at their risk. Their
cargoes consist principally of sugar and rice, which find ready
purchasers in Singapore. The sugar of Siam is of very superior quality,
and is sent up in large quantities to Bombay, whence it finds its way up
the Indus and the Persian Gulf. The rice of Siam is a superior article,
and has of late been sent in considerable quantities to London. The
grain is liable to the disadvantage of not keeping so well as that of
Bengal or Java; but this fault might, I think, be obviated, partially at
all events, by adopting the Calcutta plan of putting a pound or two of
rice-dust and lime into each bag: this not only tends to preserve the
rice, but repels the destructive weavil; a little black insect that
makes its appearance in wheat and rice, in immense numbers, in those
warm latitudes.

The Cochin Chinese ships generally bring each four thousand _peculs_ of
sugar, which is of three qualities; namely, sixteen hundred _peculs_ of
first quality, the same quantity of second, and eight hundred _peculs_
of the third sort. The first two are good articles, though not equal to
the sugars of Siam. The cargoes of these ships are so carefully put up,
that I have purchased and re-shipped them without opening or weighing
more than five bags out of each hundred, and have never had cause to
repent the confidence thus placed in the seller, who is an _employe_ of
His Cochin Chinese Majesty. In addition to sugar and rice, the Siamese
vessels bring gamboge and cocoa-nut oil of a superior quality: the
former is bought up for the London and Continental markets, and the
latter for consumption in the Straits' settlements. Notwithstanding the
monopolizing system of the sovereigns of the two countries just
mentioned, the trade by junks is still carried on to a limited extent:
their cargo consists of the same articles as the kings' ships bring; and
their owners make money in spite of monopoly and of the iron rod with
which they are ruled.

At the commencement of the rupture between Great Britain and China, His
Siamese Majesty thought proper to follow the example of his Celestial
Brother, and to interdict the trade in opium, which used to flourish in
his dominions. His proclamation prohibiting the trade, came so suddenly
upon the parties concerned in it, and took effect so immediately, that
many of the opium-traders went into his capita of Bang-kok with their
usual cargoes, in utter ignorance of what had taken place, and found
their ve