Siam

Sources from old books

1638. The merchants mappe of commerce wherein by Lewes Roberts.

Of SIAM and the trade of the coast thereof.

VNder the title of Siam I will comprehend the Citie of Tenaserim, a famous towne of traffique, and the Metropolis of a Kingdome; also Pottana, another Citie on this coast, not farre distant from Siam it selfe, being a place where the English Merchants have a residence and hold a Factorie; and lastly Siam as the principall, and as one upon whom the rest have a dependencie, both in matter of government and trade. This Citie then of Siam some yeares past (as appeares by the relation of that worthy Merchant Raphe Fitche, and others) was the prime of all these and the neighbouring Regions; but being for twenty-one moneths besieged by the King of Pegu, who after foure moneths march incompassed it with a million and foure hundred thousand Souldiers, and at length by meanes of treason and not of strength gained it, drove the King thereof to that desperation that he poisoned himselfe with all his wives and children; since which time it hath obeyed severall Princes and beene subject to sundrie Masters, according to the various chance of warre, and of this Countrey, which in one age is seene here so diversly to alter into sundry shapes; for a petty King which now commands one onely Towne or Province, in a few yeares comes to be a great Emperour over severall Kingdomes, and peradventure that that great Emperour who now commanded so many severall Nations, within few yeares after is glad to rule over a small Province, Citie, or Iland, which the Princes of Pegu and Siam have of late yeares to their great griefe found too true by experience.

This Citie of Siam is yet notwithstanding the former suffered calamitie, a place of great traffique, not onely hence to Cauchinchina, Macau, Cantor, Mallacca, Cambaia and the Ilands, Sumatra, Borneo, Banda and others by Sea, but also is much augmented by the inland trade thereof, partly to Martavan, Tenaserim and others, which are seated on the same Land, but as seated on the backeside thereof, and as injoying thereby the commoditie of another Sea, but the same is found proper for trade by its owne commodious scituation, being on the bankes of that great and famous River Menan, which runneth hither through or rather thwarteth India, arising in the lake of Chiamay, as they terme it, at least 22 degrees from this Citie, where it issueth into the Sea, and is here found about the moneth of March so to overswell his bankes, and the neighbouring Countrey, that it covereth the earth for 120 miles in compasse, and therefore the Inhabitants are said to retire themselves during this inundation to the upper part of their houses, so purposely made to avoide the inconveniencie of the waters, every house then having a boate or frigat belonging thereto, by which meanes they converse together and traffique, as on dry shoare, till the said River returne to her wonted channell againe.

The Kings of this Countrey as indeed of all these Regions, are for the most part Merchants, who gave the English admittance to trade and residence here about 1612; upon whom he bestowed also a faire house for their aboad, and ware-houses to lay up their merchandise; where since for some yeares they have continued, but of late yeares have left it off and discontinued, upon the little benefit this scale and Countrey affoorded them.

The principall commodities of this Citie and coast, are cottonlinens of severall sorts, and that excellent wine or distilled liquour, called here by the name of Nipe, made of Cocos or India Nuts, and hence transported into all parts of India, and the adjoyning Regions: here is also great quantitie of Benjamin, and of lacc: wherewith the hard wax is made that is brought hence into sundry parts of the World, also that costly wood called by the Portugals palo dangula, and calamba, which being good, is weighed against silver and gold; for rich perfumes, and the wood sapon used by dyers; also heere is Camphora in great plenty, Bezar stones and gold in some measure good store; also heere is found Diamonds, Nutmegs, and some other Spices, which the Countrey of it selfe affordeth for the maintenance of the trade thereof.

The coines here currant as I am informed are these following.

The first is a Taile which is worth 4 Ticalls, or 17 shillings ten pence, or eighteene shillings sterling.

A Ticall is accounted 4 masse, or 4 shil. 4 d. in circa sterling.

A masse is accompted 4 copans, about 13 d. sterling.

A copan is accompted 750 cashe, or 3¼ d. sterling.

A taile is 16 masse, and accompted worth 14 Rials of eight Spanish.

And 20 taile is a cattee worth 48 Rials of 〈◊〉 Spanish.

And 1 taile of Siam is worth 2 tailes of Iapan.

And note that in Pottana and elsewhere on this coast coines find little alteration in currant prizes and rates, except upon some extraordinary occasions, when some of these species are sought out, and provided by Merchants to transport into other places where the same do turn them better to benefit; and note that at Pottana,

A masse is as above worth 4 capans.

A capan worth 4 conderies.

A conderie is 100 cashe, which is 800 cashe, which is 50 more then at Siam as is above mentioned.

The measures and weights are not come to my knowledge.

So leaving Sciam and the trade of this coast, I shall repaire to Mallacca inhabited and fortified by the Portugals, and of great consequence in these parts.