on its beautiful clear-flowing river, that we were about
to visit.