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(this file was produced from images generously made available by the internet archive.) department of the interior, bureau of education. progress of western education in china and siam. department of the interior, bureau of education, _washington, august 3, 1880._ the attention of school officers and teachers is invited to the following interesting accounts of the progress of western ideas and educational methods in china and siam, forwarded to the department of state by the united states minister at peking and the united states consul at bangkok, respectively. john eaton, _commissioner._ washington: government printing office. 1880. correspondence relating to western education in china and siam. * * * * * i. china. _mr. evarts to mr. schurz._ department of state, _washington, may 12, 1880._ sir: i have the honor to transmit herewith, for the benefit of the bureau of education, copies of dispatches nos. 600 and 612 from our legation at peking, detailing the progress of western education in china. the inclosure with no. 600, being printed matter, is too voluminous for copying, but will be sent for perusal if desired. i have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, wm. m. evarts. * * * * * _mr. seward to mr. evarts._ no. 600.] legation of the united states, _peking, february 21, 1880._ sir: there has lately been published in the north china daily news, at shanghai, a statement, from the pen of mr. john freyer, of work done in the "translations department" of the arsenal at shanghai. this so-called arsenal is a large establishment, in which vessels of war are built, guns cast, and small arms made. it employs, or did employ a few years ago, on the occasion of my last visit to it, about fifteen hundred hands. these were all chinese, with the exception of some half dozen superintendents and specialists. it had grown to these dimensions in a very few years, and appeared likely to receive the continued support of the government. i was aware that a scientific school and a department of translations had been established in connection with the arsenal, but i was not prepared to learn that so much has been accomplished by the latter of these as appears from mr. freyer's report. of what the school is doing i am not informed at the moment, but it appears that a very large number of our text books have been translated into chinese in the translations department, and that the chinese connected with it have shown a degree of zeal which promises much for the future. while referring you to mr. freyer's very interesting paper for the details of this work, i may remark that the education of the chinese in our knowledge is going forward in many ways. you are familiar with the facts in regard to the educational mission in the united states. about one hundred and twenty young chinamen, supported and paid by this government, are now in various schools and colleges in our country, gaining all that is available in the way of knowledge from us to bring it into use here. perhaps half as many more are studying in europe. here at peking, the university presided over by dr. martin is progressing very favorably. there is a school at foochow connected with the arsenal there, and another one at canton. all of these educational enterprises are sustained by the government. besides these, however, there are many schools, of a more or less advanced order, in charge of and supported by the several foreign missionary bodies, where other branches than those directly connected with the moral and religious purposes of the missionaries are taught. educational work is fortunately of such a nature that its results are felt in a constantly increasing measure. it has been progressive everywhere else, and there is enough in mr. freyer's paper alone to show that it will be progressive here. the people are eager to avail themselves of the opportunities offered to them, and the government appears as the patron of western knowledge. under such circumstances it is possible to take a hopeful view of the future of china, despite all her conservatism. i have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, george f. seward. * * * * * _mr. seward to mr. evarts._ no. 612.] legation of the united states, _peking, february 29, 1880._ sir: recurring to my dispatch no. 600, in regard to the work done in the "translations department" of the shanghai arsenal, i have now the honor to hand to you a leading article which i have taken from the shanghai courier, in regard to foreign education for the chinese, and to say that i have asked our several consular officers to report to me what is being done at their several ports in the direction indicated. i have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, george f. seward. * * * * * [extract from the shanghai courier of friday, january 30, 1880.] _foreign education for the chinese._ a greater knowledge of western civilization than is now possessed is essential to the progress of the middle kingdom. to individual chinese, foreign education is something of a fortune, and is the surest capital with which they can be invested. the saying that "knowledge is power" is well borne out in this case, for foreign knowledge is almost certain to obtain for a chinaman a lucrative appointment and an improved social position. parents are now realizing this fact, and many of the well-to-do chinese are anxious to send their sons to europe or america to be educated. the advantage of such an education can hardly be overestimated in the case of those who have before them official or public careers. at the same time there are considerable drawbacks to going abroad, and it may be questioned whether, in many instances, equally good results could not be secured without incurring so great a loss of time and expense--a loss so considerable as to prevent the benefit from being enjoyed by all but the wealthy or those supported by other than the family funds. for of course the sons of even what may be called the middle classes cannot afford to leave their country in order to be educated, and, unless they can receive foreign instruction in china, will not receive it at all. it cannot be denied that residence abroad possesses some advantages which cannot be obtained in china; yet, except in rare cases, those particular advantages are not the most needed. why should not useful knowledge be imparted to the chinese as well in china as it can be in europe or america? the drawbacks to a chinaman's residing away from his home for the time needed to follow a regular course of instruction are sometimes not duly considered. the chinese are apt, as has been pointed out, to be "too much europeanized." especially are they likely to neglect their native language, and so on their return lessen their opportunities of usefulness and prospects of promotion. particularly is this so with a large class who hope to qualify themselves for the position of professors. a teacher must not only be acquainted with his subject, but he must also be able to impart his knowledge to others; which it is impossible he can do if he has only an imperfect acquaintance with the language which is the medium of communication. it should always be borne in mind that foreign knowledge, though exceedingly useful, is not all-important to a chinaman, and that even its usefulness may be greatly diminished if it is obtained at cost of the neglect of his mother tongue. looking, therefore, to the expense of being educated abroad, and to its serious inconveniences, especially to the fact that it must ever be beyond the reach of all but the rich, it is of great importance to consider how a similar education can be had in china. it would be very incorrect to speak of the local polytechnic as a failure, but it is, as yet, a long way from having realized the objects of its promoters. its educational facilities are great, and though it is now doing good and useful work, we trust to see it become something very different to what it is at the present moment. there are few institutions in hong kong which have conferred greater benefits on the chinese than the central school; and it is surprising that an attempt has not been made to establish something of the kind at shanghai. the st. john's college will, it is hoped, contribute towards supplying what is a seriously felt want. at this institution the course of instruction comprises the english language and literature, geography, history, the evidences of christianity, natural science, mathematics, natural philosophy, chemistry, astronomy, mental and moral philosophy, and international law. this is a sufficiently extended curriculum to begin with, but it is intended to enlarge it if the project be successful. pupils are required to be fifteen years of age and to possess some knowledge of the chinese classics. we believe that the hong kong central school owes much of its success to the purely secular character of its teaching; and many who take great interest in the foreign education of the chinese will perhaps note with regret the religious element of st. john's college. but the two institutions are of a different character, and it could hardly be expected that the work carried on at st. john's should be purely secular. the promoters have, however, met possible objections in a spirit which, under the circumstances, must, we think, be considered liberal. they wish it to be distinctly understood "that st. john's college is a literary and scientific school, and not per se a theological institute." a student must attend the daily prayers at chapel and the usual sunday services, but in other respects he is free to devote himself to the secular side of the daily routine of class work. many people would have been glad if the authorities had allowed attendance at prayers and sunday service to be voluntary, and probably the chief end in view might have been better reached in that manner. yet, though the requirement may restrict the usefulness of the institution, preventing it being generally availed of, we are pleased to call attention to it as being calculated to confer great advantages on the chinese youth, and to offer it the encouragement of publicity. it may be well to note that the charge for board and tuition is exceedingly moderate. * * * * * _mr. hay to mr. schurz._ department of state, _washington, august 13, 1880._ sir: i have the honor to inclose herein, for transmission to the bureau of education, a copy of a recent dispatch from the late minister to china, mr. geo. f. seward, covering the replies which he has received from the united states consular officers in that empire as to the efforts which are being made for the education of the chinese in foreign branches of knowledge, either by the government of china, by private enterprise, or by missionary efforts. i have the honor to be, your obedient servant, john hay, _acting secretary._ * * * * * _mr. seward to mr. evarts._ no. 705.] legation of the united states, _peking, june 11, 1880._ sir: i have the honor to hand to you herewith copies of the answers which have been received from our consular officers in this empire to the inquiry made in a circular addressed to them as to efforts being made to educate the chinese in foreign branches of knowledge, either by the government of china, by private enterprise, or by missionary effort. the circular referred to was forwarded to the department with my dispatch no. 600. while these reports are not as full as i could have wished, they still furnish an outline of the work which is being done, and may be of interest to the department. i have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, george f. seward. * * * * * _mr. goldsborough to mr. seward._ no. 107.] amoy, _april 23, 1880._ sir: in response to your dispatch no. 86, of february 27, 1880, i beg to state that there are two private english schools at this port for the education of chinese, conducted by native born chinese, who possess a fair knowledge of the english language, but there is no institution of the kind founded or supported by the government. the missionaries have several schools of their own for the tuition of chinese boys and girls in the chinese language. i have the honor, &c., w. elwell goldsborough. * * * * * _mr. cheshire to mr. seward._ no. 55.] foochow, _march 29, 1880._ sir: i have had the honor to receive your dispatch no. 78, calling upon me to furnish you with such information as may be available to me in regard to the education of chinese in foreign languages within this consular district, whether in schools founded and supported by the chinese government, or by private enterprise, or by missionaries, as far as the secular branches are concerned, and also to report upon the schools established at hong kong by the colonial government. i now beg to submit the following report: the tung wen kwan is the only scholastic institution under government auspices for teaching foreign knowledge in canton. it was established by order of the tsung li yamen about sixteen years ago. it is under the official control of the viceroy, the haikwan (superintendent of customs), the tartar general, and two lieutenant tartar generals, but the practical control is left almost entirely in the hands of the tartar general, to whom it affords opportunities of patronage, for the staff is large, and the members thereof not only benefit by the salaries they receive but their official appointment as officers of the college (tung wen kwan) forms a stepping-stone to promotion in other branches of the public service. the staff consists of three superintendents, (the chief of whom holds rank about equivalent to that of a major general), three chinese teachers, a foreign teacher with a chinese assistant, two chinese clerks, doorkeepers, cooks, and other servants. the number of students is fixed at thirty, of whom twenty are classed as students proper and ten as supernumerary students, the latter being intended to fill vacancies as they occur in the former; and when, from various causes, the total number falls to twenty or twenty-five, fresh supernumeraries are added to make up the number. the students proper receive a small pay of three taels a month, but the supernumeraries receive nothing except a free breakfast every day. it is difficult to define the raison d'être of the tung wen kwan college; in theory it is established to provide the chinese government with a staff of interpreters and persons conversant with foreign literature and foreign habits of thought; but, so far as can be judged by patent facts, the patronage above referred to is the element most appreciated, and it may be well to notice the extent to which the theoretical object has been carried out, and how far the chinese government has availed itself of the material for the production of which something like eight hundred dollars a month has been expended for the last sixteen years in the maintenance of the college. about ten years ago fourteen students were drafted from canton to the peking college. of these, five have retired from various causes, six are still attached to the peking college, and the remaining three have appointments in legations abroad, one in washington, one in london, and one in japan. since 1870 not one student has been drafted to peking; none of the canton students have in any way been called upon to render service to their government. most of them have received an honorary literary degree (hsin tsai) equivalent to b.a., and three or four of them are nominally interpreters, for which they receive a small additional pay. year after year passes, and boys of 17 grow up to be men of 27, marry and become fathers, and go on with their foreign studies without so much as a word of encouragement from their own authorities. under such discouraging circumstances it must be that studying is often done in a perfunctory way; and yet, while some of the students have, as i understand, a very good knowledge of english, wanting only practice outside the school walls to render it equal to that of any chinaman who has not had the advantage of living abroad, they constantly witness men of less technical knowledge than themselves, men of lower stamp altogether, men picked up here and there without any proper steps being taken to ascertain their fitness, called upon to perform the very duties for the performance of which the students of the tung wen kwan are in theory specially educated. the course of study, i am informed, consists chiefly of the english language, together with but subordinate to which there are geography, arithmetic, history, algebra, mathematics, and astronomy. a very small proportion of the students have made any progress in algebra or mathematics, few are even fair arithmeticians, and much that they are called upon to learn of geography, history, and astronomy is soon forgotten. this arises from no want of ability, but from an utter want of encouragement on the part of the chinese authorities for the students to trouble themselves with such studies. without a reasonable knowledge of the language they are liable, on the motion of the foreign teacher, to be dismissed from the school, and in the acquisition of that they are to some extent buoyed up with hope, a hope that sometimes becomes lamentably faint, that the language will ultimately be of service to them; but with respect to the other branches, i am given to understand, no person in authority, except the foreign teacher, seems to know or care whether they are taught or not. the students consist almost entirely of tartars (including bannermen). originally about one-third were chinese, but it was found that, after learning english at the expense of government, these latter generally disappeared. the tartars are much more bound to the government, and are loyal, both from training and self-interest. as young men, they are far more noble and honorable in their character than the chinese, lacking in a great measure the low cunning which characterizes the latter, especially when they get official employment. but it is hard to say how far their natural nobility and honor would suffer if they were thrown into that vortex of corruption and dishonesty which pertains to official life. i am informed that there has, for the past year or two, been an intention to add a german and a french department to the canton college, and that extensive premises have been erected for this purpose, but some difficulty about funds seems to have caused further steps to be postponed. _private schools._--there are no private schools worthy of the name in canton for teaching foreign languages. now and then a small school is opened, in which english is professed to be taught by a man whose knowledge of that language is too limited to fit him for other employment, and after a brief struggle these schools die out, one after another. there is no doubt that the advantages offered by the government schools in hong kong are too great to enable private schools in canton to compete with them. _missionary schools._--none of the missionaries in canton teach english or any other foreign language to their chinese pupils now, nor have they for some years. they found by experience that it was very difficult to teach english to their pupils because of their inaptitude to learn western languages; that the object of the majority who came to their schools (formerly) to learn english was simply to get a sufficient knowledge of that language to enable them to get some lucrative employment with foreigners, and as soon as they had acquired a little smattering of english they disappeared and passed away beyond their christian instruction. i shall endeavor to furnish you with some particulars in regard to the schools established at hong kong by the colonial government shortly. i have the honor, &c., f. d. cheshire. * * * * * _mr. scruggs to mr. seward._ no. 21.] chinkiang, _march 24, 1880._ sir: i had the honor to receive on the 21st instant your dispatch no. 63, of the 27th february last. in response thereto i regret to say there is not a school of any kind, native or foreign, public or private, secular or religious, within this district in which chinese are educated by foreign methods or in foreign knowledge. the missionary schools are all conducted in the native language, and their curriculum, confined to purely religious and sectarian instruction. a few young men among the native residents of this port take lessons in the english language from a native interpreter educated at hong kong but now employed here in the customs service. but they seek to know no more of our language than is barely necessary to aid them in business transactions with foreigners, and what they do thus acquire is little else than the barbarous and childish dialect known as "pigein english." i know of but one exception, and that is the case of general wong, the military commander here, an educated chinaman, who is ambitious to enter the diplomatic service of his country. i am, sir, &c., william l. scruggs. * * * * * _mr. de lano to mr. seicard._ no. 164.] foochow, _may 5, 1880._ sir: i have had the honor to receive your dispatch no. 109, asking me for such information as may be available to me in regard to the education of chinese in foreign knowledge in this consular district. there are at the foochow arsenal two schools, one under english and the other under french management. in the former the number of students varies between 30 and 50, and the studies pursued are english, arithmetic, geometry, geography, grammar, trigonometry, algebra, and navigation. in a four and a half years' course the students receive from the government a monthly stipend of $4. there is a naval and a mechanical branch of the same school, each having an average of 25 students receiving the same monthly allowance from the government, which also pays a very liberal salary to the professors in charge. the school under french management has about 40 pupils, in four divisions, studying french, arithmetic, elements of algebra and geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry and calculus, mechanical engineering, transmission of power and friction. the branches of this school are a school of design and school of apprentices, the pupils pursuing many of the studies enumerated above and receiving the same stipend of $4 a month. the professor is also very liberally paid. i know of no schools founded by private enterprise in which foreign studies are pursued. there are several schools for both males and females conducted by foreign missionaries in which other than secular branches of study are pursued, say, the elementary branches, such as geography, mathematics, astronomy, &c., but all in the chinese language. i am unable at present to state the number of pupils usually in attendance in these latter schools. i have the honor to be, &c., m. m. de lano. * * * * * _mr. shepard to mr. seward._ no. 45.] hankow, _april 10, 1880._ sir: referring to your no. 85, on the subject of educating natives in foreign sciences, i have to report that i cannot learn of anything done in my district of any moment. at sundry times some foreigners wanting employment have opened small schools in hankow, intending to teach people of any age to read english. the results have been inconsiderable, as the enterprise has in all cases been abandoned as soon as more lucrative pursuits have been available. besides this, i know of no efforts made in the direction of your inquiry except some work of dr. a. c. bumr, of the american episcopal mission at wu-chang, who, before he left, gave some instruction to a few converts in the theory and practice of medicine. in his view his results were encouraging, but not fully developed. i am informed also that dr. manby, now located here in charge of the london mission hospital, is preparing a system of instruction, and intends soon to put it in operation, for the systematic training of native pupils in the principles and science of physiology, with surgical and medical training, in a course of some years' duration in connection with his important hospital work. beyond these i know of nothing done in the line of your investigation. i am, sir, &c., isaac f. shepard. * * * * * _mr. bandinel to mr. seward._ no. 42-625.] new chwang, _march 30, 1880._ sir: in response to your excellency's dispatch no. 66, i have the honor to state that, as far as i can learn, there is not within the three mantchoorian provinces any school founded or supported by native official or private enterprise in which foreign knowledge is imparted to chinese students. from inquiries among the missionaries i learn that-the _roman catholics_ have a college under foreign supervision, wherein 26 pupils are instructed in latin, philosophy, theology, and the elements of geography, mathematics, &c., and whence 4 pupils have been ordained as priests. the _irish presbyterian mission_ has a boys' school under the supervision of a clerical missionary, wherein 20 scholars, from 9 to 13 years of age, are instructed in geography, penmanship, and the course of (4) reading books used in the government schools at hong kong. they will learn, when more advanced, arithmetic and other subjects. there is also the nucleus of a girls' school, only two pupils, supervised by the missionary's wife, who teaches them plain sewing in addition to the above branches of knowledge. mr. carson also contemplates starting a day school in the heart of the city, in connection with the above mentioned which are held in his compound. the medical missionary of the irish presbyterian mission has in his own compound a boys' school with 15 scholars, and in an adjacent building a girls' school with 9 scholars. many of these are too young to learn much, but the elder ones learn geography (wade's book), and three boys and three girls are taught to read and write english. the _scotch united presbyterians_ have a mission here, but apparently neither in their boys' school, recently discontinued, nor in their girls' school, which numbers 14 scholars, has any foreign secular education been, except indirectly, imparted. the girls, however, are learning foreign needlework. i have the honor, &c., j. j. f. bandinel. * * * * * my dear mr. bandinel: in our boys' school, which we have now discontinued, our object was to give the children of our church members a chinese classical education, such as they would receive in a first class native school. our principle was that of the grammar schools at home. outside of the regular lessons, there was daily the "religious hour," or morning and evening class, where i instructed them in religious truth. i only bound myself to spend one hour per day with the scholars, and therefore never formally laid myself out to train them in foreign knowledge. but i have, of course, introduced all manner of subjects in my illustrations, making it a point incidentally to introduce whatever knowledge of historical and scientific subjects i myself possessed. the school room has always been well supplied with books. i think we have had almost every foreign work which has been translated, and we take in for the school, 1st, the globe magazine; 2d, the scientific magazine; 3d, the child's paper. i have several times had teachers who took a great interest in these periodicals, and who did what they could to make the subjects intelligible to their pupils. we still continue a flourishing girls' school. we also teach the chinese classics there, and with great success; though the classics are, as it were, taught incidentally, and scripture history, &c., forms the bulk of the teaching. the girls are being taught foreign needlework, but have not made any very great attainments. but in most cases the direct teaching has borne mostly on chinese subjects, and we have trusted to the personal influence of the foreigners to communicate foreign knowledge. yours, sincerely, j. macintyre. * * * * * my dear mr. bandinel: in reply to your letter of the 18th instant, i beg to state that the secular subjects taught in the school are geography, penmanship, and the course of reading books taught in the government school at hong kong. these reading books, four in number, in a graduated series, treat of a great variety of subjects, both foreign and native. as soon as the children are far enough advanced, they will be taught arithmetic and other subjects. the school is a free boarding school, supported by the mission, and our object is to train for ourselves a staff of native helpers. believe me, &c., james carson. * * * * * my dear mr. bandinel: the only secular instruction given in my school is in geography. i have given half a dozen children, three girls and three boys, lessons in english. the lessons are merely in reading and writing. this is all i have to say in reply to your communication of the 11th instant. i am yours, very truly. j. m. hunter. * * * * * [translation.] most illustrious sir: i make a brief answer to your excellency concerning the inquiry of the most noble minister in charge of the legation for the consulate of america in peking. in our region, mantchooria--that is, in the three provinces of mukden, kirin, and saghalien--there has existed, so far as i know, no school or institution founded by the chinese government or established by private citizens in which pupils may study european sciences and acquire some knowledge of the arts of foreign nations. as regards the catholic mission, which has been intrusted to my care, we have founded one college, with drs. boyer and hinard as rectors, in which twenty-six pupils study latin language, philosophy, and theology, as well as geography, mathematics, &c. four graduates from this college have been ordained priests already, and are offering themselves with most pleasing readiness for the service of preaching and directing the christians of the region. nor, indeed, am i able to give your excellency any information upon the subject of your question of yesterday. meanwhile i pray god that he may bestow all blessings upon your excellency, whom i desire to make certain of my respect. most devotedly, yours in christ, c. dubrail, _bishop of bolina, vicar apostolic of mantchooria._ * * * * * _mr. lord to mr. seward._ no. 119.] ningpo, _april 20, 1880._ sir: i am sorry that i have not been able to reply earlier to your dispatch no. 57, requesting such information as i might have in regard to the education of chinese in foreign knowledge within this consular district. nothing, i believe, has been done in this respect by the chinese government or by chinese officials in this province, either to found or sustain schools in which foreign knowledge has been taught. nor has anything worth speaking of been accomplished by private enterprise, outside of missionaries. there was a small attempt made here a few years ago to get up an english school for natives, but it came to nothing, very likely through the incapacity of the person who undertook it. missionaries from the beginning of their work here have had schools of various kinds. the object of these schools has, of course, been religious. yet, as in religious schools at home, secular knowledge has been taught in them to some extent. missionaries in this part of china have not, as a general thing, encouraged their pupils to learn english, but they have tried to teach them history, geography, mathematics, philosophy, astronomy, physiology, medicine, &c., and their efforts have, no doubt, been attended with some success. the number thus instructed may not have been very large, and bearing in mind the great difficulties under which the instruction must have been given, we can hardly suppose that the results have been very great; still, something has been done. a beginning, at least, has been made in the work of a higher and better education among this people. though aside from these mission schools there have been in this place no organized efforts for the education of chinese in foreign knowledge, one will yet often meet with chinese who have acquired more or less of this knowledge. some of these have been taught in schools elsewhere, either at other ports or in foreign countries, and others have, in one way or another, been so related that this knowledge has in various degrees come to them. and these instances are continually increasing. the number of chinese who speak english, and who have more or less english education, is less here than at some of the other ports. they naturally go to places where there is a demand for these qualifications. there has, so far, been very little demand for them here. this reminds me of a matter to which i have long been wishing to call your attention. it is the inconvenience and disadvantage under which consular officers are placed in being required to write their dispatches in chinese to chinese officials. i wish to say something on this subject, but perhaps i had better do it in another letter, and when i have more leisure. i have the honor, &c., edward c. lord. * * * * * ii. siam. _mr. evarts to mr. schurz._ department of state, _washington, may 17, 1880._ sir: i have the honor to transmit herewith, for the information of your department, a copy of dispatch no. 150, dated march 18, 1880, from the consul at bangkok, siam, in relation to the system of education lately introduced into siam. i have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, wm. m. evarts. * * * * * _mr. sickels to mr. payson._ no. 150.] consulate of the united states of america, _bangkok, siam, march 18, 1880._ sir: i have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of department dispatches nos. 57, 58, and 59, dated respectively december 1 and 6, 1879, and january 6, 1880, all at hand by the same mail. in regard to the information required by the department of the interior, referred to in no. 57, i have the honor to inclose a private letter on the subject from rev. dr. mcfarland, the principal of the king's college and the originator and founder of the new system of education lately introduced into the kingdom. this letter contains all the information procurable on the subject. dr. mcfarland was for many years in charge of the american presbyterian mission schools in petchaburi, and is well qualified for the position to which he has been transferred. although too modest to claim any merit for himself in this new work, i am satisfied from my own observation and the reports of the committees who have the matter in charge, that our countryman's success in the conduct of this new school has been fully up to the expectations formed, has met with his majesty's approval and given him full satisfaction. i do not, however, think that this success, or indeed any, if much greater, will induce the government to extend the area of operation and establish at present any general school system throughout the kingdom, or even at the prominent points. the siamese are vast projectors and their ideas in the beginning are large, but their plans taper very much and very abruptly as the charm of novelty passes away and demands on the purse increase. there is, besides, a strong party of the old régime who do not approve of education in any form, particularly in foreign languages and studies, who believe implicitly in the wisdom of their ancestors, and obstinately oppose themselves to any attempt at removing the ancient landmarks wherever posted. the party of progress, "young siam," appreciate the value of the old adage, "the more haste the less speed," and their policy is to move slowly and gradually, temporizing rather than raising bitter issues, abiding their time, until its efflux shall have removed the more acrid and influential members of the old conservative party and left the field clear for the introduction of more modern and more enlightened ideas. the king is young; the contemporaries and counsellors of his father are old. he has all the advantage on his side and can afford to wait. in the mean time the influence of this school is extending itself by means of the younger branches through the principal families of the kingdom, and can scarcely fail to produce in the new good time favorable results. i am, sir, your obedient servant, david b. sickels, united states consul. * * * * * my dear mr. torry: in compliance with your request, i will now give you some items of information in reference to the educational work recently commenced in siam. so far as i know, the desire for the education of siamese youth originated with his majesty the king. being in bangkok in november, 1877, his excellency phya bhaskarawongse, the king's private secretary, sought a private interview with me, and informed me that his majesty desired to have a school started in bangkok, and asked me what i thought of taking charge of it. i asked time to consider the subject. his excellency then requested me to write out a plan for a school. in a few months after this, i replied favorably to the proposition to take charge of a school and also presented a plan. his excellency then secured for me an audience with the king, at which time his majesty informed me that he had fully determined to have schools. about a year after this, or in october, 1878, i entered into an engagement in an article with the committee appointed by the king to take charge of a school for five years. that school was opened in bangkok on the 1st of january, 1879, with 50 scholars, mostly sons of noblemen and a few princes. these 50 scholars were selected by the committee, placed in the school under my care and control, and they are taught and boarded at government expense. day scholars receive their tuition and books free, but are required to pay their boarding. some board at the school; others board at home. the whole number in attendance during the first year was 104. the object of this school was to furnish an education in the english and siamese languages to as many as can be accommodated. the king has not afforded educational advantages to the people throughout the country, as has been stated. i think his majesty wishes to open other schools, but they must make an experiment with this one first and see how it succeeds. this is the only government school in the country where english is taught. there is a school numbering about 60 pupils and supported by the king where the siamese language only is taught. besides these government schools there are several private schools, besides those managed by the missionary societies. yours, l. g. mcfarland. proofreading by users emil, rikker, dekpient. pgt is an affiliated sister project focusing on public domain books on thailand and southeast asia. project leads: rikker dockum, emil kloeden. (this file was produced from images generously made available by the internet archive.) smithsonian institution war background studies number eight siam--land of free men by h. g. deignan (publication 3703) city of washington published by the smithsonian institution february 5, 1943 the lord baltimore press baltimore, md., u. s. a. contents geography peoples prehistory kingdom of sukhothai-sawankhalok kingdom of ayuthia kingdom of tonburi kingdom of siam thailand illustrations plates 1. 1, gorge of the me ping 2, ancient wall at chiengmai 2. 1, a monolith in the me ping gorge 2, boat being pulled upstream through the rapids by ropes 3. 1, the "mai kwao," tree that yields gum resin 2, transplanting young rice plants 4. 1, fishing from the roadsides after the rains 2, water buffalo 5. 1, a primitive type of cart 2, elephants breaking up a log jam 6. 1, small river boats, and bamboo water wheel 2, a temple 7. 1, a reliquary 2, the high altar of a buddhist shrine 8. 1, royalty visits chiengmai 2, a princely funeral at chiengmai text figure 1. map of siam [illustration: fig. 1.--map of siam.] siam--land of free men by h. g. deignan _associate curator, division of birds_ _u. s. national museum_ (with 8 plates) from the earliest times the great peninsula which lies between india and china .... has been peculiarly subject to foreign intrusion. successive waves of mongolian humanity have broken over it from the north, dravidians from india have colonised it, buddhist missions from ceylon have penetrated it, and buccaneers from the islands in the south have invaded it. race has fought against race, tribe against tribe, and clan against clan. predominant powers have arisen and declined. civilisations have grown up, flourished and faded. and thus out of many and diverse elements a group of nations have been evolved, the individuals of which, môn, kambodian, annamese, burmese, shan, lao, siamese and malay, fundamentally much alike, but differing in many externals, have striven during centuries for mastery over each other, and incidentally over the countless minor tribes and clans maintaining a precarious existence in their midst. into this mêlée of warring factions a new element intruded in the sixteenth century a. d. in the shape of european enterprise. portuguese, dutch, french and english all came and took part in the struggle, pushing and jostling with the best, until the two last, having come face to face, agreed to a cessation of strife and to a division of the disputed interests amongst the survivors. of these there were but three, the french, the english, and the siamese, and therefore further india now finds herself divided, as was once all gaul, into three parts. to the east lies the territory of french indo-china, embracing the annamese and kambodian nations and a large section of the lao; in the west the british empire has absorbed the môn, the burmese and the shans; while, wedged between and occupying the lower middle part of the subcontinent, with the isolated region of british malaya on its extreme south border, lies the kingdom of siam, situated between 4° 20' and 20° 15' n. latitude, and between 96° 30' and 106° e. longitude.[1] so wrote graham at a period when the siamese held sway over a territory of more than 200,000 square miles or an area equivalent to the combined areas of the states of maine, new hampshire, vermont, massachusetts, rhode island, connecticut, new york, new jersey, delaware, maryland, pennsylvania, and almost half of ohio. it must not be supposed, however, that the thai[2] had permanently resigned themselves to a continuation of this political division of the peninsula. rich provinces to which they had more or less cogent claims, based on facts of history or ethnography, lay under foreign rule and, with the rise of world-wide nationalism in the 1920's and 1930's a lively irredentism came into flower. this irredentism and its accompanying nationalistic fervor have colored the policies of the thai government during the decade just passed and serve to explain many political actions which are otherwise puzzling to the western world. [1] graham, w. a., siam, vol. 1, pp. 1-2, london, 1924. [2] pronunciation near english "tie." geography whatever more or less final rectifications of frontiers result from the current war, the land of the thai will still, for general purposes, fall into four geographic divisions of major importance: northern, central, eastern, and peninsular. northern thailand, lying between the salwin and the me khong, two of the world's most majestic rivers, is, for the most part, a country of roughly parallel ranges and valleys running north and south. at the heads of the flat-floored valleys, which vary in elevations above sea level from 800 feet in the southeast to 1,200 feet in the northwest, arise important streams, the me nan, the me yom, the me wang, and the me ping, which, falling through narrow defiles to debouch in the low land of central siam, eventually there conflow to form the me nam chao phraya, the chief artery of that division. on the alluvia of these streams, as might be expected in a country whose civilization was originally based upon riziculture, live the great bulk of the northern thai or lao, in a setting of rich fields and orchards. the ranges similarly rise, southeast to northwest, from low, rounded hills to imposing peaks, many of which exceed an altitude of 5,000 feet and two of which achieve more than 8,000 feet. these mountains, rising abruptly from the valley floors and, on the whole, densely forested, are scarcely inhabited by man except for scattered groups of seminomadic hill tribes, which exist there by hunting and a primitive agriculture. the northernmost province, chiengrai, is separated from the sister provinces by a mountain wall and belongs wholly to the me khong drainage; it is largely a region of marshes and grassy savannas. central siam, the heart of thailand, is the vast alluvial plain of the chao phraya and may be described as 55,000 square miles of almost unbrokenly monotonous scenery. the level of the land is but little higher than that of the sea and, during the dry season, tidal influence is plainly evident as much as 50 miles from the river's mouth. alluvial deposits, brought in the season of floods from the northern hills, are, however, raising this level at an astonishing rate; geological evidence shows that within comparatively recent times a great part of the plain was covered by the sea and even now the northern shores of the gulf of siam, at the mouth of the chao phraya, are advancing seaward at a rate of almost a foot a year. its rich soil, its abundance of watercourses, both natural and artificial, and its comparatively dense population combine to make it one of the most eminently suitable areas of the world for the production of fine rice. as central siam is the heart of the kingdom, the royal city of bangkok or krungthep is the very core of that heart. situated on the banks of the chao phraya, some 20 miles from its mouth, this metropolis, whose history goes back not earlier than the mid-eighteenth century a.d., is the center for scholarship and the arts, the filter through which pass all goods and ideas received by the interior from the outside world, and the nucleus of one of the most highly centralized of national governments. its citizenry of some 800,000 represents no less than 5 percent of the total population of the country. eastern thailand is a huge, shallow, elevated basin, tilted toward the east, so that while its western rim stands 1,000 feet above the sea, its eastern rim is formed by low hills. the plateau is watered by the system of the me nam mun, a tributary of the me khong. a poverty-ridden country of unproductive soil and adverse climatic conditions, it supports indifferently well a comparatively limited population. peninsular siam is the narrow, northern two-thirds of the malay peninsula, sharply divided longitudinally by a mountain chain which passes down its whole length. it is a country rich in forests, cattle, fisheries, mines, and agriculture, and possessed of great natural beauty in the countless islets off its shores, its beaches lined with palms and casuarinas, and the verdure of it mountain-backed landscapes. most of the developed natural wealth of the kingdom is found in this portion, which has fine systems of highways and railroads. the whole of siam lies between the tropic of cancer and the equator and is subject to the typical monsoonal climate of southeastern asia, by which the prevailing winds, from the latter part of april to the middle of october, consistently blow from the southwest and from mid-october to april, from the northeast. in northern, central, and eastern thailand there are three distinct seasons--the hot weather, the rains, and the cold weather, the first extending from february or march to may, the second from june to october, and the third covering the remaining months of the year. when the northeast winds blow strongly, the cold weather is very marked, but at such times as the seasonal winds fail, the cold weather is scarcely distinguishable from the hot. in northern siam, which lies at greatest distance from the sea and possesses greater radiation, the days may be hot even during the cold weather when the night temperatures afford a strong contrast by dropping to as low as 50° f. and on the mountains even lower, although never reaching freezing temperatures. the basin of eastern siam, with its thin vegetation and cut off from cooling breezes by its surrounding rim, is subject to terrific heats during the day and, during the winter, very low temperatures at night. the central plain, outside of bangkok, is pleasantly cooled during the hottest season by the continuous sea winds, night and day; in bangkok, however, perhaps owing to houses of masonry in place of thatch and the drainage of surrounding marshes, the climate is not only appallingly hot but actually becoming perceptibly more so year by year. peninsular siam has the mildest and most equable climate, the greatest annual rainfall, and only two noticeable seasons--the hot weather from february to august and the rains from september to january, with the peak of the wet season coming in december. owing to the fact that the political frontiers have little relationship to biogeographical boundaries, the kingdom possesses a fauna and flora richer than those of most areas of comparable size. the primeval jungles of the western and northern mountains show untrammeled nature at her tropical best. the slopes are enlaced with countless streams and waterfalls, from roaring torrents to rills which flow only during and after the rains. in the forests of these hills and valleys, huge epiphyte-laden trees, bound together by vines, shelter such animals as the elephant, the tiger, and the gaur, but so dense is the cover that the presence of large game is more often made known by signs than by actual sight, and only the hunter who is willing to work hard and long is likely to shoot a worth-while trophy. more than 1,000 different birds are recorded from the country, while fishes of almost endless variety abound everywhere, from the gulf to the smallest roadside ditches. the natural vegetation ranges from the most typically tropical plants, such as the mangosteen, to forms of the temperate zone, such as pines and violets, on the northwestern mountains. the central plain, where not devoted to rice cultivation, shows the characteristic flora and fauna of a marsh and the eastern plateau has an impoverished biota, characterized by a certain number of endemic forms; the peninsula, however, like the west and north, bears great forests rich in species of animals and plants. peoples archeology can still tell us little of the first human occupants of siam. the earliest evidence of man's existence here is furnished by celts, uncovered in the peninsula and on the eastern plateau, which are supposed to date from the later neolithic period; geology, however, gives us no reason to conclude that the makers of these implements were not preceded by other races. [illustration: 1. the rivers fall from the northern plateaus to the central plain through narrow defiles.] [illustration: 2. ancient wall at chiengmai. the city walls are preserved as picturesque ruins.] [illustration: 1. an international incident was caused by the european alpinist who first scaled the monolith to plant his nation's flag upon it.] [illustration: 2. boats must be pulled upstream through the rapids by ropes.] [illustration: 1. the valuable gum resin, bengal kino, is yielded by the "mai kwao" (_butea frondosa_).] [illustration: 2. young rice plants are transplanted from a seedbed to the flooded fields.] [illustration: 1. at the end of the rains, fish may be captured from the roadsides.] [illustration: 2. cows and water buffaloes are treated as family pets.] among the mountains of the malay peninsula exist to this day small groups of dwarf, black-skinned, kinky-haired people, different from all other races of the country but closely related to the natives of the andaman islands and the negritos of the philippines; it has been surmised that these ngo (semang) are the dwindling remnant of a once numerous population, successors to (and possibly descendants of) the neolithic men. following the ngo and sometime during the past few millennia, it is believed that there came successive waves of a people of mongolian origin who, making their way down the rivers, drove the primitive negritos into the hills and settled in their place. now conveniently known as the mon-annam family, their descendants are the mon (peguans), the cambodians, and the annamese, as well as numerous semibarbarous lesser tribes which persist among the mountains of the subcontinent. probably between two and three thousand years ago and certainly after the arrival of the mon-annam immigrants, another great population wave, known as the tibeto-burman family, rolled southward over indo-china but chiefly descended the valley of the irrawaddy (where they have given rise to the modern burmese), thus scarcely entering siam at all. only in comparatively recent times, driven from their former homes by political disturbances, have tribes of this stock (yao, meo, etc.) migrated into thailand and the territories to the east, where they are constantly being joined by others of their blood brothers from farther north. while the mon and the khmer (cambodians) were still spreading over the southern parts of indo-china and before they had begun, under the influence of colonists from india, to emerge from a condition of savagery, the tribes which they had left behind them at different points during their southward movement were already being driven back into the mountains and brought into a state of partial subjugation by the members of a third great family of migrants from the north. these were the people now known as lao-tai, who, sending out bands from their ancient seat in the valley of the yangtze, had already, 2,500 years ago, established a powerful state on the banks of the me khong in the neighborhood of the modern wieng chan (vientiane). the lao-tai of the yangtze valley were evidently very numerous, for not only did they thus early establish kingdoms far from home but also became a power in their own land and for some time bid strongly for the mastery of all china. for centuries they waged successful wars on all their neighbors, but their strong propensity for wandering weakened their state and finally caused its disintegration. the chinese attacked them repeatedly, each attack producing a fresh exodus until, during the thirteenth century a.d., the emperor kublai khan dealt them a final blow which crushed their power and scattered them in all directions. fugitives entered assam, where earlier emigrants had already settled, and became the dominant power in that country; others invaded burma, where for two centuries a lao-tai (shan) dynasty occupied the throne; while down the salwin and me khong valleys came band after band of exiles who mingled with their cousins already established in those valleys and, in time fusing with the mon and the khmer, produced the race which, since the founding of the city of ayuthia, has been dominant in siam. the principal divisions of the lao-tai family now living within the borders of siam are the thai ("free men") or siamese proper; the lao, who occupy the former seats of those tribes of their own stock that afterward developed into the thai; and the shans, a later intrusion of distant cousins, descended from the lao-tai tribes that settled in the more eastern districts of burma in the twelfth century and earlier. prehistory the history of siam prior to the fourteenth century a.d. is chiefly known from a hodgepodge of disconnected stories and fragments known as the "pongsawadon mu'ang nu'a" ("annals of the north country"), compiled at different periods from such of the official records of various cities and kingdoms as had escaped the destruction which at intervals overtook the communities to which they referred. with the omission of the numerous supernatural happenings there recorded and comparative study of the chronicles of neighboring countries, scholars have been able to draw a rough picture of the condition of siam at the dawn of historical time. their researches show a country inhabited by primitive people of mon-khmer stock among whom had settled groups of their more civilized cousins from cambodia, who had brought with them the religion and customs acquired by contact with colonists from india. these communities grew from villages into cities and at the same time sent out offshoots in all directions, which in time became the capitals of small states, the chiefs of which constantly made war on each other and against the lao-tai tribes at their borders and now and again rose to sufficient strength to repudiate the vague suzerainty claimed over them all by the empire of cambodia. contemporary records of the period subsequent to the fourteenth century a.d. are easily available. the most important is the "pongsawadon krung kao" ("annals of the old capital" or "annals of ayuthia"), which contains a complete and fairly accurate account, compiled in successive reigns, of the history of the country from a.d. 1349 to 1765. the seventeenth and later centuries have also seen the production of numerous works, by european travelers and missionaries, which deal wholly or partly with siam. kingdom of sukhothai-sawankhalok the most ancient mon-khmer settlement of which anything definite is known was sukhothai (located on the river me yom some 200 miles north of the site of modern bangkok), which by 300 b.c. was already a sizable village. at first putting forth no pretensions to the status of kingdom, the community evidently increased rapidly in importance, for some two centuries later the chief, phraya thammarat, declared himself king of the district, founded the new capital of sawankhalok, and appointed one of his sons viceroy of sukhothai, which itself soon grew into a fortified city. thereafter, the two towns served alternately as the capital of a country which, as the kingdom of sukhothai-sawankhalok, gradually grew to great wealth and strength. its monarchs occupied themselves with the waging of war against the petty chieftains of neighboring states (founded in the same manner and upon the same principles as their own but at somewhat later dates) and, in course of time reducing all of them to vassalage, came to be recognized as rulers of the whole country. the vague overlordship of cambodia continued for many centuries but with little or no influence upon the destinies of its nominal dependency, which was left to manage itself and its own subordinates as seemed to it best. at the same time as the various mon-khmer states of siam were struggling to subdue each other, the lao tribesmen inhabiting the mountainous districts to the north, emboldened by their increasing numbers and constantly raiding the rich villages of the plains, were demanding an ever greater amount of attention and as early as the fifth century a.d., the reduction of the lao had become almost the main preoccupation of the kings of sukhothai-sawankhalok. expeditions against them were constant, but while they were frequently defeated and large numbers of them carried captive to sukhothai or sawankhalok, the intercourse thus brought about served only to strengthen them, since it enabled them to adopt the customs and civilization of the conquerors and then turn the acquired knowledge against their instructors with an ever-growing degree of success. about a.d. 575, a lao city, built in imitation of the khmer capitals, was founded at a spot about 250 miles north of sawankhalok and given the name of haribunchai (later corrupted to lamphunchai and the modern lamphun). the chief of this town married a princess of the khmer state of lopburi and established a dynasty which closely followed the brahman rites and ceremonies in vogue at sukhothai. during this time other lao states arose and the time soon came when the khmer could no longer hold the lao in check. during succeeding centuries lao armies advanced far south into the mon-khmer kingdoms, marital and political alliances between lao and khmer royalty became common, and lao settlements were established in various parts of southern siam. despite wars with rival states to the south and the lao to the north, the kingdom of sukhothai-sawankhalok prospered greatly and in time attained to a high civilization. the arts were encouraged, the people were well governed, trade was extensive, and friendly relations were maintained with china and other distant countries by frequent exchange of embassies. envoys from the emperor of china, who visited sukhothai in the seventh century a.d., have left records which indicate that the populace were chiefly engaged in the cultivation of rice and the manufacture of sugar and that in manners and customs they closely resembled the modern inhabitants of siam. the style of architecture, remains of which still survive, followed, in somewhat degenerated form, that seen in the ruins of angkor and other cambodian cities. during the reign of the hero-king rama khamheng (phra ruang) the country reached the zenith of its greatness and when he died, about a.d. 1090, he left to his heir an empire which embraced much of the lao states to the north and all of the more southern khmer kingdoms of siam. this heritage, however, was fated to endure but a short time. during the eleventh century the khmer king of lopburi and the lao king of lamphun, both vassals of phra ruang, had been intermittently at war with each other without interference from the suzerain; toward the end of the century lopburi was finally overcome and, declaring itself subordinate to lamphun, was forced to admit large numbers of lao to settle within its borders. soon after phra ruang's death, a great lao army composed of the warriors of several allied states and led by a chief known as suthammarat, invaded sukhothai-sawankhalok itself, defeated its armies, overran its lands to the south, reduced the cities, and founded the capital of pitsanulok, southwest of sukhothai and in the heart of the khmer kingdom. thereafter, although the rulers of sukhothai-sawankhalok continued for some time to maintain regal state, they were never again to hold a paramount position and were, in fact, to become mere vassals of the ancient enemy until eventually, some four centuries subsequent to the foundation of pitsanulok, they were to be no more than provincial governors representative of the kings of ayuthia. suthammarat, an admirer of the khmer, in setting up his throne in the conquered kingdom, imitated as closely as possible the ways of sukhothai and, by marrying a lady of the country, set an example for his following which gave great impetus to that fusion of lao and khmer which, already begun in lopburi, was soon to result in the evolution of the thai (siamese) race. the early thirteenth century saw the beginning of the last and greatest influx of lao into the south of siam. the suppression of the lao-tai undertaken in southwestern china, culminating in the decisive victories of the emperor kublai khan, drove many thousands of these people down into the mountainous regions of northern siam, where the newcomers upset the balance of power among their predecessors and caused the disruption of several of their states. as a result, many impoverished petty chieftains of ancient lineage gathered their people together and set off down the rivers to seek new fortunes in the kingdoms to the south. during the following century, mingling with the khmer and the lao-khmer and acquiring great strength of numbers, the lao wrested control from the original inhabitants and established capitals of their own, one of which, supanburi, was in time to become dominant over all the rest. when, at the middle of the fourteenth century, phra chao uthong, king of supanburi, fleeing from a pestilence, marched westward to found a new capital, nong sano, now the seat of the weak successors of the great suthammarat, fell into his hands almost without a struggle, its king fled to cambodia, and uthong erected near the fallen city the new city of maha nakhon si ayuthaya (ayuthia), which was destined to become famous throughout the world as the capital of one of the greatest kingdoms in the history of farther india. kingdom of ayuthia phra chao uthong (under the name of phra ramathibodi) became king at ayuthia in a.d. 1350 and thereafter was fully occupied in bringing the outlying states and provinces into line, in organizing his government, and in setting up a system of law, parts of which continue in use to the present time. before his death in 1369, he had brought together the whole of the components of the sukhothai-sawankhalok kingdom and had welded them so closely together that, when cambodia, annoyed by the independent attitude of what was theoretically its vassal, sent an army to reassert its rights of suzerainty, the united siamese not only defeated the enemy but pursued him well within the confines of his own country. under ramathibodi's successors the kingdom continued to prosper. during the next two centuries, buddhism definitely succeeded brahmanism as the popular religion throughout the country and great treasure was expended in beautifying the cities by the erection of graceful temples and reliquaries in the adapted cambodian style which persists in siam to this day. about a.d. 1527, the king of pegu, enraged by the exploits of siamese marauders in his frontier province of tavoy, collected an army at moulmein and sent it into siam under the leadership of the heir apparent, bureng naung. defeating the siamese near supanburi, the peguan prince advanced to the walls of ayuthia itself; so stout was the resistance, however, and so prolonged the siege that his supply system broke down and he was forced to return to his own country, fighting rear-guard actions and losing heavily all the way. after 3 years, bureng naung, now king, taking the assumption by the king of siam of the title "lord of the white elephants" as a casus belli, again attacked siam with a great army and once more besieged the capital. this time, to save the city, the "lord of the white elephants" was compelled to negotiate and to turn over several of the animals in question to the invader, who then retired. only a few years later, however, the siamese king repudiated peguan suzerainty; bureng naung returned, by treachery gained admission to the city, sacked and partially destroyed it, and sent the king, with many of his followers, in chains to pegu. leaving the siamese governor of pitsanulok as his viceroy in ayuthia, bureng naung pressed on to subdue other cities but was scarcely out of sight when a cambodian army, burning to avenge recent defeats and to reestablish ancient rights, appeared to begin a new siege of ayuthia; this enemy was repulsed but not before the unprotected districts around the capital had been thoroughly looted. just now, when, attacked from east and west, her provinces despoiled and her people fugitive or captive, ayuthia seemed doomed to early extinction, a hero arose to redeem her. this was phra naret, a son of bureng naung's viceroy, who, appointed by his father governor of pitsanulok, in his youth saw military service defending his province against robber bands and in the wars of nanda bureng, son and successor to bureng naung, against the rebellious province of ava. by his ability bringing upon himself the dislike of the peguan king, to such a degree that his life was endangered, he revolted (ca. a.d. 1565) and led a siamese army to sack and pillage tenasserim and martaban. two punitive expeditions sent against him were signally defeated by naret, who was then crowned king of siam and at once began to restore ayuthia and to repopulate it by captives brought from outlying districts which had attempted to cast off their allegiance. having established his supremacy at home, naret inflicted a crushing defeat upon yet another burmese army sent to subdue him and then, to avenge the humiliations imposed upon his country during her time of weakness, led a strong force against cambodia; this campaign ended with the destruction of the cambodian capital and the carrying of the king and many of his people captive to ayuthia, where the former was executed. finally, some time about the year 1600, naret, at the head of a great army, invaded burma with the object of conquering the whole of that country, but this was not to be: the king met death in one of the early battles and his son and heir, abandoning the enterprise, returned to his own dominions. but within the space of not more than 35 years, naret had raised siam from a condition of almost complete ruin to a position of ascendancy over all the neighboring kingdoms and he left to his successors a great empire which was to endure for a period of 175 years. during this period, siam was becoming well known to the european merchant adventurers trading in the orient under the flags of portugal, holland, and england. early in the sixteenth century, the malay kingdom of malacca had been conquered by the portuguese; individuals of this nation had penetrated to ayuthia and pegu and had served in the ranks of the contending armies during the siamo-burmese wars; portuguese factories had been established at the various siamese ports. at the beginning of the seventeenth century, portuguese missionaries arrived at ayuthia, where they were well received and given land for their churches. about this time also, english and dutch ships first appeared in siamese waters and a bitter rivalry soon sprang up among the foreigners, who competed for commercial supremacy and the favor of the king, without which trade could scarcely be carried on at all. this antagonism resulted in endless quarreling and even in desperate battles between the representatives of the rival powers and by 1634 the dutch had so far prospered that they had built a fortified factory at amsterdam on the river chao phraya, carried on extensive commerce throughout siam, and monopolized the carrying trade to china and japan. with the taking of malacca by the dutch in 1641, the influence of the portuguese soon declined, although many individuals continued to live in siam, where such surnames as da silva and da jesus persist to this day in families which no longer show any other trace of european ancestry. the dutch rapidly succeeded to all the commercial outposts of portugal in siam, devoting themselves chiefly to trade and taking little or no interest in internal politics, except insofar as their commercial prospects were affected. the first formal treaty contracted by siam with any western power was that entered into, in the year 1664, with the representatives of the dutch east india company, authorized by the dutch republic. dutch trade with siam continued until a.d. 1706, when the royal favor was finally lost for good and the company's agents expelled from the kingdom. in 1659 there arrived at ayuthia one of the most extraordinary figures in the history of siam. this was constantine phaulcon, the son of a cephalonian innkeeper, who ran away to sea in an english ship and, eventually making his way to siam, stayed there to become chief minister of the crown and the trusted adviser of the king, phra narai. under phaulcon's able guidance the country for a time prospered greatly. not only were the portuguese and dutch merchants, already established, encouraged to extend the scope of their enterprise but the english and french east india companies were invited to set up factories at the capital. the king himself, in partnership with his first minister, operated a profitable fleet of merchantmen and became the principal trader of his own country. about this time it came to be believed in europe that the whole of the far east was ripe for conversion to christianity and a roman catholic mission was organized in france to put this ambitious design into effect. ayuthia, possessing a cosmopolitan population and strong commercial ties with japan, china, the sunda isles, and india, was considered the best central location for the project and, in a.d. 1662, three french bishops with a staff of priests arrived there to inaugurate the work. these ecclesiastics were favorably received by the king and within a short period the mission had acquired a considerable number of adherents. in order further to strengthen their position, however, they sought and obtained the official support of louis xiv of france, who exchanged complimentary letters and embassies with the siamese monarch. phaulcon, in the confidence of the bishops, was thus brought into correspondence with colbert, louis's minister, and before long the french king's interest was centered on more material aspects of siam than its spiritual welfare. a scheme was set afoot for securing the supremacy of france in the asiatic kingdom through the agency of the priests, who, apparently believing that, with material support from louis, they could convert the king himself to christianity, were not unwilling to do their part. six french men-of-war and a body of 1,400 soldiers were therefore dispatched to siam, ostensibly to assist in intimidating the dutch, who were at the time causing trouble from their fortress of malacca. the two principal ports of bangkok and mergui were garrisoned by a part of these french troops and the king was induced to attach another part of them to his own person. the missionaries then began to exhort the king with all the eloquence at their command but found that his conversion was a more difficult matter than had been expected. their obstinate insistence with him and phaulcon's ascendancy over him ended by alarming the siamese, and when remonstrances against the ever-increasing number of foreigners in the service of the state went disregarded, a conspiracy was formed among high officers of the court. phra narai was driven from the throne, phaulcon was killed, the european troops were driven from the country, and siam was saved from becoming the keystone of a great french empire in the far east. [illustration: 1. a primitive type of cart still is used in remote districts. the teak logs shown in the background must be carted or dragged by elephants from the forest to the nearest large stream.] [illustration: 2. elephants are employed to break up a jam of logs at the estacades of a bridge.] [illustration: 1. an extensive commerce is carried on between the riverine towns by small boats. the water wheel of bamboo (left) irrigates a garden on the shore.] [illustration: 2. the graceful temples of thailand are adorned with lacquer, gold leaf, and colored glass.] [illustration: 1. ransacked reliquaries dot the jungles of thailand.] [illustration: 2. the high altar of a buddhist shrine.] [illustration: 1. royalty visits chiengmai.] [illustration: 2. a princely funeral at chiengmai. white is the color of mourning.] the kingdom of ayuthia continued to prosper during several subsequent reigns marked by friendly relations with european nations, including the french, and a preoccupation with foreign commerce. but, about the year 1759, the burmese, reunited, after a long period of internal strife, under the martial alaung phra, initiated hostilities against the siamese by an invasion which brought them to the walls of the capital; the burmese king, however, sickened at the beginning of the siege and died before he could regain his own country. in 1766, under his son, sin byu shin, war was resumed by simultaneous marches on ayuthia from north and south and the city was again invested. phra sucharit, the siamese ruler, was unfamiliar with warfare but encouraged his people to a spirited resistance, hoping that relief would be afforded by the annual floods, coming in the wake of the rains; the enemy merely patrolled the waters in hundreds of boats and, as they subsided, threw up new earthworks even nearer the walls. in the spring of 1767, sucharit, disheartened, attempted to treat with them but was rebuffed and when, with the arrival of reinforcements, the burmese made an assault in force, the weakened city fell to them and was given over to looting, flames, and slaughter. the king, unattended, escaped in the confusion but was to die of exposure only a few days later. kingdom of tonburi sin byu shin, leaving a viceroy with a small garrison to rule the country, withdrew his army to meet a threatened chinese invasion of burma and once again siam fell into an interregnum of anarchy, with outlying districts setting themselves up as independent while robber bands preyed upon the people. an ex-official named phraya taksin, who had deserted his king when ayuthia seemed likely to fall, gathered about himself a large number of deserters and broken men like himself and, by guile and treachery, soon acquired complete authority in the southeastern provinces, whence, in due time, he appeared before the walls of ayuthia as a national avenger. overcoming the garrison and killing the burmese viceroy, taksin declared himself king and selected, as the site of his new capital, the village of tonburi, on the shore of the chao phraya opposite the settlement of bangkok, where a populous city soon came into being. to strengthen his position, however, it was essential that taksin destroy a legitimate pretender to the throne whose claims had many adherents; this prince had established himself at khorat and thither the king sent an army with orders to take the city. but in advance of his soldiers he sent secret emissaries who so demoralized the prince's supporters that when the usurper's army appeared at last, the city fell into his hands almost without a struggle and the prince was captured and soon afterward murdered. with this last threat to his power removed, taksin was able to send out expeditions in all directions and soon made himself undisputed master of the whole country. the authority of this ruthless man was not to endure long. his appointment of humble relatives to high office offended the nobility, while the popular mind was turned against him by his excesses and by insidious references to his alien ancestry. in 1781, giving out that he was mad, a cabal of his courtiers dethroned him and offered the crown to one of themselves, the son of a secretary to the last kings of ayuthia. this nobleman, phraya chakkri, already popular through his achievements as a royal minister and as a leader of the armies, was readily accepted as king by the people and ascended the throne in a.d. 1782, to found the dynasty which still reigns in siam. kingdom of siam phraya chakkri (hereafter to be styled as king rama i) had scarcely assumed his new dignity when bodaw phra, king of burma, attempted a new conquest of siam. king rama's military ability was such that the burmese were finally everywhere defeated and, with the abandonment of mergui and tavoy by the siamese in 1792, the recurrent wars between the two powers may be said to have ended for good. with the foreign danger averted, the king was able to organize his government, the seat of which was transferred from tonburi to bangkok, on the left bank of the river, where he constructed a fortified city. rama ii became involved in war at the beginning of his reign. in 1786, the regent of the now effete kingdom of cambodia had formally recognized siamese suzerainty and had sent the infant king to reside at bangkok, while he continued to rule the state under siam's aegis. annam, to the east, however, made identical claims to supremacy and when, in 1809, the annamese king attempted to enforce his demands, an army was sent from bangkok to repel him. the brief campaign ended with rama's annexation of the cambodian province of phratabong, while the rest of the country became a dependency of annam. upon this king's death in 1825, the throne was usurped by one of his sons by a lesser wife, while the legitimate heir, chao fa mongkut, a young man of twenty-one, retired to the safety of the buddhist monkhood. the reign of rama iii is chiefly notable for siam's resumption of political relations with the nations of the west. in 1833, a treaty drawn up between siam and the united states of america represented the first formal tie between this country and any asiatic power. toward the end of the reign, cambodian politics again caused bad blood between siam and annam. a youth named norodom, a son of the cambodian king, had some time since been brought to bangkok and reared at the siamese court. upon his father's death, he was declared by siam to be the rightful heir and, supported by a siamese army, returned to cambodia to gain the throne and, despite former agreements, to place the country again under siamese protection. during his years of retirement, chao fa mongkut, the king's half brother, had assiduously devoted himself to the study of the english language, the sciences, and the manners, customs, and systems of government of foreign lands; at the same time, he missed no opportunity to meet and converse with european travelers. coming to the throne as rama iv in 1851, at the age of 47, he brought to his task a remarkable degree of enlightenment, which resulted in throwing the country open to foreign trade and intercourse, in the introduction of such arts as printing and shipbuilding, in the construction of roads and canals, in laying the foundations for systems of education and public health, and in numerous other reforms directed toward increasing the public welfare. his love of learning was indirectly responsible for his death for, visiting a mountain peak to observe an eclipse in 1868, he contracted the illness from which he died in that year. the program of modernization initiated by king rama iv was continued and expanded by his son, the great chulalongkon (rama v). among the important reforms instituted during this reign were the abolition of debt slavery, the establishment of law courts, the construction of railways, the spread of education, regulation of the conditions of military service, and radical changes in methods of revenue and rural administration. the appointment of trained officials under organized control in place of ignorant provincial governors and hereditary chieftains welded the loose agglomeration of feudatory dependencies into the modern, homogeneous state. in the year 1863, norodom, whom siam had placed upon the cambodian throne, made a treaty with france, now master of annam, by which he accepted french protection; at almost the same time he made an exactly similar compact with siam. thus each country found itself responsible for the protection of cambodia against any possible aggressor, while each was given the sole right of dictating the foreign policy of that state. so absurd a situation could not last and, after 4 years of negotiation, siam was compelled to yield to the french thesis of their superior rights as successors to the annamese kings, to abrogate her treaty of 1863, and to abandon all claim to suzerainty over cambodia. soon after siam's withdrawal from cambodia, the unofficial advocates of colonialism in france began to advance the idea that certain siamese provinces east of the river me khong, having at one time formed a part of annam, should be restored to that kingdom, now a french protectorate. there is no historical basis for this claim, which was at first unsupported even in paris, but when the colonial party added the argument that the unnavigable me khong, as one of the future trade routes of southwest china, must at all costs be acquired by france, the french government formally demanded of bangkok the provinces in question. the siamese replied by suggesting that the disputed territory be regarded as neutral until such time as the frontier could be properly demarcated and this was agreed upon but merely led to further trouble, each side accusing the other of violating the compact. siam asked for arbitration, which was declined by the french. when, in 1893, bloody collisions occurred along the border, french gunboats, dispatched from saigon, ascended the chao phraya, despite efforts of the siamese naval forces to bar the way. in consequence of siamese resistance, the french greatly increased their demands, now insisting that siam give up all territory east of the me khong (including about half of the rich province of luang phrabang, to which no french claim had ever previously been laid). after 10 days of blockade, the siamese had no choice but to accept a humiliating treaty which, among other concessions, required immediate evacuation of her eastern outposts and the payment of an indemnity; as a guarantee, france established a military occupation of the southeastern province, of chanthabun, which was to continue long after all the terms had been fulfilled. relations between the two countries were far from improved by this episode and, during the following years, abuses in the exercise of french extraterritorial rights were a fertile source of provocation. in fact, despite every effort to avoid unfortunate incidents, the government of siam found itself spending all its energies in replying to diplomatic representations and to demands for inquiries, explanations, and reparations. as the french demands increased in numbers and severity, there was no longer any question that siam's national survival was at stake. but, in 1896, great britain, at last alarmed by france's growing strength in southern asia and unwilling to have her approach too near the eastern confines of india, intervened. high feelings were aroused in both countries but, after lengthy negotiations, an agreement was concluded in the same year, by which siam's autonomy was guaranteed that she might serve as a buffer between the rival empires. thereafter, relations between france and siam tended to improve. it was not, however, until 1907, that, in return for yet another "rectification of the boundary," the french agreed to revise their extraterritorial rights and to remove the garrison from chanthabun. a second convention of the same year resulted in siam's restoring to cambodia the province of phratabong, which she had held since 1809, and receiving in exchange a part of the territory yielded in 1904 and obtaining a recognition of siamese jurisdiction over asiatic french subjects. altogether, in warding off the european neighbor, siam had been compelled to sacrifice no less than 90,000 square miles of her eastern lands. thailand whether the modern traveler enters siam by steamer from hongkong or singapore or by comfortable diesel-engined train from the malay states, his destination is certain to be bangkok. here, in bewildering juxtaposition, the old siam and the new thailand confront him together on every side. the former is represented in the complicated network of canals, upon which thousands of boat-dwellers pass their lives; in the narrow streets hung with the vertical signboards of the inevitable multitude of chinese traders; in the throngs of yellow-robed monks that appear at daybreak from hundreds of gaily colored shrines whose spires arise in every direction. the new is seen in the modern boulevards lined with spacious wooden houses set among gardens and orchards; in the motorcars competing for space with bicycle-drawn jinrikishas; in the air-conditioned cinema theaters, where, before world war ii, were shown the new pictures shipped by air from california; in the cement and match factories; in the great airport of don muang, north of the city, where transports arrived daily from britain and australia, from java and the netherlands. until recently, the inhabitants of towns and villages outside the capital lived a life not greatly different from that of their ancestors: one which revolved around the annual cycle of planting, growing, and the harvest, with religious festivals to break the monotony of living. poverty, as understood in the industrial occident, was unknown for, while little actual money was seen by the average family during the course of a year, yet a house could be built of bamboo in a day or two; fruit trees bore around the year; clothing was woven at home and shoes were little worn; virtually everyone owned productive land or was at liberty to clear a tract from the forest which covers much of the thinly populated country; taxes were light and could be paid by a few days' labor on some project of public works. during the decade just passed the government has initiated a positive program aimed at raising the standards of living of the common people and especially of the peasants who constitute the great majority. among the means adopted have been the development of such new sources of gain as the raising of tobacco and cotton on a large scale; the construction of great irrigation projects and the development of sources of electric power; the education of the farmer in livestock breeding and scientific agriculture; the establishment of agencies to enable him to obtain a fair market for his produce; the spread of public-health and medical services in far corners of the provinces. the results of this experiment had not yet become clear when the war interfered to hinder its fulfillment. the political aspect of the program leaned heavily toward economic nationalism, in an endeavor to counteract the excessive proportion of foreign capital in the country and to encourage more active participation by the thai in the building-up of their own land. if the means to these laudable ends were perverted, by the paid agents of japanese propaganda and a handful of powerful men within the thai government, to serve the cause of "co-prosperity," it must not therefore be assumed that the misfortunes which have recently befallen them are traceable to any activities and desires on the part of the thai people themselves. a lively resistance to the usurpers continues, inside thailand and through her spokesmen abroad; we may confidently expect that the thai, with the aid and sympathy of their friends of the united nations, will at the earliest opportunity rid themselves both of their quislings and their japanese overlords, again proudly to style themselves "the free men." produced from images made available by the hathitrust digital library.) [transcriber's note: bold text is surrounded by =equal signs= and italic text is surrounded by _underscores_.] our little siamese cousin the little cousin series (trade mark) each volume illustrated with six or more full-page plates in tint. cloth, 12mo, with decorative cover, per volume, 60 cents list of titles by mary hazelton wade (unless indicated otherwise) =our little african cousin= =our little alaskan cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little arabian cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little argentine cousin= by eva cannon brooks =our little armenian cousin= =our little australian cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little belgian cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little bohemian cousin= by clara v. winlow =our little brazilian cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little canadian cousin= by elizabeth r. macdonald =our little chinese cousin= by isaac taylor headland =our little cuban cousin= =our little danish cousin= by luna may innes =our little dutch cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little egyptian cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little english cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little eskimo cousin= =our little french cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little german cousin= =our little grecian cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little hawaiian cousin= =our little hindu cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little hungarian cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little indian cousin= =our little irish cousin= =our little italian cousin= =our little japanese cousin= =our little jewish cousin= =our little korean cousin= by h. lee m. pike =our little malayan (brown) cousin= =our little mexican cousin= by edward c. butler =our little norwegian cousin= =our little panama cousin= by h. lee m. pike =our little persian cousin= by e. c. shedd =our little philippine cousin= =our little polish cousin= by florence e. mendel =our little porto rican cousin= =our little portuguese cousin= by edith a. sawyer =our little russian cousin= =our little scotch cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little siamese cousin= =our little spanish cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little swedish cousin= by claire m. coburn =our little swiss cousin= =our little turkish cousin= l. c page & company 53 beacon street, boston, mass. [illustration: chin.] our little siamese cousin by mary hazelton wade _illustrated by_ l. j. bridgman [illustration] boston l. c. page & company _publishers_ _copyright, 1903_ by l. c. page & company (incorporated) _all rights reserved_ published june, 1903 fourth impression, june, 1909 fifth impression, november, 1912 preface many years ago there came to america two young men who were looked upon as the greatest curiosities ever seen in this country. they belonged to another race than ours. in fact, they were of two races, for one of their parents was a chinese, and therefore of the yellow race, while the other was a siamese, belonging to the brown race. these two young men left their home in far-away siam and crossed the great ocean for the purpose of exhibiting the strange way in which nature had joined them together. a small band of flesh united them from side to side. thus it was that from the moment they were born to the day of their death the twin brothers played and worked, ate and slept, walked and rode, at the same time. thousands of people became interested in seeing and hearing about these two men. not only this, but they turned their attention to the home of the brothers, the wonderful land of siam, with its sacred white elephants and beautiful temples, its curious customs and strange beliefs. last year the young prince of that country, wishing to learn more of the life of the white people, paid a visit to america. he was much interested in all he saw and heard while he was here. now let us, in thought, return his visit, and take part in the games and sports of the children of siam. we will attend some of their festivals, take a peep into the royal palace, enter the temples, and learn something about the ways and habits of that far-away eastern country. contents chapter page i. the first birthday 9 ii. little chie lo 25 iii. night on the river 36 iv. work and play 47 v. new year's 55 vi. white elephants 61 vii. in the temple 67 viii. the legend of the peace-offering 78 ix. queer sights 87 x. the queen's city 98 xi. the monsoon 104 list of illustrations page chin _frontispiece_ chin's home 29 the great temple at bangkok 40 "they carried some of their flowers to the statue of buddha" 57 "'they would pick up the logs with their trunks'" 63 siamese actors 92 our little siamese cousin chapter i. the first birthday if you had seen chin when he was born, you would have thought his skin yellow enough to suit anybody. but his mother wasn't satisfied, for the baby's nurse was told to rub him with a queer sort of paste from top to toe. this paste was made with saffron and oil, and had a pleasant odour. it made chin's skin yellower and darker than ever. it did not seem to trouble him, however, for he closed his big brown eyes and went to sleep before the nurse had finished her work. after this important thing had been done, the tiny baby was laid in his cradle and covered over. this does not appear very strange until you learn that he was _entirely_ covered. not even the flat little nose was left so the boy could draw in a breath of fresh air. it is a wonder that he lived, for his home is very near the equator and the weather is extremely warm there all the time. but he did live, and grew stronger and healthier every day. each morning he was rubbed afresh and stowed away under the covers of his crib. he had one comfort, although he did not realize it. the mosquitoes could not reach him, and that was a greater blessing than you can, perhaps, imagine. there are millions of these insects in siam,--yes, billions, trillions,--and the people of that country are not willing to kill one of them! "destroy the life of a living creature! it is a dreadful idea," chin's mother would exclaim. "why, it is against the laws of our religion. i could never think of doing such a thing, even if my darling boy's face were covered with bites." if she were to see one of chin's american cousins killing a fly or a spider, she would have a very sad opinion of him. she was only fourteen years old when chin was born. people in our country might still call her a little girl, yet she kept house for her husband, and cooked and sewed and spun, and watched over her new baby with the most loving care. the father was only a little older than the mother. he was so glad that his first baby was a boy that he hardly knew what to do. he was quite poor and had very little money, but he said: "i am going to celebrate as well as i can. rich people have grand parties and entertainments at such times. i will hire some actors to give a little show, at any rate." he invited his friends, who were hardly more than boys themselves, to come to the show. the actors dressed themselves up in queer costumes, and went through with a play that was quite clever and witty. every one laughed a great deal, and when it was over the guests told the new father they had enjoyed themselves very much. after a few months, chin had grown strong enough to walk alone. he did not need to be covered and hidden away any longer. his straight black hair was shaved off, with the exception of a round spot on the top of his head, and he was allowed to do as he pleased after his morning bath in the river was over. the bath did not last long, and was very pleasant and comfortable. there was no rubbing afterward with towels, for the hot sunshine did the drying in a few moments. nor was there any dressing to be done, for the brown baby was left to toddle about in the suit dame nature had given him. it was all he could possibly desire, for clothing is never needed in siam to keep one from catching cold. chin's mother herself wears only a wide strip of printed cloth fastened around her waist and hanging down to the knees. sometimes, but not always, she has a long scarf draped across her breast and over one shoulder. there are no shoes on her little feet, nor is there a hat on her head except in the hottest sunshine. there are many ornaments shining on her dark skin, even though she is not rich; and baby chin did not have his toilet made till a silver bracelet had been fastened on his arms, and rings placed on his fingers. after a year or two the boy's ears were bored so that gilt, pear-shaped earrings could be worn there. soon after that a kind relative made him a present of silver anklets, and then he felt very much dressed indeed. few boys as poor as he could boast of as much jewelry. chin was born on the river meinam in a house-boat. there was nothing strange about that, for the neighbours and friends of the family had homes like his. it was cool and pleasant to live on the water. it was convenient when one wished to take a bath, and it was easy for the children to learn to swim so near home. yes, there were many reasons why chin's parents preferred to make their home on the water. perhaps the strongest one of all was that they did not have to pay any rent for the space taken up by the boat. a piece of land would have cost money. then, again, if they should not like their neighbours, they could very easily move to a new place on the river. chin's father built the house, or the boat, just before he was married. he had some help from his friends, but it was not such hard work that he could not have done it all alone. a big raft of bamboo was first made. this served as the floating platform on which the house should stand. the framework of the little home was also made of bamboo, which could be got from the woods not far away, and was very light and easy to handle. how should the roof be protected from the heavy rains that fell during a portion of the year? that could be easily managed by getting quantities of the leaves of the atap palm-tree for thatching. these would make a thick, close covering, and would keep out the storms for a long time if they were carefully cemented with mud. the broad, overhanging eaves would give shade to baby chin when he was old enough to play in the outdoor air, and yet not strong enough to bear the burning sunshine. of course, there were many windows in the little house, you would think. there were openings in the walls in the shape of windows, certainly, but they were openings only, for they were not filled with glass, nor any other transparent substance. chin's father would say: "we must have all the air we can get. at night-time, when the rain falls heavily, we can have shutters on the windows. they are easily taken down whenever we wish." why, the whole front of the house was made so it could be opened up to the air and sunshine, as well as the view of passers-by. the family have few secrets, and do not mind letting others see how they keep house. at this very moment, perhaps, chin's mother is sitting on the edge of the bamboo platform, washing her feet in the river; his grandmother may be there preparing the vegetables for dinner; or, possibly, chin himself is cleaning his teeth with a stick of some soft wood. the boy's mother has taught him to be very careful of his teeth. it is a mark of beauty with her people to have them well _blacked_. they will tell you, "any dog can have white teeth." but there is nothing they admire more than bright red gums showing plainly with two rows of even, dark-coloured teeth. how do they make their gums such a fiery red? it is caused by chewing a substance called betel, obtained from a beautiful kind of palm-tree very common in siam. many of chin's brown cousins chew betel, as well as the people of his own land. it is even put in the mouths of babies. betel-chewing grows to be such a habit with them that they become unhappy and uncomfortable if long without it. even now, although chin is only ten years old, he would say: "i can go without food for a long time, if need be, but i must have my betel." let us go back to the boy's home. if we should count the windows, we should find their number to be uneven. the siamese believe something terrible would be sure to happen if this were not so. they seem to think "there is luck in odd numbers," for not only the steps leading to the houses, but the stairs leading from one floor to another must be carefully counted and made uneven. there are three rooms in chin's home. first, there is the sitting-room, where friends are received, although there is much less visiting done in siam than in many other countries. it took little time and money to furnish the room. there are no pictures or ornaments here. there are two or three mats on which one may sit, and there is a tray filled with betel from which every one is invited to help himself. if callers should arrive and the betel were not offered to them, they would feel insulted and would go away with the intention of never coming to that house again. the second room is that set apart for sleeping. very little furniture is found here, as well, for all that chin's father had to prepare was a number of long, narrow mattresses, stuffed with tree-cotton. some pillows were made in the shape of huge bricks. they were also packed full of tree-cotton, and were stiff, uncomfortable-looking things; but chin and his parents like them, so we should certainly not find fault. you remember there are great numbers of mosquitoes in the country. how do they manage to sleep when the air around them is filled with the buzzing, troublesome creatures? coarse cotton curtains hang from the roof down over the beds. while these keep the mosquitoes away from the sleepers, they also keep out the air, so it is really a wonder that one can rest in any comfort. when chin is in the house during the day, he spends most of his time in the kitchen, which is also the eating-room. but, dear me! it is a smoky place, for the boy's father never thought of building a chimney. the cooking is done over a little charcoal stove and, as the flames rise, the smoke rises, too, and settles on the ceiling and walls. chin has had many good meals cooked over the little fire, and eaten as the family squatted around the tiny table. just think! it stands only four inches above the floor, and is not large enough to hold many dishes. that does not matter, for each one has his own rice-bowl on the floor in front of him. chin has been brought up so that he is satisfied with one or two things at a time. the little table is quite large enough to hold the dish of curried fish or meat from which each one helps himself. chin is a very nice boy, yet i shall have to confess that he usually eats with his fingers! yes, not only he, but his father and mother and sister, and even grandmother, do the same thing. one after another helps himself from the same dish and thinks nothing of it. people who are a little richer use pretty spoons of mother-of-pearl; chin's mother owns one of these useful articles herself, but of course, that won't serve for five persons, so it is seldom seen on the table. as for knives and forks, she never even saw any. one of her friends once watched a stranger from across the great ocean eating with these strange things. she laughed quietly when she told of it, and said: "it must take a long, long time before one can get used to them. they are very clumsy." as chin squats at his dinner he can look down through the split bamboos and see the water of the river beneath the house. it does not matter if he drops some crumbs or grains of rice. they can be easily pushed through the cracks, when down they will fall into the water to be seized by some waiting fish. the good woman doesn't even own a broom. her house-cleaning is done in the easiest way possible. anything that is no longer useful is thrown into the river, while the dirt is simply pushed between the wide cracks of the floor. the dish-washing is a simple matter, too. each one has his own rice-bowl, and after the meal is over it is his duty to clean it and then turn it upside down in some corner of the kitchen. it is left there to drain until it is needed again. chin's mother cooks such delicious rice that he wonders any one can live without it. he needs no bread when he can have that, for it is a feast in itself. when poured out, it looks like a mountain of snow; each grain is whole and separate from the others. it is cooked in an earthen pot with the greatest care, and, when it is done, never fails to look beautiful and delicate. chin's mother would think herself a very poor housekeeper if she should make a mistake in preparing the rice. when a dish of rat or bat stew is added to the meal, chin feels that there is nothing more in the world that he could wish. he knows that the rich people in the city often have feasts where twenty or thirty different dainties are served. but he does not envy them. a person can taste only one thing at a time, and nothing can be better than a stew with plenty of curry and vegetables to flavour it. we don't need to think of the rats and bats if it is an unpleasant idea. as for chin, if he had seen you shudder when they were spoken of, he could not have imagined what was the matter. chapter ii. little chie lo "chie lo! chie lo! come out quickly, or you won't see it before it passes," called chin to his sister. she was playing with her dolls in the sitting-room, but when she heard chin calling she put them down and came out on the platform where her brother sat dangling his feet in the water and holding his pet parrot. "chie lo! chie lo!" screamed the parrot, when she appeared. he was a bright-looking bird with a shining coat of green feathers and a red tuft on his head. he must have loved chie lo, for he reached up for her to pat him as she squatted beside her brother. "look, look," said chin, "isn't that grand?" the boy pointed to a beautiful boat moving rapidly down the river. "it is the king's, you know," he whispered. "do you see him there under the canopy, with his children around him?" "yes, yes, chin, but don't talk; i just want to look." it was no wonder that chie lo wished to keep still, for it was a wonderful sight. the boat was shaped like a huge dragon, whose carved head, with its fierce eyes, could be seen reaching out from the high bow. the stern was made in the shape of the monster's tail. the sides of the royal barge were covered with gilded scales, inlaid with pearls, and these scales shone and sparkled in the sunlight. a hundred men dressed in red were rowing the splendid boat, and they must have had great training, for they kept together in perfect time. "isn't the canopy over the king the loveliest thing you ever saw?" said chin, who could not keep still. "it is made of cloth-of-gold, and so are the curtains. look at the gold embroidery on the king's coat. oh, chie lo, it doesn't seem as though he could be like us at all. i feel as though he must be a god. "the young prince who took the long journey across the ocean last year is there with him," chin went on. "father told me that he visited strange lands where all the people have skins as white as pearls, and that he has seen many wonderful sights. but, chie lo, there is nothing in the world grander than our king and his royal boat, i'm sure." as the barge drew nearer, the children threw themselves face downward on the platform until it had passed down the river. it was their way of showing honour to the ruler of the land. [illustration: chin's home.] in the olden times all who came into the presence of the king, did so in one way only. they _crawled_. even his own little children were obliged to do this. no one dared to stand in his presence. but such things have been changed now. the king loves his people and has grown wiser since he has learned the ways of other countries. when he was a little boy, an english lady was his teacher for a long time, and she taught him much that other kings of siam had never known. it is partly because of this that he is the best ruler chin's people have ever had. the royal barge was decorated with beautiful white and yellow umbrellas, many stories high. there was also a huge jewelled fan, such as no boat was allowed to carry except the king's. other dragon-shaped boats followed the royal barge, but they were smaller and less beautiful. they were the king's guard-boats, and moved along in pairs. many other interesting sights could be seen on the river this morning. vessels were just arriving from distant lands, while here and there chinese junks were scattered along the shores. chin and his sister can always tell such boats from any others. an eye is always painted on the bow. a chinaman who was once asked why he had the eye there, answered, "if no have eye, how can see?" it is so much pleasanter outside, it is no wonder that chin and his sister do not spend much time indoors. after the royal procession had passed out of sight, chie lo went into the house and brought out her family of dolls. of course they did not look like american dolls; you wouldn't expect it. some of them were of baked mud and wore no clothes. others were of stuffed cotton and made one think of the rag dolls of chie lo's white cousins. the father and mother dolls were dressed in strips of cloth wound around their bodies, just like the real grown-up people of siam, but the baby dolls had no more clothes than the children of the country. chie lo talked to her dolls and sang queer little songs to them. she "made believe" they were eating, just as other little girls play, far away across the great ocean. then she kissed them and put them to bed on tiny mattresses under the shady eaves of the house. perhaps you wouldn't have known that chie lo was kissing them, however, for the fashions of siam are quite different from those of our country. she simply touched the dolls' noses with her own little flat one and drew in a long breath each time she did so. that was her way of showing her love,--gentle little chie lo. chin didn't laugh, of course. he was used to seeing his sister playing with her dolls, and as for the kissing, that was the only way of doing it that he knew himself. "chie lo, i saw some beautiful dolls in a store yesterday," he said, as he stopped working for a minute. he was making a new shuttlecock for a game with his boy friends the next day. "what kind were they, chin?" asked his sister. "they were lovely wooden ones. only rich children could buy them, for they cost a great deal. i wish i could get one for you, chie lo, but you know i haven't any money." "what else did you see, chin?" "there were doll-temples in the store, and boats filled with sailors, and lovely ivory furniture for the doll-houses. you must see the things yourself." chie lo went on with her play. she finished putting her own toy house in order. it was one chin had made for her. it looked like her own home,--it stood on a bamboo platform, it had a high, slanting roof, covered with palm leaves, and there were three rooms inside. chin was a good boy to make it. all brothers were not as kind as he. "yes, i should like to see all those things," chie lo answered, after awhile. "but i am happy here with my own toys. i must row up the river to-morrow and sell some fruit for father. i won't have any time for play then." "come to dinner, children," called their mother. "chin, take this jug and get some fresh water before you come in." she handed a copper jug to chin. he quickly filled it by reaching over the platform, and followed his sister into the kitchen a moment later. every one was thirsty, and the jug was passed from one to another for each to help himself. there were no tumblers nor cups. chin had made small dishes for his mother by cutting cocoanuts in halves and scooping out the delicious cream from the inside; but they did not use them for drinking the water. nor did they put their lips to the jug. each one cleverly twisted a palm leaf into the shape of a funnel and received the water through this. it was done more quickly than i can tell you about it. chin and his sister thought it was a fine dinner. the evening dews were falling, and a gentle breeze came floating down the river. the terrible heat of the day was over and it was the very time to enjoy eating. in the first place, there was the dish of steaming rice. there was also a sort of stew made of meat chopped very fine and seasoned with red pepper. if you had tasted it, you would probably have cried: "oh dear, my mouth is burnt; give me a drink of water at once." but chin and chie lo thought it very nice indeed, and not a bit too hot. "isn't this pickled turnip fine?" said chin's mother. "i bought it this morning from a passing store." what could she mean by these words? it was a very common thing for these little brown cousins to see not only houses but stores moving past them down the river. the storekeepers were always ready to stop and sell their goods to any one who wished them. chin's mother never made bread, nor pies, nor cake, nor puddings. she bought most of the vegetables already cooked from the floating stores, so you can see she had quite an easy time in preparing her meals. but to-day, after the rice and stew had been cooked, she laid bananas to roast in the hot coals, and these were now taken out and handed to her family as they squatted on the mats around the table. if the children had no bread with their dinner, they ought to have had milk, you think. but they never drink it. the cows of siam are not milked at all, and so the rich children of the country are brought up in the same way as chin and his sister. when the meal was finished, chie lo did not forget that her dear pussy must still be fed. it was an odd-looking little creature. although it was a grown-up cat, yet its eyes were as blue as those of a week-old american kitten. it had a funny little tail twisted up into a knot. it was better off than many other cats of siam, however, who go about with none at all. chapter iii. night on the river after chie lo had watched her pussy eat all the fish she could possibly wish, the children went outdoors again to sit in the cool evening air. the night was already pitch-dark, for there was no moon, and there is no long twilight in the tropics at any season of the year. but what a beautiful sight now met the children's eyes! it seemed almost like fairy-land, there were so many lights to be seen in every direction. their home stood just below the great city of bangkok, and along the shores of the river the houses and palaces and temples could be seen almost as plainly as in the daytime. floating theatres were passing by, each one lighted with numbers of coloured paper lanterns. "look! look!" cried chin. "there are some actors giving a show outside. they want to tempt people to stop and come in to the play. see the beautiful pointed finger-nails on that one. what fine care he must take of them!" it is no wonder chin noticed the man's finger-nails, for they were at least five inches long. "see the wings on the other actor, chin," said his sister. "i suppose he represents some strange being who does wonderful deeds. i should like to go to the play. look! there is a party of people who are going on board of the theatre." the children now turned their eyes toward the small boat of a chinaman who was calling aloud to the passers-by: "come here and buy chouchou; it is a fine dish, indeed." a moment afterward he was kept so busy that he had no time to call. his canoe was fairly surrounded by other boats, for many people were eager to taste the delicious soup he served from an odd little stove in front of him. it is hard to tell how chouchou is made. many kinds of meat and all sorts of vegetables are boiled down to jelly and seasoned with salt and pepper. he must have had a good recipe, for every one that tasted his chouchou seemed to like it and want more. "listen to the music, chie lo," said her brother, as he turned longingly away from the chouchou seller. it seemed more like _noise_ than music. two men stood on a bamboo raft causing loud, wailing sounds to come from some queer reed instruments. a third player was making the loudest noise of all. he sat in the middle of a musical wheel, as it is called. this wheel is made of metal cups of different sizes placed next each other in a circle. it seems strange that chin and his sister should enjoy such "music," and stranger still that the grown-up people should also like it; but they seemed to do so. were they doing it for their own pleasure? oh no, they had dainties to sell as well as the chouchou maker, and this was their way of attracting attention. new sights could be seen constantly. here were the beautifully-trimmed boats of the rich people taking a ride for pleasure after the heat of the day. there were the canoes of the poor, who were also out to enjoy the sights, for bangkok is a city built upon the water. the river meinam flows through its very centre. the name of the river means "mother of waters," just as the name of our own mississippi means "the father of waters." it is well named, for many canals reach out from it in different directions. [illustration: the great temple at bangkok.] if a person is going to a temple to worship, if he has shopping to do, or a visit to make, he does not take a car or carriage, nor does he often walk. he steps into a boat, and after a pleasant sail or row, he finds himself at his journey's end. "let's go down the river before we go to bed," said chin, who had grown tired of sitting still. he stepped from the platform into his own little canoe and chie lo followed him. the children looked very much alike. their faces were of the same shape, their eyes were of the same colour, and the two little round heads were shaved in exactly the same way. a tuft of hair had been left on the top of each and was coiled into a knot. when chin grew a little older there would be a great celebration over the shaving of his tuft. it would mark his "coming of age," but that would not be for two or three years yet. he was only eleven years old now and was left to do much as he pleased. the little canoe made its way in and out among the big boats and soon left the city behind. tall palm-trees lined the banks of the river and waved gently in the evening breeze. suddenly there was a loud sound, like a big drum, in the water directly under the boat. "tom, tom! tom, tom!" it startled chie lo, and she exclaimed: "what is it, chin? what is it?" "it must be a drum-fish, chie lo. nothing else could make a sound like that." "of course, chin. it was all so quiet, and then the sound was so sudden, i didn't think for a moment what it could be." they had often seen this ugly-looking fish, which is never eaten by the people of their country. it is able to make a loud noise by means of a sort of bladder under its throat, and it is well called the "drum-fish." the children still went onward, keeping time with their sculls. suddenly the air around them blazed with countless lights, and a moment afterward the darkness seemed blacker than ever. then, again the lights appeared, only to be lost as suddenly, while chin and his sister held their oars and watched. "aren't they lovely?" said chie lo. "i never get tired of looking at the fireflies." it is no wonder she thought so. the fireflies of siam are not only very large and brilliant, but they are found in great numbers. and, strange to say, they seem fond of gathering together on certain kinds of trees only. there they send forth their light and again withdraw it at exactly the same moment. it seems as though they must be under the orders of some leader. how else do they keep together? "i can hear the trumpeter beetle calling along the shore," said chin, as the boat floated about. "he makes a big noise for his size, and takes his part in the song of the night. there must be hundreds of lizards singing up there among the bushes, too, and i don't know what else." "i suppose the parrots are asleep in the tree-tops by this time, as well as the monkeys. don't you love to go about in the woods, chin?" "it is almost the best fun in the world, i think. oh, chie lo, i saw something the other day i didn't tell you about. you made me think of it when you spoke of the monkeys. father and i had gone a long way up the river in the canoe to get wild bananas. we had just turned to come home when i saw a crocodile ahead of us, lying close to the shore. his wicked mouth was wide open and his eyes were glittering. "all at once i saw what was the matter. a chain of monkeys was hanging from a tree-top above him. they were having sport with the monster. the lowest monkey would suddenly strike out with his paw and touch the crocodile's head when he was off his guard. then the whole chain of monkeys would swing away as quick as a flash, and the crocodile would snap too late. "oh, he did get so angry after awhile, it made me laugh, chie lo. the monkeys grew bolder after awhile, and chattered more and more loudly. "then the crocodile began to play a game himself. he shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep. down swung the monkeys, straight over his head. his jaws opened suddenly in time to seize the little fellow who had been teasing him. that was the last of the silly little monkey, whose brothers and sisters fled up into the tree-tops as fast as they could go. i didn't see them again, but we could hear them crying and wailing as long as we stayed near the place." "i wish i had been there," sighed chie lo. "it must have made you laugh to watch the monkeys before they were caught. but they are easily scared. i shouldn't be afraid of monkeys anywhere." chin smiled when his sister said these words. "if there were enough monkeys together, chie lo, and if they were all angry and chasing you, i don't think you would exactly enjoy it. "father told me of a time when he was off with a party of men in a deep forest. they caught a baby monkey, and one of the men was going to bring it home. it made the mother wild to have her child taken from her. she raised a loud cry and started after the men. her friends and relatives joined her, crying and screaming. "but this was not all, for every other monkey in the forest seemed to get the idea of battle. on they came by the hundreds and the thousands. do you think those men weren't scared? they hurried along as fast as they could, stumbling over bushes and floundering in the mud. they were only too glad to reach the bank of the river, where they jumped into the canoes and paddled quickly away. the monkeys crowded on the shore and screamed at them. i wish i could have seen them." chin lay back and laughed as he finished the story. "we mustn't stop to talk any more, for it is getting late," said chie lo. "but i love to hear you tell these stories, chin. i hope you will remember some more to-morrow night. now we must paddle home as fast as we can go." chapter iv. work and play the next morning the children were awakened early by the cawing of large flocks of crows. these noisy birds were leaving their resting-places in the trees near by, and starting out to search for breakfast in the fields and gardens of the country. chie lo and her brother jumped out of bed, and a moment afterward were taking a refreshing swim in the waters of the river. the water felt cool and pleasant before the hot sunshine had warmed it. "come to breakfast," called their mother, as they were in the midst of a game of chase around the platform. "come and eat the fine hoppers i have just bought from the baker." the children did not need to be called twice, for they loved the delicious cakes made of rice flour and cocoanut milk. the breakfast was soon eaten, and then chin and his sister made haste to load chie lo's boat with the fruit she must sell on the river. the mangosteens were placed in the first pile. they would surely be sold, because they were not only beautiful to look at, but fragrant to smell and delicious to taste. you may look for them in many parts of the world, but you will fail to find them unless you visit chin and chie lo in their own country, or go to the islands near by. the rind is of a brownish purple that changes its tints in the sunlight. cut the fruit carefully in halves and you will find a creamy, white pulp, with a dark-red rim. "they look too good to eat," you say. but if you have once tasted them, you will long for more. chin and his sister are very fond of mangosteens, and so is nearly every person who has the pleasure of eating them. but chie lo likes the durions better still. when she sorted the boat-load this morning, she was very careful to place this fruit so it should not touch any other kind. what an odour came from it! ugh! it makes one think of bad eggs and everything else unpleasant. but people who stop to-day to buy from the little girl will not consider that. if they have lived in the country for only a short time, they have grown to think of it as the finest of all fruits. picture the nicest things you have ever eaten,--walnuts, and cream and strawberries, and a dozen other delicious things,--they are all mingled together in the flavour of the durion. besides the durions and the mangosteens, there were great luscious oranges, noble pineapples, mangoes and bananas, breadfruit and sour-sops. chie lo would certainly have no trouble in selling her goods. when she had rowed away from the house, chin went inside and got his shuttlecock. he must find his boy friends and have a game before the day grew too hot. you mustn't blame him for letting his sister work while he played. it is the way of his people, and the idea never entered his head that girls should have, at least, as easy a life as boys. yet this cousin of ours is gentle and good-natured and loving. an hour after chie lo had gone away, chin and his friends were having a lively game in the shade of some tall palm-trees, near the bank of the river. it was great sport. the shuttlecock was made of bamboo and was very light and easy to toss. but it took great skill to keep it moving through the air for ten minutes at a time. the boys did not once touch it with their hands. as it came bounding toward chin, he held the sole of his foot to receive it, and kicked it off in another direction. perhaps the next boy struck at it with his heel, and the next with the side of his ankle or his knee. forward and back it flew from one to another. these naked boys of siam were wonderfully graceful in their play. they must have spent many days of their short lives in gaining such skill as this. there was little noise about it. there are places in the world where children think they are not having much fun unless there is a good deal of shouting and yelling. siam is not such a country, and chin is not that kind of a boy. he has many good times and many pleasures, although he enjoys them in a quiet manner. how was chie lo getting along with her load of fruit this morning? she paddled down the river among the vessels which had come to anchor there. "fine oranges! ripe durions!" her sweet voice called. and the people on the decks of the english steamers and the queer chinese boats looked down at the little girl in her canoe. many of them smiled at the tiny fruit-seller, and beckoned to her to bring some of her fruit on board. by noontime her wares were all sold and chie lo started homeward with a bag of odd-looking coins to give her father. it was very hot and the sunlight was so bright as it sparkled on the river that the little girl kept shutting her eyes. all at once she felt a tremendous thump and the next moment she found herself far down under the surface of the water. the boat had been overturned and was bobbing around over her head. do you suppose she tried to scream, or that she lost her senses from fright? certainly not. as soon as she got her breath, she began to swim with one arm; with the other she reached out for the boat and quickly righted it. after half a dozen strokes, she was able to spring into the canoe, and was soon paddling homeward as if nothing had happened. what had caused her boat to upset? a passing fisherman had carelessly run into her. the accident did not seem to worry him, however. he did not even stop to see if chie lo needed help, but kept straight on his way. he did not mean to be unkind. he simply did not think there was any danger to the little girl. and there was none, for swimming is as natural as walking to the children of siam, who have no fear of the water. all that chie lo thought of was her precious coins, and those were safe in the little bag hanging around her neck. the next day would be a holiday and she knew her father would wish the money to spend. chapter v. new year's it was the 27th of march, but to chin and his sister it was the first day of a new year. they woke up happy and smiling, for they would have much fun for three whole days. it is all very well for some people to be satisfied with a festival which lasts only twelve hours, but it is not so with the siamese. they think they cannot do justice to such a joyful time unless they frolic and feast three times as long as that, at least. on the first day the children must go to the temple and carry offerings. this duty should certainly not be forgotten. but before they left home that morning they helped their mother give dishes of rice to the yellow-robed priests who rowed slowly down the river as the sun was rising. [illustration: "they carried some of their flowers to the statue of buddha."] these priests in their long yellow gowns looked alike. each one held before him a begging-bowl. he did not ask for food or money. it was the duty of the people to feed him and give what was needed to keep him from want. this was what chin and those of his country believed. and so, when each night was over, the priests left their cells and entered their boats. they passed along the river and through the canals. some people gave to one, and some to another; some gave money, and some, food. but each one thought as he gave, "i am gaining merit by this deed of kindness." and he felt better for doing so. when the priests had passed along, chin and his sister began to think of their friends. they had presents of sweetmeats for them. they had saved all their spare coins for many days to buy them. these sweetmeats looked very tempting as they divided them up and placed them in tiny baskets they had woven out of grasses. some of them were made of sugar and cocoanut. others were rich with glutinous rice and peanuts. their friends would be delighted with their gifts. before the day was over, chin and chie lo had received many presents themselves, for the poorest people in the country manage to remember the new year's festival. the day was noisier than usual. the children laughed and shouted more than siamese children commonly do. they danced and they sang. they went into the country and gathered flowers. they made wreaths and garlands. they carried some of their flowers to the statue of buddha and placed them in the open palms of their saint. they played tricks on each other. chin and chie lo were both caught by their playmates before the day was over and their faces blackened, and then they were shoved into the river. but they took the joke with perfect good nature, and laughed over it as merrily as their friends. the best sport of the day was with their dear old grandmother. as she sat on the platform by the water's edge, chin came up suddenly and dashed water all over her. after that, he sprinkled her with perfume and a sweet-smelling powder. but this was not all, for he ran into the house and brought her out a new waist-cloth and a scarf to throw over her old shoulders. at the same time chie lo pressed two silver coins into her hand, and shouted with delight at the smile on the dear grandmother's face. without doubt the new year's festival was very merry. best of all, the children were allowed to do just as they pleased for the three long, happy days. it is no wonder they were sorry when it was over. "it is even better than the swing days," chie lo said to her brother, as they settled themselves for a good night's rest. "yes, i think so, too, yet we have a great deal of fun then," answered her brother, sleepily. girls never take part in the exercises of the swing days, but chin had been training for two or three years to try his skill when he should be a little older. a part of the city is set aside for the entertainment, and it is there that the swings are set up on high poles. a short distance away stands another pole marked with a waving banner. just below this banner hangs a purse filled with gold. each person who enters the swing is allowed to work it back and forth till he brings himself near the precious purse. he has one chance given him to reach out and seize it in his mouth. if he succeeds, it is his to keep, and he goes down to the ground on a rope ladder by the side of the pole, while the bystanders greet him with shouts and cheers. if he fails, however, he is obliged to jump from the swing and slide down to the ground on the pole, while every one joins in a laugh at his awkwardness. on swing days there are many processions through the streets. banners and flags are waving everywhere, no work is done, and every one is gaily dressed and full of joy. chapter vi. white elephants "i never rode on an elephant in my life," said chie lo with a sigh. chin had just been telling her of a trip he had made with his father. he had gone into the teak forest, and had travelled every bit of the way on an elephant. "perhaps you wouldn't like it if you had a chance to try," answered her brother. "you would feel safe enough, and the howdah is big enough for you to lie down in and take a nap. but the elephant swings from side to side as he walks, and the motion might make you feel sick until you get used to it." "it looks comfortable, anyway," said chie lo. "a howdah looks like a tiny house, and the bamboo top keeps off the hot sun nicely. doesn't it ever slip on the elephant's back, chin?" [illustration: "'they would pick up the logs with their trunks.'"] "of course not. it is fastened behind by a crupper that goes under the tail, while it is held in front by a band of rattan passed around the neck. so it is perfectly safe." "elephants are very wise animals, and i love them. mother told me that a long time ago there was an elephant in the city that used to ladle out rice to the priests as they came out of the temple. he did it every morning, and was as careful about it as any person could be. he made no mistakes, for he never gave the rice to any people unless they were priests. wasn't that wonderful, chin?" "it was very wise, at any rate, chie lo. but, of course, he could tell the priests because of their long yellow robes. i've heard more wonderful stories than that, though. "i've watched elephants at work in a lumber yard, myself. they would pick up the logs with their trunks, and carry them to the place where they were to be piled up. then they would lay them down, one on top of another, and each time they would place them in such good order that the ends of the pile would be kept perfectly even. they are very careful workers; men couldn't do any better." "weren't you afraid when you crossed the river on the elephant's back, chin? i heard you speaking about it to father when you got home." "not the least bit. the water grew deeper until at last only my howdah and the animal's head were above the surface. but he went on slowly and surely, and as he felt safe, i did, too. in a few minutes we were on dry land again, and climbed up the steep bank without stopping to rest. "it was great fun whenever we went down hill. the big clumsy fellow knelt on his fore legs, and actually slid down, with his hind legs dragging behind him." "what good times you have, chin. i wish i were a boy!" and chie lo sighed again. "they say that the white elephants are going to march through the streets to-day. let's go up in the city to see them," said chin. he was always glad to have his sister go about with him. the home of our siamese cousins is a strange country. it is often spoken of as the "land of the white elephant." you shall hear the reason. whenever a white elephant is seen in the forests, word is at once sent to the king, and parties of hunters go forth to secure him. he is looked upon as a sacred animal, for many of the people believe that the soul of some great and wise person has come back to dwell for a while in his body. in the olden times there was a great celebration after a white elephant had been caught and was brought into the city. the king and his nobles, as well as hundreds of priests, went out to meet him with bands of music. he was led to the royal stables, and large pictures of the forests were hung around him, so he should not grow lonesome and long for his home in the jungle. it is even said that he was fed from golden dishes, and that only the sweetest sugar-cane, the ripest bananas, and the tenderest grasses were given him as food. he was loaded with gifts. the ways of the people are changing now, however, and both the king and his people are wiser than they used to be. yet the white elephants are still treated with honour, and kept in the royal stables, while on great days they march in state through the streets of the city. it is hardly right, however, to speak of them as white. some of them are of a pale, pinkish gray colour. others are ashy gray. their eyes look washed-out and dull. they are not nearly as grand and noble-looking as their brothers, for it seems as though mother nature were tired and had not finished her work, when one looks at them. chapter vii. in the temple after the children had watched the procession of white elephants, chin said: "let us go to the temple, chie lo. it will be a pleasant walk. and, besides, father said we ought to go to-day. he gave me these coins to carry there." chin held up two pieces of silver. "one of them is for you, chie lo, and the other is for me." the place where the temple stood had been set apart from the rest of the city. it was divided up into large fields surrounded by walls. in each of these fields there was at least one large temple, and several small ones, besides the buildings where the priests lived with their pupils. such a place is called a wat. as chin and his sister drew near one of these wats, they found many little stands from which men were busily selling gold-leaf to those who were on their way to the temples. what would the people do with this gold-leaf, you wonder. they would use it to cover any bare spots on their favourite images. it would "make merit" for them, as they would say; or, in other words, they would at some time be rewarded for the act of goodness. it is in this way that the images are kept richly gilded, and many of them are fairly loaded with the precious stuff. "we can't buy any to-day," said chin, "we haven't money enough. but i wish i could get one of those rings that man is selling. they are made of hairs out of the manes and tails of the sacred horses. it would bring good fortune, i'm sure." poor ignorant chin! as though anything but his own honest little heart and good deeds would bring him happiness and success. and now the children passed through the gateway and into the beautiful grounds. stately trees grew on every side, and flowering plants were to be seen in every direction. here and there stood large stone statues. they were ugly-looking figures, but were supposed to be the guardians of this holy place. "after we come out, let's have a game of hide-and-seek with those children," said chin. he pointed to some boys and girls playing among the trees and statues, and having a merry time. as the children turned toward the buildings, they passed under some trees from whose branches hung pieces of wood, stone, and porcelain. "people hung those offerings there because they are going to build a home," said chin. "or perhaps they are just married, and are beginning housekeeping." "i know that, of course," answered chie lo. as the boy and girl entered the temple, they stopped at the cistern of water near the door. wooden dippers were handed to them, which they were to fill. they must wash their hands and rinse their mouths before they dared to draw near the statue of the holy buddha or knelt in prayer. they must do it as a symbol that their tongues were pure. after this was done, they threw their coins into a large money-box, and passed into the main part of the temple. there were no seats, but the worshippers sat together on the floor in little circles. the altar was beautifully carved, and built up in the shape of a pyramid. many offerings could be seen lying upon it. there were lovely flowers, luscious fruits, and piles of snow-white rice. these had all been brought here to-day by those who had come to worship and to pray. behind the altar were high panels on which the life of buddha was pictured. chin and his sister loved to study these pictures and dream of the holy one in whom they believed. their mother had taught them that long ago a great being lived in this world. he was born in a palace, and was the son of a king. he knew only joy and comfort until one day, when he met a poor old man. his heart went out in pity to him, and he said to himself: "i will not live in comfort any longer if others in the world suffer and are poor." he went out from the palace and spent the rest of his life teaching and giving help. chin and his sister did not stop to look at the pictures now. they joined one of the groups sitting cross-legged upon the floor. a moment afterward their heads were bent, and their small hands were pressed together in prayer. from time to time, one of the worshippers rose and stepped over to a big bronze bell, and rung it violently. this was because he felt that his prayers were not heard, and he wished to call attention. listen! a priest is reading from a palm-leaf book; and now he chants a prayer with his face hidden behind a big fan. he keeps time by striking a bell, or beating on a block of wood. the people rise upon their knees and bow to the ground as he chants. there is no music in the strange service. as chin got up to go away, he turned to chie lo and whispered: "i love to look at the bronze elephants carved on the walls. they look very wise and strong. they are the symbols of the buddha, who taught men to be patient and faithful." "i always love to look at the flag of our country, too," answered chie lo. "the great white elephant pictured on the red cloth makes me think of the same thing." "i believe i shall like it when i am old enough to come here to study with the priests," her brother went on. "i shall like to serve them, and they will teach me many good things. but i don't believe i shall ever be a priest myself." it is the custom of chin's country for all the boys to live awhile in the wats, as soon as they are old enough to have their heads shaved. they help the priests in the temples, and serve them in different ways. they are also taught to write and cipher. after they have stayed a certain time, they may choose for themselves what they will do. they may study to become priests themselves, or they may go back to their homes and choose some kind of work. as for chie lo, what would she do when chin went away from home? her parents were too poor to send her to a school for girls. she would sell fruits and vegetables in her little boat until she was old enough to get married. poor little child! she turned to her brother as they left the temple, and said: "i wish, chin, that i could go to school and be able to recite poems and stories." for in that strange country of siam, few girls learn either to read or write, even if they are able to go to school. their teacher recites some lines and the pupils repeat them after him until the whole piece is learned. then another is taken up in the same way, and still another. but every child must be sure of one thing: she must know an _odd number_ of pieces when she has finished. you remember the siamese seem to be afraid of even numbers in anything whatsoever. as for geography, or history, or any other pleasant study, such as you have, very few of the children of that country have even heard of them. i doubt if chin and his sister know anything about the great, beautiful country on the other side of the world, where their american cousins are living. but siam is slowly changing, and, as i have already said, the king who now rules is wiser than those before him. he will help his people to become wiser, too. as the children went on their way home, they fell to talking about their ruler. they spoke of him as "the lord of the celestial elephant," and other queer titles. "he worships in the temple of the emerald buddha," chin told his sister. he had heard others describe the beautiful place. "it seems as though i could almost see it," the boy declared. "it must be wonderful. just think, chie lo, the floor is paved with bricks of brass, and the walls are covered with paintings. the altar is several times as high as our house. it is loaded with images from the bottom to the very top. they are covered with gold, except the emerald buddha itself, which is above all the rest. "its hair is made of solid gold, in which are diamonds and rubies and many other kinds of precious gems. i wish i could look at it just once, although it is so high up, a person can hardly see it as he stands on the floor." "mother said nobody made that statue," said chie lo when her brother had finished. "it was a miracle, and suddenly appeared in the world after a visit of buddha." "mother and father know a great deal," replied chin. "when we get home to-night, let's ask them to tell us the story of how gold and silver came to be in the world." chapter viii the legend of the peace-offering it was a beautiful moonlight night. the stars shone faintly in the clear sky. "they do not look as though they felt as happy as usual," said chin to chie lo, who sat beside him on the platform of the house. "they are jealous because the moon is hiding them by her brightness. here comes father; now we can ask him." "father, will you tell us the story of rosy dawn?" said his son, as the boat drew up beside the platform and the man jumped out. "as soon as i fill my betel-box, chin," was the answer. five minutes afterward, the family gathered around the story-teller by the side of the quiet river. "once upon a time," he began, "father sun was much nearer the earth than he is now. he was ever ready to advise his younger brother, the king of our country, and would even order his officers, the stars, to do anything which might help this blessed land. "it was long, long ago that all this happened. everything was so different then from what it is now, that there was no sickness nor sorrow in the land. people lived to be hundreds of years old. why, my children, the king of siam himself was looked upon as a very young man, although he was at least one hundred and sixty years old. "his father, the old king, was still alive, but had grown tired of ruling after two hundred years of such work. he had given it into his son's hands, and now took his ease. "his only daughter, a beautiful maiden named rosy dawn, spent most of her time in cheering him and making his life happy. no one had ever looked upon her sweet face except her own family. she was as good and simple as she was beautiful. her days must have passed very quietly, for her only amusements were singing her old father to sleep and wandering alone through the fields and woods. "a sad thing happened about this time. the naughty stars grew jealous of their lord, the sun. they did not like it because he chose to keep awake all the time, and was having such pleasure with the earth and its people that he never thought of sleeping. "day and night, summer and winter, he gave his bright light to the world; he seemed afraid that something ill might happen to his young brother the king, if he left him for a moment. of course, the stars had no chance of showing their own beauty, and this was what put them out of temper. they said to each other: "'our lord has some reason for not sleeping which we do not understand. we will watch him, and set a snare for him.' "so, when they themselves should have been sound asleep, for it was now bright noonday, they set to watch the jolly, laughing sun. "it happened at this very time