Origin of Trade with Siam.

When Captain William Keeling visited Bantam in 1608, he met there an ambassador from the king of Siam. ¹ He asked this dignitary to dinner, and learned from him some facts regarding the commerce and products of Siam. He was told by the ambassador that “a thousand Clothes red, would vent in his Countrey in two dayes, and great quantitie yeerely; they clothing their Elephants and Horses therewith.” Gold, he was informed, was abundant, and of so good quality as to be worth three times its weight in silver, and that precious stones occurred in great quantities and were cheap. He was also assured by his guest that the king would account it a great happiness “to have commerce with so great a king as his Majestie of England, with whom,” the diplomatic ambassador understood, “the king of Holland was not comparable.”