Directory_and_Chronicle_1871 — Page 657

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LAWS CONCERNING SIAMESE AND FOREIGN VESSELS.

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Whenever posts are planted in front of a floating house for its protection, let them not stand outside of the front line of the house more than three Siamese cubits. Whoever, disregarding this law, shall plant his floating posts outside of this limitation, and a boat strike against the posts, and be upset, or property lost to whatever amount, it is or- dained that the owner of that floating house shall pay all such damages to the full extent. Fishing Boats and Buoys athwart of the River.

Art. II.-Concerning boats that cast anchor several in a line athwart the river, attached to one another for the purpose of net fishing, or fishing buoys arranged in a line extending to the middle of the river; their owners shall in the night time have a blazing fire on the shore opposite such fishing boats or buoys, and blow horns for a signal to show that is a fishing establishment. And if a vessel sailing up or dropping down shall run afoul of fishing boats or buoys, and set them adrift, or damage them in any way, their owners shall not claim any damages, because they from great obstructions to pas- sing on the river, much more so than large vessels, which as above are required to be moored in the midst of the river in a line up and down the stream, and much more so than floating houses that are required to be arranged in a regular line near the shore. And it cannot be required that these fishing boats and buoys should be moored in any other way than athwart of the stream, because it has always been the custom to allow their owners thus to seek a livelihood. And although a raft or boat shall run against them, and be broken or upset, or lives lost, no damage shall be claimed of the owner of those fishing boats or buoys. Let the master of the vessel or raft that Trops down, inform himself of the localities of such fishing places, and provide care- fully when yet not near, for passing them safely. Such fishing boats and buoys are fixed establishments, not often changed like the position of sailing vessels.

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But it is forbidden that the fishing buoys be connected together by means of bamboo poles; it is only allowed that they be connected by means of ropes, as is the usual custom. Again-The space from the shore to the fishing buoys, being the way for boats shall not be obstructed by ropes or poles, or any other thing stretched across pass, it. If the owner of fishing buoys shall stretch ropes or poles across that way, so as to obstruct it for boats, and a boat coming up or going down shall run against such ob- structions, and she be upset and property lost, or damaged to whatever amount, the person who stretched the rope or pole across that way shall pay the damages. And if life be lost by the accident, he shall forfeit the price of that person according to the

any

old law.

Property Adrift on the River.

Act. III.-The old law forbade any person to take things that are accidentally dropped, or property that is adrift by casualty on the river. In process of time the people forgot this law, and thought it lawful to take such property, and appropriate it to them- selves, and have fallen into the practice of seizing such property; and the true owners coming to claim it, has given rise to contention and litigation. Sometimes the property seized has been concealed, and doubts consequently would arise about the property missed, whether or not thieves had stolen it. And thus there were many cases of litigation continually arising from this practice.

What to be done with Property Adrift on the River.

Property lost in the river is maiuly teak logs and boards belonging to rafts floating down the river, which are broken and scattered about in the stream, the owners of which. going in pursuit of it are often not in time to secure the property adrift. And boats that get adrift are numerous. Now, because of these frequent accidents, it is forbidden that any person belonging to this country, or to a foreign country, shall seize teak logs or boards, or any property of vessels, or boats adrift on the river, and appropriate the same to themselves, severing them thus from the owners, on the plea that such property was found without any owner; thus following the fashion of those who have no knowledge of law. If any one shall find property floating on the river without any owner, or property which has been secured from thieves, he shall deliver such property to the magistrate of that district, or shall report to him, or to the officer of the village, or to any man of rank living near to his own house. If the property belong to ships in the river, report shall

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