that rosy dawn left her sleeping father's side and went out for a frolic in the woods. she picked the wild flowers and made them into wreaths; she softly sang sweet songs to herself, and she watched the squirrels and lizards as they played about among the trees. "all at once she spied a beautiful butterfly move past her. it was larger and more brilliant than any she had ever seen before. she said to herself: "'i must have the lovely creature,' and ran after it. "on flitted the butterfly, faster and faster; on sped rosy dawn after it. but it was in vain. for after a long chase, and just as she thought she was about to succeed, the butterfly rose up into the air, higher and higher above her head. "now the fair maiden turned back toward home, and for the first time she thought of how tired she was. her dainty feet fairly ached from the long chase, and she stopped at a refreshing brook to bathe. "just at this moment, the sun's glorious chariot appeared over the hilltop. the warm light fell upon rosy dawn and made her feel quiet and restful. at the same time the sun himself looked down upon the beautiful maiden and he fell in love with her then and there. "when she had finished her bath, rosy dawn left the stream and entered a shady cavern near by, where she might rest. "the sun's great chariot flew through the heavens as his noble steeds were spurred onward. it seemed as though he could not wait a moment longer before he should come to the charming girl he had just seen. "you ask me if he won rosy dawn's love in return. ah, yes! and, sad to say, trouble followed after. "you remember that the jealous stars were watching their lord's movements. after a while they discovered that he was making love to rosy dawn. they followed him one day when the two were fondly talking together in their favourite resting-place, the cavern. "alas! the chariot was outside. the wicked stars seized it and carried it off, and the frightened steeds ran away. they did not turn their heads until they had reached home. "the angry stars did not stop here. they raised a great shout against their ruler, and declared they would be his subjects no longer. the poor old sun began to tremble, and shed tears of gold. "the mountains were truly sorry for him. they opened up a passageway through which he might return home. they promised him that he might drive through this cavern every day and be perfectly safe. again he wept, and more plentifully still. "at last he started on his way homeward, and, as he journeyed along, his tears fell and formed pools of gold. those pools are now the gold mines of siam. "it took twelve hours for old sol to reach home, after which he went out every day; but he came back regularly at night-time by way of the cavern that the mountains had given him. "after this poor rosy dawn wandered sadly about through the caves and mountains. she, too, wept, and her tears were very plentiful. wherever they fell you will now find the silver mines of our country. "but you must not think her joy was at an end. the wicked stars at last made an agreement with their lord, the sun. they said he might live with rosy dawn for one-half the month, if they were allowed to look at her beautiful face for the other half. "ever since that time the sun meets rosy dawn at the mouth of the cave where he first saw her, and carries her home to stay with him for two weeks out of each month." "you didn't mention one important thing," said chin, as his father ended the story. "you forgot to say that the stars insisted on the sun's never kissing rosy dawn when any one can see him. we know hers is another name for the moon; and the sun breaks his agreement with the stars once in a great while, whenever there is an eclipse." "yes, that is why the people beat drums and fire off guns at such times," said the children's mother. "it is to shame the sun, and to make him stop such conduct at once. of course it takes some time for the sounds to reach him, but as soon as he hears, he seems to be ashamed, for the eclipse soon passes by." "when i was a boy, i went on a pilgrimage to the very cavern where the sun first met rosy dawn," said the father. "i was careful to carry both a silver coin and a gold one. when we reached the place, i threw the money into the cavern. every one else did likewise. we offered these coins in hopes of making merit for ourselves." chapter ix. queer sights "i am going to the city to-day to buy a new waist-cloth," said chin's father one morning. "chin, you may go with me, if you like." a few moments afterward the two were paddling down the river past the temples and palaces which lined the shore. besides the homes of the rich, surrounded by stately palm-trees and beautiful gardens, there were other houses belonging to poorer people. these last were built close to the river's edge, but were raised high up above the water, on posts. this was a wise thing to do for several reasons. in the first place, the river would rise after the fall rains began, and the houses might float away,--or, at least, the people inside would be flooded, unless they had been careful to build high enough to prepare for such times. the fine houses were of brick or wood, but the poorer ones were much like chin's house-boat, woven of bamboo and thatched with leaves. the boy and his father soon left the main part of the river and turned into one of the canals. they were now in a part of the city where a good deal of business was going on. they left the boat, after fastening it to the bank, and walked along through the narrow street. the fronts of the houses here were all open and everything within could be plainly seen. in this one was a big counter, almost filling the room, and the merchant himself sat cross-legged upon it with his goods around him. there was a bakery where the cakes and bread were made and baked in sight of everyone who passed. chin liked to stop and look at the various workmen. there was much to see and learn. the metal-workers were pounding and hammering away, and, as the boy watched them, he could see bracelets and anklets shaped, and sheets of copper formed into various dishes. in many places the families of the storekeepers lived in the one room that was both store and dwelling, but they did not seem to be troubled when they noticed chin's black eyes following them. in one store a hammock hung from the ceiling and a baby was swinging there. what did he care if he was brought up on the street, as one might say? care! he seemed to think the coming and going of so many people was meant all for him, and he laughed and crowed at each new face. "do look, father," said chin, as they passed a barber's shop. "there is a chinaman having his head and eyebrows shaved. he won't be satisfied until his eyelashes have been pulled out. other people have strange fashions, don't they?" his father smiled. "yes, chin, we are all different from each other in this world. but i know one thing in which we are like the chinese. we love kites, don't we?" chin's eyes sparkled. "yes, indeed, father. there is a kite store, now. let us go in and look around. the kites there are beautiful." it is no wonder chin longed to stop. all sorts of kites were there to tempt the passer-by. they were in the shapes of flowers and boats, dragons and elephants, and i can't tell how many other odd or lovely patterns. chin's father was as much interested as his son, and a half-hour was spent before they finally decided on buying a kite in the form of a butterfly. "we will have great sport in flying it this afternoon," said chin. "chie lo must enjoy it with us." he had finished speaking when he caught sight of a procession coming in that direction. a moment before there had been so many children, dogs, and cats in the street they seemed to block the way of everything else; but now the children quickly turned aside and ran into the doorways. as the procession drew near, a great shouting and beating of drums could be heard. "father, look quickly," said chin. "the men are carrying a statue of buddha on a litter. isn't it beautiful? it is all covered with gilt. i wonder where they will carry it. oh, now i see; they have stopped at that open place and are going to have a play. there are the actors themselves." "some rich man is doing this," said chin's father. "he has probably hired the actors, and the show will be free to all. he is making merit for himself, without doubt. we will join the crowd." [illustration: siamese actors.] by this time the gilded statue had been set up on a sort of throne, and sticks of incense were lighted and placed on the rough altar in front of it. the strangest part came now, for the actors began to put on their queer costumes right before the people who had gathered around the show. then came the play. there was neither stage nor curtain; nor was there any scenery, except that of the place itself. but chin and his father enjoyed it as well as the other onlookers. they laughed and looked sad, in turn, and seemed to forget that it was only a play, and not real life, that was pictured before them. when the play was over, chin's father said: "we must go back to the stores, for i have not bought my waist-cloth yet." the place they soon entered was different from any dry-goods store you ever saw. the room was fitted with pigeonholes, in each of which was folded a strip of cloth one yard wide, and three yards long. some of these pa-nungs, or waist-cloths, were of silk, and others of cotton. some were striped, and others figured. they form, as you know, the principal part of the dress of both men and women in siam. after chin's father had looked at a number of the cotton waist-cloths, he finally decided on one that was gaily striped. it was of no use for him to examine anything made of silk. it would cost more than the poor man could afford. "now, for the tailor's," he said. "i must buy thread and needles." a few steps brought them to the tiny shop where the tailor sat, working busily, but on the watch for customers at the same time. he held the cloth on which he was sewing between his toes! that did not seem strange to chin. he had often watched carpenters use their toes to hold boards in place. as to himself, his own toes were put to every possible use, so that you would almost call him four-handed. as his feet were always bare, why shouldn't he make them useful in other ways than walking and running, swimming and playing games? there was no reason at all. "i'm getting hungry, and we are a good ways from home, father. i wish we could buy some cakes." chin looked longingly at a stand under a stone archway where two men stood in front of a movable furnace. square griddles were on the furnace, and the men were busily baking cakes. each one was made in the shape of the figure 8. curlicue cakes, they were called. a crowd of boys was standing as near to the furnace as possible, watching the men. some were buying the cakes as they came from the hot griddle; others had no money and could only look on. each of the bakers held in his hand a terra-cotta bottle with a small hole in the end. he kept the bottle horizontal while he filled it with the batter. when the griddle was hot enough, he held the bottle upright for a moment with his finger over the hole, then, taking his finger away, he passed it quickly over the griddle with the motion you would use in making the figure 8. a minute afterward, a delicious curlicue cake was ready for a customer. "you may treat yourself here, chin," said his father, "while i go to the betel stand yonder, to get my box filled." it was now noon-time, and the sun was very hot. the street, which had been crowded all the morning, was nearly empty. almost every one in the city, except the poorer people, was now taking a midday nap in the shadow of some tree or veranda. "we must go home, chin, for i am warm and tired," said his father, but he smiled pleasantly, for he had enjoyed the morning as much as his son. on their way to the boat they passed some jugglers treading fire and climbing a ladder of sharp knives with their bare feet. at most times, a large crowd would have been gathered around them, but there were few people now. it was too hot, and even chin was glad to leave the city street and get into his little boat once more. perhaps you wonder if there are no carriages in this strange city of the east. there are not many, since, as you remember, most of the travelling is done on the water. but once in a while one sees a queer sort of vehicle called a jinrikisha. it is much like an open buggy on two wheels and is drawn by men. it is more common in the land of chin's japanese cousins, however, than in his country. then, again, if any of chin's people are in a great hurry (but that very seldom happens), they may hire gharries, which are very light and have canvas tops. these are drawn by small horses brought from china. "the gharries are strange things," thinks chin's father; "the idea of using them must have been given by those queer white people, who do not seem to enjoy life as we siamese do. they move so much faster, and are not satisfied to do things in the quiet, happy way of my countrymen." chapter x. the queen's city "i have had a lovely time to-day, too," said chie lo, when chin had told her of his walk through the city. "i sold my fruit in an hour or two, and then pome yik and i went off in my canoe to have a good time by ourselves." chin laughed when his sister mentioned pome yik. she was a curly-headed playmate of chie lo's. the siamese think that straight, wiry hair is the only beautiful kind in the world, and make fun of any one whose hair is even wavy. so the little girl spoken of came to have the nickname pome yik, which means curly-head. her real name was almost forgotten, but, poor child, she didn't enjoy hearing herself called pome yik any more than if it had been "double-toe" or "hunchback," or the name given to any kind of deformed person by the people of her country. "we went several miles before we stopped," chie lo went on. "we passed that big rice plantation, chin, where you often go on errands for father. then we came to a field flooded with water and covered with lotus blossoms. they had been raised for market and the people were busy gathering them. "see, chin, they gave me these to bring home. aren't they beautiful?" chie lo held up a bunch of the great, delicate lilies for her brother to admire. their hearts were golden; the petals, which were of a faint pink near the centre, were of a deep, bright red toward the tips. the flower had a great meaning to these children of siam. it told the story of life, and was sacred to the buddha, who was often pictured sitting on the lotus. why should it mean so much? let us see. the root of the plant lies embedded in the mud. that represents our weak human nature. as the long stems grow, they reach up through the deep water toward the sunlight. that is what we all do, is it not? for we long to do right and seek the light of love and wisdom. at length a wondrous blossom appears on the surface of the water. it is perfect in shape, and beautiful in colour, while its heart is golden, we remember. that is the blossoming of a whole life. the lotus is a fine symbol, we have to admit. but chie lo spoke of the people gathering the lotus for market. of course the flowers could be readily sold, but that was not all. the chinese in the city would be glad to buy the seeds, which they grind and make into cakes. the stems could be cooked and served as a delicious vegetable; the fibres of the leaf-stalks would furnish lamp-wicks. the plant has many uses in the country where it is raised. "father says the king has beautiful lotus ponds in the grounds near the palace," said chin, as he smelled the flowers. "he has seen them, as well as the fountains and statues and lovely gardens." "it must be a grand thing to be a king," replied chie lo, thoughtfully. "they say that the palace is even more wonderful than the grounds around it. "just think of it! the floors are paved with marble and the tables are also of marble. there are all sorts of couches to lie and sit on. these are covered with silks and satins of beautiful colours, and there are pictures on the walls that have been painted to look just like people the king has known. ah! what a sight it must be!" chie lo shut her eyes, as though she might then be able to see what she had been describing. "the city of the royal women is inside all the rest of the king's grounds," said chin. "you know that one must pass through three walls before one can enter it. no man can go there except the king and the priests." "yes, mother has told me about it," answered chie lo. "it is a real city, too, for it contains stores and temples, theatres and markets. there are all sorts of lovely trees and plants, ponds and summer houses. the children must have a fine time in such a lovely place. it must be a grand thing to be born in a king's family." chie lo sighed. "tell me what else you saw beside the lily-fields this morning," said chin, who was quite satisfied to be a free, careless, happy boy, and envied nobody. "when we were still quite a distance from home, we saw some men fishing in the river. they were filling their boats very fast, for they had a wheel set up near the bank. as one of them turned the wheel, their nets were spread out and sunk in the water. the other men darted right and left in their boats, shouting and beating drums, and making a great noise. the frightened fishes must have been driven into the nets in great numbers, for the men were obliged to pull hard to lift them into the boats." "that is an easy way," said chin. "there is a good deal of sport in it, too, for father and i fished with a wheel once, and i liked it for a change. but see, there's father now. let's go to meet him." chapter xi. the monsoon "it's coming! it's coming!" cried chin, as he sat on the floating platform of his home. as soon as he said these words, he jumped up and followed chie lo and the rest of the family into the house. they all moved faster than usual, for it was a time to hurry, if there ever was such a time in siam. the sky had been black and overcast with clouds for two or three days, giving warning to the people that the monsoon was drawing near, but now the wind began to blow, which told its arrival. did they fear? surely not. they were only too glad there was a rest from the burning sunshine and the clouds of dust. unless rain should come soon, the sugar-cane would dry up and immense crops would be lost. the fruits would shrivel and many people would become poor. but now all could take refreshing sleep after they had prepared for the yearly storm. chin had helped his father mend the roof of the little home. the clusters of loose leaves were pulled out, and fresh ones fastened securely in their places. heavy stones were laid here and there on the roof to make it safe when the gusts of wind should strike it. the doors and window-casings must also be fastened tightly. as for chie lo and her mother, they had been very busy carrying all the jars and baskets inside the house. the mats, on which spices had been drying, must also be put in a safe place. in fact, everything that was loose must be made tight. the canoes were lifted from the water, and placed on that side of the platform which would be protected from the rising wind. now it was coming, as chin said. the cocoanut and mango-trees on the shore began to rustle; leaves were flying in the air; the crows were hastening to safe resting-places. then, all of a sudden, the rain fell in sheets, the thunder rolled through the heavens, lightning flashed right and left, and the wind roared as though in fierce anger. but chin and chie lo sat in a snug corner of the kitchen and felt little fear. "they say that a giant lives far up in the air, and when he gets angry with his wife and chases her, we hear the thunder in the sky," whispered chie lo. "he isn't angry with us, anyway," said chin. "listen, chie lo. how our house rocks! but it is fastened tightly, so we are all right, and the wind won't keep up this way very long." after an hour or two the storm passed by, and the blackness departed from the sky. this was only the beginning of the fall rains, however. before the night was over, chin waked up to hear the downpour on the roof. he went to sleep in a few moments, saying to himself, "rain, rain, rain, for a week at least. i will make up now for the nights i couldn't rest." if chin had been kept from sleeping, you may well believe it had been very hot and uncomfortable. the next day there was little to do. chin's father did not care to venture out in the heavy rain, and spent a good deal of the time in taking refreshing naps. but when he was awake the children got him to tell stories of the wonderful country in which they lived. he had never been in the jungle himself, but several of his friends were hunters who had met the wild elephant and the tiger in the deep forests. they had chased the wildcat, and had had narrow escapes from the rhinoceros and the deadly cobra. "did you ever see a cobra yourself, father?" asked chin, as he listened to the stories with wide-open eyes. "yes, indeed. it was only the other day that i watched a snake-charmer, who wound a cobra around his arm." "please tell us about it," cried his son. "i wish i could have seen him. wasn't he the least bit afraid?" "if he had been, he would probably have lost his life," was the answer. "he charmed the creature with music, while he swayed his body back and forth as he played. the serpent followed his motions as it listened to the strange sounds. of course the man played with only one hand. he seized the cobra's neck with the other, after which he took out its teeth and venom-bag. when this was done the cobra was no more harmful than your kitten." "how did he do it, father?" "it was not very hard work, for he used a pair of pincers. coolness is the most important thing. we should remember to be calm in all things, my son." "yes, i must remember that, for i will soon be old enough to have my hair cut, and you will call me a man." "i hope i can afford to have a fine celebration. chin, you will go to the temple, of course. the seven steps of the altar will be covered with fresh banana leaves, and figures of angels and animals will be placed there." "do i have to walk around the altar three times, holding a wax candle in my hand?" "yes, chin, and then your friends will take the other candles and blow the lights out directly over your head. "after that you will be given a fresh cocoanut and a cup containing pieces of money. music will come next." "it will be the great time of my life, father. i must think about it and get ready for it." "there are many kinds of people in our city, chin. there are the chinese, who live here in great numbers; there are hindus with pride in themselves; there are the white people who come here on business, or to teach their religion to those who will listen. but chin, we are siamese, and we like the ways of our own country. we hear of different fashions, but ours are still the best to us." the end. =the little colonel books= (trade mark) _by annie fellows johnston_ _each 1 vol., large 12mo, cloth, illustrated, per vol._ $1.50 =the little colonel stories= (trade mark) being three "little colonel" stories in the cosy corner series, "the little colonel," "two little knights of kentucky," and "the giant scissors," in a single volume. =the little colonel's house party= (trade mark) =the little colonel's holidays= (trade mark) =the little colonel's hero= (trade mark) =the little colonel at boarding-school= (trade mark) =the little colonel in arizona= (trade mark) =the little colonel's christmas vacation= (trade mark) =the little colonel, maid of honor= (trade mark) =the little colonel's knight comes riding= (trade mark) =mary ware: the little colonel's chum= (trade mark) =mary ware in texas= =mary ware's promised land= _these 12 volumes, boxed as a set, $18.00._ =the little colonel= (trade mark) =two little knights of kentucky= =the giant scissors= =big brother= special holiday editions each one volume, cloth decorative, small quarto, $1.25 new plates, handsomely illustrated with eight full-page drawings in color, and many marginal sketches. =in the desert of waiting:= the legend of camelback mountain. =the three weavers:= a fairy tale for fathers and mothers as well as for their daughters. =keeping tryst= =the legend of the bleeding heart= =the rescue of princess winsome:= a fairy play for old and young. =the jester's sword= each one volume, tall 16mo, cloth decorative $0.50 paper boards .35 there has been a constant demand for publication in separate form of these six stories which were originally included in six of the "little colonel" books. =joel: a boy of galilee:= by annie fellows johnston. illustrated by l. j. bridgman. new illustrated edition, uniform with the little colonel books, 1 vol., large 12mo, cloth decorative $1.50 a story of the time of christ, which is one of the author's best-known books. =the little colonel good times book= uniform in size with the little colonel series $1.50 bound in white kid (morocco) and gold 3.00 cover design and decorations by peter verberg. published in response to many inquiries from readers of the little colonel books as to where they could obtain a "good times book" such as betty kept. =the little colonel doll book= large quarto, boards $1.50 a series of "little colonel" dolls. there are many of them and each has several changes of costume, so that the happy group can be appropriately clad for the rehearsal of any scene or incident in the series. =asa holmes;= or, at the cross-roads. by annie fellows johnston. with a frontispiece by ernest fosbery. large 16mo, cloth, gilt top $1.00 "'asa holmes; or, at the cross-roads' is the most delightful, most sympathetic and wholesome book that has been published in a long while."--_boston times._ =travelers five: along life's highway.= by annie fellows johnston. with an introduction by bliss carman, and a frontispiece by e. h. garrett. cloth decorative $1.25 "mrs. johnston's ... are of the character that cause the mind to grow gravely meditative, the eyes to shine with tender mist, and the heart strings to stir to strange, sweet music of human sympathy."--_los angeles graphic._ =the rival campers;= or, the adventures of henry burns. by ruel perley smith. square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 a story of a party of typical american lads, courageous, alert, and athletic, who spend a summer camping on an island off the maine coast. =the rival campers afloat;= or, the prize yacht viking. by ruel perley smith. square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 this book is a continuation of the adventures of "the rival campers" on their prize yacht _viking_. =the rival campers ashore= by ruel perley smith. square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 "as interesting ashore as when afloat."--_the interior._ =the rival campers among the oyster pirates;= or, jack harvey's adventures. by ruel perley smith. illustrated $1.50 "just the type of book which is most popular with lads who are in their early teens."--_the philadelphia item._ =a texas blue bonnet= by emilia elliott. 12mo, illustrated $1.50 "the book's heroine blue bonnet has the very finest kind of wholesome, honest lively girlishness and cannot but make friends with every one who meets her through the book as medium."--_chicago inter-ocean._ =blue bonnet's ranch party= a sequel to "a texas blue bonnet." by emilia elliott. 12mo, illustrated $1.50 the new story begins where the first volume leaves off and takes blue bonnet and the "we are seven club" to the ranch in texas. the tables are completely turned: blue bonnet is here in her natural element, while her friends from woodford have to learn the customs and traditions of another world. =the girls of friendly terrace= or, peggy raymond's success. by harriet lummis smith. 12mo, illustrated $1.50 this is a book that will gladden the hearts of many girl readers because of its charming air of comradeship and reality. it is a very interesting group of girls who live on friendly terrace and their good times and other times are graphically related by the author, who shows a sympathetic knowledge of girl character. famous leaders series _by charles h. l. johnston_ _each, large 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated_ $1.50 =famous cavalry leaders= biographical sketches, with anecdotes and reminiscences, of the heroes of history who were leaders of cavalry. "more of such books should be written, books that acquaint young readers with historical personages in a pleasant informal way."--_n. y. sun._ =famous indian chiefs= in this book mr. johnston gives interesting sketches of the indian braves who have figured with prominence in the history of our own land, including powhatan, the indian cã¦sar; massasoit, the friend of the puritans; pontiac, the red napoleon; tecumseh, the famous war chief of the shawnees; sitting bull, the famous war chief of the sioux; geronimo, the renowned apache chief, etc. =famous privateersmen and adventurers of the sea= in this volume mr. johnston tells interesting stories about the famous sailors of fortune. there are tales of captain otway burns, patriot, privateer and legislator; woodes rogers, scourge of the south sea trade; captain william death, wolf of the ocean; and of many others. =famous scouts= "it is the kind of a book that will have a great fascination for boys and young men and while it entertains them it will also present valuable information in regard to those who have left their impress upon the history of the country."--_the new london day._ =famous frontiersmen and heroes of the border= this book is devoted to a description of the adventurous lives and stirring experiences of many pioneer heroes who were prominently identified with the opening of the great west. the stories of these border heroes are graphically presented, and their desperate battles with indians, border desperadoes, and wild beasts are splendidly told. =beautiful joe's paradise;= or, the island of brotherly love. a sequel to "beautiful joe." by marshall saunders, author of "beautiful joe." one vol., library 12mo, cloth illustrated $1.50 "this book revives the spirit of 'beautiful joe' capitally. it is fairly riotous with fun, and is about as unusual as anything in the animal book line that has seen the light."--_philadelphia item._ ='tilda jane.= by marshall saunders. one vol., 12mo, fully illustrated, cloth decorative, $1.50 "i cannot think of any better book for children than this. i commend it unreservedly."--_cyrus t. brady._ ='tilda jane's orphans.= a sequel to "'tilda jane." by marshall saunders. one vol., 12mo, fully illustrated, cloth decorative, $1.50 'tilda jane is the same original, delightful girl, and as fond of her animal pets as ever. ='tilda jane in california.= a sequel to "'tilda jane," and "'tilda jane's orphans." by marshall saunders. one vol., 12mo, fully illustrated, cloth decorative, $1.50 the scene of the story is sunny california, where the heroine, 'tilda jane, an eastern girl of high resolves and warm impulses, goes on a long visit to distant relatives. many of the other beloved characters in the previous "'tilda jane" books are introduced in this story. =the story of the gravelys.= by marshall saunders, author of "beautiful joe's paradise," "'tilda jane," etc. library 12mo, cloth decorative. illustrated by e. b. barry $1.50 here we have the haps and mishaps, the trials and triumphs, of a delightful new england family. =born to the blue.= by florence kimball russel. 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.25 the atmosphere of army life on the plains breathes on every page of this delightful tale. the boy is the son of a captain of u. s. cavalry stationed at a frontier post in the days when our regulars earned the gratitude of a nation. =in west point gray= by florence kimball russel. 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 "singularly enough one of the best books of the year for boys is written by a woman and deals with life at west point. the presentment of life in the famous military academy whence so many heroes have graduated is realistic and enjoyable."--_new york sun._ =the sandman: his farm stories= by william j. hopkins. with fifty illustrations by ada clendenin williamson. large 12mo, decorative cover $1.50 "an amusing, original book, written for the benefit of very small children. it should be one of the most popular of the year's books for reading to small children."--_buffalo express._ =the sandman: more farm stories= by william j. hopkins. large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50 mr. hopkins's first essay at bedtime stories met with such approval that this second book of "sandman" tales was issued for scores of eager children. life on the farm, and out-of-doors, is portrayed in his inimitable manner. =the sandman: his ship stories= by william j. hopkins, author of "the sandman: his farm stories," etc. large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50 "children call for these stories over and over again."--_chicago evening post._ =the sandman: his sea stories= by william j. hopkins. large 12mo, decorative cover, fully illustrated $1.50 each year adds to the popularity of this unique series of stories to be read to the little ones at bed time and at other times. =the doctor's little girl= by marion ames taggart. one vol., library 12mo, illustrated $1.50 a thoroughly enjoyable tale of a little girl and her comrade father, written in a delightful vein of sympathetic comprehension of the child's point of view. "the characters are strongly drawn with a life-like realism, the incidents are well and progressively sequenced, and the action is so well timed that the interest never slackens."--_boston ideas._ =sweet nancy= the further adventures of the doctor's little girl. by marion ames taggart. one vol., library 12mo, illustrated $1.50 in the new book, the author tells how nancy becomes in fact "the doctor's assistant," and continues to shed happiness around her. =nancy, the doctor's little partner= by marion ames taggart. one vol., library 12mo, illustrated $1.50 in nancy porter, miss taggart has created one of the most lovable child characters in recent years. in the new story she is the same bright and cheerful little maid. =nancy porter's opportunity= by marion ames taggart. one vol., library 12mo, illustrated $1.50 already as the "doctor's partner" nancy porter has won the affection of her readers, and in the same lovable manner she continues in the new book to press the key-notes of optimism and good-will. =alma at hadley hall= by louise breitenbach. one vol., 12mo, illustrated $1.50 "this delightful tale of boarding-school life is one that cannot fail to appeal to the lover of good things in girls' books. it will take rank for its naturalness and truth."--_portland press._ =gabriel and the hour book= by evaleen stein. small quarto, cloth decorative, illustrated and decorated in colors by adelaide everhart $1.00 gabriel was a loving, patient, little french lad, who assisted the monks in the long ago days, when all the books were written and illuminated by hand, in the monasteries. "no works in juvenile fiction contain so many of the elements that stir the hearts of children and grown-ups as well as do the stories so admirably told by this author."--_louisville daily courier._ =a little shepherd of provence= by evaleen stein. cloth, 12mo, illustrated by diantha h. marlowe $1.25 "the story should be one of the influences in the life of every child to whom good stories can be made to appeal."--_public ledger._ =the little count of normandy= by evaleen stein. cloth, 12mo, illustrated by john goss $1.25 "this touching and pleasing story is told with a wealth of interest coupled with enlivening descriptions of the country where its scenes are laid and of the people thereof."--_wilmington every evening._ =alys-all-alone= by una macdonald. cloth, 12mo, illustrated $1.50 "this is a most delightful, well-written, heart-stirring, happy ending story, which will gladden the heart of many a reader."--_scranton times._ =alys in happyland.= a sequel to "alys-all alone." by una macdonald. cloth, 12mo, illustrated $1.50 "the book is written with that taste and charm that prepare younger readers for the appreciation of good literature when they are older."--_chicago tribune._ =the red feathers.= by g. e. t. roberts. cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 "the red feathers" tells of the remarkable adventures of an indian boy who lived in the stone age, many years ago, when the world was young. =flying plover.= by g. e. theodore roberts. cloth decorative. illustrated by charles livingston bull $1.00 squat-by-the-fire is a very old and wise indian who lives alone with her grandson, "flying plover," to whom she tells the stories each evening. =comrades of the trails.= by g. e. theodore roberts. cloth decorative. illustrated by charles livingston bull $1.50 the story of a fearless young english lad, dick ramsey, who, after the death of his father, crosses the seas and takes up the life of a hunter in the canadian forests. =marching with morgan.= how donald lovell became a soldier of the revolution. by john v. lane. cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 this is a splendid boy's story of the expedition of montgomery and arnold against quebec. =rodney, the ranger= or, with daniel morgan on trail and battlefield. by john v. lane. cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 young rodney allison, although but fifteen years of age, played a man's part in the troublous times preceding the american revolution and in the war itself. =chinese playmates= by norman h. pitman. small cloth 12mo, illustrated $1.00 a worth-while, happy little story about two little chinese boys, lo-lo and ta-ta, and the strange fortunes that befell them when they wandered from home. =the young section-hand;= or, the adventures of allan west. by burton e. stevenson. square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 mr. stevenson's hero is a manly lad of sixteen, who is given a chance as a section-hand on a big western railroad, and whose experiences are as real as they are thrilling. =the young train dispatcher.= by burton e. stevenson. square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 "a better book for boys has never left an american press."--_springfield union._ =the young train master.= by burton e. stevenson. square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 "nothing better in the way of a book of adventure for boys in which the actualities of life are set forth in a practical way could be devised or written."--_boston herald_. =captain jack lorimer.= by winn standish. square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 jack is a fine example of the all-around american high-school boy. =jack lorimer's champions;= or, sports on land and lake. by winn standish. square 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated $1.50 "it is exactly the sort of book to give a boy interested in athletics, for it shows him what it means to always 'play fair.'"--_chicago tribune._ =jack lorimer's holidays;= or, millvale high in camp. by winn standish. illustrated $1.50 full of just the kind of fun, sports and adventure to excite the healthy minded youngster to emulation. =jack lorimer's substitute=; or, the acting captain of the team. by winn standish. illustrated $1.50 on the sporting side, this book takes up football, wrestling, tobogganing, but it is more of a school story perhaps than any of its predecessors. the little cousin series (trade mark) each one vol., 12mo, decorative cover, cloth, with full-page illustrations in color. price per volume $0.60 _by mary hazelton wade unless otherwise indicated_ =our little african cousin= =our little alaskan cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little arabian cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little argentine cousin= by eva cannon brooks =our little armenian cousin= =our little australian cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little belgian cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little bohemian cousin= by clara v. winlow =our little brazilian cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little canadian cousin= by elizabeth r. macdonald =our little chinese cousin= by isaac taylor headland =our little cuban cousin= =our little danish cousin= by luna may innes =our little dutch cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little egyptian cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little english cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little eskimo cousin= =our little french cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little german cousin= =our little grecian cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little hawaiian cousin= =our little hindu cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little hungarian cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little indian cousin= =our little irish cousin= =our little italian cousin= =our little japanese cousin= =our little jewish cousin= =our little korean cousin= by h. lee m. pike =our little malayan (brown) cousin= =our little mexican cousin= by edward c. butler =our little norwegian cousin= =our little panama cousin= by h. lee m. pike =our little persian cousin= by e. c. shedd =our little philippine cousin= =our little polish cousin= by florence e. mendel =our little porto rican cousin= =our little portuguese cousin= by edith a. sawyer =our little russian cousin= =our little scotch cousin= by blanche mcmanus =our little siamese cousin= =our little spanish cousin= by mary f. nixon-roulet =our little swedish cousin= by claire m. coburn =our little swiss cousin= =our little turkish cousin= cosy corner series it is the intention of the publishers that this series shall contain only the very highest and purest literature,--stories that shall not only appeal to the children themselves, but be appreciated by all those who feel with them in their joys and sorrows. the numerous illustrations in each book are by well-known artists, and each volume has a separate attractive cover design. each 1 vol., 16mo, cloth $0.50 _by annie fellows johnston_ =the little colonel= (trade mark.) the scene of this story is laid in kentucky. its heroine is a small girl, who is known as the little colonel, on account of her fancied resemblance to an old-school southern gentleman, whose fine estate and old family are famous in the region. =the giant scissors= this is the story of joyce and of her adventures in france. joyce is a great friend of the little colonel, and in later volumes shares with her the delightful experiences of the "house party" and the "holidays." =two little knights of kentucky= who were the little colonel's neighbors. in this volume the little colonel returns to us like an old friend, but with added grace and charm. she is not, however, the central figure of the story, that place being taken by the "two little knights." =mildred's inheritance= a delightful little story of a lonely english girl who comes to america and is befriended by a sympathetic american family who are attracted by her beautiful speaking voice. by means of this one gift she is enabled to help a school-girl who has temporarily lost the use of her eyes, and thus finally her life becomes a busy, happy one. =cicely and other stories for girls= the readers of mrs. johnston's charming juveniles will be glad to learn of the issue of this volume for young people. =aunt 'liza's hero and other stories= a collection of six bright little stories, which will appeal to all boys and most girls. =big brother= a story of two boys. the devotion and care of stephen, himself a small boy, for his baby brother, is the theme of the simple tale. =ole mammy's torment= "ole mammy's torment" has been fitly called "a classic of southern life." it relates the haps and mishaps of a small negro lad, and tells how he was led by love and kindness to a knowledge of the right. =the story of dago= in this story mrs. johnston relates the story of dago, a pet monkey, owned jointly by two brothers. dago tells his own story, and the account of his haps and mishaps is both interesting and amusing. =the quilt that jack built= a pleasant little story of a boy's labor of love, and how it changed the course of his life many years after it was accomplished. =flip's islands of providence= a story of a boy's life battle, his early defeat, and his final triumph, well worth the reading. _by edith robinson_ =a little puritan's first christmas= a story of colonial times in boston, telling how christmas was invented by betty sewall, a typical child of the puritans, aided by her brother sam. =a little daughter of liberty= the author introduces this story as follows: "one ride is memorable in the early history of the american revolution, the well-known ride of paul revere. equally deserving of commendation is another ride,--the ride of anthony severn,--which was no less historic in its action or memorable in its consequences." =a loyal little maid= a delightful and interesting story of revolutionary days, in which the child heroine, betsey schuyler, renders important services to george washington. =a little puritan rebel= this is an historical tale of a real girl, during the time when the gallant sir harry vane was governor of massachusetts. =a little puritan pioneer= the scene of this story is laid in the puritan settlement at charlestown. =a little puritan bound girl= a story of boston in puritan days, which is of great interest to youthful readers. =a little puritan cavalier= the story of a "little puritan cavalier" who tried with all his boyish enthusiasm to emulate the spirit and ideals of the dead crusaders. =a puritan knight errant= the story tells of a young lad in colonial times who endeavored to carry out the high ideals of the knights of olden days. _by ouida (louise de la ramee)_ =a dog of flanders= a christmas story too well and favorably known to require description. =the nurnberg stove= this beautiful story has never before been published at a popular price. _by frances margaret fox_ =the little giant's neighbours= a charming nature story of a "little giant" whose neighbors were the creatures of the field and garden. =farmer brown and the birds= a little story which teaches children that the birds are man's best friends. =betty of old mackinaw= a charming story of child life. =brother billy= the story of betty's brother, and some further adventures of betty herself. =mother nature's little ones= curious little sketches describing the early lifetime, or "childhood," of the little creatures out-of-doors. =how christmas came to the mulvaneys= a bright, lifelike little story of a family of poor children with an unlimited capacity for fun and mischief. =the country christmas= miss fox has vividly described the happy surprises that made the occasion so memorable to the mulvaneys, and the funny things the children did in their new environment. * * * * * transcriber's note: obvious punctuation errors repaired. peeps at many lands siam list of volumes in the peeps at many lands series each containing 12 full-page illustrations in colour price +1/6+ each net post free 1/10 burma canada egypt england france holland holy land iceland india italy japan morocco scotland siam south africa south seas switzerland the world containing 37 full-page illustrations in colour price +3/6+ net post free 3/10 published by adam and charles black soho square, london, w. agents america the macmillan company 64 & 66 fifth avenue, new york canada the macmillan company of canada, ltd. 27 richmond street west, toronto india macmillan & company, ltd. macmillan building, bombay 309 bow bazaar street, calcutta australasia oxford university press, melbourne [illustration: a typical canal scene. _chapter ii._] peeps at many lands siam by ernest young, b.sc. head master of the lower school of john lyon, harrow formerly of the education department, siam author of "the kingdom of the yellow robe," etc. with twelve full-page illustrations in colour by edwin a. norbury, r.c.a. london adam and charles black 1908 to my child friend, sybil marjorie cooper, i affectionately dedicate this, my first book for children contents chapter page i. a peep into siamese history 1 ii. in eastern venice 5 iii. down the river 10 iv. the children 15 v. schools 18 vi. amusements 22 vii. the story of buddha 27 viii. the monks 34 ix. the temples 39 x. the shaving of the top-knot 44 xi. houses 48 xii. food and dress 55 xiii. fishing 56 xiv. rice 60 xv. a ploughing ceremony 65 xvi. elephants 69 xvii. white elephants 75 xviii. trial by ordeal 79 list of illustrations by edwin a. norbury, r.c.a. a typical canal scene _frontispiece_ facing page a corner of the grand palace enclosure, bangkok 4 the river market, bangkok 9 the gulf of siam--moonlight 16 a buffalo cart 25 a group of buddhist monks 32 the temple of wat poh 41 mount prabhat 48 a fishing-boat near the island pagoda, paknam 57 the annual rice-ploughing festival 64 an elephant hunt at ayuthia 73 a religious water procession 80 _sketch-map of siam on p. viii._ [illustration: sketch-map of siam.] siam chapter i a peep into siamese history you have doubtless already learned in your history of england that at one time this island home of ours was peopled by wild, uncivilized tribes, who were driven away into the hills of the north and the west by invaders who came to our shores from the lands on the other side of the north sea. at different times, jutes, saxons, danes, and angles poured their warriors upon our coasts, killed the people, burnt their homes, and stole their cattle. and one of these invading tribes, the angles, gave its name to a part of our island, which is to this day known as england--that is, angle-land, the land of the angles. now, in the same way, the people who live in siam at the present time are the descendants of invaders who swept into the country and drove the original inhabitants into the hills. no one is quite certain where the siamese actually came from, but it is likely that their home was upon the mountain-slopes of tibet. their ancestors were a wild and vigorous race who tattooed themselves. they descended from the mountains and settled in china, where they became a peaceable people, living upon their farms, rearing their crops and tending their herds, and perhaps thinking little of war and bloodshed any more. these people are known as the _shans_. then, one day, there came down upon them a great horde of invaders, who drove most of them away from their homes. some stayed behind as slaves; other wanderers travelled to the west and settled in the country we now call burma; and, finally, some of the exiles pushed on to the valleys and hill-sides of northern siam, and these are the people whose descendants we call the siamese. the word "siam" is really the word "shan," the name of the earliest settlers in the land. amongst the first of the european nations to visit this little-known country were the portuguese; and when they came home to europe again, and told their story of the people they had found in further india, they both spelled and pronounced the word "shan" as "siam," and that is how we get the name. the siamese never call themselves by this name. the native name for the people is "thai," which means "free," and the country of siam is to them always "muang thai"--that is, "the land of the free." we shall not stay here to tell the long story of how the siamese, in the course of many hundreds of years, have fought all the people upon their borders--those who live in cambodia, pegu, annam, and burma. this history is full of curious stories of brave and cruel men, two of whom deserve just a word or two here. about the time when charles ii. was reigning in england, a greek named constantine phaulkon arrived in siam. he had been wrecked, together with a number of siamese officials, upon the coast of india, and they had invited him to visit their country. he accepted the invitation, and they introduced him to the king. phaulkon was a very clever man, and he became the chief friend and adviser of the sovereign. he built a fort and a palace, and round the town that was then the capital he erected a wall, which was strengthened at intervals by small towers. the ruins of the palace built by this greek are still to be seen in the old city. phaulkon grew so powerful that the siamese princes and nobles got jealous, and when the king became sick, so that he could no longer hold the reins of power, the angry princes and their friends made up their minds to get rid of the king's foreign favourite. one dark night phaulkon was summoned to attend a meeting of the chief men of the country. he hurried to the palace, little thinking what was in store for him. on his arrival he was seized and thrown into prison, and finally he was tortured to death. now, about a hundred years later, at a time when george iii. was on the throne of england, and when we were fighting the american colonists because they would not pay the taxes we tried to impose upon them, another foreigner rose to great power in siam. this foreigner was a chinaman, named phya tak. the burmese had invaded siam, and had done a great deal of damage. so phya tak got together an army, composed chiefly of robbers and outlaws, and with these fierce soldiers he drove all the burmese away. when he had achieved this great victory, he came to bangkok, and caused himself to be crowned king of the country; and ever since his day bangkok has been the capital of siam. phya tak did not reign very long, for after a time he became mad. he fled to a monastery and donned the robes of a priest. but this did not help him very much, for the man who had been his chief friend and general murdered the mad king and reigned in his stead. the usurper assumed the crown in 1782, and the sovereign who now rules over the country is his great-grandson. the present king's full name and title is his majesty phrabat somdetch phra paramindr maha chula lon kawn phra chula chom klao chao yu hua. he became king when he was not quite seventeen years of age, and his health at that time was so delicate that at first it was feared he would not live. however, on the day that he was crowned it rained very heavily, and then all his subjects felt very happy indeed; for if it rains when the king is crowned, then will he certainly live for many years. and so it has happened, for he is still alive, having reigned now about twenty-nine years. [illustration: a corner of the grand palace enclosure, bangkok.] chapter ii in eastern venice bangkok, the present capital of siam, has been called "the venice of the east," on account of its innumerable waterways. the whole place is threaded with canals of every possible size and description. there are canals that are like great broad thoroughfares, where huge boats may be seen carrying to and fro rice, fruit, and other products of the fields and orchards; and tiny little water-lanes, where the broad fronds of the graceful coco-nut palm sweep down over the sluggish stream, where green parrots scream at you from amongst green branches, and ugly dark crocodiles lie asleep in the thick and sticky mud. along the sides of the "streets" there are long lines of floating houses in which the people live. each house floats on a big raft, made of separate bundles of bamboo. thus, when the floating foundation begins to rot, the bundles can be replaced one by one without disturbing the people on the raft. the raft is loosely moored to big wooden stakes, which are driven deep in the bed of the river, so that the houses rise and fall with the tide. in front of the house there is always a little platform or veranda, on which the people pass most of their time, and where, if they pretend to keep a shop, they display the goods which they wish to sell. it is on this platform that all the members of the family take their bath. they dip a bucket or can into the water, draw it up, and then pour the contents over their heads. when the occupant of one of these floating dwellings wishes to move, he sends for no furniture van or cart; but he simply shifts his house, his furniture, and his family all at the same time. if he be fairly well-to-do, he hires a steam-launch, and the little vessel goes puffing and screaming up or down the river or the canal, as the case may be, dragging behind it the miniature noah's ark, while on the platform the little ones of the household are to be seen, bubbling over with merriment at the novelty of their experience. if the owner of the house be too poor to hire a steam-launch, he calls to his aid a number of muscular friends and relatives, and then, with the aid of great shovel-shaped paddles, they coax the home away to its new locality. some of the people who live on the water do not inhabit floating houses, but boats, and in these they can travel about from time to time as fancy or business may direct. many people spend the whole of their lives on boats. they are born on a boat, reared on a boat, get their education neglected on a boat, go a-courting on a boat, get married on a boat, and never forsake the water till life is over and they set out on that long mysterious journey, from which no boat or carriage will ever bring them back. there is not much room in a boat, but the inhabitants thereof seem perfectly contented with their lot; in fact, the siamese seem to be always and everywhere perfectly happy and contented: they are one of the merriest and most cheerful people upon the face of the earth. the water population is quite complete in itself, and does not depend upon those who dwell upon the land for any assistance whatever. there are not only floating houses, but floating restaurants, floating theatres, and even floating jails. the water population has its own market-place upon the broad bosom of the great river that sweeps through the centre of the capital. in the market the buyers and sellers are chiefly women, for the women are much cleverer and much more energetic than men. the market begins soon after midnight, and lasts till seven or eight in the morning. during the dark hours of the night the boats are massed together in such a way that scarcely an inch of water can be seen. they are laden with fish, eggs, rice, and fruit. each boat has a little lamp at the prow, and in the soft yellow light that twinkles above the polished surface of the stream, you can catch glimpses of the black-haired, dark-skinned women busy with the vending of their merchandise, and all the time laughing and chattering with the glee of a carefree people. they are just like a party of merry children out on a big picnic. as soon as the sun rises, off home they go, leaving a broad and empty expanse of river where formerly there was a dense crowd of little boats and busy women. [illustration: the river market, bangkok. _page 7._] it very seldom happens that anyone falls overboard; and even if a person does fall into the water it matters but little, for there is no siamese who cannot swim. when the children are ever so tiny, their mothers fasten under their arms a big tin float. then they throw the babies--for they are nothing more--into the warm waters of the canal or river, where they bob up and down like so many animated bits of brown cork upon the surface of the stream. there are, of course, many people who, in the capital especially, live upon land, and of their houses we shall say something in a later chapter. the land part of the capital, except for the palace and the temples, is not very interesting. the new brick houses and streets are very ugly, and the old wooden houses and streets are very smelly. some years ago there was an old horse-tram that used to run from the palace to the place where the steamers are moored. but one day some european engineers changed all that: they put up electric wires, and ran electric trams. the natives were more than a little astonished. they could see a car running along the road, and yet there was neither horse nor man pushing or pulling. it completely passed their understanding to make out how the tramcar managed to get along. at last they came to the conclusion that it must be propelled by spirits. so they knelt down on the ground, and prayed to the spirit in the wheels of the car as they went swiftly and smoothly round. but not many of them ventured to get inside. one evening the king and queen came out of the palace, and went for a ride in the new tram. and what the king had honoured was good enough for his subjects. to-day the cars carry thousands of people in many directions, for tram-lines have been laid through all the principal streets of the capital. there are no native vehicles in the streets. outside the capital there are no roads, and the people travel everywhere by water. when roads were first made in bangkok, and carriages were wanted, the siamese got their vehicles from other countries. from japan they got the _rickshaw_, a kind of big mailcart, with a chinaman between the shafts. the human pony trots along very swiftly, and will carry you quite a long way for a halfpenny. from india they got the _gharry_, a kind of four-wheeler, which is fitted all the way round with sliding windows, something like those in the door of a railway carriage, except that the frames of the windows are oftener filled with venetian shutters than with glass. the driver of the _gharry_ is either a malay or a siamese. he wears a red fez cap and a white linen jacket. when it rains he takes off his clothes and puts them under the seat to keep them dry. as soon as the rain leaves off and the sun comes out again, he stops the carriage, and dresses himself once more. the harness is made of rope, and, as often as not, it breaks. then you have to wait while your coachman goes to the nearest shop or house in order to beg a bit of string wherewith to repair the damage. chapter iii down the river siam has only one great river that is entirely her own. it is marked on english maps as the "menam," but its real name is the "menam chow phya." the word "menam" is made up of two words, _maa_ and _nam_, and means the "mother of the waters." it is the name of every river and stream in the country, and corresponds to our word "river." the menam is not merely the mother of the waters, but of the land also, for all the lower part of siam is one extensive plain, which has been built up by the mud, gravel, and sand brought down from the mountains by the river. suppose we get on board a steamer and sail from bangkok down to the mouth of the menam. the distance from bangkok to the mouth of the river, measured as the crow flies, is only twelve miles, but so much does the river twist and turn that we shall be three hours before we reach the sea. but there is much to be seen in those three hours, and the time passes away merrily enough. [illustration: the gulf of siam--moonlight. _page 10._] everywhere there are boats--boats of all sizes and shapes, and without number. many of these belong to the chinese, and bear upon the prow a very realistic representation of an eye; for, says john chinaman, "if boat no got eye, how can him see?" siamese boats are chiefly canoes, or long, narrow, heavy _rua-changs_. both classes of boats are built of teak, a wood which is plentiful and cheap, and which is not attacked by the so-called "white ant." the canoes are paddled in the ordinary way, but they are very upsettable. many of these will not even sit upright in the water unless someone gets inside. yet great fat men, whose weight sinks the boat to the very edge of the water, and tiny children, whose weight looks little more than nothing, can be seen at all hours of the day darting here and there, like so many flies, on the surface of the water. the _rua-changs_ are larger, and are used for carrying people about from one part of the river to another. they serve the same purpose as our omnibuses. the boatman, who is naked except for a cloth round the loins, stands to his work like a venetian gondolier. he has only one oar, which works in a groove cut in the side of a short pole that is fixed on the edge of the boat. with long graceful sweeps of the heavy oar the boatman both steers and propels his craft at the same time. the passengers are squatting under paper umbrellas, which keep off a little of the heat of the sun, and blinking behind the blue spectacles that guard their eyes from the powerful and painful reflection of the sun upon the shining waters. as the capital is left behind the houses get fewer and fewer along the banks, and the trees come right down to the edge of the river. on either side of us, as the mouth is neared, there are dreary salt marshes, which are often flooded by the sea when the tides are high. on the banks, the fern-like attap-palm, that lover of the mud, bends over in graceful curves to dip the ends of its long fronds in the dirty water. just behind, on firmer ground, rise the stately coco-nut and areca-nut palms. an eastern saying states: "the coco-nut will not thrive far from the sound of the human voice." whether the coco-nut loves the sound of the siamese voice or not it is, perhaps, not possible to say, but certain it is that the siamese loves the coco-nut palm, on account of the many useful things that he can get from it. the young coco-nut is quite a different thing from that seen in our shops about christmas-time. in its early stages it resembles a huge, unripe green plum. outside there is a smooth green skin, like that on the outside of the plum. under the skin is a layer of thick white woody fibres, that corresponds to the unripe part of the plum; and inside all there is a kernel, corresponding to the kernel of the plum. at this stage there is very little flesh in the nut, but a large supply of cool, sweet milk, which makes a very delicious drink. if you want a coco-nut, you just climb up a tree and take one. the owner of the tree will not mind, and he would be neither surprised nor angry if you were even to go and ask him for the loan of a knife wherewith to cut down his own coco-nuts. when the fruit is ripe, the woody mass changes to a tangle of brown fibres, that are stripped off to make coco-nut matting and other articles, and the kernel ripens into the nut as we know it in the english market. by this time we are at the mouth of the river. here the current of the river meets the sea. that current is bearing with it tons of fine sand and soil. but the sea seems to say to the river, "thus far, and no farther." and so here all the muddy stuff in the river water is deposited. in this way a bar has been formed, which blocks the river mouth. at low tide there are only three feet of water over it, and even during the highest tides there is never more than fifteen feet of water on the bar. hence very big steamers can never enter the chow phya, but have to load and unload their cargoes by means of smaller boats, called "lighters." about fifty years ago, when the siamese were fighting the people of cambodia, they filled four large junks with stones, and sank them in the river mouth to prevent the ships of their enemy from reaching the capital. the junks have long since decayed, but the stones have become welded together into such a heavy, solid mass that it would take several charges of dynamite to remove the obstruction. the first steamer ever seen on the menam belonged to a scotchman, who imported it from england because the king wanted to see one of the "fire-ships" that he had heard so much about. when it arrived, the scotchman and the king quarrelled about the price, and the boat was sent away again. but the next year the king's brother built a "steamer" without the help of any european at all, just to show how clever he was, and how they could do quite well without the scotchman's boat. the new vessel was forty-two feet long, and she had a funnel like a steamer; but this was all a sham, for there were no fires or boilers. instead, there were paddle-wheels hidden inside the boat, and these were turned round by siamese serfs, who worked them after the fashion of a treadmill. everybody was hugely delighted, and the people were quite sure that the boat was far superior to that which any european could possibly have made. however, in 1855 the siamese did really build a steamboat, though they obtained the engines from new york. when the vessel was launched they had a grand ceremony. the stern was decorated with the crown and the royal umbrellas, and the deck-house was set apart for his majesty's use. the paddle-wheels were decorated with gold, and on the main mast flew the royal standard. the builder was appointed captain, and so pleased was the king with his new ship that he ordered three more vessels to be built, one of which carried guns and was used for hunting pirates. the chief attraction at the mouth of the river is a magnificent pagoda, known as "the shrine in the middle of the waters." it stands on a little island, is built of whitewashed stone and bricks, and is surrounded by the buildings of the temple of which it forms a part. here every year boat-races are held, which provide a great deal of amusement, for by the rules of the game you are allowed to upset your opponent if you can. hence the main idea is first to ram your rival's boat, and then, while the crew are struggling in the water, to scuttle off as fast as you can go. chapter iv the children siamese children can only be described in the language that an english mother uses about her own small ones as they tumble over one another in the nursery or in the garden--they are just "little dears." they laugh merrily, avoid quarrelling, either in words or with blows, and are most unselfish. the boy who has a new bicycle or a new watch will lend it in turn to each of his playmates, quite content to see them enjoying what was given to him for his own personal amusement. at first sight the children, with their straight black hair and their brown faces, strike the white man as being rather funny-looking little creatures. but after a while, when one has seen more of them, it is recognised that they possess a distinct charm and beauty of their own. their features are quite different from those of the european, because they belong to a different race of people. the siamese are _mongols_, as are also the people of japan, china, burma, and tibet. their complexion varies from a lightish yellow to dark brown. their faces are rather broad and flat; their cheek-bones stand out prominently; their noses are small; their hair is long, lank, and jet-black; and their eyes are small and set obliquely. most siamese children have very merry eyes--eyes that have got a perpetual twinkle in them, and more than a suggestion of mischief and roguishness. about a month after a child is born the little hair that is upon the head is shaved off. a little later the new arrival receives a name. at first every baby, whether a boy or a girl, has the same name. this common name is "dang," which means "red." "yellow" would be a better name, for all the babies are rubbed from head to foot with a yellow paste, which produces a very bilious appearance. this yellow powder is supposed to keep away mosquitoes, and as the dogs and cats are often powdered as well as the babies, you may frequently see a yellow set of wee creatures--animals and babies--rolling about together in the most laughable fashion. names are often changed, so that a boy who is "leam" to-day may be called "chua" to-morrow. sometimes the name is changed because it is thought to be unlucky. if "chua" is ill, the chances are that there are certain spirits who do not like his name, so the parents alter his name to "mee," or something else, and then he gets well again. smoking is commenced at a very early age, and every little boy has his own tobacco supply and packet of cigarette-papers. as he trots to school in the morning he puffs away vigorously, occasionally passing his cigarette to a friend that he also may take a few whiffs. if the cigarette is not finished when he arrives at school, he pinches off the hot end and puts the rest behind one of his ears, as we might put a pencil or a pen. as soon as school is over out come the matches and the cigarettes again, and the little chimney puffs off home to lunch. when the siamese young folks get up in the morning, they do not go to the washstand to wash their hands and faces, for the simple reason that there are no washstands. they go outside the house to a large jar of water, and then throw the water over hands and faces with a coco-nut dipper. no towels are used, as the hot air soon dries up the water. the teeth are not brushed, for they have been stained black, and it would be a pity to wash the colour off. the hair is not combed, as it has all been shaved except for a little tuft on the top of the head, and that is tied in a knot, and not often combed. when breakfast is over the children go off to play, the baby being carried by the big sister, not in the arms, but sitting on the hip of the bearer, as on a pony. the girls play at keeping houses. they make dishes of clay and mud, and dry them in the sun; gather herbs, and flowers, and weeds, and pretend that these are cakes and sweetmeats. for dolls they use small clay images that have been whitewashed. the dolls are put in tiny cradles and covered over with scraps of cloth. the cradles are made of network fixed on to a small oblong frame, like a picture-frame. the boys go fishing for crabs in the mud, and when the baskets are full of crabs, they pelt one another with warm, soft mud, just as we pelt one another with snow in the winter-time. when they feel sufficiently tired and dirty, they take a plunge into the water, and come up again clean, smiling, and happy. there are many games played both by men and boys, and about some of these you will hear in a later chapter. the siamese children are very obedient and respectful to their parents, teachers, and those who are older than themselves. they never dream of arguing with those set in authority over them. they respect rank as well as age, but they have at the same time a certain amount of independence of character which prevents them becoming servile. chapter v schools siamese children, when very young, are but little troubled by either clothes or schools. they spend their time riding on buffaloes, climbing trees, smoking cigarettes, paddling canoes, eating and sleeping. but at some time in life many boys go to school. there is no compulsion. if a boy does not want to go, he can stay away. yet most boys, both in the remote country districts and in the busy, crowded capital, have learned something. perhaps the delights of climbing trees and smoking cigarettes pall after a time, or perhaps the boy is ambitious, and wants to get on in the world. if so, he must at least learn to read, write, and "do sums." whatever be the reason, it does happen that practically every siamese boy goes to school. his attendance is not regular and not punctual, but in the course of a few years he manages to learn certain things that are of use to him. siamese schools are situated in the cool, shady grounds of the temple. they are generally plain sheds or outhouses. the teachers are usually the priests, but here and there a lay head master may be found. in such a case the master, like the boys, is not overburdened with clothes. a piece of cloth is draped about his legs, but the upper part of his body is generally bare. if he possesses a white linen coat, such as europeans wear in a hot country, he takes it off when he enters the building and hangs it up, so that it shall not get dirty while he is teaching. he generally smokes the whole time, and when he is not smoking he is chewing betel-nut. the children sit cross-legged on the ground, tailor-fashion. there are no chairs or desks, and if there were the children would sit cross-legged upon them just the same. all learn to read. now the siamese language is what is called a _tonic_ language--that is, the meaning of any word depends on the _tone_ with which it is pronounced. for instance, the word _ma_ can be pronounced in three ways, and has, therefore, three meanings--namely, "come," "horse," and "dog." if, therefore, you called out to a friend, "come here!" in the wrong tones, you might insult him by saying, "dog, here!" and so on. you might wish to say to a farmer, "can i walk across your _field_?" if you were to pronounce the last word in the wrong tone, it might mean, "can i walk across your _face_?" a request that might lead to trouble, especially if the farmer were a big man. some of the syllables have as many as five tones, and the foreigner finds it exceedingly difficult to express his meaning correctly. as the correct meaning of a word depends on the particular accent with which it is uttered, all reading must be done aloud to be enjoyed. each scholar in the school learns his own particular page or lesson independently of the others, and the many voices blend into one, rising and falling from time to time in a not unmusical hum, sometimes loud and full, when the master is vigilant and the scholars are energetic; often soft and feeble, when the master is dreaming on the floor or lounging in the sun, and his pupils are getting weary of their monotonous task. slates and pencils are used for writing, though the best pupils use lead pencils. in a village school ink is never seen. arithmetic up to short division is taught in some schools, but in many others no arithmetic at all is taught, for the simple reason that the teacher does not know any. as for bills of parcels and recurring decimals, and all the other horrible things that men do with figures, they are unknown and undreamt of. sometimes a little grammar is learned if the master knows anything of the subject, and all who expect to be thought wise must learn pages of the sacred books off by heart, and must be able to repeat them without hesitation or error. they do not understand a word of what they are saying, for the sacred books are written in a dead language that nobody speaks and few understand. and that is all. there is no geography, history, or science. there are no workshops, laboratories, or drawing-classes. there is no furniture of any description, no diagrams, blackboards, or desks. i once went into a school, where i saw each child sitting placidly on the ground with a small box in front of him, on which he placed his slate or book. it was a curious sight. there were about forty of these boxes, all procured in the native market, and bearing on their sides varied announcements as to the excellence of pear's soap and cadbury's cocoa. the school opens at nine. the boys arrive between ten and eleven, and the head master puts in his appearance when he has finished his breakfast. the only part of the unwritten time-table that is punctually kept is the time for closing. in the capital there are now a number of schools that are quite well organized and taught, and even in some of the villages things are slowly improving. where english masters are employed some attempt has been made to teach english games. to these the boys take very quickly. cricket is the favourite game, and some of the boys soon become as clever as their teachers. i shall never forget the first cricket-match, played between a team of siamese boys and a number of young hindus who had picked up the game in india. each side brought a crowd of spectators of its own nationality. under one clump of trees the swarthy hindu crowd were gathered, wearing clean turbans and long picturesque robes, with their eyes all aglow and their faces all afire with excitement. near at hand the lighter-coloured, more sparsely clad siamese congregated, less excitable, but more genial and pleasant to look upon. everywhere gathered the dealers in cigarettes, the carriers of teapots, the vendors of ginger-beer and curry. the game baffles description, but i can never think of it without remembering the policeman in the road, who got hit on the bare foot with the ball, and refused to restore it until two-and-twenty cricketers, in various dialects and with yet more varied actions, managed to persuade the wounded officer that they had never meant to hurt him. chapter vi amusements the siamese have practically no games which, like football and hockey, involve a great deal of physical exertion. they like to take their pleasures quietly, on account of the great heat. the chief amusement is gambling in some form or other. little boys catch crickets, and bring them to school in match-boxes. in play-time they dig a little hole in the ground, put the crickets in the hole, and make them fight, meanwhile betting their knives, cigarettes, and other small possessions on the result of the combat. sometimes there are cock-fights. as there are few or no watches with which to time the rounds, a time-measurer of another kind is used. this consists of a small bowl that floats in water. there is a little hole in the bottom of the bowl, through which water slowly enters. when the bowl is filled to a certain point it sinks, and then the round is over. perhaps the most curious of the contests that are employed as means of gambling is that between two fighting fish. the fighting fish is a species of small carp about the size of a stickleback. it has beautiful peacock-blue sides and ruby-coloured fins. these fish are kept in glass bottles, and are trained to attack their own image as seen in a looking-glass. when two of them meet each other in a big bowl of water, the way in which they manoeuvre to get hold of one another is most ridiculous, and the way they bite whenever they get the chance is perfectly atrocious. all the time the fight is going on the spectators lay wagers on the result. in march, when the winds are strong, kite-flying is indulged in by grown-up people as well as children. there is always great excitement at a kite-flying contest. two men stand close together. one man sends his kite up, and when it is well in the air the second man sends his aloft. the kites have no tails, but they fly steadily. when the two kites are near each other, one man gives his string a peculiar jerk. this makes his kite jump over the other one, descend a little way, and then come up on the other side. in this way the strings attached to the two kites get entangled. by alternately pulling in and releasing the strings they are made to saw one another. the man whose kite-string is first cut through loses the game. on many of the kites whistles are fastened, and as the kites sweep through the air shrill piercing sounds accompany their flight. another popular amusement is "football," which is nothing like our game of the same name. the ball is only about six or seven inches in diameter. it is very light, as it is made of a few pieces of twisted cane. any number of people can play, from two upwards. the players stand in a ring facing each other. one of them sends the ball into the air, and the person nearest to it, when it descends, must send it up again. he may do this with his head, shoulder, knee, or foot, but he must not touch the ball with his hands. if the ball falls just behind the player's back, he judges the distance without turning round, catches the ball on the back of his heel, and so brings it back into the circle and towards another player. there are no goals, and, in fact, no scoring of any kind. the game ends when the players are tired. sometimes a weary one will drop out of the game, lie down for a while for a rest, and then rejoin the circle when he feels refreshed. new-comers may join the game at any moment. about the only amusement not associated with gambling is the theatre. there is only one fixed theatre in the capital. in the days when there was neither gas nor electric light it was only open on moonlit nights, for without the light of the moon the people would have had to go home in the dark. as a rule, theatrical performances take place at private houses at times of weddings, or funerals, or on other occasions of private rejoicing or sorrow. [illustration: a buffalo cart.] there are no men players except the clowns. the other parts are taken by women. the plays, if acted from beginning to end, would last for weeks; but, as everybody knows the whole of every drama, only small portions are acted at a time. the better the people know the selection that is played, the better they like it. the actresses move about from one side of the stage to the other, twisting their heads, arms, and legs about in a slow and curious fashion, which is their way of dancing. they do not speak. the story is told by a chorus of people, who screech out the tale, to the accompaniment of the weirdest of bands. it sounds like a mixture of drums, brass trays, and bagpipes. as a fixed theatre is not necessary, the plays can be acted anywhere. a space for the stage is marked out on the ground with mats. round the mats sit the band and the chorus. the spectators sit or stand quite near the players, and sometimes an odd baby gets loose, and wanders about amongst the feet of the angels and demons, who are strutting quaintly in the mat-encircled area. when the man who beats the drums or bangs the brass trays has had enough, some little boy in the audience will come and take his place, and so allow the weary musician a little rest. there is of course, no scenery, and the audience has to draw very largely on its imagination as the performance proceeds. suppose that a siamese company were going to play "robinson crusoe." this is the kind of thing that would happen. one actress would come on the stage with a pole fastened to her chest. from the top of a pole a little flag would fly. the rest of the troupe would stand, two by two, behind the maiden with the pole. last of all would come another actress, bearing another pole and flag, and with a rudder tied to her back. the long string of people gathered together in this way would represent a ship and its passengers. the voyage would now begin by the company rolling round the edges of the mats in a very slow and measured manner. presently the storm would arise. the drummers would bang, the brass-tray beaters would hammer, and the bagpipe-blowing gentlemen would nearly burst themselves. the chorus would howl, and all the little boys and girls in the audience would join in, and outdo the professional howlers easily, as you may imagine. everyone would fall flat down on the stage, and that would be a shipwreck. in a second or two the drowned sailors would get up and walk off the stage, and no one would think it at all funny. poor old robinson, left to himself, would find the goat, and the goat would be one of the actresses, who would walk about on two legs, wearing a mask that would look just as much like a monkey as a goat, and with two horns on her head. the goat would circulate about the stage, dancing exactly like a human being, and the spectators would help the actress by believing that she really was a goat, and so everybody would be satisfied. when robinson wanted to hide himself in a wood, he would walk to the edge of the stage, and hold a branch of a tree in front of his face. this would mean that he was quite hidden. if anyone pretended to see him, they would probably hear some very rude remarks from the rest of the audience, who would not wish to have their innocent amusement spoiled by a clever young critic. chapter vii the story of buddha the religion of the siamese is buddhism. it is so called after the buddha who was its founder and first missionary. the buddha lived so many, many years ago that we know very little about him. for centuries after his death wonderful stories were told about his power, his kindness, and his great wisdom. as the stories passed from mouth to mouth they became more and more marvellous, and at the present time there are scores of tales about him that are little better than fairy-stories. in the following account of this great and holy man the known facts of his life and some of the legends about himself and his doings are interwoven. it must be remembered that the buddha was a man who did actually live upon the earth, and that, though the fables about him are unbelievable by us, yet these fables are useful as showing us what other people thought about their wise and saintly teacher. about five hundred years before the birth of christ the buddha was born at a small village in india, only a few days' journey from benares, the sacred city of the hindus. his father was the rajah of the tribe of sakyas. the boy's family name was gautama, and under this name we shall oftenest speak of him in this chapter. but his followers never use the name gautama, thinking it too familiar and intimate. they always speak of him under some title, such as "the lion of the tribe of sakya," "the happy one," "the conqueror," "the lord of the world," "the king of righteousness," and so on. when he was only seven days old his mother died, and he was brought up by his aunt. the boy was quiet and thoughtful, and seemed to take no pleasure in hunting or in practising any of those exercises which would fit him to lead his tribe in war. his friends and relatives and the great sakya nobles were very cross at this, because they feared that, when their enemies should attack them, the young prince would be found unequal to lead them in their conflicts. so they went to his father, and complained that the boy did nothing but follow his own pleasures, and that he learned nothing useful. when gautama heard of this, he asked the king, his father, to fix a day on which he could show his skill and strength in all the manly arts. on the appointed day thousands of people thronged to the place that had been chosen to see what the prince could do. he surprised every one, for he could ride the fiercest horses and fling the heaviest spears. he shot arrows with a bow that 1,000 men could not bend, and the sound of whose twanging was heard 7,000 miles away. after this the people held their peace and wondered. when he was nineteen he married his cousin, a girl singularly beautiful and good. for the next ten years after that we know nothing at all about him, but we are sure that he lived a quiet, peaceful life, treating all around him with gentleness and courtesy, and thinking little about sickness or sorrow. one day, when he was about twenty-nine years old, he was driving to the pleasure-grounds when he saw a man broken down by age--weak, poor, and miserable--and he asked the man who was driving his chariot to explain the sight. to which the charioteer replied that all men who live to a great age become weak in mind and body, just like the poor old wreck they had seen in the street. another day he saw a man suffering from disease, and again the charioteer explained that all men have to suffer pain. a few days later he saw a dead body, and learned for the first time--a fact that had been kept from him through all the days of his childhood and his manhood even up to that hour--that all human beings must die. gautama was very sad when he thought of the misery that there is in the world, and he began to wonder if it could not all be done away with. he made up his mind to go away secretly and become a hermit. he would live away from towns and crowds, and see if he could not discover a way to lessen the sorrows of his fellow-men. just about this time his son was born. he loved this son very dearly, but he thought that if he were to find the path to happiness, he would have to free himself from all earthly ties and relations. one night he went into the room where his wife lay sleeping. there, in the dim yellow light of the lamp, he saw the mother and the child. the mother's hand rested caressingly on the head of the little baby; flowers were strewn upon the floor and around the bed. he wanted to take the tiny mite in his arms and kiss it ere he went away; but he was afraid of waking either of the slumberers, so he took one last, long, loving look at them both, and then fled into the night, accompanied only by channa, his charioteer. under the full light of the july moon he sped away, having given up his home, his wealth, and his dear ones to become an outcast and a wanderer. then there appeared to him mara, the evil one, who tempted him to give up his plans for a lonely life. mara promised him, if he would return to wealth and worldly ease, to make him in seven days the sole ruler of the world. but gautama was not to be persuaded, and the evil one was defeated. the prince and the charioteer rode on for many miles until they came to the banks of a certain river. there gautama stopped. taking his sword, he cut off his long flowing locks and gave them to channa, telling him to take them, his horse, and his ornaments back to the town of his birth, in order that his friends and his relatives might know exactly what had happened to him. channa was loath to leave his master, but was obliged to obey him. when channa had departed, gautama sought the caves where the hermits dwelt. there he stayed a while, fasting and doing penance, in the hope of finding out in this way the true road to happiness and righteousness. so long did he go without food, and so severely did he inflict torture on himself, that one day he fell down exhausted. every one thought he was dead, but he recovered after a little while. it seemed to him, when he once more regained consciousness, that this life of self-denial and hardship did not lead to that which he was seeking. so he left off fasting, and took his food again like an ordinary man. this disgusted the few disciples who had been living with him in retirement, and they all fled away and left him to himself. when they had gone, he strolled down to the banks of the neighbouring river. as he went along, the daughter of one of the villagers offered him some food. he took it, and sat down under the shade of a large tree. this tree is known to all buddhists as the bo-tree, and is as sacred to them as the cross is to christians. while sitting under the tree, gautama thought seriously about the past and the future. he felt very disappointed with his failure and at the loss of his late friends. the evil one came to him again, and whispered to him of love and power, of wealth and honour, and urged him to seek his home, his wife, and his child. for forty-nine days and nights gautama sat under the bo-tree, his mind torn with the conflict as to what was his duty. at the end of that time his doubts vanished, his mind cleared, the storm was over, and he had become the "buddha"--that is, the "enlightened one." he knew now that it was his duty to go and preach to people the way to happiness and peace, to show them how to avoid misery, and how to conquer even death itself. it would take too long now to tell you what it was that the buddha preached to those who would listen to him. some time when you are older you must read this for yourself in another book. gautama now returned to benares, and addressed a great crowd of angels, men, and animals. each man in the multitude, no matter what his language might be, understood the words of the speaker, and even the birds of the air and the beasts of the field knew that the wise man spoke to them, too. he remained in the neighbourhood of benares for a long time, gathering round him a number of men and women, who were determined to do as he told them. when the rainy season was over, he dismissed them, sending them away in all directions to carry his gospel to whomsoever they should meet. he himself went to his native land, his father having sent to say that he was now old, and would like to see his son again before he died. his uncles were very angry with him, and when he arrived at the town where his father lived, they offered him no food. so in the early morning he took his begging-bowl and went out to beg his daily meal. when his father heard of this he was very cross, for he thought it a disgrace that the king's son should walk like a common beggar from house to house asking alms. the king met the buddha and reproached him, but anger soon was lost in love, and the father, taking the son's bowl, led him to the palace. the people in the palace crowded to meet them. but gautama's wife remained in her own room waiting for him to come to her, in a place where she could welcome him alone. presently he asked for her, and, learning where she was, he went to see her, accompanied by a few disciples. as soon as his wife saw him, she fell weeping at his feet. somehow she knew, almost without looking at him, that he was changed, that he was wiser and holier than any man she had ever met. after a time he spoke to her of his message to men, and she listened earnestly to his words. she accepted his teaching, and asked to be allowed to become a nun. the buddha was not at first inclined to permit this, but at last he yielded to her entreaties, and his wife became one of the first of the buddhist nuns. for forty-five years the buddha worked as a missionary in the valley of the ganges, till the time of his end came, and he passed away from earth. as he lay dying, he said to his cousin ananda, who had been a loving and faithful disciple, "o ananda, do not let yourself be troubled; do not weep. have i not told you that we must part from all we hold most dear and pleasant? for a long time, ananda, you have been very near to me by kindness in act, and word, and thoughtfulness. you have always done well." and again speaking to the same disciple, he exclaimed, "you may perhaps begin to think that the word is ended now that your teacher is gone; but you must not think so. after i am dead let the law and the rules of the order which i have taught you be a teacher to you." he passed away leaving behind him many who sorrowed for his death. and after all these years temples are still built in his honour; monks still follow the rules that he laid down; and men and women lay flowers upon his altars, bend before his images, and carry his teachings in their hearts. [illustration: a group of buddhist monks. _chapter viii._] chapter viii the monks siam has been called the "kingdom of the yellow robe," on account of the presence everywhere of large numbers of monks, all of whom wear the yellow robe. every man in siam enters a monastery at some time or other in his life, and lives as a monk for a period varying from a few months to many years, or even for the whole of his life. the usual age for entering the priestly circle is about nineteen, and the shortest stay that can be decently made is for two months. the person seeking admission goes to the temple wearing his best clothes, and attended by a crowd of friends and relatives, who take presents to the priests. the presents include rice, fish, matches, fruit, cigars, betel-nut, alarm-clocks, vases of flowers, incense sticks, and dozens of other curious things. these are all distributed about the temple floor, till the sacred building looks as though it were about to be the scene of a glorified "jumble sale." occasionally children enter the temple service and wear the yellow robe. it often happens that when one of a boy's parents is cremated he becomes a "boy-monk," because by this means he hopes to help his father in that other world to which he has been called. as a rule, too, each monk has a boy servant, or disciple, who cleans out his cell, and does other work of a lowly character for him. monks may not possess silver money, but these disciples may receive it and spend it for the benefit of their masters. in the early morning the big bell of the monastery calls the monk to rise and go out to beg for his breakfast. he takes a big iron bowl in his hands, holds it in front of him, and then with downcast head walks slowly through the streets allotted to him. he may not wander into another man's street, but must keep to his own. as he walks along, the people come out of their houses and put food into the bowl. one puts in a handful of rice, another a spoonful of curry. someone else adds a few bananas, or some stale fish, or some scraped coco-nut. the monk looks neither to the right hand nor to the left, and gives no thanks to the donor of the meal. by the time he gets back to the monastery it is no exaggeration to say that his bowl often contains a very varied and weird assortment of oddments. it looks rather "a mess," and there is not much to be surprised at when we learn that some of the monks, who do not keep the rules of their order very strictly, throw all this motley assortment of fish, flesh, fowl, and stale red-herrings to the dogs, afterwards partaking of a rather more tempting breakfast that has been prepared for them in the monastery. at certain times of the year only a few monks from each monastery go in search of food. the others stay at home at the temple. if a monk has rich relations, his disciple often receives for him well-cooked and appetizing meals upon which to break his fast. when breakfast is over, the brethren of the yellow robe go into the temple for service, after which there is work for those who care to do it. the majority do nothing, a form of employment which suits the average siamese a great deal better than work. as the monks are drawn from all classes of society, there are always amongst them some who can repair the buildings or help in building boats, or even, perhaps, teach in the school. at noon another meal is eaten; after that there is neither tea nor supper, so that the monks get nothing more to eat until the next morning. they manage to stifle their natural hunger by drinking tea, chewing betel-nut, and smoking tobacco. towards evening the priests bathe, either in the river or in some pond in the temple grounds. as soon as it is dark they must confine themselves within the monastery walls. every evening at about half-past six the bell rings to tell the monks that "locking-up" time has arrived. the bells, which play so important a part as clocks in the temples, are hung in a wooden framework, usually built in three stories. strictly speaking, it is not correct to say that the bells are rung. they are not rung--they are beaten with a thick piece of wood. there are generally a number of little boys playing about in the cool, shady grounds who are only too willing at the proper time to scramble up the rickety wooden ladders and hammer away on the bells with a lump of wood. from july to october, when the heavy rains fall, the priests meet together in the evening and chant prayers. the only light in the temple is that of dim candles or smoky lamps, and the dull rays fall on the kneeling yellow-robed figures below, or lose themselves in the blackness of the lofty roofs above, while there rolls out into the evening air the rich, mellow notes of the voices in prayer. the frogs in the pond croak a sonorous bass, the crickets add their chirpy treble, and the fire-flies flash on shrub and palm, all adding their share to the evening service. the cells in which the monks live are small whitewashed rooms, with practically no furniture. there are a few mats, perhaps a bedstead--or, failing that, a mattress on the floor--a few flowers, and an image of the buddha, the founder of their religion. in a little cupboard the monk keeps a teapot and a few tiny cups, and he is always glad to give a visitor as much tea as he can drink. most likely he possesses a chessboard and a set of chessmen, for most of the siamese are fond of this ancient game. the prayers and chants are written with a hard, fine point of ivory or iron upon long strips of palm-leaf. the strips are held together by a string or a piece of tape passed through a series of holes. the bundle is gilded round the edges and carefully preserved in a chest. these "books" are written in a language which the common people do not understand, and, in fact, only those monks who stay long enough in the temple service to learn the language have any idea what the chants are about that they so diligently repeat. amongst the few possessions which a monk may lawfully hold is a big fan made of broad palm-leaves. this he is supposed to hold in front of his face as he walks about, in order that he may keep his eyes from beholding the things of the world. but as often as not, during the heat of the day, he holds it over his head to shield him from the fierce rays of the sun. and one can scarcely blame him, for he is not allowed to wear a hat of any kind, and every bit of hair has been shaved off the top of his head. there is a chief priest to each monastery, whose business it is to see that the temple services are properly conducted, and that the monks behave themselves in a becoming manner. if one of the brethren does anything wrong, and his superior hears about it, punishment is sure to follow. for a very serious offence the guilty one is expelled from the monastery and handed over to the police. such a man gets the severest punishment allowed by the law. but if the offence is only a mild one, then the punishment is a light one. the sinner will perhaps be set to draw water, to sweep the temple courtyard, or to perform some other menial duty usually undertaken by the ordinary servants. some of the "sins" that the priest may not commit are very curious to us, and many of them are, in fact, committed regularly without any punishment following. for instance, it is a sin to sleep more than twelve inches above the ground, to listen to music, to eat too much, to sleep too long, to swing the arms when walking, to burn wood, to wink, to slobber or make a noise when eating, to ride on an elephant, or to whistle. chapter ix the temples there are temples everywhere in siam, some not much bigger than barns; others, great buildings with high roofs and stately surroundings. some are quite new, gay in all their glory of gold and varied colour; others are old, dirty, and crumbling to dust. temples are not usually repaired; they are built and then allowed to go to ruin. a temple is not a place to worship in; for, strictly speaking, there is no one to worship. buddha does not ask for people to kneel to him. he was a man, not a god, and he became holy because he lived a sinless life. any other man who lived a life like his would become a buddha too. and a temple is not built to pray in, because there is no one to whom to pray. every man must save himself by his own deeds, and buddha does not pretend to hear and answer prayers. in the temples sacred books are read, chants are sung, and occasionally sermons are preached, but there is no worship and no prayer quite in the way we understand and practise these things. to understand, then, why so many temples are built, you must know something more about the buddhist religion. buddha taught that when we die our souls pass into other bodies. if we have been very wicked in this life, we may be reborn as cats, or toads, or beetles. if we have been very good, we may reappear as nobles or princes, or perhaps live in another world as angels. the man who has lived the perfect life, who has neither thought, said, nor done anything wrong, goes to nirvana, where there is everlasting peace, and where no trouble, sorrow, or sickness of any kind is ever known. when nirvana is reached, the soul rests for ever, and is not born again, either in the heavens or on the earth. when a person dies, all the good and all the evil he has done are added up, and a kind of balance is struck. the happiness or misery of the person in his next life depends on whether he has a good or a bad balance. there are many things that we may do in this life that go to the good side of the account. to do these things is to "make merit." some actions only make a little merit; others make a great deal of merit. one of the best ways of getting a big figure on the right side of the account is, according to the priests, to build a temple. hence, when a man is rich enough, he builds a house for the buddha, where his image may be seen, his lessons learned, and his praises sung. but once the temple is built, the matter is finished, and there is no need to repair it. the buddhist says that though the temples will crumble away, yet his children will build others, so that there will always be plenty of churches, and many opportunities of making merit in this way. [illustration: the temple of wat poh. _chapter ix._] the siamese word _wat_ means all the buildings enclosed in the sacred wall, and includes the houses where the priests live, the holy buildings where the images are kept, and numerous spiral ornaments that cover relics. the most sacred of these buildings is the _bawt_. near the four corners, north, south, east, and west, there are four stones, carved in the shape of the leaf of the bo-tree, the tree under which gautama became buddha. when the _bawt_ is erected, consecrated water is poured over these stones, and evil spirits are thus for ever prevented from entering. in the temple grounds there are always a number of graceful tapering structures, which cover relics, or supposed relics. you will see some of these in several of the pictures in this book. they sometimes stand directly on the ground, but at other times the slender spires will be found over the doorways, or even on the tops of the buildings. there is a story which says that after buddha's death one of his disciples gave away all the property of the teacher to the other followers. he meant to keep nothing at all for himself, but on finding one of buddha's teeth, he looked longingly upon it, and then took it and quietly hid it in the coil of hair which many hindus wear upon the top of the head. one of the gods in the heavens saw the deed, flew swiftly down to earth, snatched the precious relic from its hiding-place, and buried it under a great mound, which he built in a tapering fashion to resemble the tuft of hair in which the tooth had been concealed. others, however, say that the shape of these relic mounds is due to the fact that buddha told his disciples, as he lay on his death-bed, to bury his bones under a mound shaped like a heap of rice. the chief building has straight walls with rectangular openings for windows. there are no beautiful arches, no carving, and no stained glass. the roof is made in tiers, which overlap one another, and are covered with beautiful coloured tiles--amber, gold, green, scarlet, and blue. groups of great teak pillars are so arranged that a cool and shady walk surrounds the building. the outside, with the exception of the roof, is whitewashed, and when the midday sun beats down upon the _wat_ the place glitters and shines--one big splash of white crowned with fantastic colours. inside there is little light, and if the roof be high the rafters are hidden in darkness. at the far end sits an enormous gilded image of buddha, surrounded by smaller images of himself and his disciples, some with raised hands, as if about to speak; others with fans before their faces, as if to shield them from the evils and the sorrows of the world. the number of these images is sometimes very great. in one of the temples in ayuthia, the old capital, there are no fewer than 20,000 of them. at the end of the ridge of the temple roof, at the corners of the gables, and in many other places, there are graceful curved horns. these represent the head of the naga, or snake with seven heads, who curled himself round the teacher's body and shielded him with his seven heads when he was attacked by the evil one under the bo-tree. in connexion with the temple there are one or more _salas_, or rest-houses. to build a _sala_ is another way of making merit, and as it costs less to put up one of these wooden rest-houses than to build a temple, there are thousands of them in the country. they are to be found upon the banks of the rivers and canals, in lonely parts of the jungle, on waste land near the towns and villages--in fact, almost anywhere and everywhere. they consist of a platform raised a few feet above the ground, and covered by a roof which is supported on a few poles. there are no walls or partitions. here the traveller may rest, eat, and sleep. he pays no rent, gets no comforts, and is often interfered with by the local lunatic, the casual traveller, or a crowd of merry, inquisitive children. he may not complain, for the slender platform is free to all comers. one of the best-known temples in bangkok is at the golden hill. this hill is made of bricks and mortar, and stands about two hundred feet high. trees, shrubs, and creepers have grown over it, and it is not at first easy to believe that the hill is the work of man. on the top is a snow-white spire, and under the spire, in a gilded shrine, there is a glass model of one of buddha's teeth. for three days every year the people come in thousands to worship this tooth. they buy a bit of gold-leaf or a few wax flowers, and then they mount to the top of the hill. there they stick the gold leaf on the iron railings round the shrine, light the candles, throw the wax flowers into a big bonfire, and bang a few drums. when they have completed all these little acts of devotion, they go to the foot of the hill again. at the bottom a grand fair is going on. there are lotteries of all kinds, tea-houses, crowds of merry young men and women, dozens of yellow-robed priests, side-shows with giant women and two-headed snakes. it is all laughter, chatter, and enjoyment. in another temple there is an image of buddha asleep. the idol is 175 feet long, and has a whole building to itself. the gigantic figure is made of brick and covered with gilded cement. it is 18 feet across the chest; the feet are 5 yards long; the toes, which are each of equal length, measure 1 yard. chapter x the shaving of the top-knot sometimes when the traveller is passing along one of the rivers or canals he will hear the sound of merry music close at hand. he probably pulls ashore, and goes to see what is happening. there is no need to wait for invitations in this free-and-easy country. he makes his way to the place where the band is doing its best to deafen all the poor creatures within reach, and there he finds a motley crowd--men and women in their best and brightest clothes, priests in their most brilliant yellow, actresses with chalked faces and hideous masks, dogs, cats, and children. amongst the many people assembled together there is one child, about eleven or thirteen years old, laden with jewellery--necklaces, gold chains, armlets, bracelets, and anklets. it is on this child's account that the people are feasting together, the theatre playing, and the drums booming. we will suppose that the child is a boy. he is holding a great party. the visitors have come to see him get his hair cut! this, however, is not an ordinary visit to a barber, but a ceremony as important as a wedding or a funeral. from the very earliest years the heads of the children are shaved completely, with the exception of one little tuft in the centre of the head. each day this precious tuft is oiled and curled, a jewelled pin is stuck through it, and a tiny wreath of freshly woven flowers is twined around it. no scissors are ever allowed to touch the cherished lock until the boy is eleven, thirteen, or fifteen years old, and by that time it is often a foot or more long. when the parents think that the proper time has almost arrived for the top-knot to be removed, they visit an astrologer, who fixes a lucky day for the operation. if the hair were not cut off on a lucky day, and in just the proper fashion, no one knows what terrible things might happen to the child. he might become ill or insane, or he might die, or, worse still, demons might come and live inside him. so extremely great care has to be taken that all is done in a fitting manner. after the astrologer has appointed the day, people are invited to be present at the ceremonies. actresses, priests, and friends are called together, and for two or three days there are prayers and plays, feasts and fiddling. the performance is opened by the priests. they ascend to a platform some feet above the ground, and sit down cross-legged like tailors on the mats. they chant long passages from the sacred books, and ask the spirits to be kind to the boy and to keep all evil away from him. while they are chanting, they hold a piece of white thread in their hands. one end of this thread is tied round the clasped hands of the child, and as the priests call down blessings from above, these blessings pass through the hands of the priests, along the thread, and so into the body and soul of the boy. it works like a telegraph wire, and no one sees the good influences flashing along the cotton. there is also a thread fastened right round the house and the gardens to keep out the naughty little demons that take a delight in spoiling the proceedings. on the second day, the chief person present takes a pair of scissors and clips off the top-knot, after which a professional barber comes along with a nice sharp razor, and the boy's head is shaved completely, so that it looks very much like a new clean ostrich egg. the boy now dresses himself in white robes, and the priests lead him to a seat raised from the ground and shaded by a canopy of white cloth. first the parents, then the relations, and last of all the friends, pour holy water over the boy's head. everybody likes to play his part, and there the youngster sits in his drenched robes, as the crowd files by and half drowns him with the water. when the last person has emptied the last bowl, the boy is dressed in the gayest clothes that he possesses, or that can be borrowed for the occasion, and is seated on a throne. on each side of him is a stand laden with rice, fruit, flowers, and other things. these are offerings to the spirits of the air. the band strikes up; the people form a kind of procession, and walk round the child five times. each person carries a lighted candle, which is blown out when the fifth turn is made. the smoke is wafted towards the young person on the throne, and as it circles round his shaven crown, it bears towards him a supply of courage and good luck sufficient to last him for the rest of his life. all this time the child is probably more bored than delighted with the honour paid to him. but the next part of the ceremony gives him every satisfaction. it would please anybody. the relatives and friends present money to the child, each giving according to his means, so that if the boy has many rich relatives he gets quite a handsome sum. the gifts vary in value from about half a crown to ten pounds. all is not yet over, for a long and jolly feast is the necessary termination of the important event. the priests are served first. when they have finished, the rest of the party fall rapidly and heartily upon the multitude of tempting dishes that have been prepared. people who are very poor and have no friends merely go to a certain temple and ask one of the priests to cut off the top-knot. rich people, on the other hand, spend enormous sums of money in entertaining their friends and in giving presents. the gifts to a young princess on one of these occasions amounted to â£10,000. the hairs that have been cut off are separated into two bundles, long and short. the short hairs are put into a little vessel made of plantain-leaves, and sent adrift on the ebb-tide in the nearest canal or river. as they float away, they carry with them all the bad temper, the greediness, and the pride of their former owner. the shaven child gets a new start in life, freed from all that was disagreeable in his character. the long hairs are kept till he makes a pilgrimage to worship at buddha's footprint on the sacred hill at prabhat. this footprint is about as big, and exactly the same shape, as a bath. the hairs are given to the priests, who are supposed to make them into brushes for sweeping the footprint; but in reality so much hair is presented to the priests each year that they are unable to use it all. they wait till the pilgrims have gone home again, when they throw all the hair that they do not want into a fire. chapter xi houses the houses are built of wood, and are raised above the ground on piles, so that when the rainy season comes and the plains are flooded, the floors are left high and dry. in the dry season the cattle are stabled under the houses. a stable under your bedroom is not perhaps the pleasantest arrangement that could be imagined, but in parts of the country there are bands of robbers who spend their evenings in stealing cattle. when the robbers try to move the animals, the animals make a noise, wake the owner, and give him a chance to prevent the theft. when the country is flooded, the pony, who is generally a pet, is led up an inclined plane to the little veranda, where it lives and is treated as a member of the family. [illustration: mount prabhat. _page 48._] the chief woods used in building houses are teak and bamboo. teak is a very hard wood. it is not affected by damp, and resists the attacks of the so-called "white ant." the floors of the native houses are made of teak planks, or more usually of plaited bamboo. through the holes that are left, the air comes up from below, keeping the rooms cool, but at the same time filling them with most unpleasant odours. a great deal of the ordinary domestic refuse is got rid of by the simple plan of pushing it through the holes in the floor, and leaving it to rot in the space between the house and the ground. fortunately for the health of the inhabitants, pariah dogs abound everywhere. they feed chiefly on this refuse, thus playing the part of scavengers. the pariahs have no owners, and no one takes any care or notice of them. they are thin and bony, frightfully ugly, fond of barking at all hours of the day or the night, but not given to biting, for they are thorough cowards. a hundred of them would run away from a small boy, provided he had a big stick in his hand. the number of rooms in the house is always an odd one, for even numbers are considered unlucky. a small house would contain at least three rooms, which we may call the drawing-room, the bedroom, and the kitchen. the third of these rooms will be described in the next chapter. the drawing-room contains no chairs, tables, pianos, or pictures. in fact, it contains no furniture of any kind, with perhaps the exception of a few mats on the floor, on which the people sit. when visitors call, they are offered tea in tiny cups that hold about as much as a big table-spoon. this tea, which is taken without milk or sugar, is of a beautiful light golden colour, and has a faint but pleasant and refreshing odour. the chief thing offered to the visitor is betel-nut, the fruit of the tall, slender areca-palm. so important a part does the betel-nut play in the daily life of the native, that, if possible, a house is always built near a grove of areca-palms, in order that there may be a never-failing supply of the nut. betel is not eaten alone, but with a mixture of turmeric, seri-leaf, lime, and tobacco. chewing betel produces copious supplies of blood-red saliva. if this is ejected upon wood or stone, it leaves nasty rusty-red stains that cannot be removed even by the most diligent scrubbing. hence a spittoon is a very necessary domestic article. everybody chews; everybody possesses spittoons. you will see them by the side of the mother rocking the cradle, by the side of the teacher in the school, by the side of the judge in the law courts, by the side of the priest as he chants his matin or evensong in the temple, by the side of the king as he sits upon his throne. in time, the teeth become coal-black. they are then regarded as being much more beautiful than when they were white. a native saying runs: "any dog can have white teeth." in bangkok the american dentists keep supplies of false black teeth, and when a prince or a nobleman loses one of his own teeth, he can buy another black one and so not spoil his appearance. the second room of the house is the bedroom, which is also used as a lumber-room, and where, if anyone be ill, a number of gilded images of buddha will be found. there are no bedsteads. people sleep on a kind of mat placed on the floor. this is surrounded by curtains to keep out the mosquitoes. sleep would be quite impossible without some form of protection against the bites of these wicked little creatures. when lying down, the head must not point to the west. the sun dies his daily death in that part of the heavens, and the west is therefore an unlucky direction. the sleeper must lie pointing north and south, and then he will be quite sure of complete freedom from evil spirits and angry demons during the dark hours of the night. the walls and floors of the houses, as we have seen, are made of wood. the roofs are thatched with the leaf of the attap-palm. in the dry season every part of the dwelling becomes excessively dry. a stray spark will often set on fire one of these houses of grass and wood, and then, one after another, other habitations fall a prey to the flames. there is no fire brigade, and it would not be of any use if there were one, for there is no public water-supply. when a fire breaks out, soldiers are sent to the scene of the disaster, armed, not with rifles, but with hatchets. as quickly as they can, they chop down a great many houses in the neighbourhood of those that are on fire, and in this way prevent the spread of the flames. the siamese are a cleanly people as far as their bodies are concerned. they bathe at least two or three times a day, but their houses are never cleaned. cobwebs grow thicker and thicker with dust, till they look like ropes; insects of all kinds multiply without interference; mosquito-nets become so caked with dirt that it is a wonder any respectable mosquito ever wishes to go inside; floors are never scrubbed; walls are never dusted. there is no such process as spring-cleaning, except when a fire performs the deed, and sweeps away house, refuse, and vermin, all at one and the same time. chapter xii food and dress the third necessary room in a siamese house is the kitchen, where the two daily meals are prepared. there are no cooking-ranges and no fireplaces of european pattern. food is cooked and water boiled over small charcoal furnaces, usually made of earthenware. the little furnace has the shape of a bucket. half-way down there is a tray perforated with holes, on which the charcoal is placed. below the shelf, in one side of the utensil, there is a hole. a draught is obtained by waving a fan backwards and forwards in front of this hole. the air enters through the aperture, ascends through the openings in the shelf, and so keeps the lighted charcoal glowing. the earthenware pots in which the food is cooked are supported by the top rim of the furnace. every pot requires a separate furnace to itself, but as rice is often the only food that requires the application of heat, this causes but little difficulty, and few kitchens would contain more than two or three of these simple fireplaces. the chief food is rice. this is washed three or four times in different changes of water, and then placed in cold water over the charcoal fire. as soon as the water boils, it is poured away, and the cooking is finished in the steam of the water left behind. when everything is ready, the rice is turned out into a dish; each grain is swollen to quite a large size, is dry, and as white as snow. with the rice various kinds of curry are eaten. they are made from vegetables, fruit, and fish. frog, decayed prawns, stale fish, and other choice morsels figure in the menu. all the curries are highly flavoured with vinegar, pepper, and strong-tasting spices. the siamese are so accustomed to these highly flavoured dishes that they would look upon a meal of turkey and plum-pudding as utterly tasteless and insipid. one of the sauces in common use contains chillies, stale prawns, black pepper, garlic, onions, citron-juice, ginger, and brine! when the members of the family sit down to take a meal, they squat on the floor. a big bowl of rice is placed in the centre of the ring, and round it are arranged smaller basins of curry. everybody helps himself, so that the fastest eater gets the biggest share. forks and knives are not used, and very often spoons also are lacking. in such cases fingers take the place of spoons, and they seem to serve the purpose equally well. of course, the fingers get greasy and sticky, but they can be put in the mouth and licked clean again quite easily and quickly. each member of the family knows how to cook--father, mother, and children--for there are few dishes to prepare, and the preparation of these is an art soon acquired. two meals only are taken each day--one in the morning and another in the early evening. between whiles tea is drunk, tobacco is smoked, and betel-nut is chewed. the hours for meals are rather irregular, and often the hungry members do not wait for those whose appetites are less keen, but begin as soon as ever the rice is boiled. amongst the rich the men eat first and by themselves. what they leave serves for their wives and children, and the last remnants of all are thrown to the dogs. as dessert there are many kinds of fruit, some of which are unknown in this country. amongst the most popular fruits are young coco-nuts; the ripest of bananas; mangoes, that taste at first like a mixture of turpentine and carrots, but which, after a few efforts, are found to be as pleasant to the palate as the apple or the pear; mangosteens--little sweet snow-white balls set in crimson caskets; durians, that smell like bad drains, but taste, when one is used to them, like a mixture of strawberries, ices, honey, and all other things that are pleasant to eat. when the meal is over, each person washes his own rice-bowl, and turns it upside down in a basket in the corner of the room to drip and dry till it is needed again. dress is a very simple matter. there are no such things as fashions. the smallest children wear no clothing at all, except, perhaps, a necklace of coral or beads. the garment worn as a covering for the lower part of the body is the same for all--king and peasant, man, woman, and child. as seen in pictures and photographs, it resembles a pair of baggy knickerbockers. it consists of a long strip of coloured cloth, about the same size and shape as a bath-towel. the method of draping it about the body is not easily explained on paper. this much, however, may be said: there are no pins, tapes, buttons, or fastenings of any kind; but the _panoong_, as it is called, is so cleverly twisted and tied, that it can be worn at all times and under all circumstances without any fear of it ever becoming loose. you may run in it, sleep in it, or swim in it, and you will always be perfectly cool and comfortable. this is the only native garment for men, though in the capital, and in other places where white men are seen, the people have learned to wear white linen jackets. these are buttoned to the throat, and collars and shirts are not required. shoes and stockings are not known, except where the european has taught their use. the soles of the feet get so hard that, in time, they are like leather itself, and cut or wounded feet are very seldom seen. the women wear a coloured scarf, called the _pahom_, wound round the upper part of the body. this is the only addition to the costume of the men ever invented by the ladies of siam. as for hats, there are no such things, except a few big straw-plaited erections that look like baskets turned upside down, and which are worn by the women who sit selling their goods in the markets. the _panoong_ and the _pahom_ are of brightly coloured material, and a siamese crowd is always a picturesque sight. according to one of the many superstitions that prevail in the country, every day of the week is under the rule of some particular planet, and to be fortunate throughout the day one should wear garments and jewels of the same colour as the ruling planet. many rich people do actually observe this custom, and wear red silk and rubies on sundays in honour of the sun; white and moonstones on monday, the day of the moon; light red and coral on tuesday, the day of mars; green and emeralds on wednesday, the day of jupiter; stripes and cat's-eyes for jupiter's thursday; silver blue and diamonds on friday, when venus rules; and dark blue and sapphires on saturday, when the chief planet is saturn. chapter xiii fishing one of the chief commandments of the buddhist religion is, "thou shalt not kill." this does not refer merely to the lives of human beings, but to all creatures--mosquitoes, fleas, flies, or elephants. the reason for the commandment is that, as we have already explained, when a person dies, his soul is reborn again in another body, and this body may possibly be that of some animal. hence, if you kill a mosquito, you may possibly be killing your own or some one else's long-deceased relative. the rule about not taking life is very generally observed, but is neglected in the case of fish. the siamese excuses himself for fishing, on the ground that he does not kill the fish. he only pulls them out of the water; they die a natural death. [illustration: a fishing boat off the island pagoda of paknam] in lower siam fish forms an important part of the food of the people. in upper siam it is looked upon as a great luxury, for the rivers in the north are singularly poor in animal life. the absence of fish in the streams of upper siam is probably due to the fact that in the dry season the water is too shallow to allow the fish to live, and that in the wet season the current, swollen by the heavy rains, is extremely rapid, and drives them down-stream. of the many methods employed for catching fish, the favourite one is by means of enormous traps. these traps are made by fixing a number of bamboos upright in shallow water. a long v-shaped neck is formed, which is sometimes nearly a quarter of a mile long, and which leads by a narrow opening into a square space measuring about sixty feet each way. the fish swim along the v-shaped passage, and, having once entered the square trap, few of them ever find the way out again. they are removed from the trap every two or three days by means of nets. many of the canals are bordered for miles with a weed which has a large flat leaf. in places the mass of weeds is so thick that only a small passage of water remains in the centre for the use of the boats. under the weeds fish are harboured. bamboo stakes are fixed here and there in the mud to keep the weeds from floating away. once or twice a year men surround a portion of this mass of floating water-plants with nets that reach to the bottom of the canal. thus the fish within the enclosed area cannot escape. the stalks of the weeds are cut close down, and then the whole net is drawn ashore, enclosing vast quantities of fish. netting fish in this way is not permitted in those places where the canal banks pass in front of a temple, for opposite the grounds of a temple all life is sacred, and the fish that live there are free from interference. a circular hand-net is also used for catching fish. for permission to catch fish in this way a tax of fourteen pence for each net must be paid. the fisherman stands on the bow of his canoe, and throws the net with an easy swing into the water. it is pulled up by a string fastened to the centre. the edges, which are weighted by a small chain, fall together and enclose any fish which happen to have been lying beneath it when it was thrown into the water. prawns are plentiful. they are caught in nets of very small mesh. two boats go out together for a little distance from the shore, and then separate. between the boats a heavily weighted net is suspended. when the net is stretched as far as possible, the boats move in towards the shore, dragging it with them. in this way thousands of prawns and other small fish are easily taken. the prawns are pounded into a paste with salt, forming a mixture that tastes something like anchovy sauce. a _fermented_ mixture of fish and shrimps is manufactured for export to singapore, hong-kong, and java, where it is looked upon as a great dainty by the malays and the chinese. long poles are driven into the sand in those waters where mussels and other shell-fish are abundant. after a while the poles are covered with the shell-fish which have fastened on them. the poles are then pulled up and scraped. "a canoe with a white board dipping into the water is paddled along near the bank at night, and the startled fish, endeavouring to jump over it, are caught in the air by a net which projects from the far side. we can easily form some idea of the efficiency of this method, for as the launch tows us up-stream, fish are continually jumping away from the bows of the boat, and it will be unlucky if in the course of the day one does not alight on board. fine fish two or three pounds in weight may thus be secured without trouble. large numbers of fish are left in the fields as the water goes down, and every pond is the scene of active fishing operations. i have camped upon the bank of a river and imagined that i heard waves breaking on a sandy shore, only to find that the noise was caused by shoals of small fish jumping" (thompson). one of the commonest fish is _plah-tu_, about the size of a herring. when fresh, it tastes like trout; when smoked, it resembles kippered herring. _plah-tu_ is caught in the gulf of siam during the north-east monsoon. the fishing-boats return in the early morning and transfer their cargo to buffalo-carts, that carry it to the village. there the fish are cleaned. the gills are removed, and these, together with all the other refuse, are thrown into strong brine. the mixture of fishy odds and ends is afterwards sold as "fish-sauce." there are mud-fish, that come up out of the water and crawl about in the slime, and there is a fish that hides under the banks and shoots drops of water at the flies that are hovering just above. this fish is an excellent marksman, and brings down many a dainty morsel for his meal. chapter xiv rice rice is the most important crop grown in siam. it is almost the sole food of everyone, from the king to the poorest peasant. horses, cattle, dogs, and cats are fed on it; beer and spirits are made from it; it is eaten boiled, fried, stewed, and baked, in curries, cakes and sauces; it is used at all festivals in connection with certain superstitions; and both the opening and the closing of the season of cultivation are marked by special holidays. a rich man invests his money in rice-fields; the law courts spend most of their time settling quarrels about the ownership of rice-land; and when a man has nothing else to talk about, he talks about the next rice crop, just as in england we talk about the weather. most of the boats passing up and down the river carry rice; most of the big steamers that leave the port are taking this valuable and important food product to other lands. the whole of the land in the country is supposed to belong to the king, but anybody who wishes to plant rice may go into the jungle and clear a space of ground by burning down the long grass and the trees. for this land the farmer pays no rent, and after a time he can claim it as his own. he pays to the government, however, a tax upon the land which he cultivates. the farms are small, averaging about eight acres: such a farm will comfortably support a family of four or five. when the ground has been cleared, the farmers wait for the rain, which falls in torrents, and in due course makes the ground soft enough to permit of ploughing. the plough is made of wood, and consists of a bent stick stuck in a pointed wooden block. the plough cuts a shallow furrow about two inches deep and five or six inches wide. it is drawn by buffaloes, formidable-looking beasts with immense spreading horns, which sometimes measure as much as eight or nine feet from tip to tip, measured round the curve. when the field has been ploughed, it is harrowed with a square harrow made of bamboo and provided with a number of straight wooden teeth. the result of ploughing and harrowing the wet ground is to churn it up into a kind of porridgy mess of slimy grey mud. rice can only be grown where there is abundance of moisture. in siam the peasants depend for their water-supply upon the heavy rains, and then upon the rise of the rivers after the rains have ceased. the floods not merely provide water, but when they subside they leave behind them a deposit of mud so rich and fertile that manuring is not necessary. there are forty different kinds of rice, of which about six are widely cultivated in siam. the natives divide all the known varieties into two classes, which they call "field rice" and "garden rice." field rice is grown in places where there is an exceptionally heavy rainfall. the seed is scattered broadcast on the fields, and left to grow without much more attention. as the water rises, the rice grows at the same pace, and so always keeps its head above the surface. the rate of growth of one variety is almost unbelievable. plants have been known to grow as much as a foot in twelve hours, and the final length of the stalk is often as much as ten feet. garden rice is carefully sown and tended. the seeds are first sown as thickly as they can grow, in well-watered patches. they soon sprout, and grow rapidly. when they are a few inches high they are pulled up and made into bundles of a hundred or so, neatly tied together. the mud is removed from the roots by a skilful kick which is given to the bundle as it is drawn from the soil. the bundles are taken to the fields by men, women, and children, and transplanted in long rows. the fields have been covered with water and trampled into a thick mud by the hoofs of the buffaloes. the young shoots are handed to the women and girls, and they push the roots down into the soft mud, working very cleverly and rapidly. a good worker can plant an acre in this way in about three days. the method of reaping the rice depends on the state of the fields. if the floods have gone, the rice is reaped with the sickle and bound into sheaves. the sheaves are dried in the sun and then taken away in buffalo-carts or in bullock-wagons. but if the fields are still under water, the people row out in boats and canoes, cut off the ripe heads with a sickle, and drop them into small baskets placed in the bottom of the boat. the reapers are very careless, and drop much of the ripe grain into the water. the rice is dried in bundles, placed on frames that have been erected in the fields. the birds are kept away by boys, who are armed with long whips. on the end of the lash they stick a pellet of mud. when they crack the whip the mud flies off, and so clever are they at this form of slinging that they rarely miss the bird at which they aim. when the water has all gone from the fields, the long stalks that have been left standing are burned. the threshing is done by buffaloes on a floor which is specially prepared by covering it with a paste made of soil, cow-dung, and water. after a few days the plaster sets into a hard, firm covering to the ground. a pole is fixed in the centre, and two buffaloes, yoked side by side, are made to walk round and round the pole, all the while treading the grain under their feet. the threshing takes place on moonlight nights, and is the occasion of much merriment. the children never dream of going to bed. they play in the heaps of straw, or dance round the big bonfires to the sound of fiddles, tom-toms, and drums. their parents chat and joke the long night through, and in the shadows the red ends of their cigarettes gleam unceasingly, while the pale green fire-flies flit to and fro, and seem to wonder what it is all about. when the threshing is over, the farmer gives a feast to his neighbours to celebrate the event. his heaps of grain are spread evenly over the threshing floor, the straw is piled up in little stacks, and around all is twined the usual white thread to keep away the evil spirits. to winnow the rice, it is thrown into the air by means of a wooden spade, or poured from one wide, shallow basket to another. the wind blows through the mixture of grain and chaff and carries the chaff away. the grain is stored in large baskets made of cane and plastered outside with mud. the rice is usually milled at home. the grain is placed in a big hollow in a block of wood. there is a long lever, bearing at one end a heavy wooden hammer. a girl jumps on the other end of the lever and so lifts the hammer. she hops off again, and the hammer falls upon the rice in the hollow block and smashes it up. for hours the women and girls jump patiently on and off the long handle, and in any small village you can hear the steady thump, thump, thump of the hammers from morning to night. chapter xv a ploughing ceremony we have already described the way in which rice is cultivated in a land where the success of the rice-crops means life to thousands of people. it is not surprising to find, under these circumstances, that before the planting of the rice takes place there is held each year a ceremony of great importance. this is a "ploughing festival," and until the holiday has been celebrated no one is supposed to begin the cultivation of his rice-fields. [illustration: the annual rice ploughing festival. _page 65._] about march or april the rains arrive, and the farmer turns his thoughts to the work that lies before him. an astrologer is consulted as to a lucky day for the ploughing festival, and when this has been fixed every one waits anxiously to see what will happen, for on this day much will be learned about the prospects of the coming season. a certain prince presides over the festival, and for the time being represents the king. he wears a crown, has a royal umbrella, and even receives a portion of the taxes. at one time his personal servants and followers were allowed to take goods without paying for them from the shops along the route which is followed by the procession. early in the morning the prince rises and puts on a special suit of clothes of the richest material. over his robes he wears a long cloak of white net which is heavily embroidered with figures of fruit and flowers, worked in gold and silver. before he leaves his house he entertains his friends, so that they may get a good look at him in all his holiday finery. when he is quite ready he sits in a gilded chair, and is carried on the shoulders of eight stalwart men. he is accompanied by a crowd of noblemen, some of whom carry curious things that are considered necessary for the success of the fãªte. amongst these are a royal umbrella, a large fan such as the priests carry, a sword decorated with white flowers, and a small gold cow with a wreath of sweet-smelling blossoms round its neck. in front of the state chair there are men in scarlet coats and knickerbockers, beating the usual drums in the usual way. soldiers in old-fashioned uniforms, priests in yellow robes, nobles in cloth of gold, and men and women of all classes dressed in the brightest colours, pass slowly along in front of the bearers. behind the chair are more priests who blow weird sounds from horns and conch-shells, and last of all a long string of sight-seers, all of whom are interested in what is going to happen. with much merry noise, the procession wends its way to a piece of ground outside the city walls. here a few simple preparations have been made. there is a roofed-in platform made of bamboo, attap-leaf, and boards, and some rather soiled drapery of red and white cloth. in front of the open booth are three bamboo-stakes, firmly fixed in the ground, and marking out the space which the prince has to plough. in a shed not far away are the cream-coloured bullocks that are to draw the plough. a cord of sacred cotton encircles the booth, the shed, and the selected ground, and, as usual, keeps out all the evil spirits, who are simply aching to get inside the thread, play tricks, and upset the proceedings. within the guarded area is the wooden plough, similar to that described in the last chapter, but gaily decorated with ribbons and flowers. moreover, the ends of the yoke and the end of the beam are both beautifully carved, and where the yoke is fastened to the beam there is a little gilded idol. when the prince arrives on the ground he is shown three pieces of cloth. they are folded up neatly, and look exactly alike, but they differ in length. the prince looks earnestly at the three little parcels, and chooses one. if he chooses the longest piece of cloth, then there will be little rain that year, and men will be able to let the _panoong_ drop to the ankle. if he chooses the shortest, a wet season will follow, and the men who work in the wet rice-fields will have to pull the _panoong_ high above the knee. having chosen the cloth, he fastens it round his body, and is ready to begin ploughing. he holds the handle of the plough and a long rod at the same time, and he has to guide the plough nine times round the space marked out by the three bamboos. a nobleman walks in front of the bullocks, sprinkling consecrated water on the ground. after the third journey a number of old women take part in the performance. they are the very oldest women that can be found, but they are richly dressed, and when their work for the day is done, they are allowed to keep their dresses as payment for their services. they carry a gilded rod over the shoulder. from the ends of this rod are suspended two baskets, one gilded and the other silvered. the baskets are filled with consecrated grain. three times more the plough is guided along the proper path, the women following the prince, and scattering the precious seed to right and left. everybody tries to get a few grains to mix with the ordinary seed that is to be used in sowing the fields; for if the consecrated seed be mixed with seed of the ordinary kind, then will the harvest be much richer. finally, the prince makes three more journeys, after which he leaves the ground. the sacred cord is broken, and the people rush about all over the place, picking up any of the grains that they can find, and carefully treasuring them for the good luck they will bring. but the ceremony is not yet over. there still remains one very important deed to be done. the oxen are unyoked and led back