Directory_and_Chronicle_1882 — Page 887

316

LAWS CONCERNING SIAMESE AND FOREIGN VESSELS.

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 een forbidden. Th re 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 gocds coming out to moor in the river with the view to sell their merchandise, if they wish to anchor near the shore may do so, provided they leave an open passage between their boats and the shore sufficient for small boats to pass.

According to Article IV., if a small boat get entangle in the ropes or chains of 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.

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.

And concerning all vessels of commerce lying at anchor in the river, whenever the Royal Barges bearing either of their Majesties the Kings of Sam shall appro ch 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 at their pleasure either retire out of sight of the King as he passes, or come out an 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 daughing 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 off red to the King.

If such offence be committed, or the v. ssel 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, cming under the jurisdiction of either of the Consuls, complaint 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 matty 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 a: 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.