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the females let their hair grow, and dress differently from the Siamese women. Few nations are so well prepared for the reception of the gospel as this; but, alas! few nations have less drawn the attention of European philanthropists.

The Siamese are in the habit of stealing Burmans and making them their slaves. Though the English have of late interposed with some effect, they nevertheless delight in exercising this nefarious practice. There are several thousand Burmans living, who have been enslaved in this way, and who are compelled to work harder than any other of his Majesty's subjects. They are held in the utmost contempt, treated barbarously, and are scarcely able to get the necessaries of life.

Perhaps no nation has been benefitted, by coming under the Siamese dominion, with the exception of the Malays. These Malays, also, are principally slaves or tenants of large tracts of land, which they cultivate with great care. They generally lose, as almost every nation does in Siam, their national character, become industrious, conform to Siamese customs, and often gain a little property. With the exception of a few Hadjis, they have no priests; but these exercise an uncontrolled sway over their votaries, and know the art of enriching themselves, without injury to their character as saints. These Hadjis teach also the Koran, and have generally a great many scholars, of whom, however, few make any progress, choosing rather to yield to paganism, even so far as to throw off their turbans, than to follow their spiritual guides.

There are also some Moors resident in the country, who are styled emphatically by the Siamese, Kah, strangers, and are mostly country-born. Their chief and his son Rasitty enjoy the highest honors with his Majesty; the former being the medium of speech, whereby persons of inferior rank convey their ideas to the royal ear. As it is. considered below the dignity of so high a potentate as his Siamese Ma-