to their shed, and in front of them are placed small baskets made of banana-leaves, and filled with different kinds of seed. one basket contains rice, another grass-seed, another maize, and so on. if the bullocks eat up the maize and leave the rice, then the rice-crops that year will be poor, and the maize-crops will be good. thus it happens that on this day the farmer finds out what kind of weather he is going to have, and what kind of grain will yield the richest crop. the prince is carried back to his home again, with drums beating, horns blowing, and with the same attendant crowd of soldiers, priests, nobles, and peasants. once upon a time the people really believed in the ceremony, and what it was supposed to tell them. even now many thousands of them have great faith in the acts that have been performed; but as education spreads, the belief in these quaint and picturesque ceremonies will die out. it will, however, be long before they are entirely given up, for they provide opportunities for a merry holiday; and if there is one thing a siamese loves more than another, it is a day of feasting and merriment, a day when work is thought of as something belonging only to the morrow. chapter xvi elephants the chief animal of siam is the elephant. elephants are found in great numbers in the north, and also in the wide plains of the south, where these plains are not cultivated, but are covered with jungle-grass, brushwood, and bamboo. the siamese elephant sometimes attains a height of ten or eleven feet. frequent measurements have proved the curious fact that the height of an elephant is usually about twice the circumference of its biggest foot. the driver of the elephant is called a _mahout_. when the _mahout_ wishes to mount the beast, the elephant bends his right fore-leg to form a step. as soon as the _mahout_ puts his foot on the step, the elephant gives a jerk, and up goes the man on to his back. the driver sits astride on the neck, for the elephant carries his head so steadily that there is less motion there than in any other part of the body. the driver is armed with a stick, at the end of which is a sharp-pointed iron hook. when the elephant misbehaves himself he gets many a cruel blow with the vicious weapon. the elephants are mostly used for work in the teak-forests. the males, or tuskers, when well trained, are worth from â£100 to â£200 each. the females are not usually employed in this work, and no elephants at all are worked in hot weather between ten in the morning and three in the afternoon. an elephant begins to work when it is about twenty-five years of age, and is at its best at about seventy. at that age it can lift with its tusks a log of wood weighing half a ton, and drag along the ground a log weighing as much as three tons. elephants are very long-lived, sometimes living 150 years or more. in the forest the trees are felled by men who use heavy, long-handled axes. this work is done in the wet season, so that the trees fall in soft ground and do not get seriously damaged. the logs are arranged in parallel rows by the elephants, and then each elephant is harnessed to a log, which he proceeds to drag towards the stream. young stems are placed under the big logs to serve as rollers. the distance from the forest to the river is often as much as ten miles, and is rarely less than five miles. the elephants move very slowly--at a pace averaging less than three miles an hour--and the process of taking the logs to the river is therefore slow and tedious. when the elephant reaches the river-bank he stacks the logs for the inspection of the men who come to buy. they are marked in such a way that each merchant can, later on, easily recognize his own property; then the elephants take them one by one, and put them in the creek or river. they push them over boulders and sandbanks, remove fallen trees out of the way, and, finally, bring them where there is a good current, and they can be bound into rafts and floated south. when the logs arrive at the saw-mills other elephants land them, and so well do they understand their work that they rarely need the direction of the _mahout_; they are so intelligent that when they hear the dinner-bell sound for the workmen, they instantly drop their logs and scamper off, screaming with joy, just like a lot of children let out of school. they are up to all kinds of tricks. for instance, at night they are turned loose to feed. a heavy, trailing chain is attached to them, and as they move about, the chain drags on the ground and leaves a trail, by means of which they are traced in the morning. but an elephant which has made up its mind to run away has been known "to carefully gather up the tell-tale chain and carry it for miles on its tusks." again, each elephant has a bell, and the driver recognizes the whereabouts of his own elephant, even when afar off, by the sound of this bell. but some elephants will remove the bell with their trunk, and then run away and hide themselves. they frequently jerk a _mahout_ whom they do not like on to the ground and trample on him. they can be used to make their lazy brothers work. in such cases a good big tusker is employed. he digs his tusks into the side of the idle one, and forces him to take up his log. sometimes the beasts fight amongst themselves, and then they seem to aim chiefly at biting off one another's tails. they have to be humoured at their work or they turn sulky. they work three days and rest three days. if they get ill, pills made of fiery chillies are rubbed into the eyes. this is probably the only animal that takes pills with its eyes. the animals get at least one bath a day. they will not drag one log for a long distance; but having brought it, say, for three-quarters of a mile, they go back and fetch another. when they have collected a little pile all in the same place, they set off again, carrying each of the logs about another three-quarters of a mile, and returning for the rest. they never cross a bridge without first testing it with one foot to see if they think that it is safe. they are afraid of ponies, and by siamese law, a pony meeting an elephant has to get out of the way. once or twice a year there is a big elephant-hunt at ayuthia, the old capital. at the beginning of the wet season orders are sent forth that elephants are to be collected. a number of men traverse the plain where the elephants have been allowed to roam unmolested, and drive them in towards the town. [illustration: an elephant hunt at ayuthia. _page 72._] people of all classes go to ayuthia to see the fun--princes and peasants, europeans and asiatics, laymen and priests. there is a great deal of excitement, particularly when the elephants are expected. presently an enormous tusker is seen. this is a tame elephant. he walks slowly in front, and the crowd of wild elephants behind who have taken him for their leader follow like a flock of sheep, except that they make more noise. round the outside of the herd there are other tame elephants, carrying men on their backs who are armed with spears. at last they reach the river. they stop for a moment, but the big tusker marches on in front, and the others are pushing at the back, so into the water they all go. they swim to the other side of the river, and there the mounted elephants get the whole herd into line again, pretending all the while to be their friends. then the tusker marches into a big enclosure set round with posts, and thence through a gateway into a second enclosure. by this time some of the wild elephants have an idea that they are being trapped, and they try to go back; but the guard-elephants stand quite steady, and the men on their backs make good use of their spears. so at last the captives are brought into a square space surrounded by a high, thick wall, on which hundreds of spectators are crowded, watching the operations. this ends the first day. the next morning half a dozen tuskers are led into the enclosure, or _paneat_, as it is called. on the back of each elephant are two men, provided with long coils of rope. they look for those young elephants that they think can be trained to make strong and useful servants later on. having chosen one, they chase him about, and, after a time, succeed in getting a noose under his foot, and in pulling the noose tightly up above the knee. the other end of the coil is thrown to the men upon the ground, and they make it fast to a post. when the youngster tries to run about again, he finds that he is held tightly by one leg. he shows his displeasure by the most heart-rending howls. as soon as a certain number have been tied up to posts, a gate is opened in the enclosure, and the uncaptured beasts are allowed to rush out on to the plain beyond. but they are not permitted to go back to their homes in the jungle; a ring of mounted elephants surrounds the plain and keeps them within bounds. the young ones in the _paneat_ are led out, one at a time, through a narrow gate. a tame elephant leads the way, and another follows. once outside, three mounted elephants appear. one goes on each side of the captive, and the third follows behind. the captive is fastened by his neck to the necks of his brethren on either side, and in this humiliating way he is led to the stables. there he is tied by the neck and one leg to a post. after about three years he has lost his temper, become gentle, and can then be taught to work. other elephants are noosed in the open, but in the evening, after a bathe in the river, the herd goes back to the _paneat_. when as many elephants have been chosen as are wanted, the rest are set free, and allowed to wander at liberty for another twelve months. chapter xvii white elephants siam has been called the "land of the white elephant," and no account of the country would be complete which failed to take notice of these peculiar animals. the national flag is a white elephant on a scarlet ground; the mercantile flag is a white elephant on a blue ground; and on every temple and official building this wonderful creature is fashioned in stone, wood, and plaster. in former days the king did not feel himself fully a king unless he possessed a white elephant, and he never hesitated about undertaking a war in order to obtain one of these rare animals. there is a story that gautama was once a white elephant, and that his mother, in a dream, met him in heaven in that shape. another legend says that now and again in the world's history a monarch appears who conquers and rules every nation under the sun. this monarch is known by certain signs, and by the possession of certain objects. of seven particular things that he owns, a white elephant is one, and without a white elephant he could not become king of the world. then many of the siamese believe that the animal is inhabited by the soul of some great man of the past, or by that of someone yet unborn, who will in due time be a person of great distinction. in former years no subject was allowed to keep a white elephant. if by chance he found one, he hastened to present it to the king. if he dared to try to keep it for himself, the king made war upon him and took it away by force. strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a white elephant. the animal is not really white, but only a little lighter in colour than the ordinary elephant. occasionally it is of the colour of dirty bath brick, and it may have a few white hairs on its tail or its head. the news of the discovery of a white elephant always produced great joy in the people and the king. the king sent a body of nobles and princes to the place where the animal had been found, and where he was tethered by silken cords. the ambassadors guarded the quadruped while professional elephant-tamers taught it how to behave in the presence of men and in the streets of a town. people went from all parts of the country to visit it and take it presents. meanwhile, in the capital, a palace was rapidly erected for the sublime animal. when the palace was finished and the taming of the elephant completed, a stately procession set out to meet it and bring it home. the king headed the procession, and when he met the elephant he knelt before it and gave it presents, after which he turned round and led the way back to the capital. in the elephant's new residence there was a wardrobe for his clothes, and covers of velvet and silk embroidered with gold and jewels. on his head was fastened a gold plate bearing his name and titles. he had a troupe of slaves and a party of priests, an orchestra of musicians, and a number of dancing-girls, all specially set apart for his instruction and amusement. when the elephant wanted to sleep, the priests chanted slumber-songs; when he looked lively and wakeful, the dancing-girls sang and danced to him. when he was hungry, he was fed with the finest fruits and vegetables. as a rule this life of laziness and luxury soon brought about his death. only about thirty years ago, a party of hunters who were looking for white elephants saw in the distance an elephant of excellent shape and size, but of no particular colour. on examining it a little closer, they fancied that it might be one of that rare kind for which they were seeking. they took him away and washed the mud off him, and them to their intense joy, they found that not only was he light in colour, but that on his back there were a few hairs that were positively white. the country went wild with joy. bangkok was decorated with flags, and illuminated at night. all the place was gay with banners, lights, and music. the king went to meet the animal, and the priests read a long and flattering address to it. the priests then baptized the animal and gave him his new name and titles, which were very numerous, and which were written on a piece of sugar-cane; this the elephant promptly swallowed. it was probably the only part of the ceremony that gave him any pleasure. he was taken to his new apartment, and there fed by kneeling servants, who offered him food on dishes made of silver. things are much changed now. when the last white elephant was discovered, he was sent to bangkok on a railway-truck. there was no guard of honour, no procession, and the king only went to visit him when he was lodged in the stables. on the way to the palace the new-comer behaved himself very badly by walking up to a fruit-seller's stall--the first it had ever seen--and eating up everything that was on it, almost before the attendants had had time to notice what he was doing. nowadays, the white elephants are badly fed by miserable grooms. they no longer have either priests or dancing-girls. the walls of their stables are half in ruins, and the roofs are covered with dirt of great age and thickness. their food is only hay, leaves, and young bamboos. by the side of each elephant is a cage; this is intended for a white monkey, the fit and proper companion for the white elephant. but as white monkeys are more rare than white elephants, all these cages are empty. once a year each elephant is sprinkled with holy water by the priests, and is made to listen to a number of long prayers. this is done to keep away evil spirits, and so successful is the operation that it only needs repeating once in twelve months. when one of the elephants dies, they bring a white monkey, a few doctors, and a few priests, to visit the deceased. by his side they dig a hole in the ground, in which incense is burned. the body is covered with a white cloth, and then taken out of the town and left to rot in a field. later on the bones and tusks are collected and preserved. for three days after the death of the quadruped a number of priests remain praying in the stable, requesting the spirit of the animal not to come back again and do any damage. chapter xviii trial by ordeal it is a long time since anyone in england had to undergo "trial by ordeal," but amongst the early english it was no uncommon thing for a man to try and prove his innocence when charged with crime by plunging his hand into boiling water or by holding a red-hot piece of iron. this was done in the church and before the priest. after a certain number of days the wound was examined. if it had healed, the accused was innocent; if it had not healed, he was guilty. trial by ordeal in siamese law-courts lasted down to quite recent times, and even now ordeals are practised privately for various purposes. in one of the fire ordeals the accuser and the accused had to walk with bare feet over a layer of live coals ten inches thick. the fire was made in a ditch, ten feet long by twenty inches wide and twenty inches deep. as the competitors walked over the red-hot coals, an official pressed heavily on their shoulders to make them go slowly. at the end of the trial the feet of the men were examined, and he who had no blisters, either then or during the next fifteen days, won the case. if both were unhurt, they had to undergo another ordeal by water; if both were burnt, they were both fined. only about forty years ago a trial of this kind occurred at a law-court in one of the smaller towns of the interior. in the ordeal by diving, use was made of a pond or of the river itself. two stakes were fixed about ten feet away from each other. the parties first said their prayers, and then entered the water with safety-ropes fastened round their waists. they walked into the water until it reached to their necks. each laid hold of his stake, and then a long pole was placed so that it was supported by the shoulders of both competitors. a signal was given on a gong, and an official leant heavily on the pole and pushed the heads of the parties under the water. he who remained under the water the longer of the two was the winner. if both remained under water longer than a fixed time, they were hauled up by the safety-ropes and the case was dismissed. if the people who had quarrelled were rich, they could employ people to dive for them, instead of getting wet and breathless themselves; and there is a story told of a man who once engaged a pearl-diver to represent him, and so won easily. a trial of this kind occurred at the northern town of chiengmai as late as january, 1882. [illustration: a religious water procession.] phya tak, the man whom we spoke about in the first chapter of this book, once defeated the army of a rebel who was also a priest. when the rebel was captured, a large number of yellow-robed brethren were taken with him. the king called them all together, and as he could not tell the innocent from the guilty, he said to them: "those of you who confess your guilt must leave the priesthood, but i will give you other clothes, and set you free without punishment. those who say they are innocent must prove their innocence by the diving-test. if you fail in this test, you will be executed." many priests confessed at once that they had been helping the rebel host. they were released as the king had promised. but many others swore that they were innocent. the king sat on a chair on the river-bank and watched the priests go down into the water one by one. some of them stayed under the water the proper length of time, and so proved themselves not guilty; but others who failed were stripped of their robes and executed on the spot. their bodies were burnt; their ashes were mixed with lime, and used to whitewash a part of a temple structure. sometimes melted lead was used in trial by ordeal. the contending parties thrust their hands into molten lead, and he who was not burnt won the case. molten tin or boiling oil were used occasionally instead of the molten lead. a regular method of settling disputes about money that had been lent was the trial by swimming. the parties had to swim either across a stream or against the current for a certain distance. the loser had to pay double the sum in dispute. half the amount paid was given to the winner, while the other half was handed over to the government as a fine. trial by means of candles was more comfortable than trial by fire and water. two candles of exactly the same kind of wax, of the same weight, and with wicks containing the same number of threads, were lit and placed on suitable stands. the man whose candle burnt away first was the loser. it is related of a certain nobleman that he was once asked to seize the throne and get rid of a usurper who was reigning at the time. he took two candles, one for himself and one for the usurper, and watched them burn. his own candle won. taking this to mean that he would be successful, he raised an army, attacked the sovereign, defeated him, and reigned in his stead. then there were trials connected with eating and drinking. one of these consisted in drinking water in which a sacred image had been bathed. if any misfortune happened to the person within a fortnight after the day he took the water he was declared guilty. in other cases rice was eaten; this was given by the priest, and was mixed with drugs and other nasty things. if the accused person was made sick by the dose, that proved him to be guilty. this form of trial was practised until quite recently for the detection of various small offences. a similar form of ordeal existed in england as late as the middle of the thirteenth century. a morsel of bread and cheese had to be eaten. it did no harm if the person were innocent, but gave him convulsions if he were guilty. tree-climbing was also indulged in for the discovery of culprits. for this purpose a particular kind of tree was stripped of its bark, leaving a very slippery stem underneath. a man could prove his innocence of the charge brought against him by successfully "climbing the greasy pole." before any of the diving-trials that we have mentioned take place, the recorder reads out a long address to the "gods of all mountains, streams, lakes, and creeks," for which he is paid about five shillings. there is a similar address and a similar fee before any one of any of the trials by fire. in this latter address the deities are asked to take vengeance on the guilty. amongst other pleasant things that the recorder reads are the following words: "may the deities cause all the sinful, ferocious beasts who molest man on this earth to arise and appear before the eyes of him who has said what is false, making him shake and shiver with fright; may his skin blister and his hair bristle on his head; may the terror of the approaching danger appear on his countenance, and his limbs tremble as he sees the glare of the brisk flames! "o god of fire, so gloriously shining and mighty! scorch and blister him as he enters the flames! "o god of fire, radiant and mighty in these accumulated embers, scald, blister, burn him, so that his guilt may appear evident before every eye!" the end billing and sons, ltd., printers, guildford other books for boys & girls illustrated in colour like the peeps at many lands price +3/6+ each all with full-page illustrations in colour _large crown 8vo., cloth_ by lieut.-col. a. f. mockler-ferryman the golden girdle with 8 full-page illustrations in colour by allan stewart by john finnemore the wolf patrol a story of baden-powell's boy scouts 8 full-page illustrations in colour by h. m. paget jack haydon's quest 8 full-page illustrations in colour by j. jellicoe by daniel defoe robinson crusoe with 8 full-page illustrations in colour by john williamson by stanley waterloo a tale of the time of the cave men with 8 full-page illustrations in colour by simon harmon vedder by andrew home by a schoolboy's hand with 8 full-page illustrations in colour by strickland brown from fag to monitor with 8 full-page illustrations in colour by john williamson by captain cook voyages of discovery with 8 full-page illustrations in colour by john williamson by mungo park travels in africa with 8 full-page illustrations in colour by john williamson by hume nisbet the divers with 8 full-page illustrations in colour by the author by the duchess of buckingham and chandos willy wind, and jock and the cheeses with 57 illustrations by j. s. eland (9 full-page in colour) by ascott r. hope stories with 8 full-page illustrations in colour by dorothy furniss by andrew home exiled from school with 8 full-page illustrations in colour by john williamson by the rev. r. c. gillie the kinsfolk and friends of jesus with 16 full-page illustrations in colour and sepia published by a. and c. black, soho square, london, w. price +6/-+ each all with full-page illustrations in colour _large square crown 8vo., cloth_ by s. r. crockett red cap adventures being the second series of red cap tales stolen from the treasure-chest of the wizard of the north 16 full-page illustrations by allan stewart and others by s. r. crockett red cap tales +stolen from the treasure-chest of the wizard of the north+ 16 full-page illustrations in colour by simon harmon vedder translated and abridged by dominick daly the adventures of don quixote 12 full-page illustrations in colour by stephen baghot de la bere gulliver's travels 16 full-page illustrations in colour by stephen baghot de la bere by ascott r. hope the adventures of punch 12 full-page illustrations in colour by stephen baghot de la bere by p. g. wodehouse william tell told again 16 full-page illustrations in colour by philip dadd by john bunyan the pilgrim's progress 8 full-page illustrations in colour by gertrude demain hammond, r.i. by miss conway and sir martin conway the children's book of art 16 full-page illustrations in colour from public and private galleries by g. e. mitton the children's book of stars preface by sir david gill, k.c.b., with 16 full-page illustrations (11 in colour) and 8 smaller figures in the text by g. e. mitton the children's book of london 12 full-page illustrations in colour by john williamson by elizabeth w. grierson the children's book of celtic stories 12 full-page illustrations in colour by allan stewart by elizabeth w. grierson the children's book of edinburgh 12 full-page illustrations in colour by allan stewart by elizabeth w. grierson children's tales from scottish ballads 12 full-page illustrations in colour by allan stewart edited by g. e. mitton swiss family robinson 12 full-page illustrations in colour by harry rountree by harriet beecher stowe uncle tom's cabin 8 full-page illustrations in colour and many others in the text price +6/=+ each all with full-page illustrations in colour _large square crown 8vo., cloth_ animal autobiographies edited by g. e. mitton each volume deals entirely with the life-story of some one animal, and is not merely a collection of animal stories. it is necessary to emphasize this, as the idea of the series has sometimes been misunderstood. children who have outgrown fairy-tales undoubtedly prefer this form of story to any other, and a more wholesome way of stimulating their interest in the living things around them could hardly be found. though the books are designed for children of all ages, many adults have been attracted by their freshness, and have found in them much that they did not know before. the autobiographical form was chosen after careful consideration in preference to the newer method of regarding an animal through the eyes of a human being, because it is the first aim of the series to depict the world as animals see it, and it is not possible to do this realistically unless the animal himself tells the story. the life story of a black bear by h. perry robinson with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by j. van oort the life story of a cat by violet hunt with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by adolph birkenruth the life story of a dog by g. e. mitton with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by john williamson the life story of a fox by j. c. tregarthen with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by countess helena gleichen the life story of a fowl by j. w. hurst with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by allan stewart and maude scrivener the life story of a rat by g. m. a. hewett with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by stephen baghot de la bere the life story of a squirrel by t. c. bridges with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by allan stewart +tangerine+: a child's letters from morocco. edited by t. ernest waltham â· containing illustrations from photographs â· square demy octavo â· cloth â· price +3s. 6d.+ "tangerine," as the name implies, deals with tangier, but not in an historical sense only, because the pretty title is the name given to the little heroine who describes, with open eyes of amazement, all the funny things and people she meets with while living in that strange moorish country. her letters, and the many beautiful and unique photographs which illustrate them, carry one back to the old testament history times, and if the illustrations had not been from actual photographs, it would have been very difficult to have believed that the old, old customs could be seen to-day so near to our own country and unmixed with modern civilization. the book will especially interest the young, because children love to have incidents of real life put before them when they have been seen through the eyes of another child; besides, tangerine's letters are full of quaint doings and little adventures which must appeal to them. [illustration: decoration] animal autobiographies edited by g. e. mitton each containing 12 full-page illustrations in colour square crown 8vo., cloth, gilt top price +6/=+ each the life story of a black bear by h. perry robinson with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by j. van oort the life story of a cat by violet hunt with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by adolph birkenruth the life story of a dog by g. e. mitton with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by john williamson the life story of a fowl by j. w. hurst with 12 full-page illustrations in colour the life story of a fox by j. c. tregarthen with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by countess helena gleichen the life story of a rat by g. m. a. hewett with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by stephen baghot de la bere the life story of a squirrel by t. c. bridges with 12 full-page illustrations in colour by allan stewart the _observer_ says: "that a great many children, and their elders, too, take a continuous interest in the life-stories of animals has been proved again and again, and therefore the idea of this series is one which is sure to commend itself to a large circle of readers. these volumes show that the happy idea has been very happily carried out." +swiss family robinson.+ edited by g. e. mitton â· containing twelve full-page illustrations in colour by harry rountree. large square crown octavo cloth â· gilt top â· price +6s.+ there's no friend like an old friend, and, among all schoolroom classics, "swiss family robinson" is one of the oldest and best known. the present version is taken from one of the earliest of the english editions, and though a certain amount of unnecessary matter has been cut off to reduce it within reasonable limits, the slightly archaic flavour of the language has been retained. harry rountree's illustrations in colour are really excellent, and make one wish it had been one's own privilege to meet the book for the first time in this guise. the children's book of edinburgh by elizabeth w. grierson containing 12 full-page illustrations in colour from paintings by allan stewart _large square crown 8vo., cloth, gilt top. price_ +6s.+ "there have been many books written about edinburgh, but none which attempts to point out its attractions or explain its historical associations in the way this one does for the benefit of young people. the author comes down to the level of little folks; yet the style in which she writes will not repel older people.... the volume is one which is certain to prove popular with little folk."--_scotsman._ the children's book of london by g. e. mitton author of several volumes in "the fascination of london" series edited by sir walter besant containing 12 full-page illustrations in colour by john williamson _large square crown 8vo., cloth, gilt top. price_ +6s.+ "no better guide could our younger generation have. the book has been written so dexterously that a child of ten years of age will at once be attracted and be impatient to go on a voyage of discovery in that london of which it knows little or nothing beyond the fact that it is a very, very, big city. 'pen pictures of london' the book might be called, and it will assuredly be in great demand at christmas-time."--_morning post._ the children's book of stars by g. e. mitton author of "the children's book of london" with a preface by sir david gill, k.c.b. containing about 20 full-page illustrations (11 in colour) and numerous diagrams in the text _large square crown 8vo., cloth, gilt top. price_ +6s.+ "this book about stars stirs one to something like enthusiasm, because it is so obviously and so delightfully a book that ought to have been written, and a book that has been well and lovingly written."--_tribune._ children's tales from scottish ballads by elizabeth w. grierson containing 12 full-page illustrations in colour from paintings by allan stewart _large square crown 8vo., cloth, gilt top. price_ +6s.+ "the author has singled out her stories well. _black agnace of dunbar_ is a stirring piece of writing, and if it and the other stories do not fire the imagination of the rising generation, then we have surely become a decadent race.... the illustrations are again by mr. stewart, whose colouring is beautiful."--_speaker._ published by a. and c. black, 4, 5, and 6, soho square, london, w. proofreading by users emil, dekpient, brianjungwi, rikker, kaewmala, ianh68, nblackburn. pgt is an affiliated sister project focusing on public domain books on thailand and southeast asia. project leads: rikker dockum, emil kloeden. (this file was produced from images generously made available by the internet archive.) siam: its government, manners, customs, &c. by rev. n. a. mcdonald, for ten years a missionary in that country. philadelphia: alfred martien, 1214 chestnut street. 1871. entered according to act of congress, in the year 1871, by alfred martien, in the office of the librarian of congress, at washington. to the memory of the founder of milnwood academy, rev. j. y. mcginnes, who had the cause of foreign missions very much at heart; and to all who have been pupils of that institution, this little volume is respectfully dedicated, by one of the earliest students of the institution, the author. [illustration: the present king of siam.] contents. chapter i. geography chapter ii. the government chapter iii. religion chapter iv. education and literature chapter v. manners and customs chapter vi. courtship and marriage chapter vii. ceremonies for the dying and dead chapter viii. theory and practice of medicine chapter ix. farming and products chapter x. mode of dividing time chapter xi. missionary operations preface. in giving these pages to the public the author has no ambition to make a book. having been invited by the principal of milnwood academy, at shade gap, pa., to deliver in that institution a series of lectures, or talks, on siam, its government, manners, customs, &c., a few friends have requested that they be reduced to paper and published, which is his only apology for giving them to the public in book form. a few additions have been made, and the facts are narrated as seen and understood by the author. in a few instances, to refresh his memory, he has referred to articles on siam, published in the _bangkok calendar_ and elsewhere. the work is intended chiefly for a class of readers who may not have access to the more pretending works recently published on that country. n. a. m. shade gap, pa., april, 1871. siam. chapter i. geography, etc. on my "overland" journey from siam to the united states, through france and england, many persons were accustomed to accost me saying, "pardon me, sir, but what nationality is that young man who is with you?" referring to my siamese boy. that boy, sir, is a siamese. "a siamese! well, i must confess my geography is a little shaky,--i scarcely know where siam is,--but i remember now that is where the siamese twins came from." referring, of course, to those unfortunate beings who by some "lusus naturæ" are inseparably connected together, and have been obliged to spend a long life in that condition, and who have consequently become almost the only means by which their native country is known to a vast majority of europeans. when i, in 1860, determined to go to siam, i found it next to impossible to gather from books any reliable information concerning it, and consequently took shipping at new york almost as ignorant of the country to which i was going, as i was of the moon. fortunately however, some of our party were returning, and before we arrived at our destination i was pretty well prepared for what i was to encounter. geographies are nearly silent in regard to siam, from the simple fact that geographers themselves know nothing about it. it is also to be regretted that, until very recently, chiefly all the books concerning oriental countries were written by mere cursory travellers, whose knowledge of the countries through which they passed, or at which they touched, must necessarily have been limited, and the chief object of many of them appears to have been to make a readable book, oftentimes at the expense of truth. you will naturally ask, where is siam? at the extreme point of that vast continent extending from the snows of siberia to the equator, and terminating in the long narrow malay peninsula, is the little island of singapore, separated from the mainland by a narrow strait. the island is about twenty-five miles long, and about fourteen miles broad, and commands the entrance of the china sea. the english, who have ever had an eye to strategic points, and especially in the east, took possession of it in 1819, being then little more than a malay fishing village, and a nest for pirates. the present town of singapore, well laid out and neatly built, and situated on the southern extremity of the island commanding the anchorage, contains perhaps one hundred thousand inhabitants, whilst the principal english merchants live in palatial residences on the hills in the rear of the town. the government of the island, together with malacca, penang, and province wellesley, has lately teen transferred from the indian government directly to the crown. it is a beautiful little island, with a genial climate, and i know of no place in the east where i would rather live. leaving singapore, and passing through the strait, up the peninsula, over the lower part of the china sea, and up the gulf of siam about eight hundred miles, you come to the kingdom of siam, sandwitched between cambodia on the east and burmah on the west, extending from about latitude 4° to 22° north, and from longitude about 98° to 104° east; consequently there is neither frost or snow, but perpetual summer reigns. the leaves fall and are replaced by new ones, whilst those who are daily witnesses to it scarcely notice the change. the climate of siam is genial and healthy, but the constant heat is trying to the constitutions of europeans, who require a change at least once in ten years. the seasons are two, the wet and the dry. from november to may scarcely a cloud obscures the sky, and no rain falls except perhaps a shower in january. the siamese look for a shower in that month, and are disappointed if it does not come. they think it necessary for certain kinds of fruit which is just then forming, and they also think it indicative of a good rice season. i have, however, in ten years, seen january pass several times without the expected shower. from november to february the weather is delightful, being the cool season, but the thermometer is seldom lower than 64°. march and april are the hottest months, but the thermometer does not rise as high as might be expected in such a climate. i have never seen it over 98°, but on account of the long absence of rain, the ground in most places becomes dry and parched, and the rays of the sun, reflected from the heated earth, give the atmosphere a kind of bake-oven feeling, which is oftentimes hard to endure. from november to may the wind blows constantly from the northeast, and is called the "northeast monsoon." from may till november again, is the wet season, the wind blowing constantly from the southwest, and is called the "southwest monsoon," the rain falling in copious showers almost every day. the showers come in a kind of rotation. if there is one to-day at a certain hour, there will be one to-morrow an hour later. the showers are copious indeed, and sometimes one would think the "windows of heaven were opened." the lightning is vivid, and the thunder oftentimes terrific. whither the name siam came, or whence it is derived, it is now impossible to tell. the siamese themselves know nothing of it, only as it is applied to their country by europeans. the name they apply to their country is "muang thai," the free country, in distinction from those countries which are tributary. the name siam, however, is now coming into common use, and is sometimes inserted in public documents. the geology of siam is simple, the lower portion near the gulf being an alluvial deposit, the result of the annual overflowing of the rivers, which takes place at the close of every rainy season. the water from the copious rains rushes down from the mountains up the country, and overflows the lowlands, enriching them and causing them to produce abundant crops of rice. the mountains are volcanic, and some of them have the appearance of having been thrown from a distance and set down in their present positions. many of them are barren of almost everything green, presenting to the eye but little that is attractive, but others, especially in the north laos country, present scenery indescribably grand. in many places, especially along the seacoast, the old granite, the foundation of all things, geologically speaking, comes to the surface, and even projects out in bold bluffs and headlands. the rocks on many of the mountains present the appearance of having at one time been lashed by the waves of the sea, and there is abundant evidence that much of the lower country has been redeemed from the sea at no very remote period. the country is drained by three streams of considerable size, which empty into the gulf. the principal one is put down on our maps as the menam, but called by the siamese menam chow phya, menam being the generic name for river, meaning mother of water, and chow phya being the specific name for that particular river. were it not for a sandbar at its mouth, it would be navigable for the largest class of vessels to bangkok, but on that account the largest vessels are obliged to anchor in the roadstead outside. the bampakong on the east, and tacheen on the west, are also streams of some importance. besides these, there are also a number of smaller streams. bangkok, the capital of the kingdom, is situated on both sides of the menam chow phya, about twenty-five miles from its mouth. it contains about four hundred thousand inhabitants, and has been called the venice of the east, from the fact that much of the city is floating on the river in the form of floating houses. these floating houses are a kind of nondescript affair, and it is impossible to give one who has never seen them any idea of them. the following description, by the oldest missionary in siam, and published in the _bangkok calendar_ of 1866, though quite too elaborate for easy reading, is as good as anything that can be given, and i shall insert it "in toto." "our friends in the western world have heard a good deal about the floating houses of bangkok, but they universally speak of being unable to understand, after all that has been written, what kind of things they are. if the descriptions that have been given of them could have always been accompanied by good photographic pictures of the same, our friends would have had much less difficulty in understanding them. but such pictures are too expensive to procure for illustrating 'the bangkok calendar,' which never pays for its cost, and hence we must do the next best thing, and that is to descend into quite minute detail, if we would make our friends who have never visited bangkok understand such unique structures as the floating houses of the city. and as these houses form a large part of the dwellings and mercantile shops of this great metropolis, being the most conspicuous of all buildings (the temples only excepted) as you pass up and down the menam chow phya, the 'broadway' of bangkok, they seem to demand a minute description in 'the calendar.' these floating houses are moored on both sides of the river for a distance of nearly three miles. their size, on an average, is about forty by thirty feet on the base; in height, eight feet to the eves, and fifteen feet to the ridge of the roof. as this base could not be covered by a roof of only two sides, and make it sufficiently steep to shed rain well, without being too high for safety on the river in time of a squall, the natives divide the area to be covered into two nearly equal parts, and put a two-sided roof over each division, thatched with the attap palm leaf, (_cocos nipa_.) the two eves that thus meet in the middle of the house have an eve-trough common to both of them, which is always seen in the house about eight feet from the floor, passing uniformly in the direction of the river. hence nearly all these floating houses appear to be double, standing sidewise to the river, the ridge of the front being a little lower than the one behind it. there is always a narrow verandah four or five feet wide attached to the front division, which is covered with an extra roof of attap leaves, extending from under the main point roof, with a more gentle slope than the front roof, and then, in front of these, there is usually a small bamboo float from three to five feet wide. this is sometimes extended the whole length of the house, and sometimes only from three to ten feet. the eve of the verandah is not more than six feet above the floor. from this there is often suspended a bamboo mat, or some other material more tasty, for a screen from the glare of the river. the ends of the two double roofs are all furnished precisely alike with a peculiar kind of moulding made of a thin plank tastefully curved at the bottom, like the written capital a, and put up edgewise at the extreme end, to constitute a neat finish for the thatching. the triangular area made by each double roof at the ends is generally closed with attap thatching; sometimes with bamboo matting, sometimes with wooden pannelled work, sometimes with a regular clap-boarding, and rarely with woodwork radiating from the lower side of the triangle upwards. "these floating houses are always divided into two main rooms--the front and inner one. the floor of the latter is about one foot higher than the front. there are narrow passages five feet wide at the right and left of these rooms, which are simply enclosed verandahs, with each an attap roof, leading to a narrow room of the same width and kind in the extreme rear. the front room is used for the purpose of a variety-store, and the inner one for a bed-room. "in it you will generally find the family idol-altar, if the occupant be a chinese. it is often used for putting away lots of goods, a few samples of which are daily exposed for sale in the front room. these exhibitions are made on a kind of amphitheatre-formed shelving facing the river, so that every article can be seen at a glance by passers-by in boats. the whole front is exposed to view in the daytime, not by opening all the doors and windows, but by taking down much of the front siding, which consists of boards varying from ten to twelve inches in width, standing up endwise, and fitted into grooves above and below. these boards are slid out early every morning, one by one, and laid away out of sight under the floor, in a place reserved for them during the day. early in the evening each board is put in its place for closing up the front of the shop, leaving not the least door or window by which one may have direct access to it. but there is a small door in front of each of the narrow passages in the extreme rear. "this narrow room is commonly used for the purposes of a cook-room. the fire place is simply a shallow wooden box filled with clay. there is no chimney or stovepipe attached to any of them. in the place of one they make a scuttle hole in the thatched roof only six feet above, and this has a trap door made of the same material as the roof, which can be closed in rainy weather. even in the best weather only a part of the smoke escapes through the opening, while the remainder finds its way out in all quarters. consequently this little cook-room is always a very smoky place, and is blackened with soot to a greater or less extent, as are also many other parts of the establishment. "some better-to-do occupants of these floating houses have a small bamboo caboose, moored at one end of the dwelling house. the floating houses are usually enclosed with teak boards standing up endwise, and permanently fixed into grooves above and below. sometimes the siding is made of bamboo wattling. "it remains to be shown the mode of buoying up the floating houses above the water, which being quite unique, deserves a particular description. in the sills of the house are framed five rows of scantling, four-by-six inches or larger, which descend into the water five or six feet. these are so arranged that they divide the whole area underneath the sills into four equal parts, or, as the siamese say, _hawngs_, or sections, for filling with bamboo poles. the first object of these five rows of _legs_, bounding as they do the four equal divisions, is to prevent the bamboo poles from rolling out sideways under the pressure of the superincumbent house; and the other is to render it quite convenient to exchange every year old and rotten bamboos for new ones. now a new set of bamboos will serve well the purposes of a buoy only about two years; and to save the trouble of exchanging all under the house at once, the natives manage to exchange only half of them annually, so that the house is not for a moment left without enough to keep it well out of the water. this is done by removing all the bamboos from one or two of the divisions which have been in use two years, and filling their places with new ones. the divisions which have bamboos of one year's service remain undisturbed until next year; when their time has expired, they too are cast out to give place to others. thus there are always left two divisions of the last year's bamboos to serve in conjunction with two divisions of new ones. the annual cost of new bamboos for a floating house of medium size is not far from forty _ticals_, and the number of bamboo poles required is from five to eight hundred. "as these floating houses are generally moored close together, standing end to end, in an even line in the direction of the river, it becomes necessary that the house which is to be replenished with bamboos should be moved out a little in front of its neighbor's, thus making room for sliding out the old bamboos from either end, and sliding in new ones to fill their places. there are men who follow this business as their profession, and do it very dextrously. one day is quite sufficient to accomplish the whole work for any house. the bamboos, it scarcely need be said, are slender poles, from three to four inches in diameter at the butt-end, and not more than half that size at the top. they are from twenty-five to thirty feet in length. the top ends of the poles are always the ones that are pushed under the house, and consequently are hidden, while the butt-ends are always external, forming an even surface at each end of the house. the poles being about three-fourths the length of the house, the smaller extremities consequently overlap each other from eight to ten feet, and make an equal thickness of buoying material beneath the middle of the house, with that of each end. "a house newly buoyed up looks quite tidy and dry, its floors being from three to four feet above water. the houses are kept in their places, forming a regular line with their fellows, thirty feet or more from shore, by means of three or four teak posts or piles, driven at each end into the soft bottom of the river six or eight feet; and these are made mutual supporters of each other by lashing a bamboo pole across them all near their tops. the house is then fastened to these posts by means of bands or hoops encircling very loosely each post, so that they shall readily slip up and down as the tide raises the house or causes it to settle down. for this purpose it is indispensable that there be no notches or knots on the posts that shall cause the hoops to catch on them. such a notch would cause the post to be drawn up out of its place in a flowing tide, and would sink it deeper in an ebbing one. while sitting in these houses you will often hear a crack, and consequent sudden sinking of the house, caused by the sliding of a hoop out of the place where it had been caught on the posts. where the water is unusually deep where a floating house is moored, and the bottom of the river unstable, you will see the tops of the mooring posts made fast by a cable to something firm on shore. sometimes the whole gives way notwithstanding, and then the house is adrift at the mercy of the tide. the writer was once in a floating house that had got adrift in the night time, and floated down the river many miles before it could be made to submit to the power of the ropes and cables, with which we endeavoured many times in vain to stop her downward way. she would snap our stoutest ropes, as samson did all the instruments with which his enemies bound him. these floating houses are often moved from place to place, and it is no uncommon thing to see one floating up or down the river with the family in, and everything going on as regularly within as if it was snugly moored." the buildings on shore belonging to the chief princes and nobles, are built of rough brick and stuccoed inside and out. the style of architecture is a kind of siamo-chinese. the next best kind of house consists of posts sunk into the ground, which constitute the frame work, whilst the sides are made of boards wrought into a kind of pannel work. this is called a _"ruen fa kadan,"_ or weatherboarded house. these are the houses of the poorer princes and nobles, and the better class of the common people. the houses of the poorer classes of the common people are made on the same plan, only the sides are constructed of bamboo wattling. these are called _"ruen fa tak,"_ or open-sided house. the river is the "broadway" of the city, whilst canals form the principal cross streets or avenues. chiefly all travel in the city, and indeed everywhere in siam, is done in boats. if a person wishes to go to church, to market, to call on a friend--in short, any where, he goes in a boat. the rivers are the great avenues of trade, whilst the whole country near the gulf is intersected by a network of canals. but in those portions distant from the rivers or canals resort must be had to ox-carts and elephants. siam is the genial land of the elephant. he roams wild in her forests, but those which have not at least been partially tamed are now becoming scarce. he constitutes in the northern provinces the chief beast of burden, and one of the special uses to which he is put, is drawing timber from the forest to the bank of the river, where it can be formed into rafts and floated to market. i have seen a huge elephant with his tusks and trunk roll a large log up a declivity more quickly and dextrously than a dozen men would have done it. siam has also been denominated the land of the "white elephant," from the peculiar reverence shown for that animal. there is, however, no such thing as a white elephant. the standing color is black, but occasionally one is found which by some freak in nature is a kind of albino, or flesh color. he comes as near the color of a badly burned brick as anything else. the siamese do not call him a white elephant, but a _"chang puak,"_ a strange colored elephant. from time immemorial the siamese have considered this strange colored animal the emblem of good luck, and the king, who has had the greatest number of them, is handed down in history as the most fortunate monarch. a certain king had at one time three of them. the king of burmah sent an embassy, asking one as a special favor, which was emphatically denied. at this the king of burmah took umbrage, and sent an army and took the whole of them. when one is found in the forest, word is sent immediately to the capital, and preparations are made for conducting him to the palace with the greatest honors and religious ceremonies. he is enthroned in a palace within the walls of the king's palace, and is henceforth fed on the luxuries of the land. he seldom, however, lives long, being killed with kindness. he would be much happier and his life would be considerably prolonged by allowing him to roam in his native forest. the finder of such an elephant too, is generally handsomely rewarded. some travellers have stated that the white elephant is worshipped, but i have never seen anything of the kind, nor do i believe it. he is, however, held in peculiar reverence, because he is considered the emblem of good luck. the flag of the country is the flag of the white elephant. i am told that some frenchman has lately written a book, in which he states that he has in his possession a hair from the tail of the white elephant of siam, which he obtained at great sacrifice, and even risk of his life. the hair he may have, but the rest is imaginary. the present population of siam cannot be much short of eight millions. the siamese proper are evidently an off-shoot from the mongolian race, but by what admixtures they have arrived at their present status it would be difficult to ascertain. some one has given the following description of them, which is substantially correct. "the average height is five feet three inches, arms long, limbs large, and bodies inclined to obesity. the face is broad and flat, the cheek bones high, and the whole face assumes a lozenge shape. the nose is small, mouth wide, and lips thick, but not protruding. the eyes are small and black, and the forehead low. the complexion rather inclined to a yellowish hue. the whole physiognomy has a sullen aspect, and the gait sluggish." the siamese, as a general thing, do not tattoo their bodies as many eastern nations do. chapter ii. the government. siam proper is divided into fifty-eight provinces, which are each presided over by a governor appointed by the central government at bangkok. there are also several malay states down the peninsula, and six or eight petty laos kingdoms north of siam proper which are tributary to the king of siam. these laos kingdoms pay a small annual tribute, and the king of siam claims the prerogative of nominating a successor to the throne, when a vacancy occurs. this successor is taken of course from their own princes, but receives his insignia of office from the king of siam. aside from this, each of those kings is absolute in his own dominions. all the tributary states, however, are virtually under the protectorate of the king of siam, he being _lord_ paramount, or suzerain. the civil government is divided amongst the three principal ministers of state, _chow phya pra kalehome_, _chow phya puterapei_, and _chow phya praklang_. the _kalehome_ has special charge of the provinces to the west and southwest, and is _prime minister_, having charge of everything pertaining to army and navy. _puterapei_ has charge of the provinces to the north, and is over everything that pertains to habitations and dwellings of the people. the _praklang_ has charge of the provinces to the southeast, and is over all foreign interests, all vessels of trade foreign and domestic, and has charge to a certain extent of the treasury, hence the name _praklang_. this was the arrangement under the late reign, and i presume it is very little changed, if any, as yet under the present. the king is an absolute despot. no hereditary aristocracy or legislative assemblies control his will. there is an aristocracy or nobility, it is true, but their power is not felt only as instruments in carrying out the will of the king. the people exist for the monarch, and not the monarch for the people. the laws, as a general thing, are laws of the king and not of the country. the old adage, "new kings make new laws," is often literally true in siam, providing the new sovereign is so disposed. he is absolute master of the persons, property, liberty and lives of his subjects. in speaking of him they do not say he rules or governs, but he "eats the kingdom," which is too often literally true. almost any man in the kingdom is liable to be drafted at any time to do king's work, and the descendants of captives of war, such as cambodians, peguins, burmese, &c., are obliged to render three months service, or its equivalent, to the government annually. the person of the king is held in extreme sacredness and reverence, and in addressing him the same titles and attributes are applied to him which are applied to _budha_. for one of his subjects to inquire after the king's health would be an almost unpardonable offence, as it is presumed that the king never takes sick, or dies, as common people do. some of these absurd ideas appeared in the late reign to have become obsolete, but are evidently being renewed again in the present. formerly the king was both a monopolist and a trader, claiming exclusive right over such commodities as tin, ivory, cardamums, eagle-wood, sapan-wood, gamboge, &c., but when the late king entered into treaty relations with the western powers, this monopoly was in a great measure yielded. it is strange to say that this monarchy is not hereditary--that is, not in the sense that that term is understood in europe. there is what is called the _senabodee_, or royal counsellors, consisting of the chief ministers of state, who during the life of the king are merely silent counsellors, but upon his death their power becomes manifest, and upon them devolves the responsibility of selecting a successor, and governing the kingdom until such successor is chosen. the successor must be a prince of the realm, but not necessarily the eldest son of the late king--indeed, not necessarily a son of his at all. the death of the late king occurred about nine o'clock, p. m. the prime minister was immediately summoned to the palace, who convened the _senabodee_, and before midnight the succession was determined, and everything going on smoothly. they chose in this instance the eldest son of the late king, _somdetch chowfa chulalangkorn_, a boy about sixteen years old. his coronation took place on wednesday, november 11, 1868, being the day decided upon by the brahmin astrologers as the one most propitious. at this coronation there was a slight innovation upon the usual siamese custom. no european had ever before witnessed the coronation ceremonies of any king of siam. the late king, after his coronation, wrote a private note to some of his european friends, stating that he would have been glad to have had them present, but "state reasons forbade it." the number of europeans present at the coronation proper of the present king were few, consisting of the consuls of the different treaty powers, with their suites; the officers of h. b. m.'s gunboat avon, and a few others. the writer held at the time the seals of the united states consulate, and was the only representative of our government in the kingdom, and consequently received an invitation, which might not have been accorded to him as a mere missionary. the company of siamese present was equally select, consisting only of the chief princes and nobles of the kingdom. the hour named was six o'clock, a.m., but owing to some delay it was nearly eight when we passed into a small triangular court, facing one of the doors of the inner audience hall. in front of the door of the hall stood an elevated platform richly gilded, and upon that platform was placed a very large golden basin. within that basin was a golden tripod, or three-legged stool. over the platform was a quadrangular canopy, and over the canopy was the nine-storied umbrella, tapering in the form of a _pagoda_. over the centre of the canopy was a vessel containing consecrated water, said to have been prayed over nine times, and poured through nine different circular vessels before reaching the top of the canopy. this water is collected from the chief rivers of siam, and at a point above tidal influence, and is constantly kept on hand, in reservoirs near the temples in the capital. in the vessel was placed a tube or syphon, representing the pericarp of the lotus flower, after the petals have fallen off. at a flourish of crooked trumpets, resembling rams' horns, the king elect descended from the steps of the hall, arrayed in a simple waist-cloth of white muslin, with a piece of the same material thrown over his shoulders, and took his seat upon the tripod in the basin. a brahmin priest approached him and offered him some water in a golden lotus-shaped cup, into which he dipped his hand, and rubbed it over his head. this was the signal for the pulling of a rope, and letting loose the sacred water above in the form of a shower-bath upon his person. this shower-bath represents the _tewadas_, or budhist angels, sending blessings upon his majesty. a budhist priest then approached and poured a goblet of water over his person. next came the brahmin priests and did the same. next came the chief princes, uncles of the king; next two aged princesses, his aunts. the vessels used by these princes and princesses were conch-shells, tipped with gold. then came the chief nobles, each with a vessel of a different material, such as gold, silver, pinchbeck, earthenware, &c. then, last of all, the prime minister with a vessel of iron. this finished the royal bath. he then descended from the stool in a shivering state, and was divested of his wet clothes, and was arrayed in regal robes of golden cloth, studded with diamonds. in the south end of the audience hall was an octagonal throne, having eight sides, corresponding to the eight points of the compass. he first seated himself on the side facing the north, passing around toward the east. in front of each side of the throne was crouched a budhist and a brahmin priest, who presented him with a bowl of water, of which he drank and rubbed some on his face. at each side they read to him a prayer, to which he responded. i was too far off to hear all, but the following is said to be a translation of it. _priest_. "be thou learned in the laws of nature and of the universe." _king_. "inspire me, o thou who wert a law unto thyself." _p_. "be thou endowed with all wisdom and all acts of industry." _k_. "inspire me with all knowledge, o thou, the enlightened." _p_. "let mercy and truth be thy right and left arms of life." _k_. "inspire me, o thou who hast proved all truth and mercy." _p_. "let the sun, moon, and stars bless thee." _k_. "all praise to thee, through whom all forms are conquered." _p_. "let the earth, air, and water bless thee." _k_. "through the merit of thee, o thou conqueror of death." he was then conducted to the north end of the hall, and was seated upon another throne. the insignia of royalty were then presented to him. they were handed to him by his uncle, prince _chowfa maha mala_. first came the sword, then the sceptre, then two massive gold chains in a casket, which he suspended around his shoulders. then came the crown, which he placed on his own head, and at that instant the royal salute proclaimed him king, under the title of _prabat somdetch pra paramendr maha chulalang korn kate klou yu hua_. then came the golden slippers, the fan, the umbrella, two large massive rings set with huge diamonds, which he placed on each of his forefingers. then one of each of the siamese weapons of war were handed him, which he received and handed back. the brahmins then wound up with a short address, to which he briefly responded. he then distributed a few gold and silver flowers amongst his friends, and the europeans then withdrew to breakfast, which had been prepared for them. it may be asked why the brahmins officiate so much when siam is emphatically a budhist country. i have asked several well-informed noblemen for the reason, but have as yet been unable to ascertain the true reason. no one appeared able to give any true reason. there are a number of brahmins in the country, but their existence is scarcely ever noticed except on some such occasion as the above. at 11 o'clock, a.m., the new king appeared for the first time before his whole court. the outer audience hall was richly decorated and spread with rich brussels carpet. when the foreign consuls entered in a body the whole siamese court was prostrate on their knees and elbows on the carpet. very soon the king entered, arrayed in regal robes, and wearing his crown, and seated himself upon the throne. the whole court simultaneously placed the palms of their hands together, and then raising them up to the forehead, bowed their heads three times to the floor. the chief ministers of state then formally delivered over their several departments to the new monarch, to whom he briefly responded. senhor g. f. vianna, esq., consul-general for portugal, his being the oldest consulate, then on behalf of the consuls present read a short congratulatory address, which called forth another brief response, and the audience retired. the public audiences of european ambassadors and officials are extremely ridiculous. i have been present on several such occasions, both as vice-consul and as interpreter to others. the king is seated upon his throne, and the whole court resting on their knees and elbows before him, with their "beam ends" turned up to the gaze. all communication must be held through the court speaker. when i went as interpreter, the communication was given me in english, which i rendered into siamese to the speaker. he would then commence by ascribing to the king a long "rigmarole" of titles and attributes, at the same time apparently so much afraid that he scarcely knew what he was doing, and by the time he was ready to deliver my communication he had forgotten about half of it. when he received the king's reply, he had to repeat the same nonsense, and by the time he was ready to give the message to me there was but little of it left. had i not been able myself to catch it directly from the king's lips, the interview would have been most unsatisfactory. the present king is about sixteen years old, and is apparently a sprightly, good-looking boy. his father, some time before his death, had employed an english governess for the palace, and the present king, in common with all the royal children, received from her some knowledge of the english language, and probably a smattering of some of the sciences; but when he ascended the throne, instead of employing for him a tutor capable of instructing him in the sciences, and the different forms of government, everything of the kind was abandoned, and he was allowed to give himself up almost wholly to women, which is likely to destroy in a great measure any original talent he may have had. it is now difficult to tell what he will be by the time he arrives at an age suitable to assume the responsibility of the government. he is also at present very much secluded from europeans. his father, vain of his knowledge of english, and the advancement he had made in the sciences, which, to say the least, was truly commendable, was very fond of european society, and was accessible at almost any time by the better classes of europeans in siam, but the son, for reasons best known to those in authority, is at present cut off from all such intercourse. i have also been informed that he has removed from the palace the fine european furniture placed there by his father, and is replacing it with chinese furniture, which looks like a step backwards. the government at present is in the hands of his excellency _chow phya sri surywongse_, with the title of regent. he was prime minister during the late reign, and consequently chief of the _senabodee_. he is also a man of undoubted ability, coupled with the usual oriental shrewdness and low cunning, and is with all extremely selfish and moody. his love for europeans and western civilization is not very great, only so far as he can use them to his own advantage; he is however, too shrewd a man to do anything which would interfere with the european trade, or violate the existing treaties. the country is perhaps better governed now than ever it has been before. his younger half-brother. _chow phya bhanuwongse_, is minister of foreign affairs. he is a free, affable, gentlemanly man, and is perhaps more free from that extreme selfishness which constitutes so large an element in siamese character, than any man in the kingdom. he has been to europe, and has profited much by the trip. his eldest son is now in king's college, london. the foreign minister is, however, too near the shadow of his greater brother to act out his natural character, especially in his official capacity. during the last and present reigns, siam has been the mildest and best heathen government on the face of the globe. oppressions from high quarters are very rare. petty officers sometimes take advantage of their positions to "squeeze" the poor. redress for such grievances can always be had by appealing to headquarters, but there are usually so many unchained lions in the way that such a course is seldom resorted to. there is also a second king, which is merely a nominal title without any of the responsibility of the government. he is surrounded by his court, and has nearly all the honors of the first king shown him, but has nothing to do with government except amongst his own personal adherents. even at the death of the first king he does not assume, even temporally, any authority. he may be chosen first king. a few instances are on record in which this has been the case. the son of the late second king now occupies the second throne, under the title of _krom pra raja bowawn sahthan mongkoon_. this prince is better known to europeans by the name of george washington, a name given him when a boy, either by his father, or by some of the american missionaries who taught him english. his father is said to have manifested a great love for the memory of washington. the second king is now about thirty-five years old, has a pretty good knowledge of english, some knowledge of the sciences, western civilization and governments, is polite and gentlemanly in his manners, and apparently very friendly to europeans. he is also well liked by all europeans. the commander of one of our united states war vessels, after an audience with the second king, remarked to me on retiring from the palace, "that is the man who should have been first king." the title of second king appears to have been originally established to satisfy the disappointed one of two rival princes. the siamese have an excellent code of civil and criminal laws, if they were properly enforced, but, unfortunately, the judiciary are so corrupt that justice is seldom meted out, the one paying the largest bribe generally gets the case. the lord mayor's and sub-mayor's courts are the chief criminal courts in the city. there are also within the palace walls several other courts, chiefly for civil cases, and presided over by the chief ministers of state. there is also an international court, established by the late king, for the investigation of those cases in which both siamese and the subjects of treaty powers are involved. besides these, every prince of rank is vested with judicial powers, and can hold court at his own palace. the courts in the provinces are presided over by the provincial governors, but those governors have not the power of life and death unless delegated to them, in a special emergency, by the king. the judge of any court is vested with full powers to investigate and decide any case, subject, however, to an appeal to the king. there is, however, seldom such an appeal, as, in other instances of oppression, the unchained lions in the way are numerous. there are associate or assistant judges, but they are simply for the investigation of minor cases. the judge places his mat down on the floor in one end of the court-room, upon which he places a three-cornered pillow, and then places himself in a reclining position. the litigants are crouching around him, presenting their cases, and the whole thing frequently turns into a general conversation and brow-beating. there is nothing like a jury. the witnesses are taken out to a budhist temple, where the following ironclad oath is administered to them. "i, who have been brought here as a witness in this matter, do now, in the presence of the sacred image of budha, declare that i am wholly unprejudiced against either party, and uninfluenced in any way by the opinions or advice of others; that no prospects of pecuniary advantage or advancement to office have been held out to me. i also declare that i have not received any bribe on this occasion. if what i have now to say be false, or if in my further averments i shall color or pervert the truth so as to lead the judgment of others astray, may the three holy existences before whom i now stand, together with the glorious _tewadas_ of the twenty-two firmaments, punish me. if i have not seen, and yet shall say i have seen; if i shall say i know that which i do not know, then may i be thus punished. should innumerable descents of deity happen for the regeneration and salvation of mankind, may my erring and migratory soul be found beyond the pale of their mercy. wherever i go may i be compassed with dangers, and not escape from them, whether murderers, robbers, spirits of the earth, woods, or water, or air, or all the divinities who adore budha; or from the gods of the four elements, and all other spirits. may blood flow out of every pore of my skin, that my crime may be made manifest to the world. may all or any of these evils overtake me within three days, or may i never stir from the spot on which i now stand; or may the lightning cut me in two, so that i may be exposed to the derision of the people; or if i should be walking abroad, may i be torn in pieces by either of the supernaturally endowed lions, or destroyed by poisonous serpents. if on the water of the river or ocean, may supernatural crocodiles or great fish devour me; or may the winds and waves overwhelm me, or may the dread of such evils keep me a prisoner during life at home, estranged from every pleasure. may i be afflicted with intolerable oppression of my superiors, or may a plague cause my death; after which may i be precipitated into hell, there to go through innumerable stages of torture, amongst which may i be condemned to carry water over the flaming regions in wicker baskets, to assuage the heat of _than tretonwan_, when he enters the infernal hell of justice, and thereafter may i fall into the lowest pit of hell; or if these miseries should not ensue, may i after death migrate into the body of a slave, and suffer all the pain and hardship attending the worst state of such a being, during the period measured by the sand of the sea; or may i animate the body of an animal or beast during five hundred generations, or be born a hermaphrodite five hundred times, or endure in the body of a deaf, dumb, blind, and houseless beggar every species of disease, during the same number of generations; and then may i be buried to narok, and there be crucified by phya yam." they have also a way of extorting confessions from criminals, which is terribly severe. the first way is by the use of the lash or ratan. he first receives ninety stripes, and then, if he don't confess, he is allowed a respite of a few days and receives ninety more; and if he stills holds out, he is allowed another respite, and receives ninety the third time. any one who can endure three times ninety without confessing is presumed to be innocent. they have also other modes, by putting split _bamboos_ on their fingers, something like the thumb screw of old. persons often confess when they are innocent, from fear of the torture. they punish with death murder, highway-robbery, and treason. their mode of execution is decapitation. the criminals are brought out in chains, and a clamp consisting of two bamboo poles is placed on the neck. he is then made to sit down on the ground, the one end of the clamp resting on the ground. they then most generally drug the criminal, so as to produce stupor, amounting oftentimes to unconsciousness, and also stop up their ears with soft mud. at a signal the executioner runs out with a sword and cuts off the head. he generally does it very neatly with one stroke, but i have known one or two instances in which the executioner, to give him nerve, took quite too much liquor, and made wonderful hacking of it. corporal punishment with the ratan is very common--so common that there is little or no stigma attached to it. i have known high officers to be severely thrashed. on public occasions i have seen those in charge of certain things, who displeased the king, taken out and thrashed. they were made to lie down on their face on the pavement, and a man stood over with a ratan and put it down in no light manner, the victim crying, "ooey! ooey!" at every stroke. so you perceive that it may in some respects be called a _ratan_ government. the revenue of the country is derived from various sources. certain things are sold out by the government to the highest bidder, who, when he receives it, has full control of the whole matter. he sub-lets again to other minor parties and retailers, and has full powers to punish all those who violate the right which he has so dearly purchased. these are called _farms_. the most lucrative is the opium farm. there is also the spirit farm, that is liquor distilled from rice; the gambling farm; the rice farm; the cocoanut-oil farm, and some others. there is also a tax on fisheries, on trading-boats, on fruit orchards, on shops and stores; an export duty on rice, and an import duty of three per cent, on all goods imported. there is also a triennial poll tax of about two dollars on every chinaman in the kingdom, which amounts to a large sum every three years. chapter iii. religion. the religion of siam is budhism. it would however be impossible on an occasion of this kind to give any extended outline of budhism, and besides this the principal works on that subject in the english language are dry and uninteresting to the general reader or listener. any translations from the budhist classics must also be necessarily stiff, and many of the names unintelligible, unless accompanied with explanations; i shall only, therefore, give as brief an outline as i can of the budhist faith, and describe, as nearly as possible, the manner in which it is practised in siam. budhism arose from a man of royal blood called gautama, but by the siamese, _somanakodome_. his father ruled a small kingdom in the province of oude, near the himelaya mountains. gautama died probably about 534 b.c., and is supposed to have been nearly cotemporary with the prophet daniel. becoming disgusted with the luxuries and pleasures of courtly life he adopted that of a hermit, and like all hermits became an enthusiast, and fancied that he had found the only true road to all good, and thus leaped from the circle of eternal transmigration into a "sublimation of existence that has no attribute and knows no change." the late king of siam speaks of the founder of the budhist faith thus: "budha was a man who came into being on a certain time, by ordinary generation; that he was a most extraordinary man, more mysterious and wonderful than all heavenly beings, because he made vast merit by the use of his body, his words and his will. he reigned as king twenty-nine years, (meaning doubtless that he lived in princely state until twenty-nine years old); that he then practised the most severe asceticism, and with the greatest assiduity for a period of six years, when his mind became so sublimated and refined that he habitually numbered and measured every thought he had, fixing his mind upon that single object, to the utter exclusion of every other care, and that consequently he attained to the highest perfection, not knowing anything alike of happiness or sorrow, being in a middle state between the two; and as a result of this, he then had power to remember many of the transmigrations of being through which he had come, and could see with angelic eyes distinctly all the various and numberless transmigrations of human, angelic, and animal being throughout the universe; and thence onward to the time of his death he gave his mind entirely to the destroying of sin in his own body and soul, and became the most pure and spotless, not only externally, but also in all the secret recesses of his life and soul, and thence is worthily denominated arahang. he then saw by his own power alone, that all the forms and bodies which merit and demerit have caused to come into being, and all other things which exist without any cause, are altogether illusive, unreal, unsubstantial, and evanescent; without a maker, proprietor, or lord, and that hence is he also _samma sampootó_. this says he is the sacred budh, whom others before us have thus eulogized as having come into the world, and lived in it, and is commonly called according to his family name, _gótama_. he spent forty-five years in publishing the way to holiness and substantial and eternal peace, and then extinguished his life, and departed into nipán." the pantheism of brahminism had by long operation produced that sluggishness of mind--its legitimate fruit--and confounded the deity with his works, and making it appear that the aggregate of creation is itself god. in opposition to this, budhism produced the doctrine that all forms are mere illusions, and that will, purpose, action, feeling, thought, desire, love, hatred, and every other attribute that can be predicated of the mind, is unstable, and unreal, and therefore cannot be associated with perfect peace. a state of "sublimation of existence above all qualities," is the only thing that is real and substantial. budha has attained to that state which is called in the pali _nirwana_, but by the siamese _nipán_. the literal meaning of the word is, "absence of all desire," which involves an absence of thought, and may hence be called a state of dreamless perpetual sleep. to attain to that state the budhist dogma, that all things which appear in creation are illusive, and unreal, and consequently unsubstantial, must be firmly fixed upon the mind. this lesson, however, can only be learned by the most studious application of the mind, and moral discipline by self-denial during a period of at least 100,000 transmigrations. to our mind nipán is nothing but annihilation, but budhists will not admit it to be such, but maintain that budha has a perpetual existence there, nipán is the budhist's highest idea of happiness. omnipotence may be attained by perfect virtue, abstinence, thought, and meditation. fatality is the cause of creation. the universe came into existence by the inherent force of fixed and invariable laws, which brings the worlds out of chaos, and conducts them on by gradation to a state of high perfection, and then downward again by the same gradation to dissolution, and then back again, upward and downward in a series that had no beginning, and will have no end. if any siamese in the kingdom be asked who made the world, he will invariably answer "pen eng," it made itself. the teachings of budha appear to have been transmitted by tradition for about four hundred and fifty years after his death, and were then committed to writing by the authority of a budhist council. the budhist system of the universe is found in a book called the _trei poom_, or a book settling all questions about the existence of the three worlds. the trei poom of the siamese was originally translated from the pali. the work was doubtless originally written in ceylon, and carried thence to all budhist countries. the rev. dr. bradley, the oldest missionary in siam, has prepared an abstract from the trei poom, and published in the _bangkok calendar_, from which i shall make a few extracts on the present occasion. the universe consists of an infinite number of systems, called by the siamese _chackrawan_. each chackrawan has a sun, moon and stars revolving around the top of a central mountain, called _kow pra men_, which extends above the surface of the ocean about 840,000 miles, and the same distance into the ocean. it forms a perfect circle, having a circumference equal to 2,520,000 miles. parallel to the circle it describes, and at a distance of 420,000 miles, is the first of seven circular mountains, being variously distant from each other. their depth in water is the same as their height above it. the names, height, circumference, &c., of these mountains are all given, but would occupy too much space to enumerate here. between each of the seven mountains is a sea called _seetawtara samoot_. the width and depth of each is as the distance between the mountains which bound it, and the depth of the mountains below the surface of the water. the water is exceedingly refined and light. the fish that live in those seas are wonderful for variety and size, being many thousand miles long. parallel with the circle described by the seventh mountain, and 5,513,650 miles from it, is a circular glass mountain, called _kow chakrawan_. this mountain forms the horizontal boundary of the system. its height is 820,000 miles, and its thickness 120,000. the circular area which this mountain encloses is 12,034,500 miles in diameter. the circumference of the mountains on the outside is 136,035,500 miles. the water on both sides is 820,000 miles deep. the width of the ocean between it and _kow asa kan_ is 3,513,650 miles. within this vast expanse of water are situated the four grand divisions of the populated plane or surface of the chakrawan. these are called _taweeps_, which, for want of a better term to express them, have been translated continents. these all have their appropriate names. the first, in its horizontal contour, is shaped somewhat like the face of a man, and hence is inhabited by mankind with faces like itself. the second has a form like a half-moon, and is inhabited by an intelligent race with semi-circular faces. the third is a perfect square, and is inhabited by square-faced beings. the fourth is circular, and is inhabited by beings having faces like the full moon. the distance from each _taweep_ to _kow chakrawan_ is 2,798,600 miles. each chakrawan system is underlaid by a body of water independent of their oceans. the distance from the surface of the earth to it is 260,000 miles, and the depth of it is 480,000 miles. underlying this body there is a stratum of air 960,000 miles in depth, and thence downward there is nothing but an open and utter void. each chackrawan has attached to it, somewhere in the subterranean regions, eight chief hells, called by the siamese _narok_, meaning worlds of utter misery. each of these hells has attached to it sixteen smaller ones, making one hundred and twenty-eight in all. outside of these there is another range of purgatories, forty to each chief hell, making in all three hundred and seventy. each chakrawan has attached to it six inferior heavenly worlds, called _tewalok_, situated above each other, and at immense distances apart. the first is situated on the top of the first of the seven circular mountains, and the second on the top of _kow pra men_. the others have no terrestrial foundation, but are suspended in open space. these chakrawans are far more innumerable than the particles of matter which compose the earth. a mighty _prom_ once desired to find the limits of these systems. he was so powerful that by one step he could cross a chakrawan as swiftly as an arrow crosses the shadow of a palmyra tree at midday. he travelled from one chakrawan to another at that rate for one thousand years, and then onward ten thousand more, and then one hundred thousand more, until he was convinced that it was impossible to find the limit, or to express their immensity in numbers. the budhist decalogue consists of ten commandments, viz. i. from the meanest insect up to man, thou shalt kill no animal whatever. ii. thou shalt not steal. iii. thou shalt not violate the wife of another, nor his concubine. iv. thou shalt speak no word that is false. v. thou shalt not drink wine, nor anything that may intoxicate. vi. thou shalt avoid all anger, hatred, and bitter language. vii. thou shalt not indulge in idle and vain talk. viii. thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods. ix. thou shalt not harbor envy, nor pride, nor malice, nor revenge, nor the desire of thy neighbor's death or misfortune. x. thou shalt not follow the doctrines of false gods. all who are habitually engaged in killing animals, stealing, committing adultery, drinking ardent spirits and getting drunk, will sink to the lowest hell. there are, however, five crimes which are especially damnable, viz., murder of father or mother, murder of the highest order of priests, called arahang, wounding budha's foot, so as to make it bleed, (supposed to refer to the renouncing of the budhist religion,) and persuading priests to follow false doctrines or practices. those committing such sins go down to the very bottom of the lowest hell. no new souls are ever made, the universe is ever stocked with intelligent beings, and has been from eternity. these are continually transmigrating from one state of being into another. all depends upon merit and demerit. every action and thought have their consequences, either in the present or some future state of existence. evil actions produce evil consequences, which will eventually become manifest, and cause a future birth, either in hell or in some inferior animal. hence, in speaking of the future, the siamese always say _"tam boon tam kam,"_ according to merit or demerit. an amount of demerit may be cancelled by a corresponding amount of merit. we have had cooks in our employ who have been obliged to kill animals such as chickens, &c., and who, after leaving us, have entered the priesthood to atone for their demerit. over four hundred millions of the human race hold the budhist religion in some form or other. there is no people, however, who excel the siamese in devotedness and fidelity, and can show so many gorgeous temples and monasteries. the government and the religion are so inseparably connected together, that it is impossible to see how the one can be overthrown without the other. it is a mutual union of church and state. no one can hold any civil office whatever under the government, who has not spent at least three months in the priesthood. budhism was brought from ceylon to cambodia, and thence to siam, and probably arrived in siam about the fifth century of the christian era. the siamese know of no other religion having existed amongst them. they make merit in siam in different ways. one prolific source is the building of temples or monasteries. these temples oftentimes cover acres of ground, and besides the regular temple or shrine of the idols, have houses or dormitories for the monks, and other outbuildings. the temples are gaudy, but not magnificent, grand, or massive. they are all accompanied with spires or pagodas, which frequently reach a great height. the temple building proper is filled with idols which are hideous in their appearance. some are sitting, some standing, and some are in a reclining posture. there is one temple at the old city of audia, said to have twenty thousand idols in it, and the estimate cannot be far in excess of the real number. there is one reclining idol in bangkok, about one hundred and seventy-five feet long, eighteen feet across the breast; and the feet of the idol are six feet long. it is made of brick and mortar, heavily overlaid with gold, and cost probably about $3,000. when the king wishes to make merit, he builds a temple costing perhaps $100,000. when any of the chief princes or nobles wish to make merit they do the same. the temples built by the princes and nobles are all given to the king, and then formally dedicated. these are called "wat hluang," or royal temples, from the fact that the kings visit them once a year, and distribute presents to the priests. the common people also join together, and build temples, which are called "wat ratsadon," or the people's temples. they are the same as the others, only not so grand, and the kings do not visit them. there are in the city of bangkok alone about one hundred and twenty temples. another prolific source of merit is by entering the priesthood. it is the highest ambition of every mother to have all her sons take holy orders in the priesthood, at some time or other during life, but generally in the prime of it, as they thus not only make merit for themselves, but also for the parents. it consequently becomes an ambition to have as many sons as possible. the advent of a son is hailed with delight, whilst that of a daughter is rather an occasion of lamentation. the first question asked on the advent of a little stranger is, "pen pu chai rú pu ying?" is it a boy or a girl? when our first child was born, and our siamese friends came to see the little white stranger, finding it to be a girl, the only congratulations they offered were, "tempte maú tempte," too bad, doctor, too bad. the shortest time any one can remain in the priesthood is three months, and as much longer as they choose. i have met men who had been in the priesthood over forty years. i have met them also who had been in it a number of times. it is no uncommon thing for a man to leave his wife and family for a short time, and enter the priesthood. the ceremony is very simple, consisting of asking the candidate a few questions as to his motives, shaving his head, and bathing him copiously with holy water, and clothing him with yellow robes. they have also the order of _nains_, or novices, consisting of those too young to take full orders. the clothing of the priests consists of a yellow robe resembling somewhat the old roman toga, with a scarf of the same material, or something richer, thrown over the shoulders. but as budha was clothed in rags, they must imitate to some extent his example, they therefore take the new yellow cloth, tear it in pieces, and then sew it together again. this is done by the women, and is also a source of merit. the priests go out early in the morning for their daily food. at every house is stationed some member of the family, with a basin of boiled rice, and a large brass spoon in it. when a priest comes along he uncovers his vessel, and receives a spoonful of rice, and then passes on to the next house. some also give fish, fruit, and other things to eat with the rice. when sufficient rice is collected for the day, they return to the temples and take the morning meal. the next meal is eaten just before noon, and nothing more until the next morning. it is considered very sinful for a priest to eat after noon. the people also frequently meet together at the different temples, and make feasts for the priests, and give presents to them. there are in bangkok alone over ten thousand priests, and all that vast army can be seen starting out early every morning in search of their daily food. it must cost siam annually nearly $25,000,000 to keep up the priesthood alone, and supposing the population to be eight millions, which is perhaps an over-estimate, it will make on an average of over three dollars for every man, woman and child in the kingdom. now, if every man, woman and child in the evangelical christian church would average three dollars per annum, there would not be so many starving ministers, and the boards of the church would not be compelled so frequently to go a begging. the world too, at that rate, would soon be evangelized. if the heathen can do so much for a false religion, what should christians not be willing to do for the holy religion of jesus, to which they owe everything they have, and are, and hope to be? any violation of the laws of chastity whilst in the priesthood is most severely punished. the culprit is publicly whipped with a ratan. he is then paraded for three days around the city with a crier going before, proclaiming his crime, and is then condemned to cut grass for the king's elephants for life, and his posterity after him, to the most remote generation. the other offending party is condemned to turn the king's rice-mill for life, and her posterity after her to the most remote generation. in consequence of the severe punishment, _slips_ of that kind whilst in the priesthood, in proportion to the numbers, are much less frequent than among the christian ministry. sodomy, however, and other unmentionable crimes, are fearfully prevalent. the priests are the only persons in the kingdom who are not obliged to crouch before the king. the king himself crouches before the high-priest. when any one meets a priest, he places the palms of his hands together and raises them to his forehead in reverence. the duty of the priests is to take care of the religion, recite prayers at funerals, weddings, &c., and preach when called upon to do so. the people frequently invite the priests to their houses to have preaching. the sermons consist chiefly of exhortations to make merit, and are generally in such lofty words and terms, taken from the pali, that the common people do not understand them. the siamese also make pilgrimages to _prabat_ and other sacred places. prabat is a beautiful little volcanic mountain about eighty miles north of bangkok. the rocks appear to have been thrown up in a plastic state, and in cooling down left innumerable little holes or crevices in the solid rock. one of these, about six feet long, is imagined to be the impress of budha's foot. they have accordingly bricked it up, and have overlaid the wall with gold leaf. they have also erected over it a beautiful little temple, whose floor is covered with silver cloth, and whose walls are heavily covered with gold. vast multitudes flock thither during the months of january and february of every year, to make their offerings at that sacred shrine. the principal offering is gold leaf, which they paste on the inside of the footprint. there are at least $5000 expended there annually in gold leaf alone. the little caves also, with which the mountain abounds, are filled with idols, and every prominent point is capped with a _pagoda_. at the foot of the mountain is rather a hideous idol, at which all pilgrims dismount from their elephants, and make an offering before ascending to the more holy place. the offering consists chiefly of a twig from a tree, or a few flowers. the tradition is, that whoever refuses to make this offering will die before leaving the place. they were very much surprised that we refused at least to dismount. they told us that sir robert schomburgk, the english consul, who had visited there the previous year, had also refused to dismount, and that he himself had not died, but a favorite dog he had with him on the elephant had died before he left the mountain. sir robert however, had a different theory in regard to his dog, and blamed some one for administering to him a dose of poison. many of the most intelligent princes and nobles have no faith in prabat, but still assist in keeping up the delusion. there is also a short distance north of prabat a very lofty rock called pra chei, or sacred glory, where budha is said to have once taken shelter from a shower of rain, and departing, left his shadow. multitudes also flock thither to worship. we arrived there about ten o'clock at night, and upon ascending a long flight of steps, found numbers bowed before the rock and pasting gold leaf upon it. when we told them that we could see no shadow, they attributed it to a want of faith. the siamese are also very much tormented with the fear of spirits, both good and evil, and use every means to propitiate them. witchcraft is also very much feared. wizards and witches are believed to have power to put into the stomach of any one a piece of buffalo meat, or other substance. a very disgusting circumstance of this kind occurred near our premises. the father of a certain family took sick and died. the family believed some foul play had been exercised in his case, and when they came to burn the body, a small portion, perhaps the heart, did not consume as rapidly as the rest. this was taken at once to be the buffalo meat, and was taken home and eaten by the family. the whole family ate of it, except one little girl who was absent in the family of a missionary. the belief is that if they eat of it, they can never be affected the same way. it is just to state that there are two schools of budhism in siam. the late king, whilst a prince and in the priesthood, studied astronomy, and became too intelligent to believe the teachings of the budhist books in reference to the system of the universe, and accordingly undertook to reform budhism, by discarding from the sacred books all those things which conflicted with modern science, and especially in reference to astronomy. many of the most intelligent princes and nobles went with him. a vast majority, however, swallow the whole of the budhist teachings. the greatest champion of the new school was chow phya thipakon, late minister of foreign affairs. he was in some respects the greatest thinker in the kingdom. he was the only man in the kingdom who, as yet, has ventured to write a book, and have it printed wholly by his own workmen. it consists of several hundred pages, and was lithographed throughout, which must have taken considerable pains and labor. the title is "kitchanukit," a book explaining many things. he commences by rather ridiculing the elementary system of education practised in the temples, and tries to stimulate the natives to better things. he also takes up the different systems of religion throughout the world, so far as his knowledge extends, and compares them with his own. he confutes, in his own way, the elementary religious tracts published by the missionaries, and the evidences of christianity. he maintains his belief in his own system, and gives a few arguments in favor of the transmigration of souls. he also gives a number of illustrations and anecdotes bearing on that subject, of which the following is a specimen: "another instance is that of the child of a peguan at paklat, (a town near bangkok,) who, as soon as he had learned to speak, told his parents that he was formerly named makran, and had been killed by a fall from a cocoanut tree, and as he fell, his axe fell from his hand and dropped into a ditch; and they seeing that his story coincided with something that had happened within their knowledge, tried the child by making him point out the tree, and he pointed out the tree, and his story was confirmed by their digging up the axe from the ditch." although the book evinces some thought and considerable knowledge, it is infantile when he attempts to grapple with the great truths of christianity. h. alabaster, esq., for ten years interpreter to h. b. m. consulate in siam, has translated portions of the book, accompanied with remarks of his own, and published it under the title of "the modern budhist." it may be asked, what is the effect of such a system of religion upon the morals of the people in comparison with those of eminently christian countries? there are many kinds of crimes in which christian nations far surpass them, such as those daring and dark outrages perpetrated in our large cities, the recital of which shocks our sensibilities every time we take up a morning paper. but heathen morals have ever been the same, and the description which paul gives of the heathen of old, in the first chapter of the epistle to the romans, is a complete description of the heathen of to-day. there is a rottenness about everything, morally speaking, which we do not find in christian countries. it would be impossible on an occasion of this kind, and before a mixed audience, to give you any idea of the prevailing state of morals. i am not one of those, who, like the english governess in the _atlantic monthly_, would consider budhism a shadow of christianity, and "thank god" for it. it is eminently the offspring of satan, as all its bearings and workings on the heart and morals will abundantly show. i have seen none of those glorious death-bed scenes which she describes, and think they are rare. a siamese man lived neighbor to us for ten years. he could sit in his own door and hear the gospel preached in our mission chapel. he was an excellent neighbor, and was to all appearance a moral man. he had observed, as nearly as possible, all the tenets of his religion. he had made merit in every possible way. all his sons had entered the priesthood. he was about seventy years old, and his death-sickness came. the future was all dark to him. he struggled with, disease and death for a number of days. one of our native church members called to see his old neighbor, and ventured to speak to him about the approaching change. the old man was unwilling to give up, and answered, "mai yak tai," i do not want to die; "klua tai," i am afraid to die; and then summoning all his remaining strength exclaimed, "ch? mai tai," i will not die. still he had to die, as millions of his race have done, without one ray of light to illuminate the soul, and no faith in jesus opening up to him the glories of the eternal world. chapter iv. education and literature. the education of the siamese is necessarily limited and the standard low, when compared with that of european countries. the temples or monasteries are the common schools of the country. every priest can take to the temple with him as many pupils as he can teach, so that at almost every temple can be found a nice collection of boys, making a very respectable school. these boys besides being taught the rudiments of their own language, and the tenets of the budhist religion, act also as servants to the teacher, propelling his boat when he goes out on the river, and doing other like menial turns for him. they live on the surplus rice which is left, after the priests are satisfied. every pupil is taught to hold his teacher in special reverence, which lasts through life. the males are all thus gathered in when boys, and taught to read and write their own language, and the simple rules of arithmetic, as the siamese knowledge of that art does not extend beyond the simple rules. it is consequently rare that a male can be found who cannot read and write his own language, and on the other hand it is just as rare that a female is found who can. no provision has yet been made there for the education of females. indeed the feeling in high quarters has hitherto been against it, but not near so strong as in india, and many other places, but that feeling is now happily passing away. it used to be said that if woman could read she would become too tricky for man. the females, amongst the common people especially, are the drudges, and become wives and mothers so early, that there is but little time for their education. some of the women of the higher classes have in some way learned to read, and the missionary ladies have managed to teach some few others to read, whilst employed in their families, but aside from these few exceptions the great mass of the women are ignorant of letters. the late king made one or two spasmodic efforts to have the women of the palace taught english. soon after he ascended the throne he employed some of the missionary ladies to go to the palace regularly and teach, but soon became alarmed lest they should teach too much religion, and requested them to stop. a few years previous to his death also, he employed an english governess in the palace, who, after about three years rather arduous labor succeeded in giving the women and children of the palace some knowledge of english, and perhaps a smattering of some of the sciences. the higher order of education amongst the males consists of a correct knowledge of their own language, and a smattering at least of the pali or sacred language. some few who remain sufficiently long in the priesthood make considerable proficiency in the pali. their standard of education is also rather depreciating than rising. missionaries now find it difficult to secure a young man sufficiently educated to make a good teacher. one reason of this is that since the country has been opened to foreign commerce, opportunities to make money are more common than previously, and young men do not now remain sufficiently long in the priesthood to become good scholars, but leave it to go into business. the siamese language proper is monosyllabic and rather poverty-stricken. it has however, been enriched from time to time from the pali, and from the languages of the surrounding nations, and by a few words from the chinese. titles of nobility and distinction are all taken from the pali. many of the words used in addressing the king, and others high in authority, have been transferred from the pali, and some few from the sanscrit. the late king professed to be proficient in the sanscrit, and some of their learned men now make pretensions in that way. it is doubtful, however, whether the late king, although the most learned man in the kingdom, had anything more than a smattering of sanscrit, and i do not suppose there is any one now in the kingdom who knows anything about it worth naming. the siamese alphabet consists of forty-four consonants, with several vowel-points, diacritical marks and abbreviations. the alphabet is divided into three classes, and there are also seven tones, so that words beginning with a certain class of letters are spoken with a raised tone, whilst others are spoken with rather a depressed tone. some of the consonants too, are spoken with an aspirate, whilst in others the aspirate is withheld. this putting on the tone and the aspirate in certain instances, and leaving them off in others, makes it very difficult for one not born to it to acquire the language correctly, _"kai,"_ with an aspirate, means an egg, but by leaving off the aspirate it is a chicken. although spelled somewhat differently, the sound to an unaccustomed ear is exactly the same. in these things foreigners make some ridiculous mistakes. you have all probably heard of the missionary lady somewhere, who, whilst in her garden, told a servant to bring her a knife, as she thought, but was surprised to see him coming out with a table on his head. i once heard a missionary, otherwise good in the language, but who could never manage the aspirates and unaspirates correctly, announcing to his audience that there would be services at such an hour in the siamese language, but unfortunately he left off the aspirate, and announced that there would be services in the _dead language_. still the audience understood from the connection what he meant. the literature of the siamese is very meagre. they have a history of their country which commences in fable, but after a few pages are passed, it becomes a correct and reliable history of the kingdom. it is written in a condensed style, and couched in good language. they have also tolerably reliable histories of the neighboring countries, such as cambodia, pegu, and birmah. they are exceedingly fond of fiction, and have a fabulous history of china, which has been translated into siamese, and is very popular. the regent and foreign minister have both been recently engaged in translating additions to that fabulous history. if they would take as much pains in translating the histories of the different countries of europe and of america, their people would soon become well informed in regard to the great transactions of the world. the remainder of their literature consists in vile and disgusting plays, in which they take great delight, both in reading and seeing them performed in their theatres. they are also very fond of a kind of jingling verse, and will listen for hours to the mere jingle, caring little or nothing for the sense, of which it is generally devoid. chapter v. manners and customs. the principle clothing of the siamese consists of a waist-cloth called a _"pa nung,"_ corresponding to the _sarang_ of india. it is about two-and-one-half yards long, and one yard wide; is placed around the waist, neatly tucked in, the two ends brought together, twisted, and brought back between the legs and tucked in behind. formerly this was the only clothing worn, except a scarf thrown around the shoulders in cool weather. the king formerly used to receive foreigners whilst dressed in that style. since the influx of foreigners however, they have adopted a neat jacket with sleeves, and cut to fit tight to the skin, and buttoned up in front. those of the higher classes are made of silk, but those of the common people are nothing but common white muslin. the _"pa nungs,"_ also, of the better classes are made of silk, whilst those of the common people are generally cotton. the attire of the females is pretty much like that of the males, except when they wish to dress, they have a neat yellow silk scarf which they fold gracefully over the shoulders. the siamese display excellent taste in the selection of colors and figures, and have no love for the gaudy in the way of clothing, like the malays and some other eastern nations. shoes are seldom worn. the better classes have sandals or slippers, but very likely a slave will be carrying them after the owner, and when worn, are always thrown off before entering a house. occasionally however, you can see some young fellow rendering himself ridiculous in a pair of european shoes and a european coat. the males shave the head, except a tuft on the top, which resembles a shoe-brush. the females do not shave the head, but clip the hair as closely as possible, leaving the tuft similar to the males, and a small love-lock in front of each ear. they have a universal and disgusting practice of chewing the areca nut. the nut of the areca palm is possessed of astringent properties similar to the bark used in tanning. in connection with this nut they use the leaf of the seri vine, which has a kind of pepperish taste. they take white stone lime while yet unslaked, and mix with it the powdered turmeric root, which turns it a crimson color. they take the seri leaf and put on it a quantity of that red lime in the form of paste, and then a portion of the areca nut, the leaf with the lime on it, and some fine cut tobacco, are all put into the mouth together. the saliva arising from such a mixture is a kind of blood-red color, and is very copious. their houses and walks have frequently a very disgusting appearance, from large deposits of that red saliva having been spit out of the mouth upon them. this process turns the teeth black, and indeed destroys them, as the lime adheres to the teeth and destroys the enamel, and finally they drop out by wholesale. those who have no teeth to chew the mixture, carry with them a small mortar, and pound it all up together before putting it into the mouth. both sexes are addicted to this practice, and an exception can rarely be found. black teeth are an element of beauty, and besides the chewing of the areca nut, they resort to other means of coloring. when cautioned against thus destroying the teeth, they invariably reply that "any monkey can have white teeth." they never go anywhere without the box containing the ingredients for chewing. the poorer classes carry their own, but the rich have theirs carried after them by a slave. a man's rank is indicated somewhat by the number of slaves that follow him, and the golden box containing the areca nut, &c., and a teapot, are the insignia. when one person calls on another, almost the first thing done is to set out the tray containing the chewing material, and not to do so is considered almost an insult. the males are also all inveterate smokers from infancy. in going anywhere together, they never walk side by side as we would do, but one after the other, according to rank or age. the husband also always goes before, and his wife or wives walk behind. it is also contrary to siamese custom to have any one pass over their head, and consequently they will not occupy the lower story of a house when persons are above them on the next story. when the king goes out on the canals in his boat, all the bridges have to be drawn, lest his sacred head should pass under where some person had walked. no greater insult can be offered than to take a man by the tuft of hair on his head. it is the same as spitting in a man's face with us. like all heathen, and i am sorry to say too many christians, they are very fond of jewelry, especially the women. their fingers are frequently nearly covered over with rings; gold chains are also thrown around the neck and shoulders, and a neat gold pin through the lobe of the ear. children wear anklets and bracelets. those of the rich are of gold, and quite heavy; some are of silver, and those of the poorer classes are brass. i have seen some of the children of princes and nobles with several hundred dollars worth of jewelry on in the form of anklets, bracelets and gold chains, and aside from the jewelry the body was perfectly nude. the people are very much attached to the customs of their ancestors, and what their fathers have done they must do, how absurd soever it may be. _"pen tumneum thai,"_ it is siamese custom, is sufficient reason for doing anything. the principle food of the siamese is rice and fish. fish are very abundant and cheap, and become a wholesome diet for that climate. it is contrary to their religion to take animal life, and they never kill any animals for their own consumption, but they do not scruple to eat anything killed by another, if they can only roll off the responsibility of killing it. they buy pork and fowls which have been killed and dressed by the chinese. they also eat animals which have died. when warned that perhaps the animal died of some bad disease which may prove injurious to them, they will answer that it can't stand the fire; if there is anything of the kind, it will depart when the meat comes in contact with the fire. they also live largely on vegetables and hot peppers. the rice is boiled, and dished out into a large basin or platter, and placed on the floor. the meats and vegetables which have all been cut up fine before cooking, are also dished out into small bowls and placed near the rice. those about to eat seat themselves around, tailor fashion, in a circle, each with a bowl in his hand. he takes some rice from the large dish into his own bowl, and then uses his fingers dexterously. when he wishes any of the accompaniments he dips his fingers into the common dish. when there is anything like soup or gravy, they have a common spoon, and each one takes a spoonful into his mouth, and then passes the spoon to his neighbor, and it thus goes around. they eat with apparent ease and enjoyment, rolling up a ball of rice in the fingers, then throwing the head a little back, and the mouth wide open, it disappears without difficulty. they have never attempted to improve upon the fingers. the chinese invented the chop-sticks, and are apparently well pleased with the result, for they never attempt to improve upon them; but any one who has ever seen a chinaman slabbering and blowing over his bowl of rice, with a pair of chop-sticks, could not but wish to see him back again at the more primitive fingers. the siamese think we eat with difficulty, and rather pity us for having so much ceremony. a missionary and his wife were out on a mission tour, and came to a village not frequented by europeans. they stopped at the village and partook of a meal. they of course had a table, and table implements with them on their boat. the natives flocked around to see the foreigners eat, and one old woman, after watching eagerly for a time, turned away with a sigh, remarking, _"kow kin yak tedio,"_ they eat with great difficulty. some of the princes and nobles have secured table furniture, and can imitate european style very nicely, and some of their dinners given to european officials are quite creditable; but when alone, they go back again to their own mode. they have their own ideas of politeness in their social intercourse, and are very strict in carrying them out; but in their intercourse with foreigners they frequently try to imitate our customs, and as a general thing spoil both. when a man meets a superior, he either prostrates himself on the ground, or squats down, places the palms of his hands together, and raises them up to the face. when equals meet they do not say "good morning," as we would do, but "pai nai,"--where are you going. the other will give an evasive answer, saying, "o, i am not going anywhere, only up here a little ways." their household furniture is generally meagre, consisting only of a few cooking utensils, and mats and moscheto bars for sleeping. there was a while that some of the higher classes manifested a desire for european furniture, and bought it up very readily, but perhaps on account of a nod from high quarters, there appears to be a reaction in that quarter. the people are generally indolent, and lazy, and very much addicted to gambling, which is, perhaps, the ruling vice of the country. at every gambling house groups of men and women may be seen sitting from morning till night, and from night till morning, intently gambling. they will gamble away everything they have, and incur large debts; and then sell their wives, children, and even themselves into slavery, to pay their "debts of honor." they have different kinds of games, but that on which they stake most is a chinese game called _po_, and is a kind of dice. they are exceedingly fond of theatricals, and every prince and nobleman, who can afford it, has a theatre of his own. no festival of any kind can be held without theatricals. their plays are generally some fictitious love tale, or history, and some of the actions of the actresses are most lascivious and vulgar, but perhaps not more so than the exhibitions of the stage in europe and america to-day. they are also very fond of bathing, which is perhaps very conducive to health in that climate. they bathe regularly at least three times a day. they always carry a cloth with them for bathing purposes. both sexes meet together at the common bathing place, and they slip off the regular cloth and don the bathing cloth so dexterously that nothing amiss can be noticed in the transaction, and then plunge into the river, both sexes being expert swimmers. notwithstanding their frequent ablutions, however, cleanliness is by no means a national virtue, and some of their habits are extremely filthy. there are some things in which "young america" might well pattern after the siamese. one is extreme reverence and respect for age. the aged receive that reverence justly due to them in siam, perhaps more than in any other country. another is love and reverence for parents. the parent may sell a child into slavery, which is frequently done, still when the child grows up, he never loses respect for that parent. when a child too, commits a crime, and tries to evade the law, the authorities at once lay hold upon the parents, which is sure to bring the culprit back to give himself up. although the chinese have more natural stability of character than the siamese, and are in many other respects superior to them, still the latter are in many respects the more hopeful people. a chinaman knows everything, in his own estimation already, and is unwilling to learn from any one; whilst the siamese will pick up all the information they can from others. whatever they can get of european arts and sciences, without acknowledging the authority, and especially without costing them anything, they have no scruples about receiving. chapter vi. courtship and marriage. it has long been the custom amongst the siamese to ascribe honor and glory to their princes and lords, in proportion to the number of wives they have, and can maintain. the king has generally one whom he constitutes his queen consort. a young princess of the highest rank that can be found in the kingdom is selected. she however is not certain of promotion until after she has lived with the king for a time, and has succeeded in gaining a large place in the royal affections. when this is sufficiently accomplished, the king appoints a day for her exaltation. three days are usually devoted to the purpose. the chief officers of the palace, the chief scribes, and the chief princes and nobles of the kingdom are present. the principal ceremonies devolve upon the priests, of whom there are quite a number present, both budhist and brahmin. the princess is copiously bathed in pure water, in which the leaves of a certain kind of tree, supposed to possess purifying and healthful influences, are put. most of the time is spent in feasting, but on the third day she is placed on a small throne under a white canopy, where she is bathed with holy water, the priests reciting prayers the while. she is then conducted to a place where the wet clothes are laid aside, and she is arrayed in queenly costume, jewels, and diamonds, and then displays herself to those in attendance. instances have occurred when the king had two queen consorts. in such cases one is called the queen of the right hand, and the other the queen of the left hand. it has only happened about twice in siamese history, that the king has taken a foreign princess for his queen consort. this can happen in one of two ways. the foreign prince wishing to secure the friendship and alliance of the king of siam, makes the first advance, offering his daughter to the king of siam. if, after having received testimonials of her beauty and worth, the king is favorably disposed, he sends an embassy to formally ask her of the father. the other way is, that the king of siam is the first mover in the matter, and makes the first overtures. in addition to his queen consort the king can have as many inferior wives, or concubines, as he wishes. these are called _"nang-ham,"_ literally, a woman forbidden--that is forbidden to go out of the palace. although women as a general thing in siam are not in any way secluded, still these inferior wives are rigidly confined within the palace walls. during the late reign however, much more laxity in this respect was displayed, than in any former reign. they cannot go outside of the palace walls without a royal permit, and that only on special and extraordinary occasions. the king seldom seeks an inferior wife, but they are presented to him by princes and nobles wishing to gain the royal favor, and thus they consign their daughters to a life oftentimes worse than exile for that purpose. it is said that the late king never left home but he returned with some new accessions to his harem, and that they became so numerous that he oftentimes had to refuse them. the better classes amongst them procure wives something after the following manner. there is nothing like courting amongst the young folks, as we understand that term, unless it is done by stealth, which is almost impossible, from the fact that the mothers exercise the strictest vigilance over their unmarried daughters. in this respect american mothers might often profit by the example of these heathen. girls become wives there at the early age of fourteen, and an old maid is quite a curiosity. although young men in search of wives are not allowed the privilege of courting, still they keep their eyes open, and when one sees a young lady he fancies, he takes the proper steps to secure her. he makes the matter known to his parents, if he has any; they employ an elderly lady who is denominated a _"maa su"_, and who is acquainted with and respected by the young lady's parents. this _"maa su"_ goes to the house of the young lady's parents, and by a series of nice insinuations, or otherwise, finds out how such a match would take, and returns to report progress. if indications are favorable, the parents of the young man then select a number of elderly persons of both sexes, who are respectable, and intimate with both families. these they invite to their house, and hold a consultation, and after the matter is thoroughly discussed and the match decided to be a favorable one, a propitious day is chosen, and the elderly persons repair to the house of the young lady's parents. these of course divining their object, receive them kindly, and according to custom, set out the tray containing areca nut, seri leaf, red lime, and tobacco for chewing. this ceremony over, the elders broach the subject of their mission, taking good care to address the parents according to their rank, as one improperly used pronoun might spoil the whole. if it is proper to say _you_, they say it, and if it is proper to say your _honors_, or your _graces_, they say that. "such parents having ascertained that this is a propitious day, have commissioned us to come and confer with you concerning their son of such a name, who has as yet no wife. his parents having put the question to him, 'have you any one in your mind, you would like to have become your wife, and to whom you could trust your life in sickness, and your obsequies after death?' the young man answered, that he had your daughter of such a name, and her only. the parents have therefore commissioned us to visit you the much respected parents of the young lady, and confer with you in reference to this matter. what do you the parents say?" the parents reply: "our daughter is one we love much, and the young man is one whom his parents love much. we have an ancient proverb which says, 'move slowly and you will gain your object, and a prolonged effort generally results favorably.' we will consult our relatives on the right hand, and on the left, and see what they say about it. please call again." after waiting a reasonable time and another propitious day has come, the elders call again. the parents of the young lady will say: "we have consulted our relatives, and they are unanimously of the opinion that if the young man really loves our daughter, and can confide in her as a proper person to take care of him in sickness, and take charge of his body after death, his affections and confidence should be planted." "but how is it in regard to the ages, and birthdays of the parties? are they such as to be suitable to each other?" the siamese have a superstition that persons born in certain years, are incompatible with each other. for instance, if one was born in the year of the _dog_, and the other in the year of the _rat_, or one in the year of the _cow_, and the other in the year of the _tiger_, they would be incompatible with each other. the matter is accordingly referred to some fortune-teller, who, for a small fee, generally pronounces no serious difficulty in the way. this difficulty cleared up, the elders call for a further discussion of the preliminaries. they say:--"since birth-days do not interfere, what shall be said about the mutual stock for the young couple to commence business on, and the money for building a house for the young couple?" according to siamese custom the bridegroom almost invariably goes to live with the parents of the bride, and accordingly puts up a house on their premises, and as near the old mansion as possible. thus a man who has a number of daughters, finds himself surrounded by a village, by the time they are all married off. the parents of the young lady will answer, "we are by no means affluent, that we could devote much money to that purpose. but allow us to ask, how will it be with the parents of the young man--how much will they be willing to give their son?" the others will reply, "it depends altogether on the parents of the young lady." the other party will reply, "if such be the case, we would suggest that they appropriate, say one hundred _ticals_ ($60), for the purpose of building a house; and for mutual trade _five hundred ticals_, and that they also contribute areca nut, seri leaf, red lime, cakes, &c., for wedding purposes, say one hundred salvers or dishes." the plan of the new house, and the number of rooms are generally also specified. the elders then return and report to the parents of the young man, and if they are satisfied, a bargain is struck. all preliminaries having been made, the young man goes to work to build his house, which generally requires but a short time, and the parents of the young lady do not delay to consult astrologers in reference to a propitious day for the wedding. the day having been fixed, and all things arranged, the friends of both parties are invited to assist in carrying out the arrangements. the parents of both parties unite in selecting some elderly persons, who shall be the bearers of the money, together with two suits of white raiment, an offering to the bride's parents, and the wedding cakes, &c. this is done in procession, either in boats on the river, or by land, with bands of music playing wedding airs. the money and presents are given over to the bride's parents, and they in turn bring out their portion of the money, and perhaps a slave or two, to assist the young bride in performing her household duties. the guests being all assembled, the money and presents are all exhibited. the elders then count the money of both parties, as legal witnesses. both sums are thrown together, and sprinkled over with a little rice, scented oil, flowers, &c., symbolical of blessings craved on the young couple. the joint stock is then delivered over to the parents of the bride for safe keeping. some time is then spent in feasting and mutual conversation, and priests are chanting prayers the while. the bridegroom then, in company with some of his young friends, goes to his new house. the bride at the same time dispatches a lad neatly dressed, bearing a tray of areca nut, who meets them there, and invites them to be seated and enjoy themselves. she also decks herself in gay apparel, and in company with some of her attendants repairs to the same building, but the two parties are still separated by a screen. religious services are then held, after which the screen is withdrawn and the elders proceed to bathe the young couple copiously with holy water. the chief elder pours it first upon the head of the bridegroom, and then upon the head of the bride, pronouncing a blessing upon each. the attendants of the bride then assist her in changing her wet apparel for dry, but still, if anything, more gay than the former. a finely dressed lad then appears with a silver plated tray, containing a handsome suit for the bridegroom, being a present from the bride's parents, in which he speedily attires himself. whilst these things are going on the priests are rehearsing prayers for the benefit of the young couple. all are then invited to a feast prepared by the bride's parents, and when this is over the guests all return to their homes. the bride stays with her parents, but the bridegroom goes to his new house, where he has secured a band of music, and serenades the bride until a late hour. early next morning the guests all assemble, and have a feast for the priests in which all vie with each other in their attentions to the clergy. they then have another feast for themselves. if this is a propitious day the ceremonies are closed in the evening. a respectable couple, friends of the bride, who are man and wife, and who themselves have been blessed with a large family of children, are selected, and they then repair to the new house and prepare the bridal bed. about 9 o'clock in the evening the elders conduct the bride to her new home, and after some counsels and exhortations, the young couple are left alone perhaps for the first time. oftentimes however, if the second day is unpropitious, the ceremonies are continued until the third or fourth day. after a few days have elapsed the bridegroom conducts his bride to visit his parents. she takes with her a few presents of cakes and fruit, and upon entering the house prostrates herself three times to the floor, and is then taken into the embrace and confidence of the family. the bridegroom also pays a formal visit to the bride's parents, and prostrates himself before them. after the birth of the first child the joint stock of money is produced, and the young couple enter into business for themselves, as they are supposed to have lived off the bride's parents up to this time. there are three things which are considered absolutely essential in these wedding ceremonies. these are three metallic platters, one containing a kind of sweet cakes called _"kanome cheen",_ or chinese cakes; another contains a kind of mince-meat, highly seasoned, and much prized; and the third contains areca nut, seri leaf, red lime, and tobacco for chewing purposes. these articles constitute what is called the _"kan mak,"_ literally the areca-nut tray, but which has become one of their names for a wedding. marriage amongst them appears to be little more than a civil contract, in which the bride has but little choice, but yields implicit obedience to the will of the parents. if a young man attempts to pay his addresses to a young lady without going through the proper channel, he is supposed to be doing so from improper motives, and stands a chance to get himself chastised by some male member of the family. we had once in our school a young man, who was rather fancy, and who attempted to address a young lady in the neighborhood, without taking the proper steps. one evening two of the young lady's brothers met him, and administered to him a sound thrashing. a man in siam possesses the prerogative of administering to his wife a little wholesome chastisement, if she fails to fulfil her duties. i have seen a few instances in which i really thought it was deserved, and did good, but as a christian missionary, and a representative of the free united states, where women are clamoring for the same rights as men, i had to discourage such things under all circumstances. polygamy is not common amongst the middle and lower classes, simply on account of their inability to maintain more than one wife, but divorce is very easy, being only a dissolving of the civil contract by the mutual consent of the parties, and then each party is at liberty to marry again. there are however, many happy marriages in siam, and i have seen old people of seventy, who had spent a long life together and raised large families. notwithstanding the vigilance of the mothers, there is occasionally a runaway match. in such cases however, they as soon as possible take all proper steps to propitiate the parents. they select respectable persons, and send them with presents to the parents, and, as a general thing, like runaway matches everywhere; after a short time every thing is smoothed over satisfactorily. i had in my employ a young man who was an orphan. he became enamored with a young lady in the neighborhood, and through his friends secured the consent of her parents, but as he was poor, the wedding was to be postponed a year. in the mean time, a well-to-do chinaman, who had considerable money at his command, came along and proposed. the parents consented, notwithstanding the former contract, and went on to make arrangements for the wedding, without telling the daughter anything about it. a few days before the wedding was to come off, she got wind of what was going on, and that night ran away and came down to our place, to hunt up her other lover. in the morning he came to me in great trepidation, but unwilling to give up his prize. i rather felt for the young folks, and selected some of the most honorable persons in the neighborhood, and sent them up to the parents, but they were inexorable. i then sent for them to come down to our place, which they did through respect for me, but would still do nothing, and threatened to go to law; but i told them i would defend the young man in his just rights to the last. after a few days however, all was quieted down, and the matter smoothed over amicably. a faithful creature she also proved to be. she worked and kept up the house, and all the expenses, whilst he worked to pay me a tolerably large debt, for money which i advanced him on the occasion. the nobility have all a plurality of wives, in proportion to their means and rank. the first one taken, is head or mistress over the others, and the whole get along as harmoniously together as such an arrangement could be expected to do, and much more so than the same arrangement would do with us. a nobleman is rather to be envied than otherwise on his return home, as he receives so many delicate attentions from his numerous wives, who all vie with each other in meriting a liberal share of the divided affections of their lord. woman knows her place in siam, and there are no such unfrocked specimens of the sex there, as elizabeth cady stanton, lucretia mott, and others. polygamy is however, one of the curses of the land, and one of the great barriers to the introduction of the gospel. it is one of those mountains which the power of the gospel must eventually bring low. the day is coming when it must be abolished even in siam. chapter vii. ceremonies for the dying and dead. the siamese dispose of their dead by cremation. when a prince of rank is found to be near death, the relatives suspend every other care, and assist in giving the departing spirit as good a passport as possible into the spirit land. every effort is made to fix the thoughts of the dying man on budha. they take their turns in calling out as loudly, and distinctly as possible, _"pra arahang,"_ one of the names of budha. it is uttered as much as eight times in a minute, so that it is impossible to hear anything else. this seems to be the "extreme unction" of the budhist. when all evidence of the dying man's hearing is past, the attendant friends will raise their voices to a stunning pitch, hoping that the departing spirit may still hear _pra arahang_. after it is thought pra arahang can be no longer heard, the most uncontrollable wailing is commenced, which can be heard to a great distance. the friends of the deceased, household slaves, and all, engage in this outburst of grief. when a prince of high rank has died, the king visits the house of mourning and bathes the corpse with water, with his own hands. after him other princes present come forward, and pour a dipper of water upon the corpse. next comes the nobles who are present, according to their rank, and do the same. when all the princes and nobles present have performed this office, certain officials present proceed to dress the corpse. they put on it a pair of tight-fitting pantaloons, and a tight jacket. over these they apply a winding-sheet, wrapping it as tightly as possible. quicksilver is also poured down the throat. the corpse is then placed in a copper urn, in a sitting posture. this copper urn is then placed inside of a golden urn. the inner urn has a grating at the bottom, and the outer one has a stop-cock, by which the juices flowing from the body are daily drawn off, until it becomes perfectly dry. the king usually remains until the corpse has been placed in the urn, and that placed on an elevated platform, ascending by three gradations to the height of about five feet. whilst the corpse is being thus elevated, conch-shell blowers and trumpeters are performing lustily upon their instruments, with all the harmony possible. this trumpeting is called the inviting of the corpse to be seated on the platform. when thus seated, all the insignia of royalty to which the prince has been accustomed during life are brought and arranged in order at the foot of the urn. these consist of his golden areca nut box, his golden cigar case, his golden spittoon, his writing apparatus--in short, all the utensils which he was accustomed to use in daily life. the band of trumpeters come at early dawn, at noon, and at dusk, every day, to perform the funeral dirge. they come in concert with some wailing women, who chant the virtues and excellences of the deceased. these women spend an hour each day in that service, and in the intervals a company of priests, seated upon a platform near by the urn, chant incantations, and recite moral lessons in the pali language. these services are kept up daily until the time appointed for burning has arrived, which is six, and sometimes even eight months after death. the remains of a king generally lie in state about twelve months, before burning. upon the death of a king his successor commences at once to make arrangements for erecting the temporary building for his cremation, which is called a _pra mane_. the building is generally in size and grandeur proportionate to the estimation in which the deceased has been held. royal orders are sent to all the provinces, and even to the tributary states, where large timber grows, requiring them to furnish posts for the _pra mane_, and especially four enormous sticks, which are to form the central pillars of the building. these central pillars must be of the finest timber that can be found, very straight, and from two hundred to two hundred and fifty feet long. besides the large ones, twelve other pillars of smaller size are needed. timbers which have been used on a former occasion cannot be used again, but all must be new. the large pillars are cut in the forest, dragged to the river by elephants, and floated down at high water to the capital. when they arrive at the city, a general levy is made all over the country for workmen, and those huge logs are dragged up to the place mainly by force, as it would be contrary to custom to employ any labor-saving machine in getting them up. they are first dressed