Page:Brief sketches of Siam (Smith, 1909).pdf/13

 them to sing the sweet songs of Zion in their religious devotions. Their are now among that people many Christian churches and schools the result of the labours of these earnest, hard working Christian men, Mr. S. J. Smith when he was no longer a represent ative of the A , B. M. U. started a printing office on his own account. He edited and published in English the Siam Weekly Advertiser, the Siam Repository and the Siam Directory. He also edited and published a vernacular newspaper called the Sayahm Samai, an English Siamese Grammar, a Siamese English Gram mar, an Arithonetic, a Comprehensive Anglo - Siamese Dictionary, a Comprehensive Siamese-English Diction ary has been prepared and is now ready for the press, a Christian Catechism in Siamese. Siamese works at that time were written on folded black books with pipe-clay pencils, or with wooden pens diped in a yellow liquid inade of gainboge. Their sacred books were written on palm leaves with a steel style. They consequently had but few books and these were very costly Mr. S. J. Smith’s printing office at Bangkolem Point began printing and publishing the prose and poetical literature of the Siamese and now the country abounds with cheap, printed books. He also reprinted portions of the New Testament and other religious works that had been prepared by Dr. Jones and wife and the late Mrs. S. J. Smith. He supplied Siamese types to several Siamese people who started printing offices on their own account. Now there are quite a number of native printing offices in Bangkok and other part of the country. Bangkok is tbe capital of Siam, situated on the Menam river. The canal K’laùng Mahahnahk connects it with the Bahngpakong River on the cast. The canal