Horses and carriages are rarely seen

except in the neighborhood of the palaces, The native houses on land-——of bamboo or other wood, like the floating houses — are raised upon piles, six or eight feet from the ground, and are reached by ladders. 'The circumference of the walls of Bangkok, which are 15 to 30 feet high, and 12 broad, is about 6 miles, Bangkok is now the permanent residence of the King. The palace is surrounded by high walls, and is nearly a mile in circumference. It includes temples, public offices, accommodation for officials and for some you sands of soldiers, with their nece ary equipments, a theater, apartments for a crowd of female attendants, and several Buddhist temples, or chapels. Several of the famous white elephants are kept in the courtyard of the palace. ‘Throughout the interior are distributed the most costly articles in gold, silver, and precious stones. The chief exports are rice, sugar, pepper, cardamoms, sesame, hides, fine woods, ivory, feathers, and edible birds’ nests. The imports are tea, manufactured silks and piece goods, opium, hardware, machinery, and gla wares. In 1898, a treaty was concluded at Bangkok, by which Siam made large ce ions to France, two French gunboats heving forced their way to the capital after an ineffective defense.