off, and then planted with great difficulty in the ground about thirty feet deep. the four large pillars are planted in a square, about one hundred and sixty feet in circumference. when planted, the tops incline a little toward each other, forming a kind of truncated pyramid, having four sides, and is about two hundred feet high. on the top of these pillars is erected a pagoda-shaped spire, adding about fifty feet more to the height. the spire is covered with gilded and tinselled paper, so as to give it a neat and grand appearance, especially from a distance. at each side of this central pyramid is erected a wing, by means of other smaller posts, and extending about forty feet, and facing the four cardinal points of the compass; and each wing is also capped with a pagoda spire. the whole is covered with a basket-work made of bamboo splits, which is covered again with gilt and tinselled paper. the building is surrounded by a bamboo fence, enclosing, perhaps, two acres of ground, and entered by two large gates. inside of the fence are numerous temporary buildings, made of bamboo, for the accommodation of priests, theatrical performances, and other exhibitions. on the west side of the pra mane is the building for the accommodation of the king and his family. the roof of this building is made of crimson cloth, with gilt edges, and the sides are covered with curtains, which in front are tucked in neatly to the posts. at each end, at the comb of the roof, is a peculiar shaped horn extending out, which is peculiar to royal buildings and temples. the whole area of the enclosure is covered with a floor made of split bamboos neatly woven together. immediately at the base of the pra mane are small artificial mountains, and artificial lakes, and ponds, upon which small boats and miniature floating houses are moored. also flowers, shrubbery, and every other thing imaginable, which is considered at all ornamental. on the outside of the enclosure are houses built for the accommodation of princes, nobles, and all foreigners who may wish to attend, and who are all entertained at the royal expense. rope dancing, juggling, and every other imaginable feat are also carried on outside. at night, too, those brilliant fireworks, in which the siamese so much excel, are touched off by the king himself, and are kept up to a late hour every night. directly under the tall spire in the centre of the building is erected what may be termed the _pra mane_ proper. a floor is laid over the whole building about twenty feet from the ground, and upon that floor, directly under the tall spire, is erected an octagonal pyramid, about sixty feet in circumference. it diminishes by right angled gradations, to the height of about thirty feet, and terminates in a truncated top, and upon this top is placed the urn containing the royal remains. on an appointed day the royal remains are brought out and placed upon the _pra mane_. this is done in a procession. the governors of the different provinces, and the kings of the different tributary states have all been ordered to be present at the cremation. early in the morning of the day of the procession, the chief princes, nobles, and rulers, assemble at the palace. the golden urn, richly decked with diamonds, containing the remains, is placed on an elevated seat, upon a huge and unwieldy car, drawn by two horses, assisted by hundreds of men. the funeral car is preceded in the procession by two others. the first is occupied by the high-priest of the kingdom alone, reading as he goes moral lessons from the sacred books, in the pali language. the second car is occupied by a few of the favorite children of the deceased. a strip of silver cloth, about six inches wide, extends from the thighs of the high-priest to the seat occupied by the children in the next car, and thence to the funeral car, and is attached to the urn. this forms the mystical union between the deceased, the sacred book, and his children. the car next behind the funeral car contains a few sticks of sandal wood, with ends gilded, for the purpose of burning the corpse. these cars are all drawn by horses, assisted by scores of men. there are also in the procession numbers of other cars, containing figures of lions, tigers, elephants, rhinoceroses, and numbers of indescribable fabulous animals, and upon the backs of all these animals are placed piles of yellow cloths, to be presented to the priests. there are also numbers of boats placed on small wheels and drawn along, which are also to be presented to the priests. in front and rear of the cars are hundreds of men, dressed in white, and having white turbans, terminating in a pagoda point, and who represent the _tewedas_, or budhist angels. when the procession arrives at the place, the urn is drawn up an inclined plane, and placed upon the top of the truncated platform already described. the piece of narrow silver cloth, already mentioned, is attached to the top of the urn, and extends to the floor, and then out the east and west wings of the building to the steps. high above the urn is suspended a neat golden canopy, of that indescribable form for which the siamese are so celebrated. around and under the canopy are hung beautiful white scented flowers, arranged in the form of a chandelier; splendid chandeliers are also suspended all around for the purpose of brilliantly lighting up the _pra mane_. nearly all the priests in the kingdom are called into requisition on these occasions, who chant prayers and recite moral lessons. all the chief princes and nobles, the family and family servants of the deceased, are all dressed in white, and have their heads shaven, the badge of mourning. when the time has come for igniting the fire the outer golden urn is removed, leaving only the inner copper urn. the grating at the bottom of the copper urn is covered over with spices and fragrant powders. all valuable or precious articles are removed from the platform. the platform is also lowered some feet, to make it more convenient. the sandal wood is arranged under the grate of the urn, and precious spices and fragrant articles are placed amongst the wood. a gunpowder train is arranged, extending to the place where the king is. all being ready, the king takes electrical fire, which has been preserved in the palace for a long time for such purposes, and ignites the fuse, and soon the wood is in a blaze. the family of the deceased, and the chief princes and nobles are all standing near, with lighted wax candles in their hands, and each in turn steps up and places the candle amongst the wood. tubs of water are standing near, and men with dippers ready to prevent the flames from rising too high, and consuming the whole building. many persons from reading descriptions of these cremations, have got the idea that the whole building is burned, but nothing is burned but the sandal wood and the corpse which is in the urn. when the wood is fired the band strikes a funeral dirge, and the women commence wailing, which generally lasts only a few minutes. when the ceremonies are all over the _pra mane_ is taken down, never to be used again. the corpse is generally burned on the third day of the ceremonies, and they are kept up in the same manner for three days after the burning proper, making about six days in all. after the burning, the charred bones still remaining are collected, put into a small golden urn, and kept by the family. the present king has the remains of his ancestors for many generations back, preserved in this manner. the ashes are also collected, when a procession of boats is formed, and they are scattered upon the river. during these ceremonies much is given away in presents, for the purpose of making merit. small gold and silver coins, and gold rings, are put into _limes_, and other small fruit, and these are scattered amongst the crowd, and they scramble for them. the king amuses himself at this kind of sport very frequently during the ceremonies. other small fruits contain lottery tickets, which always draw a small article of some kind. these are also given away. outside the enclosure are artificial trees, full of _limes_, in every one of which is a small coin. a person frequently during the ceremonies ascends a platform, pulls off the _limes_ and scatters them amongst the crowd, and then such a scramble as there will be. persons frequently get hurt in the scramble, and it is frequently muddy, and i have seen the scramblers all covered over with mud. the royal funerals are very expensive. the funeral of the late king must have cost at least $150,000. the common people, on account of the expense, do not keep their dead long, but burn them as soon as possible, but in substantially the same manner. they do not erect a _pra mane_, but most of the temple grounds have a permanent _pra mane_. i have also frequently seen them burning, out in the open space, without any covering. the corpse is placed in a board coffin, covered over with figured paper, and is then taken to the temple and burned. there is a very disgusting practice more or less common amongst them. sometimes the person dying orders it to be done in order to make merit, and sometimes the friends do it of their own accord. when the corpse is taken to the place of burning, they take knives, cut the flesh from the bones, and feed it to the vultures. these filthy birds will be perched near by, and will come down into the crowd to receive the coveted morsel, which they either carry off, or swallow upon the spot. after the flesh is thus taken off, the bones are burned. persons dying of cholera, small-pox, in childbirth, or any sudden disease, and by suicide, are not burned immediately, but are buried for a few months, and are then taken up and burned. criminals executed, and paupers, are given to the vultures wholesale. medical students would have no difficulty in getting subjects there. chapter viii. theory and practice of medicine when we consider that amidst all the light which the latter half of the nineteenth century sheds upon the subject, the theory and practice of medicine amongst western nations are still enveloped in darkness, and are constantly changing, it is not to be wondered at that a nation like the siamese is almost wholly in the dark upon such a subject. the rev. d. b. bradly, m.d., the oldest missionary in siam, and who for many years practised medicine in bangkok, has prepared an abstract of the siamese "theory and practice of medicine," which was published in the _bangkok calendar_ of 1865, and from which the abstract which i shall give at present is mainly taken. the siamese believe the human system to be composed of four elements--water, air, fire, and earth, and that disease is simply a derangement in the proportions of these elements. they believe also that all nature is constituted in the same way, and that the elements without, are continually operating upon the elements within the body, producing health or disease. for instance, if fire from without enters the body in undue proportions, it will derange the healthy equilibrium of the same element within, and will produce one or more of the diseases into which fire enters, such as fevers, measles, small-pox, &c. each element is supposed to have its season of influence to produce disease, just as the fruits of the earth have their seasons. their medical books, and common parlance, both say that in such and such months, wind produces most disease, and in such and such other months, fire produces most, and so with all the other elements. the internal elements are also supposed at certain times to become deranged from causes wholly internal. for instance, one of their theories in regard to apoplexy is, that the internal wind blows from all parts of the body upon the heart, with such force that it is often ruptured, and death immediately ensues. the other theory is, that the wind has fled, and left a vacuum in the upper story, and it must be forced back again, if a cure is to be effected. all diseases are produced either from an excess or diminution of one or more of the four elements; and, according to their theory, wind produces more disease than any, or all of the other elements combined. if you ask any siamese what is the matter with him, in nine cases out of ten, he will answer, _"pen lom"_--it is wind, or disease produced by wind. their theory also teaches that all vital motions of the body are primarily produced by wind taken into the system by inhalation, as wind enters a bellows, and proceeds to the heart, and the heart by its expansions, invites it into the body, and then, by its own power it passes to all parts, and is the approximate cause of all internal circulation. there are two grand divisions of internal wind, viz., that above, and that below the diaphragm. strictures in the chest, headache, epilepsy, and apoplexy, are produced by wind beating upward. colic, flatulency, inflammation of the bowels, &c., are caused by wind from above beating downward. it is seldom however, that disease runs its course without involving two or more of the other elements. for instance, in case of a common boil, the wind first drives the blood from all quarters into the locality of the disease, where it stagnates, being invested by wind. secondly, the water from the blood consequently settles in that place, as water in a tea-kettle before the fire is applied. thirdly, the internal fire having nothing to drive it away, acts upon the water, and heats it to scalding. and, fourthly, the earth, inclusive of the crassiment of the blood, which had stagnated, and other solid matter in the locality, become diseased from great heat, and are consequently decomposed and melted down into matter. anasarca, or general dropsy, belongs to the water-class, and is produced by the watery parts of the blood settling under the skin, and among the muscles, causing the parts to puff outward. but water is not the sole cause; there is also a diminution of fire. if fire had been present in due proportions, it would have dried up the surplus water, as the sun dries up the dew. in the hot season, heat from without combines with heat from within, and produces an unhealthful degree of heat in the body, and causes disease of the fire-class. in the rainy season too much water is absorbed into the system, filling intensely the natural vacuum in the upper part of the head, and produces disease of the water-class. the earth produces disease through her mists and vapors. cholera is supposed to arise from this source. they also believe that spirits, good and evil, have great power over the elements, and have much to do in producing disease. they are consequently held in continued dread of them, and use every means to propitiate them. they never start on a journey, or enter a forest where fevers prevail, without first making an offering to the spirits. they believe that medicine has power to counteract the deranged elements, and restore them to a healthful equilibrium. the origin and practice of medicine they believe to have been supernatural. their medical books declare that the father of medicine was so privileged, that wherever he went, every individual member of the vegeto-medical kingdom was sure to summon his attention, and speak out, revealing its name and medical properties; and since the days of miracles have passed away, the science is only now to be acquired by following closely the original medical books. they have four classes of medicines, each calculated to counteract the disturbances caused by each of the four elements. the _modus operandi_ of each individual class is supposed to be as various as the specific diseases. for instance, medicine for wind in the head is quite different, and acts differently from medicine for wind in the bowels. a sternutatory snuff, a wash for the head, a patch or plaster, may dispel the wind in the head, whilst it will require a carminative to allay the storm in the bowels. it is believed that wind of every kind may not only be expelled from the body by way of the esophagus and rectum, but also by the pores of the skin, and all the secreting organs of the body. it may hence be drawn off by suction; as cupping, poultices, bleeding, and scarification. they also attempt to drive the surplus wind from one part of the body to another part where it may be wanting. if the disease arise from a deficiency of wind, they try to raise an artificial breeze in the system by appropriate medicines. giddiness is supposed to arise from a deficiency of wind blowing upward upon the brain, and the upper part of the skull becomes a vacuum. they consequently fill the stomach as full as possible with food, and put the patient to bed, and he will awake quite well. if there is a want of heat, they produce artificial heat; and if there is too much, they employ a refrigerating treatment. if there is too much water, they try to draw it off by drastic cathartics. in all their treatment they employ opposites. their medicines are derived chiefly from the vegetable kingdom, and from those kinds too which are indigenous to their own country. some few articles are brought from china, and sold by the chinese apothecaries. barks, roots, leaves, chips, fruits, and herbs, constitute the great bulk of their _materia medica_. they also employ some articles belonging to the animal kingdom, such as bones, teeth, sea-shells, fish-skins, snake-skins, snake's galls, urine, birds' eyes, &c. they have also a few from the mineral kingdom, such as stones, saltpetre, borax, lead, antimony, sulphate of copper, table salt, sulphate of magnesia, and rarely mercury. they have a few gums also, of which aloes and gamboge are the chief. but few articles of the vegetable kingdom however, escape enlistment in the war against disease. they depend more upon great combinations, than upon the power of a single ingredient, and consequently scores of kinds, or ingredients, often figure in a single dose. dr. bradly says he has seen one instance in which one hundred and seventy four ingredients were employed in one prescription, and the whole to be taken at three doses. the work of preparing medicines is therefore onerous. vegetable combinations are used chiefly in a state of decoction or infusion. they frequently speak of a patient having taken four or five pots full--a pot holding from two to four quarts. they knew nothing of tinctures until european physicians came amongst them, and they are slow to adopt them. after such a system, it may readily be supposed that their physicians are in keeping with it. they are wholly self-taught, or, more properly, untaught. they have nothing like medical colleges, or a system of medical discipline. they are like too many in our own country who rush into the study of medicine without a sufficient literary or scientific education upon which to base a medical education, and thus prostitute a noble profession. without a correct knowledge of their own language, they read a few of their medical manuscripts, and start out for a patient, following the manuscript very closely in their treatment. should they get a patient who is pretty sick, and he recover in spite of their treatment, their reputation is made. the reputation once made seldom wanes, for the physician's tongue helps him out of a great many scrapes. if he loses a patient, the spirits or some other insurmountable object have always been in the way. it is seldom however, that a man professes to be a general practitioner; they turn their attention to specialities. one will be renowned for fevers, whilst another will have a reputation in cases of small-pox. the siamese physicians are held in great esteem by the people, an esteem but little less than that offered to princes and nobles, but of a different kind. that given to the latter is a kind of servile reverence, but the former is a true esteem. they have two general classes of physicians, viz., the royal physicians and the people's physicians. the former class are appointed by the king to practice in the palace, and amongst the princes and nobles, and receive a small salary from the royal treasury. the latter class are self-appointed, and receive no regular salary, but depend upon their fees for their living, and as a general thing make it pay better than the other class. a common physician of reputation is frequently promoted to be a royal physician. they have also another kind of doctors who profess to cure certain kinds of diseases by shampooing and manipulating. they are well versed in the locality of the muscles, tendons, and blood-vessels. they gently press these points, and when one is tired and weary, it has a soothing effect, and produces sleep, and in some diseases it may prove beneficial. i have found it very beneficial at times of great weariness and lassitude. the common physicians are always employed by the job, and always on the condition, no cure no pay. sometimes, if the disease is chronic, and but little hope of recovery, they stipulate to pay a certain sum in case of an alleviation of the disease, and so much more in case of a permanent cure. a bargain is always struck by the patient himself, or by his friends, before the physician takes charge of the case. sometimes, if a doctor sees his patient is going to die, and he be the loser, he will take "french leave" without giving the friends any notice whatever of his intentions. generally however a more honorable course is pursued, and the doctor gives up the patient, and releases the friends from all obligations, and they are at liberty to call another doctor. the physician is thus changed frequently, several times before death or recovery, each new one putting in for a higher bid. they have also a kind of domestic water treatment, by copious bathing, which in many cases is far more beneficial than their nostrums. they are also great people for recipes, and many of the temples have these recipes inscribed by scores upon the walls, and upon little marble tablets, for the benefit of the poor, and all others who wish to use them. the king frequently makes merit by having these recipes thus inscribed. the following one for small-pox, will serve as a specimen: "one portion of conch-shell; two kinds of aperient fruit, one portion of each; two kinds of sour leaves, one portion of each; one portion of asafoetida, one of borax, one of ginger, nine kinds of pepper, including the hottest, a portion of each; four kinds of cooling roots, a portion of each; one of an astringent root; four kinds of drastic cathartics, including the fruit and leaves of the croton plant, one portion of each; one of rhubarb, and one of epsom salts. boil in three measures of water until it be diminished to one measure of the decoction. then squeeze out the oily parts, dry, and pulverize. a woman may take the weight of thirty cents in silver, and a child may take the weight of seven and one-half cents in silver. it will purge off everything in the bowels." they have as yet little or no confidence in european physicians and medicines. they however, are obliged to acknowledge their ability as surgeons, and they are beginning to have confidence in quinine in the treatment of fevers. they know nothing of anatomy; and consequently nothing of surgery. they do not pretend to lance even a common boil, but depend upon opening it with poultices. the first amputation was performed in siam by dr. bradly, in 1837. a company of priests at the dedication of a temple were playing with fireworks, when a cannon burst, and killed several and wounded many more. dr. bradly offered his professional services, but all the wounded refused, except two. he amputated the arm of one of them, and dressed their other wounds, and they soon recovered, but all the others died. inoculation for small-pox was introduced by the missionary physicians in 1838. they found themselves surrounded by the disease, and being without vaccine virus, they inoculated their own children as the next best thing that could be done. it acted so well that the king sent a number of the royal physicians to examine into it, and learn how it was done. having learned, he sent them out through the city to inoculate. vaccination was introduced in 1840, from a scab sent out from boston _via_ the cape of good hope. it finally died out, and was again renewed from time to time. it is now constantly kept up by dr. campbell, a scotch physician, in connection with the english consulate. the natives no longer hesitate to have their children vaccinated, and it has done much towards staying the ravages of the small-pox. the first operation for cataract was successfully performed by dr. bradly, upon the eyes of a distinguished nobleman and minister of state. they know nothing of obstetrics, and those cases where nature needs to be assisted, are left to die. superstition too, has enveloped the whole afiair in silly and ridiculous notions. since they believe in the transmigration of souls, and that the spirits of all persons who are born have existed in some previous state, their books on midwifery pretend to teach parents how they may know whence their children came, and whether the expected stranger will be a boy or girl. there is also a choice in the day of the week upon which a child is born. wednesday and thursday are particularly favorable for robust constitutions, and bright intellects. children born on sunday, are liable to be careless and reckless all their lives. this business is almost wholly committed to elderly women or midwives. male physicians are seldom called in on such occasions, unless the case requires extraordinary skill, and then they are as ignorant as the midwives themselves. they always attempt to assist natural labor by the use of domestic medicines, shampooing, and other manipulations, and in many instances do positive injury by deranging natural labor. facts however, prove that parturition amongst the siamese is much shorter and easier than amongst europeans and americans. one reason is, that they have more of the animal in their natures, and doubtless the kind of dress they wear has much to do with it--their dress being more in accordance with nature. it is after the birth of the child that the siamese mothers have to endure torture. it is a custom amongst them, as immutable as the laws of the medes and persians, that the mother after the birth of the child, must lie by a hot fire from five to thirty days. after the first child they must remain by the fire about thirty days, but the time gradually diminishes with every subsequent birth. she is placed on a hard board, with nothing under her but a thin mat, and no clothing but a narrow waist-cloth and is thus obliged to lie within four or five feet of a hot fire. this is generally, too, in a small room, with no chimney, but the fire is on an open furnace, and the smoke is allowed to escape as best it can. in such a climate as siam, this must be positively injurious, and it certainly makes young mothers look prematurely old. it is not known whence this custom originated. it is also practised amongst the cambodians, peguans, burmese, and cochin chinese. chapter ix. farming and products. the staple of the country is rice. their farming operations are simple in the extreme, and as the soil is very fertile, i know of no place where the husbandman is so abundantly rewarded for so little labor. their plough is exactly like that used in scripture times, and pictures of which you have doubtless seen in books on biblical antiquities. it consists simply of a crooked stick, answering for beam and handle, to which a sheath is attached, to the end of which a small shovel is affixed. it has but one handle, and is difficult to hold, and hence from the same kind of an instrument we have the scripture illustration, "no man having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven." to this plough they attach a couple of oxen, or indian buffaloes, and when sufficient rain has fallen to soften the ground a little, they scratch it over with their little plough. when sufficient rain has fallen to turn the ground into a perfect mortar, they stir it up again, and sow the rice upon the mud. this they sometimes harrow over with a brush or rude wooden harrow. about this time the water in the rivers begins to overflow the banks, and gradually overflows the rice fields to the depth of three or four feet. the rice however, manages to grow, and keep head above water, and so long as it can do this it is all right. the water keeps up until the rice is out in heads, and then it begins to subside until harvest, when the ground is generally quite dry. i have rode in my boat for a whole day, directly over the rice fields, when the rice was coming out in heads, and found the water in many places four feet deep, but the heads of the rice were waving in the wind majestically above it. the best quality of rice is raised by transplanting. the ground is prepared the same as before, but instead of sowing broadcast, they take the rice plants, and place them in the soft mud with the hand. this work is generally done by women and children, and they do it very dextrously, placing the plant in the mud with the thumb and finger almost as fast as they can walk. it is put down in rows, about two or three inches apart. this is the same kind of rice as the other, only the grains are fuller and better, and it commands a better price in market. after planting his rice the farmer has little or nothing to do until his crop begins to ripen, when all hands have to turn out to drive off the birds. there are immense flocks of a diminutive little bird, with gray and red wings, and about the size of a canary, and sings almost as sweetly. they are beautiful little creatures, but great rice-eaters, and would soon destroy a whole crop if not driven away. men, women and children have all to turn out to guard off these, and other rice-eating birds, until the harvest is gathered. the rice crop is harvested about the first of january, with a kind of primitive sickle, and bound into small sheaves. it is then collected by means of a nondescript ox-cart into one place, where they intend to thresh it. the threshing floor is levelled off on the ground, as in scripture times, and a bamboo pole is set up in the centre, upon the top of which a few heads of the best rice have been tied, as a kind of first fruit-offering to the spirits. the sheaves are then placed around in a circle, and a number of oxen are driven around abreast upon it. when threshed, the rice is collected into a heap and winnowed with a large fan. the threshing is frequently done at night, and i have seen the banks of some of the rivers illuminated for miles with fires around the threshing floors. the crops are generally abundant, and the labors of the husbandman abundantly rewarded. the native mills for hulling the rice are small basket affairs turned by band, but there are now in operation four steam rice-mills, built and owned by europeans, and which clean on an average about four thousand piculs of cargo rice daily. bangkok is one of the greatest rice ports in the world, and vast quantities are shipped every year to china, europe, california and other places. cotton grows well, and the quality is good, but is not raised in any quantities. a few hainan chinese have located up the country, and are raising cotton, but all they raise is shipped in junks to the island of hainan. some little indian corn is raised, but not as a business; it is generally used when soft. vegetables of various kinds are also raised in considerable quantities, such as sweet potatoes, turnips, cabbage, beans, peas, cucumbers, squashes and egg-plants. all tropical fruits are also abundant, such as oranges in great variety, shaddocks, plantains, mangos, mango-stines, jack-fruit and bread-fruit. the king of fruits to the natives however, is the _durien_, a large fruit about the size of a man's head, with a prickly shell. inside the shell there are a number of lobes, each having a large seed, surrounded with a white pulpy substance, resembling custard highly flavored with garlic. to most europeans the smell of the fruit is very offensive, resembling that of a spoiled egg. when a boat load of the fruit is passing up the river, even before the shell is broken, it can be smelled at a great distance. strange to say however, after a few contacts most europeans become extremely fond of the fruit, notwithstanding the smell. it is however, like most acquired tastes, the end gained scarcely justifies the effort in obtaining it. the palm is there also in considerable variety. the palmyra, the cocoanut, the nypa, the date, and the areca palms, all figure to some extent. amongst the woods the teak is most valued for ship building, and quantities of it are shipped every year to china and europe for that purpose. rosewood is also abundant, and a variety of other red woods. sapan wood is largely exported to china for dyeing purposes. there is scarcely anything so generally used and so universally prized as the _bamboo_. it grows in clumps to the height of about seventy-five feet; and when full grown is about six or eight inches in diameter at the butt. it also grows in joints, and is hollow except at the joint. the houses of the poorer classes are all built of this. their baskets, boxes, buckets, boat covers, and nearly all the utensils used by the poorer classes, are made of it. it is to all appearances a _"sine qua non"_ in the country. their domestic animals are few. the ox and the indian buffalo are prized for farming purposes. fowls and ducks are raised in great quantities, but by the siamese only for the eggs; the chinese however, eat large quantities of them. the ducks have lost the instinct of incubation, and the eggs are hatched by artificial means. pariah dogs are there in great numbers, and many of them without any owners, and they frequently render night hideous by their howling. amongst the ferocious animals the tiger is chief; both the bengal and leopard species are found in numbers in the jungles. the fox, wolf, and a small species of bear, are also found. monkeys in great variety are there, and in passing up the rivers and along the canals they can be seen in large droves perched upon the trees, cutting up their antics apparently for the benefit of the passer by. several species of deer, and wild hogs, abound in the jungles. jungle-fowls, pea-fowls, and a vast variety of other birds abound, so that an expert sportsman can find plenty to do for his gun. about thirty species of venomous serpents are known to the natives, about one half of which are considered very poisonous. a few inflict deadly wounds with their tails. one of the most venomous is five or six feet long, and has the power of reflecting prismatic colors. the cobra, or hooded serpent, is abundant. the boa constrictor is also common, but does little harm except rob hen-roosts at night. the writer has frequently been obliged to arise at night to relieve his hen-roost from their attacks, and he has seen them, when killed, measuring twelve and fifteen feet long. the natives tell marvellous stories about those found in the forests, forty and fifty feet long, and which can crush and swallow a deer, or an ox, without any difficulty. vast numbers of harmless little lizards are constantly sporting upon the walls of your house and bed-room. the most noted is the "gecho," a large dragon-headed lizard, about six or eight inches long, called by the siamese _"to-kay."_ he secretes himself during the day, but comes out on the walls at night in search of moschetos and other things for food. he is a fierce-looking fellow, and most europeans at first sight are terribly afraid of him. shortly after our arrival in the country, one evening when we were about to retire, we discovered something, presenting rather a ferocious appearance, in the corner of the bed-room near the ceiling. my wife could not think of retiring with such a creature so near the bed, so i got a long bamboo pole and called in a native man to assist, and after a considerable contest we succeeded in worsting him. they have also a tremendous voice, and at night will often keep you awake by hollowing "to-kay, to-kay," from some secret corner of your bed-room. we once lived in a part of a house, the other half of which was occupied by another mission family. there was a large "to-kay" which had been about the house for some time, and was quite a pet with the other family, and they would not allow him to be disturbed. in the evening, however, just when our baby would get to sleep, he would come out and commence his hollowing and wake her up again. one afternoon when the other family were out, he came out on the porch, or veranda, and commenced hollowing lustily, and i loaded my shot gun and brought him down. this, and the one already alluded to, are the only encounters i have ever had with the "to-kays." an american gentleman who was traveling around the world, once stopped with us. he arrived from the ship about 9 o'clock in the evening. he was scarcely in the house until a to-kay commenced hollowing, apparently for his edification. the gentleman looked up in consternation, exclaiming, "what's that--a billy-goat?" chapter x. mode of dividing time. the twenty-fours of the day are divided into two equal parts. the day is called _wán_, and the night _kún_. the former begins at 6 a.m., and the latter at 6 p.m. the hours of the forenoon are numbered from one up to six, or mid-day. the hours of the afternoon are numbered in the same way. the forenoon is called _pëla chow_, and the afternoon _pëla bai_. the word denoting an hour of the day is _mong_, and that denoting an hour of the night is _toom_. in expressing 9 o'clock, a.m., they would say, _"sam mong chow,"_ or the third hour of the morning. three o'clock, p.m., they would say, _"sam mong bai,"_ or the third hour of the afternoon. nine o'clock in the evening, they would say _"sam toom."_ siamese months are lunar months, but often vary from the moon, a day or two. each month is divided into two parts, the _waxing_ and _waning_ moon. the former has always fifteen days, but the latter has sometimes fifteen and sometimes fourteen. six of their months have thirty days, and six twenty-nine days, making three hundred and fifty-four days to the year, which lacks eleven days of a full solar year. to compensate this deficiency, they have an intercalary month of thirty days, every two or three years. there is still however, a deficiency of about three days in nineteen years, which is supplied by adding a day to the seventh month from time to time, whenever the astrologers may think proper. they have no word to denote a week of time, but each day has its appropriate name and number, commencing at sunday and ending at saturday. by the recurrence of the first and seventh days, they are reminded that seven days of time have elapsed. the days of the week are: 1st. wan atit, (day of the sun,) sunday. 2d. wan chan, (day of the moon,) monday. 3d. wan angkan, (day of mars,) tuesday. 4th. wan póot, (day of mercury,) wednesday. 5th. wan prahat, (day of jupiter,) thursday. 6th. wan sook, (day of venus,) friday. 7th. wan sów, (day of saturn,) saturday. their months are numbered from one up to twelve, and have no particular names, but are designated by their numbers. the first and second months, it is true, are called by names, but their names have the same meaning as their numbers. they have two cycles, one within the other. the greater cycle is twelve, the smaller ten. the former is called _pee_, their common name for year, and the latter is called _sok_. every year of each kind of cycles has its own specific name. the years of the cycle of twelve are: 1st. pee chóoat, _year of the rat._ 2d. pee cháloo, _year of the cow._ 3d. pee kán, _year of the tiger._ 4th. pee taw, _year of the rabbit._ 5th. pee marong, _year of the great dragon._ 6th. pee maseng, _year of the small dragon._ 7th. pee mameea, _year of the horse._ 8th. pee mamaa, _year of the goat._ 9th. pee wawk, _year of the monkey._ 10th. pee raka, _year of the cock._ 11th. pee chaw, _year of the dog._ 12th. pee koon, _year of the hog._ the years of the cycle of ten are: eka sók, 1st. _cycle._ to sok, 2d. _cycle._ tree sok, 3d. _cycle._ chattawa sok, 4th. _cycle._ benya sok, 5th. _cycle._ chaw sok, 6th. _cycle._ sapta sok, 7th. _cycle._ atta sok, 8th. _cycle._ woppa sok, 9th. _cycle._ samretti sok, 10th. _cycle._ in writing the number of their era, they mention the name of each cycle, as it happens to be. for instance, january 1870, would be 1231 _pee maseng eka sok_, year of the _small dragon_, 1st of the cycle of 10, and 1231 of the civil era. the siamese sacred era is reckoned from the time of budha's supposed death, which, on the full moon of may 1870, was 2413 years. this era is only used in religious matters. the civil era is reckoned from the time that _pra rooang_, a siamese king of great celebrity, established it, and on march 27, 1870, was 1231 full years. although the brahmin astrologers manage to calculate eclipses with considerable accuracy, the great mass of the siamese are wholly ignorant of their true cause. they attribute them to _rahú_, a terrible monster who threatens to devour the sun and moon. when they see an eclipse of any kind coming on, they commence firing guns, beating gongs and tin-pans, and shouting, to frighten away _rahú_. the late king however, studied astronomy, and could calculate eclipses in the european way, and did much to dispel the ignorance of his subjects in regard to such matters. chapter xi. missionary operations. it would be unjust to close without at least some reference to the efforts of missionaries to evangelize siam, it is also just to state that there is scarcely any other field, in which modern missions have been established, where the introduction of the gospel has met with so little opposition as in siam proper, and especially during the late reign, and so far during the present. it is equally just to say that there is scarcely any other field which has been so barren of results. pure budhism appears to yield more slowly to the power of the gospel than any other false system. even brahminism itself yields more rapidly. the siamese have the utmost confidence in the strength of their own religion to withstand the power of the gospel, and hence that stolid indifference which they manifest to the introduction of the gospel amongst them. a nobleman high in rank, once playfully remarked to a missionary, "do you expect, with your little chisel, to remove this great mountain?" to the rev. w. h. medhurst belongs the honor of projecting the first protestant mission in siam. as early as 1827 he proposed to visit siam and some of the neighboring kingdoms, but never was able to accomplish his designs. the rev. charles gutzlaff and rev. jacob tomlin arrived in siam, august 23d, 1828, on a chinese junk. they obtained liberty to remain in bangkok, and labor amongst the chinese, but through the influence, of the jesuit missionaries they were afterwards threatened with expulsion from the country. the portuguese consul, signior carlos de silveira, the only resident consul in siam at that time, interested himself in their behalf, and partly through his influence they were allowed to remain. they were out constantly talking to the chinese, and distributing books, which soon excited the suspicions of the siamese, that the missionaries were endeavoring to incite the chinese to rebellion. the king ordered some of their books to be examined, and when nothing objectionable was found in them, they were allowed to proceed. it is believed however that a secret edict was issued, forbidding the people to receive the books. the only english merchant then in the country was quietly requested to take the missionaries away in one of his ships. they however demanded of the minister of foreign affairs the cause of such a step, and claimed equal rights with the roman catholic missionaries, who were allowed to pursue their labors without molestation. this appeal brought the minister to terms, and they were allowed to remain. they studied to some extent the siamese language, and endeavored to translate portions of the scriptures into that language, which was of course labor lost, as they had only been in the country about six months, and it was impossible that they could have acquired the siamese sufficiently to do anything at translating. mr. tomlin's health had now failed to some extent, and he left for singapore. mr. gutzlaff remained a short time, and also left for a time. during his absence he married miss maria newell, an english lady then residing at malacca, and then returned with his wife to bangkok. they were there however, but little over a year when mrs. gutzlaff died, and mr. gutzlaff becoming discouraged, took passage to china on a junk. messrs. gutzlaff and tomlin however had visited siam wholly on their own responsibility, and perhaps never intended to remain permanently. the prudential committee of the american board, upon the solicitation of messrs. gutzlaff and tomlin, sent the rev. david abeel, then in canton, to siam to make arrangements for establishing a mission there. mr. abeel on his way met with mr. tomlin, and the two together proceeded to bangkok, and arrived there in june, 1831. they found the people still eager for books, and soon established a place for public worship and the distribution of books. mr. abeel however, was soon brought down by a fever, and when sufficiently recovered to do so, he and mr. tomlin both returned to singapore. mr. abeel's health being recruited, he embarked again alone for bangkok on a chinese junk. he prosecuted his labors for about six months more, but in consequence of continued ill health he was obliged to leave for good. in 1832 the rev. messrs. stephen johnston and charles robinson were appointed by the american board for siam, but before they arrived, and even before mr. abeel left, the baptist mission in burmah transferred the rev. j. t. jones to bangkok. mr. jones was permitted to reap the fruits of some of the seed sown by those who preceded him, and a small chinese church was organized by him, which is still in existence, and is now under the pastoral care of the rev. william dean, d. d. messrs. johnston and robinson, already alluded to, arrived in bangkok, july 25th, 1834. they were kindly received by the minister of foreign affairs, and soon after arrival secured a lot of ground and proceeded to build upon it. thus was finally established in siam the mission of the american board, which, after several years of labor, was eventually removed to china. the presbyterian board of foreign missions in 1840 sent out the rev. w. p. buell and his wife to siam. mr. buell however, had scarcely acquired the language sufficiently well to become useful, when he was obliged to return to the united states on account of mrs. buell's health. in 1841 that board sent out the rev. stephen mattoon and wife, and the rev. s. r. house, m. d. by the time they arrived the king then upon the throne had become tired of not only missionaries, but all foreigners, and had determined upon an exclusive policy. he refused to make commercial treaties with western powers, or to open up the country any more to commerce. sir james brook, the english ambassador, received what he considered an insult to his nation, and left with the intention of returning, prepared to open up the country by force. our missionaries in consequence of this determination of the king, were unable to secure a site for the mission, or any foothold whatever. they were not flatly refused, but were baffled, according to siamese custom, with trifling excuses and postponements, so that they became discouraged, and were upon the eve of leaving the country to seek some other, where they might find an opening. at this juncture the king was providentially removed by death, and the now late king ascended the throne. he was a prince who had imbibed more liberal views in regard to foreigners, and he immediately opened up the country to foreign commerce, and our missionaries were permitted to secure a location. it may also be stated here, that to the missionaries belongs the honor of opening up the country, although many will doubtless deny them this just due. the late king, whilst a priest in a monastery, studied the english language with some of the missionaries, and especially with the rev. j. caswell. he also studied astronomy, and some other branches in which he made commendable proficiency. he also imbibed from them more liberal views in regard to western nations, and consequently as soon as he ascended the throne he was prepared to treat with them; and that which in many other countries had to be done by gunpowder, was in this instance accomplished by missionary effort. the present regent once in the presence of the writer, whilst conversing with an american, george f. seward, esq., united states consul-general to shanghae, shrewdly remarked that "siam had not been disciplined by english and french guns as china, but the country had been opened by missionaries." the late king always entertained the highest regard for his instructor, the rev. j. caswell, and besides building a tomb over his grave, presented his widow with $1,500 as a token of his regard. the presbyterian board has now six missionaries with their families in siam proper, and two amongst the laos, a tributary kingdom to the north. they are distributed as follows:-messrs. house, mcdonald, george, and carrington, in bangkok; messrs. mcfarland and van dyke in petchaburi; and messrs. mcgilvary and wilson amongst the laos. the american baptist union has also a mission to the chinese in siam. the missionaries are. rev. william dean, d. d., and rev. s. b. partridge, with their wives, and the misses f. a. dean and a. m. fielde, single ladies. the rev. d. b. bradly, m. d., was originally sent out by the american board, but is now in nominal connection with the american missionary association, but is wholly self-sustaining, receiving no support from any board. besides supporting his family, he preaches regularly and does other mission work. the rev. s. j. smith was formerly in connection with the american baptist union, but has dissolved his connection with that board, and is now self-sustaining, and also does much missionary work. this is our force for at least eight millions of people. when the writer arrived in siam ten years ago, there was but one native convert in connection with the presbyterian mission church. we have now at bangkok a church numbering about twenty members; also one at petchaburi with about the same membership. we have also a school in connection with our mission which averages about twenty five pupils. this school has not met the expectations of those who have had charge of it, but there is no reason to be discouraged at the results. whilst many of the pupils have gone back to heathenism, and others have turned out badly, a goodly number are exemplary christians, and some are looking forward to the ministry, and hope some day to preach the gospel to their countrymen. ten years ago we had the gospels alone of the scriptures translated; we have now the whole new testament. many portions of it, especially the epistles, need revising, still it answers the purpose. we have also the old testament translated as far as through joshua, and also the prophecy of ezekiel, and minor prophets. our mission hopes soon to be able to give the people the entire scriptures in their own language. our printing press is constantly at work printing the scriptures and religious tracts. it has also been the duty of the writer, shortly before leaving the country, to visit the scene of the last persecution (if we except the late troubles in china) which the history of the church has to record. north of siam proper, there are a number of petty laos kingdoms, all of which are in a certain sense tributary to siam. they pay a small annual tribute, and the king of siam claims the prerogative of nominating the successor to the throne when a vacancy occurs, but aside from this each of those kings is absolute in his own dominions. the largest of those kingdoms is chieng mai, and the capital city of the same name is situated in latitude 18° 48' north, or about five degees north of bangkok. about three years ago two of our missionaries, rev. messrs. mcgilvary and wilson, having previously made a visit to that kingdom, determined to establish a mission there. they obtained permission from the king, and also from the siamese government, and with great difficulty and self-denial removed their families thither, following the river all the way up over the thirty-two rapids. their goods at the rapids had to be taken from the boats and carried around, whilst the boats had to be drawn up with ropes. the whole journey occupied some three months, a much longer time than it now takes to come to the united states. at first they were kindly received by the king, but gradually his friendship began to cool down. this they attributed to the influence of a mongrel portuguese whom the king had taken into his employ, and who was a roman catholic, and looked upon the missionaries as his enemies. after his departure the king again became more friendly. some two years after their arrival they were permitted to baptize two laos christians, and not long afterwards five others were received. this appeared to arouse the wrath of the king, and before the missionaries were aware of it, he had arrested and executed two of the christians, and warrants were issued for the other five, but they managed to escape arrest. the two who were executed were faithful witnesses for the truth, and died as courageously and as triumphantly for the faith, as any in that long list of martyrs which the history of the church has to record. we find here amongst the mountaineer laos, men who but a short time before had embraced christ,--infants as it were, but a span long in faith,--sealing their faith with their blood. had we no other fruits of our long labors in siam than this glorious conversion, and still more glorious death of those mountaineer laos, that alone will more than a thousand times repay all the expenditure of men and money upon that kingdom. the missionaries were not aware of the execution of the christians at the time, but soon discovered that servants and all those in connection with them were leaving, and upon inquiring the cause learned with difficulty what had happened, and that the others were leaving through fear of the king. most of the princes of the kingdom, and apparently all the people, were indignant at the conduct of the king, but such was the fear of him that no one durst scarcely whisper a word, lest it might come to his ears, and their head pay the penalty of their rashness. he ruled with a rod of iron. the slightest theft, and continual drunkenness, were punished with death; and i must say, i know of no country where property is so secure from theft as in chieng mai. such however, was the known treachery of the king, and such the many stories afloat, that the missionaries supposed their own lives in danger. they tried to communicate with the mission at bangkok, but such was the fear of the king that they could get no one to carry a letter, although they offered at one time as high as five hundred rupees ($225) to any one who would carry a letter to bangkok. fortunately however, a burmese came along who was a native of british burmah, and an english subject, and who offered to carry the letter for nothing. when we at bangkok heard the news, we did not know but that they and their families might be murdered; we however deemed it our duty to make some effort to communicate with them. we accordingly sent a committee to wait upon the regent of siam, who, after expressing his indignation at what had happened, kindly offered a _"ka hluáng,"_ or government officer, to accompany any one of us who might wish to go up, who should be the bearer of a letter to the king of chieng mai, and who should also be a safe conduct to us. the officer had power to levy on provincial towns along the way such provisions and other things as we needed, and had also power to chastise delinquent governors who were slow to comply with our demands. it fell to the lot of the writer, in company with the rev. s. c. george, to go on this important and rather dangerous errand. the letter from the siamese government only ordered the king of chieng mai to allow the missionaries to remain peaceably, if they wished to, and if they desired to leave, to offer them every facility in his power to do so, and by no means to offer them any personal violence, as that would involve the siamese government in difficulty with the united states government. after storing our boat with a few necessaries which could not be secured by the way, and shipping a crew of six good boatmen, we turned her bow toward the north. the siamese officer with his boats was to follow on in a day or two, expecting to overtake us ere we reached raheng. we rowed by day, and a few hours by night when the moon was favorable, and when bedtime came, tied our boat up to the bank and slept till morning. after taking our morning meal of rice we were off again. we thus journeyed for ten days, passing the provincial towns of _aungtawng_, _chinat_, _monorom_, &c., all of which provinces have governors. there is nothing striking in the country or scenery on this portion of the route. the banks of the river are low and the scenery rather monotonous. the tenth day brought us to nakawn sawán, a provincial town at the junction of the two principal branches of the river. here the novelty of the trip (if there be any novelty in it) was to commence. our course lay rather northwest, and the current in the branch of the river which we were to take became very rapid, so that our oars which had hitherto served us a good purpose refused to serve us further. we had now to resort to poling. we had however, prepared ourselves somewhat for the emergency, and had secured several bamboo poles about fifteen feet long, in the butt ends of which were short iron forks. a man with one of these poles walked to the bow of the boat, and placing the end of the pole containing the fork firmly upon the bottom, he placed his shoulder to the other end and walked to the stern. another was ready to take his place, and thus they kept the boat constantly moving. it required great dexterity however on the part of the steersman to keep the bow of the boat to the current, and thus be enabled to stem it. so soon as he allowed the bow to turn the least to the current, the poles would lose their hold, and we were set adrift, and in a few minutes would lose what we would make in an hour, and besides it was dangerous, as the river was full of snags. the river here spreads out over a sandy bottom, and many places where it was tolerably shallow it presented the appearance of a boiling chaldron. the bottom too, was treacherous; on one side of the boat we would be against a sand-bar, whilst on the other our poles would not touch bottom. the receding waters too, at that season of the year, left huge sand-bars running out from either bank to a point in the middle of the stream, and also numerous little sand-islands. some portions of the route were solitary in the extreme, and in the morning we were aroused by the crowing of the jungle-fowl, and the scream of the peacock. in ten days more of poling, making in all about twenty-one from bangkok, we reached raheng, the last siamese provincial town on the laos borders. here it was determined to leave our boats and take elephants across the country to chieng mai. we accordingly levied upon the governor a sufficient number of elephants, and an escort of men to see us through the jungle. after some little delay our elephants were reported ready. the governor of raheng also, as a special favor, allowed his lieutenant-governor, a fine young nobleman, acquainted with the route, to accompany us in addition to the principal officer who had accompanied us from bangkok. our elephants were brought up each with a saddle, or _howdah_, on his back. a frame is made not unlike a wood-horse, on the top of which a seat is made about four feet long, like a buggie seat, and over which a basket cover is placed to shield the rider from the sun, and the whole, when on the elephant, resembles somewhat the top of a calash buggie. raw hides are placed on the back of the elephant to keep it from chafing, and the saddle is then girthed on with a strong ratan rope. a cushion is placed in the seat, so that the rider, for a change, can lie down. the siamese often sleep whilst the elephant is going, but we preferred to sit upright. you mount by means of a high block, or stand, but in the absence of this the elephant is taught to hold up his front leg, and his knee forms a step by means of which the rider can climb up. the driver sits astride the neck, in front of the saddle, with a short stick in his hand, on the end of which is a sharp iron hook, and when the animal becomes unruly he drives this hook unmercifully into his flesh, which soon brings him to his senses. oftentimes one or two of the natives would crawl on behind to ride, for a rest. an elephant can carry four persons and a considerable amount of baggage with ease. we started with our train of elephants single file. the man ahead carried a huge gong, which he beat for a halt in the evening, and for starting in the morning, and when approaching a town or village, to let the people know that a great personage was coming. our course lay directly through the forest and jungle, and over the mountains. about 4 p. m. of the first day we encamped at the foot of a mountain spur, where there was a pool of water. the elephants were unloaded, fettered, and turned out to browse. as we had no tent along, our saddles were placed around in a circle, and a fire was kindled in the middle. watch fires were also lighted around outside. after cooking our rice, and taking our suppers, we retired to rest. as many as could, slept in the saddles, and the others threw themselves down on the ground, with a single blanket around them. a watch was also appointed to keep up fires, and guard against tigers and robbers. elephant-stealing is common there, just as horse-stealing is with us sometimes. about the middle of the first night we were aroused by the elephants beating the ground with their trunks, which they always do when alarmed, and the watch cried out, _"súa, súa!"_ a tiger, a tiger! the tiger however, seeing our fires and watch, considered discretion the best part of valor, and made off. in the morning we were up early, and had our rice eaten and were ready to start by daylight. owing to the difficulty in carrying many utensils and much provisions on elephants, the two noblemen and us usually took our meals together. it was amusing to see us with our knives and forks, and they with their fingers, all dipping into the same dish. on one occasion i was considerably provoked at the chief man. at a certain laos town they brought us victuals already cooked, but the fowls prepared after their style were not suitable to our taste. the lieutenant-governor of raheng, who was ever more mindful of our wants than the headman, requested that some live fowls should be brought in, that we might have them cooked to our taste. the fowls soon came, and were delivered over to the chief man, who not knowing that they had been particularly requested, came to us saying, "doctors, this is our sacred day, and if you don't object, i will let these fowls go, and make merit by saving their lives." i was about to object, but my companion, ever ready, quickly responded, _"ou tert, ou tert,"_ take them, take them. i was determined however, not to be done out of a fowl in that style, so i gave my shot-gun to one of my men, and he went out and shot one. our cook fixed it up nicely, and when we came to eat, before i could get a piece, for myself, the chief man was into it with his fingers, and had like to have spoiled the whole. we crossed deep ravines, wound around precipices, which to look down would make the hair stand on the head, and went over mountains where one unaccustomed to it would say an elephant could never go. he is however, sure-footed, and when he once plants his foot, which he does with great deliberation, it is there. i once remarked to the driver, is there no danger of him falling? the reply was, "he knows better than to fall, for if he does, he gets killed." we went down one or two declivities where i would fain have dismounted, could i have done so, but it was impossible. the driver spoke to his elephant, saying, "slowly." he placed first one fore-foot forward, and then the other by its side firmly. the driver then said "drag," and he threw his hind parts down on the ground, and drew them up to the fore-feet, and then held on until he could again plant the fore-feet, and in this way the whole train passed down. sometimes, too, our course lay across vast plains of rice-fields. the rice had been harvested and threshed, and they were busied in carrying it to the villages. trains of elephants, with baskets holding ten or twelve bushels on their backs, were walking along majestically with their loads. long trains of bullocks were also employed for this purpose. two baskets were fastened on a frame, and thrown across the back like a pair of saddle-bags. the front bullock was fantastically dressed up with a mask, and a huge peacock tail in it, and numerous strings of little bells resembling sleigh-bells. he had also a driver, and all the rest followed after without any drivers. on the afternoon of the thirteenth day, the spires of the city of chieng mai began to loom up in the distance, and about 5 o'clock p. m. we entered the city with gong beating lustily. our approach had been heralded ahead, and the king had his officers waiting to receive us. our missionary brethren, whom we found well, but rather depressed in spirits, also came to meet us with open arms. the next day the letter of the regent of siam was to be conducted to the palace, under the royal umbrella, and we, of course, were to accompany it. before starting, the missionaries held a consultation, and it was deemed best not to cover anything over, which might break out again, as soon as we were gone. it was thought expedient to bring matters to a focus, and then abide the consequences. we found the old king in his audience hall, surrounded by his court, who were prostrate before him. he appeared pale, with suppressed rage. after the reading of the siamese letter, he remarked that "this letter only gives the missionaries privilege to remain, if they wish--or to go, if they wish." this opened the way, and i went on to state, that some three years ago the missionaries had come up there with his consent, and we might say with his invitation, and also with the consent of the siamese government. they were at first kindly received by him, and he showed them many kindnesses, for which he deserved praise, and for which they had praised him. but latterly, things were not going on so well, and circumstances had transpired which justified them in writing to their friends at bangkok. they were now ready to commence building suitable houses to live in, but could get no workmen, as the people were all afraid to work for them; and the reason was, that he had taken two, in connection with them, and put them to death. this did not appear to ruffle him, and he replied, that as to workmen and servants he had never put anything in the way. he had put a couple of fellows to death, who had failed to do their government work. it appears that an order had been issued to a certain number of men, for each to bring a stick of timber to repair the city wall. the order had been issued some two days previous, and when the two christians were on their way to get the timber, they were arrested and executed. the pretext given for their arrest was that they had failed to comply with the king's command. mr. mcgilvary then proved to him most clearly, that they had in no way failed to perform their government work; and that when they were executed, not one out of fifty of those who had received the order had complied with it. when he saw he could not lie out of it, he fairly boiled over with rage. so great was his anger that i at one time feared that it might become so uncontrollable that he might break over all restraints, and do us some personal injury. the highest prince in the kingdom would not have dared to say the one hundredth part of what we did, without losing his head. and then to be contradicted and proven a liar, before his court, was hard to bear. he said he had executed them because they had embraced the christian religion, and he would continue to kill all who did the same. the missionaries might remain, in accordance with the command of the siamese government, but could not teach religion--they could not make christians. the siamese officer was also alarmed for our safety. after a consultation it was considered expedient to break up the mission for a time, and we sent in word that the missionaries would leave as soon as the river would rise sufficiently for the larger class of boats to pass down, hoping, however, that providence would so interfere in the meantime as to prevent the breaking up of the mission. he has most wonderfully interfered. when we left, the king was preparing to come down to bangkok, to attend the cremation of the late king of siam. whilst at bangkok the united states consul-general, f. w. partridge, demanded of the siamese government that they would make the king of chieng mai conduct himself more properly, and grant religious toleration. they doubtless gave him such orders, but he secretly told some one that when he returned, the missionaries would have to leave, according to promise. he however, took suddenly sick, and left bangkok in haste, but was never permitted to enter again his own capital. he died on his way home, and according to laos custom, no corpse is permitted to enter the city, and his remains are now lying in state in his river palace outside the city walls. he was apparently the only obstacle to the spread of the gospel amongst that people. the laos are a hardy mountaineer people, with much more stamina of character than the siamese, and free from many of their vices. i know of no more interesting missionary field than chieng mai. they also appear to be ready for some more substantial religion than budhism. after spending ten days in chieng mai we began to think of returning home. the letter of the chief siamese officer required that he should return by elephants, as he had come, but we were anxious to follow the river down, in order that we might pass over the thirty-two rapids, or falls, and witness the scenery on the way. to this the king gave his consent if we would secure boats, and he would then send a letter ahead to have us sent from village to village along the way, and would give us pilots to take us over the rapids. we accordingly secured three boats, each about thirty feet long and two feet beam, propelled by two short oars, and steered with a long paddle fastened to the stern with a ratan rope. these boats are peculiarly adapted for shooting over the rapids. we divided our party, the chief man returning on elephants, whilst the lieutenant-governor of raheng, and a number of the men, accompanied us. after some little delay we got started, and things went on pretty well for part of the first day. men were waiting on the bank at every village, to send us on to the next. soon however, we got ahead of the king's letter, which had started the previous day. rather than wait on men, we put our own men to the oars, and passed the villages by. nothing of importance transpired for the first five days. occasionally we would run on a sand-bar, and our men would have to get out and push the boats off. sometimes a company of men and women would come down to the river to bathe. the siamese never bathe without a waist-cloth around them, but the laos go into the water perfectly nude, yet it is done with such dexterity, that nothing amiss can be seen in it, although both sexes bathe together. the laos women wear a garment resembling a lady's skirt, but very narrow. they step into the water, gradually raising the garment, until the water becomes sufficiently deep to cover their nakedness, and then they slip the garment over the head, and lay it aside. when they are ready to come out, they again practise the same dexterity in putting it on. nothing is thought of such a scene amongst them, and it does not call forth such expressions of vulgarity as a similar scene would amongst us. at one time we came near falling into the hands of what we supposed to be a band of robbers. in a solitary bend of the river, some twenty persons were stationed, some with flintlock muskets, and others with short swords. they beckoned to our men to stop, as if they had business, but our men, suspecting their character, gave them a wide birth, and we put our guns in order, determined to die hard should they make an attack. fortunately there were no sand-bars in the river, and we shot rapidly past them, without their attempting to do us any injury. the fifth day brought us to the village at the head of the rapids. we did not know but now we might be in a tight place. it would be impossible for us to pass the rapids without pilots who were intimately acquainted with every rock in the river, and these we could not get without the king's order. the letter must be three days behind us, and it would be trying to wait on it. the villagers too, seeing us pass without stopping, might not send it on. and then, might it not be a trick of the king, to get us into a scrape, as he was in no pleasant mood towards us. we determined however, to make the best of it. after arriving at the village, the lieutenant-governor, who was with us, sent for the head-man of the village, who soon made his appearance. he then inquired, "has the king's letter to send us down the rapids arrived?" "no," was the reply. "well, it is coming, and we are in haste. i want you to furnish us by to-morrow morning, three of the best pilots you have, and also two additional rowers for each boat, to send us down the rapids. i have foreigners in my charge, and if anything happens to them, the blame will rest with you." the next morning the men made their appearance, and a faithful set of fellows they were. we were off early, and very soon began to near the mountains, and just where the mountains on each side come down to the river is the first rapid. before approaching it, the pilots ran the boats ashore, and taking some rice, fruit, and cigars, they made an offering to the spirits of the mountain, and then pushed off. our boat was ahead, and the pilot, seemingly aware of the responsibility which rested upon him, rose up and stood upon the stern, seized tight hold of his steering oar, spoke a few hurried words to the oarsmen in front, such as, "lay heavy to the right or left", and then apparently held his breath. we also held ours; the hair appeared to rise upon the head, and the heart beat very near the throat, but in a moment the long breath of the pilot indicated that danger was past, and our boat was dancing over the waves caused by the falling of the water below. we had passed the first rapid. were a boat to be capsized, death must ensue, for the water is so rapid, and rocks so abundant, that the most expert swimmer could do nothing. the scenery here is indescribably grand. much of the boasted scenery of europe and america would be tame in comparison with it. grandeur and beauty oftentimes struggle for the mastery, first one and then the other prevailing, and sometimes both combined. the river winds its way along between the mountains which rise perpendicularly from one bank, and in an amphitheatrical order from the other. sometimes the ascent is gradual on both sides. in one or two places no outlet can be seen for the river at all, and one would think that soon all would be dashed against the opposing mountains; but a slight turn would open up a channel, with perpendicular banks on each side, to the height of at least six-hundred feet, whilst between those perpendicular masses of solid rock would be one of those indescribable rapids to be passed. the fish-eagle would be screaming hundreds of feet above our heads, and the little mountain-goat, sticking on a cliff, apparently midway between heaven and earth, would look down upon us with apparent contempt. we could seldom see a quarter of a mile either way, and the sun shone upon us but a few hours at midday. huge stylactites, the formation of ages, were pending from the crevices. at one of the rapids the river passes under a projecting rock for some distance, and a little cascade, which in the rainy season must be quite a stream, falls into the river some distance beyond the boat. when night came on, we stopped in the solitude, tied our boats to the shore, cooked our rice and then retired, we sleeping on the boat, but our men on the sand. the scientific geologist might find an ample field here, and the sportsman would also have plenty of sport amongst tigers, deer, wild-hogs, pea-fowls, and jungle-chickens. for a passing effect however, a simple ride down the rapids is best. five days brought us through the rapids to raheng, where we had left our other boats, making about ten days from chieng mai. we were not long in getting our boats ready, and the rapid current brought us to bangkok in about one fourth of the time it took to ascend against it. we arrived at home without a moment of sickness, or any mishap, except the loss of one poor fellow, a slave of the chief man, who died of jungle-fever. it may be asked why budhism, and especially the budhism of siam, yields so slowly to the power of the gospel? the cardinal doctrine of the system is, no god, no intelligent creator and proprietor of the universe. the unrenewed heart loves such a doctrine better than all religious creeds and dogmas, yea, better than the simple gospel of jesus. as soon as sin entered the world, our first parents were afraid of god, and could they have done so, would have dispensed with him all their days. thus it is that in christian countries men batch up development theories, and every imaginable falsehood, to dispense with an intelligent first-cause. men of natural good sense on other subjects, on account of this enmity against god, become fools upon the great subject, "the fool hath said in his heart no god." alabaster, in his "modern budhist," closes up with the following remarkable flourish:--"the religion of budha meddled not with the beginning, which it could not fathom; avoided the action of a deity it could not perceive; and left open to endless discussion that problem which it could not solve, the ultimate reward of the perfect. it dealt with life as it found it; it declared all good which led to its sole object, the diminution of the misery of sentient beings; it laid down rules of conduct which have never been surpassed; and held out reasonable hopes of a future of the most perfect happiness. "its proofs rest on the assumption that the reason of man is his surest guide, and that the law of nature is perfect justice. to the disproof of those assumptions we recommend the attention of those missionaries who would convert budhists." mr. alabaster must think missionaries very obtuse, not to be able in thirty years labor in siam, to find out the strongholds of budhism. those "assumptions" have been "disproved" a thousand times, but as they harmonize with the natural heart of the budhist, and indeed with that of very many who are nominal christians, but who are in greater condemnation than the budhist, all reasonable proof is rejected. again, in all budhist countries there is a mutual union of church and state, and the budhist regards kings as the proper rulers of the land, and also the regulator of the religion. a man in siam who embraces christianity, expects to cut himself off from everything which has hitherto been near and dear to him. they have the most profound reverence for the king, and cannot understand how the united states can get along without one. a nobleman not long since asked a missionary in good faith, if the united states would not soon be far enough advanced to have a king, like england and france. the missionary replied, that from present indications england and france would soon be far enough advanced to do without one. the siamese are also wonderfully addicted to custom. whatever their fathers have done they must do, how ridiculous soever that may be. "_pen tumneum thai_,"--it is siamese custom, is sufficient reason for doing anything. it is seldom that a siamese can be drawn into an argument, even on religion. they will generally assent to everything the missionary says, and will reply, "your religion is no doubt much better than ours, but it would be contrary to custom to abandon our religion in this life; in the next life we will embrace christianity." apostasy from budhism too, is one of their unpardonable sins. one of the greatest obstacles to the spread of the gospel amongst the heathen is, the ungodly example of those who have been brought up in christian countries, and who unfortunately bear the christian name. every port open to commerce is overrun with adventurers from western countries. so few of them have any religion at all, that the heathen are unable to make any distinction. many too, who have professed religion, when they come to the east manifest no vital godliness, and soon abandon themselves to every imaginable vice. most of the official representatives sent out by western governments are either avowed infidels, or men of no moral character. all these things are against us. the siamese have frequently said to me, "why do you offer us your religion, whilst those in our midst, who have been brought up in that religion, are no better than we, and are even more abandoned? true, you missionaries do not engage in those vices to which the others are addicted, but religion is your business. you are paid for it." it will also be found that all such characters are opposed to christian missions, and missionaries in general, and are ever ready to bear testimony against them. i have often thought that a few such business men as george h. stuart, who carry religion into business and every-day life, would do more in the east in converting the heathen, than a host of missionaries. it is not however, "by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the lord." in view therefore, of all these obstacles and difficulties, we appeal to all true christians for their sympathies and prayers for the success of this great work which god has committed to his church. the end. transcriber's note: archaic spellings have been retained, but obvious typographic errors have been corrected. otherwise the author's spelling of non-english words, including tone marks, has been preserved as printed, even when inconsistent, e.g. birmah vs. burmah. use of double capital letters in hluang appears to be intentional by the author, to represent the digraph in the thai spelling of the word, and as such has been preserved as is. ditto marks in lists have been replaced with the appropriate text. proofreading by users emil, lscribe, brianjungwi, rikker, wyaryan, netnapit.tasakorn, saksith. pgt is an affiliated sister project focusing on public domain books on thailand and southeast asia. project leads: rikker dockum, emil kloeden. (this file was produced from images generously made available by the internet archive.) notes of a journey on the upper mekong, siam. by h. warington smyth, of the royal department of mines and geology, bangkok. with maps and illustrations. published for the royal geographical society by john murray, 50, albemarle street, london. 1895. [illustration: the rapids at the gates of chieng kong, mekong river.] preface. i have put together the following account of a recent journey made for the siamese government to the mekong valley, chiefly for the reason that at the present moment, when the french have "rectified" their boundaries on the north and east of siam to the extent of some 85,000 square miles, more interest than usual will probably be felt in the character of the country and the people, of whom there are not too many reliable accounts to be found. at the same time, i feel very strongly that there are others whose descriptions will be far more valuable than my own, owing to their longer residence in the country, and the greater extent of their explorations. i refer especially to messrs. mccarthy, archer, and beckett, who have done difficult and extensive work in all parts of siam and the laos states; and there is certainly no european, and probably no siamese, that knows so much of the configuration of the north-east as does mr. mccarthy, who, carried on by an apparently deep love of jungle-life, has aroused the admiration of the siamese and laos at luang prabang by his hardihood and energy, and the results of whose work were a constant source of admiration to me, as i went on and saw the wildness and difficulty of the country. the object of my journey was primarily the examination, for the siamese government, of a supposed very rich deposit of gems (rubies and sapphires), lately discovered on the left bank of the mekong, opposite chieng kong. my orders were to return by luang prabang, nongkhai, and khorat, and to visit and report on all mineral deposits of which i could get information, gathering all geological data which were possible. the time allowed was six months, and i was not to leave the general line of march prescribed by more than 60 miles. i need hardly say--and every one who knows what jungle-travelling is will understand--that my programme, to be thoroughly carried through over the large extent of country marked out, might well occupy six years instead of months; and that such a hurried exploration in a country covered densely with forest--which, next perhaps to snow, is the greatest enemy to the science of geology--could not but be unsatisfactory to one's self. h. warington smyth. glossary. pak = mouth of a river; _e.g._ pak oo, mouth of river oo. nam = river; _e.g._ nam oo, river oo (_a_ always long, as in _barn_). hoay = mountain torrent. keng = rapid; _e.g._ keng fapa, fapa rapid. luang = great or chief; _e.g._ keng luang, the great rapid. doi _or_ puh = siam word kao = hill. ban _or_ bang = house or village (used indiscriminately). sala = rest-house. muang = town or township, often district or province. chow muang = literally, chief of the township = governor. klong = stream or canal. contents. part i. bangkok to muang nan part ii. muang nan to muang chieng kong part iii. muang chieng kong to muang luang prabang part iv. luang prabang (march, 1893) part v. nongkhai to khorat and bangkok (april and may, 1893) appendix maps and illustrations. the rapids at the gates of chieng kong, mekong river the meinam below chainat loaded rice-boats lying in bangkok rua pet rua nua rua nua from fore end boat hollowed out of trunk ready to be soaked in river boat opened out over fire, ribs and knees in rice-boats and floating house, paknam pho a rice-boat, flying light rice-raft, nam oo wat chinareth (central tower from west) a sala in the nan forests khorat plateau. entrance to forest dong phya yen gorge nam pgoi the paddy-fields, hin valley wat ben yeun, m. sa east gate of nan laos bag, of striped cloth kao neo wicker baskets axe for hollowing boats dipper for water a hill monastery, m. le view from m. le, looking north-west across the nam nan and watershed of meinam khong map--route from muang ngob on the nam nan to muang chieng kong on the mekong river a gem-digger's clearing, chieng kong camp at the fa pa rapids one of our elephants, with howdah on the leading mule a head man--stern view a head man--side view a haw--packs dismounted laos boat illustration of oar and steering-gear double boat village above paku, mekong forty-five feet boat, nam oo map--part of the mekong khache hill clearings; rapids above pak beng, mekong dhâp and sheath jungle knives mouth of nam suung, above luang prabang approach to luang prabang from north wat chieng tong pa chom si, luang prabang plan of luang prabang and river stone implements government offices, luang prabang keng kang, nam oo. the plunge off the left bank keng luang ascending keng luang, nam oo fishing stakes and shelters, nam oo rudder boats fishing last of the hills above wieng chan the ruins of wat prakaon, wieng chan niche and statue south-west angle, wat susaket, wieng chan bell bell-clapper and joint bamboo bell four-sok kan (1 inch to feet) two-sok kan air-chamber kien the north gate and nam nun, khoraat map--the central part of the kingdom of siam notes of a journey on the upper mekong, siam. part i. bangkok to muang nan. early in december, 1892, we left bangkok--myself, three siamese assistants, and a sergeant's guard as escort, and coolies. at muang chainat, owing to the rapid fall of the river, i had to send back the navy launch, which was drawing 3 feet 6 inches; a month earlier she might have got nearly up to m.[1] pechai. at paknam pho, where the nam pho and meiping meet, after a good deal of bargaining i secured a _rua nua_, or north-land boat, to take me on. boat-travelling in siam is much the same everywhere; and in their boat-life, it may be said, the siamese have attained a high degree of civilization. very often the boat is the home of the family, and after the rains they moor alongside the bank and cultivate tobacco, cotton, or melons on the slope on which the rich loam of the floods has settled down; after the rice harvest they will set out laden with paddy for bangkok, returning later on with salt or other luxuries from the south. the chinese, who are the most energetic people in the country, carry on extensive trading in this way. they use a very large double-ended kind of boat, known as "rice-boat," which has a long cylindrical roof of closely plaited work impervious to rain, extending from just before the helmsman to within 10 feet of the bows, where the two or three oarsmen toil at the long oars. as in all the siamese boats, the oar is slung in a grommet, which is turned round the top of a small pole firmly let into the gunwale at the lower end. this gives the end of the oar sufficient height inboard, and the oarsman stands to his work facing forward, the outer hand on a small handle turned at right angles to the oar, as in the chinese sampans one sees in the straits. with a big heavy boat, the action, with a sharp jerk at the end of the stroke, is not pretty; but in the small _rua chang_ (or sampan) of the city the motion is exactly that of the gondolier, and with the swaying motion of the inside leg, which is often quite free, is extremely pretty. it must be confessed the grommet principle, which at least keeps the oar in its place, makes the work much easier than the slippery crutch in which the gondolier at venice works his long oar, and which proves a great source of difficulty to the beginner in the art. this method is known by the siamese as "chaw"(or "chow"-)ing. [illustration: the meinam below chainat.] [illustration: loaded rice-boats lying in bangkok.] next in size and usefulness to the "rice-boats" (which are generally about 40 feet long, 10 feet 4 inches beam, with 6 feet 4 inches extreme draught when loaded, and carry twenty koyans of rice) comes the _rua pet_, which is a great favourite with the siamese. it is cleaner lined than the rice-boat, the cabin arrangement being the same; that is, the long roof, the deck at the level of the gunwale going fore and aft, and the storage-room all below, reached by taking out the neatly fitting pieces of deck, which are made to fit into the main cross-beams. the helmsman has a slightly raised attap roof over his head, and he (or she, for the wife and the children down to six years old can steer as well as the father) looks out from under this and over the long low roof in front. the steering is done with a rudder shipped in the usual way on the stern-post, while in the big rice-boat it is generally on the quarter (if under sail, on the lee quarter), kept in position by a rope grommet at the head, and another lanyard put through an eye bored lower down. in both kinds of craft a finely peaked calico lugsail is used with a fair wind--the matting, of which the junks and local coast-luggers make their sails, being never seen inland. the size of the _rua pet_ is generally 40 feet over all, 8 feet 4 inches beam, and 3 feet 4 inches draught loaded; a new one will cost 300 to 320 ticals, say £26. teak is largely used in the construction, and when finished the whole is covered with a coating of _chunam_, a mixture of oil from the mai yang (a magnificently proportioned tree common in the forest), with dammar oil, which gives a beautiful red varnish to the hull. [illustration: rua pet.] a third distinct type of boat is the _rua nua_ ("nua" meaning north, and "rua" boat), which seems to be rather a laos than a siamese form. it is hardly accurate to call them distinctively "laos boats," as is often done, as the real "laos boat," used both on the mekong and in the laos states proper on the meinam, is simply a long dug-out canoe, 60 feet long, with an extreme beam of 4 feet. the _rua nua_ is a much more highly developed type, and is in construction as elaborate as those above mentioned. it is generally longer than the _rua pet_. my boat was 56 feet 10 inches over all, with a beam of 10 feet, and carried the owner and his crew of four men, with myself and twenty siamese. at night a few of us slept on shore, in the salas or rest-houses of the monasteries, or on the banks of sand. the stem and stern posts are made of huge chocks of teak, the bottom flat of three or four huge planks running the whole length of the boat if possible. right aft is a high-roofed and very comfortable house in which the steersman lives; sitting on his high stool, and looking over the usual plaited roof along the centre of the boat, he turns his long steering-oar, which reaches far out astern over the port quarter. the fore-deck of the boat is outrigged on each side to a considerable distance, while a gangway runs round the centre roof outside for the man to pole along. up the meiping these boats are generally ornamented with a long high snout of timber out forward, and a high forked tail astern. [illustration: rua nua.] of small craft the variety is endless--from the small canoes which hawk _kanoms_, or cakes of rice, sugar, and coconut, to the small roughly roofed boats which will just hold the owner and his wife and child if they balance carefully, or the long snake-like boats which are favourites with the monks at the monasteries. the people usually build their own boats, and are very good hands at it; and one may see them in all states of construction,--hollowed out with laborious chipping ready for opening out over the fire, or already heated and opened up, with knees and ribs being put in and pegged with wood (for, like the norwegians, they never use nails, and the result is great durability); or ready with a six-inch "wash-streak" all round, and the light deck at the gunwale level, which is the feature of the smallest, if we except the _sampans_ and canoes of the capital. the fittings of the large species of craft above described are often elaborate and almost yacht-like. a brass trimming to the gunwale, and bright red prayer-papers, are generally to be seen on board of john chinaman. there will be pretty balustrades round the quarters where the helmsman is, partly for show, partly to keep the small fry from falling overboard. curtains of plaited bamboo are hinged to the attap roof above the helmsman, and when shut down will keep out rain or sun. at the fore end the deck will shine with the polish given it by the constant sitting or reclining of the crew, and inside the long low roof, if there were only sufficient head-room, the floor would be declared perfect for a dance. all round are lockers, in which cotton stuffs are stored to take up-country, or betel-box, teapot, and crockery are stowed; the comfort and luxury of some of these boats could not be surpassed. [illustration: rua nua from fore end.] [illustration: boat hollowed out of trunk ready to be soaked in river.] [illustration: boat opened out over fire, ribs and knees in.] and how they do all enjoy life! there is no hurry; if going down stream, they take it easy enough; and if going up, why overwork? a week earlier or a week later makes no difference; and so, why not stop and have some tea and chat as they pass some friendly village, or a boat with whom last year perhaps they travelled in company for a month? if the sun gets hot, they will tie up to the bank, and all hands bathe, the children diving overboard like the best of them. if it rains, tie up again, light up the fire and cook the rice and mix the curry for supper; then out cigarettes all hands, and from the cloud, to which even the stout five-year-old boy, who is the pet of the ship, contributes his share, gaze complacently out into the damp evening, where all the myriad life of jungle is piping shrilly in the swaying bamboo clumps. no wonder these people are happy and hospitable, ever ready with a joke. [illustration: rice-boats and floating house, paknam pho.] the journey to muang pechai took our _rua nua_ 19 days, and owing to the falling state of the river, our old skipper had to lighten his ship by selling off a lot of his salt; and even then she drew 3 feet, and all hands had frequently to go overboard and haul over shallows. [illustration: a rice-boat, flying light.] above the junction of the meinam yome and the pechai river, the villages which had thronged the bank gave way to a wild uninhabited country--the villages few and poor, the paddy-fields far apart and small. the river winds tortuously between clay banks 30 feet high and crowned with the prickly bamboo or long grasses, or in places with deep forests of fine timber. here and there on the inside of the bend would be extensive sandbanks, and on these, as being safer from wild animals or fever, often three or four boats' crews would be camping at night. on the concave side of the bend would be evidences of huge falls of stuff, the result of the recent floods, with large trees or bamboo clumps sticking out of the water. of animal life there was plenty--the apparently sluggish crocodile, which at the crack of a rifle would leap his own length into the water; the familiar and friendly long-tailed monkeys; or the white-headed fish-eagle, and another big dark-coloured eagle with peculiarly hoarse cry. the order herodiones is well represented, and i shot specimens of the common heron (_ardea cinerea_), and the great white heron or great egret (_ardea alba_); and in the low state of one's larder, which is the normal condition in siam, they were excellent eating. of kingfishers i saw two distinct forms--the smaller one (?), the pied kingfisher of india; the larger with a stronger bill, black and white, without the high colouring of the other. all these birds are very common, and there are many smaller thin-legged birds running along the sands. [illustration: rice raft, nam oo.] as in all the rivers of siam during and just after the rains, the water is alive with fish, the most remarkable that i saw being the "pla reum," a creature often over 3 feet long and the same in depth--very broad-bodied, with a covering of large scales, the fins, tail, and gills of a pinky red; head large and broad, with wide mouth lined with fine rows of diminutive teeth, of which there are two lines in the upper jaw. the tail is enormously powerful in the water, and, until he is tired out, the drift-net used for catching him has a very hard time of it. after reaching muang pichit, the villages occur more frequently again, and are often palisaded; this is necessary for the protection of the cattle, which are the favourite prey of the dacoits who wander about in the valley of the meinam all too freely, often with fine boats, which in the daytime are peaceful trading craft to the eye, but at night suddenly bristle with men. at the present time this kind of business is an actual danger to the traders as well as to the peaceful villagers; and at the time i went up, though the minister of the north (prince damrong) had just been on a tour to pechai, they were extremely bold all over the country. once north of lat. 17° 40', and in the laos country, property is safer than in eaton square. one word as to the "wats," or monasteries, and the monks who inhabit them. they are often misnamed "temples" and "priests;" but, as all who know the customs of the buddhist countries around will be aware, there is no "priesthood" proper. these men are really retired from the world for the purpose of such meditation as shall bring them as near to the purity of their master and pattern buddha as possible. wherever there are villages there are wats, supported by the contributions of the inhabitants, who are bent on gaining merit by their good deeds to these holy men. like the monks of "merrie england" in years gone by, there are good, bad, and indifferent; in many cases the prior is a keen pâli student and good musician, and a man of some ideas. the yellow robe and the shaving of head and eyebrows is not exactly fascinating at a close view, but among the monks i used to see many very fine thoughtful faces; while i shall, i hope, always remember the friendly evenings i spent after the day's voyage, sitting perched on the bamboo flooring of the sala, high above the quiet stream, listening to a duet played on their simple two-stringed fiddles. the body is made of half a coconut-shell, over which the sounding-board is placed. the string of the bow is between the two strings, and the execution is wonderful. the airs, which are all handed down by ear, are a very fast weird music, distinctly catchy, and one, "the trotting pony," is a wonderfully sweet and descriptive air. another instrument is the _toka_, a hollow teak sounding-box with two strings stretched over a number of bridges, on which the fingers of the left hand work while the right twangs the strings: this joined in very well with the fiddles. the intervals are not the same as ours, and the european ear takes some time to get accustomed to the novelty; after a time, however, one can sufficiently interpret the airs to get them on a flute, whereon the proper intervals seem to enable one to get a correct version of what before seemed rather a jargon. another favourite pursuit with the youthful monks is _tetakvoa_, a football of open wicker-work, which is kept going by the dozen or so players taking "full volleys" with knee or foot, and often "heading" the ball. this, of course, is common in the villages too, but i did not see it in the laos states. it is the custom to bring up for the night, whenever possible, alongside one of these wats, both on account of the convenience of finding a good sala, and the greater security against robbers. there is always a wide clear space beneath the trees which shade the buildings of the monastery, and some of these quiet spots, from which, as one walks up and down in the evening, one sees the long reach of river reflecting the last light in the west, or, in the chilly morning, the first streaks of dawn, are almost ideal places for retirement and meditation. they, and the life which goes on within, have been admirably described by shway yoe, in his book 'the burman,' one of the completest pictures which has ever been drawn of any people; and the monastery life of siam is almost identical. as the monotonous but almost weird chant of the monks floated out across the stream at sunset, we used to tie up for the night beneath: often it would go far on into the night; and then long before day the great gong would begin its clanging, and once more the chant rise among the mists, and for us another day's poling would commence. in the laos states there are many points of difference in the wats, not only in the architecture (and the hill-wats become very simple, with a few roughly baked bricks for the low walls, and a thatch roof in place of the red or wood tiled roofs of siam), but also in the _régime_. every boy, for instance, who goes to do his schooling at the wat wears the yellow robe, which assumes thus almost the character of the college gown at home, and until he has so worn it he has no title to the name of "man." as in siam, besides his letters, he learns the elementary precepts taught by buddha; but, as not in siam, he often goes out with his superiors into the jungle, with robe tucked up, to hew wood or do other work for the support of the wat, which the laymen, being too few or too poor, cannot do. during this month of december the north-east monsoon was blowing, but we had curiously cloudy cool days nearly all the time, with, at the start, slight rain at times. the minimum reading of the thermometer was 42° fahr. on the 22nd, just before sunrise. the two following mornings we had 45° fahr.; the maxima in the shade of the steersman's house being 73°, 77°, and 76° on those days. 50°, 52.5°, 49°, 51°, 54°, 57°, 50°, and 57° were the minima for the next eight days, and the maximum recorded was 85° at 1 p.m. at 9 a.m. the thermometer was never above 64°. at muang phitsanulok, which stands along a very pretty sweep of water, hid deep in its areca and banana palms, i spent a morning at wat chinareth. this was the nearest approach to a real piece of effective architecture that i had seen since leaving, and i once more experienced the feeling of exultation which one used to know at home, when enjoying the lights and shadows of some old building where the mind of man had worked with great result. an additional charm was the colouring. the coloured tiles of the roofs of the wats are remarkable in bangkok; but far in the jungle, when the eye has become accustomed to green for weeks, the wonderful yellow-red, picked off with green borders, and the light-red lower buildings of the cloisters, were most striking. the building was once very extensive, cruciform in shape, in four distinct sections round the great central tower. the western building is the only one in any sort of preservation, and south of it, and at its south-western end, still stand the cloisters. brick and laterite blocks are the material used, the former in some cases, as in the wall and the pillars of the cloister, being stuccoed. these little pillars are only 6 feet high, and the roof is gabled, supported on simple uprights, which rise from horizontal cross-beams resting on the pillars; and so a very pretty and simple cloister walk is obtained. the remains of such walks lie in every direction round the centre. as for the western building itself, i was much delighted with the interior. one enters a monk's doorway at the south-east corner from a cloister, and is at first lost in gloom. at last the great black columns, with their elaborate gilt ornamentation (the one decoration they understand in siam), grow out in the feeble light from the little narrow windows in the low side walls. the lofty peaked roof, which rises far into blackness, comes down gradually, sloping less steeply to the columns, of which there are two rows, and so to the low walls, thus as it were covering a nave and side aisles. at the eastern end are placed the usual gilt statues of buddha, of all shapes and sizes--of which in one cloister alone i saw over thirty-six over 3 feet high. until these force themselves upon one's notice with all the tawdry wreckage with which they are ornamented, the air of retirement about the place is quite captivating. the central tower is some 60 feet high, covered with niches, in which stand more "prahs," or statues, and on the eastern side is a staircase up halfway to a dome-shaped chamber. the entrance to this was in its day very prettily panelled and gilded; now, alas! cobwebs and bats are legion. but the whole effect, there almost lost in jungle, is memorable. [illustration: wat chinareth (central tower from west).] at a smaller wat to the southward (wat boria) there is a very fine buddha, on whose head and shoulders the light is thrown from a small window in the roof. the effect is quite impressive, and does great credit to the architect who designed it. this is by no means the only place in siam where the light is dexterously managed. [illustration: a sala in the nan forests.] [illustration: korat plateau. entrance to forest dong phya yen.] throughout this country the rivers, streams, and canals (or klongs) are the highways, and the villages are built on their edge; the banks, owing to the accumulations, the houses, and the preservative effect of the palms in which the villages nestle, are often the highest points in the country round--which in the rains becomes a series of vast lakes, with islands here and there, and the houses standing out of the water gaunt upon their long stilt-like piles of teak. in many parts the buffaloes and oxen have to be driven away for miles to higher ground; and one may meet whole villages moving with as many as forty ox-carts in a gang, with spare oxen trotting behind their masters' carts. we had met a good deal of teak being rafted down the lower part of the river. the small rafts come through the innumerable klongs and creeks from all directions, and then below pichit and paknam pho the big rafts are made up, and go off downwards with their crew of men, the cock crowing merrily on the roof of the little bamboo shelter which is their "deck-house." passing sandbanks and shallows is often a very difficult operation. some three or four men go overboard astern with long 8-feet stakes, to which the end of a long hawser is fast. the sharpened ends they drive into the bottom, clinging on to the top end as the strain comes on, till at last often it is too great, and the stake is pulled over man and all. however, by degrees they will bring the great floating mass to a standstill for the night, or, as the case may be, they succeed in checking the after end sufficiently to keep it to the current, while three or four more hands are working the long transverse-set oars at the fore end in the direction required, and two or three more will be using long poles to keep off the shallows; all hands shout lustily the whole time. by this process, repeated hour by hour, they travel slowly to bangkok with the current. [illustration: gorge nam pgoi.] above pichit we met but few rafts, and those only consisting of bamboo and "mai kabao," which is much used for small work, such as tables, and is brought down in small pieces, generally about 14 feet long. muang pechai is the chief town of a very extensive and important province, which to the north-east reaches to the mekong at chieng kan. the governor, phya pechai, is a fine, tall young man, who is (and this is not too often the case in siam) extremely popular with the people. his evident honesty of purpose was apparent the first moment he spoke. we had to stay here a few days to get the elephants together and buy rice. twelve _kanan_ (a coconut-shell) were selling at a _tical_, and on the average each man consumes one _kanan_ per day. we laid in a stock of 35 _thang_ (of 20 _kanan_), and were shortly after glad to get off on our journey towards the distant hills. i should add that this place is the starting-point for paklai, on the mekong, the trail between these two places being the route generally followed by the officials going to luang prabang. apart from this it is not of much importance, and, situated in the uninteresting plain, is subject to high floods in the rains, as the water-marks on the piles of the post-office and the school and court houses attest. two days, passing through scrub jungle, brings the traveller to ban nam pi, where there are some iron "mines"--a series of shallow diggings on an extensive deposit of limonite, which seems to be "derivative" from surface decomposition. the quartz rock, which generally underlies it, is probably a quartz sand which has been metamorphosed under pressure into the hard material we now find. in, or in close connection with the latter, the iron nodules are not to be found, but near the surface, where the quartz has softened and looks almost like a sandstone, the nodules occur in abundance. the great difficulty was to get any one to do any work, even in clearing away _débris_, such is the fear of the "pi," or spirits, who are said to guard the mineral. without the offer of a white bullock, who ought first to be slain for their benefit, it was asserted that the spirits would certainly interfere with any one attempting to do any work. i was also told that when the iron ore is removed it brings bad luck to any house in which it is stored, and that, if hung up on a tree (certainly an odd place for stowing ores), it invariably causes the death of the tree. an iron-shod bamboo is the only tool used, but no work has been done for ages, and the small furnace which once existed at the village is quite dilapidated. it was quite vain setting to work myself, and giving out that i had made a permanent arrangement with all the "pi," even the most vicious, before leaving bangkok; nothing less than a royal proclamation will ever give the people confidence enough to make the opening up of these places possible. on january 10 we were fairly under way for the north, high in hope and spirits, as a party always is when the scenery begins to change, and weary plains give way to lofty hill-ranges and distant peaks, with cool clear streams splashing in the rocky watercourses. at muang fang we came down to the meinam once more, and camped in a very fine wat, which none of us will ever forget; for we marched in, parched and dusty, to find ourselves under orange trees loaded with fruit, and then and there all hands almost bathed in the delicious cool juice. to the south is a lovely semicircle of hills of schist, which turn the river away to the west. to the north, the timber-clad heights rose shoulder upon shoulder, far into the peaks of kao luet and kao taw, dim with distance. we were at last fairly in the mountains and in the laos country. i do not wish to give what would perhaps be a wearying account of our marches day after day, full of pleasure, of changing beauties, and of memorable incidents as they were, but as succinctly as possible to speak of the configuration of the country we passed through. we next day forded the river at ban taluat, and were in the province of nan. the trail on to cherim (north-east) crosses a number of small hills of clay slate, which form the outlying buttresses of the rougher country to the north; the strike which i observed here and all the way up on our northerly journey is pretty regularly north and south, the dip westerly at about 25°, sometimes steeper. water is scarce here, and when we stopped for breakfast in the bed of a _hoay_ (or mountain-stream) at 9, after about three hours' going, even the holes in the sandy bed only gave us two or three pints of water; but, of course, in january this is to be expected. to avoid the rough country northward the trail crosses the meinam once more, where its direction is southerly, to cherim, whence the march to m. faek is a very long and hilly one, over high ridges of clay slate, which carry one up over 1000 feet above the river. some of the glimpses we got in the early mornings, as we climbed upwards among the tall trunks, were quite magnificent. these forests, in their winter clothing of reds and yellows, with the tall grey trunks standing out clear against the deep shadows behind, are, with the early morning or evening sun upon them, perfectly gorgeous. as day dawns the rays climb down the heights above you into the mists, which forthwith whirl and melt; and then, as you rise above it all, there lies below on all sides a billowy sea of wild forest, high on jagged ridges in the sunlight, or darkened in shadows far down in the deep torrent valleys; in the blue distance eastward the nam pat range lies dim, and north and west the eye loses itself among endless cloud-capped ranges. the sala at muang faek is on the west side of the river, and consists of a number of separate bamboo shelters; here we had to rest our elephants, all eighteen of which were tired out by the climb from cherim, and we had to engage two more to reduce the weights on our tired beasts. elephants in siam are never idle, and the animals i got from pechai, which belonged to the minister of the mining department, had all been hard at work hauling teak and such things before our arrival. at muang faek there are a good many, and the two which now joined us were a male and female of magnificent proportions. they had a swinging gait, with which they travelled much faster than the others, evidently not being accustomed to dragging heavy timber, but to light weights and hard climbing. at first they didn't like their new surroundings at all, and it was most curious to see how, when the one began to trumpet and back out of the crowd, the other rushed up, caressing him with her trunk all over, and even pushing it into his mouth, and stood by him till he was pacified; but if she left his side for a moment, round he whirled in search of her, and the mahout could do nothing to stop him. i never saw them separated by more than twenty yards the whole time they were with us; they had always to be loaded and unloaded together, as they stood side by side, entwining their trunks lovingly, and in the evening, after the march, they bathed together and squirted one another in huge enjoyment. the howdahs are simply rough saddles like big baskets, and are generally fitted with a close plaited roof with a long peak before and behind, like those fitted on the _kiens_, or ox-carts, of the plains. from m. faek the trail, which is well trodden, passes along the steep wooded banks of the meinam, which, however, is here known as the nam nan. the clay slate dips 65° w., and makes long black ridges in the river-bed, which can be seen deep down in the clear water, or rising in sharp crags above it, and forming the rapids, which make the river a difficult highway at the best, and only navigable by the long narrow dug-outs. it is a short march to hoay li, where there is a sala kept, as they all are in nan, in excellent condition; but there is a stream close by. the next day's march was a heavy one, over more lofty ridges without water, and it is, therefore, a good stopping-place. leaving at sunrise, the laos guide and myself reached the small shelter at hoay nai at one o'clock, the rest of my siamese straggling in well blown an hour later, and the elephants climbing down the steep watercourse at three. this is generally the extent of a day's march, and the average rate of jungle-travelling, allowing for stoppages, is never over 2½ miles an hour, and a six hours' march is as much as the siamese can do; in these hills the elephants certainly do not do more than 2 miles an hour. to the laos trotting along on foot there is, however, no limit that i ever discovered, even with the heavy loads which they carry swung on a pole across the shoulder. with a couple of handfuls of _kao nëo_, the hill-rice, which they steam over a pot into a glutinous mass, very handy and portable for the day's march, and with some dried fish and a banana, and a long pull at the fresh stream water once in the day, they will go cheerily from morn till night, swinging when necessary their long _dhâp_ (a sword of burmese style, which every man over sixteen carries if he be a man at all), to cut and lop the branches and jungle which are for ever blocking the tracks. this stopping-place was one of the wildest we were ever in; nothing but jungle and mountains all around, the place itself a tiny clearing in the bottom of a deep narrow ravine, where the monster trunks climbed far above us, leaving only one little space of open sky, from which at three o'clock the sun was shut out, and where at half-past five night had fairly set in. a number of gangs going south from nan were camped here with us. another, easy, march brought us to muang hin, over 1200 feet above sea-level. imagine a number of lovely villages clustering among their coconut and areca palms, in a beautiful wide valley surrounded by forests and hills, the glistening yellow paddy-stalks bright in the afternoon sun, with the black backs of the buffalo moving lazily about; the homely red of the little oxen, and the moving islands the elephants make whisking the paddy in their trunks; with the village sounds drifting down the quiet air--the distant drum at the monastery, whose grey roof stands above the other houses, or the far-off "poot, poot" of the "nok poot" in the jungle (a black bird, by the way, with a long pheasant-like tail and light red wings)--and you have an idea of the lovely scene which spread before us that evening as we emerged from the hills. this valley runs parallel to the nam nan valley to the eastward, but drains in exactly the opposite direction, the water running north and turning into the nam nan considerably north of m. sisaket. three days going down this lovely valley brought us through a rough piece of limestone country to muang sa, where i stayed some days visiting several places in the neighbourhood. this township is important, and stands by the nam nan in a very fine paddy-growing plain, and is better supplied with inhabitants than the country we had come through; but even here the tigers are very bold, and often come right into the villages. small irrigation canals extend in all directions. [illustration: the paddy-fields, hin valley.] like the quarrymen in north wales, whenever there is a cry of "gold" at clogan, the laos take every piece of yellow copper pyrites or iron pyrites for gold, and we had several very hard days' travelling both east and west after gold-mines of this description. the minimum readings for the last five days were 62°, 49°, 46°, 43°, and 45° fahr., and going on one day's march over the plain to muang nan, the capital of this great province, we had 60° as minimum for several days. the salas stand outside the red-brick walls of nan, and are only a few hundred yards from the river, and here was every sign of prosperity; every other family seems to own an elephant or two. the houses are well built and enclosed in stout palisades; and besides the town inside the walls, there is a very large number of houses between them and the river. i saw numbers of dug-outs arriving with cotton, and many too going away south. there are a few burmese shopkeepers along the east wall, their principal stock consisting of check-patterned _panungs_ and _sarongs_ and small knickknacks, betel boxes, and a little silver-work. a mule caravan of haws from the north--as dirty and ugly as the dirtiest chinamen--were also anxious to sell chinese slippers, sheepskin coats, walnuts and sandals, and shortly after left for the south, like others we had met at muang sa. from m. sa i gathered they were going to make westward toward m. pray. some of the burmese brought me some sapphires from chieng kong, and there were some fine stones, but i was at the time surprised to find they had no rubies. coloured quartzes are also found in this neighbourhood, and are cut for ornament. the rupee is the current coin, and the burmese shopkeepers and a chinaman or two were the only people who would exchange our money for us--at the rate of three salung to the rupee. [illustration: wat ben yeun, m. sa.] [illustration: east gate of nan.] the sight of nan is the early morning market, to which before sunrise the women are seen coming from all directions, wrapped in their long plaids--for such, indeed, the lao cloak is, both in pattern and mode of wearing. the market is held within the walls in the open space, in which stands the _sanam_, or court-house; this is surrounded on three sides by wats, and on the west by the palace, a large house with no very striking features. the women crouch along the sides in rows with their baskets in front of them, as at luang prabang and at all the markets one sees in this part of the peninsula. fruit, biscuits, and cakes, ready rolled cigarettes and flowers, are for sale, but the quantities are very small. there is a muffled sound of subdued chatter and laughter, and the scene is a very pretty one--till at last the mists are gone, the sun is well up in the heavens, and the crowd melts away as silently as it came. once inside the walls the town may be described as countrified, the houses standing in their own enclosures among their palms, where the elephants twirl their trunks among the cocks and hens. very fair roads run at right angles to one another, but are always quiet and shady, like country lanes. the chief business seems to be outside the town, villages extending on all sides, and especially along the road to the north, past the "old city," which is about one mile in that direction, and where there are some very good substantial palisades still standing, with the remains of a deep ditch and massive wall on the north-west side, all of course very much grown over. the custom of shaving the head all round, with the exception of the tuft at the top which stands bristling straight on end, and gives a good grip to the light-red or white turban which is often worn, is a cool and cleanly one, and gives the men a smart appearance; the black tattooing, which extends from the knee up to the middle of the body, is the other distinctive feature throughout the province of nan. they seldom wear more than the panung and a short blue jacket, except in the early mornings, when, with the thermometer at 50°, they shiver inside their long plaids; as the day becomes warmer, the plaid is rolled up and stowed in the bag, which is as indispensable as the _dhâp_, and goes over one shoulder, carrying its owner's all--consisting of a small basket of _kao neo_ for the day, some tobacco, and betel-nut, with often a long-stemmed pipe and flint and steel. [illustration: laos bag, or striped cloth.] [illustration: kao neo wicker baskets.] the women tie their long hair up on the top of their heads, and when i first got among them i was reminded of the same fashion at home, as also by other points of resemblance one had not seen among the siamese--a light springy step, a pleasant-sounding voice, a well-cut figure, and a rosy cheek. in some of the districts in the hills the women suffer severely from goitre, and up the nam wa, a wild torrent which joins the nam nan from the east, just below muang sa, three out of every four of the women i saw had it. up that river, too, i noticed a lack of expression in the faces of the men and lads when in repose; but they are rare hands at a joke, and then their faces light up wonderfully. these men all wore short jackets to the waist, of blue cloth, leaving a strip of tattooing between it and the blue panung. i was astonished at the number of children i saw there, too, every man we met in the jungle having some four or five of his sons with him. ten or even fifteen children is a number not uncommon for one woman, while in siam, as a rule, the number three is not exceeded. i imagine the population must be now recovering from the effects of the continual warfare which existed before siam made its rule felt in the north, and which no doubt accounts for the meagre population throughout the entire peninsula. [illustration: axe for hollowing boats.] [illustration: dipper for water.] of the joyful, kindly, and hospitable character of the laos of nan one cannot say too much; i never saw a surly face or heard an angry word. their honesty is proverbial, and they are singularly temperate: drinking _lao_ (which is distilled from rice to a large extent in siam itself), smoking opium, theft, and malice seem to have no attractions for them. i believe every one who has travelled with and among them will say the same, and will ever keep their memory stowed away in a warm corner of the heart. the rachawong was the official i saw most of--an upstanding, refined, and gentlemanly looking man, with a touch of iron grey in his hair, a firm step, a strong mouth, and high clear forehead. he gave me the story of some recent trouble with chow sa (the prince of sa) without any of that repetition, detail, or tinge of animosity one expects from an uneducated or inferior mind when speaking of an enemy. preparations were beginning for the cremation of the late "king" who was just dead, but we left before the ceremony began. the punishment of death, which was inflicted for opium-smoking, elephant-killing, or theft, has been replaced during the last few years by a milder form; but it is noteworthy that in two years only one man has been put in the prison at nan. the music is a great contrast to that of the siamese. at a dinner to which i was invited at m. sa, we had, to an accompaniment of three bamboo flutes with very sweet low tones, a kind of duet sung by two girls, each taking a verse in turn. the rather nasal notes would soar up quite independently of the flutes, and then suddenly return to the keynote, which was a lovely minor, and was sustained; then would come a pause, with the delightful subdued refrain on the flutes again, ere the other began. the subject was a war-song, on which they both extemporized; but even my siamese could not follow the words at all. after a solo from one of the flutists, who, as usual, sang falsetto (which is especially affected by the siamese too in love-songs), he and one of the damsels lighted tapers, and though in no dress but their ordinary open dark blue jackets of panung, they performed another kind of duet, accompanied by waving of hands and arms, and a certain amount of not ungraceful attitudinizing. it seemed to be a kind of sacred affair, with a slow dignified air, and they quite lost themselves in it, though some of my siamese were making running comments in the usual style of the vulgar all over the world. as far as music goes, it was far more expressive and peaceful than anything i had heard in siam, as the others owned. i had with me as assistant-surveyor a very accomplished young siamese, who is an excellent specimen of the best that siam produces; he is a capital musician after the fashion of his country, and used continually to warble languishing love-airs to our great amusement, and also good marching airs. he had a good ear, and soon picked up some of the laos tunes, and so one had good opportunities of comparing them. it was curious, too, how he and several of the others took to english airs they heard from me, even copying the sounds of the english words. the proficiency of the siamese "service" bands in bangkok shows, too, that they can master and appreciate our music. i have heard the laos called "savages," which can only be said in ignorance. they respect superiors, are devoted to their "chows," to whom they are united by feudal ties, are obedient to their parents, extremely hospitable, and perfectly honest. the stranger to them is no enemy, but a creature that needs kindness, and invariably gets it. quarrelling is unknown. they respect their women, and, unlike the siamese, walk behind them and bear the heaviest load. they do the jungle-work, and the women stay at home, weaving their silk panungs or their horizontally striped petticoats at the loom beneath the house; while the dogs, no longer vile pariahs, but cared for well, and of a breed something like a sheepdog, sit by and watch the children play. surely there is something besides savagery here. [footnote 1: m.= muang.] part ii. muang nan to muang chieng kong. from muang nan my orders were to find the best route i could over the watershed to m. chieng kong in the mekong valley. as usual, the information obtainable was very meagre. one trail goes west from nan till the valley of the nam ing is reached, when that stream is followed down north; a second follows the nam nan northward, and crosses the range north-north-westerly up the stream flowing down from m. yao; the third, which i selected, as showing one more of the nam nan valley, follows that river up as far north as m. ngob (lat. 19° 29'), when the direction becomes north-westerly over the rough country which brings one to m. chieng hon and m. chieng kob. leaving nan on february 1, we followed a good tract among low but precipitous and picturesque limestone hills, into a curiously disforested country, where the only growth was bamboo, until we dropped suddenly upon the river once more at pak ngao, where we camped on the sandbank. we had by this time picked up, as one does in the east, a considerable following. a commissioner had been sent across from chieng mai to accompany me up to chieng kong. what his actual duties were i never discovered; he was very useful, however, in helping me in various ways, but i would willingly have done without him, for he was evidently one of that class of officials who grind the people very tight when their superiors are out of sight. another, the brother of chow sa, by name chow benn yenn, who was with me all the time from muang sa until i reached bangkok again, was the greatest contrast to the former. he was a small, neatly made fellow of about twenty-one, a splendid forest man, who, though a great swell in these parts, travelled with only three or four lads with him, and could walk the whole expedition off their legs. he knew and could imitate exactly every forest sound, and as he trotted along the trail he gathered all kinds of unlikely looking plants, which in the evening made excellent additions to our curry. he was a born sportsman, and far more at his ease sleeping out at night under his plaid, with his lads stretched round him, than under any form of roof. the lads with him--for they were mere boys--were like him, and treated him with the usual freedom and familiarity peculiar to the laos, but which if an order was given, disappeared before complete obedience; and if the chow wanted a drink of water or half a handful of _kao neo_, they would go miles or give their last crumbs to supply him, and many were the generous and willing kindnesses i had to thank them for. we had also an official with his sons and a few men to carry their loads from nan, who acted as guides and a kind of walking letter of introduction everywhere. they were a remarkably handsome lot, but the old fellow himself used to come in very done up after the day's march. yet, like all the rest, he was never put out by hunger or weariness, and would take his bag off his shoulder, throw down his long dhâp, and squat on his heels and laugh again to think that he should be tired and the youngsters not. from pak ngao, where we saw a few dug-outs shooting past down the rapids, we next day passed over more of this disforested limestone country, the dip of the rocks being westerly and very steep (50° to 60°), until we forded the river below m. saipum. we passed through a number of villages, with very pretty whitewashed monasteries, and high palisades round them; the view to the north-east was a novel one, for the usual foreground of yellow fields, with its dykes and ditches, and its many watch-houses reared high on piles, was backed not by forest, but by open expanses, with trees here and there, or low bamboo scrub, and a dwarf range of bare hills behind. there is a red sandstone which seems to underlie the limestone, and wherever that rock outcrops, the soil is excessively thin and poor, and the denuding power of the rains is very marked. that often accounts for low scrub jungle; but where that is not present, as in the limestone country we had just crossed, the absence of forest must, i fancy, be due to fires; and no doubt when a fire is lit for the purpose of clearing ground for the hill rice, it will, with a good breeze, clear square miles instead of acres. i saw a great deal of this burning going on subsequently in the mekong valley, and i never saw results commensurate with the destruction caused. the sala at m. lim, where we slept, is on the east bank, the town being opposite, and the "chow muang" or governor came wading over with the water up to his neck, and his clothes in a bundle on his head. there are numbers of very fine ducks here, but, as usual, we had great difficulty in getting any in exchange for money. they have not great use for money here, as they themselves say, and they prefer their ducks. this happens constantly, especially when buying rice. each village has enough for its consumption for the year, and very often no more; and naturally they prefer to keep the necessaries of life to having comparatively useless silver buried under their house. as the country is opened up, this will no doubt change, but at present it is not worth their while to grow more than they can consume themselves. again, a few irresponsible travellers have been in the habit of provisioning themselves at the expense of the villages without paying, and the consequence is that when a european appears (or, indeed, often a siamese official), there is a general stampede into the jungle, and everything is hidden away, for they expect nothing but robbery at his hands. until, after infinite pains, they are persuaded that they will be dealt honestly by, and treated with the consideration which the wildest from their own hills would never fail to show, you can get nothing but negatives, and small blame to them. it is humiliating in the extreme, after travelling with men for some weeks, to be asked one night over the camp fire why the _nai farang_ (the foreign master) doesn't kick and thrash the men on the march, or flog the chow muang into handing over all the rice in the village, and do other not less objectionable things. yet such is the conduct expected of one, as a matter of course, from the past repute of the _farang_ which travels far, and no doubt also does suffer from exaggeration. still, it shows what our methods too often have been. with these people you get the measure you mete to them; firmness is first of all necessary, but brutality is lowering to all concerned, and never has done anything but harm, and is more far-reaching than the contemptible authors of it understand. another day's march through a good deal of evergreen brings one, after crossing the nam pur, flowing in from the east, to m. chieng kan. an hour further north is m. chieng klan; and the confusion of the two names is endless. the latter is the better stopping-place, though the former is very prettily situated, on the bank of the nam nan, among very fine clumps of bamboo and a great many banana palms and sugar-cane plantations. of the latter every man slings a couple of stalks over his shoulder for the day's journey, and most refreshing they are. the cakes of brown sugar made from them, of which one generally takes a piece or two to give a taste to the _kao neo_, are not considered good for the digestion, and quite rightly, and so only, just enough is taken at a time to give a taste. the sugar from the sugar palm of the plains, however, never has any evil results, and as it has a pleasant flavour, when we got back to it in the khorat plateau, we consumed large quantities. [illustration: a hill monastery, m. le.] the next day m. le was reached over sandy, undulating jungle country. on foot one could easily have reached m. ngob, but the elephants could not do it, being, as i mentioned before, in bad condition. i was not loth to rest the night here, it being one of the most beautiful of the hill-enclosed valleys we had been in. from the sala we looked out over the terraced paddy fields, with the winding silver of the river below, and abruptly beyond it shoulder upon shoulder of heavily timbered ranges rising into the peaks which divided us from the chieng hon plain to' the west and north-west. eastward, and just over us, were low steep hills, on a spur of which was a small hill monastery, whence the bells on the gables sent down a gentle tinkling as they were swayed by the strong south-westerly breeze which was sweeping a watery rustling sound out of the bamboos and coconut palms. the salas being small, the people of the village ran up in half an hour one of their bamboo lean-to shelters for the men, but the laos as usual seemed to prefer lighting a fire and lying out in the open round it m their cloaks, there being always one man sitting up on watch and supplying fuel when necessary. m. ngob is in a narrow hollow, which i should not care to visit in hot weather, for the wind hardly gets into the place. we had nearly a whole day's rest here. a mule caravan of haws came in from the north and rendered the otherwise peaceful air hideous with their loud, hoarse talking. but for them a laos village is singularly quiet; no sounds but the quack, quack of the fat ducks who share the pools in the stream with a few laughing children, the grunts of a family of pigs, the occasional trumpet of an elephant who has been up to some playful game or other of which the master does not approve, and the steady thump, thump of the small foot rice mills, which the women work apparently from morn till night. before sunrise, as the sonorous chant rises from the wat, these mills are at work too, and often the last thing at night one hears them still. mr. mccarthy has described them, but i may just mention that they consist of a piece of tree-trunk hollowed into a funnel-shape, into which the rice is put, and a long lever worked at the outer end by the foot, the woman stepping on and off, fitted with a hammer-head of wood, of which several of different sizes are used. and while the mother works her loom close by, the two daughters will work the mill and chat and chaff the passers-by. minimum readings for the last four days, 52°, 55°, 57°, 58° fahr. the maximum in one of these salas is generally about 82° for this month at 2 to 3 p.m. the winds were now south-westerly, very strong, with bright fierce sun, but cumuli lying on the higher peaks after 4 p.m., sometimes a slight shower falling from them. one mile north-west from m. ngob, the nam nan,[2] here known as the nam ngob (and actually the people did not know that it was the same river as the nam nan below), runs over shallow pebble beds, where we forded to the west side. this day's march is a very good example of the kind of travelling to be done. the tracks over the hills are either in the bed of the "hoays," or streams, far down in a perpetual night, where the coldness of the water chills the feet and legs through and through; or, after a steep climb, high up on narrow spurs leading to the central range, where the forest is thick enough to keep off all the wind but not the rays of the sun after 10 a.m. once on these ridges no water is to be had for half a day, and the stick of sugar-cane or water-bottle of cold tea, the best of all beverages, is worth its weight in gold. however, drinking on the march is a ruinous habit. the laos sensibly rinse the mouth when they can, and only drink at the end of the day. [illustration: view from m. le, looking north-west across the nam nan and watershed of meinam khong.] following up hoay sakeng over red sandstone rocks, the track then climbs on to a long ridge, leading, with many rises and falls, to a small gap in the range, about 1100 feet above the river. we met on the way four pack oxen coming, with their pretty deep-toned bell, down the path, and on reaching the summit had a most glorious view of the thick forests of the chieng hon valley, with the small clearings here and there and surrounded on all sides, as far as one could see in the dim haze which accompanies the south-west wind, by hill ranges. twenty minutes down a steep drop at a run brought us into a different climate and the most perfect valley i was ever in. far above, the sun glistened here and there on the wide-spreading fronds of huge tree-ferns; for the rest; we were almost in darkness, with orchids and great twisted creepers climbing on the tree-trunks dim above us. the stream is known as hoay tok, and down its bed we stumbled, cutting ourselves about on the rough outcrops, the strike of which, with a steep westerly dip, was at right angles to our course, and made most unpleasant travelling. two hours more across a partially cultivated plain, and we passed another haw caravan encamped, and reached the sala. the elephants did not arrive until 5 p.m., it having taken them twelve hours to reach m. chieng hon. at m. pechai i had bought some ponies. there are not many there, and the choice was limited, while the price, forty to sixty ticals, was heavy. these animals, as long as we were in flat country, were useful, but they were not good mountaineers, and i found travelling on foot much pleasanter, while, as a general rule, the more exercise men get in these jungles, the healthier they are. on this day each one of my siamese assistants had a fall, for they, as a rule, stuck to their ponies' backs, whatever the trail was like; this often means getting one's face and hands tremendously knocked about, frequent dismountings, slow progress, and endless bother, while it also stands in the way of surveying or careful observation of the lie of the ground. there was a very heavy, damp mist when we pushed on next day through the dong choi, a magnificent forest, which almost covers this plateau with the scenery of hoay tok continued, only on a larger and more imposing scale. the size of the ferns, and especially of the hart's-tongues, which clung in masses, with clumps of orchids, far up on the bare trunks of the trees which form the roofing of branch and leaf above, was quite astonishing to me. camp was made by a small sala in a wild clearing at sala pangue, from which the sun was early excluded by the hills and forest on the west, which we were to cross on the morrow. the tired elephants had a well-earned afternoon's rest. to give them time to get in before sunset, next day we got under way at 3.30 a.m., every six or eight men having a torch about eight feet long of split bamboo. these early marches are a sort of scrambling dream, and should not be resorted to except under compulsion, as, although the cool morning air is pleasant for the first hour, every one soon gets very done up, and stumbles on hazily. sunrise puts new life into one, but the want of the early morning sleep makes one feel the heat of the day far more. moreover, of course, nothing of the country is seen. we rose for an hour and a half up over hills, and one or two of the ponies had some tremendous falls, and were soon left struggling behind. at sunrise we were descending once more among the wildest and most rugged scenes into the valley of nam pote, and were now fairly in the mekong drainage. this was another of the wonderful valleys which are so common here; and the temperature was just over 10° fahr. below that of the hill ridges when we left them at 6 a.m. about 8.30, after crossing and recrossing the stream about thirty times, and being regularly chilled, i stopped at a small sala, and was glad to bask in the sun. an hour and a half later the others came up, and we breakfasted. chow benn yenn's sharp eyes had seen some deer and two tigers, but they were off in a moment. where the former is the latter follows, but neither will stay when he detects the sound of man coming through the forest. the tiger takes the greatest trouble to avoid a man, unless very famished. often then he is rendered bold enough to attack a solitary man, when squatting down to eat his _kao neo_, and it is thus that accidents occur; but he will seldom face two men, and that is why one always meets the laos in couples, if not in greater numbers. at 10.30 we continued down the valley; rock apparently red sandstone, but so decomposed at its outcrop as to give no clue of reliable character. passed numbers of wild banana trees, which do not bear fruit. they are very aggravating to tired men, who hear the cry of a jungle fowl, and coming round a corner see the broad leaves of the bananas; naturally we jump forward, thinking to get a rest and a bunch of bananas, and, perhaps, a fowl or some eggs for the evening's supper, but find nothing and no sign of man or fowl. the course is roughly north-west until the hills fall back, and the valley opens on a flat piece of paddy land, bounded north and south by lofty limestone rocks, with, to the west, a barrier caused by a steep north and south ridge, over which lies m. kob, but round which a long _detour_ has to be made to the north-west, down the nam pote valley, to where the nam kob meets it. passing ban tam, ban prow, and ban faek, prosperous-looking villages, we reached the junction at one o'clock. after a brief rest in the shade, in another hour and a half, after fording nam kob pretty frequently (making about the ninetieth time we had been in the water that day), we reached the sala of m. kob. the others began to arrive about four o'clock, and the elephants at 6.30, looking very sorry; and we had to give them a complete rest next day. [illustration: map--route from muang ngob on the nam nan to muang chieng kong on the mekong river from a compass survey by h. warington smyth, f.g.s. 1893.] from the character of the scenery here, and at the top of the nam pote, where we struck it, i imagine the hills we came down among were limestones overlying the sandstone again; all round the muang are the wildest and most fantastic peaks, and, with the steep heights hanging immediately over it, it was more like a norwegian valley than anything i have seen. the wats here are very simple, the houses neat, but small; bricks are baked in the valley, and the rice-mills thump cheerily and echo off the hills all day. there were some pack oxen, which came over from the westward; but the laos who drove them, whether from distrust of us or not, i do not know, would not converse with any of us. the bells of these caravans as they go trotting down the valleys are beautiful. first goes a large, deep-toned bell, swinging between the packs of the leader; the next is a third above it; and the rear is brought up by a treble bell. the little oxen trot in their order without other guidance than that of the bells and an occasional shout, one man leading, another to every five animals, and one to bring up the rear. the baskets are hung on each side of the hump, with often an ornamental erection between them; there are fore and aft stays of leather, and these prevent the packs coming off when the animals are climbing. we had met some before--and met and used others afterwards; however pretty they look as they trot along, their bells tinkling far over land and forest, they are not pleasant to travel with, especially in the rains, when streams are all in flood, for it is impossible to keep anything they carry at all dry. while we were resting here a fire occurred, and two houses were burnt to the ground in about seven minutes. my siamese, i must say, worked very well and pluckily, the laos seeming quite dazed by the catastrophe. we cut down a row of banana palms, split up the trunks, and threw them on the flames, by the water and moisture in them beating down the fire, so that two neighbouring houses were saved, with the outhouses, in which, in huge bins, the rice was stored. for this last the poor fellows who only arrived home at night to find their houses burned, were most grateful; they came to thank us, and i was very much struck with the conduct of my people, who, beginning with my boat-boy, a mon, or peguan (who at the fire and on every other occasion had shown himself a very smart, handy, and good-hearted fellow), selected what clothes they could spare, and sent the two laos men away loaded with raiment, and with tears of thankfulness in their eyes. it gives an additional pleasure to work with men who can act like that. thermometer readings on the march from sala pangue were--3 a.m., 42° fahr.; 5.30 a.m., on the hills, 60°; 6.30 a.m., in nam pote valley, 50°; 9 a.m., ditto, 59°; noon, in the shade. ban faek, 87° fahr. my aneroids had both been injured by my careless people, and i could get no reliable heights. from m. kob the trail follows up the nam tan in a general south-south-west direction, and crosses a low watershed into the bed of the hoay chang kong, another rocky stream disastrous to foot gear. it then crosses low ridges and jungle, passing several small villages to ban ton kluay, 6½ hours' walk, though most of the people took 8, and the elephants over 9. thermometer minimum--54° at sunrise in heavy damp mist; strong south-westerly breeze at noon; thick haze all day. six hours from here, over flat country, past m. chieng len, and in a general north-north-west direction from that place is m. ngau, which gives its name to the nam ngau flowing north-north-east to the mekong, and meeting it half a day's boat journey below chieng kong. we met a number of traders from the north carrying their loads; they were smoking long-stemmed pipes, and looked very burmese in face. they wore blue sailor-looking trousers, with red trimmings round the ankle, where they were very loose, and small blue jackets with bead trimmings, while some had marvellously wide straw hats; with their uniformity of dress and its high colouring they made a very pretty picture crossing the yellow paddy fields. the chet muang at chieng len was in trouble with the nan authorities because he is, unfortunately, under the disaffected chow sa, and far away from there as he is, and utterly ignorant, as he protested, of his proceedings, it seemed likely that he would be involved in the disgrace of his chief. from m. ngau the trail crosses the upper end of the long range which forms the watershed of the nam ing and nam ngau, along the western side of which for three days we travelled, sleeping at muang ing and ban pakeng. from the latter place, leaving at a quarter to two in the morning. ban lung was reached at a quarter to seven. here we forded nam ing, and crossed a burning plain almost entirely devoid of vegetation for four hours more, and then in a huge and very comfortable sala disposed of the contents of our haversacks with the pleasant feeling of having reached our goal. chow benn yenn meanwhile had left us for a day or two's visiting at some other villages east of nam ing which owed allegiance to chow sa. consequently, when i got in, there were only the laos guide, my mon boatman, and two lusty young siamese servants who had kept up; and, absurd as it may seem to western ideas, the chieng kong people took some hours to believe that i was come on genuine government business; for a man is measured in these parts according to the number of his following, and until the men and elephants turned up i was often looked at askance. this was sometimes very amusing and sometimes not, especially when trying to procure coconuts or bananas! the sense of hospitality was, however, generally quick to prevail. the three days from muang ngau were through forest, the villages lying mostly on our west in the flat land nearer the river. we passed several forest fires, which where they approached the trail made very hot travelling. the barrenness of the country between the nam ing at ban lung and chieng kong seems to have been originally caused by fires. the only cultivation was by a muddy stream at ban satan, a name which struck me as particularly appropriate in such a wilderness. there is an absence of water, i was afterwards told, which prevents cultivation of any value, and owing to this the burmese gem-diggers have given up trying to follow indications of stones on this side. the first view of the mekong fairly took one's breath away, the water here spreading out into a wide placid river of half a mile in width, winding slowly away among a few sandbanks until lost in the hills to the south-east. across, on the north, lies a long low series of hills, from which the gem-bearing hoays seem all to take their rise. thermometer minimum last four days--59°, 64°, 60°, 58°; maximum in sala, 90°, very thick haze all day, with strong breezes from south towards noon. [footnote 2: the river evidently takes its rise from doi luang (a large hill mass south of m. hongsawadi), 19° 35' n., 101° 24' e.] part iii. muang chieng kong to muang luang prabang. muang chieng kong became our head-quarters for ten days, and from there i made a boat expedition to the chieng sen boundary, north-west; and also one north and east inland, the object being the examination of the gem deposit, its extent, character, and, if possible, its value. from the chieng sen boundary at hoay nam kung, extending for some miles towards chieng kong, is a rapid piece of river tearing through a series of gneissose and schistose rocks, which form high hills on either bank. the gem-bearing gravel is not found until several basalt sheets are encountered below nam ngau, a largish tributary flowing in from the north. the hills on the left bank then become lower and more distant, and these, consisting of a dark crystalline rock, the exact mineralogical character of which has not yet been determined, seem to be the source of all the stone-bearing gravels which are found deposited in the streams flowing from them. the average thickness of the gravel is 5 to 20 inches, and consists of quartz and fragments of the crystalline rock above mentioned. the overburden is a reddish clay soil of an average depth of 10 feet, through which the burmese, who are found wherever there are gems, sink large pits some 10 feet square. a sharpened bamboo will be often first driven down to ascertain if the gravel underlies the spot, it having been found very capricious. explorations were made in the neighbourhood for many years before--about two years ago--the first paying gravel was found; the burmese relying all the time on the presence of what is known as _nin_, small black stones which have turned out to be black spinel, and are always to be found in close proximity to the sapphire. when washing gravel in a stream these little water-worn crystals are found; it will only need industry and time to find the gem gravel, which will be somewhere near, although in part perhaps denuded away. the _nin_ have been followed for years, and now there are over two hundred men reaping the reward of their indefatigable patience. i found _nin_ and struck gravel in all the streams flowing in on the left bank between nam ngau and hoay pakham, which is the main scene of the operations at present, and lies about 1 mile below chieng kong. on the right bank there are apparently no signs whatever, except at hoay duk, a stream exactly opposite hoay pakham; but only a few _nin_ are to be seen here, and there is no water for washing purposes. east and north of hoay pakham, again, are half a dozen more streams flowing, from that side of the range i have spoken of as the source of the gravel, into the nam hau, which eventually reaches the mekong. some of these have been found to be rich, and on one the burmese built their bamboo villages and made their clearings; but after a fortnight's work the places were abandoned as being terribly unhealthy, sunk deep in the jungle valleys, and very difficult to get stores to. [illustration: a gem-digger's clearing, chieng kong.] when the present large workings are exhausted, both those and the streams towards nam ngau will get their fair share of attention, no doubt. the distance between the extreme points where the gravel exists and the limit of our present knowledge is over 10 miles, but within that area it is not by any means continuous, and any attempt at estimating the probable output and the extent of reserves could only result in the most erroneous conclusions. owing to the secrecy observed by the burmese in the matter among themselves, and the fact that they usually travel long distances to find a market for their better stones, the output up to the present of saleable stones is merely a matter of conjecture, and is variously estimated by the headmen as from 3 to 6 catties, say, over 22,000 carats perhaps. one man showed me what he declared was the result of his year's work--three good stones of rich colour and good water, for which he expected to get 100, 60, and 50 rs. respectively, and some forty small ones (some of them of very poor colour), which after an hour's bargaining one could certainly have got for 50 rs. he had, besides, of course, numberless fragments and scraps which were valueless. the chances are, from what i saw, that this is a fair example of what the average digger obtains; but it must be remembered that no information voluntarily given by the burmese on this head is ever reliable. they invariably keep something in reserve, for they never feel quite certain what the englishman may be up to with his questioning; and even among themselves the dodges resorted to to hide the exact truth are very amusing. in buying stones one always has the worst produced first, and after an exhaustive pick out of them all, presently, slowly, out of infinite wraps of paper and cotton, come some better ones, and after an hour or so the best are produced, and probably this is the real extent of the man's stock; but if through impatience one closes the bargains too early, the best are never produced, but will be kept for the future, and will eventually be taken over to rangoon, or even calcutta. in a few years' time there will, no doubt, be more men at work, and larger areas of pits in work. at the present moment the ground in hoay pakham has only been dug out for a distance of half a mile from the flood level of the mekong, with a breadth averaging 80 yards. work is only carried on in the morning, when the pit will be bailed out dry; at noon the digging and washing ceases, and the men return home, and sit all the afternoon in their houses chaffing, talking, and picking over and enjoying the sight of their stones, in which they find great delight. the washing consists simply of cleaning the basket of muddy gravel with water, and picking over the remains twice by hand. the operation is very quick, and the eye never misses the faintest sign of colour. with regard to the rubies i had expected to find, from my own observation, and subsequently from conversation with the diggers, i soon saw that not only have none been ever found, but none of the signs of the ruby as known at chantabun or in burma have been seen. a siamese official who had been sent here a year ago by the government to test and report on the place, seeing some small garnets, thought they must be rubies, and thinking to advance himself at head-quarters, bought a very fine burmese ruby for 70 rs., and sent it down with his report as having been found in chieng kong! from this, of course, very large hopes of the character of the find had been entertained: i fear now he is somewhat in disgrace. fever, due to the thick forest standing high overhead all around, and the peculiar sickliness always caused by the upturning of new soil, especially in the damp beds of the streams, is very prevalent. the burmese houses are very different from the siamese and laos--mere bamboo shanties only lifted some 2 feet off the ground, but with all sorts of handy little shelves, window-shutters, doors and lockers, which are generally absent from the others; and in these, as being easily and quickly constructed, the men always live at their diggings. i do not know the character of the burmese in this respect at home, but in this country they are always overflowing with friendliness and hospitality to any englishman; and the headmen at chieng kong, especially one by name monghu, who became a general favourite with my people, and who accompanied us and worked with us everywhere, i can never forget. the chow muang here was lately dead, and just before we left the cremation ceremonies began in the big square before the principal wat. at night the place all round the funeral pyre was lighted with candles; three or four of the head monks were reading in a kind of chant from their pali manuscripts from the tops of temporary bamboo pulpits, and among the booths standing round; the people squatted in their cloaks, listening to music or hearing descriptive songs and stories, which now and then produced roars of laughter. in the day sports were going on, and there was some very good boxing between the champions of neighbouring villages, who at the end each got three rupees, victor and vanquished alike. the men strip, and their names and the places they hail from are given out. they then salute the master of the ceremonies in the ordinary laos fashion, touching the ground with their forehead on bended knees, raising the clasped hands to the head, and proceed to business. for some moments they warily watch one another, stepping and dancing round with a good deal of attitudinizing of an alarming description, by the extravagance of which we can generally tell the best man. the blows are rather round-armed, it is true, and kicking is allowed; but it is wonderfully quiet and masterful, and when they warm to it, very hard rounds are fought. the umpires squat round ready to separate the men, call time, and generally see fair play, and at the end of each round the two men squat down, and are offered water out of silver bowls, the bearer respectfully on his knee handing them the ladle. the keenness of the onlookers is tremendous, especially when the men are well matched; but what produced most enthusiasm was a fight between boys of about ten years old. the little fellows showed, i must say, a great deal of pluck and more science than most of us did at that age at school; they kept their tempers well, and at the end of each round their seconds, stalwart fathers and uncles, were beside themselves with delight, stroking their heads and dancing round them with tears of laughter running from their eyes. there were some sword and sword-and-spear dances by two men in slow time to music, with silver-handled weapons, and accompanied by the gestures in which all these nations take such pleasure. during the time i was in chieng kong district the weather was getting warmer. up the river we had the minimum 54° three days running, just after sunrise, at which time heavy mists shrouded the river valley, and subsequently 56°, 58°, 60° were the minimum at the same time. the maximum in the shade at the sala or under the coverings in the boats was 91° at 1 p.m.