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Excerpt from Journal of an Embassy From the Governor-General of India to the Courts of Siam and Cochim China, 1830, Vol. 2 of 2: Exhibiting a View of the Actual State of Those Kingdoms
The Siamese have the same prejudice against white teeth with many other Eastern people, and at an early age they stain them with an inde lible black, without, however, filing and destroy ing the enamel Of the front teeth, like the Indian islanders. In other respects, they evince no dis position to disfigure the natural form Of the body, and are especially to be distinguished from the Burmans and Peguan s, by the gen eral practice Of tattooing the whole body, which prevails among the two last tribes.
Among the Siamese the use Of tobacco has be come universal; they chew it in moderate quan tities, but smoke it perpetually. A Siamese is seldom to be seen without a cigar in his mouth, or stuck behind his ear ready for use. Of the areca and betel-nut they are perhaps the most constant and persevering consumers Of all the people Of the East, exceeding in this respect even the Malays themselves. The soil and climate are peculiarly suited to the production of both, and the cheapness which is the consequence, no doubt contributes, along with the indolent character Of the people, to render the consumption so great. The preparation, as they use it, is the same as in other countries, with the exception of the catechu, which forms no part Of the ingredients.
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