170 The Kingdom of Siam Heading further along the cost past the kingdom of Pegu and towards Malacca, one comes to a large kingdom called Siam. It is a gentile kingdom and its king is also gentile and an overlord. It stretches from the near coast to the far one, which goes from Malacca towards China, thus it has seaports on both sides. This king has many foot-soldiers, cavalrymen and elephants. They do not allow Mouros to bring weapons to their country. Immediately after the kingdom of Pegu, one comes to a large city with a seaport called Tenasserim, where there are many Mouros and gentile merchants who trade in all kinds of commodities and thus, they have many ships that sail to Bengal, Malacca and many other places. Fine benzoin resin is produced in the hinterland of this city, which is a tree resin and is called Lobam by the Mouros, and is made into storax in the Levant. Many Mouros ships from different places come to this port, bringing copper; quicksilver; vermillion; scarlets; silks; coloured Mecca velvets; saffron; white coral necklaces, and rose-water, brought in tin-plated copper barrels from Mecca and Aden, which is sold by weight with the barrel itself; lots of opium and Cambay cloth. All of these commodities are worth a lot in Siam and they take back from here, the same things as there are in Pegu. Heading further along the coast past this city of Tenasserim and towards Malacca, one comes to another seaport belonging to this kingdom called Kedah, where there are also many large ships. The trade here is on a very large scale and Mouros ships from many places come here every year. A great deal of fine pepper grows here and is taken to Malacca and China. This King of Siam has another two or three seaports between Malacca and Tenasserim, the names of which I do not know, and many other large gentile cities; towns, and villages in the interior, which Mouros do not enter, nor do they live there and if any should go there to trade, they are not allowed to carry weapons.
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