--the average 89°. but in the jungle, where the south-west winds could not reach, the heat was very great, and the sun was very fierce, especially on the great banks of sand, which are so characteristic of the river. the height i make 1250 feet from the sea. these sands, over which we used to trudge for miles from stream to stream, got so hot after 11 a.m. until about sunset, that the men could not bear walking on them, and took to the water; the glare is tremendous to the eyes. after sunset the rocks retained their heat so that some long-haired shan dogs we had with us would not lie or walk upon them. there is a great deal of mica, iron pyrites, and magnetic iron ore in these sands; and washing among the bushes, which in many places fringe the higher parts, or some feet down, where a larger gravel lies, one seldom fails to find a small speck or two of gold. the water itself, at this season, rushes through a deep gorge between the rocks and sandbanks, which form its flood-bed, a narrow but very deep column of water, working out for itself, where a bluff rock sends a huge eddy whirling inwards, broad bays often 50 yards across. while the distance between the high-water level on the opposite sides of the valley will be nearly half a mile, the stream itself will often work through its deep channel only 200 yards, and even less in width. the scale of things here is not so large as that below, where the volume of water has increased; but the character of the river is much the same. [illustration: camp at the fa pa rapids.] the camps we formed on the sand spits, lulled at night by the thunder and roaring echoes from the rapids, were wild and beautiful in the extreme. the jungle, too, was full of night sounds--the bark of the deer or the "peep, peep" of the tiger, of which we often heard three or four at a time; and in the morning their tracks were everywhere upon the sands. it is curious and worth remarking that when one got 4 or 5 miles inland on the left bank no traces of tiger were to be found; while, on the other hand, the elephant tracks became very numerous, and were really useful in threading the jungle; the destruction they work among the trees is wonderful. they seem, however, to avoid the tiger zone near the river, as the tigers in turn prefer the waterside, the latter probably finding greater facility for hunting deer there. there is no doubt that any one who has the inclination, and no work and plenty of time, might have excellent sport by watching for tigers at the drinking-places, which are generally well marked, and are in retired bays, among rocks and bushes. bananas and coconuts are very scarce at chieng kong; and on the third day after our arrival i had to send the elephants on their way home, owing to want of wholesome young green food. this all points, with the barrenness we noticed coming across the nam sug valley, to a bad soil. they complain that in the hot months, may and april, it is terribly hot and dry, and that "nothing grows;" meaning thereby, no doubt, things do not grow well. [illustration: one of our elephants, with howdah on.] the departure of our elephants was a day of mourning to all of us. the mahouts, very rough siamese, burnt as black as hindus, with long locks of hair hanging round their necks, had been very good fellows, and, however long their days, had never complained. all those who have travelled with elephants feel the fascination of the beasts, with their quiet, patient, and sagacious way of treating life; the merry twinkle which sparkles from the small, sharp eyes, and the endless little pranks they are ever ready for; and after some weeks of travelling many a tired and weary day together, this becomes quite an affection; and be sure, if you are fond of an elephant he knows it, and reciprocates it very soon. so we were all very sorry to see them swing off for the south again. the voyage from chieng kong down to luang prabang (or muang luang, the "great town," as it is usually called) occupies five days if there are no interruptions; the return journey takes from ten to fifteen days against the current, there being a number of bad rapids. the scenery is magnificent, and far surpasses anything i saw on the mekong below. the river has cut its way almost at right angles to the strike of the rock, a series of schists which appear to have been considerably distorted, until the neighbourhood of the nam oo is reached, when the limestones which form the splendid scenery of that river come in. the latter rocks are also seen on the right bank of the big river, where it takes its southerly course south of ban soap ta (one day from chieng kong), and there seems to be on the top of a synclinal. they are always characterized in this country by the peculiar dense forests, like the dong phya yen in lower siam, the dong choi round chieng hon, and another one we touched in the valley of the nam ngau, east of the nam ing, known as pa kung ngau, where the sun never enters owing to the dense foliage, and the elephant tracks form the only paths. we took twelve days going down, making on the way some short expeditions into the country. the inactivity in the boats soon made itself felt, and after five days there were ten men sick out of the twenty siamese, six with fever and the others with sores, to which they are very liable, any scratch or wound of the slightest description, especially about the feet or legs, always giving rise to them; in fact, i kept one knife on purpose for lancing these things. wherever we go sick people are brought, and the chief ailments among the laos were fever, affections of the eyes, and dysentery. the latter is generally taken in hand too late, and ends fatally. the first day from chieng kong we brought up on the south bank, at the mouth of the nam ngau i have already mentioned; and i was two nights away with only two or three men visiting some gold washings in the bed of the river. the percentage is extremely small, and is the same in character though not so rich as in the mekong sands. the usual small fee of two rupees a year is paid by each man. they work waist deep in the cold rushing stream, and cannot go on for more than ten minutes at a time. a basket is sunk under water with one foot upon it, and the gravel from the bank prized out into it with the usual iron-shod bamboo; it is then lifted out, carried ashore, and washed. this operation, here and throughout the mekong district, is done by a man standing in the water, with a wooden tray in front of him, shaped like a chinaman's peaked hat, the diameter 30 inches, and depth at the centre 5 inches. as it floats on the water, moored by a string to a stone, the basket of gravel is emptied into it, and the larger stones picked out. a rotary motion is given to the pan by the continual shifting of the hands from right to left; at the same time the water is expelled, or dipped up, and sent running round the edge by a depression of the rim being sent round "against the sun," until all the light material is gone. what remains is usually a little magnetic iron ore, with a speck or two of very fine "float" gold for every four baskets of 14 inches diameter and 3½ inches depth. it is then washed carefully into a small oblong box, in which it is carried home and handed over to the women who, i am told (for i never saw it done), use mercury obtained from chinese merchants for the subsequent freeing of the gold. on the way to nongkhai we met several gangs of men, generally seven or eight in number, living in their boats and engaged in washing in this way in the sands of the river, in which, according to all i could gather, the gold seems to be redeposited in small quantities by every year's flood season. [illustration of chinese peaked hat] what the gold prospects of the country are, there have been no sufficient trials to show, but with the advent of the french on the banks of the river we may soon know something more on this head. the laos consider they do very well if they get 2 hun per man in a day (5 hun = 1 fuang or 1/8 tical); but their work is very intermittent, and the search for gold seems to have the proverbial effect upon them, for in several cases i found their assertions were not over-truthful. up such rivers as the nam beng, nam ngau, nam oo, and nam suung, the gold seems to be in old water deposits which extend beyond the present stream beds, and will probably be found to cover considerable areas in the valley bottoms. both calcite and quartz exist in great abundance in the mountain ranges we came in contact with, and to the denudation of these two minerals a great deal of the alluvial gold presumably owes its origin, as well as perhaps from the crystalline limestones. i was, however, unable ever to lay hands on an undoubted gold-bearing vein of either character, nor could i get any information of occurrence of the metal, except in alluvial sands and gravels. some large nuggets have been found up the nam beng and nam oo, and up the former river a chinaman from luang prabang had tried systematic working of a kind. after six months' work he lost 200 ticals; and when a chinaman loses money, especially in a country where money will go so far, the chances are that no one else will make their fortunes. i subsequently found at pak beng that the kache he had employed had swallowed all the decent-sized gold obtained! this is another instance of the difficulties the miner has to meet with in siam; and with fevers, superstition, robbery, and physical difficulties, the list is a rather alarming one. this valley of the nam ngau is inhabited by people known as lus. they wear their heads shaved, except for the top tuft, like all the nan men, with enormously loose and wide blue trousers, often trimmed round the ankle with red; short blue jackets with beads and touches of red; and red, green, or white turbans. they are magnificently made men, with very pleasant countenances, tattooed as usual from knee to waist, but, when clothed, more like the stage-pirate; in fact, a gang of them, with the long dhâps and an old flintlock or two among them, standing chatting, laughing, and smoking their long-stemmed pipes, would make an ideal buccaneer's crew. at ban muang, where we slept each night, the people were the most friendly i had met; some fifty of them came out to greet us on our arrival, and we had an orchestra of four flutes in the evening to play us to sleep. the children and women were extremely pretty. some distance south of this place the forest already mentioned as pe kung ngau begins. men travelling in it, and even the people living on its skirts, are subject to a very violent fever, which causes complete prostration in a few hours, and is generally fatal. the face and breast become quite yellow, presumably owing to the stoppage of the bile-duct. a big dyke has lately been cut from the nam ngau to take the water to the eastern side of the valley for purposes of irrigation. its depth and width are about 10 feet, and it must be some miles long. all the men from the villages turned out to work, and it proved a heavy undertaking. this valley seems to be all under muang sa, and chow benn yenn found himself among his friends. [illustration: the leading mule.] we met another gang of haws, who made night hideous by discovering the mules had strayed, and every man and boy among them shrieking, howling, beating gongs, and firing guns by way of attracting them back to the camp. it was a pleasant night, with one of my men raving and shouting with fever till dawn. [illustration: a head man--stern view.] [illustration: a head man--side view.] at ban soap ta, or pak ta, we were in the province of luang prabang. the village is most beautifully situated on the left bank of the river, just below where the wild torrent of the nam ta falls into it. there is a regular street all down the village, with deep ditches on each side, between the road and the scattered houses. we met numerous kache from inland--a perfectly wild people, wearing only the smallest strip of cloth, with a long metal hairpin stuck through the hair rolled up behind, and often a flower in the lobe of the ear. they are short and fleshy, and, though not prepossessing, we subsequently found some of them to be good hard workers, and quiet, simple creatures. the inhabitants of the village were not so smart as our southern laos or the lus we had just left; some of them wore slight whiskers, and one or two had thin beards, and there are a good many stout men among them. [illustration: a haw--packs dismounted.] [illustration: laos boat.] we here changed boats, our other craft returning with their crews to chieng kong. these boats are mere dug-out canoes, some 60 feet long as a rule, with 4 feet beam. they are fitted all along amidships with a light framework of split bamboos, standing up from the gunwale in a barrel shape. on and tied to these are rectangular-shaped pieces of bamboo plaiting, of a primitive character, stuffed with dead leaves, about 8 feet by 6 feet, of which two form the sides, and a third the roof, overlapping them. two lots together give a good long cabin, and sitting on the light bamboo decking fitted at the level of the gunwale, one has 3 to 4 feet of head room. one's gear goes in underneath, and the men's cooking and camping gear will be stored aft. two-thirds of the way aft an open space is left, and the decking is discontinued, and here, going through a rapid, bailing is resorted to. for going down river the most distressingly primitive oars are used, two or three men pulling at them, working in a grommet. the steersman stands aloft astern, with a rudder 6 or 9 feet in length, which he places in a loop on one quarter or the other. to help the speedier turning of the boat in rapids, a long oar is fitted to work athwart-ship out over the stern, and the power of these two is very great, but not too much for the places they are sometimes in. but the most important and ingenious part is the fitting of bundles of long bamboos round the gunwale outside. three of these bundles will go to the length of the boat, and they not only give the boat 1½ or 2 feet more beam, and therefore great steadiness, but they act as breakwaters outside her in the rapids, and as air-tight compartments when she is swamped. they are turned up at the ends with the boat's run; but they hide her very effectually, so that she looks more like a bamboo raft than a boat. [illustration: illustration of oar and steering-gear.] in going up stream, these bamboo bundles are cut adrift, and long bamboos are used for poling from the fore-deck; the boats winding in and out among the rocks upon the edges, using the swift back currents with such effect that, except on the very rapid parts of the river, the upward journey averages a rate of 3 miles an hour. at the rapids, the boats must be often unloaded and hauled over, this occupying a whole day. in the flood season, from june to october, the whole river valley is a sea of swift turbid water, often 40 feet above the level of the dry season, as is attested by the hulls of wrecked boats, gigantic tree stems, and water marks, which one sees to that height upon the crags among the sandbanks. then the boats work their way up among the trees and bushes on the jungle edge. below luang prabang, a double boat is used for going down river, and one gets a wide deck upon it of 10 feet beam; in these, besides the crew of five men, seven men could live comfortably, while in the single boats, with the crew of four men, four more make rather close quarters. [illustration: double boat.] a great deal of rice goes clown the mekong and nam oo for the supply of luang prabang from the hills, that town not being able to supply itself. this rice goes down in tremendously big bamboo rafts, which look like floating villages; they are often some 120 feet long and 30 feet beam. they are allowed to go almost entirely with the current, there being eight or ten long oars rigged out ahead and astern, worked by as many men, for canting the craft in either direction to avoid rocks or eddies. there is a drawing in mr. colquhoun's book (which, i believe, is taken from garnier's work) which gives a good idea of a small one shooting a rapid. they are very unwieldy, bad to steer, and not too easy to take down these places. [illustration: village above paku, mekong.] small dug-outs of a pretty shape are used in great numbers for fishing purposes; the boat drifts down broadside to the stream, one man being at either end with a paddle gently working in one hand, the foot often helping, and the other holding a line to the net. in these the famous _pla bûk_ are caught. the weight of an average one is over 130 lbs. the laos say they are not common below nong khai, and that they believe them to breed in the retired spots between there and luang prabang. m. pavie considers they come all the way from the sea, but i do not at present know his data; they are certainly known at bassac. the _pla reum_ is another large fish, often over 120 lbs. in weight, which is also known on the meinam. both are caught extensively, and are sold cut up in steaks in the markets. [illustration: forty-five feet boat, nam oo.] [illustration: part of the mekong.] leaving pak ta, the river turns south among a series of schists, until, after passing the very fine lofty peak of pa mon, it resumes its easterly direction among a lot of wild rapids. we reached for the night a temporary village on the north bank, where a number of laos, engaged in buying rice from the khache, were encamped. a very wild night of thunderstorms and squalls of wind. the next day was the grandest we had on the mekong, for the hills close in and form a magnificent gorge, the effect of which was heightened by the wild rain mists which were whirling among the mountains, as the sun rose ahead of us with almost indescribable greens, yellows, and reds. this wonderful scene, and the presence here and there of the little wooden houses, perched high up in their clearings by the khache where the big trees lay in all directions, or of small villages clustering in apparently inaccessible places, again carried one back to the wilds of norway. we shot the big rapids of keng la, and reached ban pak beng that evening. in another day, passing three difficult rapids, ban tanun is reached; from which in three days, sleeping at bans kokare and lataen, muang luang was in sight ahead at sunset, with the fantastic limestones of the nam oo over the stern, and wrapped in thick mists. our slow speed was due to the constant change of boats and crews. [illustration: khache hill clearings; rapids above pak beng, mekong.] from ban tanun i made a three-days' tramp south-west over to the plain of muang hongsawadi, to visit the volcanoes marked on mr. mccarthy's map. the track is very rough, up the bed of the hoay tap for some hours, and then over the watershed, from the summit of which, owing to fires having cleared away the jungle, a magnificent view was to be had to the south-west over the valley. the contrast between the rugged uncompromising character of the mekong valley behind, and the peaceful expanse of cultivation nestling below us was delightful. the villages are all of substantially built houses; the people are a smart, tidy, and pleasant race of laos, and they are very rich in cattle and elephants; rice is cheap, and oranges, pomaloes, and other fruit were plentiful. the governor, who was subject to luang prabang, is said to be a hundred and twenty years of age, and as his house is some miles from the sala, he sent a message asking me to excuse his calling. [illustration: dhâp and sheath.] [illustration: jungle knives.] west-north-west about 5 miles is the pak fai mai, as the laos call the two volcanic vents which, elevated at not more than 200 feet above the plain, are situated in a thin bamboo jungle. each of the vents is about 200 yards long, sloping slightly in a direction 20° east of south, and 70 to 80 yards wide; the southerly one is the least inactive of the two. slight smoke rises in several places, but for the most part one can walk about on the bottom anywhere, except at the south-eastern end, where there is a series of largish cracks, whence smoke and free sulphurous acid rise in small quantities; here the ground is very hot, and 2 feet in the cracks are red hot, and one can light a bamboo at them. there were traces of the action of sulphuretted hydrogen or of carbonic acid, and the crust of sulphur at the openings may be due to the decomposition of the former gas. i could neither hear nor see of there having been any great activity at any time in the past, but the existence of a present dormant volcanic action is evident. why this vent has occurred in the position it has is not obvious; there is no apparent line of dislocation, nor has it chosen the valley proper.[3] in the rains there is, i was told, a good deal of steam rising, as is natural, and more spluttering and activity than we saw. at the northern end there were traces of elephants on the slag (which is everywhere highly coloured from iron chloride); they are proverbially afraid of fire, so it may be inferred that the activity is not great. southward the vent, which from the slag surface to the top of its sides is not more than 30 feet, is advancing, and the blackened stumps of newly fallen trees and bamboo clumps lie about, with marks of recent falls in the bank. [illustration: mouth of nam suung, above luang prabang.] the weather was now getting hot, march being the worst month in this district. thermometer minimum (for three days south of ban tanun) 72°, maximum in the sala 94°. distant thunder in the evenings muttering continually. this weather continued, with thick haze air, till we reached luang prabang. we had fresh south-westerly winds blowing very hot, and at night rain squalls. our first impression of the town was not good; after a long day's pulling, helping the men, who were very tired with the heat, we got in at dusk. the temperature ashore, in the streets, or on the sand slope, was oppressive; but when, after some supper, we went up to call on phra prasada, the commissioner appointed from bangkok, and there enjoyed some real coffee and the luxury of a punkah, in the fine new government offices he had just finished building, and heard the bugles ringing out all round, and the weird march music of the kans, which are more played in this province than almost any other, we forgot the heat in the pleasures of the change of life. [illustration: approach to luang prabang from north.] throughout my stay in this locality, the help we received from the commissioner, who is full of energy, was enormous. he has undoubtedly done a great deal, practically, for the welfare of the people here, and was most popular; and he has also made extensive collections of the produce of the province, which will soon be in bangkok. he is a man of observation and ideas, absolutely straight, and without any humbug in his disposition. i was surprised to find that he could read english well, and talk it moderately, and still more to find this has all been acquired since he came to the north as commissioner seven years ago. this of itself shows an unusual man, and i record it because it is not often realized that there are such men among the siamese. his time was up, and phya pechai was appointed to the post just before i left, and he came south before the trouble with france reached its climax lately. [footnote 3: this valley drains into the nam ngum, and so into the mekong. the big mass of doi luang to the south is the division between the meinam and mekong drainages here.] part iv. luang prabang (march, 1893). making expeditions in various directions, luang prabang was our head-quarters for about three weeks. of all the country round, the town itself seems to be the hottest place, and to be away in the jungle was infinitely preferable to staying in the bungalow, where at sunset the thermometer was generally still at 92°. unlike nan, chieng mai, or korat, there is no wall around the town, which is the usual collection of substantial teak houses, and large roomy monasteries, of which one-half are in ruins. the latter, however, show signs of some fine gilding and decorative work, and a good deal of architectural effort has been expended upon them. they have been allowed, after the strange custom of the buddhists, to fall to rack and ruin without an attempt being made to save them; because, one would think, by some strange mistake, the repairing of a monastery makes no merit, though building a brand-new one, however third-rate in style or bad in finish, is one of the highest of merit-making acts. the chief points one notices in which these wats differ from those in nan are, the generally low effect, the roofs rising less strikingly than that, for instance, at muang sa; the raising at the centre of the roof of what at a distance looks not unlike the lantern of a college hall, which is merely an exterior addition, and does not admit light or air; the small-scale[4] buildings, of which there are often several in the enclosure, which are best described as being like tiny chapels with vaulted roof, in which, of course, innumerable "phras" stand at the inner end, and which are usually about 14 feet in length, and beautifully proportioned; the small pedestals, which are disposed about on all sides, in a niche in which the small phra is always to be seen; and, finally, the substantial character of the stone enclosure which surrounds the monastery buildings, with often an effective porch at the entrance. in the curves of roof and eaves they show a real artistic sense. the materials used are brick, covered with stucco, timber, and wood tiles; and, where an arch is attempted, it is always supported by a horizontal beam in the chinese fashion, with the space above usually filled in, or else a perpendicular goes up from it. it is curious that there are no signs of any knowledge of true arches in these states. [illustration: wat chieng tong.] the main feature of the muang is the central hill known as kao chom pu si, a bluff of limestone standing up out of the red sandstone plain on which the town is built; its longer axis is parallel with the river, from which it is less than a quarter of a mile distant. on the summit is a small wat, with a lofty pagoda pinnacle visible for miles round; a huge drum hung here is struck every hour by a monk, and its boom rolls down all over the valley. what with it and the bugles and other wats' gongs, one is never at a loss to know the time. the town is clustered round the hill, and, except on the south, there is water in almost each direction, the nam kan coming winding into the big river from the east, just to the north. [illustration: pa chom si, luang prabang.] the people, among whom slavery was abolished a few years ago by phya surasak, who went up as the siamese general to quiet the black flags, are a very independent race, and, possibly mindful of a powerful past, think somewhat of themselves, and do very little manual labour. the men, i regret to own, are very much addicted to opium; stealing is not absolutely unknown, and generally the code of morals is not as severe as in nan. the women, instead of the timidity and shyness to which we had been accustomed so far (so that, when they could, we always found the women bolt into the jungle at the sight of strangers, or at least retire), showed a very free and easy manner, and are much addicted to giggling and chatter. [illustration: plan of luang prabang and river.] the industrious sounds of the foot rice-mills are hardly ever to be heard in the town; and the market, instead of taking place in the early dawn, that the day's work may not be interfered with, lasts roughly from dawn to sunset, with the exception of an hour or two at noon. all down the main street, which runs between the hill and the river, the ladies sit behind their baskets, flirting with the men, who cruise up and down with apparently not much else to do. this market is a very big affair, and besides the usual endless fruit, cigarettes and flowers, there are huge steaks of pla reum, ducks, ducks' and hens' eggs, pigs dead and alive, opium lamps, japanese matches, needles and pins, cotton, coarse cotton cloth, tobacco, and a fair sprinkling of manchester goods. among the people one sees besides the laos of the place, are nan laos, lus, or khache, and various hill tribes remarkable for their scanty clothing,[5] chinese, shan traders from up the nam oo, haws, and burmese. at the time of my visit, the french consulate was across on the other side of the river, m. ducant being in charge there. there is also a french store with all sorts of french goods, connected with the "syndicat du haut laos." these goods i found most unpopular with the people, and when i bought one or two things for my men (päs, as they call them, for throwing over the shoulder like a mantle, or for sarongs), they refused to have them, saying the people had told them they were "no good,"--one reason being they would not wash. the imports of this store, brought by boat down the nam nua and nam oo from tongking, amounted in february and march, 1893, to 19,841 francs' worth. the commissioner, and my own observation in part confirmed it, told me that the store has to be heavily subsidized, and is not successful, the goods not being wanted by the laos, who make their own rough cotton stuffs for hard work, and their own silk finery, and find these more lasting and efficient for the work for which they are wanted. the frenchmen told me they often lose valuable cargoes in the rapids in the nam oo. while on this subject, i may say that small tricolours and medals are freely given in all directions to any native who will take them. i found at nong khai that the commissioner had some hundreds of these small flags which had been brought him by the laos there at different times as having been given them by the frenchmen, naively remarking that they could "find no use for them," and so they would give them to the commissioner, if any good to him. these flags are also given largely to the monks, to ornament their wats with, with "vive la france!" inscribed across them. [illustration: stone implements.] beyond these, i saw no signs of french commerce among the people. the nam nua and nam oo route over from jonking, though a rough one, no doubt answers its purpose on the whole, and to m. pavie, the minister at bangkok, who has travelled the country extensively, and has left kindly memories behind him, belongs the credit of it. another frenchman who has done good work in the neighbourhood is dr. massé, who lately died of fever going down the mekong. for years he carefully and enthusiastically studied the geology of the district, and he has been able to determine the age of the luang prabang series; all his specimens (including some coal and beautifully sharp stone implements) and his papers are, i believe, in m. pavie's hands, and will prove of enormous interest. the party at the french consulate, whether owing to their mode of life, or the climate, did not look well at all; and from the headaches and fevers which laid hold of the people with me while at m. luang i am not surprised. in justice to the place, it must be owned, march is the hottest month. i did not see any cases of the famous luang prabang fever, which has carried off so many. like that usual in dong choi, the temperature rises very fast and very high, and, if fatal, is generally so after two or three days. [illustration: government offices, luang prabang.] there is, or was, a police force in the town recruited from the laos, but their duties are very light. fights or quarrelling are unknown, whatever other faults there may be, and the most important part of the police duties is to keep a watch for fires. only one occurred while we were there, and the promptitude with which the buglers went sounding out the alarm from all the guard-stations and the men turned out was most creditable; luckily there was no wind, and it was got under very quickly. the head-quarters, as far as the siamese government was concerned, were in a newly built set of offices, standing in a large drill-ground; the whole thing was done by the soldiers and the people of the place under prah prasadah's orders and watchful eye. it is built of teak, with red-tiled roofing, and consists of a front hall, long offices on both sides, and at the back sleeping-rooms and more offices. here, in the evenings, took place regular concerts, to several of which we went for an hour or two. the people of luang prabang are undoubted music-lovers to a high degree, and night after night, after the major and lieutenants had messed, the musicians arrived in the hall, squatted down, and began, sometimes the wailing laos music, sometimes the quick jig tunes of siam. the instruments consisted of two two-stringed violins, a high-pitched flageolet, and one or sometimes two _kans_, a kind of reed-organ carried about by the player, who is the bellows. sometimes the bamboo reeds are over 6 feet in length, but they are light; the mouth is applied at a mouthpiece toward the lower end, where the fingers play on each side, there being two sets of reeds side by side. the instrument is held upright in front or slightly inclined over the shoulder, and the sweetness of the tones is wonderful. this usually forms a bass, and smaller ones with shorter reeds accompany the voice well. it would be no exaggeration to say that nearly every household in luang prabang possesses one, sometimes two. a most striking thing it is at night, far into the early hours, to hear the distant kans from all sides playing in the houses, now and then drowned by the nearer approach of one whose master has been out calling late, and goes striding down the road with perhaps three or four more friends in single file behind, playing a march tune with all his lungs like any highland piper. one of my pleasant memories of life will ever be those evenings when turning in, after the hot day in the verandah, one listened to the sound of the _kans_ passing homeward, and rising and falling on the night-air. what with the evening bugles, too, and the drum upon the hill, and the cocks and _nok poots_, who never fail to announce the hours 9 p.m., midnight, 3 a.m., and 6 a.m., whether in the jungles or among the dwellings of man, a light sleeper would complain bitterly. in the concerts at the new offices there were often _kan_ solos; while the orchestra, when in full swing, was accompanied by clapping of hands and the tinkle of metal; the songs, albeit curious, were not to me so enjoyable, though very much so to the laos. a number of pretty damsels, in their most gorgeous silks, sat round busily chewing betel-nut; these would be asked to give a subject, and one with a good deal of blushing would give in a loud tone her subject. the orchestra struck up, and the singer had to make the best he could of it on the spot; and judging by the laughter and general approbation after each verse, he was generally successful. but we all failed signally to understand the words--the language here differing very much from that of nan, of which we had begun to pick up some; while, when sung, it is even more incomprehensible. what with the attractions of music, their love and battle songs, and perhaps other things, the laos of luang prabang keep late hours, and are late to turn out. the chow luang and chow huanar, with whom i exchanged visits, are pleasant, open-countenanced men, and after a second visit became quite jovial. the latter helped me a great deal in my work, and i was sorry to say good-bye. their houses were large teak buildings, but the chow luang is building one of brick. [illustration: keng kang, nam oo. the plunge off the left bank.] our longest expedition from here was up the nam oo, which comes in from the north-east. the scenery of this river is very fine, as all the way from muang ngoi, to which we went, it winds through abrupt limestone peaks and ranges, covered with dense forest, and often overhanging the deep quiet river below. but the rapids scattered along its course are furious, and, owing to the shallow water and innumerable sunken rocks, are very dangerous, while quite a high sea runs in them. they differ from most of the big mekong rapids in that they are caused by rough sloping bottoms of rock ridges, over which the water tears its way. in the great river the majority of the rapids are simply owing to the narrowing of the channel, with possible big rock obstructions rising out of a depth which, with a 20-fathom line, often gave no bottom (this in low-water season). in these the acceleration of speed and commotion are caused by the enormous pressures behind, and the frictions below, and the force of the back eddies, which go tearing in toward any little or big opening in the banks of rock, and come sweeping back again in wave-like rushes or in whirlpools. "rapid" is often a misnomer; for what with whirlpools, the sudden capricious rushes of water boiling up in a mound of spray, and flowing wildly in apparently any direction but the one by which it will eventually get out, and the great back eddies and counter currents below, the boat, alternately dragged to the right bank, spins round on the edge of a whirlpool, hurries over on a mass of foam to the left side, and there caught and hurried up the side again, or swirled off downwards into another whirlpool, spends several minutes in passing down a hundred yards, though every hand is straining at the oars, and steersman and bow-oar are lugging for dear life to keep her straight, and save her ends from being caught up on the rocks at which she is hurled. such are many of the worst of the mekong rapids, which will prove too much for any number of steamers, extending often, as they do below chieng kan, for miles. even the great rushes of solid water, and converging lines of breakers of the rapids, where, as in the keng luang below luang prabang, the already compressed water has to fight its way over a shelving bank of huge shingle, of which each stone is often as big as an average laos house, will prove easier to navigate. but in the nam oo the shallowness of the water is the danger, and there is often, as in keng luang two days up, a fall straight over a dioritic ledge of 3 feet. this class of rock it is which forms the rapids, and when the limestone hills retire from the river edge, and low-lying, round-topped hills less densely jungled, come in, one may look out for a rapid and change of formation. [illustration: keng luang.] the villages up this river are very poor, except in ducks, which are seen swimming merrily about in all the quiet reaches, and not a few of the rapids. as to buying them, it was almost impossible, though it was the only form of fresh food obtainable. we could hardly get the people to take money, and had to barter, though we were rather short of things ourselves. it is odd how difficult it is to get tea, and as our bangkok tea had given out, hot water, with sometimes a few herbs[6] picked by chow benn yenn, had to take its place. he also produced a dish of butterflies' bodies one evening with the curry, but they had, to my mind, not much flavour. he also had a weakness for a species of cricket, which he cooked by throwing on the fire, and then devoured. frogs, too, are eaten by the laos, they going to the extent of eating the body as well as legs of the _ongan_ when the rains begin. the siamese also eat the _kob_, a small frog, of which the legs are certainly very good; and when the french gunboats were in bangkok they were not to be got in the markets for love or money. up and down this river a considerable trade in hill rice takes place between the hill villages and luang prabang, and we met greater numbers of boats than on the mekong; they were most of them ascending at the time, with three men, or in the longer craft four, poling. the bamboo is placed against the outside shoulder; the man, facing aft and leaning low, runs the boat up till he reaches the deck-house; he then brings in the pole hand-over-hand until he has it about the middle, and then with the arms straight up above his head, to keep the bamboo over the head of his fellow, goes forward again. this business, continued for hour on hour, is very hard work indeed, as any one who tries it will discover; and the light narrow boat rolls a good deal, making foothold at times very difficult, and no one wearing shoes could stay on board for two minutes. going up the rapids is far more dangerous than descending, for the boat has to be poled and often hauled round right angles of rock just outside which a tall hollow sea is jumping in a roaring cataract. if the bows be once caught, away she goes broadside, and nothing will stop her, and all hands at the tow-line go too. it is in this way that all the swampings, as a rule, take place; but, except in keng kang, it is seldom that any one is drowned. it is really astonishing at what a rate these fellows run their boats with their poles up the most difficult places, and then, holding on for a moment under the lee of a rock, all hands but the steersman go overboard with the rope, and fight from rock to rock in any speed or depth of current, avoiding always the big waves. one soon learns to have a respect for these exploits, for they mean having one's breath knocked out of one pretty frequently, and a few good bumps and cuts, which, sad to say, have a way of leaving some discomfort behind. but laos and siamese alike are never known to grumble, and after a bout of the kind they squat down above the rapid, light cigarettes, and laugh with enjoyment. fishing on the nam oo is very largely practised, the best time being at the end of the rains, when the fish swarm. across the heads of the rapids are rows of stakes, and every twenty yards will be a fishing shelter, just above a gap in the stakes, through which the fish are expected to find their way. these shelters are light constructions, built on groups of stakes, ballasted with stones, and strongly buttressed on the lower sides. notwithstanding these precautions, however, when the river rose after heavy rains, which had already (in march) begun higher up, and which delayed us very seriously, we saw several of these shelters carried away bodily down stream. on the upper side is a platform, on which the inhabitants (for they often live, a whole family of them, in these places) may take the air. a single bamboo with a handrail forms a connection with the long line of stakes, by which they may reach the other shelters or get on shore; but a small dug-out always lies moored below as well. step inside the house and all is dark, the light being carefully excluded, except where it enters through a large hole in the floor; the _yah kah_, a long jungle grass, with which the houses are always roofed, is carried on each side right down to the water level, and the light thus only enters through the water. thus every fish for twelve feet down is clearly seen, and there two men will sit smoking silently and gazing intently by the hour into the water, every now and then hoisting out a broad dip-net, spread by bamboos, with their prey. a spear is also sometimes used. it is curious to see these people, with wife and family, living on the narrow strip of flooring which goes round the hole--in fact, the latter occupies most of the house; but they seem very comfortable, and smoke, and cook, and feed, and sleep on a strip 3 feet wide with great complacency. the women were very much like the little shy ka kaws, and smoked their long pipes and dressed just as elaborately in their dark blue, with the same ornamented head-dresses. however, most of these houses at this time of year were not inhabited, and i only saw one or two families at home. [illustration: ascending keng luang, nam oo.] [illustration: fishing stakes and shelters, nam oo.] muang ngoi, at which there was a siamese military station, is most beautifully situated among precipitous hills; it is one of the prettiest places we saw, well-built, tidy, with a street (as generally in towns in the province of luang prabang) running parallel with the river. immediately over it almost hang the limestones, all round except on the east, up which the people grow their rice in the narrow valley. up here goes the trade route toward the black river, and down the track i met coming staggering in under their heavy loads many ka kaws--women, girls, and boys. i call them ka kaws[7] for want of a more accurate name; the siamese called them all khache, or khamus, which they are not. no one can discriminate among the infinite numbers of these tribes, nor can they do it themselves, except with neighbours of the next valleys. they wore the prevailing blue; the women's head-gear often a tall, blue cloth, with a little red showing at top, beads and shells. large rings, of four and more inches in diameter, hang from the ears, of which the lobes are made very big. the weights they carry are enormous; from casually lifting them i should say they were 45 to 50 pounds. the basket is held by a band which passes over the forehead; the result is a stooping gait, the arms being swung across the body, as a sailor's, as they walk or almost jog along. two or three men usually accompany the carriers; and the latter, even boys and girls, have a terribly worn appearance. yet greet them with the usual questions: "where are you bound for?" or "where are you come from?" "how many days out?" "are you tired?" etc., and they reply with the merriest laugh and smile, which is almost touching. their faces have very little of the laos in them, or of the chinese or haws, and are round and kind in expression. the siamese troops, only some twenty-five in number, were of fine physique; but it is a fact (not a political statement) that "aggression" and "advance" are utterly contrary to the purposes of the frontier stations kept up by the siamese government. we obtained bananas at one or two places and sugar-cane, and on the way down, as the latter does not grow at luang prabang, we loaded our boats deep with the canes, which were, however, short and not very juicy. however, we kept the larder going with cormorants, which were in great numbers both here and down the mekong. this brings me to the birds i was able to identify[8] while in the mekong drainage. commonest were these same _cormorants_, which the laos call "crow duck," owing to their black colour and love for the water. the large cormorant was continually to be seen sitting on isolated rocks, often with his wings hung up to dry, in which position he would suffer us to come very close. the small cormorants were common in flocks, seldom singly, and, on our approach, would dive away out of sight, not one remaining. not expecting to see them, it was a great pleasure to come across the beautiful little _terns_ swooping and rushing over the water. one was either the whiskered tern or the white-winged black tern--i think probably the latter, as the greyish colour predominated with the dull-red bill and legs. they were generally in back waters and temporary lakes formed in the sandbanks by the fall of the river, and were in flocks. i did not secure any. the black-billed tern--larger than the former, with its easily distinguished orange-yellow bill and red feet, i got a specimen of. they were fairly common, but even in march and april i found no nests. of the kingfishers i only saw on the mekong one or two specimens of the pied bird. crossing from the meinam, however, there was a very small one we frequently met in the mountain streams flowing down to that river, which would suddenly fly off up stream with a low whistle. i did not procure any, but from its size it was probably the little three-toed kingfisher. another we constantly saw perched on a bamboo overhanging the water, or poising in the air, must have been, from its high colouring, the little indian kingfisher. of herons, i saw, and shot, the large white heron (as on the meinam), singly and in flocks, on the sand-banks; the common heron, generally stalking singly on the sand-spits, and hard to get near; the purple, of which i saw two couples in the lowlands: the little black-billed white heron, in flocks on the flat by the paddy fields; the cattle egret, walking about with the buffaloes, or perched on their backs; and the pond heron, which one would almost stumble upon, so invisible was he on the ground, till away he sped aloft, and then the white wings were clear cut against the blue sky overhead. of eagles, there was the osprey, with his white head, hovering after fish, and a larger bird in swamps near the jungle, with white and darting broad tail, and the upper plumage and breast brown, presumably the bar-tailed fishing eagle. i saw some small species too, but never shot any, and, except the black eagle in the forest-covered hills soaring above us on the wing, and a large, slow, sluggish bird, like that we saw on the meinam, with a hoarse cry (qu. steppe eagle), i seldom got a good view of them. adjutants, which they call _nok karien_, i saw in flocks of four, six, or eight in the paddy fields of the chieng kong, nam ngau, and khorat plains. they were fairly tame, but with the rifle i could not get nearer than 200 yards; the whistle of a bullet sent them sluggishly flopping their great wings 50 yards or so on, and to follow them was an endless pursuit. pea-fowl are very common here and on the nam nan. often and often, far overhead above the jungle, would come the measured sound which the great pied hornbill makes with each sweep of the wings, an indescribable sound, half a "whirr" and half the "whistle of a sword swept through the air." they were always in couples, and flew high. the white ibis, walking about in flocks in shallow water, and the little cotton teal goose, also in flocks, in swampy back waters, who would dive and disappear to a man, i saw several times. two specimens of the large grey-headed imperial pigeon, with chestnut back and wing coverts, were shot by my tuon boatman in the hills above the meinam. the common "wood pigeon" is seen and heard all through siam. in the open plains and jungles a dove, of which i shot many for breakfast, was very common; this seems to be the malay spotted dove. there are other doves common in different parts of siam, and wagtails and sandpipers innumerable, but i cannot now name them. as to the _nok poot_, with his slight crest, dull red-wing coverts and long dark green tail feathers, and his habit of drinking where he finds water, and of running swiftly off into the low jungle, he must, i think, be a pheasant. this is absolutely the commonest bird in the country, and that "poot, poot" sound is never silent for long; at night i have often heard a chorus of this sound from out the jungle all round, and always at the hours of cock crow, _i.e._ 9 p.m., midnight, 3, and 6 a.m., as mentioned above. the cock in this country is used for a timepiece at night, as well as a fighting champion by day, and not a boat or an ox-cart, caravan, or a cottage in the whole country but has its cock. one result of this cockfighting mania is very funny: the birds become pets, as dogs and cats do with us, and the small boys go out walking with these things carried lovingly in their arms; you may see them stroking them and looking longingly into their ugly faces as if they found some expression therein. but their end is generally in a curry, and very tough they make it. this form of sport is on the whole most outrageously general in siam proper. the total population of luang prabang, including that portion of the province on the right bank, was just over 98,500. in the town itself there cannot be more than about 9000; this only includes the laos proper, and not lus, la was, or khache.[9] it is difficult to judge of the town, which straggles along the three or four main roads that have recently been made around the central hill, and far beyond them out into the plain, both inland, up the nam kan, and down the mekong. north of the town are also numbers of fairly large and prosperous villages. the broadening out of the river here, the absence of rapids, and the retirement to the eastward of the hill range, which forms a sort of amphitheatre around the little plain, seems to have attracted settlers from an early time. still, either owing to the laziness of the inhabitants or, as i think more probably, to the poverty of the soil (which is the same barren red sandstone mentioned above), there is certainly not much cultivation done here or on the other side of the big river, where there is low-lying land behind the small range which immediately abuts on the river there. the jungle, too, is itself very thin and dwarfed. i hardly think laziness will account for this, for peaceful tending of rice crops would be far easier work than poling and struggling up nam oo rapids, which is the way the people get their rice at present, going right up into the hills for it. some really beautiful silver-work is done, but fishing and killing pigs seem to be the chief industry. there is a breed of the finest-shaped and fiercest goats i have ever seen, which wander about the streets and hill, and give the pariah dogs a rough time; but i did not see that any other use was made of them. the day we left, a letter arrived from the king in bangkok, and was received in great state by the chow luang; it was carried in state down the road with gorgeous umbrellas above and flutes playing before. this was _re_ the appointment of phya pechai as commissioner--the last. the minimum temperature for these three weeks[10] was 61° up the nam oo; the average minimum for ten days up that river, 64°; the average maximum in the deck-house of the boat, 85°. the lowest maximum for any day was 71°, but it was a "saft" day, with a solid deluge for thirty-six hours. (the laos cannot work in the rain; they shiver to such an extent that the whole boat vibrates, so we spent a day sitting in the boats. in this case i had 3 feet 3 inches head-room, 2 feet 4 inches extreme elbow-room, the boat being only 45 feet long.) the maximum in luang prabang i did not get, being there very little by day; the temperature in the jungle is much lower. strong, hot winds from south-west and thick haze was the rule except before the storms, when the air became sultry, and then it blew a gale of wind from north-west to north. the rains were beginning. aneroid, which was unreliable, 28.60 inches to 28.45 before squalls. the first day out, going south from luang prabang, one of our double boats filled and sank, ruining maps, notes, and other things. we awaited the arrival of another at pak si, from whence one of our laos boatmen had also to be sent back. he had apparently abscess in the liver; i could do nothing for him, and he sank rapidly. the stream hoay si, a few miles inland, comes tumbling over a fine fall, where a number of beautiful travertine terraces have been formed below, in which the pools are of intense blue. all the trees, branches, twigs, and leaves within reach of the foam are being encrusted with carbonate of lime, and the effect is very beautiful, with the luxuriant growth around. five days brought us to paklai, whence the trail goes over to m. pechai on the meinam. the journey up takes a fortnight, for this long north and south reach is full of serious rapids. two days and three days below luang prabang are the rapids of keng seng and keng luang. in the former, which tears over a rough bottom, my boat was completely swamped, but was kept afloat by her bamboos. the latter is a very fine sight, and is a narrow contraction, with a rough, inclined bottom; the water tumbles off the bluff domes of the east bank in cascades of foam, and from the west it is driven off in three hollow ridge-like waves. in the centre, at first quietly, and with accelerating pace goes the main mass, getting narrower, until with three huge undulations, which send a boat half her length out of water as she jumps down them, it tears into the embrace of the two raging, broken currents coming off the banks, and there it leaps and foams and thunders, echoing off the big black crystalline rocks from age to age. many boats are lost here, and just below lay the battered remains of a fine craft of 65 feet, smashed from stem to stern. the laos show considerable sense in always taking breakfast before they try one of these rapids, however early in the morning. south of keng luang the river bed is narrow, and flows very fast among slate rocks, dipping very steeply (50°, 60°, and upwards), west for many miles, limestone hills lying back some way from the river. these long reaches are very wild, with no sign of man. birds, crocodiles, and tigers, with occasional pig, "sua pah" or leopard, and deer reign and fight and feed along the jungled banks. above paklai begin the first wooded islands, of which there are many below, and the whole river widens out and hills fall back. here i was able to get soundings with a 20-fathom line, and above the fine limestone mass which distinguishes ban liep, we had 19, 17, 8, 6, 5, 3, and 2 fathoms as the river spread out; below it it narrowed down a bit, and we had over 10 fathoms most of the way to paklai, with now and then 6 and 8. paklai is a pretty little place, and is the official port of departure for the north. there are good salas and elephant stables, and a clearing by the river, a good landing in a creek among the rocks, and plenty of boats and people. but here for the first time we had the abominable little "luep," small black flies, which are a far more irritating torture than mosquitos, and attack one's hands and face by thousands. they are worst just about sunset as a rule, and smoke or a strong breeze are the only things to keep them away, and to sleep in a curtain of linen is absolutely necessary. the rains bring them and most other jungle plagues. from here the river begins to turn away to the south-east, with quite a new phase of mekong scenery--placid reaches half a mile wide, with gently sloping banks, the hills low and gentle in their curves, more like some upper reaches in the meinam, or a bit of thames. the change was delightful, as it always is, and continued for two days to chieng kan, with only one break at keng mai, a rapid over a shallow, shelving bank, where the water storms with a bar of white crests right across, like sea breaking on a reef. decks were cleared and the hands set baling, and we all went through in style, but the cook's boat, which got the least bit athwart the current, was caught in the rough water, and swamped with our rice. the depths down to the town are 1, 2, up to 5 fathoms. chieng kan is built along the southern bank (for here the river begins an east-north-east course), with a fine paddy-growing plain behind it, and is about a mile long, with an indifferent road passing along it. the most remarkable things about the place are the immense numbers of coconut palms, and the cheapness of the fruit;[11] the number of burmese british subjects (who out of the kindness of their hearts supplied one with any amount of provisions); and the fact that the laos women cut their hair short like the siamese. the people are a friendly, pleasant race. a good deal of fishing is done here, and in poling the small craft up stream, a small rudder is used over the outside (in this case starboard) quarter to prevent the boat running round, as also at luang prabang and nongkhai. these rudders are fixed, and do their work alone as a rule, but are sometimes in bigger boats fitted with a yoke and long bamboo tiller (as used together in norwegian boats), the latter reaching to the fore deck. sometimes in the evening, as the people lie tending their fish-baskets, the boats look, with their up-turned ends and small shelter (in which the man's clothes or his net, with its weights and buoys, may be put) which stands almost amidships, like a distant gondola. [illustration: rudder.] [illustration: boats fishing.] this province, which is under pechai, is undoubtedly very rich in mineral, but the distances and difficulties of transport are at present against its development. there is a rich, alluvial gold deposit northward, and a variety of ores occur south toward m. loey, including massive iron-ore beds. after some stay, we set out with fresh boats and crews, and were five days passing the wild rapids between here and wieng chan. the river finds its way among low hills in a narrow, deep channel between clay-slate rocks alternating with sandstones and conglomerates with a general easterly dip. the rapids are of the whirlpool and eddy character, and extend for miles on end; the water is in places confined to a width of 150 feet, and the rushes, boilings, spinnings, and general deafening pandemonium which results is astounding; not one place is like another, nor one whirlpool like the next. numbers of boats never get through here, as they, in spinning round in a whirlpool or sudden explosion of water, get their ends ashore and smashed on the rocks. it was a most tiring time for the men, deep down in the heat of this great rock ditch, with no wind to cool the air, and above on either hand a good half-mile of rocks and vast spaces of sand shimmering in the hot sun. [illustration: last of the hills above wieng chan.] just above wieng chan the hills disappear. the last of them are a flat-bedded red sandstone, passing into a conglomerate, the huge slabs lying in rows beside the water. the river opens out between them into a beautiful wide lake, known as the hong pla buk, from the numbers of those big fish caught here. the scene on a quiet evening was beautiful, with the terns dipping and darting about us. here in the deep still water, we heard again, as we used to do in the meinam, the "talking" of the _pla liu ma_ (dog's-tongue fish) beneath the boat; it is a grunt similar to that of the gurnard, only very much louder and more sonorous, and you may hear several at a time chattering away under you. camped on some of these huge sandstone blocks, we had a good opportunity of watching the polishing power of the wind-swept sand, which, next to the rushing water, with its enormous burden of sediment, is the agent by which all the rock surfaces of the mekong get the wonderful polish which makes them so peculiar. the exterior appearances are often entirely deceptive, and the sun glistens off them as off a looking-glass. yet the points and pinnacles, especially among the schists, are terribly sharp, often cutting the feet like knives. the polish the red granite takes just west of this, and the beauty of the veined limestone boulders further north, are a delight to look at. at wieng chan, on the north bank, hardly a hill is in sight; all round plains, bamboos, and palms. the site of the old city, which was destroyed in 1827 by the siamese for rebellion, is a mass of jungle-covered ruins. the remains of the old brick wall, and of the great wat prakaon, are very fine; the latter rises from a series of terraces, up which broad flights of steps lead, and is of large proportions. the effect of height is increased by the perpendicular lines of the tall columns, which support the great east and west porticos, and which line the walls along the north and south; the windows between the latter being small, and narrower at top than at the bottom, also lead the eye up. a second outer row of columns once existed, and the effect must have been very fine. now the roof is gone, and the whole structure crowned by a dense mass of foliage, as is the case with all the remains of smaller buildings not yet destroyed. one very beautiful little pagoda at the west end is now encased in a magnificent peepul tree which has grown in and around it, and has preserved it in its embrace. there are remains of several deep-water tanks, and the grounds, which were surrounded by a brick wall, must once have been beautiful. but the best thing at wieng chan, or the old city, as they call it, is the gem of a monastery known as wat susaket. it is a small building, the wat itself, of the usual style, with the small lantern rising from, the central roof, as at luang prabang. the walls are very massive, and, with the height inside, the place was delightfully cool; all round the interior from floor to roof the walls are honeycombed with small niches in rows, in which stand the little gilt "prahs," looking out imperturbably, generally about 8 inches in height. [illustration: the ruins of wat prakaon, wieng chan.] [illustration: niche and statue.] round this building outside runs a rectangular cloister, which faces inwards, and here, at one time, the monks were living among the statues which stand round the walls, many of these 3 and more feet high, while the walls too are ornamented with niches similar to those inside the main building. in the centre of each side there is a gateway surmounted by a gable, there being also similar ornaments at each corner. the beauty and the retired air of the court inside could not be surpassed, and the effect of the green grass, the white walls, the low-reaching red-tiled roofs, and the deep shadows is charming; there is nothing flat, nothing vulgarly gaudy, and very little that is out of repair. and here, as is most noticeable in the remains of the other buildings about, the proportions are perfect. in this the ruined remains of wieng chan surpass all the other buildings i have seen in siam, and bear witness to a true artistic sense in the builders. though the old city is not inhabited, and the site thereof seems under a curse, the villages along the bank of the river, both above and below, have a flourishing appearance, and the paths along the river, with their cool shade, were full of people. [illustration: south-west angle, wat susaket, wieng chan.] leaving wieng chan, we had our last and most curious experience of the meinam kong and its wanton ways. a vast mass of heavy thunderclouds lay to the east, south-east, and south, and into this, as happens in the rainy season, a strong draught of air, first from south-west, then west, and then north-west, was blowing. this began to freshen, and with two square sails i got rigged to my ship we made very good way, until it began blowing really hard and a sea got up, the water being here over half a mile in width, with 2, 3, and 5-fathom soundings; we then had to strike sail, while astern a vast cloud of sand, twigs, leaves, and even pebbles, came sweeping along with a roar. the other three boats were, when we saw them last, just broaching to, all close together. the laos, who face rapids or elephants with composure, quite lost their heads, and the only use to be made of them was to set them to hang on to the deck-house, which was being carried out of the ship. she tried very hard to swamp herself, for when the squall came up the strength was terrific, and the seas hollow and breaking solidly. however, by keeping her stern to it, we shot on through the thick darkness, frequently belaboured with missiles, and after a great deal of difficulty in weathering a lee shore we got round a point and brought up, after two rattan ropes had been carried away. meantime many dug-outs passed us waterlogged and adrift, and when at last the wind got to the north and fell not a boat was in sight. except our own, every other craft in the river had been swamped, including our other three boats, which were carried broadside into the lee shore we had got round, and had a handsome battering. everything in them was full of water, while the men escaped and sat on shore till it was all over, and when they arrived at ban bar, where we lay for the night, they did not seem to have enjoyed the fun at all. this village is more siamese than laos in appearance; there are numbers of chinamen of unprepossessing appearance and manners, who kept shops and pariahs. the latter was a nuisance we had been comparatively free from; in fact, on the upper river, at chieng kong, there were very decent breeds to be seen, and chow benn yenn got from one of his villages a beautiful black-and-tan collie, exactly like a good specimen at home, with the exception that he had a short tail like a manx cat. it was a beautiful dog and a capital sporting animal. the long black-haired and black-tongued "chow" dog we saw several times, and also small, brown, long-haired animals with high, curled tails. a peculiarity about these dogs was that, being accustomed to the laos _kao neo_, when we got back to siam and _kao chow_ (the ordinary rice), they would have none of it. the next day we reached nongkhai, and were very cordially welcomed by krom prachak, a brother of the king, who is commissioner. the town owes its existence to the fall of wieng chan, and is scattered along the south bank; there is a considerable number of chinamen keeping shops here, and to them and its character as the official centre, it owes its importance. the houses extend all along the river-side for a mile and a half, mostly well shaded by areca and coconut palms. here once more, on the great plain lying to the south, we saw the tall, gaunt sugar palms standing against the sky, and again saw the _kiens_, or ox-carts, with their long, black hoods, wending their slow way in single file, the groaning, grunting, and shrieking, which accompanies their every movement and jerk, coming slowly down the wind. here once more, sad to say, we came across a character most of us have known in siam--the _kamoë_, or thief--and we hadn't been an hour in the place before he had begun work. here, too, we again heard the horrid sound of chains, dragged along the hot, dusty road by wretched, emaciated creatures carrying water--hardly strong enough to lift the chains at their ankles. and here, again, were, among the decent houses, dirty, squalid cottages and drunkenness. the fact is, the cattle-driving people of the plains become by their occupation different in character to the mountaineers; it was very noticeable, striking right upon them here, how much more stolid and less expressive their faces are, how black and muddy--or dusty if the rain keeps off--they become in their long, slow rides upon their carts, and, in general, how like their own sleepy, blinking buffaloes they become--as, too, one may see in the great plains of india. the circumstances and conditions of life are all different; and drinking slow-running mud, which they euphemistically call water, sloshing laboriously through seas of reeking bog and swamp, and enduring the tormenting bites of innumerable huge flies, which attack elephants, buffaloes, oxen, horses, and men indiscriminately, but untiringly, must result in a differently developed man from that built up by mountain marches, high aloft on dry hillsides or deep down in cold stream beds, leaping from rock to stone or plunging into the rushing water, where life is a perfect fight. not that the plains are always so disagreeable; given the dry, cool months of december and january, travelling in them becomes a luxury; but there is never the same exhilarating air or the same pure water. the commissioner's house is at the western end of the town, surrounded by the sheds of the military detachment. at the back a very pretty garden is being made; and this and a new straight road, inland of the present street and parallel with it, are the works of construction on hand. the ground on each side of the new road--which, by its unlovely straightness, carried one far away to similar ugliness in civilized lands, and was the only unnatural thing we saw--is being eagerly applied for by the chinese; but a great drawback must for some time be the absence of shade. the river is undoubtedly cutting into the soft laterite bank here, and in a few years the old site will go down with a run. prince prachak is a reformer; he is very keen in "reforming the laos," but is grieved to find they don't want to be reformed. he says--what is very true--that their work is always desultory (one month they plant rice, another they go fishing, another they wash gold in the sands), and that they will not settle down into trades. they prefer, too, to play music on their kans in the evenings to doing more useful things, and are, in fact, lazy. but i fear it is not surprising, and that it will be some time before the laos take to trades. the chinese shopkeepers import their goods from bangkok through khorat, and the journey, in the matter of shoes or felt hats from london, increases the price about one _salung_ at the first place, and two by the time they reach nongkhai. they show for sale calico goods of all colours and patterns (as one sees in bangkok for "panungs," "pahs," etc.), shoes, sandals, belts, pots and pans, matches, chinese umbrellas, and teapots, the first mostly english, and as they sell these well, they tell you with a grin they soon make their fortunes and retire. the wats are wretched little places, ill built and ill kept, the most interesting thing being the bell of the principal wat, which is a huge hollowed timber, some 3 feet in diameter and 7 feet high, hung to a crossbar at the top. struck end on with a stout pole, the sound is deep and sonorous. this form, but usually smaller, is often used in siam, and for attaching to the necks of elephants or oxen (which invariably have a bell), there are clappers hung on a string on each side, which keep up a continual tinkle. fixed on a bent bamboo, the same form of bell is used by fishermen on the shore end of their set lines to give warning of a big fish or other disturbance. there is always a slit up, about a quarter of the way, slightly wider at the top, on each side. [illustration: bell.] the weather from the time we left luang prabang to the time we reached nongkhai had the unsettled character of the beginning of the rains, though it was only april month. south-westerly winds and haze by day, low heavy clouds in the evenings, and thunderstorms of great violence, with strong squalls of wind shifting round by west and north-west to north at night, making sleep impossible while they lasted, and generally driving into the boats everywhere. the lowest and highest readings of the thermometer were, on the same day when we arrived at chieng kan, after some heavy storms, 63° fahr. at sunrise, 104° at 2 p.m. in the boats. for the rest of the time, the average minimum was 72°, generally half an hour before sunrise. the average maximum in the shade, 92° (in the boats). in the shady sala, on the tree-covered bank at nongkhai, we never had over 89°, and, whether owing to the advent of the rains or not i do not know, it was much cooler and pleasanter than luang prabang had been, and all our sick men, with one or two exceptions, mended entirely; while at the former place (as too in the case of mr. archer's party) everyone had had turns of fever or bad headaches. [illustration: bell-clapper and joint.] [illustration: bamboo bell.] the coinage here was once more the tical, with only an occasional rupee. at luang prabang the two, with their small silver subdivisions, are both taken; but in nan no siamese money would pass, strings of areca nut being used for small change, as cowries are at luang prabang. _note on the "kan."_ the kan, the reed-organ used so much among the northern lao tribes, is remarkable for the sweetness of its tones, and the fact that the intervals of the notes are correct according to our musical ideas, and have a true key-note, the pitch of the instrument depending on its length. thus the five-sok kan (9 feet 4 inches long) is in the key of g--one sharp. the four-sok kan (6 feet 8 inches) in the key of d--two sharps. the two-sok kan (3 feet 4 inches) in the key of f--one flat. these are the lengths most usual, but six soks is sometimes used; it possesses very fine low tones, but requires powerful lungs, although the notes are produced by inspiration and respiration. the number of reeds never exceeds fourteen, and the arrangement of notes is as follows, numbering the reeds in couples from the mouth of the little air-chamber:--the two reeds, 1, are played with the thumb; left 1 being the key-note; right 2 being the lower octave of the same. the octave thus goes from right 2, to 3, 4, 5 and 6 left (or right 3, which is the same) on to right 4, 5, and back to the thumb note on left 1. [illustration: four-sok kan (1 inch to 2 feet).] [illustration: two-sok kan.] below the key-note right 2 come left 2 and right 1, and above the upper key-note, right 6 and 7 and left 7; thus, in the d kan of four soks, we get-[illustration: notes on a musical stave, denoted as "left." and "right."] there are no sharps or flats possible, and only half filling the holes, as in a fife, will not produce them, the note being got by the vibration of small tongues of metal fitted in the side of the reed. hence, possibly, the epithet "monotonous," which has been generally given them; and hence the fact that a good player generally has more than one. their playing is very fast and effective, but is at first hard to follow or properly understand. the mouth-piece is made of the fruit of the _mai lamut_, and being very hard, takes a lot of work in being hollowed out, and will receive a good polish outside; two parallel slits are cut along the top and bottom, and the two rows of bamboos fitted in, and the whole made airtight with beeswax. in case of damage to one of the reeds, it is quite simple to undo the grass bands which are put round at intervals, to remove the beeswax, and take out the reed; often a gentle flick on the reed will set the metal tongue vibrating again when momentarily out of order. the reeds, by being put over the fire, are often very prettily marked. [illustration: air-chamber.] they can hardly be obtained in siam, except where laos are situated. the wieng chan men, who are all over the country since the city was destroyed and they were sent south, are the best makers and players, and a few colonies of them are to be met with in the neighbourhood of bangkok. this fact of their love for this highest of indo-chinese instruments, coupled with the fine remains of the old city, certainly support the idea that at wieng chan there was civilization and taste ahead of those of the surrounding places. with regard to the music, it is impossible, without a long study of it, to say more than that they are very fond of the minor, that they use the octaves very much in playing, that the key-note may often be heard down for a long time, and the time is generally a rapid horse's trot, or quick march. at nongkhai, i heard two men play a most beautiful and stately march which made one's flesh creep; it was all in the major, and in some parts irresistibly reminded one of the famous march in _saul_. one of these was a six-sok instrument, and the effect surpassed anything i've heard in the country. they were on their way to a marriage-festival when i met them in the road; they had no fiddles or flutes with them, and were followed by a number of people marching with them to their airs. they willingly stopped, squatted down, and gave us half an hour's concert in the shade. [footnote 4: called "weehan," or shrine.] [footnote 5: such as the ka hoks.] [footnote 6: termed, when so drunk, "yah," or medicine. it is slightly pungent, and is said to be good in dysentery, and especially for keeping off fever in malarious places.] [footnote 7: probably they were kuis.] [footnote 8: by the help of e. w. oates' capital handbook to the 'birds of british burmah.'] [footnote 9: the khache, or khamus, are very much confused with the lawas, and are much like them.] [footnote 10: to the end of march.] [footnote 11: eight for a fuang = one-eighth of a tical, or 7½ cents of a dollar. at pechai we got one for a fuang.] part v. nongkhai to khorat and bangkok (_april and may_, 1893). from nongkhai we left in regular rainy weather for khorat, with 14 "kiens" or ox-carts, there being two oxen and a driver to each. twelve of these are about equal in carrying capacity to sixteen elephants as loaded for hilly country--two extra we had for sick men, of whom we still had two unable to walk; and these two, moreover, were the best protected with charms of all the men with us. these charms were small wooden _prahs_, very roughly cut, which they sew up in a bag of calico and wear round the neck and arm. no amount of chaff will persuade them that these things will not protect them from falling trees, and _dhâp_ (or sword) cuts, as well as the _pi_ of the forest or river. another danger from which they declared these things protected the whole party, were the mermaids in the mekong. against these creatures i was constantly warned when having a swim, especially above luang prabang; they described them as the "women of the water," who would drag a man down and drown him. where could this notion have come from, so singularly like our own stories?[12] south of luang prabang, one heard very little of these damsels, and much more of the _pla bûk_. on one occasion i pitched one of these charms overboard, and the owner, who was sick, promptly got well next day, to his no small astonishment. following the telegraph line, the great trail to khorat is 211 miles or so, but _detours_ have often to be made in search of villages which are generally off the main track some little distance, and this is necessary for commissariat purposes. for traders, the journey generally occupies 16 to 21 days, according to the condition of the oxen and state of the weather. when it rains, no advance is possible, as, unlike the buffaloes, the oxen cannot work in rain, and hate it, and seem to lose all their pluck; besides which, the yoke working on the damp neck tends to produce bad sores. the _kiens_, of which we frequently met long caravans, are the ships of this desert--for such this plain is often for days at a time. nothing but wood is used in the construction, as the bumping and straining is too great for any metal fastenings. the body of the carriage proper is very light, like a cariole in shape; the pole to which the yoke is attached spreading and passing along to the rear underneath. the wheels, which are very broad, and the heaviest things in the whole, turn on an axletree of hard wood (_mai kabao_, sometimes _mai deng_), which is fitted in a socket of solid wood under the car, at the inner end, and at the outer to an "outrigger," which is lashed at its end to cross-pieces firmly placed at right angles at the front and rear ends of the car. thus the weight is distributed on many points; a few ready-cut extra pieces of mai kabao are taken, and when with a lurch and a dive one of the axletrees gives way, the "outrigger" is unlashed at one end, and pulled outwards till the axletree comes out of its socket; it is then pulled out of the wheel, and a new one fitted in in a quarter of an hour. similarly, lashings may now and then give way, but a new one is put on in five minutes. over all a closely plaited cover is fitted, with a long peak forward, reaching out over where the driver sits on the pole; and in this a man may sleep protected from sun and rain. the length of the car is about 7 feet and 3 feet wide. travelling in it is only possible to a person who is accustomed to it, the jerking being so tremendous. if there were roads it would be possible with some degree of comfort, and, though dusty, they keep cool inside. [illustration: kien.] the oxen are capital animals for their purpose, and when tired and hungry can be turned loose with a certainty that in a quarter of an hour they will have satisfied themselves; the moment they have had enough, even of the rankest grass, they are ready to go on; their patience and perseverance, even in the worst swamps, pestered with flies and leeches, is wonderful. a frisky one, however, can do no end of damage, and can kick and plunge and drag the _kien_, even when loaded, at a gallop over any kind of country, and even the rein in his nose will not hold him. on occasions of this sort, some damage is often done to the cart, and delay occasioned. their kick is very quick, and pretty severe. they are always used by the laos, though seldom used by the siamese of the south. the buffalo, which wallows in the water all over siam, is generally kept for working the rice or sugar mills, and is only occasionally used by the laos in a larger cart of the same kind; but he is very surly, wilful, and erratic. large droves of them are taken south from the nongkhai neighbourhood, where their price is 12 to 15 ticals, to khorat, where their price is double; the demand for them and oxen being very great in that neighbourhood. the best ponies come from the neighbourhood of m. chulabut, but they are also very cheap round khorat. at the former place, i saw some capital beasts, and from that neighbourhood and the south at pachim the cheapest ponies are obtainable. prices for a good carrier range from 50 to 100 ticals, though an average pony of three years old, which will carry one fairly well in ordinary jungle work, may be obtained for 35 to 40 ticals. they are very small, and have a peculiar fast trot, which makes rising in the saddle impossible; the siamese or laos always sit tight in the saddle, legs almost touching the ground. at chulabut, i saw a small creature of ten hands which was very wild, and the owner wanted to get rid of him for 8 ticals; he was a wonderful little beast, and very fiery. another i was offered for 20, and another for 30; but they would be useless for europeans. for two days we travelled fairly easily, leaving the slight cultivation near nongkhai, and travelling through low, shadeless jungles, passing here and there salt-boiling pans, at which the most work is done after the rainy season, there being at other times no water. the salt covers the ground in an efflorescence, and that produced by the villages is coarse and bitter. the soil in the jungles is sandy, there being gentle undulations on the northern side, on which the sand is deepest; on the southern the trail going over rough laterite. in the depressions occur the _nongs_, or swamps, of which the plateau is full, and which in the wet weather, with their mud and deep water, make travelling almost (and in most places quite) impossible. in the neighbourhood of the main streams, which all run from west to east to the mekong, villages are established, and the scrub jungle gives place to the welcome bamboo clumps and the high betel and coconut palms, which, like church spires at home, announce to the traveller far away that he is approaching the habitations of men. the absence of good water, and the change in it, made several of the men very ill, and on the third morning i found one of the original invalids, who had had a lot of fever on the mekong, had every sign of abscess in the liver. i knew at khorat there might be a doctor, so took two men with me, with three _kiens_ and their drivers, pushed on, and arrived in nine days. the man recovered there, and was well enough to go on with us from khorat afterwards. i had heard so much of the goodness of the trail following the telegraphic clearing all the way, and of the bridges and salas, that i was very much surprised at the reality. it was the worst track we had followed, and there were only two salas which had roofs on them the whole way, one having been put up at his own expense by an officer at chulabut. the rest were blackened stumps, and solitary corner posts, from which every bit of roofing and flooring had been removed; two of these having just roof enough to keep out the dew, but no more. cheerless places enough to reach an hour after sunset, after having marched all day in the scorching morning sun and the deluge of rain which came every afternoon and continued most of the night. however, though after the hill laos, their "white-bellied" brethren of the plains were in some ways disappointing, i am bound to say that the men who were driving our kiens behaved splendidly; one of them was formerly a sergeant, and knew his drill and the english words of command once used in the siamese army well. he was the lightest and warmest-hearted man i ever travelled with, besides being, what is not too common in the east, a really smart man. he was the headman of our caravan, and i had told him that i must get on as fast as was possible to khorat, and he must help; he jumped at it. i asked him how quick we could do it from soug prue. "ten days." i told him, in that case we could also do it in nine, and he was delighted, and used to turn us out at four o'clock with his loud _sawang lëo_ (daylight come), long before there was a sign of light, and then laugh and say, "nine days, master." and so, whatever the weather, however long we stood waiting in the rain for the oxen to rest their necks before goading them on again, none of these men with me ever thought of growling; and the siamese were the same. the pony i had brought on soon got a sore back, so there was not much riding, except when it came to swimming a stream. the bridges were three in number only; one was possible, the other two were unfortunately not connected with the southern bank, so that in one case at meinam chieng kun, the waggons, after having the oxen taken out, are hauled over the loose flooring of the bridge and dropped at the end into five feet of mud and water; in the other every one avoids the bridge altogether. now, at very small expense, for the labour can be obtained for the necessary time from the neighbourhood, good bridges might be erected all along this route; as it is, the journey, as soon as the waters begin to rise, is of the most difficult and arduous kind for all these caravans. krom prachak is very eager for a light railway from khorat to nongkhai. at least years must elapse before it can be done, but in three months a good cart-road might be made, pile bridges put up, and salas repaired; then it would be possible to judge of the chances of such a railway, and the groundwork for it would be already laid. at the present moment this undulating country, which should be easy to travel, is worse provided with communications than the greater part of the hill villages in nan, and infinitely worse provided with shelter than in the most out-of-the-way mountain valleys north. yet, wherever we went, the same kindly laos welcome was given us, except in places where there were siamese settlements near by, and friction had probably occurred among the petty officials. some of the villages, to which we went slightly off the trail, such as ban tum, between the nam puang and meinam si (both big streams, very deep and swift when the water rises, flowing through extensive paddy plains and swamps), chulabut one day south of it, and ban bodibun just north of khorat, were perfect gem villages, rich in palms, rice, and cattle, with kindly people, who did all in their power to overfeed us before we started. at the former places, where there were siamese officials, everything was very neat, and the relations between them and the laos seemed to be most happy. this is, naturally, not always the case; but i am bound to say that, wherever the official is one of some standing, this state of things is the usual one. cultivation goes on round the villages; but as soon as one gets a couple of miles away, the sandy jungle or the _nongs_ resume their sway. the latter are the most peculiar feature of the region, and cover a vast area, which is larger to the eastward. some of them are merely small swamps, with shallow water and long reeds, extending over a surface of one or two square miles; others, again, are extensive areas, in which water and reeds are the only object the eye meets for miles, with here and there a little green island, where trees exist, and, in the distance, the low, long, green line of the jungle along its edge; an ideal home for the various herons, and other long-legged waders, but, alas! also tenanted by leeches and by flies, who attacked us all. the poor little oxen, at the end of a few miles, especially if the sun came out for a little in the burning way it does between rains, were covered with clouds of the latter, their necks and nose, humps and legs, smeared with blood. no resting is possible, for every moment a stop is made the deeper everything sinks into the mud; so it is plunging and struggling to the next little island, where we would stop and cook breakfast with a score of other weary mud-bespattered carts. besides these, we also met some pack-oxen going north to get salt; but as the water was out everywhere, they would have to wait before returning south. one may roughly say that the salt efflorescence occupies the low grounds, between the slightly higher laterite jungle ridges, which are yet just higher than the surface of the _nongs_. the villages in the neighbourhood are generally wretchedly dirty and untidy in appearance; the growth is only stunted bamboo, and the whole place uninviting enough. the cold weather, with its advantages of dryness and absence of insects, has also the disadvantage that water is very scarce. when we crossed, the whole low-lying area may be said to have been under water, but water of such a description that it was only here and there that it was fit for man to drink; while in the sandy forests the water, all perforating through, drained off at once, and the lower ends of the track, where it began to rise toward the ridges, were, on the other hand, lakes of mud. thus, between endless seas of bad water and long miles of sand, the water question remains almost as serious in the rains as in the dry weather. the villages, as a rule, have a well, and the water from the wells is fair. the method of travelling usually adopted with the _kiens_ is an early start at dawn, and a journey of some 300 sen (7½ miles), when a stop is made to feed man and beast; and, if going easily, a start will not be made until 3 or 4 p.m., when another 300 sen will be done before night--a speed of 15 miles a day, occupying about 6 hours, at about 100 sen (2½ miles) an hour. this is very fair work for ox-carts over a well-worn track, which is, of course, much rougher and harder to travel than the jungle itself, the ruts spreading wide for a breadth of 30 yards or so, and being of any depth that a _kien_ wheel can dig to. but this exceeds the average. being in a hurry, we did about 21 miles a day for nine days, but had three relays of oxen. this involved--at about 8 to 10 hours' travelling by day, with the delays necessary to get new oxen, two half-day rests, and fording the streams (where the waggons had to be often carried over on the men's shoulders)--a good deal of night travelling, which in rain, and heavy trails full of pitfalls, does not commend itself as a rule. it will be seen, therefore, that the rate of travelling is slow, and would be sufficiently increased for all present purposes by improvements in the trail, and at the crossing of the rivers. men who are walking have, of course, the advantage, and sometimes do 24 or 25 miles a day with their packs. the latter are usually carried on the two ends of a long bamboo, and are fitted with legs below, so that, stooping down, the weight is at once taken off the shoulder. when he wants to rest, out of one of his panniers the man takes his mat to sit on, and lays it between the panniers, and over the pole above he places the _bai larn_ (a covering of palm leaves sewn together, some 6 feet by 5 feet) to keep off the sun or rain, and this is his house while he is on his journey. _dhâps_ are rare here, and heavy knives are used for cutting down jungle to place round at night, or leaves to place under the bed. from travellers of this sort, going south, we often bought wild honey, in long bamboos--2 feet of a 3-inch diameter bamboo selling for a fuang. they sometimes set traps, and are successful in catching rabbits. there are a few deer to be heard, and tigers are rare, except round chulabut, where a man was killed after we had left, the day the main body arrived there. we picked up a rather curious fellow-traveller when about six days from khorat, and he accompanied us to within a day of the town. this was a rather decent-looking pariah dog, of quite remarkable character. unasked he joined us, and trotting often with me in advance, or half a mile ahead, or right behind us all, his short sharp bark might be continually heard in the jungle to right or left as he hunted his breakfast. of what this consisted i never knew, but he kept himself in fair condition, for he got very little from us, poor thing, as we did not want to encourage him; he got more kicks than ha'pence. but he stuck to us, and even when we overhauled other parties going south, instead of stopping and going leisurely with them, he always came on with us. he was evidently accustomed to travelling, and knew the trail, for he was often absent half a day, but would turn up in the evening, and lie near us for the night. when we halted, and placed the waggons round us, and the men put their sleeping-mats underneath them, he would come as near the fire as he dare to get dry and warm. sometimes in the heat at noon, when the sun had been blazing upon us in the sandy jungle, we would come upon him lying in a _nong_, with only his eyes nose, and mouth out of water; while in the rain he plodded stolidly along, and would sit down and wag his dripping tail when he saw we were going to camp. [illustration: the north gate and nam nun, khorat.] at length we saw the high line of foliage topped by palms which marks khorat, and through seas of mud, arrived on the bank of the nam nun, which flows along the northern wall of the city. across the ford were groups of waggons encamped to the number of about fifty, and by an old wat under the shade a busy market was going on. the commissioner here, phra prasadit, is the same stamp of man as the commissioner at luang prabang: one of those energetic, warm-hearted, and cheerful men who make such excellent governors. he was kindness itself to us, and all the men under him reflected it. in siam, where every man has in proportion to his importance numbers of others attached to him by a kind of feudal relationship, and where his office clerks and his lieutenants all have a personal connection with him, and almost form part of his family, the influence which can be exerted is unbounded, and by the expressions of face of the inferiors the superior may be judged. moreover, the commissioner in khorat is a man of ideas, has been in europe, and has a good knowledge of english and a fair knowledge of french, and in all political questions in these countries he takes a great interest; and thus his company was very pleasant. the centre of the town we found not yet recovered from an extensive fire; all round the four sides run the lofty red-brick walls, with gates in the centre of each side, protected by round towers at the flanks, in which laterite blocks have been extensively used. the whole is much dilapidated and overgrown, and the moat outside has become nearly filled up. the commissioner had then 3000 men at work clearing it out again. this will probably enormously benefit the town, which at present may be described as an accumulation of houses, mainly in ruins, jungle patches, and swamps, on every side of which rises the great mound on which the walls stand, and which effectually shuts in every drop of water, and in the rains transforms the whole area into a lake. with openings made under the walls to drain off the water into the moat, and with a raising of the level inside, an enormous improvement will be effected. as the town stands well on a slight rise above the plain level, and is surrounded with similar ridges covered only with beautiful turf going miles towards the south, south-west, and south-east, it may become a healthy and attractive place. the plain around is dotted with villages; for many miles the soil certainly produces a fine clean rice and abundance of fruit. going out in the morning along any of the great trails to the west, north, or east, one passes among crowds of camped _kiens_, and among villages and markets, the latter always held along one side of the road. at the time we were there mangoes were in full swing, and all the women's baskets full of them, bananas, coconuts, ready-rolled cigarettes, brown cakes of palm sugar of an excellent quality, and very often the fruit of the sugar palm, which is very much enjoyed. to the south and west the trails are really like beautiful roads, for they go through a pretty red sand soil, leading to the flat-bedded sandstones of the hills, which makes good walking, and, even when swamped with a foot of water, never causes mud. on the north and east, however, on slightly lower ground, these sandy ridges are less frequent; the villages, when possible, are built on them for health and convenience, while the paddy is grown below. the trails on these sides, passing chiefly through this low land, are in the rains two or three feet deep in thick, clinging mud. if the houses of the thai (in which for the moment we may include the siamese and laos together) are in the city badly situated in swamp and jungle, and badly kept in repair, the houses of the chinese are very different; they are the flourishing part of the community. there are some thousands of them here and in the neighbourhood, nearly all shopkeepers, and outside the west gate, and along the main trail on each side, they have a regular village. the street is narrow between the open shop-fronts, and the road paved with baulks of timber. they drive a large trade among the people coming in from the distant parts, in calico stuffs, coloured sarongs and panungs, brasswork for betel boxes, trays, etc., umbrellas, sandals (the latter soles of leather with a strap coming up inside the great toe, and dividing and passing off on each side, which are used all over the north); hats of straw, felt, or strips of palm leaf; bells for oxen, tins of swiss milk, matches, needles and threads, wire and nails, cheap chains, a few tools of european type, coloured yarns, white jackets and singlets, towels, and even soap: all are imported from bangkok. yet, with the present difficulties of transport through the dong phya yen, the chinamen are doing a flourishing business. [illustration: sandal] the chinese houses are peculiar; a rectangular building being first built of large unbaked mud bricks, with pillars rising like chimneys at each end. outside, several feet higher, and resting on these pillars, is constructed a _yah kah_, or grass roof. big fires are kindled inside to dry the place; and the result is a very cool dwelling. the grass roofing is brought very often far out, overhanging the front, and this makes a shop front with the house behind. these houses are usually on the roadsides, the two principal ones running north and south, and east and west, connecting the gates, and meeting about the centre. the latter road is about a mile long, the former less. the central market is carried on all day in a large roofed building near the centre of the city, and all up the road sit the yellow-faced chinamen smoking their long-stemmed pipes in the shop fronts, and with the aid of their wives (generally siamese, and good business women) bargaining with the long-haired, dark burned men from the plains, to whom the beauties of the shops in khorat are a great delight. from these main roads one may have quite an extensive ride or walk without going outside the walls, in lovely lanes, lying deep down between high banks of shrubs and grasses (and sometimes 4 feet deep in water). these lanes are quite a feature of the country outside, too, and, with the long grassy slopes referred to above, would make khorat the centre of delightful excursions in the cool months. the journey from khorat to saraburi on the nam sak, whence bangkok can be reached in two days, occupies as a rule six or seven days only. but when, after the main body had come up and had a day's rest, we bade good-bye to the unceasing kindness of the commissioner, and at the end of the first day's march, which had begun pleasantly through lanes and villages, found ourselves up to our necks in water, it was evident we should take longer. we had to trend to the southward to get upon the high ground out of the water, and with constant delays, owing to the impassable state of the rivers, it was fourteen days before we got to saraburi. leaving the beautiful villages outside khorat, deep in their thick clusters of areca palms, which in places form perfect forests of tall stems supporting the arched roof of leaves far overhead, and making a perpetual cool shade, we had two days alternately over flat sandstone beds and flooded lowlands, where the water was for hours at a time up to our thighs, and at one place for half a mile up to our necks. our nights were wretched, as the rain was perpetual, and the waggons could not arrive at the monasteries, where we put up, till long after midnight; the men lay sleeping round, hungry and damp, lots of them too tired to eat their supper when we got it ready, about 2 a.m. these monasteries, built, as they were in days of old in our own fen country, upon little islands, are often the only things above the vast surrounding lakes of water. the houses in the villages, built high on piles, keep dry. raised above the ground some two or three feet, are generally long timber walks, made of solid felled trees, the top side being slightly shaved down, on which the monks may walk out dry and clean in the morning rounds to get their food. these walks are attached to the wats in all the plains of the country, and when the traveller strikes one, he knows a wat, with its welcome sala or resthouse, is near. the trail follows the khorat river to nearly its source in the limestones of the "dong phya yen" forest; it then strikes across the forest, descending the spurs of the plateau to the elbow made by the nam sak, which turns away at keng koi in a west-south-westerly direction to the meinam. this trail in the forest is greatly worn by the pack oxen, by which alone the thick forest can be penetrated, and in the rains is a series of narrow tracks winding in and out between the trees, consisting of frightfully slippery mud. the oxen have a way of walking in each other's footsteps, and the result is a series of ridges, like those on a sandbank at low water; but the ridges are greasy mud, and the depressions deep pitfalls. thus in the wet weather the oxen constantly have heavy falls, and no one can get through without finding himself often on his nose or on his back. the forest proper begins at chanteuk, a small village, in the neighbourhood of which are some copper mines. these are open works, and as no one has worked there lately, were, when we passed through, brim full of water. on the khorat side of this place are two fords, to cross which huge tree-trunks lie over the water, the growth along the bamboo being extraordinarily dense. between them is a sala, which fortunately was in moderate condition, as we were delayed there two days in pouring rain, the river having risen ten feet in one night, as i measured next morning. our quinine was nearly at an end; one man was quite prostrated with fever; and our eight days' store of rice was nearly done, all our chickens gone, the horses useless with sore backs, and the thirty-eight oxen carrying the packs suffering with coughs and sores. to get out we built two rafts; one was carried away on her first journey, the ropes going; and the other proved so slow that, as the distance was some hundred yards in the then state of the water, it would have taken us two days to get all over. but, to our great satisfaction, the river fell. at chanteuk we got some rice and _platieng_, salt-fish, which the siamese eat with their rice, and can live on for any length of time. then, instead of going down the great trail, where a party of two men and a woman we met had just left two of their number dead of fever in the road, i took a drier, if longer route to the south. our resting-places were ban kanong pra, ban tachang, hoay sai, and muak lek nua, whence we reached keng koi. the scenery of this forest is most peculiar, and by no means inviting, especially in the continuous heavy rain, when the traveller is attacked by ticks and leeches, flies, and red ants seeking a dry place. the villages are the wretchedest collections of huts, the people mostly very poor; and one constantly wondered how any soul could live in these tiny clearings in the midst of a vast area where, for the most part, the sun never comes, when he might be in healthy, open country. we could seldom get even a banana. undulating in all directions lies the forest, with now and then a sheet of limestone precipice towering among the drifting rains; the paths,[13] just wide enough for an ox, continually obstructed by lately fallen trees, round which a _detour_ must be cut in the semi-darkness; and all the while the dull roar of the rain upon the leaves, with the prospect of a camp, wet through, in long six-feet grasses for the night. at ban mai we emerged from the forest, and found a clean village with a lot of cheerful, chatty laos, who sent three men on with us to keng koi--the smartest set of men we had seen since leaving the mekong. at pak prio, a morning's walk beyond, we found the embankment of the railway to khorat so far advanced as to have a mile of rails laid above the place, and a locomotive standing almost finished in a shed, to which my men as they came by fell upon their knees and offered the customary siamese "salaam," by raising the clasped hands to the forehead. the oxen, which had reached a stream we crossed with ease a few hours before above keng koi, found it impassable, and were delayed two days there. my poor fellows, soaked through and through, and with no chance of getting snug at night, had to sleep and live for two days of pouring rain in the sala; but, being near home, were as jolly as could be. the temperature was some 4° higher at night, and mosquitos, which we had not seen for over five months, were most obnoxious; and from the strong south-west winds blowing, it was evident we were once more near the gulf. one day's pulling and half a day's steaming, and bangkok was in sight, with the french _lutin_ and h.m.s. _swift_ lying off the legations. this was the first evidence we had had of there being political troubles. from fording the swollen streams, from continual tumbles in mud and water, and from constant rain, we found nearly everything on the pack oxen had been ruined that could be--photographs and other things. it is a most clumsy way of travelling, without doubt, and the time and labour spent in loading up every morning is enormous. the weights on the two sides must be adjusted accurately, the two men lifting them on a bamboo, through the middle, to test the balance and spending often ten minutes in getting one pair of panniers ready. then there are constant falls, and often these are not discovered until miles have been traversed, and a careful search has to be made in ditches, streams, and mud for hours at a time. besides this, the pace is wretchedly slow. this belt of the dong phya yen, which can only be passed by animals, thus equipped, is a practical barrier to communication, leaving out of consideration the superstition with which the forest is, with much reason owing to its fevers, regarded, and the badness of the roads within it. the khorat railway becomes thus a work of the greatest importance to the whole plateau. to complete its usefulness, one or two passable cart-roads will do all that is necessary for that piece of undoubtedly hopeful country. the nam sak, which the railway leaves at keng koi, is also a valuable river, inasmuch as, apart from the large tobacco crops towards its source, the valley is one richer in minerals than any other piece of country like it in siam, and in the rainy season the question of transport is a fairly easy one. what struck me very much on descending the nam sak was the thickness of the population all along the banks, as compared with anything we had seen in the north. the beauty of the wats--always built on points of land round which the stream wound its turbid way--was also striking, and quite impressive. in the manners of the majority, and their loud talking, it was also clear that we were no longer among the gentle laos of nan or the musicians of luang prabang; but the comfort and luxury of the people were such as far exceeded anything we had seen since we left the meinam at pechai. the weather all the way from nongkhai to muak lek nua (end of april and may) was south-westerly winds, moderate to fresh, falling at night. mornings fine, with heavy cumuli in the south-west and west, which gradually spread, and became dark flashing thunder-clouds. heavy rain after 2 p.m., beginning with a heavy squall of wind shifting to the west and north-west, and once or twice round to north-east, whence it blew hard for an hour. rain generally lasted most of the night. thermometer--average minimum reading, 70° fahr.; maximum, 91° in the shade. from muak lek nua we descended into the meinam valley, and found in the plains but slight showers, and fresh south-westerly wind lasting long into the night. thermometer--minimum reading while in pak prio, 74°. the result of so much wading made itself rather severely felt in a few days on most of us, and we had sores on our legs and feet for some time afterwards, so that it was almost impossible to get shoes on. this was no doubt partly owing to low diet, and partly to the cuts and wounds to the bare feet which every one gets wading where he cannot see his way, made worse by the blistering effect of the occasionally fierce sun, to keep off which palm leaves wrapt round the foot are excellent. with regard to the fevers, i would say, don't give quinine every day, as then in emergency its effect is less powerful, and the constitution is too accustomed to it; keep it until men feel a bit down, or when in very bad places or bad weather. it will last longer, and do more. in the high fevers of the dense forests, which prostrate a man very suddenly, emetics are the most reliable cure. in a country abounding in snakes, it is not a little remarkable that our party only saw four the whole time. again, though often in wild elephant tracks, none of us ever either saw or heard one. two tigers, a few deer, and monkeys (which are not timid) were the only animals which were seen in the forests--a very sufficient proof, where their tracks are to be seen on every hand, and they can be heard around all night, of the care with which they avoid meeting man. of course the great thickness of the vegetation, where the man in front of you is often out of sight even in the path, in great measure also accounts for it, and it is this which prevents siam being such a field for the sportsman as it would otherwise be. there is one subject especially which it struck me often would make an interesting inquiry for any one who understands the subject--the comparison of the patterns and colours, both in the silk and cotton-work of the laos districts; such as the check patterns in the panungs and cloaks in nan, the former remarkable for a large use of a bright yellow, which, to the unaccustomed eye is rather flaring, the latter for its red shades; the horizontal and generally narrow stripes of the luang prabang petticoats (in which, again, the best effect is due to yellow); and the extremely taking panungs of khorat, which are thought very much of by the siamese. they are of one colour, with a border at the ends, blue, a delicate pink flesh colour, and a light red being the commonest. _note on gold and silver at luang prabang._ all over the laos states silver ornaments, as well as such articles as betel-boxes, trays, etc., are very common among the chiefs, and at luang prabang gold is likewise often seen used in place of silver for such things. the question is often raised as to how and where these metals have been obtained in such quantities in the past, that even tribute has been paid in ornaments made of them from olden times. certainly the gold has always been found in alluvial sands, nor did i ever hear of its being known in veins or veags, nor did i ever find any traces of its so occurring. i believe its chief source must be the series of crystalline schists, which is an extensive one, and i incline to the idea, from the smallness of the quantities extracted from the sands, that it is probably sparsely disseminated through these rocks as well as through the quartz and possibly the calcareous veins, and that it will never be found in them in sufficient quantities to pay working. the patient streams have worked away for ages denuding and carrying away these rocks, and separating and depositing the gold, and all they have effected as far as the latter goes is that they have deposited infinitesimal quantities of it only, with larger quantities of the other minerals, such as magnetic iron ore, iron pyrites, etc. decomposition and disintegration of the latter may be in places freeing more gold, and the yearly floods bring down their small addition, but yet even the lao worker hardly finds it worth his while to work the sands, and the apathy displayed in the matter everywhere is partly without doubt accounted for by the poverty of the results obtained. and where the native worker gets such poor results, will the european miner get better? the gold in the mekong is generally extremely fine and much water-worn, and is usually found below a sharp turn in the river, where the water runs strong. as regards the silver, it has been found native, but in such very small quantities that it cannot have supplied the whole country. the whole of siam, however, is rich in galena, often of a very argentiferous character, and it may possibly have been found with other sulphides as well, but there can be little doubt that most of it has been extracted from galena. in some parts of the northern laos states this has been a regular industry. small blast furnaces of baked mud are used, and when reduced the metal is run off in pigs and put in a reverberatory furnace with charcoal. this is sometimes done (but clumsily enough) further south, but little interest is manifested as a rule in these matters. nowadays money is often melted down for working into ornaments. [footnote 12: it no doubt primarily arises from the danger and strength of the eddies.] [footnote 13: there are a few elephant tracks.] appendix. at the meeting of the royal geographical society on february 24, 1894, an account of mr. warington smyth's journey by the president, mr. clements r. markham, c.b., was read by mr. probyn. before the reading of the paper, the president said-the paper we are to hear this evening is on exploration on the upper mekong, in siam, by mr. herbert warington smyth, who is serving under the siamese government. siam is from many points of view a most interesting country, more particularly for us at the present time, and it is observable that until about nine years ago, when mr. holt hallett read his paper, we had scarcely in this society heard anything of siam except as to the exploration of the mekong by our gold medallist, lieut. garnier. we had only had scattered notices in previous years from sir robert schomburgk and sir harry parkes. but latterly we have received most important communications from lord lamington in 1891 and mr. curzon last year, and i think that not only this society, but the nation generally, owes a debt of gratitude to lord lamington and mr. curzon for having so persistently, so patriotically, and so ably kept a question of such importance to england before the government and the public. it was in 1887 that mr. mccarthy, after surveying siam for several years, favoured us with a most interesting communication. he was the first to describe to us the geographical and the general features of the country; and i believe i am right in saying it was through the advice and the persuasion of mr. mccarthy that this young and modest explorer, mr. warington smyth, was induced to send us his paper, which we shall listen to this evening. unfortunately, he will be unable to read it himself; he is still--i won't say better employed, because i don't think any one can be better employed than in reading a paper before this society, but he is quite as well employed in preparing in siam for further exploration, and i am glad to say that, as the paper is in manuscript, or the condensed version which we are obliged to use, a friend of mr. warington smyth and an old schoolfellow, mr. probyn, has very kindly undertaken to read it. after the reading of the paper, the following discussion took place:-lord lamington: i think i may say that if mr. warington smyth had been here he would have considered it a great compliment to have had his lecture listened to by so large an audience, and i may also say you will not think your time wasted while listening to the paper. we owe a debt of gratitude to mr. probyn for having undertaken to read a paper so full of names to which he must be unaccustomed. with regard to the paper, no description i have read has recalled to me so vividly the scenes in that part of the world. mr. smyth has shown himself not only a geologist, but a close observer of natural history and human customs in every variety and form. he has represented to us most fully all the scenery, and given us a vivid description of siamese and laos life. i am glad that he corroborates what i myself would state, the gentleness of the laos tribes. i don't know who has called them barbarians, but i cannot imagine a people less deserving of such a title. i am not quite sure of the definition of civilization, and in their own way it may not be western, but in all kindness and honesty they are as worthy to be called civilized as any that could be found in the human race. i almost wish he had told us more about the mineralogical wealth of the country. i am not certain how far we may gather that the sapphire mines are of any great value, but from the mere fact of these burmans coming over and thinking it worth while to take long journeys to sell their stones, and from their being of the first water, we may assume that when these mines are worked in a more efficacious manner they will prove to be of value. another interesting part of his paper refers to the navigation of the mekong from north of luang prabang and down south as far as nong khai. from chieng kong, where he first touched it, to chieng kan, we may assess its value as a navigable river, that is to say, for any boats of size to carry cargoes. his estimate is borne out by the report of mr. archer, and so also his statement on the commerce of luang prabang gives us a true idea of its worth, which is practically _nil_. of course, we know the french are anxious to obtain possession of that place, as they consider it of first-class importance. both mr. archer and prince henri d'orleans think it, as a commercial centre, valueless for attracting any european capital. that part of the mekong which may be considered navigable is from chang tang to khong, further than mr. warington smyth went. the french have now carried some stern-wheel steamers piecemeal up to these waters; the result of their enterprise only the future can show. with regard to the fishing methods of the natives, i may just say that these arrangements may be very well when you are descending the river, but they are the greatest inconvenience when ascending, as they form a formidable barrier if there is a strong current, and when you have to face this rigid fence of bamboos, it then becomes a matter of great difficulty to force the boat through. mr. warington smyth mentioned the difficulties made by the mud; this, of course, in the wet season renders all travelling impossible. the sliminess of the mud is almost inconceivable, and i can recollect, when between chieng upeng and mung sai, i used when climbing to keep on all fours, and probably slip down until arrested by a twist in the path; and it was amusing to see the efforts made by boys and men to mount the slimy slopes. this was in the dry season; in the wet season travelling with loaded animals becomes impossible throughout the greater part of the indo-china peninsula. mr. archer came across from chieng kong into the nam nan valley; now mr. warington smyth describes the country from nong khai to khorat; and there is an account waiting to be published by, mr. beckett, of the diplomatic service, of a journey still further down the mekong and along the nam mun river to khorat. we are thus in possession of descriptions of a country that, owing to political exigencies, will play an important part in the future, and all information we derive concerning it must be very valuable to us. i apologize for addressing you at such length, and thank you for your kind remarks about my efforts to instruct public opinion about siam. i imagine i must be a lineal descendant of cassandra, because i have noticed that all i have said has been disregarded. i am glad to see mr. curzon has torn himself away from the charms of the allotment question. he has given much information, and has asked many searching questions in parliament with reference to siam, and has been successful in eliciting some valuable information. hon. george curzon: lord lamington has indulged in some amiable chaff at the expense of the house of commons, to which we are accustomed on the part of those noblemen who belong to the upper chamber. i may tell him, in reply, that what concerns us much more than the question of allotments for the parishes in england is the question of the future political allotment of siam. my interest in siam is more than a purely physical or geographical interest in the country; and all those who belong to the country, or have a friendly concern in it, may rest assured that neither lord lamington or i will abate any effort for its fair treatment in the politics of the future. i don't know that i have much right, perhaps none, to address you at all this evening, because, in the first place, i have not been upon these upper parts of the river mekong which have been visited and so admirably described successively by lord lamington and in the paper this evening. my own acquaintance with the mekong is limited to its lower portion, where it flows through cochin-china, cambodia, and at pnom penh, the capital of cambodia, sends northwards a branch that disembogues into the lake tali sap. now, this mekong river is one of the most remarkable rivers in the world, whether contemplated in the lower parts, where it spreads out in broad tranquil reaches from 200 yards to half a mile in width; or whether you examine its middle sections, where, as we have been told this evening, the french are finding furious and stormy rapids; or whether you go northward beyond the exploration of lord lamington and mr. warington smyth, the river pursues its course unknown and unexplored far away, amid the mountain masses of western china and tibet. this river mekong seems to me, during the last twenty-five years, to illustrate a lesson, ever since 1865-6, when the french expedition under lagree, garnier, and de la porte went up the river to explore it,--one of the most heroic of expeditions in its conception and execution, and most pathetic in its result, undertaken by pioneers. ever since then it has had an extraordinary fascination for frenchmen--so much so, that they have claimed for themselves a sole right of interest in the mekong, no matter what reports may be brought home by travellers, commercial agents, or explorers, as to the unnavigability of the river. they have maintained these ideas to the present day, and i cannot imagine a more interesting study than that of the parts which the great rivers of asia, the euphrates, oxus, ganges, and mekong, have taken in history not merely by their geographical features or commercial aspect, but by what i may call their moral influences, exercised on the moulding of the peoples and on the destinies of empires. we have heard a most interesting paper from mr. smyth. he has given us a most faithful and vivid account of boat life, raft life, camp life, village life, and jungle life in siam, and, as lord lamington said, has given us not only a faithful, but a singularly attractive, picture of the various tribes who inhabit that country. i was glad to hear what lord lamington said about these laos peoples, because there is too great a tendency in the world to assume that, because the tribes of little-known and comparatively unexplored districts have not all the abominable manners of civilization, they must necessarily be described as barbarians. as he remarked, no more amiable, docile population exists--a people possessed of æsthetic and musical tastes, who are entitled to the epithet, "the greeks of the indo-chinese peninsula." there is another strip south of luang prabang, right down between the mountains and the mekong, into which no englishman has ever been; and, looking to the fact that the french have taken possession of it, i don't suppose we are likely to go there. further down is a curious people called ladans, amongst whom an adventurer, either french or italian, established himself a short time ago, called himself king, and, i believe, wanted to appear in the "almanack de gotha;" but, having retired for a short time, on his return found his subjects unwilling to receive him, and the kingdom has disappeared. the interest to us in this room is not that of acquisition or conquest, but a friendly sympathetic interest in the oriental people who are playing their own part in the world, in proportion as they come into the mesh of british trade. i was interested to hear about manchester goods at luang prabang, seeing the advantages the french have for shipping by hanoi and up the black river. you would never expect manchester goods there, and the fact that they are there means, not only that they ought to be kept there, but ought to be seen all over the peninsula. i am pleased to say that mr. smyth, in the latter part of his journey, travelled over a line that is to be taken by the railway from khorat to bangkok, of which i saw the embankments. it was largely the anticipation of the results of that railway that induced the french to go on, for the flow of trade has been for some time past from the mekong river south-westwards. they want to divest it towards their possessions. conceive how it will be emphasized if you have a railway instead of the carts that take goods laboriously by the way mr. smyth described! i am sorry that there is difficulty about this railway--that the contractor has had a dispute with the siamese government; but i hope that this will be settled, and, at all events, that siam will make the railway. a year ago i was in siam, and the king told me he meant to take the railway to kong khai. it will be the best thing for the salvation of his country, and there is no englishman present who does not wish to see siam strong, independent, and wealthy, and capable of holding its own. for my own part, i shall never cease to feel the greatest and warmest interest in that singularly attractive country, and my own opinion is, that it is the duty of every british government to see that the integrity of that country is not wiped out, and that its vitality is maintained. mr. f. verney: i have the honour of being connected with siam by being a member of the siamese legation. i have watched with intense interest the advance of that country, and have been concerned in its connection with europe even more than with siam itself. i can thoroughly confirm everything that has been said by lord lamington on the one side and mr. curzon on the other, from what i have heard, not from what i have seen. i was in siam for a very short time, and was treated there with the greatest possible kindness and hospitality. to judge fairly the civilization of that country, we should take, not our own standard of civilization only, but a wider standard applicable to communities differing entirely in their origin, their histories, and in their development from our own, and it is very gratifying to hear a man in mr. curzon's position in the house of commons express his opinions in the emphatic and eloquent language to which we have just listened. it is true that only recently england has awakened to the extreme importance of that distant country. it was not until the other day that englishmen had an idea that siam produced anything much besides twins, but this cynical ignorance is rapidly disappearing. you cannot listen to travellers like lord lamington and mr. curzon (and when mr. warington smyth comes back we shall listen to him) without finding out that there is a great deal both of material and what we may call moral progress in that distant country. let me say one word as regards his majesty the king of siam, on whose character and personality so much depends. for many years past the king has been known as a man of wide interests, of a very high order of intelligence, and of an unusual charm of manner. he comes of a family distinguished in the past both for statesmanship and scientific culture. a member of his family was one of the greatest astronomers in the east; another was described to me by one of the greatest oriental travellers, and perhaps the most cultivated linguist in germany, as being the master of more languages than any other man he had met; and you may be assured that the royal family of siam will produce many more distinguished men. there are members studying at oxford, others at our public schools, growing up surrounded by all the best english influences. let us hope that siam and england will go hand-in-hand, and that other countries in europe will come round to see that this is not a country for invasion or annexation, but worthy of support and sympathy, on account of its people, its products, its achievements in the past, and its possibilities for the future. mr. louis: i am afraid i can add very little to what mr. warington smyth has said, because my explorations were in a diametrically opposite direction. i had the pleasure of his company when exploring some diamond and ruby mines in the south-east, and this was more interesting to me as my knowledge of mineralogy was acquired under mr. warington smyth's father. on one point only i have to differ from mr. warington smyth--as to the burmese way of washing rubies and sapphires. it is not at all to my mind the crude, rough way he mentions. their baskets are the most beautifully finished work made of bamboo in thin strips, and handled with all the deftness and practised skill of an australian or californian gold-washer; they scarcely ever miss a gem, so far as i could see, much bigger than a pin's head. as regards the geology of these districts on the east of chantabun, the formation is simply gravel from 2 to 5 feet deep overlying the trap rocks, and these gems have been worn out of the trap rocks by natural agencies. mr. smyth describes the gems as coming from a black crystalline rock very similar to that i have mentioned. this formation seems to be quite different from the white limestone occurring in burma. i should like to mention one thing that must have struck very few when hearing mr. smyth's paper; it not only gives a wonderfully accurate description of the people, but is an accurate reflex of his own plucky and cheery nature; very few can have any idea of the real hardships and difficulties and dangers involved in such an expedition. it takes an englishman to go through such dangers and hardships, and then write such a bright account of everything as mr. smyth has done. the president: i am sure the meeting will agree with me that we have never in this hall heard so graphic and so picturesque an account of this little-known region as is contained in mr. warington smyth's paper. mr. smyth is evidently a keen observer of nature, and has the gift of sympathy--of being able to place himself in the position of the people with whom he travels and whom he comes across, as well as a kindly feeling for the animals serving with him. these are very high qualities. his narrative is so lively and cheery, that we can hardly realize the amount of hardship and danger the journey entailed. these are all admirable qualifications, which are due almost entirely, i have no doubt, to his own individuality; but perhaps we may put something down to his education. mr. warington smyth was a westminster boy, like his father before him, who was a valued member of our council. i cannot help taking this opportunity of saying that there are very few places of learning in this country that have done in times past so much for geography as that glorious old school which nestles round the cloisters of westminster abbey. richard hakluyt, the father of english geography, was a westminster boy; edmund gunter, the first introducers of the use of napier's logarithms; neville maskelyne, to whom we owe the nautical almanac; dr. vincent, one of our greatest comparative geographers, were all westminster boys; and one of the seven founders of this society, and two of your presidents, were also westminster boys. now we find a westminster boy training himself, hereafter to be a great explorer, and perhaps discoverer. let us wish him all success in his career, and i am sure the meeting will desire me to convey to him a hearty and unanimous vote of thanks. [illustration: map--the central part of the kingdom of siam. showing the route of mr. h. warington smyth.] proofreading by users emil, lscribe, rikker, wyaryan, saksith, ianh68, andysteve, claudio, kaewmala, matt, gyurme, bencrowder. pgt is an affiliated sister project focusing on public domain books on thailand and southeast asia. project leads: rikker dockum, emil kloeden. (this file was produced from images generously made available by the national library of thailand.) history of the kingdom of siam and of the revolutions that have caused the overthrow of the empire, up to a. d. 1770. compiled by m. turpin from manuscripts received from m. the bishop of tabraca vicar apostolic of siam and from other missionaries in the kingdom. published originally at paris a. d. 1771. _translated from the original french by_ b. o. cartwright, b.a. exhibitioner king's college (camb). bangkok 1908. printed under the auspices of the committee of the vajirañàna national library. bangkok: printed at the "american presby. mission press." 