Directory_and_Chronicle_1871 — Page 653

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LAWS CONCERNING SIAMESE AND FOREIGN VESSELS.

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their merchandise, if they wish to anchor near the shore, they may do so, provided they leave an open passage between their boats and the shore, sufficient forsmall boats to pass.

According to article IV., if a small boat get entangled in the ropes or chains of the vessels by which they are held in their proper places according to those laws, or run against a vessel thus orderly moored, and be capsized, and property be lost by the accident in whatever way, the owner of the boat capsized shall not claim any damages. Respect to be paid to the Kings when passing.

Art. VII.-If either of their Majesties the Kings of Siam, desire to pass on the river, and a vessel riding at anchor shall in any wise interrupt the way, and the Harbour- master or other officer in charge shall order said vessel to move out of the way, then the master of the vessel shall be bound to obey that order within the space of three hours.

Aud concerning all vessels of commerce lying at anchor in the river, whenever the Royal Barges bearing either of their Majesties the Kings of Siam, shall approach near them, it is requested that their colors be drawn up to bestow a Royal salute according to custom. And the people who may be on board these vessels at the time, can act their pleasure either to retire out of sight of the King as he passes, or come out and salute him, according to the custom of the country and the language to which they belong. But let them not walk back and forth, or get up and sit down on the bulwarks with their feet dangling down the sides of the vessel, or go up the mast, or perform work thereon at the time, because this would be regarded by the Siamese as an insult offered to the King.

If such offence be committed, or the vessel fail to the removed out of the King's way, and she be one belonging to the Kingdom of Siam, the Siamese officer in charge shall inflict the punishment due. But if the vessel be a merchant vessel belonging to a foreign port, coming under the jurisdiction of either of the Cousuls, complaint of the same shall be made to the Consul.

Collision of Vessels.

Art. VIII.-In case a large vessel, coming up or going down the river, runs into another vessel, or into a floating house, or any building that is orderly moored, and damage property, the master of said vessel shall cause to be made a due estimate of the damage doue, and pay it, be the same little or much. But if the vessel which did the damage, be herself injured to whatever amount, she shall not claim any damages of the vessel, or floating house, or other float by which she was thus damaged, because she herself alone ran into the other.

way.

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Again, steam-boats in Siam, which are to be many in the future, when they come or go with or against the tide, shall not pass near the shore, but between the lines of large vessels at anchor. The reason of this law is, that steam boats have great power

and speed, so that small craft will be likely not to have time to get out of their

Concerning Floating Dwellings, or Rafts of Timber or Bamboo, Drifting in the River. Art. IX.-If a raft be broken into parts, floating with the current, and if any vessel being moored so as to straiten the way which the II. and III.articles of these laws provide to have remain open and free, and the raft float against the vessel, and her master cut the raft, and it be consequently broken to pieces, and timber be lost, damages shall in such cases be paid to the owner of the raft. But if a raft float against such a vessel, and the vessel be damaged thereby, to whatever extent, her master or owner shall not claim damages of the owners of the raft.

Again, whoever would float a raft on the river, shall be provided with a cable, and shall by its aid, make fast and slacken here and there, and thus float carefully along, taking particular caution to pass in the passage between the line of vessels at anchor, and the floating houses regularly moored. If its owner choose to have it pass on this or that side of them, he shall keep to that choice through all the way.

If a raft float down, and come into collision with a vessel that is moored accord- ing to articles II. and III., the master of the vessel may cut the raft, and send it adrift. But he shall do no other damage to the owner of the raft, nor take possession of his timber. If any of the timber be lost by this means, the owner may not claim any damages from the master of the vessel,

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