Directory_and_Chronicle_1879 — Page 787

LAWS CONCERNING SIAMESE AND FOREIGN VESSELS.

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If any one attempt to pass between the said Barges and the Royal seats on the river's bank, and run against their cables, or ropes, and the boat be capsized, all damages thus resulting shall be suffered by the owner of the boat, because the act had been forbidden. There are only two such places, viz. :-one in front of the First King's Palace, and one in front of the Second King's Palace. Again, masters of boats in the canals, laden with goods coming out to moor in the river with the view to sell their merchandise, if they wish to auchor near the shore may do so, provided they leave an opeu passage between their boats and the shore sufficient for small 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 voss-l 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.

VII.—If either of their Majesties the Kings of Siam desire to pass on the river, and a vessel riding at anchor sball 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.

And 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 colours 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 vessels, 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 be 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 Consuls, complaiut of the same shall be made to the Consul.

Collision of Vessels.

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 done, 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.

Again, steamboats 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 steamboats have great power and speed, so that small craft will be likely not to have time to get out of their way.

Concerning Floating Dwellings or Rafts of Timber or Bumboo Drifting in the River.

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 Articles II. and III. of these laws provided to have remained open and free, and the raft float against the vessel, and ber master cut the raft, and it be consequeatly broken to pieces, and timber be lost, damages shall in such cases be paid to the owner of the raft. But if a raft flat against such a vessel, and the vessel be damaged thereby, to whatever extent, ner 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 care ully along, taking particular caution to pass in the passage between the line of vessels at