1908. contents. page. translator's preface iv. chapter i. the first kings of siam 1 chapter ii. the reign of chao narai 31 chapter iii. the revolt of the macassars 53 chapter iv. the revolution that brought about the downfall of faulcon and the french 65 chapter v. the breach between the french and the usurper 89 chapter vi. the persecution of the christians after the departure of des farges 99 chapter vii. events leading up to the revolution of 1760 109 chapter viii. the revolution of 1760 115 chapter ix. the revolution of 1767 137 chapter x. the misfortunes of the europeans after the revolution 169 chapter xi. after the revolution of 1767 176 chapter xii. advantages that might accrue from commercial neighbouring relations with siam and the kingdoms 185 chapter xiii. tonkin 220 translator's preface. turpin's history of siam, published at paris in the year 1771 consists of two volumes, the first of which deals merely with the natural history of siam.-the present book is a translation of the second volume only, and is of considerable interest owing to the fact that it is the only extant european work dealing with the events leading up to and succeeding the fall of the old capital, ayuthia.-we have no accounts of the compiler m. turpin himself and therefore are unable to give any account of his life or position.-the present volume falls into the following parts:-a. a short resumé of the early history of siam. few names are given, and the accounts are somewhat vague. _chapter 1_. b. an account of the reign of phra narai and his immediate successors _chapter 2-6_. this portion has been compiled from the earlier accounts of forbin and la loubère; but tachard's remarks are not treated as serious history. c. a short chapter _(chapter 7)_ giving a somewhat vague account of the period intervening between the above and the next.-d. the events leading up to the fall of ayuthia. a description of the burmese attack on the capital and of the early years of the reign of phya tak _(chapter 8-11.)_ this forms the part of greatest interest. e. a description of the kingdoms bordering on siam _(chapter 12-13)_. taken on the whole, the book gives a very fair and impartial account, but as the bulk of the information was derived from the catholic missionaries, a somewhat biassed view is taken of the religion of the countries treated of.-the original has been carefully followed in the translation; here and there a few sentences have been omitted for the reason that such sentences are merely remarks of a moralizing nature on the part of m. turpin himself, and have no connection whatever with the relation of the historical events.- b. o. cartwright. bangkok: _november, 1908._ history of siam. chapter i. the first kings of siam. eastern despotism, which casts a blight on the soul and quenches public spirit, is the primary cause of all revolutions by which the people seek to ameliorate their condition by the overthrow of their tyrants. every state in which there is one against all, has a defective constitution, which causes it to pass in succession from greatness to humiliation, from strength to weakness, and which, in its suicidal policy, awaits but a foreign invasion which will restore to the people, the enjoyment of their rights. the unstable and tottering thrones of asia at last crumble away, and the ambitious, arrogating to themselves the privileges of attempting all things, are overwhelmed by their fall, and, reduce the weak to violate everything in their despair. the right of the strong is that of a footpad who plunders unarmed travellers, and who, having enjoyed a period of immunity, dies under the axe of the headsman. the ruler who has the greater share in the benefits of the law does not recognise his advantages, and when unwilling to extend them prefers to see himself surrounded by trembling slaves who murmur in secret, and only await a leader to become rebels. the crude legislation of siam has been the cause of all the public ills of the nation. it knows neither the extent of authority nor the limits of obedience. this nation, indifferent regarding the choice of its masters, has received fetters from the hands of ambitious men who spurned the nation while coercing it. invariably unfortunate, the people have no hope save in a future revolution, which will enslave them to a new tyrant insolently bedecked with the imposing title of "deliverer". what can be the motive that prompts a despot to retain the privilege of laying violent hands on the liberty and welfare of his subjects? a despot who replaces natural rights by arbitrary power! he passes away like a torrent which leaves but the remembrance of its devastation behind it. the kings of siam, invisible to their subjects made themselves known merely by acts of authority. thus they could never instil those tender feelings which are inspired by the presence of a king who is both father and citizen. i will not attempt to lift the veil which conceals the beginnings of this kingdom. this people has never known the art of printing which alone enshrines the virtues and shortcomings of those who preside over the public destinies. their historical records are founded only on vulgar fables, or on tradition sanctioned by priestly imposture, which gives credence rather to the marvellous than to the simple truth. the siamese were unknown to us until the discovery of the indies by the portuguese, and it is from that period that we ought to reckon their history. their first king, according to their vague records began to reign in b.c. 1444. he had forty successors up to the king who was reigning in a.d. 1546. all these kings were of different families, who were in turn driven from the throne which they had seized, because, having become despots, they were punished for the abuse of their power. the proud and jealous spirits of a limited dependency ought, in the degradation to which they have been reduced, to console themselves with the hope that their degradation is but transitory, and that their posterity shall be delivered from the chains which have weighed them down. rarely does tyranny transmit the fruits of its crimes to its descendants. history has not given us the name of the king who reigned in 1550 a.d., although the chief events of his reign have been chronicled. it was in this reign that the kingdom of siam was laid waste by the incursions of several neighbouring nations who carried fire and sword throughout the towns and the country side. thirty thousand innocent victims were sacrificed to their ruthless vengeance, and this swarm of warriors seemed to prefer to lay waste the crops and to destroy the towns rather than to conquer and govern them. the king of siam, alarmed at their progress, arose at the murmurings of his people. he raised a large army. all those capable of bearing arms were summoned to the flag and those who were so cowardly as to excuse themselves from fighting for their country, were threatened with the punishment of being burnt alive. foreigners were bound by this law. at that time there were 130 portuguese in the kingdom, of whom 120 were obliged to take up arms. the king believed himself to be invincible, when he saw this handful of europeans whom he regarded as so many heroes at his disposal. a powerful army of 400,000 men including 70,000 non siamese took the field with the king at the head. the army was further reinforced on the way by 100,000 men and 4000 elephants. we must regard these numbers as a gross exaggeration. it is true that the temperate nature of eastern races renders the question of the food-supply an easy matter for the largest armies; but how could so great an army have been collected together in a country which boasts but few inhabitants. however we will set forth the facts as they have been handed down to us, and we can only question them by the light of their probability. the army, under the command of four leaders (of whom two were turks and the other two portuguese) advanced to put a stop to the devastation of the country side. as soon as the armies confronted each other, the enemy commenced a furious attack on the siamese rear, which would have been destroyed, had not the king altered his tactics. the new disposition of his forces gave him the advantage, and helped by the portuguese who fought side by side, he was enabled to rally his troops. a general action was then commenced in which his elephants and artillery scattered death and destruction in the opposing ranks of the enemy, who retired under the cover of darkness leaving 130,000 dead on the battle field. this battle cost the siamese 50,000 men, and flushed with victory, a force of 400,000 siamese invaded the kingdom of _quibem_ which was governed by a queen who had favoured the enemy. the towns which they conquered were looted and the inhabitants, always the victims of the quarrels of rulers, were put to the sword. the capital would have suffered the same fate, had not the queen, putting aside her natural hauteur, submitted to the conqueror and to the conditions of peace which were imposed. this princess, cognizant of her weakness, consented to pay an annual tribute of 60,000 portuguese ducats, and her nine year old son paid homage as a vassal to the conqueror who carried him off to siam to grace his triumph. the victorious monarch did not enjoy his glory for long; his days of prosperity were changed to days of mourning. the queen, in his absence, had indulged in a criminal liaison with palpable results. the fear of being punished for her adultery led her to commit another crime, and, to secure her position, she administered poison to her husband in a cup of milk. the king remained alive for five days, during which time he engaged in affairs of state. benefits were conferred upon the portuguese allies; their nation was declared exempt from taxation of every description for a period of three years, and their priests were permitted to preach the gospel in every part of the kingdom. his son was proclaimed king, and the joy of seeing his successor in power rendered him indifferent to the pangs of death. as soon as the monarch was dead the chief officers of state handed over the reins of government to the queen of whose misdeeds they were unaware. her liaisons which could no longer be kept secret, revealed her unchastity, but hardened to crime and with a conscience untouched by remorse, she acted her part with perfect calmness, and, to make matters worse, she openly lived with her guilty paramour. after this act which was the cause of a certain amount of dissatisfaction, but did not create any actual rebellion, she determined to elevate her lover to the throne, and to dispose of the young king by the same method employed in the case of his father. the disaffection both of the nobility and of the common people, checked her in her career of crime, and the national outcry was favourable to her designs. she pretended to fear that attempts would be made against her son's life, whereas in reality she was his sole enemy; and, to frustrate such attempts, she desired to have a body-guard to protect his august head from the wicked plots of which she said she had had information. she was granted 12,000 foot soldiers and 500 mounted men for his safe keeping. it was an innovation, that there should be a permanent guard in a state which hitherto, had called up soldiers only in time of external danger, but, it is the means usually employed in all ages to intimidate the lives and liberties of citizens who support their oppressors. no sooner had she found herself in power, but she used it to wreak vengeance on all those who had opposed her, or, who had grumbled at her ill-regulated life. the most distinguished citizens were the first victims. two of the leading nobles perished by torture on frivolous charges. this princess, headstrong in her loves and hatreds, imagined that she could retain her position by force, but the shedding of so much blood was a seed from which new opposition to her tyrannical rule sprang up. the confiscation of the property of those innocent victims enabled her to maintain a certain number of partisans, but those whose friendship it was expedient to purchase gave their allegiance only on condition of being supplied with whatever appealed to their greed. she soon found out that instead of friends, she had but traitors pledged to serve their own interests. it was then that she placed her paramour on the throne and declared him to be her consort, considering that a man, rather than a woman who had given so many examples of the frailty of her sex, would be more capable of overawing the disaffected. the young king, a mere puppet on the throne, was deposed by his hard-hearted mother, and the fatal draught which she personally administered to him anticipated the vengeance which was about to overtake her; but she did not enjoy the fruits of her crime for long. at the moment of self congratulation on having acquired an ascendency over her subjects, she found by experience that crime engenders nothing but enmity. the nobles, emboldened by their hatred, and encouraged by the king of _cambaye_, made a conspiracy to deliver the kingdom from a creature who could not even satiate herself with the blood of her victims. they invited her and her consort to a feast at which both were slain. the throne which they had disgraced was taken by a brother of the late king's father, who, during these tumultuous times had passed his life in the seclusion of a monastery. this new king, during his retirement, had become morose and savage and he neglected the importance of making himself beloved. his barbarous policy had made him believe that obedience depended on fear, and that punishment was a better instrument of government than clemency. the debauchery into which he plunged could not soften his natural harshness, and, from voluptuous surroundings, he dictated bloodthirsty commands which filled the state with trouble and discontent. his unfitness aroused the ambition of a powerful neighbour. the king of burma saw that the conquest of the kingdom would be no difficult matter. this nation has had so great an influence on the fortunes of siam that it cannot be passed over without a few remarks. people are apt to confuse the kingdoms of pegu, ava and of burma because they are now under the rule of the same king. this country united and open has mountains on its frontiers only. the air is pure and the soil produces all kinds of corn and fruits. the plains and forests abound with game, elephants, buffaloes, goats, deer, and poultry is fine and plentiful. there are mines of iron and lead, which metals are used as a medium of barter, and it is this country that produces the finest rubies and the best sapphires. the diamonds which are very small are found only in the crops of fowls and especially of pheasants. the right of selling diamonds is a monopoly of a single family, and it is a grave offence to dig the ground in hopes of finding them. the natives of the country differ from the burmese their conquerors both in dress and in appearance. the peguans although somewhat stout, are well made and have regular features. their complexion is of an olive tint. they wear no beard, but carefully pull it out as they consider it to be troublesome growth. their teeth are naturally white, but they blacken them so that they may have no resemblance to those of a dog. the women who are lighter in colour than the men, are small with plump cheeks and well proportioned limbs. generally speaking, they are gentle in their way, but very voluptuous. lewd and licentious, they have quite abandoned all sense of shame. when they appear in public they wear a piece of white cotton stuff draped round their heads which bear no further ornamentation than their raven tresses. the rest of the body is practically naked, they wear but a piece of thin cloth at the waist which allows that to be seen which modesty prefers to hide. this scanty attire was not introduced by reasons of sensuality; it is said that it was the work of a sagacious queen in order to attract the men who in their transports of passion were addicted to unnatural desires. the dress of the burmese is different. they wear a robe of transparent muslin through which the skin tattoed with charcoal dust, can be seen. this ornamentation which is peculiar to them distinguishes them from the peguans. their feasts are loathsome and disgusting, as soon as the viands are produced hunger is satisfied. they flavour everything they eat with rotten fish which they use as a substitute for oil or butter just as europeans use garlic, a plant whose odour is no less unpleasant. having no corn, they supply its lack by cakes of rice. their usual beverage is pure water or a liquid of agreeable flavour which they extract from a certain species of tree. whoever takes a wife is obliged to purchase her like other cattle, and if disgust follows possession, the husband has a means of disposing of her. the woman has the same privilege, by the repayment of her purchase price. the rights of hospitality allow fathers to prostitute their daughters to their guests, who take a woman on hire in the same way as they would a house. the majority of persons whose business takes them to pegu contract temporary alliances of this nature which have nothing of the stigma of concubinage. the law has provided for such inconveniences as might arise. the king is the heir of all his subjects, but when there are children he has a third share only. the purity of the air makes up for the lack of medical skill. when anyone falls sick they set a table on which a choice repast is spread, to propitiate the demon, that they consider has been the author of the illnesses that afflict mankind. the ceremony is conducted by some venerable impostor to whom they give the title of the father of the demon, and although the state of the invalid ought to induce a feeling of sympathy, the whole house resounds with music and song in order to assuage the wrath of the evil minded being. gold, silver, rubies and musk are the chief articles of export, and, under the general term "rubies" topazes, sapphires, amethysts and other precious stones should be included. europeans give in exchange beaver-hats, and the gold and silver brocaded ribbons with which the nobles adorn their heads. all trade is carried on by court officials who hold themselves responsible for payment and if they are convicted of breach of trust, the creditor is allowed by law to seize their wives, children and slaves and to expose them to the glare of the sun at his door. the peguans, like all indian peoples grant the existence of a creator god, whom the people have the exclusive privilege of worshipping. there are lesser deities to whom the people pray in time of need, and the devil is one of their chief objects of adoration. at early dawn the people are to be seen carrying some rice for his delectation in order that he may be gracious to them during the day time: others throw titbits over their shoulders for him during meal times. this puerile religion is based upon ghost worship. they grant an eternal succession of worlds each of which has a special deity as its ruler. the doctrine of transmigration has many adherents who believe that souls having passed through the bodies of birds, beasts and fishes, are cast into a place of punishment which they leave to enter a paradise of pleasure where everything awakes and appeals to the senses, and finally that after several transmigrations they will be united with the supreme being of whose happiness they will be partakers. they have great respect for monkeys and envy the blessed fate of those who are eaten by crocodiles. on ceremonial occasions, the assembled people hire women and hermaphrodites who perform dances in honour of the gods of the earth. the dancers bestir themselves so violently that they fall down in a swoon. it is after this fit that they prophesy the future which has been revealed to them by their gods. the priests vowed to celibacy, set a good example of abstemiousness to the populace. they eat but once a day and sobriety is their most prominent virtue. when the soil of the district to which they are assigned is insufficient to furnish to their needs, they send out young novices in search of alms and the credulous mob encourages idleness by liberal donations. the poorest citizens are always those who waste their property in pious offerings. their morals are simple and it is by their studied mortifications that they impose on the populace whose ideal of the sublime is the extraordinary and the peculiar. they live far from the haunts of men, in the depths of forests in a sort of cage built in the upper parts of trees, so as to escape the dangers of wild beasts. the obscurity of their lives increases the veneration of superstitious folk who from the earliest times have believed that the deity prefers the silence of the forests or the fearsome solitude of a mountain peak. there are certain days on which they exhort the people to practise virtue. simple as their preaching is they never argue on knotty points of doctrine. they believe that every religion is acceptable to god and that the observance of the laws of nature will always be worthy of a heavenly reward. the nobility is noticeable in many ways. though being in great honour, it nevertheless presents an example of the most abject servility and trembles before a despot who can either raise or degrade it. it consents to cringe in the most servile manner, but often it awakes from its slumber and cuts off the hand that strikes it. a proud race is always ready to take up arms for liberty and for the enjoyment of its rights. thus it is the noble or the servile inclinations of his subjects, that a wise king ought to study so that he can extend or limit his authority. the king never appears in public without great pomp and ceremony. everything inspires a respect which would seem to exclude devotion. seated on a car drawn by 16 horses, he never travels unless preceded by either the army or a crowd of nobles. four of his favourites in gorgeous apparel are seated with him in this car. his ordinary progress is more magnificent than a roman triumph. although the law, or rather custom only grants him a single wife, he has the right to keep 300 concubines. the arms used by the peguans in warfare consist of the lance, sword, and shield, their firearms, finer than those of europe yield nothing to them in point of excellence. their arsenals are equipped with many pieces of artillery which are however of not much practical use owing to the lack of skill on the part of their gunners. although they possess harbours and an abundance of good timber, they do not build fleets as they have neither carpenters nor experienced sailors. the forces of the kingdom are strong. the armies more numerous than those of darius, are usually composed of from 100,000 to 1,500,000 men who receive pay from the king. in time of war he supplies them with arms and accoutrements and in time of peace, he gave grants lands and towns to the nobility for their support. this number of troops is without doubt an exaggeration, but it becomes more easy of comprehension if the natural frugality of the peguans be taken into account. they require but a little salt and water to season the roots and herbs which they find on the march. the most loathsome creatures, cats, rats and the humblest reptiles excite their appetite and their fertile country furnishes them with an abundant supply of all that is necessary to life. this kingdom, founded by a fisherman about 1,100 years ago was governed by hereditary kings until 1539 a.d. about that period it was conquered by the burmese who prior to this had been confined to a narrow strip of territory but they founded an empire extending some 800 miles from north to south and 250 miles from east to west. these people, though of a warlike disposition had been obliged to yield to the numerical superiority of the peguans. the peguan conquerors had exacted a toll of 30,000 burmese to be employed on various works of public utility. such toilsome slavery provoked their proud spirit, and unwilling to see themselves working in the mines, formed a general scheme for their deliverance. the monarch was accustomed to go in company with all his train to visit the works, and to reward industry and to punish idleness. the burmese captives took this opportunity to compass his assassination, and, having robbed the queen and the concubines of their valuables fled to their own land with a great booty. the successor of the murdered prince was unable to avenge his death. the nobles fomented discords in the state from motives of self-aggrandizement, and passed directly from slavery to independence. they declared for the rivals of their master by whom they had been reduced to servitude. _mandara_, king of burma took advantage of their internal dissensions to attempt the conquest of pegu. he invaded the kingdom at the head of an army of 1,000,000 men and 5,000 elephants. his fleet was commanded by _cayero_, a daring portuguese adventurer who had 1,000 of his compatriots under him. the peguans were unable to oppose a barrier to the swarms of the invaders. mandara, conqueror of pegu then turned his arms against the vassal states of the empire which he had just conquered. martaban, the capital of a kingdom of the same name was taken, but the brilliancy of the action was tarnished by acts of cruelty. mandara had promised to spare the lives of the king and his wife and children who were ordered to spend the rest of their days in exile; but the savage conqueror was faithless to his word. the captured queen was conducted to his pavilion together with her two sons and forty young girls who charmed all by their beauty and still more so by their misfortunes. priests recited prayers to appease the wrath of heaven. the king her husband at last appeared, mounted on an elephant and dressed in black velvet. he had a rope round his neck and seemed to be more concerned at the misfortunes of his family than with his own. the next day the queen and her children with the ladies of the court were led to a mound in the midst of the soldiery who forgetting their natural savagery, appeared to be moved by pity. the princess and her children were suspended by the feet to gallows destined for criminals of the deepest dye. the unfortunate king was allowed to survive his family for a few days to brood over the sadness of their fate. he was afterwards hung in a similar fashion and a stone being tied round his neck he was cast into the sea together with fifty of his chief officials who had committed no crime further than their devotion to king and country. this gross act of barbarity aroused the indignation of all the burmans, and a revolt was imminent had it not been crushed by the diplomacy of the conqueror who held out the prospect of unlimited plunder. the capital was given over to pillage, a hundred million gold pieces were taken from the public treasury and distributed to the army. everything that did not excite the greed of the conquerors was given over to the flames. seventeen hundred temples and 140,000 houses were destroyed 60,000 of the inhabitants perished by fire and sword. the survivors of their country's downfall were condemned to drag out the rest of their days in slavery. the neighbouring kings, jealous of mandara's rapid success leagued themselves together to check his victorious progress. in great alarm he strengthened his out-posts and put himself at the head of 900,000 men. the rapidity of his movements anticipated the designs of his foes to whom he gave no time to collect their scattered forces. he laid siege to prome the capital of a kingdom of the same name which at that time was governed by a queen acting as regent for her son aged 13 years. a stubborn defence was offered and the princess's spirit so animated the courage of the troops, that the efforts of the besieging force would have been rendered futile, had it not been for traitors who opened the gates. as soon as the burmans had proved victorious, the king ordered that the bodies of 2,000 children who had been killed in the general carnage should be dismembered and given to the elephants. the queen, in a state of nudity, was given over to lust of the brutal soldiery, after which, executioners armed with whips, tore her in pieces. when, amid fearful tortures, she had breathed her last they tied her corpse to that of the king her son and cast them into the water. it is said that mandara indulged in this cruel excess, because of his hatred towards, her father the king of ava, who had refused her in marriage. three hundred of the chief officials of the state were impaled and their corpses had no burial other than in the water. the king of ava, learning of the tragic end of his daughter, raised a large army, the command of which he entrusted to his son, who had no thoughts but those of vengeance for the death of his beloved sister. mandara sent a force of 200,000 men to oppose his progress under the command of his foster-brother, a leader of proved courage and ability. the burmans made a furious onslaught on the rear guard of the foe. the battle was hard fought, but the victory was gained by the burmans who lost 115,000 men, although the army of the prince of ava numbered about 30,000 men of whom at least 800 deserted to the conqueror. mandara, who knew both how to conquer and how to turn his victories to account, sought enemies everywhere in order to increase the number of his vassals. no sooner was he informed of the troubled condition of siam than he made preparations to annex so rich a prey, but before making a start, he wished to consult with his subjects, not so much as for taking their advice as for assuring himself of their support. the scheme, which, if successful would open a way to china, met with universal approbation. martaban was the rallying point of his army which consisted of 800,000 infantry 40,000 cavalry, 5,000 elephants, and 1,000 pieces of artillery drawn by buffaloes and rhinoceros. the commissariat and the baggage was carried by oxen. this brave, but undisciplined array was far more suitable for a marauding expedition than for one of conquest. a force of ten thousand europeans skilled in military tactics could have easily dispersed this motley rabble, which had to deal with a people quite as undisciplined, and less brave than themselves. the chief strength of the burmans consisted in a force of 2,000 brave portuguese commanded by one diego suarèz, who, by favour of the king, had been raised to one of the chief dignitaries of the state. we must remark that in this century the portuguese scattered over the indies sold their lives to the service of any king who would pay them well enough. these adventurous heroes decided the issue of wars by their bravery, and the monarch who had the greatest number in his pay, marched confidently to victory. the first blow fell on the fortified post of _taparan_ whose garrison of 6,000 siamese were put to the sword. this slaughter was insufficient to satisfy the fury of the pitiless conqueror who was so cruel as to sacrifice women and children to the memory of the soldiers killed in the operations. after this carnage, he determined to make himself master of the capital, and without halting at unimportant places, which might have weakened his army, he advanced directly on the royal city, headed by a force of 60,000 pioneers who levelled the difficult tracks through a country covered with forests. the siamese, having no sound knowledge of the methods of attack and defence, remained apathetic whilst a numerous army surrounded their ramparts. terrified, and unskilled in combat, they put their whole trust in their lofty walls which they regarded as being impregnable to attack. at last they were roused from their lethargy by the sounds of an onset. the love of life, rather than that of liberty aroused their courage and they offered a stubborn resistance to the foe who were repulsed with great loss. the besieging force adopted new tactics, which though deadly were not successful. suarèz, seeing the repulse of the soldiers and that the elephants were terrified by the fire, thought it best to beat a retreat. but the king inflexible in his resolution to capture the city, ordered a fresh assault in the course of which he displayed the greatest bravery, but was wounded by an arrow which confined him to his bed for the space of a week. his wound relaxed the vigour of the siege operations. during the time of inaction he caused wooden towers 65 feet high, mounted on 25 iron wheels and filled with combustible materials to be built. these engines, which demonstrated his skill in mechanics were intended for use against the ramparts. a dark and stormy night was chosen for the attempt and the glare of the lightning and the rumble of the thunder added to the terror they were to inspire. it was in the midst of this blinding storm that the towers were run up to the walls. the siamese putting aside their wonted timidity, sustained the attack with great bravery. they set fire to the engines which became fatal to their owners. so stout a resistance only served to increase the courage of the burmans, but while the king was consulting with suarèz on the best course that should be adopted, news was brought that the peguans had risen in revolt to gain the rights of their ancient independence. he raised the siege and instead of attempting the conquest of new territory, he considered it more prudent to take measures for the protection of his own kingdom. having put down the rebellion, he made fresh preparations against siam, but was assassinated by a gang of conspirators who could not conceal the fact that they had had everything to fear from his vengeance. chaumagrin, the foster brother of the murdered king, and to whose instrumentality the late victories were due, succeeded to the throne. he adopted the warlike policy of his predecessor without delay. this burman would have held a high position amongst heroes if he had had chroniclers to immortalize his deeds which, as it is, have only come down to us by vague tradition. it is said that his mighty army of 1,600,000 men overwhelmed the neighbouring kingdoms that he extended his conquests to china and tartary and that he was sovereign ruler of 24 kingdoms. the possession of a white elephant of which the king of siam was very fond was the pretext for a sanguinary war between the rival monarchs. the king of burma offered large sums of money for the animal which was considered to be remarkably intelligent; but, on being refused, resolved to capture it by force. in reality the sight of two nations in mortal combat for the possession of an elephant is no more to be marvelled at, than the spectacle of european rulers causing the slaughter of thousands of men for the possession of some useless fortress. the burmans invaded siam with a large force, and laid siege to the capital where they expected to meet a long and stubborn resistance. in order to spare the lives of his soldiers, the leader bribed certain traitors who rendered him master of a town by purchase rather than by conquest. the king of siam became the vassal of burma. the queen and her children were exiled to pegu from which event the rulers of pegu have taken the title of "prince of the white elephant" since one of these creatures had been the occasion of a war leading to such glorious results. after the death of the conqueror his son named _prunginiko_ succeeded to the throne. his first act was to demand the tribute which the king of siam had agreed to pay. but the latter said, that he acknowledged no master. on this refusal, the burmans sent a punitive expedition, under the command of a subordinate officer, to take vengeance on the faithlessness of his vassal. the siamese monarch, terrified by this invasion, gave him to understand that if the king had come in person, there would have been no difficulty in rendering his dues, but that under the circumstance he was unable to comply without compromising his dignity in receiving orders from a subordinate. the haughty burman replied that his vassal kings as well as the meanest slaves were expected to obey his behests. the siamese army commanded by the son of the king, (who was known as the black prince to distinguish him from his brother) took the field and gained a brilliant victory, prunginiko annoyed, rather than dispirited, raised an army of 1,700,000 men under the leadership of his eldest son, who self confident in numerical superiority assumed the title of king of siam. the reports of his march caused general consternation, but the black prince, calm amid the stress, did not lose hope of dispersing them. his soldiers fired by his example, were eager for the fray. a battle was fought on which the fate of the empire hung in the balance. with equal ferocity, the two leaders mounted on elephants sought each other out and careless of danger, engaged in single combat, appearing to fear death less than the shame of being vanquished by a hated rival. at last the burmese prince fell in the dust and died with every symptom of rage and despair. his soldiers, panic stricken, turned and fled and the siamese harassed them in the rear for a month as they pursued them like wild beasts, and, slaughtered them without mercy. after a glorious reign, the black prince who succeeded his father left the kingdom in a settled condition to his brother the white prince who had no skill in the art of government. this new king, a prey to greed and suspicion, allowed himself to be ruled by one of the chief nobles at the court who in order to render the king more odious, encouraged his vices and follies. this faithless favourite with a large retinue of slaves including 280 japanese, plotted to gain possession of the throne. the king enfeebled by debauchery was in danger of death, but his son, the heir-apparent, was an obstacle to the ambitious ideas of the favourite. the king misled by the representations of his favourite pronounced sentence of death on his innocent son, but the successor to the throne avenged the crime by the death of the favourite to whom it was due. the blood of the guilty was the cause of new troubles. the slaves of the ambitious favourite and especially his japanese retainers took upon themselves to avenge the death of their master. these bandits, nurtured on crime and rebellion, obliged the king to deliver over to them four of the chief nobles whom they massacred without pity. their fury extended even to the king who was obliged to sign in his own blood the conditions which they had the audacity to impose. they furthermore demanded that the chief priests should be given up to them as hostages for the promises they had extorted. this first attempt was followed by the sack of the town and after having despoiled the citizens, they took their departure unmolested with a great booty. the tyranny of the late king had prepared the way for all these outrages. whoever calls in foreign defensive assistance is no more than an oppressor who has more trust in the mercenaries he pays, than in the subjects he plunders, but he has the sad experience that his paid defenders often turn out to be only traitors. all countries in whose armies foreigners have predominated have only had transitory periods of prosperity, for the reason that those who have brought about their success, have also been the cause of their downfall. the neighbouring tribes wishing to profit by the troubles in the kingdom, made an invasion. their army came within three day's march of the capital, but peace had then been restored as the japanese had taken their departure. the king of siam collected his troops, and struck such terror into them that, they retreated precipitately without risking the issue of a battle. this prince, with the assistance of the portuguese, recaptured several provinces which had previously been seized by the kings of ava and pegu, and, full of gratitude towards his brave auxiliaries, he offered the port of martaban to the king of portugal as a base for his fleet. the ambassadors who made this offer to the viceroy of goa returned loaded with gifts. they were accompanied by a dominican friar to whom the negociation was entrusted. they were received with every mark of distinction and concluded a treaty the terms of which were extremely advantageous to the portuguese. this first success was the cause of a new embassy in 1621 which assisted the progress of the faith. some franciscans were demanded by the king to preach the gospel in his realm. he built them a church at his own expense and wished to make them wealthy, to which latter proposal they turned a deaf ear. their disinterested motives of which the country furnished so few examples, increased the admiration which their other virtues had evoked. this prince was a curious mixture of strength and weakness, of vice and of virtue. brave to the point of foolhardiness, he was cruel and savage, and the cowardly and timorous side of his character sacrificed both innocent and guilty to his suspicions. an absolute despot, he was not over-scrupulous in financial transactions. he was tyrannical, but not miserly. having a strict eye for justice he cast robbers and dacoits to crocodiles and to tigers and even found a savage pleasure in attending such functions. ingenious in his methods of reprisal, he imprisoned a vassal king, who had made a rebellion, in a cage and gave him no other food than the flesh which he caused him to tear from his own body. he took delight in the torture of his subjects; he himself cut off the legs of seven of the court ladies as a punishment for walking too quickly; and performed the same operation on three others who had been too slow to obey his orders. thus it was an equally heinous offence to walk either to too fast or too slowly. his brutality was extended even to birds and animals. he caused the head of a horse to be struck off because the animal had been disobedient, and the same fate overtook a tiger which had spared the life of a criminal that it ought to have devoured. this crowned monster of iniquity, died in his bed with all the complacency of a benevolent monarch. perhaps the horror inspired by his crimes was modified by his brilliant talents and the other virtues he possessed. faithful to his promises and lavish of rewards for services rendered, liberal and magnificent, he had many supporters who having become his accomplices guaranteed his immunity from revenge for his crimes. he entrusted a large sum of money to a portuguese to purchase certain articles from malacca. this madman gambled away the money and then had the hardihood to return to siam where he expected to meet with severe punishment. the king welcomed him graciously and said, "i think more highly of your confidence in my mercy than of all the rare articles that you ought to have brought me." like all tyrants, this prince had a favourite who introduced five or six hundred japanese, disguised as merchants, into the kingdom as tools for his own aggrandisement. as soon as the king had closed his eyes; he made use of them to ensure possession of the crown. but the son of the late king rallied his forces and snatched the sceptre from the hand of the usurper. he was more fortunate in recovering it than in retaining it as he was shortly afterwards assassinated. he left the throne to his younger brother who conceived a violent dislike to the japanese as he considered them a dangerous gang, watching for an opportunity to take his life. many of these japanese were killed and the rest were compelled to leave the country. peace having been restored, it was imperilled by the murder of the king's brother who had been suspected of aspirations to supreme power. a prince of the blood taking advantage of the feeling inspired by this crime, proclaimed himself king. this new usurper, under pretence of safeguarding the interests of the state maintained an armed force in time of peace, and this force was more vexatious to the citizens, than it was dangerous to foreign foes. however by keeping up a standing army he was able to dispose of the partisans of the legitimate heir to the throne. the dutch to whom he gave trading facilities were his most zealous upholders. it has been presumed that this usurper was the celebrated _chao pasa thong_ whom some maintain was of royal birth, but to whom others assign a lowly origin. for a long time he had held the office of chacri or chancellor during the tenure of which he deceived his master, oppressed the people, and made use of his ill gotten gains to consolidate his position. his wealth was lavished on his fellow conspirators. as soon as he was on the throne, he desired to marry the daughter of his predecessor, but the princess unwilling to bedeck herself with the spoils of his brothers who were the proper heirs to the throne, looked upon this criminal union with disgust. the tyrant enraged at their love for their sister ordered them to execution. having disposed of his rivals, he showed all the ferocity of his nature. the death of his daughter furnished an excuse for his harsh policy of removing all those who might have checked him in the path of crime. having celebrated her funeral rites with the utmost pomp; he himself gathered up her ashes, and on seeing a morsel of flesh unconsumed by the fire, made up his mind that his daughter had been poisoned. mad in his suspicions, he had all the women who had been in attendance on the poisoned princess, put under guard, and tried to extort by torture an avowal from them of an imaginary crime. the whole court was a scene of punishments. even so large a number of victims could not appear the cruelty of the tyrant. all the nobles of the kingdom were summoned before him, and he caused trenches to be dug and filled with glowing charcoal so as to put them to the ordeal by fire. they began by scraping the soles of their feet with a sharp piece of iron and then made them pass over the burning matter. those whose feet were injured by the fire were held to be guilty. this tyrant, a cunning inventor of punishments, devised new methods. some victims were crushed under the feet of elephants, others, buried up to the shoulders, begged for death which alone could terminate their sufferings. it was a heinous offence to give them the least assistance or to hasten their death. he employed fearsome tortures. the bodies of victims were squeezed so tightly by cloths that the cloth appeared to be part and parcel of the body of the sufferer. some were pierced with needles of various shapes and then were cut in half, the upper portion being placed on a copperplate so as to stop the bleeding and to prolong the agony. three thousand persons were sacrificed to the barbarity of the tyrant, who under the pretext of avenging the death of his daughter, found a means of removing the enemies of his usurped power. there still remained other important victims namely the two sons and the daughter of the late king. as he could only revile them for their misfortune and degradation, he brought a false charge against the eldest daughter whom he accused of having given an exhibition of unholy glee at the cremation of the princess. she was condemned to the ordeal by fire together with all the ladies of her suite and the pain extorted from her the avowal of a crime of which she was innocent. the executioner at once received the order to cut off a piece of her flesh and to make her eat it. when she was offered this disgusting repast, she cried out. "vile tyrant! you can rend my body, but remember that my spirit is not under your command. you will observe that the fixity of my purpose renders me superior to your tortures. learn also that your crimes will not go unpunished and that my blood shall be a seed from which shall arise the avengers of my family and country." at this, the tyrant highly enraged, ordered her to be cut in pieces and to be cast into the river. the brother of the princess who at that time was twenty years of age met with the same fate. he had previously pretended to be insane but as soon as he was mounted on the scaffold, he made it known that it was the love of life that had caused him to act in a cowardly manner. the beauty of his countenance which his sad position rendered more touching, caused tears to come into the eyes of the most hardened. when he saw the executioner approaching, he cursed the author of his misfortune. "although innocent," he said, "i am about to suffer the death of the guilty. the tyrant wishes that i should die, and i shall not demean myself to beg his clemency, a virtue of which he is quite ignorant. i prefer to arouse the feelings of the people and to encourage them to thoughts of vengeance." this usurper, who was notorious only for his cruelties, died after a reign of 30 years. he left a son whom the devotion of the people called to the throne, but he was supplanted by his uncle who based his claim to the throne on the custom which placed the crown on the head of the late king to the exclusion of his children. the young prince cleverly dissembled his resentment and waited for a favourable opportunity to show it. his uncle, a man of unbridled passions, wished to take his sister as a concubine. the opposition which her brother made to the match caused his uncle to resolve in his death, which he only escaped by flight. the portuguese sympathised with him and in hopes of his protection offered him their help to reclaim his brother's heritage. this prince, supported by 1000 of these brave europeans forced his way into the palace, of which he made himself master before any one suspected his designs. the usurper hoping to flee in disguise mixed with a crowd of slaves, but a portuguese seeing him escape, seized him and stabbed him to the heart with a dagger. the prince punished only those who had been concerned in the tyrant's misdemeanours and his liberal policy secured him many adherents. chapter ii. the reign of chao narai. the death of the usurper opened the way to his nephew's possession of the throne. it was in this reign that the barriers which had divided europe from the kingdom of siam were broken down. the welcome that chao narai extended to foreigners, drew them from all parts of the world in the hopes of gaining wealth which in reality did not exist or which at least had been much exaggerated by the reports of untrustworthy travellers. this prince, endowed by nature with all the qualifications necessary for kingship would have been the creator of this nation, had not the intractable nature of his subjects been opposed to all the good he wished to do for them. they however invariably preferred the old customs to useful innovations. abuses founded on prejudice and custom are rarely capable of being reformed. chao, desirous of glory, and carried away by his energetic nature did not, like other kings of the indies, seclude himself in the gloom of a harem, there to grow weak in debauch and to forget his duties. his throne shaken by the turbulence of the nobles needed a firm hand to keep it secure. his first victories were those over his subjects, and all premonitory symptoms of internal dissensions were promptly repressed by the death of the rebels. though naturally of a kindly disposition yet severe in his methods of government, he clearly understood that it was always necessary to be ready for all emergencies when dealing with a people who were ready to renounce their allegiance if not intimidated by fear. a chief priest, proud of his authority took upon himself the onus of reading him a lecture. he dared to tell the king that the whole nation was grumbling in secret at his great severity. the prince listened to what he had to say without appearing to be annoyed by his indiscretion. some days later in order to make him see the folly of his remarks, the king sent a monkey (an animal which is intensely disliked by the siamese) to the priest and told him to take great care of it and to let it play about without hindrance. the priest suffered great inconvenience from his guest who upset all the furniture, broke the crockery and bit all the servants. at last, exasperated by the animal's tricks he implored the king to relieve him of its presence. "well" said the prince, "can you not put up with the petty annoyances of an animal for two days; and yet you wish that i should endure, for the rest of my life, the insults of a people one thousand times worse mannered than all the monkeys in the forests! learn then, that even if i punish wickedness still more will i reward virtue and merit." having crushed the rebellion, he put himself at the head of his army and his first expedition was crowned by a brilliant victory. the peguans had invaded the outlying portion of the kingdom and had committed great havoc. these people, so often the conquerors of siam, found by bitter experience that they could not always be invincible, and after sustaining a disastrous defeat hurriedly retreated with their shattered forces to their own territories. whilst thus engaged in the repulse of foreign foes, storms were brewing in the heart of his kingdom. this prince too enlightened to give himself up to superstitious idolatry, soared above popular prejudice. the priests feared that they would fall in public estimation and that the people, following the example of so popular a ruler, would forsake the altars of their gods. they thought that they might prevent their loss of prestige by the murder of the king. the zeal for the interests of heaven urged them to the crime of attempting his life and misled by sanctimonious piety they chose for their fell deed, a feast day on which the king entered the temple, more as a censor, than a partaker in their vulgar rites. the success of this sacrilegious plot seemed assured, owing to the fact that the royal body-guard was not allowed to enter the temple precincts. a fortunate chance averted the danger. two officials, sent to examine the preparations for the ceremony, perceived that the temple was filled with a mob of priests, all of whom were armed with swords and daggers concealed under their robes. these warlike preparations were considered suspicious. on hearing the news, the king surrounded the temple with soldiers who cut down the guilty priests without mercy. this just punishment was regarded as an act of sacrilege by the populace who are apt to confound the cause of god with the crimes of his ministers. the priests, to whose interest it was to decry him, proclaimed him to be a bloodstained ruler who cared naught for god and man. such was cause of the hatred that this king felt for the priests. it was under these favourable circumstances that three french bishops came to siam to plant the standard of their faith. their enlightened character contrasted strongly with that of the idolatrous priests, sunk in the depths of ignorance and in the mire of debauchery. in order to slight the priests, the king made as though to favour christianity. the prelates established a seminary on a piece of land given to them by the king. the aim of this institution was to educate the young, and to enable them to learn the languages of their neighbours all of whom had establishments in the capital known as 'camps,' that of the french being known as the camp of st. joseph. the king built them a church at his own expense. this generosity seemed to indicate his leanings towards christianity, but in reality he was indifferent to all religions and above all took delight in showing his contempt for the idolatrous priests whom he loved to humiliate. the mahomedans shared his favours with the christians and if he had been obliged to make choice of a religion, it is most probable that he would have declared for the koran. a prince surrounded by concubines would naturally vote for a religion which authorises his predilections. the logic of the court furnished overwhelming arguments which silenced the voice of reason. the executive was entrusted to a foreigner, who, brought up in the bosom of christianity, favoured its progress. this man was equally celebrated for his rise and fall; he has played too important a part on the world's stage for us to omit a sketch of him. constantine faulcon, a greek by nationality, was born in 1650 in the island of cephalonia. father tachard assures us that his father was a noble venetian who was the governor of the island, and that his mother was a daughter of one of the leading families. this jesuit, whose works must be read with a great deal of distrust, created titles to do honour to those of his friends and protectors to whom good birth had been denied. the name of faulcon does not occur among those of the noble families of venice, and forbin, better informed and less of a flatterer, says that he was the son of an innkeeper in a small village known as la custode in the island of cephalonia, at which place faulcon received an education commensurate with his abilities. nature revenged herself on the caprice of fortune and his high spirit was evident as he grew up, and his pride could not stand a locality where every thing recalled his lowly origin. at the age of twelve he took ship for england and did not delay in making himself known for his commercial abilities. his lively imagination knew how to place everything in a favourable light. his ready speech and interesting conversation bore witness to his birth in that happy land which in former times produced the teachers of the nations. he was sought after by the greatest people at court, and his intelligence fertile, though uncultivated gave him ready access to the most refined courtiers and the wisest of the learned. mr. white, a rich english merchant recognised his talents, and seeing the advantage that might accrue from his society, took him on a voyage to the indies where his skill justified his preconceived ideas. having passed through his english service, he found himself possessed of sufficient means to be independent, and started trading for himself. his efforts were not crowned with success. twice he embarked, and twice was his ship wrecked near the mouth of the menam. these mishaps did not damp his commercial ardour. he embarked on a third venture, but was again wrecked on the coast of malabar. he was barely able to save himself from the fury of the elements and managed to recover but 2000 crowns, as the sole relics of his fortune. overcome by exhaustion, he fell asleep on the lonely and unknown shore. his disordered imagination gave him a vision of a beautiful and majestic female who, casting tender glances at him, told him to return to siam where he would meet with better fortune. this dream which he afterwards regarded as a sign from heaven led him to seek means to carry out the project. thus, smarting from his recent misfortunes, it was from a idle dream, that this man whose talents have been so belauded, took his directions which indeed led him to power. many unfortunate persons have been led to their doom by following such untrustworthy guides. next day, as he was walking along the shore regarding the devouring element that had swallowed up his fortune, he was met by a man in a most wretched plight. it was a siamese ambassador, who, returning from persia, had been shipwrecked on the same coast. this personage, having lost all his property thought that he had only been saved from the waves to die on the shore. he was agreeably surprised to meet a sympathetic fellow creature in a similar situation. the account of each other's mishaps cemented a friendship such as is rarely known between those on whom fortune is wont to smile. faulcon, wealthy compared with his destitute friend, used his remaining wealth to purchase food, clothing and a boat in which they sailed to siam together, faulcon found a home in the seminary where he lived on the bounty of the archbishop of beryta. the ambassador touched by faulcon's kindness sang his praises to the barcalon who desired to see his benefactor. faulcon captivated the minister by the brilliancy of his talents. the trust he inspired rendered him a necessity to the barcalon who, a foe to hard work, preferred pleasure to business. he found the burden of the administration could well be borne by a subordinate whose well-directed operations redounded both to the credit of the monarch and of himself. faulcon was chosen to accompany an embassy to a neighbouring kingdom where he kept up appearances without causing unnecessary expense. the mores insatiable in their avarice wasted the public money as they were in charge of the state's finances. faulcon repressed their greed. this parsimony rendered him dear to the king, who, after the death of the chief minister appointed him as his successor, but the greek was wise enough to refuse the position as he saw that, he a foreigner, would incur the hatred of the nobles who invariably aspired to offices without endeavouring to render themselves worthy of their trust. but if he had no show of power, he had all the reality. he was careful to hide behind the machine of which he pulled the strings, and, minister without the title and decorations, he presided as an invisible yet guiding spirit over public affairs. a malay who had received the appointment of barcalon endeavoured to undermine his influence, but the falsity of his charges having been proved, was punished by loss of his office. nations have spoken differently concerning this singular personage. these who take his lowly origin into account assume him to have been the possessor of superior attainments by which he surmounted the obstacles which hinder the progress of ordinary people. the french priests supported by his generosity and possibly misled by imposing externals have depicted him in the most glowing colours. tachard, loud in his praise has represented him as having a nobility of character, a facile mind and polished manners, very rare qualities to be found in a sailor who had passed his life on shipboard in the company of wild, uncouth, seafaring men. he has also supplied him with natural eloquence and persuasiveness, but the proofs which this jesuit has brought forward are so open to doubt, that it is fairly apparent that tachard himself was the author of all the elegant productions which he assigns to faulcon. the other european nations jealous doubtless of his preference for the french or the portuguese catholics, have taken pleasure in vilifying his character. they have painted him with all the vices to which both ancient and modern greeks are addicted. perfidious and cringing, concealing the symptoms of frenzied ambition under the cloak of moderation, polite in manner and haughty in character, he did not trouble to disguise his vices in his dealings with a people accustomed to servile obedience. implacable in revenge, he skilfully laid the onus of the punishment of his enemies upon the king. everyone agrees that he was possessed of certain virtues which never became obscured throughout his life. a sincere despiser of wealth, he made use of riches only for the purpose of personal aggrandisement. his incorruptible nature was never suspected of receiving bribes in the administration of justice. eager for the honours from which his birth seemed to have excluded him, he was all the more anxious to secure them. faithful to his master, the only reward of his service that he claimed, was the privilege of maritime commerce, which furnished him with the money necessary for his expenses. it seems that he was a true catholic, since free to make choice of a religion, he deserted the anglican faith which would have been less of a hindrance to his desires. he was a man of medium stature, with bright penetrating eyes. although having an intelligent expression, there were traces of gloom in his character, indicative of a conscience smitten by remorse. such was the condition of the court of siam when the question of an alliance with france was considered. a new treaty, the motives of which could not be clearly understood, drew the attention of those interested in politics. those who were jealous of faulcon declared that he had invited the french, only for the purpose of furtherance of his schemes and to place him on the throne that was the summit of his ambition. it is quite possible that feeling himself exposed to the envy of the court, he might have wished to have raised some barrier against the designs of his foes and that in protecting the french, he was actuated by regard for his personal safety rather than by that of his master's prestige. whatever his ideas may have been on that point there is no doubt that he was fully alive to the advantages which would accrue to the kingdom from commerce. otherwise the dutch, the masters of the malay peninsula, would have been the arbiters of the fate of the indies the kings of which needed an alliance to counterbalance the power of these formidable republicans. their dangerous proximity was the lure the minister made use of to bring the king round to his ideas. the bishops, newly arrived in siam gave such glowing accounts of louis xiv that the siamese monarch was greatly flattered by the prospect of obtaining so illustrious an ally. a pompous announcement of the list of presents sent was made, but fearing lest these gifts might be seized by the dutch who at this time were at war with france, it had been decided to leave them at bantam. this delay might have been fatal in a court ruled by avarice, and it was to be feared that over-zealous courtiers, jealous of the favour in which the prelates were held, took every opportunity of doing them harm by declaring that they were secretly plotting to possess themselves of these presents. the king anxious to receive these gifts was persuaded that he would receive them in due course; but hardly had the vessel set sail, than the dutch caring naught for the king of siam seized the presents as a prize of war. the court of siam broke out in threats at this audacious act; but the dutch, too powerful to fear any act of reprisal, foresaw a rupture from which nothing was to be gained. so in order to depreciate the high ideal the siamese had of louis xiv., they craftily restored all the gifts of small worth, but retained those which were valuable so as to belittle the offering of the king of france. the king of siam, hearing of this act of bad faith was only the more eager to hasten the projected alliance, and, to ensure its consummation, he pretended to have decided leanings towards christianity. the buddhist temples were closed and those who disobeyed this order were severely punished. the king was pleased to hear the bishops discourse on christianity. his gifts helped to embellish the seminary. he caused a gilt throne to be carried there, the magnificence of which seemed to indicate the respect for the doctrines there promulgated. on the cessation of hostilities between the dutch and the french, ambassadors were chosen to bear a reply to the french monarch. the king built a church at his own expense. this edifice still remains and the memory of its founder made it to respected by the persecutors of the followers of christ. the people, free to select a religion, would have ranged themselves under the banner of the gospel, if the chief minister had not secretly disobeyed the order of his master. the first ambassadors had many obstacles to overcome. the court, impatient at receiving no tidings, sent two other high officials accompanied by m. m. vachet and pascal two enlightened missionaries to be their guides in a land where the manners and customs would be unfamiliar. it was at the beginning of january 1684 that they set sail on board an english vessel, together with six young siamese who were to be instructed in european arts and sciences. they arrived in london after voyage of six months and thence took for ship calais. it was then that m. vachet resigned the position of chief of the embassy in order that the siamese officials might enjoy the dignities of the post. m. de seignelay, before making the news public, wished to learn verbally the reason for the embassy. m. vachet told him that the fame of louis xiv, had penetrated to the extreme orient and that the king of siam hoping to form an alliance, offered him, if his efforts were successful, a position in a state where a french company might establish a trading station to extend commercial operations to china and all parts of the indies. the minister, having previously been misled by false reports, appeared to doubt the truth of this recital. "be careful," he said, "in speaking of this embassy we know very well that it has not been sent by the king of siam and that louis xiv. fears that his dignity would be compromised if he were to send an embassy to him." m. vachet had no difficulty in surmounting this obstacle. louis xiv., who was better informed on the matter, summoned him to his presence and entered into the details of the affair. he appointed a day for the audience of the ambassadors to whom the ministers lent their equipages and retainers. they went to versailles, where their presence aroused the interest of the whole court. their dress was rich and elegant, they wore white pointed head-dresses ornamented with a ring of gold three inches in width. the spectacle was interesting from its novelty. they were conducted with great ceremony to the royal presence. on the appearance of his majesty they prostrated themselves with their faces to the ground, having the hands above the head, in the same posture as they were wont to adopt towards their own king. m. vachet acted as interpreter and the king replied "tell these officials that we shall have great pleasure in doing what our brother the king of siam desires." afterwards they dined with the king and the luxury of the table appointments, made a great impression on men naturally accustomed to frugality. they were conducted over the park where the fountains which were playing seemed to them to be an exhibition of magical power. having satisfied their curiosity, they were invited to magnificent banquet. the king's brother was their host at a splendid entertainment at st. cloud at which the choice vintages excited their appetites. the objects of art in the prince's apartments attracted their attention and many frenchmen were astonished to find such good taste and appreciation in strangers coming from so distant a country. the prince of condé, who inherited the inborn courtesy of the heirs of his house, invited them to chantilly. the most distinguished persons vied with each other in the magnificence of their receptions and during a stay of more than two months in france, they appeared of more account than their master. on their return to siam, they rendered account of their negociations and the king pleased with their success and the honours they had received, called m. vachet to renew to him the assurance of his protection. he addressed him in these words which sounded strange from the mouth of an idolatrous prince. "father vachet, do not pride yourself on the success of your voyage, it is not you that have effected such great things, it is the god of heaven and earth to whom all praise be due." these negociations were the fruit of faulcon's intrigues and above all of the zeal of the missionaries for the glory of their religion and of their king. the french merchants who foresaw new openings for commerce were also greatly interested in the scheme. louis xiv. had resolved to send out jesuit mathematicians to china, where their observations might perfect the knowledge of geography and navigation. he seized the occasion of the visit of the siamese ambassadors to carry out his design. the chevalier de chaumont was appointed ambassador to siam with the abbé de choisy as his co-adjutor with instructions to reside in the indies until the king of siam had been converted to christianity and to work in conjunction with the missionaries to further the great work. the abbé who was a most agreeable personage, was bent more on pleasure, than on the giving of instruction but it is not by amenities of character that apostleship is successful. the chevalier de chaumout cast anchor in the gulf of siam on september 27th 1687 after a voyage of six months duration. he was accompanied by m. m. ceberet and la loubere the chiefs of the deputation, five missionaries and fourteen jesuits. father tachard who had no rank other than that of a mathematician was the life and soul of the party of which he alone imagined he pulled the strings. the stress he lays on the smallest details of the negociations ought at once to make his position suspected. the french were received with every mark of distinction. the king of siam, laying aside the hauteur of an asiatic monarch became quite familiar. it was then that the ambassadors become apostles and begged the king to become a christian. their efforts were redoubled on receiving the news that an ambassador had just arrived from persia to convert the king to islam. the missionaries in their zeal and desire to gain so illustrious a convert, overstepped the limits of his favour. the chevalier du chaumont under instructions from them and from faulcon (who though animated by the same zeal had yet other motives) never ceased pointing out to the king on every possible occasion, that it was the ardent wish of louis xiv that he should embrace christianity. narai, wearied by his importunity, asked what had led the king of france to believe that he had wished to become a christian. the following was the king's reply from the memory of those who were present and who were desirous of his conversion. faulcon himself acted as interpreter. "i regret that the king of france sets me so difficult a choice. i should be rash to embrace a religion of which i know nothing. i wish for no other judge than this wise and virtuous prince. a sudden change might cause a revolution and i do not intend to forsake lightly a religion received and practised without interruption in my kingdom for the last 2229 years. besides this i am greatly surprised at the eagerness with which this king upholds the cause of heaven, it seems that god himself takes no interest whatever in the matter, and that he has left the mode of worship which is due to him to our own discretion. for could not this true god who has created heaven and earth and all the dwellers therein and has endued them with diverse characters, in granting souls and bodies to mankind, have inspired mankind with similar ideas on the religion they ought to follow, and have indicated to them the mode of worship most agreeable to him and to have submitted all nations to a uniform law. as he has not done so we ought to conclude that he has not wished it to be so. this ordered unity of worship depends entirely upon a divine providence that could have introduced it into the world just as easily as the diversity of sects that are established. it is then natural to believe that the true god takes as much pleasure in being worshipped in different ways as by being glorified by a vast number of creatures who praise him after one fashion. would the diversified beauty which we so admire in the physical, be less admirable in the ethical world or less worthy of the divine wisdom? whatever may happen, since god is the absolute ruler and director of the world i resign myself and my kingdom entirely to his good providence and with all my heart i trust that his eternal wisdom will so order them according to his good pleasure." these brilliant sophisms showed that the prince had no great leanings towards christianity. the abbé de choisy was quite capable of understanding their hollowness but, convinced that the logic of kings is hard to refute, became tired of his apostleship owing to the small hope he held of success. the french were none the less well received, and in virtue of a secret treaty, mergui and bangkok were banded over to the soldiery to whom the king extended a welcome. these towns were reckoned as two of the ramparts of the country the one on the bay of bengal and the other on the gulf of siam. des farges was appointed governor and commander in chief of the french soldiery. these foreigners transferred to the kingdom of siam, were regarded as its defenders. twenty-four of them were selected to act as a bodyguard to the prime minister, and the king himself never appeared in public without a french escort. one of these men was raised to the rank of colonel of the guards and others were placed in command of siamese regiments in order to instruct them in military discipline. the soldier who fell ill was sent to louvo where he received better attention than he would have in his own home. these privileges were extended to all christians who enjoyed full rights of citizenship. the french jesuits were allowed to preach the gospel in all parts of the kingdom. the king appointed many of them to buddhist temples under the pretext of their having to learn siamese, but in reality to observe their procedure as the priests were neither suited for, nor willing to act as spies. the minister laid the foundations of a college for the education of the younger member of the nobility under the name of college of constantine. m. the chevalier de chaumont having brought the negociations to a conclusion departed from siam at the end of 1688. he was accompanied by three siamese ambassadors equally distinguished by birth and ability and who were in charge of some rich gifts for the king of france. the object of this mission was to demand that engineers should be sent to instruct the siamese in the art of fortification and in the methods of attack and defence of positions. they were also empowered to request a body of troops to perfect the siamese in military evolutions. the french officers and soldiers who remained in siam abused the consideration they had enjoyed. convinced of their superiority in power and knowledge, they were rash enough to presume upon it, and instead of laying themselves out to please, desired to be thought much of. with impudent mockery they condemned every thing that differed from their own customs. the people and nobles at first suffered the pride of their insolent guests in silence. the bishops and clergy alone were not exposed to the popular dislike. keeping within the seminary and devoting their time to labour, they were neither vain nor ambitious, they were known by the services they rendered to the public and above all to the unfortunate. the jesuits, animated without doubt by the same motives had other means to attain their end; and it was by the brilliancy of their accomplishments that they endeavoured to enjoy the public confidence. surgeons, physicians, astronomers and mathematicians, they beheld men of all stations in life coming to ask their advice and to follow their teaching. but while making converts, they multiplied enemies. the more they displayed the superiority of their talents the more were they suspected of dangerous designs. it was incredible that such learned men should expose themselves to such fatigue and danger for the mere purpose of dressing wounds free of charge, and to teach how to calculate eclipses or the periodicity of comets. they were both admired and hated, and the siamese were told that it was merely by this display of secular learning that they had succeeded in having a powerful following in japan. in such manner they decried the zeal of these religious persons pure in their motives, but perhaps too ostentatious in their methods. many of the siamese, attached to their own habits and customs were alarmed at seeing so many foreign priests and soldiers introduced into the kingdom. they could not but perceive that this policy was a forecast of an approaching change in the laws and religion of the country. faulcon, the author of these innovations, became the object of public execration. a zealous, but indiscreet malay informed the king that the minister, the accomplice of the french, had conspired against him and the state. the monarch having been forewarned of this tale would not deign to listen to the proofs he had to offer and instead of receiving the rewards that he thought would be his due, was condemned to be devoured by tigers. the prince of johore, a vassal of the king of siam, wrote to the king to induce him to expel these foreigners from his kingdom; alleging that the french after having been received as allies would soon attempt to become masters. this prince with the connivance of the dutch, offered his troops to help in the liberation of the kingdom from these new oppressors. his advice was rejected in anger, and the envoys would have been beheaded had not faulcon been wise enough to check an act of violence which might have led to disastrous results. a few remarks should be made here on this embassy which was a brilliant, rather than a useful achievement. the french clergy who had been the primary occasion of the embassy had only the interests of christianity at stake, but the political party regarded it as an advancement of the prestige of the king of france, who, in his turn, surrounded by flatterers, was misled by their counsels. father tachard, ready to grasp anything that would advance the interests of either his master or his sect, thought that the conquest of siam was reserved for his own society. he was seconded by pere de la chaise, who removed all the opposition on the part of the ministers to this expensive and useless alliance. the chevalier de chaumont and the abbé de choisy had had but a very superficial idea of the siamese nation. they had been present at banquets and hunting parties and the royal treasures had been displayed to their view. they had been conducted round the temples where they had been told that the colossal images therein were of solid gold, whereas in reality they were only of plaster skilfully gilt. the ambassadors, dazzled by what they saw, deceived the court of france in their turn. count forbin, the head of the navy and a thorough spartan, had observed all this parade in a philosophic spirit. this brave soldier who preferred the roar of cannon, to any more sensuous form of music, perceived that the french were being blinded by a bogus magnificence. the simple account he has given of this journey is a complete refutation of the meretricious lies of tachard and choisy. his insight into the wretched state of the country was keen, and faulcon, fearing lest he should discredit the reports that the ambassadors were about to carry to the french court, asked the chevalier de chaumont that forbin should be appointed admiral of the fleet. the count was obliged to obey the orders of the ambassador and was duly appointed admiral and commander-in-chief of the land and sea forces of the kingdom of siam. this grandiloquent title gave him opportunities of investigating the true state of the country the misery and weakness of which he soon discovered. some days after he had an audience with the king whom he found surrounded by officials seated on wicker-work mats. a single lamp illuminated the hall and whoever wished to read, pulled out a yellow wax taper from his pocket, lit it, and then extinguished it with great economy when he had finished with it. one day the mean and miserly monarch asked the count "well admiral, do you not find great pleasure in your appointment at court?" forbin was obliged to answer that he considered himself highly favoured to be in his service. this plain-spoken sailor ground his teeth as he uttered this polite lie. the severity with which the slightest faults were punished made him squeamish. those who did not speak sufficiently had their mouths slit from ear to ear and those who spoke too much had the mouths sewed up. petty offenders were burnt in the arm or lacerated in the thigh, forbin was surprised to see that the highest officials were exposed to such shameful treatment, from which even the king's brothers themselves were not exempt. he feared for his personal safety, but was reassured by faulcon who employed every artifice to retain him in the service. he was not over-satisfied with the allowance made for his pay and accomodation which was quite out of proportion to his grandiloquent title. he was given thirty six slaves to wait on him, and two elephants. his house was small and poorly furnished. he was presented with twelve plates two large silver cups, four dozen table napkins and a daily allowance of two of yellow wax tapers. such were the emoluments of count forbin, admiral and commander-in-chief of the forces of the kingdom of siam. this mean equipage can give some idea of what an asiatic monarch considered to be luxury. it seems that fortune, in retaining count forbin in the service of a nation incapable of profiting by his example, had foreseen that the chance would be given him of acting as the country's defender, as happened in the macassar revolt which broke out two years later and of which the circumstances shall now be related. chapter iii. the revolt of the macassars. a people to whom the kingdom of siam had given refuge in their misfortunes, were the cause of an event that shook it to its foundations. the king of macassar, a district in the island of celebes, had been dethroned by the dutch. one of his sons, escaping from the vengeance of the conquerors, had sought asylum in siam. the king of siam, attracted by the rank of the unfortunate prince, granted him land on which houses were built for him and his followers who had accompanied his flight. this locality which still retains its name of 'the field of the macassars' was situated adjacent to that assigned to the malays who were also a mahommedan people. the benefits showered on the fugitive prince only made him ungrateful, and when he ought to have sacrificed everything for his benefactor, he made an attempt on his life, in order to place the king's younger brother on the throne. the conspiracy was discovered and the author of it deserved severe punishment, but narai overlooked the offence and magnanimously pardoned him. daen (this was the name of the treacherous prince) emboldened by impunity, considered himself more powerful than the prince to whom he was so much indebted. base characters regard clemency as a sign of weakness, not as a virtue. humiliated by an unmerited pardon, he rendered himself still more unworthy by entering into a new conspiracy. as he needed fellow-conspirators for the execution of his evil designs, he corrupted by means of specious promises, the three princes of champa, who, like himself had sought refuge in siam, after the death of their father to escape from the machinations of their brother, who having succeeded to the throne, would have in accordance with mahommedan usage, laid violent hands on possible rivals. these princes conspired with the prince of macassar to open a road to the throne. their plot was, at first, to place the crown on the head of the youngest of the king's brothers and to reign in the name of the crowned phantom. they were resolved to compass his destruction after having elevated him to the throne and to substitute one of themselves by vote. it seemed that the interests of their religion justified the conspiracy in their sight. they intended to offer to christians and mahomedans alike, the alternatives of death or the koran. one of these three princes occupied a high position at court. he was the youngest, and the others placed him at the head of the conspiracy. he was of an age at which ignorance of the risk he ran, might lead him into crime without his perceiving the fatal results. he followed the counsels of a bold malay who had nothing to lose and who was ready for any desperate deed. it was necessary to enlist the sympathy of heaven for their cause so as to inspire their followers with that fanatical enthusiasm which regards the present life as a mere prelude to eternal felicity. they received great assistance from the impostures of a mahomedan priest who informed the malay and macassar encampments that a sign of evil omen had appeared in the sky and that their nation was threatened by a grave disaster. for the space of three months he published these dreadful tales. fanatical madness is contagious, and an imposter who misuses the name of the deity can soon reckon on a numerous following. with the exception of three hundred malays, everyone eagerly drank in his words. when the plot was ripe, the three ringleaders sought means to win over these three hundred to their side, as the success of the plot largely depended on their co-operation. they decided that on the appointed day, they would summon them to their meeting and that they, seeing their compatriots armed for the common cause, would no longer hesitate to throw in their lot with them. it was resolved to break open the prisons and to liberate the captives to augment their forces. as their financial resources were limited, they signified their intention of looting the palace and the treasury in the hope of encouraging the bravery of their fellow-conspirators by the prospect of a rich booty. on the appointed day, before striking the first blow, the two princes wrote to their brother, who was holding office in louvo, to advise him to put as great a distance as he could between himself and the court. he received the letter at nightfall and the messenger disappeared without waiting for an answer. the hasty departure of the messenger aroused the prince's suspicions and guessing that the letter contained some important secret information, gave it unopened to faulcon, who alarmed at the news of the rising, hurried off to inform the king. three thousand men were sent to defend the palace. the guards stationed near louvo prevented the outbreak of the revolt by their vigilance. forbin was sent to bangkok to attend to the defence of that important port. the conspirators ignorant of the discovery of their plot, assembled to carry out their designs. when the three hundred malays, whom the conspirators had been endeavouring to win over, had discovered the nature of the plot, they became highly indignant and protested that far from wishing to betray the king their benefactor, they were ready to shed their blood in his defence. their fidelity brought back many to a proper sense of their position. the mahomedan priest trembled for his life and saw no better way out of his difficult position than by revealing the secrets of those whom he had deceived. the princes no longer doubted that they were discovered, especially when they learnt that the palace was defended by three thousand men and that armed guards were keeping watch on the ramparts. they returned home without striking a blow. the king, although he could have punished them very severely, showed his clemency and pardoned them. the malay leader, who had been the arch-plotter deserted the camp of the princes whom he had so seriously compromised. he divulged all the secrets and sources of the plot and avowed that he had only served with the princes in order to be able to disclose the matter to the king. faulcon was sent to interview the rebels and to induce them to return to their allegiance. he pardoned all those who came and acknowledged their faults. the malays who had rebelled simply because they had been prevailed upon by the others, gave testimony of their repentance and obedience in future. but the macassars, who were unprincipled scoundrels, showed a ferocious courage that feared death less than the shame of submission. their prince was frequently ordered to appear before the king's tribunal, not to be judged, but merely to acknowledge his guilt and to reveal the names of his fellow-conspirators. he excused himself on various pretexts and alleged that although he was not guilty, yet he could not endure the shame of having to justify his actions. if he had anything to reproach himself with, it was the fact that he was unable to reveal the names of those who had entrusted him with their secrets, but that his dignity would have been compromised had he condescended to play the part of a spy and informer, and furthermore that far from wishing to betray the king to whom he owed so much, he was incapable of traducing the very least of his friends. the king who could not subdue his pride by kindness, found that he was obliged to resort to force. but the macassars too hardy to blench at the approach of death, gave him to understand that the most formidable enemies are those who are prepared to die. hearing of their resistance, the king of macassar sent slaves and money to the rebellious princes to ensure them a means of subsistance. a malay captain, one of the ringleaders of the revolt, thought that he could take advantage of the ship which had brought these gifts to bangkok, to find a home in some other land. but the chevalier de forbin by means of a warrant he had received for his arrest, prevented his escape. he had asked for, and obtained a passport to leave the kingdom, but on his arrival at the chain stretched as a barrier across the river, forbin sent an order that he should land and give an account of the members of his suite. the captain, perceiving the threatened danger, replied that he would only submit to the governor's order on condition of his being accompanied by all his suite bearing arms. after some deliberation he was allowed to land with an escort of eight soldiers armed with daggers. these daggers are formidable weapons as they are usually poisoned. the possession of one of these daggers is a mark of honourable distinction among the macassars, and the surrender of it to an enemy is considered to be the greatest disgrace, and whoever draws his weapon and does not succeed in killing his adversary is held to be dishonoured in the sight of the nation. the captain, apprehensive of danger, fearlessly disembarked from his ship and made it known to his companions that it was his determination to plunge his dagger into the breast of the first man that attempted to disarm him. on his arrival at the fort he was ordered to send for the rest of his suite who remained in the ship. he was obliged to yield as the hall was filled with soldiery. an officer commanded him in the king's name, to surrender his dagger, but instead of obeying, the malay stabbed him to the heart. two siamese soldiers tried to seize him, but they met with the same fate as their officer, and a fourth man succumbed to his blows. then in a frenzy of rage he and his companions rushed on the soldiers who were armed with pikes, and forced their way through in defiance of death. they sprang upon a bastion, but the musketry fire compelled them to leap into the fosse. some, even were able to make a stand against the guards posted to stop their flight, but, sorely wounded, they received the fatal strokes they had desired to deal. when the captain lay dying in the dust, a french officer advanced to seize his dagger, but instead of grasping it by the handle, he only managed to get the scabbard. the macassar, recalled to action by the fear of losing his weapon, snatched it and ripped up his adversary and exhausted by the effort, died together with him. by this stubborn resistance forbin was assured that the survivors would sell their lives dearly. he turned out the garrison which numbered four hundred. there were only thirty-two macassars and they were reduced to desperation. these savages, more like wild beasts than men, wished to dictate terms rather than to make them. they demanded the body of their captain and threatened to punish the french if they refused to give it up. when they perceived that forbin was making preparations to attack them, they made ready for a vigorous defence. they twisted strips of cloth round their arms and shoulders to serve as shields. an english captain, underrating the strength of these fanatics, told the general that he would go forth and bring them back in chains. he advanced, but soon fell a victim to his daring. the macassars fell upon him and stabbed both him and his followers through and through with their daggers. the garrison on seeing this rash venture, were panic-stricken and broke their ranks. forbin made vain efforts to rally them and ran a great risk of losing his own life. if the macassars had but known how to take advantage of the terror they had inspired, they could have rendered themselves masters of the fort. but as they were more desirous of the blood of their enemies than of dictating terms; they massacred without mercy all the soldiers, women and children who fell into their hands. having glutted their thirst for vengeance, they dispersed into the jungle where they suffered greatly from hunger and the attacks of leeches and mosquitoes. they were hunted like wild beasts, and in spite of their desperate condition, they had the courage to face death with their weapons in readiness. they appeared merely to regret the fact of death in cases where they could not take the lives of their adversaries. those who were taken alive, begged for death, and tired of life, they merely desired the same fate as their companions whom they did not wish to survive. the prince of the macassars, to whom the fate of his companions should have been a warning, ought to have yielded himself to the mercy of the king; but he still persisted in his refusal to appear at court. a force of 6000 men under the command of faulcon was sent to force his submission. this body of troops ought to have been more than sufficient to crush a handful of undisciplined men, but the macassars are the bravest and most determined of the eastern races. energetic and fearless in danger, they despise luxurious habits that sap vitality and extinguish all sparks of courage. on hearing the trumpets sounding the attack, they maddened themselves with drugs and in a blind frenzy of passion fell upon the foe. faulcon, who relied on strategy more than on numerical superiority, embarked in a ship with an englishman the captain of a war-vessel stationed at the bar of the river. he was accompanied by a missionary and several europeans who were more reliable than the siamese who trembled at the mere mention of the name of the enemy. the captain of the guard at, the head of fourteen slaves, made an advance in the direction of the macassar camp, without taking precautions to cover his retreat. a macassar with thirty men springing from an ambush fell upon them and slew the captain and seven of the slaves. the remainder of the party fled in the darkness. at the same time the english captain of the war vessel made an attack on the extreme point of the camp. their musketry fire riddled the macassar huts and caused the inmates to beat a hasty retreat. the captain, followed by a dozen englishmen and a french officer pursued them. the macassars turned at bay and then with a haughty defiance, advanced, armed with their daggers, determined neither to ask nor to give quarter. the english captain fell dead on the scene of the combat, his companions fled in terror, and the french officer had to swim for his life. the macassars deserted their ruined camp and endeavoured to reach the portuguese quarter in order to make a furious attack on the christians. faulcon seeing their plan, made arrangements to circumvent it; and, followed by eight frenchmen, two siamese and one japanese, unwisely made a frontal attack. he advanced, but the enemy had formed up in two parties to cut off his retreat. maddened by their drugs, they fell upon his little band like hungry tigers upon their prey and faulcon seeing that he was in danger of being overwhelmed by numbers, beat a hurried retreat after losing half of his men. it was evident that the attack must be made more warily and that it was useless to imagine that mere force of numbers would be sufficient to crush them. faulcon rallied his whole army and fell upon the foe who fought with the courage born of despair. at length the macassars, overwhelmed by numbers, retired, some to their huts and others behind hedges of bamboos. twenty two of their number took refuge in a temple and resolved to bury themselves in its ruins. the huts were fired, but the macassars did not emerge from them until, they were nearly burnt. then to cut short the agony, they rushed forward sword in hand on the pikes of their foes and fought till they died pierced through and through, the macassar prince, wounded by a ball in the shoulder, perceived faulcon, the man whom he considered to be his most dangerous enemy. the thirst of revenge lent him strength, and mad with rage, he advanced on his hated rival, but as he was in the act of striking with his javelin; he was shot by a french soldier. those who had taken refuge in the temple, surrendered without striking a blow. thirty three more who had been severely wounded were taken prisoners. one of the sons of the prince, a boy of 12 years of age, implored the mercy of the conqueror. he was shown his father's corpse. "alas," he exclaimed "he was the cause of our country's miseries, but i feel his loss none the less keenly." a few remarks on these curious people might be made here. it is quite a novelty to find in an enervating climate, such an example of ferocity. the macassars have no knowledge of fire-arms and they regard them as detrimental to personal prowess, because they render modes of attack by bodily strength of no avail. besides this type of weapon hinders the user from tasting the fruits of vengeance and leaves him ignorant of the number of the slain. on the other hand, this dislike for fire arms may be due to the fact that they do not know how to use them, as they would have to surrender their superiority in the art of hurling lances and assegais. they show the greatest skill in the use of the sword and dagger, and they employ long blow pipes from which they shoot arrows tipped with a poisoned fish-bone. whoever is struck by one of these deadly missiles has not more than three hours to live. forbin cites an example of their intrepidity. one of these fanatics was making a rush at him and he stopped him by a spear thrust in the abdomen, but the macassar, although mortally wounded was still anxious to have his revenge. he continued to press forward on the spear, so as to reach forbin, who, stepping backwards, still holding him off by the spear with which he had impaled him; gave time for others to come to his assistance, and slay the macassar. especially when they were subjected to tortures they evinced the greatest firmness of demeanour. amongst the prisoners were found four soldiers who had deserted, and these men were selected to serve as an example of severity. at first they were tortured. splinters were thrust under their nails, after which their fingers were crushed. they were then burnt in the arm and their heads were compressed between two boards. they suffered all these torments without a murmur. a missionary thought that, exhausted by torture, they would be easy subjects for conversion and approached to lead them to jesus christ, but the victims deaf to their entreaties gave no sign save those of pride in the fact they knew how to die. after having been tortured in every possible way, they were tied up to a post with their hands and feet bound in order to be devoured by a hungry tiger that merely sniffed at them. the executioners goaded on the tiger until it at last devoured its prey. one of the prisoners watched it eat his own foot without making any effort to withdraw it. another hearing the crunching of his own bones, uttered no sound. a third, while the animal stood licking the blood which was running down his face did not even care to glance round. the king of siam spared the lives of the two sons of the macassar prince. they were sent to louvo under the charge of a christian, from constantinople, who had entered the siamese service, and, later, they went to france where they served in the navy. faulcon had the bodies of all the rebels found armed decapitated and exposed the heads in the then deserted encampment. the english and french who had shared the dangers and who had been instrumental in his success were loaded with honours and presents. chapter iv. the revolution that brought about the downfall of faulcon and the french. whilst faulcon was doing his best to ensure the prosperity of the state, the nobles, jealous of his power and influence were humiliated by having to be subservient to a foreigner. the priests discredited, and without the enjoyment of court favour, saw to their sorrow a minister, who despised their religion and set an example to the nation of forsaking their gods and superstitions. the common people, blind to common sense, and ready to follow any leader as foolish as themselves, espoused the cause of the priests who, to promote the cause of heaven, sowed dissensions broadcast. kings ought to have learnt by experience that when a people is discontented, an ambitious man is all that is required to make it rebellious. a single man suffices to instil into dull minds the fact that union is strength, and to cause them to pass from the ignominy of slavery to the desire for freedom. the siamese people, who were murmuring in secret, only awaited a leader to break out in revolt. men of all conditions yearned for a deliverer and any ambitious personage had a chance of assuming this imposing title. an official by name pitracha, took advantage of the popular discontent as a basis on which to rear the fabric of his fortune. at first he sheltered his aims under the cloak of religion; and a hypocritical zealot in religious matters, he gained the confidence of the priests and people, who regarded him as the protector of their temples and of their ancestral form of worship. this imposter in disguise took the surest means to stir up the fires of rebellion, as the mob invariably supports those who take up arms on behalf of their religion. some say that pitracha was born to be galley-slave rather than to succeed to a throne, but i can affirm that, from reliable information received, that he was of the blood royal and even first cousin to the reigning king. his mother who had been nurse to the king had two children, pitracha who has been mentioned, and a daughter. both these children had been brought up in the palace and had been the playmates of the king in his youth. first impressions are the most durable, and the king had always a kindly feeling for the playfellow of his youth, whom he afterwards advanced to the highest official position in the kingdom. the daughter who was comely and pleasing withal, was admitted to the harem and became the favourite wife. unfortunately she conceived a guilty passion for the king's brother and as there were too many spies about for the liaison to be kept secret for long, the faithless wife was condemned to be devoured by tigers. pitracha dissembled his resentment so as not to lose favour; and the king, charmed with the apathy he exhibited, ordered him to chastise the offending prince with a rattan. pitracha carried out his instructions with such effect that the prince dragged out a wretched existence; as the punishment had caused severe injuries. the other brother of the king had been implicated in the macassar plot, and this fact added to his natural vicious habits debarred him from any possibility of obtaining the throne. the fact of the king being in poor health, and of his having no heirs was favourable to ambitious designs. pitracha though small in stature was high spirited. his physiognomy was interesting; his glittering eyes seemed to pierce the inmost depths of one's thoughts and although 56 years of age, he still had the strength of youth. his natural eloquence won the hearts of all. popular amongst his subordinates, and haughty towards his rivals, he adopted even with the king, the tone of a censor animated by the public welfare. his frankness was a clever artifice by which he might reproach the king with his faults or those of his ministers, whom he rendered odious, by acting the part of the zealous citizen. although he managed to conceal his criminal designs, his more indiscreet followers embittered the people by the announcement that the minister (faulcon) in calling in the french soldiery was scheming to place the sceptre in their hands, and to raise christianity on the ruins of the faith of their forefathers. the alarm or the nation was strengthened by the fact that bangkok and mergui had been handed over to the french and the same fact gave colour to their statements. pitracha, calm in the midst of the general turmoil, pretended to deplore the evils for which in reality he was responsible. he had a rival for the king's favour, and he considered it wise to help his rival's claims so that he might the more readily be able to compass his downfall. there was a favourite at court named monpit aged twenty-two years whom the king had loaded with honours. the licence that both he and his relatives enjoyed, gave credit to the rumour that he was the offspring of a secret amour between the king and a concubine; and that he had been chosen as heir to the throne. the eyes of all were fixed on this rising star which was confidently expected to preside one day over the destinies of the nation. his inexperience rendered him an easy prey; and the favour he enjoyed rendered him unsuspicious. pitracha, accustomed to court life, where a kiss is the usual prelude to treachery, found in him a suitable tool for the accomplishment of his designs. he pointed out to him, that as he had been adopted by the king as his son, he had only one step to take to become his successor; but that he ought to act with boldness so as not to render the promises of fortune worthless. monpit dazzled by visions of power, surrendered his will entirely to the counsels of an enemy in the guise of a patron. he begged pitracha to act as his father and promised to share the throne with him. the court was ruled by three men, all of whom were actuated by different motives. the moribund king had but a shadow of that power of which the favourites possessed the reality. the hearts of all the nation beat for pitracha, who artfully appeared to despise the power which in secret he coveted. his devotion to the priests had enlisted them in his cause, and there are no more zealous partisans than those who imagine they perceive in an ambitious hypocrite, a defender of their temples and rites. his designs could not escape the notice of faulcon who was sufficiently clear sighted to see their aim, but was too weak to circumvent them. full of confidence in the french, he considered that he could oppose them as a rampart against the assaults of enemies. he had been informed that pitracha had counterfeited the seals of state so as to be able to issue orders favourable to his schemes. his emissaries, spread throughout the provinces, were raising forces under pretext of guarding against imaginary dangers. pitracha, despairing of ingratiating himself with faulcon, sought means to undo him by pandering to his self esteem, by means of the encomiums that the office holder invariably imagines are his due. "it is unfortunate for you and for the state," he said, "that being a foreigner, you are not eligible for the throne, as otherwise you would rule as king, an empire that you administer to-day in your official capacity." "the king, who is well aware of the incapacity of his brothers would always have a scruple against giving us such masters. if by some unlucky chance, they came into power, they would use it against the favourites and officials whom they hate as the authors of the punishments they have had to bear. believe me, let us anticipate their revenge and as soon as the king is dead, let us take possession of the palace. i would see that you were conducted to bangkok by my friends and there you could bid defiance to any who might wish to supplant you, monpit is working in your interests and in mine. our safety is dependant on our union, but for my own part i have resolved to bury myself in solitude and to consecrate the rest of my life to the worship of our gods whom it is quite impossible to serve amid the stress of state affairs." faulcon did not believe a single word of this, and was convinced that ambitious men have no disinterested friends. he replied that he intended to remain faithful to the service of his master, and that he considered it treasonable to form any league; and assured those who looked for his co-operation that he would only act on behalf of the king's interests. he resisted the temptation of revealing the matter to the king and besides the fear of aggravating the illness of the royal patient caused him to dissemble. he had no convincing proofs to bring against the guilty parties and he might have exposed himself to the risk of punishment inflicted for slander. the king would have with difficulty given credence to his recital, and his deluded heart would have justified his favourites. had pitracha been exposed, the plots would only have come to a head, and as no precautionary measures had been taken, it was necessary to dissemble. it is politic to ignore crime that cannot be punished. faulcon, in order to retain his prestige in sight of the people, let it be understood that it was he who had been the cause of pitracha's advancement; and in favouring his cause so as to the more easily bring about his downfall determined that the dying king should hand over the regency of the kingdom to him. pitracha made great protestations of gratitude in order to be afterwards ungrateful for his success. he played his part so well that the greek, who considered himself a past-master in the art of plumbing the depths of a man's character, believed that he had no more zealous partisan, especially since his advice was always followed in the councils of state. as the keeper of the king's conscience, he was exposed to the danger of causing the happiness of the few and of arousing the hostility of the many. every case heard before his tribunal increased the number of his enemies, because those who gained the day were never grateful to justice, while the losers imputed their defeat to the corruption of the judges. the new regent had no more eloquent panegyrist than the man whom he wished to destroy, and the king delighted in listening to the praises which the minister showered on his secret enemy. the king charged them to continue to work harmoniously together as the public welfare depended on their concord. he made them embrace each other as a pledge of eternal affection, but the favours of courtiers are but as snares for the credulous, who are influenced by externals only. faulcon's friends who were more clear sighted warned him of the approaching storm, but he was blinded by his uninterrupted successes; and prosperity unmixed with reverses had made him forget that fortune is apt to desert her favourites. accustomed to being in authority he never considered for one moment that his credit might fail; and a fortunate office-holder invariably believes himself to be a necessity to his employers. m. de métellopolis, with more foresight, pointed out the gulf yawning under him, but faulcon treated him with the scorn which is the reward of dreamers who offer visions for realities. a jesuit was hounded with ignominy from his presence for having had the boldness to give him some advice, and he was indiscreet or ill-natured enough to reveal to the other officials the sources from which he had obtained his information. at last his eyes were opened to the dangers, but it was too late to find a remedy. the king suffering from dropsy, was sinking rapidly. as he could now no longer hide the approach of death; he nominated monpit as his successor. his friends and relations filled all the important offices, and troops had been raised to support his candidature. faulcon, ever devoted to the interests of his master, acted on his behalf, but pitracha condemned his action in no measured terms. he proclaimed that it was his determination to place the crown on the head of the king's brother whom he would set up as an imposing phantom so as in reality to secure the power for himself. pitracha was the wire-puller of this macheviellian policy and to attract the princes to the court, pretended that the king their brother wished to nominate one of them as his successor. they hesitated for a long time before yielding to his pressing solicitations. the youngest, braver or perhaps more ambitious than the rest, presented himself at the court with the princess whom he had just married. they were given a magnificent reception. all the nobles hastened to render homage, but monpit and faulcon alone held aloof. the eldest of the princes on his arrival shortly afterwards, refused to receive either monpit or faulcon when they asked for an audience. as soon as the regent had all those who might cross his path in his power, he resolved to wait patiently for the death of the king and then to be proclaimed as his successor. but having been informed by his spies that an armed force, was advancing to support the claims of monpit, he resolved to hasten the consummation of his crimes. monpit, who for several days had been watching by the bedside of the dying king; was called out of the room and stabbed to death by the emissaries of pitracha, regardless of the outcries of the king who implored them to spare his son. at last, faulcon who had been lulled to a sense of false security, realised the condition of affairs. he could only cure the evil, by striking at the root, namely by arresting pitracha, and thus secure the loyalty of the disaffected; but he was powerless, as he himself was surrounded by enemies in a court where royal favour and the fact of his being a foreigner had drawn upon him the hatred of all. there was only one resource left, and that was the assistance of the french soldiery. he instructed them to assemble under arms at louvo and told them that their presence was necessary to the mutual interests of the allied monarchs. the rapidity with which des farges took action showed that he was ready to do everything for the benefactor of his nation. he set out with 100 picked men of his garrison and this little band was sufficient to overawe thousands of the siamese. the general passed through the capital before proceeding to louvo, but at this point timidity prevented his further advance. the report that the king was dead had been disseminated by the rebels, who wished to sound the popular feeling, and everything pointed to a generally disturbed state of affairs. des farges went to the seminary and thought it would be wise to hold a consultation with those who lived there. the protection that the missionaries had enjoyed caused him to regard their abode as an inviolable sanctuary, and the confidence he reposed in them, invited him to follow the wisdom of their experience. the missionaries, deceived by the popular rumours, told him that he would be running useless risks, that the roads were lined with ambuscades ready to annihilate all the french. the general, unmoved by these tales dictated without doubt by the desire they had for his safety, appeared to wish to persevere in his design of going to the rescue of the king and his minister. he was all the more anxious to do so as he foresaw that the downfall of faulcon would mean his own ruin, and, that shut up without hope of succour in a town ill-fortified and badly provisioned, he would be obliged to submit to any humiliating condition they might impose upon him. not however wishing to precipitate matters, he sent one of his officers to louvo to find out how matters really stood. whilst he lingered at the capital, a secret rumour aroused the inhabitants against him. it was reported that the object of the french forces in going to louvo was the pillage of the public treasury, and that they intended to dispose of the throne as they pleased. in order to reassure the inhabitants the general thought it more prudent to withdraw his little army whose presence had caused such alarm. he retired a distance of two leagues from the town, and was met by his envoy who gave him an account of the events at court. whether this officer had been misled by his own fears or that he was convinced that there was imminent danger, his recital so alarmed des farges that he believed the reports he had heard on his arrival in the capital. so, instead of marching to glory, his only idea was that of retreat; he was no longer a warrior ready to encounter danger that his friend might be saved. des farges, followed the advice of his timorous companions and returned to bangkok; but, before his departure, wrote to faulcon to justify his retreat. he informed him that, as it was reported that the king had died, he thought it would be rash to withdraw his troops from a position on which their safety depended, and that he might be punished if he were to endanger the lives of the soldiers under his command without sufficient reason, and that finally he offered him and his family shelter in a place that the french had resolved to defend to the last. the friends of the fallen minister slandered the bishop of métellopolis and the missionaries. they blamed them for the disgrace of the french retreat. the chief authors of this calumny were those who were obliged to refute it. jealous of the esteem in which this prelate was held and because he was not ambitious, they strove to decry the missionaries, so as to gain all the consideration they enjoyed, and to raise themselves on their ruin. but the defence of the prelate was an easy matter. ought he to have concealed a danger which was imminent? had the troops been cut to pieces, with what horror would not europe have learnt that a french bishop, misled by overconfidence, had kept silence about what ought to have been revealed. would he not have been rightly considered the author of a massacre of his fellow-citizens? duty obliged him to reveal the reasons of his fear. it was for the commander to reject or to follow his advice. but it is certain that had he marched to louvo he would have failed in the first of his duties, namely to remain on guard at his post. faulcon left to the mercy of his enemies, complained bitterly that the french had deserted him, and on hearing the news, exclaimed. "alas they do not consider that they themselves will be involved in my downfall," and turning to his retinue, asked them to follow him to the church saying "i was wrong to trust to human aid, i wait for god only. there is his house, he alone can suffice to protect and defend me." he positively refused to accept the commander's offer of shelter, as it would have justified the slanderous reports that he had handed over the place to foreigners so as to arrange for a place of safety in time of danger. instead of flight, he preferred to reveal part of the danger which threatened the state to the king. the remedy lay in the choice of a successor who could subdue the disaffected. the prince proclaimed his daughter as queen and allowed her to select whichever of her uncles she might prefer as her husband. so feeble a measure was not sufficient to remove the cause of the disaffection rife everywhere. factions increased, and the ringleaders were only waiting a favourable opportunity to break out in open revolution. the policy pursued by the conspirators towards faulcon, lulled him to a sense of false security. he still perceived the danger, but he thought it had been relegated to the future. he sought the king and said "sire, the time for repining and speech is over. we must act, and that silently." "decisive measures must be taken against the impending evils, and a half hearted policy will only favour the progress of their designs. if pitracha be arrested, the conspiracy will come to naught. remember that the greatest secrecy is absolutely necessary to the success of this enterprise, and, to be successful, we must dissemble our feelings." the king understood the importance of this advice, but weakened by illness was unable to keep the matter secret, and he could not resist the temptation of breaking out into threats and reproaches. pitracha's suspicions were aroused mid he anticipated matters. he assembled his retainers and pointed out the serious nature of the situation. without delay they marched on the palace and possessed themselves of the king. faulcon, alarmed at this sudden turn of events, would not follow the advice of his friends who desired him to remain at home to await the upshot of affairs. his impolitic attachment to the king was the cause of his downfall, and believing that inaction would be detrimental to the favours he enjoyed, followed the promptings of courage and duty. he went to the palace accompanied by beauchamp, fretteville, vaudrille, laise and the chevalier des farges, all of whom were french officers. he was followed by two portuguese and sixteen englishmen who were in his pay as guards. he took his departure and said to his wife "farewell for ever, madame. the king is a prisoner, and i am going to die at his feet." his zeal and courage buoyed him up in the hope that with this little band, he could force his way to the room of his master, but no sooner had he entered the outer courtyard of the palace, than pitracha at the head of a siamese force arrested him on the charge of high treason. his first thought was to defend himself but on seeing that his guards had basely deserted him, saw that resistance was useless. the french officers however justified the confidence he had in their courage, and alone, they thought they could scatter the armed mob, but faulcon exhorted them to give up their swords and they were led off to the common prison under pretext of rescuing them from the fury of the crowd. pitracha, now absolute master of the king's fate left him the empty title of king with the shadow of power, and to render the fact of his usurpation less objectionable, merely took the title of chief minister of state. all submitted to him. the priests whom he had deceived by his hypocrisy, belauded him as the defender of their faith. the officials regarded him as the liberator of their country from the oppression of the foreigner. the populace, were foolish enough to imagine that a change of masters, would be the prelude to a happier condition of existance. the usurper, now assured of the support of the whole nation, saw that the french were the sole obstacles in his path. to him they seemed invincible, as they possessed the two strongest positions in the kingdom. he sent for m. de métellopolis, who fearing punishment for having advised des farges, excused his attendance on the ground of ill-health. m. de lionne, bishop of rosalie, however acted as his substitute. pitracha insolently addressed him in these words. "it is with the greatest disgust that i learn that the french troops who come to siam to serve the king, refuse to obey his commands. i order you to write to their commander to enforce their obedience. should he persist in his contumacious behavior you shall suffer for it, i will give your seminary and church over to pillage, all the french shall be blown from the cannon's mouth, and every christian shall be put to death." m. de rosalie replied that although he had no authority over the french commander, he would endeavour to arrange matters that des farges should come to louvo in person. this offer was accepted, and the prelate accompanied by two officials who had been members of the embassy to france, set out for bangkok. des farges, on learning the nature of the mission at first was uncertain as to how he should act. at last he decided to set out and to follow m. de rosalie and the two officials with one of his sons, the other being detained as a prisoner in bangkok. pitracha haughtily reproached him with his refusal to bring up the troops that the king impatiently demanded. he threatened to employ force if his demands were not complied with and informed him that ten positions as strong as bangkok would be but feeble ramparts against the vengeance he premeditated. des farges replied with the greatest moderation to these threats and having waited till pitracha had exhausted the exuberence of his verbosity, said "the king my master sent me here in command of troops at the bidding of the king of siam his ally only, but since these troops cause trouble, kindly order that ships may be furnished us or grant us permission to equip the same. the speed with which we shall hasten our departure, shall leave no doubt of the good will of the king my master." this proposal was rejected and pitracha sharply ordered him to write to his lieutenant to bring up the troops. the commander replied that as he was not at his post, he no longer had the authority, and that the only way to ensure the obedience of the garrison would be to allow him to return to bangkok. he promised to do his utmost to persuade them to obey his wishes, and in addition, offered to give his children as hostages for his word. pitracha gave his consent. but on the return of des farges to the fort, the officers and soldiers swore they would leave it only to return to their native land. pitracha, hearing of their determination advanced with an army. the french evacuated the fort they had occupied opposite to bangkok, and the siamese taking possession of it commenced hostilities. de bruant and beauregard, who were in command at mergni, fearing that they would shortly be attacked made ready tor a vigorous defence. they were not about to fight for mere glory, a more powerful incentive fired their hearts. it was a case of life and death itself. the siamese ordered them to capitulate, but were repulsed with severe loss, and, the conquerors having seized one of their vessels as well as an english ship then in harbour, embarked and set sail for pondicherry where they landed without further mishap. the french, shut up in bangkok were a source of annoyance to the usurper who was sure that m. de métellopolis would have had more influence over them than m. de rosalie. he ordered the former to be conducted to bangkok by an escort of "tattoed arms" who are the bailiffs arid minions of the law. the servants of the prelate were the victims of innumerable insults from these officials who are as cowardly as they are insolent. they were pilloried, bound, and half strangled and exposed almost naked to the burning rays of the sun, to the importunities of insects, and to the extremes of hunger and thirst. the bishop and m. basset a missionary were equally targets for their witticisms. the bulk of their clothes were taken away and even their hats. this was but the commencement of the cruelties practised then in the fort opposite to bangkok. the officer in charge exposed them on a bastion in range of the french artillery which did not cease fire until the victims had been recognised. the stubborn resistance of the french modified the hostile disposition of the siamese. pitracha who on the death of the king had succeeded to the throne, thought he ought to get rid of guests too warlike not to be a subject of dread. he resolved that they should take ship for pondicherry on condition that the bishop and the missionaries would engage on peril of their lives that the ships and sailors with which they would be furnished, should be returned. while the new king was negociating with the french, his heart, a prey to the anxieties and suspicions which are the first punishments that crime brings in its train, thirsted for the blood of his enemies. faulcon who formerly been an object of fear to him was singled out for his first act of vengeance. as soon as the tyrant had him in is power, he caused him to be led in triumph on the walls of the palace. this favourite of fortune, now fallen into the deepest disgrace, was cast into a filthy dungeon to which admission was refused to everyone. some say that the head of monpit was fastened to his neck as a punishment for his complicity. in addition the soles of his feet were burnt, and his head was placed in a vice in order to make him acknowledge crimes he had never committed. this man, formerly the centre of an admiring throng was now guarded in a narrow prison by barbarous gaolers who kept at a distance those who might have procured some respite for him. his wife however discovered the place of his confinement and she obtained permission to supply him with a few necessaries. the usurper, who still retained a trace of humanity had restored to her son whom the soldiers had carried off; but this was only a passing favour, the natural ferocity of the tyrant softened but for a moment. she was suspected of having concealed immense wealth, and that was quite sufficient cause for her to be treated as a criminal. her weapons, documents and even her clothes were taken away; a guard was posted in front of her house and a sentry at the door of her room. the brutal soldiers who watched all her actions caused her to complain bitterly. "well" she remarked "what have i done to be thus treated like a felon." but ashamed of her weakness she rose superior to fear and misfortune. she had need of all her fortitude and contempt for earthly possessions. two days afterwards an armed force seized the furniture, money and jewels which the palace contained. unmindful of the loss of so much property she cried out. "at last god alone remains for us and no one can take him from us." the insatiable spoilers suspected that she had hidden the bulk of her wealth and their pitiless leader threatened her with death. he ordered two executioners to come forward and at a signal, they struck her on the arms without regard for the weakness of her sex. her grandfather and son witnessed her sufferings and showed their sympathy by cries and tears. all the servants who had chosen to share their sorrows were punished for showing their sympathetic attitude. the wretched family knelt at the feet of the official, who, enraged at not being able to find a new victim, ordered the executioners to redouble their blows. "alas" cried the wretched woman covered with blood, "have mercy on me or at least take me away that my relations see not my sufferings." these words coming from a woman aged twenty-two years who was both beautiful and of a noble disposition made not the slightest impression on the official. he ordered her to be taken away together with her son and her slaves and only set her grandfather free on account of his age and infirmities. for a long time no one knew where she had been imprisoned. a missionary, passing by the palace stables saw her aunt who had been confined with her. with difficulty he obtained permission to see her for a moment. he found her in a dismal dungeon, stretched on a mat with her unhappy and innocent son by her side whose lamentations seemed to reproach her for having brought him into the world to suffer. this woman, brought up in luxury and splendour, bore her hard fate as if she had been born to it. she displayed that serenity of mind which is a sure indication of a calm and pure soul and she appeared more at peace in her gloomy prison than she had been amid the gaieties of the palace. for some time they respected the life of faulcon since he was under the protection of the king of france and they feared to incur the vengeance of the french troops. but the usurper on seeing how little interest the french took in their old protector, considered that now was a chance to get rid with impunity of an enemy who though even in irons appeared formidable. sentence of death was pronounced against him on the charge of high treason, a crime on which those in authority are wont to arraign fallen ministers. he was punished for having introduced foreigners, whom he wished to use as a means of self aggrandisement and for the furtherance of his ambitious designs in the kingdom. at dusk he was taken from his prison and went by elephant to a forest near louvo to receive the fatal stroke. it seems that his barbarous enemy had chosen the silent forest for the execution ground as if he wished to bury the horror of his unjust revenge in eternal silence. faulcon's countenence was pale, but this was caused rather by the sufferings he had undergone in prison than the fear of the death which was about to end them. his glance was fixed and he uttered no groan or complaint; he seemed lost in communion with the god he was so shortly to meet. having arrived at the spot where he was to meet his doom, he saw the son of the tyrant who was in charge of the execution. he turned towards him, not to implore mercy but to ask for time to make his peace with the judge before whom he was so soon to appear. the soldiers seemed distressed to see one before whom the people and the nobility but so recently had bowed down, now brought to so pitiable a condition. having finished his prayer, he protested that he was innocent, but that in dying guiltless, he had at least the consolation of being able to expiate, by a painful death, the weaknesses and follies of a life devoted to the pursuit of fruitless ambition. he added that during the whole course of his tenure of office, the only motives by which his policy had been directed, were the glory of the true god, the service of his king, and the interests of the state. after this protest he spoke a second time to the young official in these words, rendered more pathetic by their eloquent grief rather than by any devices of art. "i am about to die. remember that even if i am guilty, i leave a wife and child who are innocent. for them i ask neither rank nor wealth, but at least let them enjoy freedom and life." having said these words he remained silent and at a signal, the executioner cut him down with a blow of his sword. he fell with a sigh, the last he ever uttered. so died at the age of forty one years, a man who had risen from the petty details of a counting house to the most prominent position in a great empire. his skill in politics justified his master's choice and he would have been numbered among the greatest public men of his day had his end been as brilliant as his beginning. if his sagacity had been led astray it is not certain whether that he feared that, being a stranger, his most disinterested actions would have been objects of suspicion. cautious and circumspect as he was he did not fully grasp the situation of present affairs, as his mind dwelt more upon eventualities. his virtues were marred by several faults; passionate and easily moved to anger, he would lose in one day, the fruits of the work of several years. a man of great ambition, he showed all the pettiness of vain-glory. the magnificence in which he lived was a almost an insult to the poverty-stricken nation whom it was thought he had plundered. the produce of every province appeared at his table and four hundred slaves hastened to serve him, to obey the wishes of his guests and to make parade of his opulence. generous to a fault, he spent upwards of 100,000 crowns on gifts during the space of 3 years. his policy betrayed by the wishes of the moment, blinded him to the fact that bounties of this kind are more apt to give rise to suspicion than to cause happiness. after his conversion to the roman faith he submitted to all its dogmas and practiced all its precepts and although a public man, he believed he could not dispense with the obligations binding on private individuals. his wife, still languishing in prison, forgot her own sufferings in lamenting the demise of her husband. "well" she exclaimed "why is he dead? what was his crime that he should have been treated like a felon." an official, a relative of pitracha's who was standing near her whispered that his crimes had been the favour he had enjoyed, and his natural abilities. shortly after this, she and her son were condemned to the humiliation of slavery and she was set free that she might perform her duties. the death of the king and his brothers had happened prior to the execution of faulcon. it was rumoured by some that the king had been poisoned, while others averred that the weariness of captivity was the cause of his death. pitracha, who held the fate of his master in his hands, and seeing that the king was on the point of death, thought it politic to compass the destruction of the king's brothers who might have put difficulties in the way of his succession. he caused them to be put into velvet bags and handed them over to the executioners who beat them to death with clubs of sandalwood. this method of death which had no disgrace attached to it, was reserved for princes of the blood-royal. the king shortly followed his brothers to the grave. this prince, who had been so ardent a partisan of the french, has been depicted by them in glowing colours. though naturally of a warlike disposition, but a true friend of his people, he preferred to adopt a policy of pacification rather than to follow his inclinations which would have caused public misfortunes. though keeping his high spirit under control, he was none the less formidable to his neighbours who preferred to have him for an ally rather than for an enemy. as a monarch who took deep interest in all affairs of state, he allowed himself but little leisure; and his sole relaxation was the chase, the usual pastime of active persons and sometimes also of those weighed down by anxieties. he showed an appreciation of science and art, several foreigners had been called in to be his instructors and had the soil been good, the harvest would have been fruitful. he left a daughter aged twenty eight years who had been proclaimed queen during her father's lifetime, she had her own territories and officers and soldiers who were subject to her only. every day she gave audience to the wives of the officials, and seated on a throne she received the homage of these women who crouching on the ground with bent heads adopted the same posture as did their husbands when in presence of the king. she was severe, almost ferocious and seemed made rather to rule wild beasts than to govern men. chapter v. the breach between the french and the usurper. the revolution was managed so adroitly, that there were no perceptible changes in public affairs. the palace was the scene of some disturbance, but outside, everything was peaceful. pitracha who had succeeded quietly to the throne went to the capital where he was proclaimed king amid the shouts of the multitude. the chief offices of state were held by men of his faction and scorning the baseness of revenge, as soon as there appeared nothing more to fear from their actions, he promoted all those of whom he had previously cause to complain. the people were relieved and his alms to the needy won the hearts of all. he married the daughter of the late king. at first this princess was averse to the union, but fired by ambition, she preferred life rather than the death which would have been her portion in event of a refusal. the negociations with the french had been brought to a successful termination and it was agreed that ships and sailors should be provided to convey them to pondicherry, and, as a guarantee of good faith the king sent his two sons who had been at court up to that time to the french commander. all the officers who had been arrested at louvo, were released and from them the details were forthcoming of the humiliations that they and the christians of different nationalities had suffered. the seminary had been give over to pillage; the christian virgins became the prey of the licentious soldiery, the most favoured of them however being reserved for the harems. the missionary priests were put in the pillory whence they gave an example to their flock of how to suffer in silence. while preparations were being made for the departure of the french; their open-hearted generosity very nearly caused an awkward complication of affairs. madame faulcon too weak to endure the hardships of slavery, asked the bishop of métellopolis to gain the interest of the french commander on her behalf, and to make arrangements that she might take her departure on board one of their ships. the bishop spoke greatly in her favour, but des farges, with more diplomacy than gratitude replied that he was obliged to wait until the siamese had supplied him with everything needful for the voyage and that when all was ready, he would consider her request. she, however, had grave reasons for hastening her departure and every moment of delay was vital. the son of the king, worn out by debauchery, had conceived a violent passion for her. she would have considered herself guilty of the death of her husband had she shared the couch of his murderer. to gain her consent, in vain did he point out that by this act alone she could regain her position and rescue her son from the vengeance of his enemies. the brave woman replied. "are you unaware who i was and how i have lived. my religion forbids so sinful a marriage. i loved my husband with all my soul, and, faithful to his memory, my heart is closed against any new passion. my son is dear to me and i ought to live for his sake, but i refuse to buy life at such a price as you offer." the young prince, whose passions knew no restraint thought he would be able to conquer her proud spirit by the most tempting promises. but he met with so stubborn a resistance, that he showed his affection in a tyrannical fashion. she was carried off to the palace where she had no defence other than her tears and outcries. the prince, fearing that this abduction would reveal the secret of his debauched life to his father, already annoyed at his disorderly conduct, determined to send her back, saying, that as she still persisted in her resistance, there was nothing left for her but to die with her son. she took no notice of these threats, she preferred to die in innocence than to live in guilt. her grandfather aged 88 who was a descendant of the famous martyrs of japan, upheld her resolution. a slighted affection, often becomes cruel. the prince in order to frighten her, caused her to be arraigned on a charge of embezzlement. she was summoned before a tribunal and the judge although convinced of her innocence ordered her to receive 100 strokes with the rod. she was delivered to her merciless executioners who seeing her faint under the punishment; only administered one half of what had been ordered. her relations were also punished, she had to endure the agonising spectacle of beholding two of her uncles, two aunts and her eldest brother undergoing tortures before her eyes. her grandfather would have suffered likewise, had not mercy been shown to him on account of his infirmities. while this courageous woman seemed to have nothing but sorrow as her portion for the future, sainte marie, a young french officer offered to escort her in safety to bangkok. she was too unhappy to listen to prudent advice. she embarked with her son in secret on a vessel belonging to this officer, determined to risk all if she could but escape from her persecutors. her arrival at the fort was a signal for general rejoicing but the commander alone showed his disapproval, and had the pusillanimity to wish that she should be sacrificed, rather than that a drop of french blood should be spilt in her defence. "alas" she exclaimed, "is faulcon's widow, the sole person who will have failed to find sanctuary under the flag of france." the king, on hearing of her escape, was convinced that she had carried off a quantity of valuables with her. he at once sent two officials to bring her back, and, in case of a refusal, to recommence hostilities. as soon as the report of her arrival had spread, the french were seized with a burning desire to fight to the death for her sake. the tears of the unfortunate widow, the youth of her son, and the memory of her husband who had been the protector of the french interests were telling points in her favour. the officers and soldiers were unanimous, and all declared that they would rather face death than the shame of having betrayed the cause of a a distressed woman who had thrown herself on their protection. des farges, unshakable in his resolution to send her back to siam, made arrangements with m. de métellopolis whose outspokeness and skill well fitted him for the negociation of such delicate business. the bishop had need of all his urbanity to break such distressing news to her. he found that she was firmly resolved not to return to siam on any account short of actual force. she waited for several days, her mind wavering between hope and fear until one day a french officer came to inform her that she must make her preparations for her departure. there was nothing for it but to obey, and she solemnly protested against the violence which snatched her from the protection of the french flag. the official who had been sent to bring her back came to conduct her to the river side where a vessel was lying in readiness. she was accompanied by her son, by one woman and a missionary whose zeal sustained her drooping courage. her distress became the more acute the further she went from the spot from whence she had been thrust forth, abandoned by the french whom she still could only regard as friends. the sight of siam rendered her grief more poignant; for there lay the scene of the punishment of her husband and there that she expected to undergo new tortures and to be parted for ever from her son, the sole prop of her existance. her lot was happier than she had hoped. the son of the king, rebuffed by her scorn, no longer desired her, or what is more likely was too much afraid of his father to give rise to fresh scenes of violence and scandal. she was appointed to the royal kitchens. in the opinion of the siamese, this is an honourable post and by no means a humiliation. she had two thousand women under her orders, as palace servants. she was entrusted with the care of the gold and silver plate, of the king's wardrobe and of all the fruits served at table. her lack of self interest made her despise the valuable perquisites of her office and, very different to her predecessors, handed over a considerable sum every year to the royal treasury. the king of siam, surrounded by corrupt and rapacious officials was astonished to see such honesty, and often said that only christians could carry the scorn of wealth to such a pitch. although she was not so unhappy as she had anticipated, she suffered considerably from the fact that her son had been taken away from her. for a long time she feared that his education had been entrusted to the idolatrous priests, but she was much relieved to hear that he was being brought up at the seminary in charge of the bishop and the french missionaries. her son afterwards obtained a captaincy in the siamese navy, on the coromandel coast. in 1749, he was entrusted with a mission to m. dupleix who at that time was governor-general of the french possessions in the east indies. the governor, a man of sound abilities though not brilliant, remembered that he had to deal with the son of one who had been a friend to his nation. he considered that it was his duty to give him substantial proofs of the gratitude the french owed him, by granting him exemption from all taxes levied on foreigners. he sent him back, satisfied with the success of his mission and gave him many valuable gifts. the name of dupleix will ever be graven on our annals devoted to citizens who have benefited their country. faulcon, on his return to siam was favourably received. having inherited his father's abilities he might have risen to a high position. but lavish as his father had been, he desired wealth merely for the purpose of making presents to princes and kings. his bounties, which ensured his favour at court, exhausted his resources. he died in poverty in 1754, leaving his wife a son and several daughters in absolute want. one of his daughters married a dutch shipmaster, who was ruined by the loss of his vessel few years afterwards. she soon lost her husband and when the siamese were led in captivity to pegu, she was married again to a portuguese half-caste by name jeanchi, a captain of burmese regiment, he will be spoken of later. the other daughters did not long survive their father. there remains only a son named john faulcon, married to a portuguese in siam. the burmese took him prisoner, but evading the vigilence of his guards, escaped to siam with his wife where they lived in obscurity. such were the posterity of the celebrated constantine faulcon who, of humble origin, raised himself to the steps of the throne. the obstacle, to the conclusion of the negociations with the french which had been caused by the flight of madame faulcon, was removed by her return. both parties were equally anxious to come to an agreement. the french were desirous of leaving a land where they would only encounter fruitless and inglorious perils. the siamese could not but be uneasy while they still retained guests, of whose heroic valour they had had such an experience. i cannot refrain from citing two examples of the intrepid courage of these brave men. saint cri, a french captain was sailing downstream in a boat, the indian crew of which were all drunk and incapable, and he had only two europeans with him who were ready for any emergency. the siamese, seeing his defenceless condition made preparations to board his vessel. one of the two europeans became terrified and swam off to parley with them, but he was taken prisoner and loaded with chains. saint cri, too weak to offer any resistance, feared lest he should fall into the hands of these savages. death appeared to be a preferable alternative to slavery and brave to desperation as he had but one soldier with him, put his powder and handgrenades on the bridge. he calmly waited till a large number of siamese had boarded his ship, and then, fired his powder and blew his enemies into the air. the ship, damaged by the explosion, ran aground. the siamese, thinking that all the powder had been used up, imagined that it would be an easy matter to seize the vessel. but saint cri gave them cause to repent their rashness. he fired some bags of powder that he had kept in reserve and although he himself was among the slain, this explosion was more deadly than the first. his companion, sword in hand gained the shore. the savages fell upon him, and, overwhelmed by numbers, he perished, but not before he had slain five of his assailants. another case bore witness to the inflexible purpose of the french commander, whose two sons had been retained as hostages in the capital. the king made them write to their father saying, that if the garrison were not brought to louvo, they would be put to death. the commander, although devoted to his children, remembered his duties to the state. he replied "my children i feel as much for your sad condition as you do yourselves, i would willingly lay down my life in order to save yours. i cannot but urge you to follow my example and to be faithful to duty. if you perish remember that you are dying for your god, your king, and your country and be sure that your deaths will not be unpunished." such heroic conduct had made the name of frenchmen to be feared, and caused the siamese to hasten their departure. they were supplied with three frigates, and to ensure that the ships should be returned, the bishop of métellopolis, the chief of the french trading company, and the two sons of the commander were given over as hostages. the troops marched out of the fortress on the first of november 1688, taking with them two officials as sureties for the king's word. during the night they sailed down to the mouth of the river. the french commander invited the officials who had come with the french hostages to a great feast. after the meal the siamese hostages were asked for, but des farges said that he would not return them until the four vessels bearing the baggage, three officers and fourteen soldiers, hove in sight. the officials, learning of this refusal hastened to inform the barcalon. this official was highly incensed at the breach of faith on the part of the french. he summoned m. de métellopolis and said "these careless officials will be severely punished for having released the french hostages before receiving our own. you and i will both be involved in the trouble. you will be considered as the accomplice of the french treachery and i shall be punished for having confided the matter to untrustworthy persons. let us find some way of escape from the danger common to us both." the bishop, who had not been informed of the plans of des farges, neither dared to lay the blame on him, nor to find excuses. they agreed that if one of the hostages were given up, the siamese would deliver over a third part of what they were retaining and that the remainder would set out for the mouth of the river whenever the last of the officials should have set sail. des farges released one official on the spot, but as he had given the first example of bad faith, the siamese considered that they were at liberty to break their word also, and, instead of sending down the ships, demanded with threats, that the other two hostages should be restored. m. de métellopolis wrote a pathetic letter to the commander, pointing out how his line of action would cause the ruin of the french and of the growing church. the inflexible resolution of des farges could not be shaken and after having waited five days for the fulfilment of the barcalon's promises, he set sail for malacca en route for pondicherry taking with him the hostages who were of no possible use to him. chapter vi. the persecution of the christians after the departure of des farges. after the departure of the french, the christians were left without defenders. the siamese highly enraged at the loss of their hostages, stirred up a sanguinary persecution, and the bishop of métellopolis was the first to suffer. he was taken off his ship and dragged in the mire with every possible insult, exposed for a long time to the heat of the sun and to the torments of insects. some pulled him by the beard, others spat in his face, and those who could not get near enough to strike, threw mud at him. the barcalon, witness of all these outrages from which he could have protected him, seemed to have no pity. m. du har, a french officer, shared the same fate. both were loaded with fetters, put on board a boat and taken across the river. on the bank they found the bodies of their unhappy companions hacked to pieces. the poor bishop, old and infirm and exhausted by what he had undergone could not bear to look at this painful spectacle. he fainted and fell half dying into the mud, from which he was with difficulty extricated. he passed all the day and night in his wet and muddy clothes. a spark of the respect which could not be denied to his virtues, softened the hearts of his persecutors. the siamese took him to bangkok and shut him up in a hut next door to the house of a christian woman by whose kindly ministrations he was restored to consciousness. as soon as he was able to stand the fatigues of the journey he was taken to the capital. he was placed under a guard of cruel and rapacious men, who in order to extort money from him, exceeded even the severe orders of their master. the other frenchmen were cast into the common jail, a place reeking with disease and filth, where with the idea of death constantly before their minds, they ceased to dread its approach. the brutal soldiery made a raid on the college and carried off the priests, the students and the servants. they respected neither the innocence of youth nor the infirmities of age. all were marched off to prison and handed over to a harsh gaoler who regarded it as an act of merit to make them suffer hunger and to expose them to the inclemency of the weather. seven of the french died under this treatment. the missionaries, more accustomed to a hard life, held out longer, but nine of them died a few days after they had been set at liberty. painful sights were to be seen in every street of the capital. french priests and officers, almost nude, pale and haggard, dragged themselves along begging scraps of food which were cast at them with scorn, and in spite of their weakness they were forced to carry baskets of filth on their shoulders amid the jeers and coarse jests of a villainous mob. the mahomedans seemed to lay aside their natural antipathy to christians. they took pity on their hard fate. they even took such an interest in the matter that they drew up a petition saying that it was against the laws of nations to treat prisoners of war with such harshness but it was in vain. their leader, who was an official of the highest rank, feared that this petition, if presented, would cause him to lose favour at court. he treated two missionaries who had been handed over to him, with the greatest severity. they were condemned to the most painful and degrading tasks. some english officers, seeing these aged priests staggering under the weight of their baskets boldly announced, that if this harsh treatment were not put a stop to, they would show no mercy to any officials they might meet. they did not content themselves by the mere utterance of empty threats. they lent a considerable sum to these unfortunate men. the missionaries consider it is their duty to say that wherever they have met englishmen, they have experienced their natural generosity. the wretched plight of the prisoners, touched the hearts of their oppressors, and their fate was made less hard. they were allowed to beg for one hour daily. sympathisers bestowed alms on them which were appropriated by the felons chained with them. those who had had the good fortune to have escaped persecution by flight, wandered from hut to hut. a tonquinese christian gave shelter to several of them in his house in spite of the edicts to the contrary. the portuguese jesuits who had avoided persecution by secret means; made use of their freedom to help their unfortunate co-religionists m. pomard a missionary who had cured the king of a dangerous disease, had not been involved in the general trouble, and it was he who especially attended to the needs of his brethren. the mere mention of the word foreigner or the slightest sign of pity was sufficient to arouse the hatred and fury of the populace. an armenian who had carried food to the prisoners was put in chains and was afterwards murdered by the fanatical priests who imagined that their god would be pleased with assassination. two portuguese, after having suffered cruel tortures were condemned to cut grass for the elephants. their wives and mothers-in law were reduced to slavery. a nun, who had come from manilla was dragged ignominously along the street with a crucifix fastened under her feet so that she could be reproached with having trampled her god under foot. several slaves cared naught for the tortures, and remained steadfast in their faith. the tonkinese and cochin-chinese, in the camp of st. joseph were secure against pillage; but some were condemned to the galleys and others to work in the stables of the elephants. their wives and children were employed on the public works, and no mercy was shown to the siamese christians. there is no need to enter into further details of this persecution, as it would be a mere repetition of scenes of horror and barbarity. the portuguese, calm amid the storm, were highly delighted at the fate of the french. their jealousy blinded their eyes to pity, and they were so indiscreet as to openly show their feelings. they thought now that as their rivals were out of the field, they would be able to gain the commercial advantages previously held by the french. the king of cochin china looked upon this persecution as a crime against humanity. it had been reported to him, that the french were turbulent disturbers of the public peace, who having caused endless confusion in siam were about to make trouble in his state. the clear sighted ruler perceived that this was a tissue of lies and even sent ambassadors to siam to protest against the persecution. but as their object had been previously found out, they were sent back without an audience. the prince of cochin china, a proud and warlike individual would have revenged this outrage had his plans not been anticipated by death. the hatred against the christians was on the wane, but when news was brought that des farges with 5 vessels had landed at jonsalam, it was considered that he was merely waiting for reinforcements to take vengeance for the insults offered to his nation. popular imagination pictured him as an angry conqueror, who was about to visit their towns and possessions with fire and sword. the prisoners were put under more rigorous surveillance and their lot became more pitiable. but the fears were allayed next day by a letter from the french commander, who declared that his intentions were peaceable. having explained the reasons for not giving up the hostages, he declared that he preferred to surrender his rights, rather than to break the alliance between two powerful kings and so he sent back the hostages with a promise to return the ships which had been supplied to him in good condition. he announced at the same time, the approaching arrival of the head of the french trading station to settle the accounts and to repay loans advanced in cases where the value of the merchandise which had been taken from the warehouse was not enough to pay the out-standing debts. the bishop was released from his fetters on the same day as the letters were received, and was taken to court. he was made to walk through the town barefooted, hatless and in rags. the missionaries also appeared loaded with fetters. the presiding official proudly announced that if the french commander made the slightest sign of hostilities, all the christians would be blown from the cannon's mouth in revenge for his breach of good faith. m. de métellopolis was commanded to write to the commander. he obeyed promptly and although the king and his ministers appeared satisfied with the missive, they substituted another for it and sealed it without allowing him to read it. the prisoners were sent back to their work, pending the receipt of a reply; they were confined in more spacious quarters, and experienced less discomfort. des farges, anxious to set sail, sent back the last of the hostages who was very pleased at the kindly treatment he had received. it was thought that by this means, the prisoners would be able to gain their liberty, but only the bishop was released. the others suffering from the hardships of so lengthy a confinement petitioned for death or liberty. this announcement produced its expected result. they were relieved of their bonds and the harsh treatment was somewhat relaxed. the court proclaimed that it was unlawful to jeer or to make lampoons on foreigners, and those who interfered with their religion were to be punished severely. this first exhibition of clemency aroused hopes of a speedy release, but the dutch fearing to see the french restored to favour, spread a report that france was sending out a punitive expedition against the kingdom. the trick was successful; the prisoners were again put in chains and had no other consolation than to sing hymns. m. paumard, a missionary who was trusted at court said that the reports spread by jealous enemies were nothing but absolute falsehoods and the court, which respected his outspokeness, believed him. the prisoners were transferred to a neighbouring island whose climate was as fatal as had been the putrid stench of the prison. many died in consequence, and the survivors passed days of continual suffering. while they were suffering without hope of relief father tachard landed at mergui at the end of 1690 and before entering further into the country informed the barcalon that he was the bearer of a letter from louis xiv and that he had been entrusted with negociations for the renewal of the alliance between the two crowns; and that he could not, without compromising his position, ask for an audience without previous assurance of the nature of his reception. two siamese officials who had come from france went in advance to the court where they made a great display of the magnificence of the french king and of the honours that had been conferred on them even after it was known that his forces had been obliged to evacuate the fortified posts of mergui and bangkok. the vanity of the siamese was immensely tickled by the fact that a king, whose power had humbled the pride of holland, the only country dreaded in the indies, had sought alliance with them. the first result of this embassy was the restitution of the seminary, which by the energy of the bishop of métellopolis was soon restored. an armenian lent him a large sum which m. deslandes, the head of the french trading station at surat had the generosity to repay. the zeal of the missionaries had become more active under the stress of persecution and they did their utmost to minister to the needs of the sufferers. the prelate, frightened by the despair which had caused them to beg for death, offered to stand surety for them to the king. the respect inspired by his virtues granted his wish and on the faith of his promise, the others obtained their freedom. the seminary was over-crowded with 113 people, who were destitute of both food and clothing. the prelate deprived himself of the necessaries of life so as to relieve their more pressing wants. no one knew how he managed to do what he did, but generosity is never exhausted by gifts. the king himself was astonished at his never-failing charity and wishing to help, contributed 500 crowns. it was by the bishop's exertions that many christians condemned to slavery regained their liberty. others held by officials as debt slaves could not satisfy the greed of their masters, and languished in chains until 1695. the persecution which had crowned so many martyrs had also been productive of many apostates. the siamese cruel in the invention of tortures, are too cowardly and too weak to bear them; and their example is another proof that cruelty is a vice that accompanies a pusillanimous character. history records events only that we may profit by them and on reading the account of this revolution, it is important to disentangle causes. faulcon, whose position was always uncertain and unstable in a country where his condition of foreigner exposed him to envy and hatred, thought he could have kept his position by calling in the help of the europeans against the siamese, who although indebted to him were none the less his enemies. he had no ambition to mount the throne as his foes have reported. contented with the second place, it would have been madness on his part to have formed the idea of taking the first. the french eagerly seized the chance of extending their power and commerce, and, dazzled by the magnitude of his promises, they were foolish enough to believe that they were to be the leading power in the indies. faulcon made religion serve his ambitious policy. those who were really interested in the triumph of the faith, were led astray by the hope of converting the king to christianity. but the french officers less zealous and more far-sighted, were well aware that the project was but a snare set by the minister to appeal to their credulous simplicity. forbin, when questioned by louis xiv replied that the king of siam had not the slightest idea of forsaking the faith of his fore fathers and added that in the first audience given to the ambassadors, chaumont made a long speech on the beauties of christianity and that faulcon who acted as interpreter never said one word about it to his master; and that in private audiences the ambassador had always laid great stress on religion, but that the interpreter had invariably proved faithless. the bishop of métellopolis who had been present and who understood the siamese language could have divulged the matter, but he feared the wrath of a minister who knew how to punish as well as how to reward. father tachard was one of the ringleaders of this expensive expedition. doubtless, his zeal misled him in his blind trust of the cunning minister whose secretary he was, and forbin states definitely that he has seen several documents signed by the king and lower down, "tachard." so while this father was lording it in the councils of state, the bishops and priests were preaching among humble dwellings where they were more sure of finding converts than they were in the royal palace. this revolution could easily have been foreseen. the predilection of the king for the french was a passing caprice rather than a decided liking. their position could only have been secure during the life of the king, who, in leaving his throne to his successor rarely transmits his likes and dislikes. the appearance of the french on the scene was brilliant but the favour in which they were held was unstable, even as they were. it is a fate which they experience every where, fortune smiles on them at first, they seem made for the conquest of all hearts; and they end by being disliked. chapter vii. events leading up to the revolution of 1760. at the end of the last century, the kingdom of siam was in a flourishing condition as far as internal affairs were concerned, and was respected by outside nations. the help that louis xiv had condescended to render, had assured its prosperity, and might have sufficed to correct its constitutional vices; but what ought to have given it a new brilliancy was the cause of its misfortune and its overthrow. the siamese were ignorant of the value of a benefit which would have ensured their safety. the pusillanimous prince feared to accept the services of 500 men who had been sent to defend him. they were regarded as ambitious persons who although under the title of friends had only come to be their tyrants. the buddhist priests stirred up sedition against their noble defenders, and placed an ambitious man on the throne who had dazzled them by an affectation of zeal for their rites. pitracha, seated on a throne defiled with the blood of the royal family combined in himself all the talents of great men with all the vices of the vilest scoundrels. as soon as he had compelled the french to leave the kingdom, he found nothing else at which to take offence. whilst surrounded by his satellites, and enjoying the fruit of his crimes, a peguan priest, who gave himself out to be the elder of the two brothers of the late king fomented a new rebellion. he had been a prisoner in ayuthia for a long time, and during his incarceration had been informed of the state of the court. this imposter painted his story in glowing colours and ten thousand siamese rallied to his standard. it was easier for him to delude individuals than to cater for an army, but the fanaticism he inspired caused his followers to close their eyes to the magnitude of the peril and all appeared ready to fight or to die for their leader. the son of the king having determined to take a pleasure trip to a spot at some distance from the capital, proceeded thither with a magnificent retinue. the peguan priest determined to lay an ambuscade in a forest through which the royal party would be obliged to pass. his plan was to massacre him and all his suite, to march on the unsuspecting city, and to make away with the king and all the royal family. the plot which had been kept a profound secret would have been quite successful had not the innate suspicions of the children of the tyrant enlightened the prince as to the danger which threatened him. he saw the armed mob and at once perceived that he was about to be attacked and so instead of defending himself, he fled promptly, leaving a rich booty, the collection of which prevented pursuit by the conspirators. when they had satisfied their cupidity they marched on the capital which they had hoped to find defenceless. pitracha however having heard of the danger into which his son had nearly fallen, at once sent out a force of 12,000 men to disperse the rabble. the rebel priest at first was of good cheer but he led forces without courage or discipline as everything was to be feared and nothing could be hoped for. his little army panic-stricken melted away without striking a blow. only 300 prisoners were taken and not more than 300 perished by the sword. the priest pretender wandered in the woods for several days with a young man who had remained faithful. he was found sleeping under a tree and was taken to ayuthia where, chained to a post, he was exposed for several days to the contumely of the mob, and afterwards he was disembowelled and while still breathing saw his own entrails being devoured by dogs. it seems that pitracha did not enjoy the the throne for long, as his son succeeded in 1700. the first year of his reign was marked by a scandalous marriage with his father's widow who gave her hand but not her heart. this princess had an extraordinary career she was successively the wife of the father, the son and the grandson. this victim of passion never reciprocated the love which she inspired in others and to separate herself from a husband whom she detested, retired to a convent where she died in 1715. the new king, a prey to superstition and debauchery, surrendered himself entirely to the idolatrous priests, who, by their austerities, engaged to expiate his faults. following his example, everyone built temples. trade and manufactures languished and the populace given up to fantastic ceremonies no longer gave thought to the question of the defences of the state. the false gods had many worshippers and the state had no soldiers available for defence. fortune favoured the kingdom as the neighbouring kings were all engaged in war against each other and having too much on their hands at home, had no time to think of foreign aggression. it was in this reign that the kingdom was visited by the scourge of famine. a long period of drought had converted the fertile soil into a barren dust. the rice, which is the staple food stuff, was soon exhausted; fish became scarce and poisonous. the water of the river naturally clear and limpid, suddenly became green and turbid. a sort of green scum covered the surface of the great river and the fish were either dead or dying. the king feared that the polluted water would only increase the sickness in the land and forbade its use for drinking or washing purposes. this prohibition caused discontent among the populace, for whom water is a most necessary article. the revolt was ready to break out, when the court appealed to popular superstitions to avert the calamity. the priests said that a god known as pra in had appeared near one of the city gates and had declared that the change of the water was one of his blessings and had become a panacea for the ills they suffered. at this news, the whole populace, passed from despair to hope, every one ran to the river to wash and to anoint themselves with scum that had appeared so deadly a moment before. at last after 15 days the phenomenon passed away. abundant rains caused the water to overflow the country and to fertilise the ground. the reign of this prince, like that of his successors, offers nothing worthy of record. his son, who succeeded him, is only known by the defeats he sustained. his army 50,000 strong and his fleet carrying 20,000 fighting men, invaded cambodia, at that time torn with internal dissensions. this army would have been victorious if its leader had been more skilful. but the king of siam, enervated by harem life, had entrusted the command to his first minister, a man of peace, and without skill in warfare. the minister who well knew the direction in which his talents lay, had no wish to take the command, but the king who thought he could make no mistake in the choice of his agents, was certain that one who knew how to govern an empire would also know how to conquer. the king of cambodia, too weak to offer resistance to the invading hosts, ordered all his subjects who lived on the frontiers to retire with their belongings to the capital and to burn everything that they could not carry away. the fields were laid waste, fifty leagues of territory were changed into sterile deserts that could hardly sustain animal life. the king declared himself a vassal of the king of cochin china in order to obtain a force of 15,000 men for land defence and 3000 for service on the galleys for the defence of the coast. the siamese army, full of confidence in the superiority of numbers, and still more proud to find that no foe dare dispute their passage, rashly penetrated into the country but the further they advanced, the nearer they approached to their fate. famine, more cruel than the sword ravaged their camp. the devastated fields, gave neither fruits for man nor forage for beast. they were obliged to slaughter their baggage animals in order to provide themselves with meat. the soldiers, unaccustomed to a flesh diet, were attacked by fever and dysentery and more than half of their number died. the leader who had forseen the catastrophe, but had been unable to prevent it, retired with the remainder of his army and was harassed in the rear by his enemies without respite. the siamese fleet four times larger than that of the enemies met with no better fate. their small vessels fired the town of pontemas 200 tons of ivory were destroyed by the flames. the cochin chinese profited by the absence of these vessels to attack the transports anchored four miles from the town. the siamese vessels aground in the river, which was extremely low could render no assistance, and fearing that famine would be as detrimental to the fleet as it had been to the army, set sail for their own country. chapter viii. the revolution of 1760. before narrating the events of the revolution which, in 1760, threw the kingdom of siam into confusion, we ought to give a summary of the succession to the throne. the heir of pitracha had several sons and as he was displeased with the eldest, he nominated the second as heir to the throne. this man showed that he was really worthy of the crown by his refusal to accept the succession to the detriment of his elder brother. he only made one condition and that was in case the elder were to predecease him, the succession should devolve on himself. this condition was accepted. the elder received the heritage of his father and the younger was declared crown prince, that is to say heir-presumptive to the throne. the new king had several children and misled by parental affection, showed none of that generous nature of which his brother had given so noble an example. faithless to his promises he nominated his eldest son who had entered the priesthood, as his successor. the young prince a respecter of promises made, had no wish to be a party to the perjury committed by his father. he preferred the simplicity of the monastery to the splendour of the court, which he could only enjoy by desecrating the memory of his father. the king seeing him persist in his refusal appointed in 1733 his second son to be his successor and died shortly afterwards of a cancer in the throat. the brother of the dead king was known as the crown prince, and the siamese were accustomed to look upon him as their future ruler. five thousand soldiers whom he kept in his palace, were ready to devote their lives in support of his rights. his nephew relying on his father's will, had collected a force of 40,000 men in the royal palace so as to overawe his rival. he had been careful to win the four chief officials of the state over to his side and having charge of the treasury, it was a simple matter to purchase adherents. all the common people were in the power of the officials who all hoped to extend their authority over a young and inexperienced ruler, who would be obliged to put the burden of state affairs on their shoulders. the union of the nobility under the flag of the young prince, seemed to indicate that his cause would be successful, but in reality it was the cause of his downfall, owing to internal jealousies as to who should be leader. the higher officials thought that the barcalon, misusing his almost unlimited power, wished to use them as tools for his personal aggrandisement. they appeared to fear that after having been sufficiently powerful to hold the crown prince in subjection, he would yield to the temptation of taking the crown for himself. it seemed more fit that they should obey their old masters rather than to see themselves reduced to ask favours of an equal, and thus all plotted secretly to destroy their work. war broke out between the two rival princes. the disturbance was aggravated by the party feeling of the mob. shots were exchanged between the two palaces. the frightened inhabitants awaited death in their houses and the whole town would have been reduced to a heap of ruins had the gunners been good marksmen. the barcalon, full of confidence, resolved to risk a decisive engagement, having the lesser palace as its objective. a hand to hand conflict occurred, and the crown prince's forces were routed and pursued to his own palace wall. the conquerors took counsel as to practicability of carrying the palace by storm. the barcalon and his friends voted for the proposition, but one of the chief leaders said that as it was nearly dark, it would be better to defer the attack till the next day alleging that by so doing fewer lives would be endangered than if a night attack were to be attempted. his advice was taken and the assault was deferred. the crown prince, being informed by spies of all that passed in the camp of the enemy, took advantage of the sense of security inspired by an initial success and convinced that the advantage lies with the attacking force, made a sortie against the forces near the foot of the palace walls. the darkness increased the fear inspired by this attack. the besieged, taken by surprise and being defenceless, allowed themselves to be slaughtered like brute beasts. others took flight, and casting away their weapons, were pursued to the walls of the grand palace. the king sent reinforcements to act as a barrier against the host ready to devour him. the lawless and rebellious soldiery renounced their allegiance and instead of obeying his orders deserted to his uncle. seeing that he was betrayed and deserted by his adherents, he put all his trust in the malays whom he employed, and having encouraged them with magnificent gifts and by hopes of great rewards, they left the palace with proud and haughty expressions which seemed to bear witness to their zeal and to be an earnest of victory. but hardly had these mercenaries left the palace behind when they gave an example of the greatest infidelity, or of meanness of character. these strangers, loaded with gifts, deserted the flag of their benefactor. some retired to their own country to enjoy the fruits of their treason, and, others baser still, enrolled themselves under the banner of those against whom they had promised to fight. the barcalon and the chakkri, standing on the high walls of the palace, were the sad witnesses of the desertion. fearing for their safety they disappeared on the pretext of going to issue some orders. the other officers, not seeing them return, scattered to find some refuge where they would be secure against the anger of the conqueror. the king remained alone with his two brothers awaiting his end. the elder brother retired into his monastery, where he deplored the disturbed state of affairs of which he was neither the author, nor an accessary. the other two, forsaken by their mercenary followers, escaped with some servants in a boat and managed to carry off a large sum of money as well. as soon as the crown prince had been informed that the royal palace had been abandoned, he ordered his men to take possession. several princes of the royal family had shut themselves up in the palace as in some sanctuary. they were loaded with chains and were made to suffer all manner of tortures invented by the cunning of revenge and after all their property had been confiscated, they had no hope left but death. this civil war caused considerable bloodshed, but more perished by the sword of the executioner than on the battlefield. the new king, on his accession to the throne, gave an example of the greatest clemency which dulled the remembrance that the slaughter of his subjects had been the cause of his success. he offered the crown to the eldest of his nephews, but in vain. this latter, a religious prince, resolved to die in the priesthood, as he ultimately did. the king was sure that his position was insecure as long as the two fugitive princes were not in his power. the old officials wandered about the kingdom and stirred up civil strife. the chakkri and the barcalon had the temerity to appear in the capital, dressed as priests. they thought to escape punishment by appearing in a dress that was respected. the king, in order not to commit any outrage against the priesthood, arranged that they should be arrested by the chief priest. they appeared before a tribunal where they were subjected to a searching cross-examination. their cunning replies were unanswerable. they pleaded that they had been carrying out the king's orders and that they had been pledged to serve him absolutely. by this excuse they were enabled to escape, the terrible punishment which had been prepared for them. it had been determined that they should be hung up with hooks by the chin until they expired. the idea was that their punishment should resemble the fate of fishes, as being keen anglers they had caused the death of many fish, a heinous offence to the siamese who have scruples against fishing. as the judges found no evidence on which to convict them, the king sought other methods by which he might undo them. he took counsel with the ministers and the legal luminaries of the kingdom, who, after examining the charges on which they had been arraigned, replied, that far from being culpable they were worthy of the highest rewards. the verdict was remarkable, coming from the mouth of judges who trembled under the sceptre of a despot, a single word from whom could degrade or destroy them. the despot himself announced that "a citizen is not guilty in carrying out the orders of his superiors." he ordered that the accused should be instantly released, and as if wishing to honour their fidelity, he appointed them to the control of the two chief temples in the city where they hoped to lead a peaceful existence in the obscurity which is the only protection of a citizen against the violence of arbitrary power. but hardly were they installed in their retreat, when, towards midnight, five or six malays came to demand them in the king's name. they guessed that sentence of death had just been passed on them. the barcalon, indifferent to his fate, showed that life no longer appealed to him and far from being terrified, reproached the chakkri for his weakness and cowardice. he told him that he must bow to the inevitable. when they were outside the temple, they were stripped of their priestly robes and were given a loin-cloth. the barcalon beheld the instruments of death without betraying the slightest emotion and presented his breast to the dagger of the executioner and died, pierced by a single stroke. the chakkri, on the contrary, tried to defend himself, and received many wounds before he was finally disposed of. their bodies were taken away and impaled and exhibited to the public eye as an example of the vengeance of the king. the two princes who had escaped, were a continual source of trouble. for a long time they managed to evade their pursuers; and means were taken to prevent them from escaping to some neighbouring country where they might have been able to stir up a rebellion. they remained hidden in a rice field, and were soon deserted by all their servants except one who remained faithful. this faithful attendant used to go to forage for them. they passed a month in this way exposed to the weather; a prey to their needs and to fear. at last the servant was recognised in a public place where he was wont to make purchases for his unhappy masters. several persons identified him as having escaped with them, and that as he had been their companion in flight, he ought to know their hiding place. the secret was wrested from him by torture. the princes were captured and confined in the palace dungeons. from that moment knew that death would soon be their portion and that their uncle would never pardon them as they were the sons of his enemy. they were put to the question, and in their answers they showed more firmness than would have been expected from their youth. sentence had preceded trial and hence they were unanimously condemned to death. the younger had designed some dresses for a theatrical performance which he had desired to be performed. he asked that, before his death, he might be allowed to see them. this showed that he was childish, or, rather frivolous. the queen, in vain begged that their request might be granted. the king replied that they had been born with desires that would one day be fatal to the state. these princes whose fate should have excited compassion were not regretted in the least. it was generally known that their tastes were depraved. it was not by their death that the crown prince really became king. he gave his whole heart to his nephew, who had refused the crown that the siamese had wished to offer him. the king's predilection excited the jealousy of his eldest son who made a plot to assassinate their cousin, and a day was arranged for the execution of this wicked design. the prince had gone to pay his respects to the king and was attended by his cousins who by certain gestures gave him an inkling of the plot against his life. he became frightened and fell at the king's feet who being informed of the plot, made enquiries into the truth of it. the second and third of his sons were convicted of being the authors of the barbarous idea. this father, horror stricken, summoned them fore him and pronounced such dreadful punishments against them that, in order to clear themselves, they protested that their elder brother had led them into crime. the father was deeply grieved on learning that his dearest son had been the most guilty. he summoned him to his presence and made him lie on the ground to receive his punishment. the priest-prince, witness of the terrible scene, of which he was the innocent author, thought of what the consequence might be, of a punishment inflicted on one who might one day be his master. he prostrated himself on the body of the guilty and cried out. "father, order that i receive the beating rather than your son". the king was a father and was soon turned from his purpose by his feelings. his wrath merely found vent in threats against his guilty son, who, to become reconciled with the priest-prince, entered the same monastery; but in the shadows of his retreat he enjoyed all the sweets of power. the chief officers of state and the people continued to regard him as the heir-presumptive to the crown. as it happened, he left the priesthood in 1740 and his father declared him his successor. henceforth he lived in the palace which was appointed for crown princes, but was quite unworthy of his father's choice. his vices drew upon him the hatred of his father in 1756. he was accused by his bastard brother of having defiled his father's bed, and was summarily sentenced to imprisonment for life. there remained but two legitimate sons to the king whom he had had by the late queen. the elder had sunk into the lowest depths of debauchery, which was sufficient reason against his succession to the throne, so much the more so as he was afflicted with a loathsome disease. the younger was preferred to him, he was called chaoual padou, that is to say, lord of the temple. this prince, brought up from his earliest years among the priests was permeated with the poison of error. a zealous champion of the foolish religion of his country, he was beloved by the nation who saw their superstitions ennobled by so illustrious an example. a stickler for justice, he punished fraud and theft with severity. his good qualities were universally recognised by all from the crown prince downwards. his marriage which occurred shortly after his accession, was regarded as a token of the prosperity of the state. his father bent by age died in 1748 aged 80 years. chaoual padou was soon recognised by all the officials of the state. some of his bastard brothers attempted to stir up civil strife, but they did not escape punishment. they were cast into prison where they died of neglect. peace reigned in the kingdom after their death, and the people gave him no cause for anxiety. but his brother whom he rashly had recalled to court favour, was a cause of scandal. he bitterly criticised the government and behaved as a ruler, rather than as a subject and to lighten the disgrace of his degradation, he managed to place himself at the right hand of the king too modest and too weak to punish him. at last the king being no longer able to tolerate his imperious behaviour, resolved to abdicate a crown the burden of which had become insupportable, and to retire to the seclusion of monastic life. for a second time he donned the robes of a priest and shut himself up with about a thousand idolatrous priests whom he endeavoured to surpass in pseudo-science and in the art of fortelling the future. he sought a secret means by which to render himself invisible and immortal by the use of mercury of which he took so large a dose that all his teeth fell out. devoting his whole time to futile researches, he became quite indifferent to affairs of state and had no other relaxation than to pore over lying records and to extract therefrom stories fit merely for the credulity of fools. while he was living in seclusion in his country, the enemy carried fear and destruction to the gates of the capital. the king, who knew nothing of statecraft or of war, was powerless to avert the storm. the princes and nobles went in a body to the temple of chaoual padou and begged him to take up the reins of the stricken empire. he acceded to their wishes and his brother, laying aside his pride as there was no time for concealing his weakness and incapacity, handed over the sceptre that he could wield no longer and invited him to re-ascend the throne. he yielded to the pressure brought to bear on him from so many quarters and sacrificed his own inclinations for a quiet life. but before entering into the details of the revolution we ought to give some account of the strength and situation of the people who were to be their adversaries. in 1754 the burmese, the inhabitants of the kingdom of ava had been in subjection to the peguans for five years. they had seen the death of their king, their queen and the majority of the royal family. the memory of their past misfortunes and the present reality of their servitude, and degradation caused them to yearn for a deliverer. they did not seek one among those enervated by the luxury of court life or those who in the pride of their usurped titles measured their capabilities by their ambition. their eyes were turned to one of their fellow-countrymen manlong by name, a gardener by profession who though physically compelled to labour of a humble description, had the bravery and heart of a hero. with one voice all united in begging him to accept the crown so as to free them from the yoke of their tyrants. "yes" replied this extraordinary man! "i agree to become your king, but first of all i wish to find out whether you are worthy of having such a leader as i! i command you to go and cut off the heads of all those petty oppressors whom the peguans have set over you." all answered, "if that is all you want us to do, you shall be obeyed speedily," and forthwith they departed to slay all the military and judicial officers whom their tyrants had placed in authority over them. soon they returned to their hero, their hands streaming with the gore of their oppressors and proclaimed him king without a dissentient voice. the new king distributed arms to his subjects. he taught them to ride and to shoot as he himself was a good horseman and a dead shot. his musketeers were ordered to fire on any one who had the cowardice to retreat either in siege operations or in actual battle. this new discipline was rigorously observed. the burmese became invincible and dominated pegu. a peguan commander who had retreated with his army into a forest, on learning that the burmese army had returned to ava, took advantage of their absence to recapture siriam, a seaport town of pegu. he captured a ship which he at once fitted out and departed early in 1759 for pondicherry on the coromandel coast. at the same time he wrote to the governor of the french stations in the east indies to whom he sent valuable gifts in the hope of obtaining guns and military stores. the ship was unable to reach the coromandel coast; contrary winds rendered it necessary to anchor at mergui a seaport of siam. the burmese army returned to siriam three days after the departure of the ship. the king, who was in command wished to give an example of severity to the people. the town was utterly sacked and at the mere sound of their approach the peguans and their leader fled to the forests. the governor of tavoy, a peguan city close at hand had established himself as an independent ruler. the burmese king advanced to martaban, a town close to tavoy, and demanded the governor to surrender. the governor was too weak to offer any resistance and therefore complied. but his submission availed him nothing, for as soon as the king arrived, his head was cut off. it was here, that the king hearing about the richness of siam conceived the idea of attempting its conquest, but wishing to have a valid excuse for his greed, he demanded that they should restore the ship that had been seized at siriam from whence it had been brought to mergui. the siamese court having been informed that the ship was bound for pondicherry ordered that the ship should continue the voyage in order to maintain the friendly relations existing between the siamese court and the french stations. this refusal was the cause of a war in which many lives were lost. the burmese king, having seized all the shipping and wealth of the country, made tavoy his headquarters. he sent out an expedition of 30 vessels to reduce and burn the town of mergui and to take similar action against tenasserim, the chief town of a province of the same name. at the approach of the fleet, the inhabitants of mergui fled and the town, previously so full of inhabitants, was left deserted. m. m. andrien and lefebvre, french missionaries, seeing before them a prospect of danger and useless suffering, embarked with their converts in two ships of which one was a french vessel and the other was the very ship to which the king of ava laid claim. the fugitive inhabitants, after aimless wanderings sought refuge in the forests and in desert islands. the king of ava, surprised at the fear inspired by his name and forces, was quite sure that the conquest of siam would be an easy matter. the fact of a whole province having been subdued by his little fleet, gave him to hope that there would be no obstacle to the success of his united forces. he visited tavoy in person, being the place at which the different sections of his army had been ordered to assemble. as soon as the siamese court had been informed that the burmese had invaded the country, the barcalon sent to the bishop of tabraca ordering that christians should be called upon for military service. the bishop replied that he would willingly send all those whom he believed were physically able to defend their king and country. he summoned his converts at once pointed out the danger by which the country was threatened, and exhorted them by the sacred ties of king and fatherland. the flock, obedient to the voice of the shepherd, remembered that the god of peace whom they served was likewise the god of battles. more than one hundred took up arms for the common defence. this levy, though so small in numbers was sufficient to give examples of courage to the others. the priest king who had just come to the throne was without resources to carry on a successful struggle against so warlike a foe. he knew the weakness of his subjects only too well not to put his trust in them. his arsenals were well furnished with arms and ammunition, but he lacked men to make good use of them. he commanded a timid and undisciplined mob, equally incapable of attack or defence, who had been pressed into service to meet the urgency of the situation, and who trembled at the sound of firearms. a fair-sized army of this character had been collected but was of no use against an enemy. these miserable cowards threw down their arms on the approach of the burmese, and, conquered without striking a blow, fled to the capital which was thus overcrowded with useless mouths. the christians acted in quite a different manner and behaved heroically to a man. the king seeing their bravery, entrusted to them the guardianship of the palace and the city walls, but they were too few to present an unbroken front to the swarms of the enemy who were overrunning the country. they had left their homes defenceless, and, placing duty before the safety of their own possessions, they had left them to the greed of an enemy to whom plunder was the main object. the hour of the downfall of siam was not yet come. the burmese king was but three days march from the capital when he was attacked by a fatal illness. thinking less of his sickness than of the obstacle that had checked his victorious progress, he summoned certain europeans serving in his army to his bedside. he asked them in what time they could gain possession of the city. they replied that it could be done in three days, "go quickly" answered the king, "and make this rich conquest and if fortune does not bear out your valour come back to me at once." the army started. all the outlying villages were burnt, and even the suburbs of the capital were included in the devastated area. the christian quarter alone was respected, as the burmese warned of their valour, had not the courage to attack men so freed from earthly ties that they feared not death. some of the christians, who had not followed the example of flight set by the others, shot two of the enemy from the seminary, and this brave defence was the salvation of all the terrified burmese had no longer any desire to attack them. the dutch quarter was reduced to ashes and only the warehouse known to contain valuable merchandise was spared. while the town was threatened, the outlying districts were ravaged with fire and sword, and the inhabitants, loaded with fetters, were led into captivity. the children too weak to share their sufferings were the unhappy witnesses of tortures inflicted on their parents. several children were put to the torture to make them reveal the hiding places of their parents' wealth. on information extorted by violence these pitiless creatures massacred unfortunate individuals without mercy who could only reproach themselves with not being rich enough to satisfy the greed of their executioners. the chief priests who were suspected of having concealed vast wealth, were repeatedly roasted on gridirons until they had confessed where their treasures were hidden. women were bound above the ankles so tightly that the cords cut into the flesh. their inexorable tormentors made them answer questions by striking them with the flat of a sword, and even the cries and lamentations of the children whom they compelled to witness their cruelties could awake no compassion in their stony hearts. the men received still harsher treatment. their ankles were bound in the same way as those of the women, and, to add to their miseries their arms were tied behind their backs so that the elbows touched. it seemed in their wretched plight that their bowels were about to gush out. so severe were the agonies caused in the joints, that the victims swooned in many cases. while these sad scenes were being enacted in the provinces, the capital of siam was attacked with vigour. but the enemy, after several futile assaults, were obliged to give up their task; and, taking advantage of the darkness to conceal the shame of their retreat, made the same signals as before; in order that the siamese might still believe they remained near the walls. the news of the death of burmese monarch caused them to renounce the hopes of conquest. the youngest of his sons was proclaimed king. he needed the army to strengthen his authority and to put down malcontents. the troops were ordered to evacuate siam and never was a retreat more hurriedly beaten. the siamese, free from the yoke of foreign oppression, reoccupied their former possessions. having suffered by experience, they ought to have taken steps to prevent a fresh invasion. the dutch, established in the kingdom, could have provided them with artillerymen as there were many stationed at batavia in the island of java. but the siamese unmindful of danger, and arrogant though cowardly, considered that it would be derogatory to their dignity to implore the help of a foreign nation to teach them lessons. the high opinion which this nation held of itself, gave rise to the idea that the native christians would form an impregnable barrier against foreign invasion. the examples of bravery they had shown, caused them to be regarded as so many heroes to whom the common defence might be entrusted. the french church was called the church of victory, and in gratitude for services rendered, presents were given of suitable garments to the bishop, the priests and the converts. all the christians who had assisted in the defence of their country received a gift of money and eight of them who had shown the greatest bravery in face of the dangers undergone, were promoted to the highest positions in the army. the siamese had no less confidence in their wisdom than they had had in their bravery. they were consulted as to what measures should be taken for national defence. these men full of zeal, showed that if they knew how to fight for their country, still more did they know how to advance the cause of their god. they pointed out that, as during the war the temples had afforded shelter to the burmese, they were of opinion it would be advantageous to destroy all the temples round the town, so much the more so, that in case of a new invasion it would be impossible to preserve them. the elder brother of the king agreed with this proposition but the other princes and all the priests regarded it as an act of sacrilege. the king joined the latter party as his inclinations were all in the direction of his former station in life and even in the brilliancy of court functions, sighed in secret for the solitude of the temples. a zealot for the religion of his country he showed that he was jealous of the praises showered upon the bishop of tabraca, who, was regarded as a heavenly messenger sent to reform their morals. the respect given to the worshipper and minister of a foreign god appeared to the monarch to be a slight on the national religion. he commanded that european titles only should be used as honorable appellations in his his case, and to suppress all siamese words by which respect and greatness were indicated. the order was by no means universally obeyed. the nobility and the people never ceased showing forth their regard for the bishop and continued to load him with titles which he preferred to deserve rather than to receive. this enmity engendered by jealousy would not have been productive of evil results as the prince was weak rather than evil-minded. it seemed that peace would continue, but soon the state was plunged into a new commotion. the king pronounced sentence of death against a favourite of his brother's who was suspected of having carried on treasonable correspondence with the enemy. this decree was regarded as an abuse of his authority. the people demanded that account should be rendered of the blood shed on slight grounds of suspicion. a general discontent made the king re-enter the priesthood, and he appeared to abdicate the throne with more pleasure than he had ascended it. his elder brother became king, and the position which he thus occupied, showed up his vices and follies to the full light of day. in may 1762 the prince resigned the crown in favour of the priesthood. a great number of siamese followed his example. the state was burdened with an excess of useless citizens who kept aloof from those they ought to have served. sorcery and magic were the principal topics of conversation, everyone had formulae for the compounding of love philters for immoral purposes, and the secret of rendering the person invisible for the purpose of robbery and assassination without fear of punishment, was the universal object of research. the priests who had become more haughty since the king had entered their order, demanded that they should receive divine honours. the ignorant populace wasted their substance in their support, and kept them in idleness. these holy ministers, naturally poor, found abundant means of livelihood in the folly of the vulgar, an inexhaustible ever ready source of supplies for the use of impostors. not even was their moral character an object of respect. they frequently gave rise to many scandalous scenes and, immune from punishment, they would not even cast a veil over the filthy pleasures to which they were addicted. by greed and cunning they obtained possession of everything that could not be appropriated by force. the reigning king gave precedent for these irregularities by his example. unbridled in his lusts, and shameless in his actions he had no other rule of conduct than his own sweet will; and in the intoxication of his brutal passions, had the folly to marry his father's sister openly. the nobility too feeble and too cowardly to attempt to reform the abuses, preferred to follow the example of the tyrant rather than to fall as victims. the officials, brutalised by the debauchery into which they had sunk to please their master, knew neither how to foresee nor to fear coming troubles. their security was founded on the report that the burmese king, a warlike and restless prince, had been dethroned on his return to ava, and that his elder brother was content to govern his own people and had no ambition for foreign aggression. a peaceful règime seemed necessary to him to ensure his rule over a turbulent race, and his efforts were directed towards the maintenance of peace and to the civilization of his people. he was highly indignant with those who had advised his father to attempt the invasion of siam, that had cost the nation so many valuable lives, more precious than all the spoil they had carried off. such peaceable tendencies promised a spell of unbroken peace to the neighbouring kingdoms, but the appointed hour struck for the punishment of a people sunk in slumber and debauchery. the peace-loving king died suddenly, and his successor a man of great ambition and, feeling too cramped in his own territories, was the rod by which god struck the siamese. chapter ix. the revolution of 1767. the new burmese monarch desired nothing better than warfare and conquests. too proud to conceal his feelings, he boasted that he had promised his dying father to crush the the cowardly nation that merely waited for a conqueror to reduce it to bondage. several high officials supported his ambitious projects. his first victories were gained over his intractable and rebellious subjects. as soon as they had been subjugated, he sent one of his generals in command of five thousand picked troops to effect the capture of tavoy, whose governor, although a burman, had made himself independent in 1761. this rebel, not feeling that he alone would be able to maintain his position with his own troops, sought an alliance with the english who supplied him with all manner of arms and ammunition. at same time a vessel from the coromandel coast, and laden with rich presents for pegu, was obliged to drop anchor at tavoy. the idea of a rich booty won over the governor who resolved to appropriate so valuable a cargo in order to purchase an alliance with siam, who, alone could have supported him in his encroachments. having taken possession of these valuable spoils unjustly, he sent them to the king of siam and besought his assistance. the ministers took counsel together as to whether the reception of this embassy would be compromising to the dignity of the king, and for some time were uncertain whether good or evil would result if the conditions were accepted. they thought the wisest course to pursue was to ask the opinion of the bishop of tabraca and the missionaries, who having no personal interest in the matter ought to be able to give good advice. they replied that to protect a rebel was contrary to all equity and policy. they added that tavoy had always been a burmese dependency and that in assisting an ambitious man who had usurped the power, they would become accessories in the rebellion and would expose the kingdom to the vengeance of a powerful neighbour, who had nothing to lose by defeat and everything to gain by victory. the ministers were satisfied with this answer and asked that it should be given in writing feeling sure that the authority of the bishop and the missionaries backed up by their wisdom and character would have great weight with the king. the document was drawn up, and the ministers presented it to the step-brother of the king, who was hankering after the rich presents of the rebellious governor. he made a great show of indignation against those who by their scruples would have deprived him of the objects of his greed. he tore up the document which indicated the line of action on which depended the peace and prosperity of the state. the intrigues of the favourites were successful and the ambassadors were honourably received and listened to graciously. urgent commands were sent to the governor of tenasserim to fit out an expedition for the relief of tavoy, but nothing came of the project. the governor of this town became the object of public execration; the bloodshed of the leading citizens was the means by which he had wished to consolidate his growing power, and his new subjects became his enemies. attempts were made on his life in 1762, and as punishments were multiplied, the more unpopular he became. the burmese general had arrived at martaban with his army. from this town he wrote to the governor ordering him to offer no resistance. he uttered dire threats against the inhabitants who refused to help him. the people of tavoy seeing an army ready to beseige their town, declared that they had determined to render homage to their legitimate ruler. the usurper surrounded by both foreign and domestic enemies, weak in his defences and threatened by invasion, had no other resource left but flight. he equipped a vessel for his escape, but the people by whom he was hated, suspected his plan and fired his ship either from motives of revenge, or to prevent him from carrying off his wealth. he was so unwise as to show himself in public and found out that despots cease to be respected when their power is gone. his subjects, who before had been trembling slaves, planned to slay him at the city gate. the women, always more excited by popular frenzy vied with each other for the honour of striking the first blow. they were highly delighted to see as a suppliant before them, one who formerly had exacted unquestioning obedience. the rebel, after many adventures sought sanctuary at mergui, to which place he was followed by his relatives and a few supporters who had either the nobility of character to wish to share his misfortunes, or perhaps so guilty that they feared the harshness of an angry judge. his fleet of sixty galleys by no means reassured the inhabitants who were not anxious to shelter an outlaw pursued by a victorious army. panic was general, some fled to the forests, and others to desert islands fearing death by starvation less than to have to appear before a wrathful conqueror. the governor feared that those who had given him shelter would not respect the rights of hospitality for long. he only begged a small force with which to go and retake the town that he had evacuated on the strength of a false report. he considered that the letter from the burmese general had been sent by an advanced body of troops whom he would keep up even in time of peace. he then began to doubt whether the document had been genuine and suspected that it had been the work of some disaffected persons who had concocted it to give him a false alarm, and to make him take his departure. he was so convinced that his idea was correct that he persuaded himself that his subjects were his only enemies. thus a victim of his blind faith he went to give himself up to a ruler whom he had offended. this rumour was taken as credible by so many that the captains of the ships at mergui, who had been alarmed by the first news of the burmese advance, believed they were in perfect safety. trade that had been interrupted for some time was renewed. the fugitives returned to their houses, and the town that had been deserted for eight days, resumed its normal aspect. the christians had been very anxious to embark for the coromandel coast and only one availed himself of the offer of a portuguese captain who sailed on january 8th, 1765, but the rest very soon saw that they had been misled by a false sense of security. on the 10th of january, a confused noise as of a shouting multitude was heard in the evening by the river side. the sounds gave rise to the idea that the enemy were approaching and that the first alarms had been only too well founded. in fact the enemy were only three or four leagues from the city and a pilot had seen ten of their ships. a short period of calm succeeded this alarm. the pilot on being questioned replied that he had seen nothing whereupon everybody returned home quietly. the missionaries were in a calmer frame of mind, because they had seen that quiet reigned on board the ships anchored in midstream, and were sure that the noise that had been reported was only a product of panic stricken imagination. but at four o'clock in the morning fifty gun shots were heard which left no longer room for doubt that the burmese had arrived. the startled inhabitants perceived that death or speedy captivity would be their portion. the captains of the trading ships cut their cables at once, and fearing to fall into the power of a savage foe, allowed their ships to drift with the stream without heeding the danger of shipwreck to which the inequalities of the river bed rendered then liable. the christians who remembered the horrors of the late war shuddered with dread at the thoughts of these savage creatures steeped in the gore of old men and of children butchered on the still smoking bodies of their mothers. all fled to their boats and endeavoured to escape from certain death. the burmese made their attack and found no resistance. the love of life had driven away all thoughts of defence. the pillars of fire that were rising on all sides made the inhabitants judge that their country was but a wood-pile being devoured by the flames. m. m. andrien and alari both came down to the church and were soon followed by a crowd of christians. these two missionaries exhorted them to make a generous sacrifice of their lives and promised to set them an example of how to meet death. the fire which was devouring the neighbouring houses was about to attack the church. m. alari thought of running away and begged the others to look to their safety. he took some money for his needs and buried the rest at the foot of a tree, in the hope of finding it again after the fire had burnt out. he saw that the enemies had gained possession of the gates. then to save himself from the impending danger, he told a young servant who could speak burmese to inform the soldiers at the gates that neither he nor his companions would offer any resistance. the burman was satisfied with this message and with some money which was given to him he put down his spear, but he asked for and was given a shabby hat which had aroused his cupidity. but the soldiers who came up shortly afterwards were not so moderate in their demands, for they pulled off all his clothes. in vain they were informed that nakedness was shameful. he spoke to the burmese but they would not listen to him. the same soldiers greedy for more valuable booty entered the house to seize what they could. they broke open the chest containing the sacred vessels which they defiled with their impious hands. the missionaries, robbed and almost naked were dragged to the harbour and put on board a ship. as the water was rough they were made to cross long stretch of ground covered with mud and they would have been buried in the mire if they had not been helped by two native servants who had still remained faithful. hardly had they embarked when they received the order to return. as soon as they had arrived at the general's tent they were placed on the ground, and were beaten with rods to make them put down their legs. this they had not done, as they were unaware of the etiquette of the burmese towards their superiors. the general surrounded by his savage myrmidons commanded them in threatening tones to go with the other christians to seize those ships which had not cut their cables. m. alari who was also ordered to convey a letter to the captains, replied that his sacred office forbade him to take up arms and above all to shed human blood. many of the bystanders testified to the truth of his statements and his excuse was accepted; but although they had escaped this danger they were reserved for more terrible misfortunes. attendants armed with lances conducted them to the bank of the river where they were obliged to witness the greatest scandals and the filthiest abominations. they were exposed in the middle of the public market, with their feet in the mud from daybreak till noon. their hats which alone could have protected them from the burning rays of the sun had been stolen. they expected death any moment but awaited its approach fearlessly. a lively faith upheld them and they only noticed the misfortunes of other christians who like themselves had fallen into captivity. the general encamped by the shore, made careful enquiries in order to discover the place or any information as to where they had buried their wealth and the secret was discovered by torture. m. andrien was denounced as a wealthy man, and acting on the information received, the general went to the church with gaspard, the honest servant of the virtuous missionary. both prayers and threats were employed to make him reveal the spot where his master had hidden his wealth. the young man naively answered, "that as his master was a priest to whom earthly possessions were valueless, he had never possessed anything besides what the burmese had carried off." the greedy burman unsatisfied with this answer, condemned him to the torture. his feet were thrust into a brazier of glowing charcoal in hopes that the torment of fire would make him reveal a secret that the insolence of authority had failed to do. gaspard, who had withstood their promises, showed that he cared naught for tortures. the barbarian was highly annoyed at such contumacious behaviour, whereas he ought to have admired the heroism displayed. he drew his sword and was about to cut off his head. the young man 17 years old was quite impervious to fear, he had not the slightest intention of begging for his life, he merely asked for a few moments in which to commend his soul to god "let me say a prayer" he said, "and after which you may do as you please with me." his request was granted and after a short interval spent in prayer, he cried out "strike." the general, amazed to see such heroic conduct in the case of one so young, was seized with a sudden admiration. he thought that a man who had given so striking a proof of fidelity to his masters, ought to join his retinue, and he was treated more as a favourite than as a slave. if we draw a comparison between the atrocities perpetrated by this nation in the war of 1760 and their conduct in this latter conflict, we can perceive that they had lost something of their former savagery. in the former struggle, children had participated in the tortures of their parents, but on this occasion they were merely mournful spectators. but even this blessed change which commenced to become apparent in the manners and customs of the burmese was still too weak to disguise their pristine characteristics, especially in cases in which they had given themselves up to the lust of avarice. the following notices will assure the reader on these points. when the burmese king undertakes a war, he retains only the parents of the conquered as slaves, and he generously hands over the children to the generals and other subordinate officers. it follows from this method of sharing the spoils, that children are often separated for ever from their parents. here is a touching example of the unhappiness of such innocent victims. a child six years of age, having been left in a boat, cried ceaselessly for his parents from whom he had just been separated. his streaming eyes were fixed in the direction of the spot where they had last been seen. after two days he saw on the bank one of his aunts to whom he was much attached. this woman, grieved at the loss of her nephew, followed the boat to console herself with a sight which could only make her grief more intense. the child, for whom the sight of his aunt was only a new torture, cried and stretched out his arms and called to her to help him, and at last flung himself in the river to go and rejoin her. the burmese, untouched by this victory of nature, saved the child only to make him feel the loss of his liberty more keenly. a tender heart had restored him to his relatives, but the brutal captain thrust him into the hold of the vessel so as to run no further risk of losing him. the burmese are desirous of great wealth, and, although by nature a warlike race, it is rather the lust of pillage than the mere idea of glory that incites them to risk their persons. war is but a trade, according to their way of thinking, and he who returns with the richest spoils receives the greatest honour from his country. those who fall into their power have every thing to fear if they are unable to satisfy their greed, and it is quite certain that avarice is the mainspring of their cruelty. a poor christian, who was believed to be possessed of great wealth, was put to the torture to make him reveal the hiding place of his non-existent riches; but no amount of suffering could extort a word from him. the angry burman in the presence of his wife and dying mother drew his sword to cut off his head. frightened at the near approach of death, he begged for a respite, in the vain hope of discovering some means whereby the greed of his savage master might be satisfied. he was unable to fulfil his promises, and, to punish his failure, he was bound hand and foot and cast into the river. his mother at the point of death, summoned up all her strength and looked at the surface of the water fated to be the tomb of her son, and, just as he was sinking, she grabbed him by the hair and saved his life. a shipmaster by name rolland was highly respected at mergui where he carried on a considerable amount of trade. for a long time he was uncertain as to which party he should favour. when he saw that the burmese had gained possession of the town, he thought it expedient to set sail, but as his vessel was out of repair, it appeared that this course would be too dangerous. he retired with some of the members of his family to the hut of some christians who had showed hospitality towards him, but he was shortly afterwards discovered and robbed of all his possessions. unfortunately for him, he was found with arms in his possession. on being questioned as to their use, he replied, that, at the first rumour of the burmese arrival at mergui he had thought that a force of malays a people well known in the indies for their piratical tendencies, was about to make an attack, and that having at once resolved upon flight, he had taken up weapons with which to defend himself against tigers which were numerous in the forests. the shipmaster and his companions had no longer any fear for their life or their liberty. the enemy were graciously pleased to give them back some garments and a fair supply of provender, more than they had expected from conquerors already pressed by famine. to the burmese, any attempt at self-defence is a heinous offence, and whoever has lifted his hand against them need not hope for any mercy. thus instead of respecting the bravery of a foeman, they show pity only on the poltroon who grovels before them. a moorish ship, in setting sail had fired several guns at their vessels. four sailors who had not had time to embark were ruthlessly slaughtered in revenge for the deed of their companions. their cruel fate caused much anxiety among the christians. several had been convicted of bearing arms, and there was no doubt that sentence of death would be shortly pronounced against them. the executioner was awaiting the signal to give the fatal blow. in this moment of suspense, a venerable old man advanced crawling on hands and knees and prostrating himself before the general, informed him that the condemned missionaries were well known for their bounty and their zeal for the relief of those in trouble, and that far from having taken up arms with hostile intent, their religion forbade their use even for purposes of self-defence. all those present appeared moved, and took their part with the general, who at last relented. the sentence of death was revoked. the christians and mahomedans who would have been slaughtered together, were sentenced to transportation to pegu to swell the ranks of the royal slaves. an unforseen occurrence was the cause of great rejoicings on the part of the christians. at this period these unhappy people, expecting no human aid, had given themselves up to god alone. they saw a young portuguese half-caste who had just arrived from pegu, come on board their vessel. he offered to be their liberator on condition that they would follow him to pegu to minister to the christians who had no pastors in that country. this young man jeanchi by name, was a native of macao in china. he had been carried off as a slave from mergui by the burmese in 1760, and had been taken to pegu where by his industry he had found a means of gaining his freedom. his abilities were well known and well rewarded. he afterwards married the granddaughter of constantine faulcon and was besides a zealous christian. the missionaries welcomed their deliverer as a messenger from heaven. he claimed them as ministers of his religion and the general released them on those grounds without further delay. owing to the fact that his duties frequently called him to distant ports, he sent them back in charge of a burmese captain of milder disposition than the rest. the captain who had his own affairs to attend to, forgot to supply them with food. in the evening, jeanchi sent them a little rice which they shared with the other destitute christians. he endeavoured to muster all the scattered christians together and lodged them in houses that had been spared by the fire. sometimes he found young children whom he restored to their sorrowing parents. sometimes he gave back a wife to her husband, and when he could not succeed by artifice he cast himself down before the leaders to beg for their release with great eloquence. "kill me," he would say to them "and let me no longer be the witness of their misfortunes which i myself feel so deeply." his prayers were heard as he was regarded as a national hero. his skill had directed the operations of the war and his courage had contributed to their success. but in spite of his importunities, and the esteem in which he was held, he was unable to obtain the christian virgins whom the barbarians wished to retain for the gratification of their brutal lust. it was pitiable to hear the groans of these pure unsullied doves, who sighed for the deliverance that none could afford them. the married women were more fortunate, as they were protected by the scruples which these savages hold regarding the sanctity of the marriage-tie. these scruples acted as a check on their unbridled lust, and it was quite sufficient for a man to claim a woman as his wife to prevent an attack on her modesty. several virgins declared they were married women and by this harmless fib they were enabled to avoid the brutish embraces of the men whom they considered as executioners rather than as lovers. the ships that had been obliged to beat a hurried retreat had abandoned part of their cargoes on the bank. the missionaries and the other christians were obliged to put these goods on board other vessels; all were forced to this work without exception. the master found himself working beside his slave. several old and respectable ladies walked along, staggering under heavy burdens that taxed their strength, and frequently whips were used to stimulate their exertions. the burmese were too eager for plunder to be satisfied with the conquest of mergui. one of their generals set out with the greater part of the army against tenasserim, the capital of a province of the same name. this town although strongly fortified did not appear to a sufficient defence against the burmese rabble, who reached the foot of the walls without meeting any resistance. the gates were wide open and the terrified inhabitants had fled to the forests to avoid a danger that they were unwilling to face. fear had exaggerated the number of the foemen, and the governor had been the first to desert his post. they were conquered by terror rather than by the arms and the valour of their enemies. the burmese filled their ships with loot and having seized everything of value, fired the town and returned in triumph to mergui. jeanchi, who was anxious for the safety of the missionaries made them embark with their converts. the voyage was only of six days' duration and although they were well-cared for, they had to suffer in various other ways. they were continually threatened with death if the least thing were to be missing from the plunder on their arrival. twenty soldiers armed with spears and daggers watched all their actions and they were forbidden to get ahead of the war-vessels that were acting as their escort to the harbour. they were welcomed on their arrival by two peguan christians who showed great pleasure at meeting them. they were escorted by a ship belonging to a rich and powerful mahomedan who did his utmost to protect those in trouble. he informed them that their master had given him permission to take them on board his own ship where they would be in safety. after this comforting information, they set out to meet the generous mahomedan, by name mamasadech, who evinced the greatest sympathy for their sorry plight, and promised to rescue the christian girls from the arms of their ravishers. as a result, next day an edict was issued forbidding the burmese of all classes to insult any christian. the liberal mahomedan spared no expense on behalf of the christians. he gave them much good advice and showed the greatest sympathy towards those in misfortune. the missionaries assured of his good faith, breathed again. but at the moment of their new-found security they were summoned before the commander, who showing them the vases and sacred vessels that had been seized, told them to point out which were their property. having been satisfied on this point, he enquired how much money had been taken from them. this cunning question caused m. andrien much embarrassment, who feared to injure his despoilers and those whose vengeance he had to fear. he answered, that as his knowledge of the language of the country was scanty, he was unable to explain. this reply aroused the suspicion that he had some money concealed. the general ordered that the torture should be applied. there was a cauldron of molten lead close at hand into which the hands of those from whom they desired to extort confessions were plunged. he was led up to the glowing metal and a soldier seized his hand, which he held out over the cauldron awaiting a signal to plunge it in. m. andrien turned towards his judge with a calm expression and protested that he had concealed nothing, and, at the same instant, mamasadech hearing of what was happening, ran up to save him from the impending danger. his companion underwent the same examination, but his fate was very different. he was unaware that to conceal money was a heinous offence among the burmese. he had given some to captain jeanchi for the redemption of christians from death and slavery and had reserved a moderate sum for the relief of his brethren. these facts caused his embarrassment when subjected to the examination that he feared. he had been brought up in a school where mental reservation and equivocal replies were regarded as being contrary to the simple truth. he warned jeanchi that he would be expected to answer, and that he did not intend to disgrace himself by uttering falsehoods. jeanchi was well aware of the consequences of an avowal that would be equally fatal to them both, and in order to forestall them, gave back the property together with the agreement that all his expenses would be paid, and, a few days after, stirred up a persecution caused by weakness rather than by hatred against his friends. he had been accused of having taken money from a christian virgin who had laid information before the viceroy. he feared that the evidence of m. alari would only make his case worse and so thought he could best clear himself by declaring to the viceroy that he had just restored the money to the missionary by whom it had been entrusted to him. the burman was wrath, and summoned the missionaries before him. they appeared destitute of all human succour. they had no knowledge of the language necessary for the proof of their innocence and had no interpreter other than their betrayer, who fearing to appear in league with them, was able to twist their replies to his own advantage. their fears were justified by the result. their defence was badly put, and the viceroy, in an access of rage, as he had not understood the case, condemned them to death. their arms were bound with cords and they were dragged a short distance and prostrated before the seat of the viceroy. their fetters were taken off and they thought that they were about to be set at liberty. but suddenly they were surrounded by armed men, who, spear in hand, awaited the signal for their death. their calmness seemed to bid defiance to their executioners. a savage soldier thrust his lance several times near the breast of m. alari and said, "say where your money is hidden or i will stab you." the saintly man quietly replied that he had none. his companion, when questioned made the same answer. the viceroy fearing lest the secret of their treasure should be buried with them in the tomb, attempted to wring it from them by torture. at the word of command, a soldier seized a cudgel about seven or eight feet long and thick in proportion. the missionaries lying face downwards on the ground were expecting death any moment. a stalwart ruffian approached and laid on several blows with the cudgel with his utmost strength. their bodies were streaming with blood and they were left for several hours on the spot exposed to the burning rays of the sun which rendered their wounds more painful. the irritation caused by insects eating their flesh and sucking their blood caused new torments, and they were surrounded by armed executioners ready to put an end to their existence. the viceroy was astonished at their fortitude, and was convinced that men who held earthly possessions of so little value could not be attracted by the desire of wealth. he made a sign to the interpreter who had treated them so badly and had them raised from the ground. they partook of some food that the other christians had prepared for them, and, for a long time endured the most acute sufferings. jeanchi overcome with shame was unable to conceal the state of his feelings. the missionaries were convinced that he was repenting of what he had done, and exhorted the christians not to reproach him. he continued to reside with the flock whose shepherds he had wished to destroy. the missionaries were transferred to a filthy hovel exposed to the inclemency of the weather. the night-dews and the bad food hindered the recovery of their strength. mamasadech, always kind-hearted, and a philanthropist before everything, offered them the use of his ship that was anchored a few leagues distant. here their health was restored and they had the pleasure of seeing the arrival of the christians who found a haven on the waters, free from the unpleasant conditions they had fled from on land. a few days after they set sail for rangoon, the seaport of the kingdom of ava. the burmese army engaged in pillage, rather than in conquest, made away with the property of the conquered. when they had taken all that was to be had, they sought a new prey. the leader in the flush of his initial successes was sure of easy victories. he marched against ayuthia, as he considered that if the capital fell, the other towns would submit without much difficulty. the route lay across vast forests and over steep mountains. all these obstacles had been foreseen and provided for. the provinces situated to the north west of the capital were laid waste and the inhabitants through fear of death or slavery fled to the forests, where they had to contend against wild beasts for their existence. the burning towns and villages threw the capital into a state of panic. the siamese threatened with utter ruin, massed their forces and marched in fear against an enemy of whose courage they had had experience so many times. they ventured on a battle, and fought with greater courage than they were wont to exhibit. a crushing defeat was inflicted on them which left the whole country at the mercy of the invader. the country side, ravaged by fire, had nothing to show better than barren cinders, and the impending famine was a prospect as terrible as the sword of the barbarians. while the victorious army spread desolation on every side, a fresh horde of barbarians overran the country. the burmese, meeting with no resistance, occupied the province as conquerors and everywhere left traces of their ravages. they built a town at the junction of two rivers and named it michong. this position was intended to act as a base of operations in case of defeat. during these troublous times, the king of siam, shut up in his harem, made light of his people's woes. the news that the enemy had evacuated tennasserim and mergui had given rise to the belief that the danger had passed, and that the state would require no defenders. at last the burmese appeared before the city gates, and there was hardly a ghost of an army to oppose them. at the tumult caused by the entrance of bands of peasants seeking refuge in the royal city, the king was awakened from his state of lethargy. the refugees were obliged to assist in the repair of the fortifications of the town. mounds forty feet high were built for artillery of position. the christians refused to assist in this work, as they were certain that these mounds would crumble by their own weight. the bishop of tabraca who had foreseen the danger and who could have escaped it, considered that the town was a post to which he had been assigned, and which he could not desert without betraying his trust. but although fearless of personal danger, he considered that it was his duty to take steps for the safety of the young people confided to his care. thirty young pupils were sent to m. m. kcherve and artaud who took this little band into the eastern part of siam, whence it was easy to retreat further in case of necessity. it was lucky for them that they had been able to effect a speedy departure, for, a few days later, orders were issued forbidding any one from leaving the city. the enemy, before commencing the assault on the city, laid waste the surrounding country. they were certain of finding means of subsistance on the land they had recently seized, and, their policy of destruction was in order to compel the submission of the siamese through famine. one of their parties extended its ravages up to the city gates. bangkok, a fortress which had been defended, was destroyed, and the gardens laid waste. a college established by the missionaries in the vicinity was razed to the ground, and, after this attack, they retreated hurriedly to join the main part of the army and their departure caused a momentary suspension of hostilities. at this juncture, two english ships arrived. the captain presented the king with an arab horse, a lion, and some valuable merchandise. the captain whose name was pauni, had on several occasions proved himself a brave man. the king who had more confidence in his courage and his ability than in his cowardly and effeminate followers begged him to take charge of the defence of the city. but the englishman, convinced that a craven race would prove but poor seconds, declined the honour of the post and the example of the dutch, who had retired, strengthened his decision not to accept it. the dutch would not have abandoned their compound in which they had stored much valuable property, had they believed that the siamese were capable of assisting in the common defence. the captain was uncertain how to act, when suddenly he found himself the object of an attack by the burmese, who having captured bangkok were preparing to bombard him. the brave englishman, too weak to offer a defence and too high spirited to surrender, wisely decided to tow his ships to the spot which the burmese were attempting to fortify. his artillery fire destroyed their position and scattered death broadcast in their ranks. the englishmen protected by their guns were able to bid defiance to the burmese attack. their pride was wounded by remaining quiet on ship-board, and, eager to punish their assailants, they made several sorties, and their well planned attacks on the undisciplined foe, caused wholesale slaughter. pauni, compelled by necessity, agreed to take charge of the defence of the capital on condition that the requisite arms and ammunition for attack and defence were forthcoming. this was agreed to, and the siamese, as a pledge of his good faith, stipulated that he should deposit his cargo in the public arsenal. this condition was galling to him, but he was obliged to agree to it. he delivered thirty eight bales of valuable merchandize and placed the rest on different ships. having made arrangements with the officials, he returned to his ship where he made preparations that justified the trust reposed in him. he devised attacks, all of which were deadly to the foe. their fortifications were scarcely completed, when they were demolished, and every day saw the defeat or repulse of the enemy. in order to follow up his advantages, he wrote to the siamese authorities demanding arms and ammunition as his supply was running short, but he was refused. the siamese feared lest he should become too powerful; or that they might be ruled by a foreigner. the ministers replied that the enemy were about to make an assault on the other side of the town and that they needed all their available artillery to repel it. the englishman, annoyed by this act of faithlessness, determined to have no further dealings with a nation that neither knew how to fight nor to furnish one who was then friend with the wherewithal to protect them. but before setting sail he issued a manifesto against the king of siam giving his reasons for deserting his post. he seized six chinese ships of which one belonged to the king. the five other vessels coming to trade with siam, were stopped in the gulf, and were considerably surprised to find themselves despoiled of their goods. the englishman, in return for what he had taken, gave the captains bills of exchange drawn on the king of siam to the value of the thirty eight bales of goods that he had deposited. having thus taken his security and passed proudly before his foes who instead of being downcast at his retirement, were highly delighted to behold the departure of a rival who alone could hinder their success. the burmese, on his departure, again took the offensive and as they had merely feeble adversaries to consider, destroyed everything they could find. the temples were burnt and the lead found there was made into bullets. the enemy, for a considerable time master of the countryside, had issued strict orders that no cultivation was to be carried on. but the fertility of the soil caused an abundant crop that was not due to agricultural labours. the grains of rice fallen from the hands of the reapers of the previous year grew and came to maturity. this unexpected blessing was a great consolation for the people threatened with famine. but this, which should have been to their advantage, was considerably the reverse. the inhabitants went out to gather the rice, but were surprised by the burmese, who led them captive to their camp. while the burmese, scattered over all the provinces, were carrying on a war against men and nature, the king and his superstitious ministers put all their trust in their magicians. the officers and soldiers followed their example and consulted them as to how they might render themselves invisible in order to attack the enemy unawares, and the hope of learning a secret so favourable to their cowardly nature, prevented them from going out to fight before it had been revealed to them. the delusion was so powerful that even experience was unable to convince them of the futility of such schemes. the leaders, on a par with the subordinates as regards valour, appeared to have taken up arms against their fellow citizens only. they robbed them of their money and food with the excuse that they were required for use of the military to whom they distributed the least valuable part of their spoil, but this bounty was merely to cloak their own extortions. whilst the more wealthy citizens were being ruined, the vigilance of the missionaries foresaw the destitution of the christians, but their liberality, extended without exception to all creeds, exhausted their supplies. the burmese intercepted all their convoys and they themselves were in danger of famine owing to the excess of their ravages. the forces sent against them were invariably dispersed and frequently returned without striking a blow. a siamese prince who had been exiled to ceylon, was deeply moved at the misfortunes of his country. he forget the fact that he was an offender. he was powerful enough to raise an army whose services he offered to those who had driven him forth. the siamese court, too proud to accept assistance from an exile, rejected his offer with scorn, and instead of considering him as a defender of their country, they sent expeditions against him with varying success. this course was highly unwise as it caused dissension in the army just at the time when the burmese ranks were being augmented by numerous siamese deserters. in the month of march the burmese army had advanced to within two leagues of the town. the progress of the army was arrested by the death of the commander from quinsy. it was considered expedient to conceal the fact of his death from the soldiery, but the news leaked out owing to dissensions among the chiefs who all were ambitious of command. but soon reunited by the prospect of loot, they advanced to plunder the richest and most celebrated temple near the city. they were in hopes of finding the base of the image which was of solid gold, but the king of siam had taken the precaution of having this object of popular worship removed to the palace. the burmese, incensed on finding that their booty had been carried off, revenged themselves by pulling down the temple and constructing a building devoted to profane uses on the site. the other pagodas in the vicinity of the town were not spared. they were built of brick and surrounded by ditches which seemed to protect them against the assaults of the enemy. the christian churches were constructed merely of planks and stakes which acted as fuel to the flames. but in spite of their defenceless condition, they were held by the vigilance and courage of their defenders, and the enemy were unable to set foot in them until after the chinese and siamese had experienced several defeats. on september 7th, 1766, the enemy seized a strong position about a quarter of a league distant from the town, and from this point a park of artillery commanded the shore and thus rendered them masters of the river. the danger became more imminent and the christians whose heroic valour had been proved in the former revolution became the last resource. the defence of the bastions was entrusted to them and they were supplied with thirty pieces of artillery and ammunition for the same. six thousand chinese were appointed to defend the dutch compound and large temple in the immediate neighbourhood, and, as a special favour they were presented with the sum of ten thousand livres. among the christians were eighty soldiers available for the defence of various posts exposed to the assaults of the enemy. this brave array had had no military training whatever, and, gun and sword in hand, they would have been objects of laughter to a european soldier. but in spite of their awkwardness, they formed the flower of the siamese army. the first few days were occupied in skirmishes, shortly afterwards but the enemy united their forces and seized five large temples which became so many fortresses from whence they bombarded the outposts and especially the church of st. joseph, the roof of which was riddled without causing any casualties. on the 8th of december it was reported that the burmese were preparing for a fresh assault. the christians made sorties from the church and at the sound of drums and trumpets engaged the enemy to the discomfiture of the latter as they were conquered by fear rather than by arms. this initial victory inspired them to take the offensive. they made an attack on some burmese entrenched in a pagoda and returned with an elephant as a trophy of their victory. the portuguese, at a distance of about two leagues from the dwelling of the bishop of tabraca, gave also signal proof of their courage. they sabred a crowd of burmese who had attempted to storm their college. the burmese, driven back in confusion, retired full of admiration for the handful of christians whom they feared considerably more than the 50,000 siamese who had neither the daring to make an attack nor the courage to follow up their retreat. although the christians showed greater personal valour than the rest, their lack of military training caused the loss of the french quarter. the pickets were sound asleep when the burmese fired the upper part of the building where the bishop lived. the christians crowded into the church for shelter and the shrieks of the women and children gave indications of danger more terrible in the darkness. a christian who had become separated from his friends was massacred on the spot. the others made a stubborn defence, and although they had been taken by surprise, they appeared to be invincible. the enemy, repulsed on all sides, made an attack on the dutch quarter. the reputation of the bravery exhibited by the dutch had attracted many siamese and chinese to their quarter, thinking that they would be safe there. all assisted in the common defence. they built walls of the remains of the destroyed pyramids. the chinese found a quantity of money there but the christians received only some pieces of lead as their share. the siamese authorities had abused their power by the confiscation of quantities of rice which had been seized to ensure themselves against the threatened famine, and, owing to their thought for the evils of the future, were a prey to the evils of the present. food was unobtainable at any price, and the poor people awaited death to put an end to their sufferings. an epidemic more deadly still caused fresh ravages. the streets and public places were strewn with corpses, which were devoured by ravenous pariahs, as the fear of contagion had prevented their burial. this scourge came only to an end with the ruin of the country. the sentinels let themselves down from the walls by ropes and preferred to risk falling into the hands of the enemy than to await a lingering death in the midst of suffering. the burmese turned their arms against the dutch compound, which was defended by the portuguese and chinese. the attack was fierce and the defence, stubborn. but finally the compound was taken and reduced to ashes after an eight days' siege marked by many casualties. the church was respected for two or three days and the missionaries were able to collect together their property. this show of moderation was merely a trick to force the surrender of the bishop and his flock. the burmese leader was unwilling to shed blood to no purpose. he assured him that if he would surrender, all his property would be respected and that only the weapons would be taken. negociations were started, and the bishop went in person to the burmese leader's hut. he was received with every mark of honour and the general was lavish in promises which however were not confirmed by any documents. he added that it was his intention that night to fire the christian quarter as a warning to them to seek refuge elsewhere. he assigned a temple to the bishop for a dwelling place and guards were given for his safe keeping. nothing could be done but to submit to these conditions as it was impossible to obtain any better terms. it was lucky that these conditions were accepted. the general carried out his threat and the whole of the christian quarter was reduced to ashes together with the church. the soldiers entered the seminary, and violating their oaths, plundered everything that they had promised to respect. the missionaries and their converts were carried off to the hostile camp. a prince of the old family of the king of ava was the commander of the camp to which they were assigned, and he had the generosity to supply them with victuals. a large number of female christians were stationed near them so as to escape the insults of the soldiery. advantage was taken of the absence of their importunate guardians to marry the girls to the young christians as it was necessary to save these virgins from the lust of the brutal soldiery who, as i have said previously, respected the marriage tie. the bishop suspected of possessing great wealth, as he had distributed alms with no niggard hand, was sent to the lofty tower occupied by the general where under the pretext of rendering him honour they thought they would be able to discover the place where he had concealed his treasures. the other christians were tortured and robbed of their money and the more money a man had, the more he was suspected of having concealed. the state of poverty to which they were thus reduced rendered their faith all the more lively, and, despoiled of their earthly possessions their only hope lay in a heavenly reward. the town, ready to fall into the hands of the burmese, would have been buried under its ruins had not a parley been arranged in order to treat with the besiegers, already with torches in their hands. the burmese proud of their superiority replied that they demanded unconditional surrender and that they were determined to take advantage of the rights of the conquerors. these harsh terms were rejected and hostilities recommenced. on the 28th april 1767 the town was captured by assault. the treasures of the palace and the temples were nothing but heaps of ruins and ashes. the images of the gods were melted down and rage deprived the barbarian conquerors of the spoils that had aroused their greed. to avenge this loss, the burmese visited their heavy displeasure upon the towns folk. they burnt the soles of their feet in order to make them reveal where they had concealed their wealth, and raped their weeping daughters before their very eyes. the priests suspected of having concealed much wealth were pierced through and through with arrows and spears and several were beaten to death with heavy clubs. the country side as well as the temples were strewn with corpses, and the river was choked with the bodies of the dead, the stench of which attracted swarms of flies causing much annoyance to the retreating army. the chief officers of state and the royal favourites were loaded with chains and condemned to slavery in the galleys. the king, witness of the unhappy fate of his court endeavoured to escape, but he was recognised and slain at the gates of the palace. the priest king, torn from the silence of his retreat, was taken prisoner together with all the royal family, and, all, through fear of torture confessed that they had much wealth concealed. when the greed of the invaders was satisfied and the country was full of dead and dying, the the victorious army set out for pegu. the king of siam was taken with them. the bishop of tabraca was included in the national disaster and was transported on shipboard. the detachment in charge of him was commanded by a man who was by no means a barbarian. his valour gained for him the governorship of tavoy, a position of trust which justified the discernment of his master. chapter x. the misfortunes of the europeans after the revolution. perceiving that the country was laid waste, the houses pulled down, the royal family led into captivity, and the people scattered abroad, husbands separated from their wives and parents from the children; the europeans, accustomed to regard their rulers as protectors, were plunged into a state of fear. but the siamese, who from time immemorial have crouched under the rod of tyranny and have toiled on behalf of merciless extortioners, were pleased in that by a change of masters they might meet a deliverer. they had no regrets at leaving a land where bonds had been their portion and as they had never tasted the sweets of liberty, were less sensitive to the humiliation of slavery. unpatriotic citizens as they were, the sight of their erstwhile insolent tyrant, now condemned to slavery quite made up for their own degradation. the christians on the other hand are accustomed to live in countries under the protection of the law. the scourge of war makes no alteration in their fate, and the harshest of conquerors can only keep his self respect while respecting the rights of nations. he can never deprive individuals of their freedom and if a conqueror appropriate their private possessions he is to be considered merely as a bandit. the bishop who had been well treated on shipboard, had been able to maintain by his virtuous example, the ascendency that moral worth invariably exercises over the most corrupt natures. he beheld sixty three christians pass before him whom the burmese had pressed into their service. many of them perished from the toils of the voyage and the survivors were marshalled under the banner of the conqueror. the remainder of the converts were entrusted to the care of m. core a french priest. they were obliged to set out on april 25th without having been able to collect the necessary articles for a long voyage. the party consisted of three hundred, excluding children. women were ruthlessly torn from their husbands whose troubles they had shared. they were given an inadequate supply of rice, and their inhuman captors preferred to destroy food for which they had no use rather than to overload their slave galleys. a chinese priest frightened at the dangers to which the newly wedded brides were exposed, separated himself from m. core's party in the hope of finding a chinese vessel. but hardly had he started out when he was attacked by a gang of burmese bandits and those who tried to defend themselves were slain promptly. he endeavoured to take shelter in the depths of the forests with four of his disciples but they were pursued and robbed. they were obliged to wander without a guide in the trackless jungle that offered no sustenance, and were forced to eat grass like the beasts of the field. afterwards they were found by a christian who offered his services as a guide. the burmese captain, who was in charge of the french, sent an interpreter with an armed force to compel them to rejoin, and above all, to bring back the newly married women. they were carried off with violence. this deputy was by no means so gentle as his superior, and in executing the order he had received, he exceeded his powers. hardly had they marched a league, when a gang of siamese dacoits appeared on the bank of the river and captured his spoils. when the leader of the gang recognised his daughter, he wept and embraced her, and asked by what turn of fortune she had appeared in so sorry a plight. the daughter explained that she had become a christian and gave the reasons for her marriage. the recital of their woes spurred on the dacoits and falling upon the burmese, they cut off their heads. they wished to retain the women, but all refused the assistance that would have delivered them from slavery and preferred to share the horrible fate of their husbands, rather than to break the sacred marriage bond. the father, unable to dissuade his daughter from her purpose, gave her a supply of food for herself and her friends, and all went to join m. core at a spot lower down the river. after the meeting the zealous missionary, fearing to see them exposed to such dangers, conducted them towards the sea which was only a few days' march further on. for the space of a month this colony lived upon shell-fish, leaves and roots, and waited in the hope that a ship might appear to take them to kancao on the cochin chinese coast. a chinese junk appeared in the offing but the niggardly captain, hearing that they had no money, refused to give them a passage. at last on june 7th, they saw a small chinese derelict floating down the river. the ebb of the tide was drawing the boat out to sea, but at last it ran aground on the bank just at the spot where the christians were assembled. this unlooked-for assistance was of no use to them. they had neither sails nor tackle, nor provisions. but they were able to turn the greed of the chinaman, who had refused to give them a passage, to their advantage. seeing the vessel which they had just obtained, he suggested that they should hand it over to him and that he on his part would conduct them to their destination. fifty three accepted this condition but the rest decided to remain and hardly had their friends set sail, when a dissension broke out among them and the party broke up. it was known that afterwards they all perished of hunger and privation. after a perilous voyage, the ship reached kancao on the the 28th of june, whence sometime later the christians journeyed to cambodia, where they were cordially received by the cochin-chinese. the bishop, who still remained on his ship was impatient for the moment of departure to meet his flock of whose fate he was ignorant. the portuguese, who up to that time had remained with him, were ordered to go on ahead and to march with the van of the army. they had much to suffer from the insolent behaviour of the burmese, and, rendered desperate by insults resolved to turn against their oppressors. they seized some weapons, and, under cover of the darkness, slew every burman they could lay hands on. after this massacre they captured an elephant and some horses wherewith they hoped to rejoin their friends, but a deep river lay between. several were able to gain the opposite bank, some were drowned but the majority waited for the fate they expected to overtake them. several burmese, who had escaped from the portuguese, brought the news of the massacre to the camp. the commander, justly enraged, ordered that all the portuguese should be arrested, as he considered that all the christians had had a share in the plot. suspicion would have been followed by revenge, had not the pilot jeanchi taken steps to restore calm. he explained to the commander that the massacre had been due to the insolence of the soldiery towards the women who had been instrumental in furnishing the portuguese with arms that the other christians all considered him as their protector, and that the french especially were desirous of opening up trading stations under his jurisdiction. the commander was mollified by these explanations, and to show there was no ill feeling, sent the bishop a supply of provisions and even gave him ten baskets of rice in excess of the usual dole which served as the sustenance for several portuguese women who were too weak to follow with the army. the 6th of june, was fixed for the departure of the rest of the forces. the burmese before embarking destroyed the town of michong that they had previously built. they arrived in port on the 16th of june, and continued their journey by land, and, as they were obliged to wait for the artillery, they constructed huts of the materials of their now useless vessels. after a halt of eight days the march was begun. the bishop, although in bad health, had to follow on horse-back. the journey, through a country destitute of houses or inhabitants, was extremely arduous. the route lay across forest clad mountains, and through miry valleys interspersed with ponds and streams, which latter, on account of their sinuous course, had to be crossed several times by fords where shallow, but in places where the waters were deep, they were obliged to cross on bridges made of a couple of bamboos. the beasts of burden died on the way and the progress of the army was thus considerably delayed, owing to the lack of transport available for the commissariat and baggage. at last tavoy was reached where famine caused them new suffering. a basket of rice, the usual monthly rations for one man was sold for 25 or 30 piastres. the aborigines were seen to devour corpses. the bishop gave his pastoral ring to an armenian who had generously provided for the christians. everything seemed hopeless and all waited for certain death, when an english ship laden with rice appeared in the tavoy river followed a few days later by two others of larger size and laden with a similar cargo. the bishop went on board the ship and was received by the english captain with all the characteristic open-heartedness of his nation. the captain, rivers by name invited him to remain on his ship and the bishop consented only on condition that all who had accompanied him should be included in the invitation. while the ship remained in harbour they had no further anxieties, and the generous englishman provided for all their requirements until october 26th when he set sail. the french bishop was weary of captivity so much the more so as he met with no results of his zeal. he made use of a malabar convert who stood highly in the governor's favour and by his good offices obtained permission to embark for the coromandel coast with three pupils and a chinese servant on a french ship named the 'hector.' owing to the calms, the voyage was slow, but on his arrival at pondicherry he learned that a malay potentate had become a vassal of the king of burma, hoping to obtain the necessary assistance to keep certain territories spared by fire and war. the bishop decided to return to france to seek a remedy for such ills. m. lau and all the members of the council who took a keen interest in the progress of the faith in the indies gave him a passage on a ship which arrived at l'orient on october 30th 1769. since his return he has retired into the seminary for foreign missions where busied with the losses sustained by the faith, he implores assistance to reassemble his scattered flock. his demands are supported by religion and policy and we think that the success of his enterprise will be assured under more favourable auspices. chapter xi. after the revolution of 1767. after the departure of the burmese army from the kingdom they had just conquered, the siamese who had been scattered and had been wandering in the forests returned to their capital. stirred by thoughts of revenge for what they had suffered, they made ravages every where. every burman that they could discover was slain. but the blood of their oppressors was of no avail as a remedy against the famine with which the country was smitten. the price of rice had risen to such an extent that it had ceased to become a marketable commodity. wild roots and bamboo shoots were the staple articles of diet, and many were attacked by a peculiar disease. the sufferers lost their memory and power of speech, and became mad with lucid intervals, which augmented the horror of their condition. necessity that knows no law obliged them to violate all conventions. they took up arms against their gods whom they accused of having betrayed them. the pagodas were plundered and the images destroyed in order to get at the silver inside them. these acts of sacrilege gave them command of that was useless wealth as they could not purchase anything with it. five earthenware jars full of gold and silver were taken from one temple alone. the roof of one of the most temples supplied gold, sufficient to fill three boats. the superstitious siamese made loud outcries at the scandal of the theft which brought into circulation all the gold and silver that the burmese their conquerors had taken away. it is not astonishing that so much wealth was forthcoming; since devout persons, in consequence of their belief in transmigration, had buried their treasures in the images of their gods, trusting to discover it in a future state of existence. the siamese, although united by desire of revenge, were split into factions for the leadership. the eyes of the nation were fixed upon phya tak, a siamese officer, born of a chinese mother. a politician and a warrior, he paved his way to power by affecting its disdain. he was elected to the leadership by the unanimous voice of the whole nation. at first he took the unpretentious title of "defender of the nation," and, disguising his ambitions under the cloak of moderation, he wished to appear merely as a citizen in order to be king in reality. having attained to the supreme power, it was his policy to contract alliances, as he was sure that the hearts of the nation were apt to pass rapidly from love to hatred. he had learned by experience that the priests, in the abuse of their power over the unlettered mob, were wont to foment sedition and to influence popular feeling. he conceived a violent dislike to them which he took no pains to conceal, and considered that the respect they enjoyed was a slight on his authority. he therefore wished for the extermination of these individuals who, poor by profession, enjoyed the fruits of the labour of others without doing anything in return. a high-priest who was greatly revered, was accused of incontinence. phya tak summoned him before his tribunal and condemned him to trial by fire. the soles of his feet were burned by the glowing charcoal, and that was sufficient proof of his guilt. he would have been sentenced to death had not powerful friends obtained his pardon on the grounds that his death would cause a scandal, and that if their servants were done away with the gods would lose their prestige. phya tak raised all those who had been his partisans to the highest positions in the state. a foe to the burmese, he inflicted severe punishment on those who favoured them and who stirred up rebellions in the kingdom. in 1769 he showed his generous spirit towards his countrymen. the drought had caused a great famine, one of the usual events a war brings in its train. work was suspended and the farmers could do but little. destructive rodents had devoured the rice as soon as it had reached maturity, seeds had been destroyed in the earth. they were unable to procure the "ignam" a species of truffle or potatoe of such size that a single one is sufficient for one man. swarms of insects, attracted by the corpses, darkened the air and waged a ceaseless war against the living. under these unhappy conditions phya tak showed his generous spirit. the needy were destitute no longer. the public treasury was opened for the relief. in return for cash, foreigners supplied them with the products that the soil of the country had refused. the usurper justified his claims by his benevolence. abuses were reformed, the safety of property and persons was restored, but the greatest severity was shown to malefactors. legal enactments at which no one complained were substituted for the arbitrary power that sooner or later is the cause of rebellions. by the assurance of public peace he was able to consolidate his position and no one who shared in the general prosperity could lay claim to the throne. at the end of 1768 a bastard prince who had been exiled to ceylon, reassembled his supporters and set up his authority in various parts of the country. phya tak led an expedition against him and gained a brilliant victory. the prince fell into the hands of the conqueror who ordered his execution as, a punishment for having proved the weaker party. in the same year he led an army against porcelon and ligor, two towns which had not fallen under the burmese rule. the governors of these towns, taking advantage of the troubled state of the country, had set themselves up as independent rulers. thus it was that the empire, delivered from a foreign yoke was harassed by domestic tyrants who attempted to destroy all that the enemy had spared; in fact the whole kingdom was in a state of turmoil. it is not known whether the expedition was successful. it was reported but not confirmed that the two towns were captured. at the first news of the siamese revolt the king of burma sent orders to the governor of tavoy to overrun the country again, and to press the inhabitants of the town into his army to effect the entire ruin of the country. these people, outwardly subservient, had disguised their hatred against their recent oppressors. the general took only a few burmese with him as he had put his trust in the siamese whom he imagined were reliable. he soon found out his mistake, for, on sending them against the town of beancham which they captured, they closed the gates against him and swore they had taken up arms only to use them against their oppressors. they opened fire upon those who had regarded them as comrades in arms. the general, betrayed by his untrustworthy allies, if it is possible to apply this appellation to the avengers of their country's wrongs, found himself surrounded by enemies. the very countryside turned against him and refused to supply his wants as the burmese had destroyed all the fruit trees. the beasts of burden, finding no fodder in the plains, had strayed to find pasturage elsewhere. at length the army was reduced to rations sufficient for three days only. it would have been folly rather than heroism to advance further. the general considered that his duty lay in the preservation of the lives of those committed to his care. a retreat was made, which was by no means a disgrace, as it was caused by dire necessity. on his arrival at tavoy he informed his master that his expedition had been a failure owing to the defection of his troops. the king of ava, smarting under the humiliation of defeat in a land that had been the scene of his triumphs, determined on taking vengeance with the utmost severity. but while preparations were being made for another expedition that he had intended to lead in person, his plans were altered owing to complications with china which had arisen as follows. after the burmese had laid waste the kingdoms of pegu, siam and aracan, they had invaded laos and cassaye, (the latter being part of bengal), rather as dacoits than as conquerors. they changed these happy and populous lands into arid deserts and gloried in the spoliation of what might have been preserved. the ease with which their early conquests had been effected had caused them to turn their arms against china, which offered a richer prey to their greed. they had no grounds for hostilities whatever, but those whose creed is 'might makes right,' are always ready to transgress all laws to obtain their desires. the burmese declared war on the chinese on the pretext of taking vengeance on a small nation whom they called barbarians and who were less powerful than they. this obscure race was perfectly contented to live as best it might in the forests that lay between ava and china. this savage tribe whose sole asset was its independence, seemed never, owing to the fact of its poverty, to have been a prize for the ambition of a conqueror. the kings of ava had always stood as its protectors and in return exacted a small tribute. but the cassians, poor and proud, seeing all the neighbouring kingdoms agitated by home and foreign wars, wished to dispense with having to pay a tribute which was more humiliating than burdensome as it was an indication of their dependent position. in 1749 they had declared that they no longer needed protection, that their forest, were their ramparts and that their courage had taught them daring to fear nothing. for some time they enjoyed their independence, but when the kingdom of ava regained its pristine glories, they found that the burmese harassed them without intermission, and their lands, that hardly gave them a bare means of livelihood, were laid waste by repeated frays. to escape the domination of burma, they besought help from their neighbour, the emperor of china, who alone could protect them, and to whom their defence was a matter of importance as they formed the only barrier between his territories and the barbarians. while the hosts of the burmese were overrunning the kingdom of siam, another swarm of these savages was let loose in the chinese provinces. they captured several important positions without meeting any serious opposition and the inhabitants were put to the sword. it is not a matter for surprise that their conquests were so readily accomplished. the chinese are wont to conquer their neighbours by diplomacy rather than by the force of arms. they make use of their superior skill to subdue them by artful promises. the art of war is yet in its infancy among the chinese who are cunning diplomats, but cowardly soldiers. they are skilful in the art of smelting metals and have plenty of artillery, but they are hopelessly ignorant of its proper use in warfare. their chief weapons are but swords, lances and arrows, and their knowledge of military tactics is lamentably weak. the burmese captured a vast booty. they disposed of the wealth of a country whose inhabitants are renowned for their ability in agriculture and commerce. their manufactures and products have attracted the trade of all nations. the natural fertility of the soil of the country has been greatly increased by the toil of the cultivators. the mountains, which in most countries of the world appear to be barren, produce abundant harvests in this favoured land. the burmese invasion was a cause of other troubles to the country. many of the chinese adopted the customs of the barbarians and became brigands. the roads were infested with thieves and murderers both of home and foreign origin who fearlessly plundered unwary travellers. at the reports of these disasters, the governor of canton raised a force for the deliverance of the country from so terrible a scourge. but on receipt of the news of his march, the burmese returned home to dispose of their plunder and to seek for reinforcements. shortly after this, the chinese gained a slight success near the river, but the victory was followed by a crushing defeat, their land force was cut to pieces and 100,000 men were taken prisoners to ava whence they were apportioned to hard labour in the various provinces. the chinese force must have been very considerable, as the bulk of the men fled. it is surprising that the viceroy of a single province could have raised so large a host, but it is no longer a matter of wonder when we remember that the country has a higher birthrate than any other, and that perhaps the chinese are the only nation where a system of absolute government is not an obstacle to the increase of the population. the defeat of the chinese was easy to repair; the emperor assembled an army of 500,000 men who were to overrun the country of their foes. the king of ava, too weak to oppose any resistance, mustered all the available troops from every province to the capital. the inhabitants of the lands bordering on chinese territory abandoned their possessions and the country became a desert, laid waste by its inhabitants who wished to deprive the enemy of all means of sustenance. in the beginning of 1769 we had no reliable information of the movements of the enemy who were unable to march on ava owing to fatigue and scarcity, and we have only had news up to october of this year 1771. chapter xii. advantages that might accrue from commercial relations with siam and the neighbouring kingdoms. there is no doubt that owing to the ill-luck experienced by the french in siam at the end of the last century, no new trading stations have been formed in that country. the ministers have invariably turned deaf ears to the suggestions of the missionaries, and consider that their business consists more in the saving of souls than in dabbling with commerce and politics. but if we bear in mind the advantages that europeans of other nationalities have obtained, we must acknowledge that the french allowed themselves to be rebuffed by the initial obstacles, and that they took no notice of sources of wealth which did not present themselves on the spot. the king of siam had granted permission to the french to open a trading station; the french merchants were held in high estimation and were more favoured than those of other nations. two cities had been ceded without reservation to louis xiv. in return for the military help sent for the defence of the kingdom. the revolution that occurred during faulcon's tenure of office obliged the french to leave a country to which they had been summoned as its defenders, and from that time onwards, but few french vessels entered the ports of siam. formerly the council of pondicherry had sent several ships to siam in the course of each year and one vessel had always been bound for the port of mergui alone. they were exempt from ordinary taxation and the french missionaries, who were respected for their rectitude, were the only foreign judges who were able to give a decision in cases between europeans and siamese. the english had been for more than a century in siam without any trading station or representative. some of them carried on certain profitable amount of trade. the dutch had gained the commercial supremacy. their factory was the finest and most beautiful building in the kingdom and they enjoyed many privileges of great value. the king of siam, by a policy detrimental to his interests, but as a boon to his subjects, reserves the monopoly of foreign trade. thus trade is not in a flourishing condition as the interested despot fixes the price of merchandise at his own sweet will. since the last revolution the system of government has been entirely changed, and today it would be an easy matter for the french to regain their commercial supremacy by the establishment of a trading station at mergui as in former times, or at some spot near the capital. the station could be protected by a fortress as was formerly the case at bangkok the foundations and ruins of which remain to this day. a wide and deep river forms a defence to the approaches and it would only be a matter of 12 leagues from the sea. the french could rebuild this fortress for the following reasons, (1) compensation is due for the losses suffered in 1680. (2) the site had been granted to them without reservation. (3) the siamese government is still in debt to the india company, and lastly owing to the fact that a weak minded nation, who tremble at the sight of an armed frenchman, could easily be imposed upon. since the retreat of the burmese, the kingdom of siam has been governed by several petty chieftains who are at perpetual strife with each other. bangkok and mergui have their rulers. the french minister might make arrangements with one of these usurpers, who might feel flattered to be under french protection, and, in return might well grant a piece of land on which to build a fortress for the protection of commerce. such a fortified trading station would be handy as a port of call for pondicherry in connection with commerce with china. the country produces all sorts of building materials, brick-clay, cement, and shell-lime. all the neighbouring nations would crowd to the new mart, many wandering christian families, homeless since the burmese invasion, would take refuge there, and the chinese who equip vessels at a cheap rate, would send at least forty ships per annum. they would hasten to bring their merchandise in the hope of a brisk trade. the india company would be spared the expenses that are incurred in having to seek trade-openings further afield, and that absorb so much of its profits. the mahomedan descendants of the arabs, moguls, and persians have had commercial relations with the capital for a considerable time, and to renew them, they are only waiting for a establishment of a depôt by which trade may be expedited. the foundations would be easy to lay and by the re-establishment of the college that the french missionaries had formerly in the kingdom and which enjoyed the highest respect, the success of the former project could be ensured. the old king when he was informed that christianity inculcates obedience to rulers, had always extended a cordial welcome to the missionaries. these men had not left their country to seek their fortunes. their disinterestedness was favourable to the company who trusted them, but not as paid agents for their share of the profits, nor for whatever they could appropriate. it would be of great advantage that a well ordered society should be established in this foreign country so as to become familiarised with the manners, customs, vices and virtues of those with whom they dwell. the knowledge of the principal eastern languages is also an important matter so that the french merchants need not be at the mercy of untrustworthy interpreters. the natural history of this country tells us of the productions that are of commercial value, and even if such productions as agate, diamonds, pearls, perfumes dye-stuffs and scented woods, which are known to be found in the country, could not be discovered in paying quantities; great advantages could be gained by the trade with the neighbouring nations for which this kingdom is, geographically speaking, the meeting place. a short sketch should be given of the peoples of the indo-chinese peninsula in order to lead to the better understanding of the advantages that would accrue from the establishment of trading stations as above mentioned. the northern part of the peninsula includes nine kingdoms, viz., asem, tipra, aracan, pegu, ava, laos, siam, cambodia, and cochin-china. the kingdom of asem is almost unknown owing to its situation lying beyond the usual routes favoured by travellers and to reach it, a considerable détour is necessary. it is one of the richest countries of asia and has no need of any of the produce of its neighbours to whom it supplies a large quantity of metals. in this country are mines of gold silver, lead and iron. as the inhabitants are free from taxation, the king holds the monopoly of the mineral products, and, mindful of the well-being of his subjects, employs slave-labour only in the mines. this is the only country in asia, where humanity is not crushed by the weight of despotic power. a creature differing somewhat from our ordinary silkworm produces silk from which a glossy fabric of inferior quality is produced. gum-lac is the most valuable product of the country and is of the finest quality produced in the east. there are two varieties. the red is used as a dye-stuff, as a varnish for articles of furniture and for wax. silver is the currency of the country. the inhabitants are of sturdy build, but the women and are somewhat snub-nosed. both sexes are practically naked, and cover their private parts only. they wear blue caps trimmed with pig's teeth. their bracelets, which display a certain amount of taste, are made of coral, yellow amber, and sometimes of tortoise shell or sea shells. poverty, tyranny and oppression are unknown. every man is master of his own property and has several wives, each of whom has her appointed household duties. although four-footed animals are plentiful, dog's flesh is the favourite dish. they grow many varieties of vines and the grape is used for the preparation of brandy only. they extract salt from the green scum of stagnant pools and they obtain it also from the leaves of a tree known as adam's fig tree. the leaves are burnt and an intensely saline residue is obtained from the ashes. they have a secret process of extraction by boiling and straining the mother liquor through a linen fabric. they manufacture gun-powder of the finest quality and eastern peoples ascribe the glory of the invention of this agent of destruction to them, but what is more extraordinary this country has been engaged in no war for 500 years. the secret has passed to the peguans, who in turn handed on to the chinese, who pose as the inventors, as doubtless they were the first nation to employ it in warfare. the kingdom of tipra produces nothing that excites the curiosity of the traveller or the greed of the merchant. a gold mine is situated in the country, but the metal is of rather poor quality, and is exchanged for silver in china. there is also plenty of silk, but of very coarse quality and is used for common purposes only. the inhabitants are addicted to intoxicating liquors. instead of figures, they calculate with pebbles that have the appearance of small agates. they rarely journey from their own country and have no commercial relations with other nations who know them by name only. the kingdom of aracan has so extended a coast line that it seems to invite all commercial nations to trade. the climate is good, plague and other infectious diseases are unknown. the rich and fertile plains produce all the necessaries of life. many tribes live in the pleasant valleys which afford pasturage to all sorts of wild and domestic animals. horses are rarely seen. horned buffaloes are employed for agricultural operations. their anger is aroused at the sight of red. they let those whom they wish to attack pass quietly by and then gore them from behind with their murderous horns. these animals, intractable, by nature are obedient only to the native in charge of them, and gather around him at the sound of the horn by which he calls them. the winter, so to speak, as it is the rainy and stormy season, begins in april and finishes in october. there is no other season but summer during which abundant crops of beans, grain and fruits are produced; but neither wheat nor rye can be grown. the capital gives a good idea of this kingdom. it is several leagues in extent, its population is equal to that of the largest towns in europe, and it contains 600 temples. the magnificence of the king's palace shows that gold is plentiful. the hall of gold is thus named as it is covered with the precious metal from roof to floor. a hundred ingots of gold each weighing 40 pounds are fixed to the throne, which itself is of massy gold. there are in addition seven golden images of the size of an ordinary man. they are hollow inside, but the metal is two inches thick. they are of immense value owing to the emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds which are set in the forehead, arms and girdles of these vain images. in this hall there may be seen a square stand made entirely of gold upon which is a golden cabinet inlaid with precious stones. the king owns two rubies, each as long as the little finger, and at one end of the size of a hen's egg. these rubies have been the cause of desperate conflicts between the neighbouring kings owing to the superstition attached to these stones that the possessor will be arbiter of the fate of the others. the king wears them on the day of his coronation only. the people, contented with the products of their land, cannot understand why men risk their lives in the pursuit of wealth. they take up arms for war only, and never for trade, which is carried on solely by foreigners from all parts of the world. the mahommedans, especially, carry on a great trade in elephants which they export to the coromandel coast, to golconda and to persia from whence they import fabrics, silks and spices. the most plentiful articles of commerce of the country are timber, lead, tin and ivory. it is worth while to make a few remarks on the manners and customs of a nation with which commercial relations could well be established. the aracanese have broad and flat foreheads which results from a peculiarity of taste rather than from a freak of nature, as the work of nature is marred by the application of a leaden plate to the infant's forehead. their nostrils are large and open and the lobes of their ears are so long that they nearly reach down to their shoulders. their dress consists of a cotton shirt that covers the arms, chest and abdomen. they wear, in addition, a long trailing garment, and so many other articles of attire that when they are fully dressed they look more like rolls of wadding than men. their hair is piled on the back of their heads in the fashion of the dutchwomen. the women have no other head gear than their coiffure which is kept in place by clasps, and this style of hairdressing is very effective. their dishes are not appetising to european ideas. they eat rats, mice, snakes and all sorts of humble creatures. they are also fond of fish,--the staler, the better. their principal beverage is pure water or a liquor extracted from the trunk of a certain species of palm tree. female chastity commands no respect whatever. husbands prefer to risk becoming the fathers of other peoples children rather than to take a virgin to wife. as a rule the dutch sailors are paid well for their services in this matter. the king, shut up in his palace, passes a lazy life with the queen and his concubines. every year each of the twelve provincial governors selects a dozen girls of the same age in his district, and exposes them to the ardent rays of the sun in order to induce perspiration. they are then wiped dry with pieces of fine linen which are sent to the court so that the odour may indicate those who are most worthy to enter the harem. those who are refused admittance become concubines of the courtiers who receive them as a pledge of royal favour. it is said that the king's body guard consists of concubines who receive a certain amount of military training. the king takes the following pompous title. "emperor of aracan, possessor of the white elephant and of the two rubies, lawful heir of pegu and burma, lord of twelve provinces of bengal, disposer of kings who place their heads beneath the soles of his feet." the liberal arts are utterly ignored if one can judge by the scanty progress therein made. medicine, especially, is only a fraud founded on superstition. the priests known as "raulins" are summoned to the bedsides of the sick. they breathe over them and mutter mysterious incantations. a sacrifice of fowls, pigs or fat beasts is offered to the god of the four winds. this sacrifice must be repeated four times to prevent the death of the patient. the raulins, however, devour the sacrifices offered to their gods. in severe illness their fertile knavery prescribes a strange remedy by which the raulins gain no small advantage. the wife, children or the relations of the patient bedeck an altar on which is placed an image, and place it in a well furnished room wherein are assembled the priests and relatives as for a grand banquet. the master of the ceremonies dances and hops about until he is exhausted. a rope is then fastened to the ceiling and the performer supports himself by it and jumps higher and higher until he falls down in a swoon which is considered to be a divine trance everyone pretends to be envious of his good luck, as they are sure he is enjoying a tête á tête with his god. the priests, who solemnly preside at this fantastic ceremony, anoint the sick man with oil and perfumes, and, if he happens to die they never blame themselves. they say that his death is a blessing from the gods who have taken him from this vale of tears to the mansions of the blest. their gross superstitions are seen to best advantage in their funeral rites. whilst the priests are chanting prayers and burning incense, the friends and relatives of the deceased thump copper vessels in order to scare away black cats, for if by ill luck one of these animals were to touch the corpse, the soul of the deceased would be exiled from the heavenly abode where it would have its fill of pleasures of all sorts and would be reincarnated in mortal shape. there is a certain sect of priests who believe that they share in the power of the gods. they are summoned to a grand banquet by the relatives of the deceased, and if they refuse the invitation, it is a sign that the soul of the dead man has been cast into the nethermost hell. hired mourners are engaged to make a loud outcry. the dead whose relatives have not been able to honour with a funeral pyre, are exposed at the water's edge, and are carried away by the stream. sometimes the corpses are devoured by birds of prey, which latter having always plenty of available foodstuff increase and multiply and even attack buffaloes and oxen. sometimes they hasten the death of their friends and relations when they are seem to be suffering from the pains of old age or from some incurable malady. this action, which is a crime among civilized nations, is regarded by them as an act of piety, as they say that it is cruel to let those for whom happiness is waiting in heaven, suffer here on earth. these peoples are sunk in the lowest depths of idolatry. their temples are built in pyramidical shape and contain a large assortment of idols. they have gods of the house whose images they brand on their arms and shoulders with a hot iron. the barking of dogs, the bellowings of bulls, the howls of wild beasts, the songs of birds are considered as omens of coming events which the priests interpret to their own advantage. they celebrate a feast of the dead at which their fanaticism is pushed to its cruellest limits. one of their idols is dragged on a heavy car and is accompanied by priests dressed in white. the fanatical devotees cast themselves under the wheels, and their blood is held to be a most pleasing offering to the god. others are fastened by iron hooks to the car and, covered with blood, they are placed in a temple where they become objects of public worship. it is a matter of congratulation to all those on whose garments a drop of their blood falls. these holy madmen are worshipped as martyrs. there are three grades of priests. the head priest, who lives in the island of munay, has control of public worship. his commands are very rarely infringed. the respect he inspires almost approaches to adoration. the king, absolute as he is, never disputes the precedence of the head-priest on ceremonial occasions and never covers himself before him. all the priests are vowed to perpetual celibacy, and should one of them break his vows of chastity, he is at once disgraced and expelled from the priesthood. although they all obey the same head priest, they do not conform to a universal rule of life. some live in their own houses at their own expense and are not a burden on society. remote from the stresses of the world and despising mundane joys, they are unnoticed by the public and make their dwelling among the rocks or in deep forests or in deserts. when they are obliged to appear in public, they are of humble mien and with eyes downcast, but this show of modesty is but a clever method of attracting attention. other, more happy and sociable, live in fine palaces in the idle enjoyment of the multifarious gifts that the king and the princes proffer to them in profusion in order to gain the favour of heaven. the education of the young is entrusted to these idolatrous priests, as if men whose sole functions seem to be prayer and ascetism, could have the necessary abilities for the upbringing of magistrates, warriors, artists or statesmen. there are hermits as well, a variety of wild men whose sanctity is in proportion to their eccentricities. they, like the priests are divided into classes, and all renounce the pleasures of life. although europeans have had considerable intercourse with the kingdom of ava, it is really a country about which very little is known. the majority of those who have given descriptions of this land have been either soldiers or traders, whose aims have been the acquisition of wealth rather than the desire to make accurate observations. all travellers agree that the fertile soil produces an abundance of rice and fruits, and that mines of lead, copper and silver exist, but that the natives have not sufficient skill to work them. in ava, the capital of the kingdom, there is a considerable trade in musk, and in rubies and sapphires of the finest quality. the natives are quite successful in working these mines. trade would flourish if public peace so necessary to industrial occupations, were not so frequently disturbed by various revolutions. the form of government is despotic. the king who should be merely the administrator of the law has usurped the rights of making, and breaking the law at his own pleasure. each province has its deputy at the court under whose protection it resides. this delegate has the right of representing the needs of his fellow citizens and as the king is always well posted in state affairs, oppressors are speedily brought to justice and punished. the following are the titles assumed by the king. "king of kings who should be obeyed by everyone. friend and relation of the gods of heaven and earth, who from their regard for him preserve the animals and govern the seasons. brother of the sun, cousin of the moon and of the stars. absolute master of the ebb and flow of the tides. king of the white elephant and of the twenty four umbrellas." the arrogance of the monarch is such that on rising from table, he orders that a trumpet be sounded to announce the fact to the other kings of the earth that they have his permission to take their repast. foreign ambassadors as well as his own subjects must prostrate themselves before him and even the elephants are trained to crouch down when he passes. the military forces do not draw their pay from the public treasury. each provincial governor has certain lands in his province, the produce of which is devoted to the support of the soldiery in time of peace, and in war time he supplies them with arms, food, and clothing. officers are distinguished from the rank and file by the magnificence of their pipes which have certain joints to indicate the rank. the kingdom of jangoma is situated on the north of siam. it is not easy to define its boundaries accurately as they have changed owing to revolutions and political events. the country is governed by the priests whose power should be limited by law since the inhabitants style themselves "free-men," a title which servile and degraded races ought not to assume. few details are known of the country and its inhabitants and we can only draw our conclusions from certain chinese accounts and siamese traditions. the following is all that is at present known to us on this matter. the inhabitants are a well-built and vigorous race. owing to the heat of the sun they wear scanty raiment consisting of a thin loin cloth. they go bareheaded and have never used shoes. the women are as voluptuous as the peguans, but are much more handsome and are greatly in demand for the harems of pleasure loving kings. although the soil produces every necessary and even some luxuries of life, corn cannot be cultivated. but instead of bread, rice cakes form the staple article of diet. besides necessaries of life the country produces musk, pepper, silk, gold, silver, copper and gums. it is true that certain travellers say that the bulk of these products come from china. but it would be less costly for a company established in siam to procure them from jangoma, rather than from the remotest east, and more so as this nation having had no commercial relations is unaware of the advantages of its geographical position. we have very little information about the customs of the country, but it is known that the devil plays an important part in the beliefs of the inhabitants. the sick promise him sacrificial offerings and if he condescends to restore them to health they celebrate their recovery by a great feast to which all their friends and relations bring gifts of fruits to propitiate the evil spirit whom they look upon as the author of all diseases. they are quite sure that the devil has no ear for music, as it is by instrumental efforts that they endeavour to drive him out of the house. the same motive, doubtless prompts them to summon priests to chant round the bedside of the sick man, who encouraged by their dismal voices expects a speedy relief from his pains. death, which is a cause of mourning to men of other races of the earth, is for this nation a festal and delightful event. there seems to be a total lack of regret for the departed or at least they skilfully disguise their feelings in the matter. the corpse is borne on a reed litter by sixteen men to the place of cremation. the friends and relations, preceded by a band, follow in the procession. quantities of presents are offered to the idolatrous priests who like birds of prey, live on the spoils of the dead. when the corpse has been cremated the funeral party returns to the house and the next two days are spent in feasting and dancing. after this, the widow bedecked with the trappings of woe proceeds to the cremation ground. all groan loudly and weep as they pick up the bones left by the flames. as a sign of mourning they merely get their hair cut. laos, which signifies thousands of elephants, derives its name from the numbers of these animals living in the forests of that country. the climate is so mild and the air so pure that we are told that men of a hundred and even a hundred and twenty years still retain the full powers of their manhood. the bounties of nature are manifest in the plains and valleys and even the hilly districts. the watercourses which receive the mountain torrents, distribute the water evenly over the land and there are neither marshes nor stagnant ponds. the eastern bank of the river is the more fertile, the animals on this side are larger and finer, and the trees are more lofty. here is grown the best rice of the east. the ground on which it has been sown, becomes covered with a sort of foam after the harvest and the heat of the sun converts it into solid salt. benzoin and lacquer of the best quality are found in the country, and from the latter spanish wax is made. although ivory of superior quality is abundant, they consider rhinoceros horn to be of more value, as it is supposed to have the property of rendering the possessors lucky. the people of the upper classes as they happen to become more prosperous, discard the horn they possess so as to buy another which is reputed to be more efficacious and none of their valuables is guarded with greater care. the flowers that stud the plains nourish swarms of bees which supply honey and wax. tin, lead and iron mines are an important asset to the country. gold and silver are found in the rivers whence it is extracted by means of iron nets. musk, which is one of the chief articles of commerce, is not a product of this country, but a composition of ambergris and the secretion of a species of cat, which gives off an agreeable perfume is used instead. in the forests are plenty of wild animals, but cultivation is carried on by the help of buffaloes and oxen. the rivers teem with fish, some so large that two men can hardly carry one. the poor live on salt fish and rice. although there is no salt water in the country, they find splendid rubies. doubtless the foam that covers the fields after the rice harvest supplies the lack of salt for the formation of this precious stone in the bosom of the earth. the chinese carried on a considerable trade with laos before the tartar invasion. they brought velvets, silks, stuffs, carpets, horse-hair, cottons, gold, silver and porcelain which they bartered for ivory, opium and drugs. in the province of laos from whence the kingdom takes its name, there is a deep mine whence rubies and emeralds are extracted. the king possesses an emerald of the size of an ordinary orange. commercial relations, if established in this country, would be assuredly fruitful for the reason that the laosians are the most upright and honest people in the indo-chinese peninsula. not that they desire to possess every curious article of foreign origin they may see, but they prefer to be importunate in their demands for it rather than to attempt to gain possession of it by violence. the greatest praise that can be bestowed upon them is to remark on their fidelity to their pledged word. robbery and murder are rarely heard of on the main routes, as the townships and villages are held responsible for any insults offered to travellers in the vicinity. their virtues are not unmixed with vices. by nature incorrigible idlers, they work only when absolutely obliged to. arduous toil disgusts them, and destitute of perseverence, they cannot fix their attention for long on a single object and never examine anything more than superficially. unbridled in their desires for the opposite sex, they seem to live merely for reproduction. sorcery and magic are the sources of many crimes and superstitions, but it is a weakness of the oriental mind never to undertake any important matter before having consulted and paid highly for the services of their duly qualified humbugs. the purity of the air tends to make the people long lived, and although the country is not very large, an army of 500,000 fighting men could easily be raised and it would not be difficult to raise a large force of centenarians, all healthy and vigorous. the inhabitants are less temperate than in other eastern countries. they take four meals a day. rice, fish and buffalo meat form their staple articles of diet. they rarely eat veal, beef or poultry. birds are roasted with their feathers which impart a disagreeable taste to the flesh. as a rule the magistrates and the higher officials do not take more than one wife, but this moderation is due to motives of economy. they wish to give the impression that they are so busy with state affairs that they have no time to give to their own pleasures. however they keep large numbers of concubines which make up for the fact of their only keeping one wife. marriage is a life-institution, but divorce is so common that marriage appears to be but a passing fancy. when a woman is convicted of adultery the husband can inflict whatever punishment he thinks fit. funerals are occasions of festivity rather than of mourning. the priests are well paid and are magnificently entertained. they contribute tears and funeral dirges and point out the road to the heavenly mansions to the spirit of the deceased. in the grave are placed offerings of money. it is to be presumed that the priests, as owners of the graves put the wealth buried by ignorance into circulation again. it should be noticed that the trade of this country has suffered from the various revolutions. in former times its products were taken to siam, but since the burmese invasion, they have been diverted to pegu. the hatred inspired by the continuous state of hostility between these two nations has driven trade to cambodia where the laosians find a ready market for their gums, lacquer and other articles. this ignorant nation boasts that it taught the siamese the art of writing on palm leaves; the language and the characters are similar, but the laosians cannot pronounce the letters r. and l. it is said that in the olden time, their mode of worship was unmixed with superstitious beliefs. they had no temples but worshipped a creator god who ruled the world, and who could only be pleased by the practice of virtue and not by sacrifice and ceremony. they believe that after the lapse of a certain number of centuries, the universe will be renewed. this idea of a periodical great year has been adopted by nearly all the nations of old time. commercial intercourse with the chinese has altered these simple beliefs. they had priests who became legislators and who, in order to avoid the risk of having their arguments refuted, produced books written in foreign characters. as their teachings were not understood, they appeared to be highly mysterious and were greatly respected, and it was no difficult matter for these cunning impostors to attribute a divine origin to their doctrinal hypotheses. their learned men are divided into three classes. some teach how the universe and the gods have been created, but they base their arguments on fables and not on facts. others who are styled 'the enlightened' reconcile all embarrassing questions and contradictory statements. the new doctrine proclaims the eternity of heaven and sixteen worlds, and that, in the highest of them, the lucky inhabitants taste of perpetual felicity unmixed with sorrow. these worlds are liable to destruction and renewal and they reckon 18,000 years since the renewal of the actual earth. they grant the existence of a hell, but the priests never mention the torments prepared for the wicked, lest they should intimidate the feeble minded. polygamy is the reward hoped for in the next world by the righteous, but as this doctrine is somewhat distasteful to the women, they are told that those who lead a godly life will be changed into men. the same reward is promised to all those who bestow their wealth on religious objects, by the assurance that the donor will have as many women as could be purchased by the treasure they have laid up in heaven. the priests, sworn to celibacy, console themselves with the belief that after death they will have the power to create a number of women with whom they may do as they please. they practise chastity during their lifetime with the sole idea of satiating their vicious desires in the next world, and that which is regarded as a virtue in heaven is considered to be a vice on earth. their monasteries are schools of debauchery or are filled with men of the lowest class. puffed up with the dignity of their office they compel such a respect that the chief of the nation himself can refuse to grant it at his peril only. their cells are separate and that of the abbot is magnificently appointed. gold and silk and articles of luxury are everywhere apparent. seated on a dazzling throne the abbot receives the worship of his underlings and of the devout public. i shall not enter into details of their mode of life as i should then be obliged to repeat what i have already remarked about the priests, but i ought to mention certain customs which seem to justify the opinion of those who maintain that christianity in its early forms was established among these people. on the fourteenth day of every month they are obliged to assemble to make a public confession of their sins. a humble avowal is sufficient to gain absolution, and as the penances are not painful, backsliders are frequent. they frequently employ holy water of which they always keep a supply handy. they consider that it is a highly efficacious remedy against the severest diseases. the priests, in fact, consider it as an article of of trade; and barter it for valuable liquors. the altars are adorned with flowers, and illuminated by torches. they also make use of rosaries, the beads of which are often of diamonds or rubies to assist the ignorance of those who are unable to read their prayers and hymns. they observe an easter and a jubilee. during those solemn occasions, all work is forbidden, and in consequence this time of rest in given up to debauchery. the preachers mount on pulpits whence they announce rules of conduct of a fairly pure and stringent nature, which however are broken by most people. the rich purchase indulgences, but the greedy priests only grant them for a limited period, and on expiration of the term, a new permit to transgress the laws must be purchased. only the very poor need despair of the attainment of eternal felicity. the wealthy expend vast sums on these impostors who in return agree to expiate their peccadilloes. the hermit priests live in dark caverns, in the midst of the forests, where in solitary retirement a large colony grows up around them in proof of their libidinous habits. it must not however be inferred that there are not some melancholy individuals who disgusted with life, bury themselves in these subterranean abodes and give themselves up to prayer and contemplation. a life of asceticism is by no means wearisome in tropical climates, where laziness is regarded as a variety of annihilation. their occult researches have undoubtedly resulted in the discovery of certain tricks by which they impose on popular credulity. all of their mystic rites seem to have been modelled on or derived from the doctrines of pythagoras or of the priests of egypt. magic was the foundation, of these doctrines, and traces of such practice are visible in the writings of apulius, iamblichus and porphery. the kingdom of cambodia is known to few travellers, who having made a short visit there have given us very vague accounts. it is to be hoped that the missionaries who have planted colonies there will give us information as to the possible advantages to be thence derived. their scrupulous accuracy pays greater attention to that which is useful to us rather than to embellishments. it is known that this country, protected by a mountain range, is watered by the great river that traverses the country. its equatorial situation must of necessity give it a torrid climate, and in order to avoid the burning heat only the banks of rivers or lakes are inhabited. travellers have much to suffer from the attacks of insects. this country, one of the most fertile of the indies produces corn, rich harvests of rice, vegetables of fine quality, and oil which commands a high price. seafarers of all nationalities have landed to take in supplies. besides these important products, sugar and indigo of good quality are produced, which form leading native industries. the country is well wooded and fruit trees are plentiful. sapan, sandal and other rare woods occur in the forests. all sorts of drugs, opium and camphor are abundantly produced. an extremely transparent variety of crystal is found in the rocks. this happy land produces amethysts, rubies, topazes, chrysolites, agates, bloodstones and other precious stones. raw silk and ivory are very cheap. an ox weighing 500 lbs costs only a crown, and 150 lbs of rice can be bought for eight sols. everyone is allowed to hunt elephants, and tigers and lions are found in the forests as well as most of the wild beasts which appear to flourish only in the african deserts. the coast line 140 leagues in extent has only five or six safe anchorages for vessels. the most noteworthy port is opposite to the siamese coast and has a great trade in lac, gums and ivory. the harbour of pontameas would attract a great number of foreign ships but its trade has greatly fallen off since it was demolished in 1717 by the siamese. the other harbours are but little known. the sea lying between this kingdom and that of siam is dotted by numerous islets which render navigation dangerous. the two largest, although fertile, have been laid waste because the pirates who infest these seas have seized the results of the work and industry of the inhabitants. it would be an easy matter to set up an advantageous trading-station in quadrol island where there are many natural sandy harbours. there is as well a group of eight islands having a good anchorage; pulocondor is the only inhabited member of the group. this island is called the island of orleans by the french and is about three leagues long and one and a half wide. the harbour is commodious and the anchorage easy. the sea abounds with many species of fish, and turtles, the shells and oil of the latter being valuable articles of trade. it is a land of monkeys and lizards some of which are ugly and covered with scales. their bite is fatal. others have claws and their tails, seven or eight feet long, are triangular in shape. they are good to eat. flying squirrels and rats having ears shaped like those of human beings are to be seen. most of the trees are balsamic, one species yielding gum has the bark and leaves like that of a chestnut tree. oil is extracted by making an incision in the trunk and applying heat. there are many wild fruit trees bearing appetising looking fruits, but of insiped taste and frequently poisonous. a botanist could make a fine collection of plants and flowers unknown in other climates. there is only one village inhabited by about 400 persons; frequently it is deserted as the inhabitants take up their abode in spots where they can satisfy their needs. the cochin chinese send the christians to this island. it was captured by the english who set up a trading post in 1702. the governor had hired macassar mercenaries and had promised to terminate their engagement after three years. he did not keep to his agreement and he kept them to strengthen the growing colony. this breach of trust ought to have made him wary, but he forgot that his example might cause his betrayal. as a result these savages, who although being rigid observers of treaties, thought they had a right to exact vengeance, and all the english were massacred the same night. the kingdom of cambodia is inhabited by portuguese, japanese, cochin-chinese and malays of whom some are passing traders, but others have become residents. the portuguese have no priests and their religion is a mixture of idolatry and christianity. they are in receipt of a small subsidy from the king, which together with the spoils of the chase forms their means of livelihood. the men are well built, and the women are distinctly handsome, but their lack of modesty counterbalances all the advantages they might otherwise derive from their personal appearance. these people never risk the perils of the sea in order to gain wealth, but they see the ships of all nations coming to their harbours for the purchase of the natural products of the land which are plentiful. they dig a fair quantity of gold and manufacture fabrics of as good quality as those of holland. their skill in embroidery is well known. the dutch used to have a trading station and they had estimated that by the export of black lacquer, deer-skins, oxen and buffaloes to japan, a profit of from 40 per cent to 70 per cent could be gained. but they met with opposition from the portuguese who were jealous of their prosperity, and, on account of the various revolutions which have disturbed the peace of the kingdom, they have been obliged to forego all the advantages that they had hoped to gain. for these reasons, the different european nations have had no desire to form trading stations in these parts. the religion is somewhat similar to that of siam. they grant the existence of several heavenly abodes for the souls of the departed. in some of these heavens they are regaled with the finest liquors and the most delicious viands, and the senses are stimulated by all manner of delights. women always young and beautiful, reciprocate the passion they inspire. there is another heaven specially reserved for the solitary priests who have lived apart from the world. their felicity consists in the utter absence of sensation, a sort of annihilation which is considered the height of bliss by lazy folks. the gods abide in the highest heaven and the privileged persons who imitate their virtues partake of their happiness. they also grant the existence of thirteen hells to which evil-doers are consigned according to the heinousness of their offences. the priesthood contains many members and is divided into several classes, of which the first takes precedence even of the king himself. the second class consider themselves as his equals, and as the general belief is that they share the perfection of the deity, a profound respect is paid to them although the majority of them are of the lowliest origin. their chief is known as the king of the priests and in certain districts he has supreme authority. there are two ranks of nobility. the governors of towns and provinces, the ministers and judges are drawn from the first rank and are distinguished by a golden betelnut box. the nobles of the second rank have silver boxes. the king is absolute. he can dispose of the goods of his subjects or rather slaves as he pleases. children have no right of inheritance and whatever the king condescends to leave them is regarded as a personal favour. although this kingdom is of large extent it can scarcely put an army of 30,000 men in the field. this petty king is as proud and luxurious as the greatest rulers of asia and it is this idea of imaginary greatness that frequently renders him insolent towards foreigners. the country of champa has a short coast-line with many commodious bays and harbours. travellers have never penetrated the interior. no other town is known but feneri, which used to be the royal residence before the country fell under the rule of the cochin-chinese, who, flying from tartar tyranny were welcomed by the people whose rulers they have become. their weapons are muskets, pikes and sabres in the use of which they show great skill. they are gentle and affable especially to foreigners. they show great respect for law from the king down to the lowest of his subjects. their code is severe and the slightest faults do not fail to be punished. the people are not allowed to possess silver, and anyone convicted of its possession is severely punished. gold is an article of trade and copper coin is the only currency. all callings are sold at a price and the consideration they enjoy is proportionate to the price. whoever has sunk his fortune in the purchase of an office soon recovers his losses by means of exactions which are not punished, so as not to intimidate those who may wish to become office-holders. liberty of worship is enjoined by the laws but most of the people are either mahommedans or followers of confucius; there are also idolators, some of whom worship reptiles and the lowest animals, while others regard the sun and moon as the creative powers. the mahomedans of this country do not observe the koran strictly. they eat pork and are so hospitable that they have no shame in prostituting their wives to their guests. they however make an exception in the case of the principal wife whom they cannot repudiate unless she has been convicted of adultery. the chinese come annually to trade in tea, porcelain, silk and various commodities which they barter for scented woods and for gold which is of finer quality than the gold found in china. no country has had greater commercial intercourse with siam than cochin-china, a name signifying western china given to it by the portuguese in contradistinction to china proper. the country is easy of access, the harbours are numerous and commodious and a depth of 80 fathoms is common in the bays. the country is densely populated and there are many towns and cities. its fertility is due to the periodical inundations which leave a fine alluvial deposit on their retreat, and the heat of the sun brings the vegetable products to maturity early and imparts a fine flavour. there is a certain species of tree grown here known as the 'indestructible' as the timber never rots either in water or in the earth. it is used for ship's anchors. the mountains where this tree flourishes also produces various kinds of scented woods and all manner of flowers and perfumes. in this country are quarries of marble of various kinds and numerous gold mines. the inhabitants have learnt the art of smelting metals from the chinese but they have not divulged the secret to them of casting iron into cannon and mortars. on the mountains are many rhinoceros of a larger size than any others in the indies. trade with the interior is considerable, merchants resort to the fairs at which all kinds of merchandize is offered for sale. the silk produced in this land is not of the first quality, but it is so plentiful that it is used for making ropes and sails. the land tortoises furnish oil. a considerable trade is carried on in pepper, sugar, honey and wax. the chinese and the japanese have the commercial supremacy. these foreigners are not subject to the laws of the country, they are magistrates who adjudicate all commercial disputes that arise between the traders of their nations. the impressions of the cochin-chinese given to us by travellers are partly unfavourable, and partly favourable. the dutch who have suffered ill usage at their hands accuse them of faithlessness to their promises, of arrogance in their demeanour, and of treachery. others who have been well received by them praise their kindliness towards foreigners, their commercial rectitude and above all their respect for the duties of hospitality. in spite of these conflicting opinions, all modern travellers concur in the view that their manners are as simple as their customs. their gentleness of character saves them from acts of violence that in an instant ruin the impressions derived from years of exemplary conduct. their diet is simple, the sole articles being rice, fish and vegetables. their usual beverage is a kind of tea that differs from the chinese variety. they mingle sugar derived from a certain tree with their drinking water which thus acquires a pleasant taste and odour. they have a few wines, but prefer strong liquors to wine which they nevertheless use in moderation at marriages and other solemn festivals, which are the only occasions of excess. although dependent on neighbouring nations, they allow their hair to grow long as a sign of their freedom. their grandees keep up splendid establishments and wear robes embroidered with pearls which they prefer to diamonds. the women are veiled, but uncover their faces in salutation. their medical men are dressed in black and wear a mitre shaped headdress. they trim neither their beard nor their nails as a sign that they are less desirous to please than to instruct. they know that respectability is well assured by the adaptation of strange habits. their houses have no other ornamentations than paintings and gilded sculptures. marriage ceremonies, funeral rites and festivals are similar to those of the chinese from whom they are descended, but in this, their new country, they have extinguished the torch of the liberal arts which illumined the land of their origin. it is not that they are without seats of learning, but such as they have are schools of error in which under the pretext of studying astronomy, they devote themselves to all the lies of astrology in order to seek for revelations of the future. they predict eclipses without being able to calculate their exact time, extent and duration and, regarding them as omens of serious evil, employ thousands of weird methods to counteract their supposed malign influence. the king and all the chief officers of state as well as the learned, follow the doctrines of confucius, which they have received from their ancestors. they have neither temples nor priests, but all pay deep respect to the great god tien. the common people, plunged in the depths of the darkest idolatry, give themselves up to the most vulgar superstitions. they have bonzes who are divided into several classes. some of them live on the produce of the land and waters assigned to them; others, subservient to a chief, live on the alms of the people; a more certain source than the hard won produce of the ground. if we can judge by the filthy state of their temples, most of which are in ruins, it seems that the priests and their devotees are the only persons who are attached to their religion. the foreign missionaries have made great conquests for the faith in these parts and it merely needs a greater number of workers to gather in an abundant harvest. those who believe in metempsychosis are loth to kill either the most dangerous animals, or the vilest insects, but by a strange contradiction as is usual in erroneous doctrines, they sacrifice swine to their gods and to the spirits of the departed. they believe that souls which do not pass into other corporeal forms are changed into demons, fairies or goblins. thus it is that the fear inspired by these malign creatures gives credence to thousands of fables. the law is no respecter of persons. the king a severe and upright judge passes sentence on the guilty, but his representatives in the provinces are more lenient, as they are amenable to bribery. a woman convicted of adultery is trampled to death by an elephant. a first act of theft is punished by the loss of a finger, the second by the loss of an ear, and the third by death. this graduated system of punishment should be a lesson to those nations generally whose laws inflict the same penalty on one, who by a passing weakness has committed some crime, or on another who is a hardened criminal. false witness is punished according to the nature of the charge brought. when the king pronounces sentence he is mounted on a fine elephant and petitioners may only approach within eighty paces of the royal presence. this prince is wealthy for the reason that many of his neighbours pay a high price for his protection. he derives a considerable revenue from the elephants, wax, and ivory produced in his country; the tribute paid in scented woods and gold dust by his vassals forms another source of income. besides the tribute exacted from the vassal states, there is a general poll-tax, and every man from the age of 18 to 60 has to pay about fifteen livres. this tax is less derogatory than the forced labour of eight months to which every slave or subject is liable. the grandees are obliged to offer valuable gifts on certain days of the year to the king, and these would exhaust their resources if it were not for the gifts which they in return extort from their inferiors to replace the losses caused by these forced benevolences. at the death of each land-owner, the king takes possession of the landed property and leaves only the money and personal effects of the deceased to the heirs. the tariff dues on foreign merchandise are still another source of revenue. the government of the kingdom of cochin-china is purely military. the weapons of the country are muskets, bows and daggers. drill is performed in silence. the leader directs all the evolutions by motions of his baton, and if he makes a mistake he is reduced to the ranks. the court is an example of asiatic pomp. the first dignities of the state are conferred on eunuchs, as it is supposed that as they are unable to beget children, they will be all the less avaricious. this policy has not succeeded in europe, where experience has shown that celibate ministers have accumulated vast wealth. the heir-presumptive to the throne has command of the navy, and of his private body guard of 5,000 men. the younger son is commander-in-chief of the army. he has also a body guard of 2,000 men. a standing army is maintained as a protection against rebellions. crimes against the king's person are cruelly punished. the guilty party is tied up to a post and each soldier cuts off a piece of his flesh until nothing but the skeleton remains. the severity of the code in force proves that the nation is prone to crime. the law endeavours to deter crime by the threats of severe punishment. the soldiers are clad in satin and the uniforms of the officers are of velvet and silver. there are military schools in which children are trained at the public expense. the spirit of emulation is fostered by rewards which pander to the growing mind. they receive silk dresses and other accoutrements that flatter their vanity. those who take no advantage from their lessons are dressed in linen. christianity has made great progress in this land, but has had much to fight against. the ignorance of the idolatrous priests, and the foolish nature of their doctrines, have been favourable to the progress of missionary enterprise. chapter xiii. tonkin. the intercourse between siam and tonkin requires special notice. the exact extent of tonkin is not known accurately, but all travellers agree that it is a more densely populated country than france, and some imagine that it is of equal extent. although situated in the tropics, it enjoys a climate of perpetual spring, and the air which by rights should be burning hot is cooled by the south and north winds which blow alternately for 6 months each in the year. the rainy season begins in april and lasts until august. at this season the leafy trees have their branches weighed down by masses of fruit, the countryside luxuriates in vegetation and promises a rich harvest of rice. there is neither corn nor grapes, but nature supplies their lack by other products. it is true that at times the land is stricken with sterility. the floods destroy the young crops and the drought changes the fertile earth into arid dust. a range of inaccessible mountains seems to act as a line of defence against foreign invasion. these mountains are clothed with forests containing many fruit trees and inhabited by tigers, deer, and elephants. the interior of the country is occupied by rising ground. the plains are watered by numerous rivers and canals form cheap and facile means of communication. although the country has so many products of commercial value, the inhabitants give all their attention to fishing. kankao is the chief town, and many travellers have compared it favourably with the most populous cities of asia. there are no imposing edifices with the exception of the royal palace and the arsenal, in other respects it is a confused collection of wooden huts. the foreign trading establishments are the only brick buildings. the ruins of an ancient palace, destroyed during the civil wars, are still visible and the relics point to the pristine glories of the city. the arsenal is a building that would command admiration in europe. it is furnished with artillery, ammunition and all kinds of warlike stores. here the physicist would be struck by the phenomenon of the tides, as the sea ebbs and flows only once in the 24 hours and is only appreciable at the first and last quarters of the moon. the products are similar to those of other countries of the indies, but the fruits are finer and more delicious than those of any other asiatic country. the oranges are large and luscious, but the use of the citron is unsafe as it supplies the mordant used in the dyeing of cotton. cultivated fruits include sweet potatoes yams, bananas, mangos, limes, cocoanuts and pineapples. the elephants are the largest and most active of those found in asia. temperance is a national virtue and their staple articles of diet are merely rice, vegetables, roots, and salt fish. they observe festivals at which game of all sorts is eaten and especially at weddings and funerals they indulge in all manner of good cheer. they devour horseflesh buffalo and goat meat, dogs, rabbits, rats, frogs, shell fish and all kinds of fish. for dessert they have the most excellent fruits, the odour and colour and taste of which are pleasing to all the senses. cleanliness is noticeable in all their dishes. the tables and crockery as well as they themselves are perfumed. in formal feasts the guests keep profound silence, and speech before the conclusion of the repast would be considered impolite. this restraint during their meals might be attributed to their voracious appetites. their usual beverage is a kind of tea with which on festal occasions they mingle arrack. they manufacture strong drink from rice and other vegetables. the tonkinese have flat oval faces. their teeth, naturally white, are blackened so as to avoid the reproach that they resemble those of dogs or elephants. though of a swarthy complexion they are fairer than the other inhabitants of the indies. they have long thick black hair. they are active and cunning and seem adapted by nature to be an accomplished race; but idleness, the vice of the climate is a check to industry and renders them poverty stricken. their insensate passion for gambling reduces the wealthiest to beggary. having lost all their money, jewels and other possessions, they will wager their wives and children and even their horses to which they are greatly attached. the dress of the tonkinese consists of a long robe reaching to the heels. the grandees are dressed in silk or english cloth. the populace and soldiery wear robes of cotton stuff reaching to the knees. fishermen and workmen, who are obliged to spend their time out of doors, wear hats made of straw or leaves. the king is the only person permitted by law to wear shoes. the common people go bare-foot but this is no discomfort in a land where the soil is sandy. this custom is in vogue in abyssinior and in all warm countries and only foreigners find that it is distasteful. they however wear sandals as do the officials and the learned men affect the same fashion. the latter allow their nails to grow long as a sign of their rank. men and women used to be obliged to wear their hair bound up, as a mark of their vassalage, during the time when this kingdom was a dependent state of china, but at the present time they wear it loose over their shoulders. the nation has borrowed its arts, science and etiquette from the chinese. their language which is monosyllabic, greatly resembles chinese, and inflexions of the voice determine the signification of the syllables. the tonkinese have many guttural and dental consonants which are very difficult to be pronounced by foreigners. their writing is in vertical columns, they make use of similar writing implements to those of china and they use silk or the bark of trees instead of paper. they have no taste whatever for art and science. it is true they have poets and musicians who are fairly successful in imaginative works. they have also made a certain amount of progress in morality for which they have adapted the maxims in the books of confucius. they have teachers for all branches of accomplishments but no school for scientific knowledge, and they have only a very slight acquaintance with mathematics. the healing art is very imperfectly understood in tonkin, experience is their only guide, and the doctors combine their profession with those of surgeon and apothecary. their medical books on the preparation of drugs are most vague in their principles. cupping glasses and caustics are used in obstinate cases only. the usual medicaments are made from gums, roots and herbs. they cure fever, eruptions, jaundice and small-pox by dieting and infusions. certain diseases are attributed to fogs and exhalations. astrology bars the way to medical progress, certain days are supposed to be unlucky, and on these days the patient is allowed to suffer rather than that medicines should be administered. their skill in the arts is shown by their articles of lacquer ware, porcelain, and in the smelting of metals. the rivers and canals by which the country is intersected are favourable to internal trade. each town has its fairs and markets to which many foreigners are attracted. but there is very little maritime commerce, for the reason that their ships are too small to brave the dangers of the stormy seas. foreign imports are saltpetre, sulphur, cloth, all sorts of woollen goods, spices, lead and guns. foreign currency only is used and no race is more skilful in the art of money changing, as they are able to appreciate or depreciate the exchange values at their pleasure. trade would be in a flourishing condition if the tonkinese were as active as they are industrious, but, sunk into the slough of idleness, they divide their time between sleeping and eating. when they are not actually eating, they smoke, dance or sing. by a cowardly policy, the government puts obstacles in the way of industry, the vassal states of the empire are excluded from any participation in sources of wealth. the rapacity of the tax-gathers is an effectual check to competition, as people are not anxious to spend their energies on work, the fruit of which is reaped by others. the tonkinese by nature a suspicious and distrustful race are somewhat chary of the overtures of foreigners and being too fearful of danger are unable to gain any advantage. the legislative code of tonkin has been borrowed from china, and the administration of the law is in the hands of corrupt persons who sacrifice the innocent poor to the guilty rich. each provincial governor is judge in his own province. polygamy is the rule all over tonkin and no woman can boast of the title "wife." the bonds of these unions or rather of this concubinage, are easily broken. the man gives the woman a writing of divorcement which restores the woman to all her rights. the woman cannot obtain divorce no matter whether she have just grounds or no, and if she is convicted of adultery she is condemned to be trampled to death by elephants. her paramour dies by another form of torture. the eldest son, after his father's death, receives the whole of the estate and the paternal authority on condition that he provides for his brothers until they are married. the daughters have no share in the heritage. other laws are similar to those in force in other countries of the indo-chinese peninsula. their love of display is noticeable in their marriage feasts. actors of both sexes perform dances to the accompaniment of a big drum, and the performance is followed by a concert given by hired musicians. few ceremonies take place without a show of cock-fighting on which considerable wagers are laid. girls are married at the age of sixteen and seventeen years, and parental consent is required to make the union legitimate. the brides see their husbands on their wedding day for the first time and priests are excluded from the ceremony and the festivities. their funeral rites are the works of superstition, astrologers are appointed to indicate the place of burial and the corpse is kept for several months until some favourable omen indicates a suitable spot. during this delay the relatives of the deceased offer the usual food to the corpse as if it were still alive. it is kept in a room illuminated by torches. incense and gilt paper on which are painted figures of various animals are burnt in its honour and the relatives pay it a daily visit and prostrate themselves with every appearance of woe. those who accompany the funeral procession are dressed in coarse garments and walk barefoot. they support themselves with sticks and their slow tottering step is a sign of their grief. the nearest relative throws himself on the ground at intervals and the corpse-bearers tread him under foot. the corpse is dressed in rich attire and, as a safeguard against poverty in the next world, a piece of gold and some pearls are placed in its mouth. on certain days in the year offerings of food and incense are made at the tomb that the dead may not lack support. although many festivals are celebrated, it seems that they are all due to religious influences. the most noteworthy is the feast of tombs, which is celebrated on the anniversary of the death of the persons in question and bountiful feasts are offered to them. the king and the nobility celebrate their birthdays with great pomp, and their marriage days with dances, concerts, and theatrical performances. at a certain festival, the king followed by all his court, blesses the produce of the soil. he drives the plough and makes several furrows as a tribute to agriculture. there is another ceremony at which exorcisms are made to rid the land of evil spirits. new year's day is an occasion of great rejoicings. booths are set up where men and women perform dramatic pieces and sing to the accompaniment of the orchestra. everybody appears to be mad with joy and no business is transacted. all work is at a standstill, the halls of justice are closed and the seal of state is put away in its case. criminals have no fear of punishment during the feast. the license which reigns supreme during this season exposes the women to outrage and they never appear unless with an ample guard. the monarch has but a semblance of real power, the commander-in-chief is the real ruler and it is the latter whom the europeans regard as king. he has a large body-guard and is attended by a corps of 300 elephants, whereas the actual king, buried in the obscurity of his palace with his wife and children, is served by faithless menials who act as spies on his movements. it is surprising that the commander-in-chief allows the existence of this phantom ruler, but the tonkinese have such veneration for the master that it would be a dangerous matter to attempt to supersede him. the commander-in-chief has usually a force of 150,000 infantry and from 10,000 to 20,000 cavalry under his orders. recruits are eager to join the colours, but at the sight of the enemy their courage evaporates and, as bravery is not one of their characteristics, they are more ready to dig entrenchments than to make sorties therefrom. the commander has no great confidence in his men, at least if we can form an opinion from a letter written to the commander of the dutch forces in the indies. "i have," he remarks, "300,000 infantry 10,000 cavalry, 2,000 elephants, 30,000 musketeers and 1,000 pieces of artillery at my disposal, i beg you to send 200 men and 3 ships to assist me." after such a pompous display of the numbers under his command, one cannot fail to draw the logical conclusion. the majority of the military positions of trust are confided to eunuchs, enervated by the luxury of court life. ability is not the road to success, although the posts are not obtainable by bribery, all of them are put up for sale to the highest bidder, because in a kingdom of vast extent in which the eye of the ruler is unable to penetrate the remotest parts, the grandees are always the sharers of intrigue and never of the worth that hides itself in the shade. the whole strength of their united navy would be unable to hold its own against one of our warships. their men-of-war are flat vessels about 70 feet long, and 10 amidships and can be used for coast defence only. the soldiers who are the rowers are directed in their movements by the sound of a drum. the soldiery, scattered over the kingdom, is supposed to protect the roads, but often by attacks on travellers, abuses the trust of the governors to whom it is subordinated. in time of peace the soldiers are armed with clubs which are formidable weapons in their hands and they break the legs or thighs of those who resist or try to run away. all civil disputes are summarily disposed of by the magistrates. the offender is obliged to offer meat and drink to the other party in the suit so that their differences may be forgotten over the feast. the creditor is absolute master of his insolvent debtors whom he can treat with every indignity. criminals are punished in proportion to their crimes. theft is not punished by death, but by the loss of a limb or of some part of the body. murderers are condemned to death by decapitation. they are led to the scene of the crime or to their house as a place of execution. if there are several criminals, there are several executioners who on a given signal decapitate their victims simultaneously. the tonkinese are the least cruel people of the indies in the punishment of guilty persons. by law life may be bought at a price, and only the poor actually suffer the extreme penalty. although the eunuchs are objects of popular scorn, they have considerable power, and as their misfortune smooths the path to honours, it is often the case that self mutilation is practised by ambitious men of advanced age without fearing the pain and _sequelae_ of the operation. their surgeons perform the operation skilfully, and they have a method by which many accidents are avoided. the patient is thrown into a deep sleep which lessens the shock of the operation, and experience has shown that the torpid state induced, is a protection against fever and inflammation which so often occurs after such operations. at the age of 18 years every man is subject to a poll-tax in proportion to his wealth. the magistrates, soldiers, and learned men however are exempt and it is the poor man that bears the brunt of the taxation as is usual in most countries. the taxes are collected after the harvest and the inhabitants of the remotest parts of the kingdom are forced to bring a certain quantity of fodder for the king's elephants and horses to the store houses in the capital. every man is in addition obliged to work for six months on public works for which he receives food but no salary. so great is the degradation of human nature in these climates that the inhabitants, less privileged than animals, seem only to exist on the earth for the purpose of watering it with the sweat of their brows. the grandees and the learned follow the doctrines of confucius, but its precepts are too simple to be adopted by the common people who can only behold the workings of a deity in the marvellous. the principal belief is that of fo which is divided into various sects, the most widespread of which was founded by a china man named lauro who is revered as one of the greatest wonder-workers of the east. his followers give out that his mother carried him in her womb for 70 years without having lost her virginity. he boasted of his intimacy with spirits who revealed the secrets of the future to him. the priests, brought up in ignorance and superstition, attract the minds of the populace by their fables and wonders. they live in extreme poverty as they have none of the grandees for their disciples, and the bounty of the common people is their only source of revenue. a certain number of priests boast they can cure the most stubborn forms of disease by means of charms. when summoned to the patient they make their appearance in a most extraordinary manner in order to render the performance more imposing. they make their exorcisms to the accompaniment of drums, and trumpets. they jump about in the sick room until the fate of the patient is decided either for death or life and whenever the result proves the useless nature of their performance, they have plenty of excuses ready for their non-success. in tonkin the gospel-harvest has been more fruitful than in any other of the lands of the indies. the scorn of the great for the idolatrous priests has contributed to the success of the missionaries, who have more than 200,000 converts in this kingdom of whom more than 15,000 are under the charge of a french missionary recently elevated to the rank of bishop of agathopolis and who is assisted in his duties by three french priests and four chinese converts. i must here recapitulate the causes that ought to be favourable to the success of this undertaking. the aim of the seminaries of the foreign missions is the establishment of a clerical order in all countries of the world. sacred history tells us that the apostles and their successors ordained priests among all nations that they converted. people are always more ready to give credence to their fellow citizens who are well known to them rather than to foreigners whose motives are often to them questionable. the native priests know the language better, are better preachers, make themselves better understood and are more readily listened to in the explanation of the mysteries of religion. knowing the manners and customs of the country they are acquainted with the best methods of combating the natural inclinations of the people and know how to gain their confidence. all the local superstitions are well known to them, and it is easy for them to point out their absurdity and falsity. with all these advantages they can fight against error and triumph over ungodliness. the hierarchical order established by the seminary, can alone inculcate a perfect type of christianity that will have no further need for foreign intervention on its behalf. besides these general reasons there are particular reasons for the indies. the toils and dangers incurred in penetrating those distant lands, the study of the indian languages so difficult to learn and to pronounce, the climate often deadly and always unpleasant to foreigners, and the expenses of travelling, render the indies inaccessible to most of the priests and members of religious societies who are zealous of making conquests for jesus christ. the incessant wars that lay waste all the countries of the indies do not allow the missionaries to go from one country to another when needed to do so by the church. princes and people cannot understand their dogmas and worship. the idolatrous priests cannot behold their gods trampled underfoot without becoming enraged against men whom they consider impious and sacrilegious. it is in these times of stress that the flock has the greatest need of its pastor. besides this in this indies the foreign priests can render no services to those who groan under the sword of persecution. as soon as they appear, their complexions and facial characteristics betray them and as soon as they are recognised, they are haled off to durance vile. these eastern lands are of such wide extent and so densely peopled that all the priests and members of the religious societies of europe would hardly be sufficient to instruct such vast multitudes. for these reasons the sovereign pontiff has decided to appoint vicars-apostolic in order to form a national clergy for which the interests of religion and politics demand the lasting prosperity. the kingdom of the yellow robe [illustration: "the shrine in the middle of the waters."--paknam. _page 30._] the kingdom of the yellow robe being sketches of the domestic and religious rites and ceremonies of the siamese by ernest young late of the education department, siam. with illustrations by e. a. norbury, r.c.a. (late director of the royal school of art, bangkok, siam) and from photographs by the author. westminster archibald constable & co 1898 preface the following pages are intended to present to the reader an account of the domestic and religious rites and ceremonies of the siamese. they are the outcome of several years' residence in the capital of siam. in order to verify some of my own observations or to amplify some points with regard to which my own knowledge was rather scanty, i have consulted most of the books which in recent years have been published concerning the country of siam. i am particularly indebted to the works of two writers whose knowledge was both wide and deep; viz., h. alabaster, whose "wheel of the law" deals with siamese buddhism; and captain gerini, whose various monographs on domestic or religious customs are full of valuable and reliable information concerning their misty origin and meaning. i must also acknowledge my indebtedness to "the siam repository" (a weekly paper long since extinct, but whose pages are a treasure-house of information to the enquirer), and to my friend mr. r. l. morant for much helpful criticism and advice. the illustration "planting out young rice" is from a sketch in the possession of mrs. smith, of tarrawatta, beckenham, who has kindly lent it for the purpose of illustrating this book. the following five illustrations are also from sketches, kindly lent by e. lloyd williams, esq., of james st., buckingham gate. "offering rice to the priests." "making curry." "ploughing a rice-field." "collecting ripe grain." "rice boats coming down the menam." e. y. _chingford_, 1898. contents _page_ _preface_ ix chapter i. street scenes in the venice of the east 1 " ii. by khlong and river 25 " iii. the children 44 " iv. the shaving of the top-knot 64 " v. courtship and marriage 85 " vi. domestic life and customs 103 " vii. domestic life and customs (_continued_) 125 " viii. popular amusements 147 " ix. outside the capital 171 " x. the cultivation of rice 196 " xi. laws and legislation 218 " xii. ceremonies for the dying and the dead 235 " xiii. the order of the yellow robe 251 " xiv. among the temples 272 " xv. among the temples (_continued_) 297 " xvi. religious ceremonies 316 " xvii. religious ceremonies (_continued_) 338 " xviii. religious ceremonies (_continued_) 358 " xix. a pilgrimage to prabat 375 " xx. the elephants 388 list of illustrations _page_ the shrine in the middle of the waters. (_frontispiece._) vi a scavenger 3 the curry vendor 6 the kerosine dealer 10 the three headed gate. (_full page._) 15 a gharry 23 rice boats coming down the menam 27 a lighter 31 siamese canoes 33 chinese trading junk 36 "can i give you a lift, reverend fathers?" 40 mother and child 58 mount kailasa as erected for the hair cutting ceremonies of h.r.h. the crown prince of siam. (_full page._) 81 a chinese merchant 97 a siamese teakwood house. (_full page._) 106 making curry 119 steaming rice 123 a rickshaw 135 laying wagers on fighting fish. (_full page._) 151 a writer of lottery tickets 155 faces from a siamese theatre 165 preparing rattan for chair-making 172 fishing lugger 174 fishing boats at the bar 177 khlong near petchaboorree. (_full page._) 181 a buffalo cart. (_full page._) 185 a siamese bullock cart 189 the swinging festival. (_full page._) 197 collecting ripe grain. (_full page._) 199 a siamese rice plough. (_full page._) 203 planting out young rice--foot of korat hills 206 ploughing a rice field 208 buffaloes returning from the rice fields. (_full page._) 215 a royal funeral procession. (_full page._) 237 the poor man's funeral 245 priest and attendant 255 offering rice to the priest 264 a village temple. (_full page._) 275 sala in a jungle clearing. (_full page._) 279 temple bell tower. (_full page._) 291 wat chang, bangkok. (_full page._) 299 the sleeping buddha. (_full page._) 309 the festival of kaw prasai. (_full page._) 319 wat chang at sunset. (_full page._) 345 prabat hills from near ayuthia. (_full page._) 379 to my wife the kingdom of the yellow robe. chapter i. street scenes in the venice of the east. bangkok, the venice of the east, was not the capital of siam during the earlier period of that country's history. formerly the seat of government was at ayuthia; but the ancient capital is now a heap of ruined temples and dwellings, an attraction for travellers, but of little importance to the people themselves. at the time when this mouldering city was the home of the sovereign, a man of chinese origin was sent to govern one of the northern provinces of the country. he is known in siamese history as phya tak, and was a man of great administrative ability. when the invading armies of burmah, in their triumphant march through siam, reached the neighbourhood of the ancient capital, phya tak was sent for by the king, to aid him with his counsel and strength. his reputation as a brave and powerful warrior secured for him his appointment as commander-in-chief of the siamese army. mustering all the available forces of the kingdom, he set out to do battle with the enemy. it was hoped that he would utterly rout the invading army, and so free the land from its powerful enemies. but when the valiant tak came in sight of the foe, he was not long in realising that any attack that might be made by his small army against the much greater numbers of the burmese, could only end in his utter defeat. he promptly fled with all his own retainers, and with as many of the soldiers as cared to follow him, to the port of chantaboon. here he leagued himself with all the fighting men and chiefs of the neighbouring provinces, and finally collected an army of about ten thousand men. he supported himself and his soldiers by robbing and pillaging all the villages along the coast. [illustration: a scavenger.] the burmese, carrying with them many captives, and much treasure of gold and silver gained at the sack of ayuthia in 1767, at last returned once more to their own land. then phya tak came north again, and on the spot where the regent's palace now stands, built himself a home and proceeded to found the walled city of bangkok. having accomplished this work, he several times defeated the burmese, then re-organised some form of administration and caused himself to be acknowledged as king of the land. associated with him in all his adventures and successes was a close personal friend and confidential adviser. this man was of noble birth and vigorous character, and it was to his counsel and assistance that the new sovereign owed much of his success. soon after the king had completed his great work of re-organisation he unfortunately became insane. the priests brought against him accusations of sacrilege and impiety, and tried to stir the people to revolt. he was extremely unpopular on account of the heavy taxes he had levied on the wealthier classes, as also for the extreme cruelty with which he had treated all ranks of his subjects. stimulated both by the exhortations of the priests, and by the oppressive treatment to which they were daily subjected, the citizens of the new capital at length rose in rebellion. their sovereign fled from his angry subjects and took refuge in a neighbouring monastery, where he donned the yellow robe and declared himself a priest. this declaration saved his life for a short time, but soon after his flight he was put to death by his favourite friend and general, who then followed the promptings of his ambition and the suggestions of his fellow-noblemen, in assuming the royal robes and crown. he called himself somdetch pra boroma rahcha pra putta yaut fah, and became the first king of the present dynasty. it is with the fall of ayuthia, the rise of these two usurpers, and the founding of bangkok that the authentic history of siam commences. a period of about one hundred and forty years comprises the limits within which the chief facts of siamese history can be substantiated. bishop pallegoix, compiled from native annals an account of siam and its people, extending back to a very remote period; but his majesty the late king has somewhat lessened one's confidence in these annals by declaring that they are "all full of fable, and are not in satisfaction for believe." the city which was thus founded by phya tak, has ever since remained the chief home of the sovereign, and the seat of government. it is now one of the most interesting of oriental towns. from the break of day till scorching noon, from scorching noon till the first cool breeze of evening, from sunset until midnight, and from then on through the small hours of the morning, the busy streets of siam's capital present a never ending procession of curious and picturesque scenes. with the first faint glimmer of light in the east, the life of the city begins. the approach of day is heralded with the sonorous voices of the huge gongs that are being vigorously beaten by the official welcomer of the dawn, in a turret within the walls of the royal palace. the cocks, who have crowed the whole night through with troublesome persistency, greet the rising of the sun in notes both long and shrill, as if they were trying to impress upon their hearers the belief that they have but just awakened from the profoundest of slumbers. the bull-frog croaks his surly good morning. the pariah dogs howl or bark with an amount of vigour and determination, that shows that they too are anxious to contribute their share to the combination of discordant sounds, that forms a fitting prelude to the noise and bustle of the coming day. it is not to be supposed that the wealthier members of siamese society rise at this early hour. as a matter of fact, they have but recently retired to rest, and will not appear again either for business or pleasure until the sun has crossed the meridian. all the business of the state, and all the pleasures of society are conducted in the cool hours of evening, night, or early morning, while during the broiling heat that comes and goes with the daylight, officialdom sleeps and rests. it is an excellent arrangement. the lower classes, however, are soon awake and astir. first to arise are the chinese inhabitants. here, as everywhere in the east, the subjects of the celestial empire have found their way, and, by their untiring energy and their wonderful adaptability to all changes of custom, life, and government, have managed to establish themselves so securely that any attempt to dislodge them would, if successful, be fatal to the best interests of the country. they live and die in the same atmosphere of superstition that surrounded them at their birth. no matter to what country their industry and enterprise may lead them, they never forget during their daily toil to give frequent evidence of their keen faith in the supernatural. their first act on rising in the morning is to explode a number of noisy fire-crackers in every doorway, to dispel the crowds of evil spirits, who, during the dark hours of the night may have congregated round their thresholds with intent to do them harm. in the swarms of buzzing flies and stinging mosquitoes there are innumerable emissaries of the powers of ill, and these the noise and smoke effectually disperse for a brief interval. so that the daily practice of one superstitious custom is not without its immediate if temporary effect upon the well-being of its devout observers. [illustration: the curry vendor.] the shops and workshops are open in front to the street on account of the intense tropical heat. there is no difficulty whatever in seeing and hearing every native dealer or craftsman as he pursues his daily employment. the foot-lathe of the woodturner, rude but efficient, whirls busily round, scattering its chips into the street; the barber sharpens his razors, sets his pans and chairs at the edge of the roadway in view of every passer-by, and prepares to shave a head or trim a pig-tail; and the idol-maker spreads his gold and silver leaf upon representations of buddha made in wood or plaster after a strictly orthodox and ancient pattern. numerous buddhist priests in robes of yellow, saffron or orange, pace slowly along with alms-bowls of wood or brass, receiving their daily food from the believers in their ancient faith. their garments borrow new hues from the lately risen sun, and stand out in vivid and picturesque relief against the more sober tints of the roads and dwellings. the itinerant curry-vendor wastes no time in preparing his unsavoury messes, and is soon busy trying to dispose of them to the passers-by. a pole slung over his shoulder, bears at one end a small earthenware stove with a supply of charcoal and water. at this end he cooks, to order, the various delicacies suspended from the other end of the pole. the water in the pot is drawn from the nearest canal or stagnant pool and is almost a meal in itself. for a farthing you may purchase a bowl of rice, which is warmed in the boiling water while you wait. another farthing will provide you with a number of attendant luxuries in the form of very fiery pepper or very strong and unhealthy smelling vinegar. the basis of the curry may be frog or chicken, stale meat, fermented fish, decayed prawn, or one of a thousand articles of equally evil taste and pungent odour. most things are either cooked or re-warmed for the purchaser by the simple plan of suspending them in a sieve inside the pot of boiling water. the same pot and the same water serve for all customers alike, so that the hundredth hungry individual gets for his farthing, not only all that he bargains for, but various tastes of the other delicacies that his predecessors at the counter have elected to buy. no charge is made for the use of the china basin which has not been washed since the last man used it, or for the loan of the leaden or earthenware spoons, or a couple of chopsticks. neither the proprietor of this strolling restaurant nor the force of public opinion demand that these articles be used, and for many, fingers take the place of either chopsticks or spoons. "isa-kee! isa-kee!" it is a queer sound when you hear it for the first time. a chinaman comes staggering along the road, carrying two heavy pails at the ends of the usual bamboo pole. he bawls in long, loud, nasal tones, "isa-kee! isa-kee!" the man is wet with the perspiration that streams down his bare yellow body and soaks the cloth round his loins, that forms his only clothing. presently, crowds of little boys, dressed in even less than the noisy vendor, collect round him and purchase with avidity the strange-looking mess denominated "isa-kee." he collects the coppers, and places them in a small leather purse, tied round his waist with a bit of string, there to lie in company with a little rank, black tobacco, or opium, until time will permit him to lose them in the maddening excitement of the gambling dens. "isa-kee" is the vendor's reproduction of the english word "ice-cream", though there is little resemblance between the commodity he disposes of with such extraordinary rapidity, and the fashionable european delicacy whose name it has borrowed. a more truthful name and description of the article sold in the streets of bangkok, would be "ice-mud." it is apparently a concoction of dirty water, half-frozen slush, and sugar. being cold and sweet it is a favourite sweetmeat with the native children, and the ice-cream merchant may generally be found doing a roaring trade outside the different schools during playtime. when ice itself was first introduced to the siamese by the european residents, they promptly coined for it the short and expressive name of "hard-water." it is amusing to hear the little ones exclaim as they swallow the frozen fluid, "golly! how it _burns_!" as far as the casual observer can judge, in this capital of siam there are no siamese engaged in any hard manual labour at all. there are of course, many siamese employed in various kinds of domestic or official work, but in the streets nearly every workman is chinese. there are nearly as many chinese in the country as there are siamese. they marry siamese women, and their children make excellent subjects, as they possess both the natural brightness of the mother and the industry of the father. unless they renounce their own nationality they are subject to a poll-tax of about five or six shillings, payable once every four years. at a date made known by proclamation, each chinaman must present himself at the police-station and pay the tax. the receipt given is a small piece of bee's-wax about the size of a three-penny piece. this bears a seal, and is worn on the wrist for a certain time, fastened by a piece of string. the police are very busy at this time, as there is nothing the siamese policeman so much enjoys as leading some unfortunate chinaman to pay the tax. should the seal be lost, the alien is bound to buy another as soon as he is requested by some officer of the law. [illustration: the kerosine dealer.] carpenters, blacksmiths, butchers, bakers and scavengers are all chinese. it is a chinaman who sits all through the heat of the day, under a tent made of an old sheet supported by a central bamboo pole, displaying an array of strange-looking liquids, placed in thick glass tumblers in a long row. great lumps of vermicelli float in the blue, green, red, or yellow liquids, presenting the appearance of curious anatomical specimens preserved in coloured spirits. it is a chinaman who hawks about great pails of slimy, black jelly having the consistency and colour of blacking, but said to be extremely palatable with coarse brown sugar. the men who are watering the roads with wooden buckets fitted with long bamboo spouts; the men who sweep the roads, and mend them; the coolies in the wharves; the clerks in the offices; the servants in the hotels and houses: are all subjects of "the lord of the vermilion pencil." no siamese pulls a rickshaw, though he frequently rides in one. the chinese are the beasts of burden as far as the bangkok rickshaw is concerned. this vehicle, as seen in siam is a very sorry-looking object, bearing only a distant resemblance to those met with in every eastern port from colombo to yokohama. nowhere do you ever find such dilapidated rickety structures as those that the coolies pull through the streets of this city. a new one would be a veritable curiosity. when the rickshaws of singapore and hong-kong have reached a condition of extreme old age, and are so broken down that the authorities in those ports refuse to grant them licences any longer, they are sent on to bangkok, where no licences are required. there the poorer classes use them freely, and there too are they as often used for the removal of household furniture, or the transportation of pigs, as they are for the carriage of passengers. the coolies tear through the streets, regardless of anyone's comfort or safety except their own; though, be it said, that they never resent the cut of a driver's whip when some coachman thus forcibly reminds them which is the right side of the road. pigs are not always allowed the luxury of riding in rickshaws. they are more usually transported in a far less comfortable fashion. their two front feet are tied together, and then their hind feet are similarly fastened. a stout piece of wood is passed under the two loops thus formed, and the pig is carried by two men, each bearing one end of the pole. the animals generally object very strongly to this form of motion, and signify their disgust, and perhaps their pain, by the most heart-rending, ear-piercing shrieks. thus another set of discordant sounds is added to the medley that roars from morning to night. the rickshaw was borrowed from japan; the "gharry" has been imported from india. it is a square box-like structure, the upper half being fitted with sliding windows similar to those in the door of a london four-wheeler. these windows, when open, admit of a free circulation of air, and they can easily be closed to keep out either rain, dust, or sun, at the will of the passenger. the sliding window-frames are always badly fitted, and they rattle and shake with such a terribly deafening noise, that two people sitting side by side, are compelled to shout when they wish to address each other. riding in these coaches gives one the sensation of being a kind of marble inside a gigantic rattle-box that is being vigorously shaken for the driver's amusement. the majority of the gharries are not in a very much better condition than the rickshaws. the harness is generally made of rope or string, instead of leather, and even if a leather strap or trace is visible, it is nearly always in two or three pieces temporarily connected with string. at very short intervals of time and space, the driver is compelled to descend and repair as best he can the broken connections. these drivers are chiefly siamese or malays, and so many of them have adopted the red turkish fez as a head-dress, that it can safely be taken as the badge of coachmen. in fine weather both malay and siamese drivers wear their own national costumes, but should it rain, they promptly divest themselves of every stitch of clothing except a cloth round the loins. they place their garments in a box under the seat, and drive about in a state of almost perfect nudity until the sun reappears and dries them with his rays, when they once more clothe themselves in their native apparel. the "omnibus" is a variation of the english one, with extensive and important modifications. it is of local construction, and without springs. it consists of a long shallow box on four wheels. a rickety roof is supported by equally rickety pillars, and serves to keep out the sun and rain. omnibuses are very popular amongst the poor, on account of their exceedingly low fares, several miles being travelled for a few cents. every kind of vehicle is crowded to its fullest capacity. a rickshaw will ordinarily hold two; you may often see four or five in one. a gharry should carry four, but by crowding inside and piling one person on top of the other, with the addition of a couple hanging on behind, one on each door-step, and one on each hub of the wheels, a whole family manages to get conveyed to its destination by means of a single conveyance. omnibuses are similarly crowded and packed, to an extent which is only possible on account, first, of the absence of any law to prevent it, and secondly, of the genial good-temper of the natives themselves. klings and tamils from southern india have introduced the bullock cart as a convenient method of carrying heavy goods. these indian settlers are the bullock drivers, the dairymen, and the owners of cattle. they export a large number of lean bullocks to singapore and the malay archipelago, where they are subsequently fattened to feed the residents. the value of the animals thus exported, is about two hundred and forty thousand mexican dollars annually. an electric tramway, and bicycles of the most modern construction, tell their own tale of the way in which european influences are making themselves felt in this land. the only real siamese land carriage is a curious buffalo cart. it is rarely seen in the streets of the capital, as its peculiar form and construction fit it more particularly for traffic through the jungle. [illustration: the three-headed gate. _page 22._] the varied colours of the different costumes worn by the members of many nationalities, form a strikingly bright and cheerful picture. blue being the colour of every chinaman's work-a-day clothing, is at once a conspicuous and pleasant tint. it is only during the three days' festivities that usher in the celestial new year, that the wearers of the pig-tail disport themselves in any other colour. during those three days, however, they are adorned with the richest of heliotrope, lavender, pale blue, green or yellow silks. in the intervals between successive new years these gorgeous garments are safely deposited in the pawnshops. the various shades of yellow and brown that predominate in every crowd, are not the result of the dyer's art, but the effect of the hot bright sunlight upon the bare bodies of those who go uncovered. the same bright light intensifies the whiteness of the european linen jackets, now adopted by so many siamese in lieu of the gaily coloured scarf that formerly was the only clothing worn on the upper part of the body. even now most of the women wind a long sash of some vivid hue round the breast, thus forming a cheerful band of colour against the whiteness of the jacket. in every crowd may be seen not only siamese and chinese, but sikhs in scarlet turbans, burmese in yellow and pink, malays in gaudy sarongs, laos in dark striped petticoats; as well as annamese, klings, tamils and japanese, each of whom is ever dressed in the garb that centuries of custom have defined as his own particular method of clothing his nakedness. when to the effect of all these pleasing colours, is added the happy merriment of thousands of faces that have never yet experienced the fierce struggle for existence that characterises the life of the poor of the west, a scene is realised which is nowhere to be met with except in the sun-kissed lands of the east. in the licensed gambling-houses there is always a little crowd of excited men and women, who, when they have lost their trifling earnings, speedily proceed to the pawnshops with any article of clothing or furniture that is not absolutely indispensable to their existence. when their own property has all been squandered they take that belonging to other people, thus producing an endless succession of daily thefts. the city is full of pawnshops, some streets containing scarcely any other form of business. it is in these places that the europeans hunt for their frequently stolen property, or search for the curios that are afterwards presented to friends or sold to museums at home. the numbers of civil, genial postmen in their yellow kharki uniforms faced with red, and carrying big japanese umbrellas under their arms, are sufficiently numerous and busy to testify to the efficiency of this branch of the civil service. most of the policemen are siamese, but their appearance is always a decided contrast to that of the neatly clad postmen. their uniforms, made of blue cloth, are intended to be reproductions of those worn by their london brethren. but as they are made of a cloth that rapidly shrinks and fades, a caricature rather than an imitation is the result. they are partial to umbrellas, roll their trousers above their knees, wear no shoes, and seem to revel in the possession of battered helmets. there is nothing whatever in their bearing that is characteristic of authority, neither are they men of great stature or commanding strength. yet they seldom meet with any resistance in the exercise of their duties, and it is a common sight to see a puny-looking policeman leading three or four natives to the police-station, each prisoner being merely fastened by the arm to the one behind, with his own scarf or pocket-handkerchief. so many of the native houses with their quaint gables and double or triple roofs have been pulled down, and brick ones of european pattern erected instead, that scarcely any purely native street remains. the one truly native quarter is a long narrow bazaar known as sampeng. it is about a mile and a quarter in length, and contains a very mixed population of indians, siamese, and chinese. it resembles somewhat a street in canton, but lacks the wealth of elaborately carved and gilded sign-boards, that gives such a decidedly local atmosphere to a purely chinese street. stretched overhead, from side to side, are pieces of torn cloth and matting, that act quite as effectively in keeping out the sun as in imprisoning that awful combination of foul odours that seems to be the possession of all oriental thoroughfares. the small gutter which runs in front of each house is full of stagnant water or of the accumulated domestic rubbish of the people who dwell by its side. this long narrow bazaar, however, is not without its own attractions. here are gathered together specimens of all the native produce, and here too work a few exponents of each of the native crafts. blacksmiths and weavers are plying their several trades; workers in gold and silver are fashioning boxes and ornaments for the rich, and the lapidaries are polishing stones for the jewellers to set. peep-shows and open-air theatres tempt the idle to linger, and numbers of busy toilers jostle each other as they make their way to and fro over the uneven, roughly paved foot-path. at night, the shops are closed, but the gambling-houses, opium dens, and brothels are thronged by the lowest of the low. at one end of the bazaar is the chief idol manufactory of the country. the thousands of temples that are scattered all over siam, require a large stock of images; and the devout are frequent donors of representations of buddha, of values proportionate to their means. most of the idols are made according to one or other of the following methods. a wooden model of the desired image is first made. it is next covered with very thin silver-leaf, after which the wooden model is removed and the interior filled up with pitch. this is perhaps the most common method of making small cheap idols. the larger ones are first modelled in wax, and then covered with a cement made of fine sand and clay. this is dried in the sun and finally heated in a furnace, when the wax melts and is collected for use another time. melted brass is then poured over the image and evenly spread until the whole surface is covered with a thin coating of metal. a great many gilded images are made, the gold-leaf being laid over a covering of black pitch. until the outer layer of gold, silver, or brass has been deposited on the carved or moulded figure, and until the eyes have been placed therein, it is not considered in any way sacred. the two last operations are frequently attended with great ceremony at the home of the owner, in the presence of many priests. in every temple there are "printed gods". these are very small idols, about an inch or two in length, made of clay and having a flat surface at the back. they are stuck in rows, on a piece of board painted with some bright colour, and are then gilded and placed in the temple. in the remotest alley, the most secluded corner, the broadest highway, or the most open of public spaces, roam the most disreputable and degraded members of the canine family--the pariah dogs. black, brown, white, and spotted dogs with skeleton frames and sunken eyes, many of them in the last stages of disease and decay, snap at the dirtiest bone, or feast upon the filthiest rubbish they can find. they own no master, and no man owns them. they may be counted till one is weary of counting, and yet the eye will still discover many that remain unnumbered. often it would be a kindness to the poor starved and crippled creatures to put them speedily out of pain, but the buddhist law, "thou shalt not kill", is all powerful here, and so the pariahs breed and multiply, giving in return for the permission to live, their effective services as vigilant and industrious scavengers. in the markets, the natives squat cross-legged upon their stalls, offering for sale vegetables and fruit, betel nut and cigars, salted fish and queer-looking sweetmeats; or busying themselves, in the absence of customers, by vigorously waving a big palm or banana leaf to drive away the clouds of flies that would otherwise immediately settle upon their perishable wares. the dealers are chiefly siamese women, and are amongst the most polite and obliging saleswomen in the world. the original city of bangkok is surrounded by a high thick wall pierced with many gates that are never closed. the principal entrance is the one known as "the three-headed gate", so called on account of the three tapering spires that surmount the three openings. by far the larger portion of the population lives outside the wall, but as the royal palace and nearly all the government buildings are within its circumference, it encloses everything that is of importance to the native as far as government is concerned. the roads in the city are excellent, and in the neighbourhood of the palace itself there are a number of wide open green spaces that would not discredit any city of europe. the palace is enclosed by several rows of departmental offices, outside of which is a high white wall. day closes with a rapidity equal to that with which it dawns, there being no long spell of twilight either in the morning or the evening. in the principal streets, the electric light has displaced the small old oil lamps that at one time formed the only evening illumination known to the people, but on the outskirts of the city the lamplighter still wends his evening round, carrying the small ladder, boxes of matches, and bottles of oil, that mark the nature of his occupation. the oil lamps are placed at more or less irregular intervals, and are soon blown out by any wind of moderate strength. little cholera lamps swung aloft at the ends of long slender poles, sway backwards and forwards, telling where the grim fiend has entered in his work of destruction. the chinese light their smoky tallow candles and place them in large quaint lanterns bearing mystic signs and symbols; while round the city wall itself, the cocoa-nut oil lamps burn with a lurid glare, sending forth at the same time dense clouds of yellow pungent smoke. [illustration: a gharry.] in the absence of drunken men and women and the scarcity of women of ill-fame, the streets of bangkok might well serve as a model for some of the wealthier and more handsome towns of europe. there is one thing to be regretted in connection with the improvements that are daily being made in the capital, and that is the gradual effacement of all traces of native design or workmanship. bridges, houses and railway stations are mostly of a distinctly european type, and that type one of uncompromising ugliness. the new streets of bangkok, if cleaner and sweeter than the old, have nothing of the curious charm of those they have replaced, and are merely excellent examples of unadulterated brick and mortar unrelieved by the faintest trace of anything that could possibly be described as artistic. chapter ii. by "khlong" and river. in a walk through any siamese street the traveller cannot fail to remark the total absence of any carriage or other wheeled vehicle of native design. there are conveyances of many descriptions borrowed from india, china, japan, and europe, but none whatever that can be pointed out as being designed by the siamese themselves. any enquiry as to the cause of this apparently strange lack of originality in a matter which so directly concerns the daily life of the community, is readily answered. until a comparatively recent date there were practically no roads in the country, and even at the present time, the roads in any part of the kingdom outside bangkok scarcely deserve the name. there are scarcely any means of communication between one village and another, and very often only defective communication between two parts of the same village, except by water. the water is the true home of the siamese, and it is on this, their native element, that their real character and genius are best exhibited. it is true that, in the capital, they now ride ponies and bicycles, for a few roads suitable to such forms of exercise exist, but the boat, not the horse, the paddle, not the whip, are the property of the nation at large. in earlier times, when they erected houses upon land, they chose as the most convenient sites for their dwellings, the banks of the rivers or the shores of the sea. when agricultural enterprise led to the formation of inland settlements, no roads were made to connect the new settlement with those already existing, but canals or "khlongs" were cut instead. the connections between rivers were made in a similar fashion; and for purposes of pleasure or business, religious processions or state ceremonies, a thousand different forms of boat were planned and constructed. the numberless canals that thread their way across the plains in every possible direction, have turned the lower portion of siam into a veritable labyrinth of winding water-ways. the khlongs differ in age, appearance and size, as do the roads of more densely populated countries. the ancient highways of europe here find their parallel in canals whose age and origin it would be difficult to determine, though none of them possess any history extending to periods that western historians would call remote. even as the municipalities and corporations of our land construct year by year new roads for the facilitation of traffic, so, for the same purpose new water-ways are being continually cut in the land of siam. the broad deep khlongs with their double lines of house-boats, and their continual traffic of lumbering barges, cumbersome rafts, comfortable house-boats and tiny canoes, are the great streets of the cities, and the highways of the plains. the foul-smelling, silted-up water alleys, with their rotten disreputable houses, and their heaps of decaying refuse, are the slums and blind alleys; while the green lanes and country by-paths of more temperate lands are here represented by delightful little canals that twine their way through the thick jungle. the palms meet overhead and form a sheltering canopy; birds of many brilliant hues flit lazily from branch to branch, consoling themselves for their loss of song in the contemplation of their gorgeous plumage. there are lonely canals in comparatively unfrequented places, where only occasional travellers disturb the silence. here the alligator stretches his long ungainly form in the grey and slimy mud; the monkeys chatter to one another amongst the branches of the trees upon the banks; and the squirrels gambol in the tree-tops up aloft, in conscious enjoyment of perfect freedom and everlasting sunshine. [illustration: rice boats coming down the menam.] the great river upon which bangkok stands, flows almost directly from north to south, through mountain valleys and deep ravines, then tumbles, boils, and roars through a series of dangerous rapids until it reaches the wide and fertile plains, to whose inhabitants it means both life and wealth. in most european maps it is called the river menam, but as "menam" itself means "river", the name as thus written possesses no meaning. every river in the country is called "menam," the first syllable of the word meaning "mother", and the second one "water." the real name of the bangkok river is "menam chow phya", which may be freely rendered as the "river duke", for "chow phya" is the highest title of nobility that can be held by anyone not of royal descent. every traveller enters siam by this river, and in passing from its mouth to the capital, he may easily observe many excellent examples of true siamese life and customs. at the entrance there is a bar of sand and mud, which at low tide is visible in certain places, and which even at high tide is never covered by more than fifteen feet of water. as a consequence, no deeply laden vessels can enter the river, and they have to load or discharge the greater part of their cargo by means of small sailing vessels called "lighters", at an island in the gulf. there is only one narrow passage through the bar, and the unwary mariner frequently runs aground. it is said that when the siamese minister for foreign affairs was asked why no attempt was made to remove this bar, that thereby the river might be rendered more navigable, and commerce facilitated, he replied, "for the same reasons that you english don't relish the idea of a channel tunnel." similar banks of mud or sand, or both, render unnavigable every river that flows through the country. they are decisive evidence of the way in which the whole of the gulf is being gradually filled up. the coast is everywhere shallow, and at low tide long stretches of mud may be seen at any point on the northern shores of the inlet. the whole of lower siam is one vast alluvial deposit. in several places in the interior, borings for wells have passed through thick strata of sea-shells and other marine deposits, thus showing that in earlier days the northern limit of the gulf extended far north of the site of the present capital. having crossed the bar, the general character of the river becomes at once apparent. the appearances presented are characteristic of all the rivers in this part of the world. on either bank the thick jungle comes down to the water's edge, forming a dense green mass of lowly attap or stately palm, interlaced with lianes and gigantic creepers, full of thorny bushes and different species of the cactus family, with the lordly palm towering high above the living undergrowth, demanding and obtaining instant admiration from every beholder, and majestically waving his verdant crown in condescending acknowledgment of the homage paid to his unquestioned sovereignty by the myriad forms of vegetable life that cluster round his feet. in the centre of the river lies a little island, on which stands prachadee glang nam--"the shrine in the middle of the waters." it is a snow-white spire-crowned edifice, round whose base are a number of small quaint structures, the whole forming a conspicuous and typical example of the ecclesiastical architecture of siam. a broad band of scarlet cloth wrapped round the spire, about half-way between the summit and the base, by some devout member of the buddhist faith, serves a double purpose in increasing the pictorial aspect of the scene, and at the same time in indicating that the teachings of the wise and noble gautama, in whose honour the building was erected, have here retained some of their power over the lives of the inhabitants. the king of siam is the last of the various independent sovereigns who have professed their belief in the words of the great teacher whose outward symbol of humility was the beggar's yellow robe. the neighbouring countries of annam, cochin-china, cambodia and burmah, now owe allegiance to a foreign government, and their sovereigns, who once bent the knee before the altars of buddhism are dead or deposed. the only remaining independent buddhist monarch is h. m. king chulalongkorn, and here in the centre of the great highway of his country, at the very gate of his kingdom, stands this fair white temple to the honour of the ancient sage. [illustration: a lighter.] boats of many shapes and sizes cross and re-cross the path of the steamer as it makes its way along the winding course, but not until the vessel is anchored amid stream is it possible to fully appreciate the unique appearance of the scene. along each bank are the floating houses made of teak and plaited bamboo, and thatched with the long spear-like leaves of the attap palm. their gabled ends, best understood from the illustrations, are of a form peculiar to this land alone, and are repeated monotonously on every dwelling. the houses stand upon pontoons, or else upon rafts which are made of numerous stems of the bamboo tree or the areca-palm, tightly bound together in bundles. each bundle is more or less free from the others, so that as the floating foundation gradually rots away, the raft can easily be removed and then replaced piece by piece without disturbing the equilibrium of the dwelling itself. the rafts are loosely moored to several stakes driven deep in the bed of the river, and rise and fall with the tide. the house is closed in front by a number of planks of wood, which are removed in the day-time for the admittance of light and air. it bears in front a little platform or verandah, often railed in to prevent the younger members of the family from falling into the swiftly flowing stream beneath. this uncovered platform serves many purposes. it is here in the early morning, and again in the evening, that the family may most often be seen enjoying the luxury of a bath. men, women, and children come to the edge of the platform, take up water from the river with brass basins or wooden buckets, and then pour it over head and shoulders, thus drenching both themselves and clothes at the same time. here, too, the dealers display their wares--the giant fruit of the durien plant, which is described by alfred russell wallace as being a combination of strawberries and cream, nectar and ambrosia, ripe pears and ice cream, but which to the uninitiated suggests more truthfully the presence of exceedingly defective sanitation; the mangosteen, a pearl amongst fruits, delightful to eat and to behold, a snow-ball in a casket of crimson; mangoes; fresh green cocoa-nuts filled with delicious, refreshing milk; bananas of countless varieties; sugar-cane ready skinned and cut in small pieces for the youngsters, who think it the sweetest of sweetmeats; young bamboo stems, rivalling asparagus when properly cooked; cheap tin and trumpery from birmingham, manchester, or germany; silks from china and bombay; occasionally buffalo-horns; tiger-skins; black monkeys with white beards; green parrots; lamp-oil, and joss sticks; and a host of small and inexpensive articles (being the produce of many countries of the globe) that are likely to find ready purchasers amongst a people of simple tastes and small means. very often in the evening when the sun is getting low, the family take their evening meal out of doors on the same verandah. when the meal is over they still squat upon the floor, smoking huge cigarettes of rank tobacco wrapped in the leaf of the banana, and exchanging occasional words or greetings with some friend or acquaintance passing homewards in his boat. these floating structures are comparatively clean, cool, and comfortable, and possess one great advantage over a fixed dwelling upon land, in the fact that, provided the house is the property of the tenant, he may remove to a new locality without any of the inconvenience of an ordinary removal, by the simple process of shifting at the same time both his habitation and all that it contains. it is an amusing and not uncommon sight to see a father and his family, aided by a few muscular friends or relatives, tugging away at ponderous shovel-shaped oars, fastened fore and aft, as they pilot their house through a crowd of smaller craft on their way to settle in some more desirable or convenient locality. [illustration: siamese canoes.] behind the floating houses, either situated on the banks or overhanging the water, are houses built on piles. they are raised sufficiently high to escape the floods that come with the rainy season. their general construction is the same as that of the floating dwellings, but as their inhabitants throw most of their rubbish into the space between the ground and floor instead of into the river, they are by no means such healthy habitations as those that float in the river below. in the river are moored the coasting steamers that carry the rice of siam to singapore or hong-kong, that transport lean cattle to the malay states and archipelago, and bring back goods of european or asiatic manufacture, as well as thousands of chinese coolies for the labour market. there are great norwegian sailing vessels taking in teak, and tank steamers discharging kerosine oil. chinese junks and "lighters" pass slowly by with heavy, yellow, mat-like sails, bearing cargo to the island in the gulf, where it will be transferred to the larger steamers. on the prow of every junk is painted a big wide-open eye, whose powerful optical properties are supposed to aid the vessel in steering a safe and speedy course. says the chinese maritime philosopher, "no have got eye; how can see?" there are no siamese junks or steamers, for the trade of the country is in the hand of foreigners, who, for commercial purposes, use either the steamers that owe their design and construction to modern invention, or else the huge unwieldy junks that the conservative chinese crews would be exceedingly loth to relinquish. the teak that is exported, is sent down to the capital from the northern forests in the shan uplands around chiengmai, bound together in cumbersome rafts. after passing through the perilous rapids of the meping, they are stopped at the customs station at raheng, and duties are there levied upon them. they are then allowed to drift with the current and are steered with a number of perforated, rudder-like oars fastened at both ends of the raft. in the centre there is always a little temporary hut rudely fashioned out of a few branches and leaves. some member of the crew will generally be found taking a comfortable nap therein. [illustration: chinese trading junk.] fiery little steam-launches tear across the river, whistling, shrieking, rushing like so many water fiends, half swamping or upsetting many of the smaller boats in their swell. tiny mites of children paddle freely and easily along in tiny cockle-shell canoes, without any signs of fear or hesitation. they easily avoid the big "fire-boat," and guide their craft into the swell in order that they may enjoy the fun of riding upon the miniature waves. the most common form of boat to be seen on the river is the native gondola, or "rua-chang". it is used for purposes of business or pleasure, but it is rapidly losing its popularity as a ferry boat owing to the introduction of the more rapid little steam-launches. both sexes are employed as gondoliers. they stand to their work with one foot upon the edge of the boat. their oars are fastened loosely to a small piece of wood near one end, and the boat is propelled with long graceful sweeps of the oar, by a method that no european has ever yet been able to acquire. they turn about with amazing rapidity, or preserve a straight course from point to point, with but little apparent effort on the part of the boatman, and with no seeming variation in the movement of the oar. as a matter of fact, the whole work of steering or of turning is done by a peculiar twist given to the oar at the end of the stroke, but so deftly is the motion made that in the smaller boats it is practically invisible. the ease and gracefulness with which the siamese gondolas skim across the waters, is in pleasing contrast to the ugly jerky motion of the boats that serve the same purpose in the rivers and harbours of china, and represents a degree of skill on the part of the oarsmen, probably unattained by any other boatmen in the world. long "dug-outs", mere hollowed-out trunks of trees, sunk to the water's edge with a heavy freight of rice, fruit or vegetables, are paddled along by two men, one at each end. they squat on their haunches on flat projecting ends whose superficial area is about eighteen square inches. in the early morning, the priests paddle themselves from house to house in long narrow canoes, with their alms-bowls deposited on the floor in front of them, for when they put on the yellow robe, they do not put off their aquatic attainments. moored in every available inch of space are the house-boats in which thousands of the inhabitants spend the whole of their lives. they are born in the boat, are reared aboard, and are only taken permanently ashore when life is ended. generally speaking, these house-boats are wide in the beam, and possess a deck whose planks are removable in order that cargo, clothes, and provisions may be stored underneath. in the centre is the house, consisting of the deck for a floor, and an elliptical plaited rattan shell for walls and roof. a small sliding framework of light wood or matting projects from one end of the house to the stern end of the boat, and bears a number of removable curtain-like frames around the sides, so that the steersman is well protected from wind and rain. in these boats a whole family may be gathered together, from grandfather to grandchild. there is but little room for exercise, and they sleep close together, side by side, like sardines in a box, yet they always seem happy and contented. every home contains a small altar to buddha, with a seated image of the saint himself placed thereon. this they delight to decorate with flowers and bundles of incense sticks placed in blue and white china vases. the poorest always manage to spare a few coppers on festive occasions to re-decorate and adorn their domestic idol. if there are any chinese on board, their presence is indicated by a number of red prayer-papers bearing mystic symbols in black and gold, stuck here and there upon the roof and walls of the cabin. rice is brought from many places inland, in a boat of very similar appearance and construction, but in this case, there is practically no room for anyone but the crew, as the central house-like portion is filled to the roof with the valuable grain. round the edge of the boat, through its entire length on both sides, runs a projecting ledge about a foot wide, along which the men walk when they find it necessary to pole their way through shallow water. the external appearance of the boat is materially improved by varnishing it with a common native compound that gives to the wood a bright reddish-brown hue. all such vessels are made in the country from woods found in the native forests, for the people are as clever in building boats as they are in propelling them. a great part of the amphibious population is not resident in the capital. the people live in the country where they till the fields that lie on the banks of the rivers or canals, in those places where the jungle has been cleared. there they anchor their homes until the time of harvest, when they gather in the fruits of their labour and then proceed leisurely south. on arriving at bangkok, they dispose of their cargo, take a short holiday, visit their friends, see the sights of the city, and finally return to their fields, gardens, orchards again, taking with them quantities of kerosine oil, cheap prints, matches, and many small articles of domestic use. the water population is complete in itself, and is perfectly independent of its terrestrial neighbours in every way. it has not only its own houses and shops, its water omnibuses and hansoms, but even its floating restaurants and pedlars. the restaurant is contained in a fairly small canoe, but it is surprising what a quantity of cooking apparatus and what a varied assortment of food the _chef_ manages to carry. he passes from house to house, from boat to boat, boiling and cooking as he goes, and easily disposes of his curries and boiled rice. [illustration: "can i give you a lift, reverend fathers?"] the river has its own police, with duties corresponding to those of their brethren ashore, but they wear, instead of a battered helmet, a neat white or blue cap, on whose black ribbon is printed in gold letters the words that describe their particular functions. both the water and the land policemen are called "polit", the word being a modification of our own word "police" according to a rule of pronunciation in the native language, according to which all final consonants of the nature of 's' are pronounced as 't'. there is a water market, but unlike the land market which remains open all day, this one opens and closes before the sun has risen very high. scores of boats are massed together in one compact crowd. each boat is sunk to the gunwale with piles of fruit or fish. the occupants barter and bargain with the same incessant deafening noise of shouting, laughing, and swearing that is characteristic of all markets the world over. the women wear flat-topped hats made of leaves, which slope outwards from the crown, and are stuck on their heads by a circular frame-work of cane placed inside. boats pass in and out of the crowd without accident or trouble, and though not an inch of water is to be seen from the edge of the throng, the market gardeners, fishermen and florists never lose any of their merchandise as they move in some mysterious fashion from one spot to another. even if a boat were upset, nothing more serious than the loss of its freight would be likely to occur. the owner would never be drowned. he would simply turn his vessel over again, climb over the side, and paddle off home. yet many of these canoes are so light and small, and float in such a condition of unstable equilibrium, that no european could either get into one of them, or, if the boat were held until he were seated, take a couple of strokes in one without falling overboard. there is, however, only the remotest possibility of any native being drowned as the result of being capsized, for the whole nation may be described as a nation of swimmers. whether in the water or on the water they are in perfect safety. little children, long before they can walk, are thrown into the water by their mothers, who fasten under their arms a tin float that always keeps the head above water. the wee brown dots splash and splutter about in the lukewarm current of the river, involuntarily learning the correct action of the limbs in swimming, and gaining an acquaintance with this element that ever afterwards prevents any feeling of fear. in this way many children learn to swim almost as soon as, if not before, they can walk. the boys early learn to paddle their own canoes, and they have invented a number of water games that are possible only among children educated in this fashion. occasionally a party of them will get into a long narrow boat, and crowd together until the water is just on the point of entering. then with a few gentle strokes with a paddle, they urge it forward, the water flowing in with every stroke. as soon as they feel it sinking beneath them, they roll out into the canal or river, turn the canoe up again, slowly but deftly climb in one by one, and then off once more to repeat the fun. at certain seasons of the year boat races are held at the little island at the mouth of the river, on which stands the temple previously described. in these races no consideration is paid to "fouls." the object of each crew is to reach the winning-post first, and any crew is allowed to prevent its opponents attaining that desirable end, by any means they care to employ. the consequence is that the first part of the race resolves itself into a series of "ramming" manoeuvres. there is a fierce struggle between the rival crews who try to upset each other. the intensest excitement prevails amongst the spectators as two boats near each other, and they watch the manoeuvring with breathless interest until one of them is upset, when cheers break out in encouragement of the winners, who strain every nerve to reach the goal before their opponents can once more get aboard their craft and so continue the contest. women as well as men take part in the sports, both sexes being equally skilful in any sport or amusement of an aquatic nature. soon after sunset the river clears considerably, for these water-folk rise and retire with the sun. they shut up the front of their houses, and then lie down to sleep through the long hot night as peacefully and securely in their floating cradles as any of those who live upon land. chapter iii. the children. the lives of the children of the east are surrounded by a number of time-honoured rites and ceremonies of an imposing but superstitious character. the infant is a priceless gift from the beneficent gods, and its life must be ordered in accordance with the curious superstitions invented of old by the legendary deities of its forefathers. the infant is at once a source of pride, for it is a mark of heavenly favour, and of hope, for it shall, if good luck befall it, hand down its father's name unto another and a later generation. whatever ritual has been devised aforetime as tending to bring long life and prosperity unto the new-born child, must therefore be observed with great pomp and careful attention to minute but important details. and lastly, the oriental child causes its parent to reveal certain features in his character that otherwise lie hidden and unobserved. the fiercest hindoo is the most tender-hearted of men when his little loved one lies sick; the fat, stolid, wooden-headed chinaman becomes a lively youngster himself as he tosses his crowing chuckling babe aloft; and the genial, gentle siamese is never so winning as when caressing the hope of his house. siamese children exhibit in their earlier days the best qualities of their race to a very high degree. the hindoos instituted ten "samskã¢ras" or rites, the due performance of which, was supposed to ensure to the child freedom from all evil influences. now the original siamese as they travelled south from the slopes of the tibetan mountains, came into contact with the hindoo civilisation and religion, and adopted therefrom their religious beliefs and many of their social customs. owing to the absence of reliable written historic records in siam itself, the mass of the people have long since forgotten where and how most of their ceremonial practices originated, but the learned amongst them have little difficulty in pointing out both their primary source and their latter-day modifications. the ten auspicious rites that encompassed the life of the hindoo child, began with its birth, and ended with one imposing pageant more important and far-reaching in its effects than any of the nine that had preceded it, and marking very definitely the end of the period of childhood. one month after birth occurred the ceremony of shaving the first few hairs of the new-born, and about the same time, a rite somewhat similar to that of christening was observed, when the child received its first but temporary name. these two ceremonies still exist in siam, but six of the original ones have disappeared. amongst those that have thus been lost are the rite of ear-boring, which occurred about the third year and which still survives amongst the laos and the burmese; the rite of training the child to eat rice; the rite of teaching the first footsteps; the rite of speaking the first words; the rite of first putting on the loin-cloth; the rite of taking the first lessons in swimming, which was reserved for princesses; and lastly, the rites of shaving the top-knot and the subsequent investiture of the sacred thread, which form the final links in the chain of ceremonial practices devoted to the little ones. it is obviously impossible therefore to pretend to give any adequate account of the people of this land, without first treating of the life and character of her children, on whose behalf the favour of the spirits of good are so frequently and carefully besought by their anxious parents. considering the number of ritualistic observances that have occurred through successive generations, with the object of obtaining for the young the good-will of the angels, it might reasonably be supposed that if the numerous prayers had been in any way effective, by this time the present generation of children should be enjoying untold benefits, and should be leading lives far superior in their freedom from ordinary mishap or pain, to those of children not similarly descended. it would puzzle any observer, however, to discover in what way they are more tenderly cared for by the celestial dispensers of desirable things, than are other children. they cannot be described as differing in any very essential particulars from their little brothers and sisters in other lands. it is true that they have not the keen perception of truth, the chivalrous sentiment of honour, or the dogged industry which are common to some extent to most european children; but they have a respect for the aged, for their parents, and for all those set in authority over them that might well be copied by the democratic children of the west. in their behaviour towards their parents and their priests they stand as excellent exemplars of reverence and obedience. the respectful manner they adopt in their dealings with all who may be presumed to control them, renders the work of any teacher in siam a moderately light one. insubordination or impertinence is unheard of. the oft-debated question of corporal punishment is here solved by the character of the children themselves. schools can be managed without canes, hard words, or severe punishment of any description. discipline, the first and chief goal that the european teacher strives to obtain, is here produced by merely wishing for it. the term "kroo" or "teacher" is a title that commands respect from parents and scholars alike, and they invariably use it in addressing him on all occasions and in all places whether public or private. the only teachers for years were the priests, even as the majority are to-day, and it seems as though in transferring the office of pedagogue from priest to layman, they have transferred also a portion of that atmosphere of reverence that is ever associated with the priesthood. the siamese in this respect may be said to have reached a higher level than their whiter brethren, inasmuch as they recognise in an outward and visible manner, that the teacher of religion and the instructor of the young are both engaged in the same grand work of mental and moral progress. siamese children, especially the little girls, are exceedingly pretty, rivalling, if not excelling, all the other beauties of the east, japan included. they are very merry, continually contented, easily pleased and most unselfish in their dealings with one another. their almost absolute lack of selfishness is one of the most pleasing features in their very lovable characters. the boys at school lend their property to their fellow-scholars with the greatest readiness. watches, knives, pencils, and other schoolboy treasures circulate sometimes to such an extent that one is inclined to fancy they must be common property; and, greatest test of pure good-nature, they even lend their bicycles to each other. they are, however, early tainted with the national vices, vices that flourish more particularly in hot climates and luxurious soils. it will be wise, however, to make no attempt to describe these more mature characters until some one can lay down a code of moral virtue which shall be absolutely applicable to all people at all times. it will be safer to consider only the younger children at a time of life preceding the period when sensual enjoyments begin to enchain both mind and body. upon the birth of the child, a big fire is made by the side of the mother, who at this time forsakes her bed and lies on a long narrow flat board. a fruit supposed to possess protective properties is scattered round or under the house, and a cord is twined round the exterior of the dwelling, which has been blessed by the priests and which also serves the same purpose of keeping off those evil spirits who would otherwise enter and carry away the life of the child. the interior of the room is like a furnace, and it is to be feared that under these conditions, the evil spirits that haunt the sites of defective ventilation do only too often accomplish their fatal object. for three days, several old women attend the mother and make offerings to the powers whose influence is beneficial. this they do by making three balls of rice and then throwing them in three lucky directions. it is said that every new-born babe bears as its first name the word "dang", which means "red". if this be so, then the mother or nurse speedily turns her attention to the best means of rendering the term singularly inaccurate, for instead of allowing the child to retain its original and natural colour, she immediately rubs it all over with a yellow paste whose chief constituent is turmeric powder. the baby presently appears as if it were suffering from a very severe and expansive attack of jaundice. this process of 'yellowing' is popularly supposed to keep away mosquitoes. it is not confined to red babies, but cats and dogs may often be seen who have received the same treatment. it is a common sight to see a couple of toddling yellow children engaged in teasing or amusing an equally yellow specimen of the canine or feline family. for several years no clothes are worn, so that their health is never injured or their comfort marred by unsanitary garments. they are frequently adorned with massive gold or silver bracelets and anklets, and wear a little silver shield fastened in front of the body by a string of beads passed round the loins. the shield is merely an ornament and plays no indispensable part in their metallic apparel, for when it is once lost, it is seldom replaced, though the string of beads may persist for some months afterwards. the amount of wealth possessed by the poor in the shape of ornaments must be enormous, for almost every child bears somewhere on its body a heavy piece of gold or silver. until the child can walk it passes its life under the same system of treatment usually accorded to human beings at this tender age. it is nursed and petted by its mother, talked to, made a fuss of, presented to uninterested visitors, and generally tormented by the same excess of demonstrative affection which mothers of every colour lavish upon their own offspring. at a very early stage in its existence it is transferred with solemn ceremony from the wicker basket in which it has lain since its birth to a cradle peculiar to siam. the cradle consists of a strong oblong rectangular frame-work at the top and a flat narrow board at the bottom. the two are connected round the four sides by a network made of strong twine. it is suspended from the rafters of the roof by four strong cords. it is swung, not rocked, and the mother or sister of the babe will sit tailor-fashion on the floor for hours at a time contentedly chewing betel-nut, or chanting monotonous siamese gregorians in a low plaintive tone, at the same time swinging the cradle gently to and fro by a long rope. when the baby is taken for an airing it is carried by some female member of the household, who places it on her hip and supports it with one arm. this method of carrying the child is said to be a healthy one for the baby, but it must be a fairly unhealthy one for the nurse, who has always to walk at an angle with the ground, suggesting the appearance of the tower of pisa, while the baby is wedged, cross-legged, between the firm pressure of the supporting arm and the bended body. passing over the period which elapses between lying in the cradle and learning to walk, we next find these little eastern street-arabs following their own sweet wills in the roads and alleys or on the canals of their native town or village. they are perfectly free and independent, and are given up to the educative influence of nature in a way that would have satisfied rousseau himself. the boys still remain unclothed; they scamper along the roads, driving young bullocks; sit on the backs of tame buffaloes as they plough the rice fields; steal bananas; climb trees for cocoa-nuts; smoke enormous cigarettes; paddle their own canoes; never bother their heads about getting home in time for meals; lie down in shady places to rest; never read books; do not know the inside of a school, and spend the whole day according to their own ideas of amusement. if they want to play, they play; if they desire to sleep, they have but to lie down in the first convenient spot, when they attain the desired condition with a rapidity that is to be greatly envied. gloves, ties, collars, neat pockets, untorn coats, unsplit boots and other abominations never cause the siamese boy a moment's anxiety. if he wears any hat at all, it is a nice light roomy sort of structure discarded by its original owner several years before, and in such a condition of decay, that an occasional fall into the water or mud does not affect either its value or its usefulness. at a later date he begins to wear clothes. he dresses like his sister, wearing a cool airy garment consisting of a single long strip of cloth of some bright colour, fastened round the waist and draped about the legs. it hangs loosely about the knees and resembles a pair of knickerbockers. there are no buttons, tapes, pins, or suspenders, and he requires little training in the art of fixing his single garment so that it will remain permanently in the required position. he wears no shoes or stockings, the use of such luxuries being restricted to the upper classes. the upper half of the body is left bare, except when, in accordance with a fashion of very recent date, a white linen jacket is worn. all girls wear either this jacket or else a coloured scarf wrapped tightly round the breast. the smarter ones wear both scarf and jacket, but amongst the lower classes, the majority of the women leave their bodies uncovered above the waist after the birth of the first child. all ranks of society are passionately fond of finery, and adorn themselves as well as they can possibly afford. the native rings are set with native stones, but the workmanship is very rude. when money is not available for the purchase of jewellery, flowers are obtained. as their clothes possess no collars with button-holes in which the floral decorations can be placed, they stick them behind the ear. a day's life with one of these children is spent after the following fashion. he rises at early dawn and goes at once to the nearest water to bathe. he has no acquaintance with soap, but pours abundant water over himself with basin or bucket. the refreshing operation finishes with a plunge in the stream, after which he either lies down, or runs about till he is dry. a breakfast of rice, salt fish, and fruit, eaten from brass or earthenware dishes, with his fingers, is the prelude to the day's enjoyment. he next devotes all his energies to getting through the day. he accomplishes the task set before him by alternate intervals of sleep or play. he is a faithful disciple of isaac walton. a bit of stick and a fibre of rattan are sufficient tackle with which to capture a few fish out of the thousands that swarm in the waters. at low tide, when many of the canals are mere valleys of mud, a whole tribe of children descend into the slimy deposit, and push coarse sieves into the mud in the attempt to catch prawns. the captured creatures are placed in stone jars. when weary of the sport, or when the jar is filled with prawns, they vary the nature of their amusement by pelting each other with mud. it is simply snow-balling transformed. they stand about in the slippery mess, and make little pellets of soft mud. these they fling at each other with an aim remarkable for its invariable accuracy. when sufficiently tired and dirty they get away to the nearest water, take a turn or two, and then come up to dry. they delight in witnessing extreme activity in other creatures. a cock fight or a general battle amongst the pariah dogs is a source of great amusement. at night they search for crickets. when they have collected a large number they place them, two at a time, in small jars made of mud and baked hard in the sun; the two crickets are urged to engage in warfare by the skilful application of small pointed pieces of wood. the battle which ensues evokes their hearty appreciation. they catch fighting fish, feed them with mosquito larvã¦, and then train them to fight. after a proper course of training the fish become extremely pugnacious, and will even make fierce attacks upon their own images as seen in a looking-glass placed by the side of the bottle in which they are imprisoned. as a general rule, siamese youths are keen spectators of anything of a combative character. and yet amongst themselves they are extremely peaceful and unquarrelsome. supposing them all to be sent to school, it may be safely predicted that there would be fewer fights in a whole generation of scholars than an english school knows in a year. uncoloured pictures have no charm for them, for an ordinary drawing in black and white is utterly incomprehensible to them. all native drawings, with their strange disregard of the laws of perspective, are executed in colours. they do not instantly recognise photographs of the streets and buildings with whose appearance they are perfectly familiar, and they will as often as not view them upside down. the power to appreciate black and white is, however, merely dormant, as is shown by the fact that the few children who attend the anglo-vernacular schools speedily learn to take an intelligent interest in the drawings and reproductions of photographs published in the english illustrated papers. they are very clever in the art of making bouquets and weaving garlands of flowers. on festive occasions, the houses are festooned from end to end with long rope-like strands of small blossoms fastened together with wonderful skill. on every head a little tuft of hair is allowed to grow in the centre of a shaven crown. this is removed at a certain period, with an imposing and important ritual. they make excellent scholars, for they are very bright and intelligent. only a mere handful of the population attend any school regularly, but all those who hope to obtain any government employment must at least learn to read and write. those that do attend the schools learn to draw accurately and neatly after very little practice. they need no teaching with regard to modelling in clay, their representations of elephants in particular being beyond criticism. all ordinary school subjects are rapidly acquired by them, and they are adepts in the acquisition of a foreign language. they learn to read, write, and speak english in the anglo-vernacular schools in about three years, with great ease and fluency. many boys will speak in english concerning the common events of their daily lives after a few months' tuition. they are helped in this matter by their wonderfully retentive memories which enable them to remember a large number of words and idioms. there is no "esprit de corps" in any school, unless it is cultivated by the master in charge. it can be easily developed up to a certain point for just the same reason that the adoption can be ensured of certain rules and maxims in the schoolboy's code of honour, not so much on account of the intrinsic value of the maxim or the rule itself, as because it has been put before them as a european custom. it is therefore to be imitated if they wish to appear "up to date." in speaking to their teachers, no matter what their relative ranks in life may be, they invariably use that form of the pronoun "i" which signifies that they consider themselves as occupying a lower position than the person spoken to. they abhor long holidays, but like to take odd days by fits and starts whenever they feel so inclined. unpunctuality is a common fault unless firmly opposed. cricket and football have been introduced at one of the schools and have become fairly popular, but the climate is really too hot for such vigorous forms of athletic activity ever to flourish except amongst a few enthusiasts. inquisitiveness is politeness, and it is rather bewildering to the english teacher new to his work, especially when he is constantly questioned as to his age, the price of his watch, the amount of his salary, or the date when he last had his hair cut. the school satchel does not seem to have become popular, most scholars carrying their belongings tied up in a manchester-made handkerchief. boys of the higher classes are attended by their servants, who carry these articles for them, and at times, even carry the owners also. in the intervals of playtime they smoke. each boy carries his own tobacco-pouch, matches, and tobacco, and is an adept at rolling cigarettes. they are thoroughly unselfish as regards the disposal of their smoking material, and a cigarette will be circulated amongst a group of friends, each one taking a whiff or two and then handing it on to his neighbour. if the weed is unfinished when the school bell rings, they calmly extinguish it, stick it behind the ear, penholder fashion, and return to class. they are affectionate, cheerful, respectful, delightful fellows to play with or work with, and offering to the observant master many interesting examples of the gradual development of mind and character under a rational system of teaching. [illustration: mother and child.] in a land where superstitious practices abound, the children are sure to have more than an ordinary belief in goblins and ghosts. the belief in divers supernatural beings of evil or good intent is powerfully implanted in every adult mind. in the case of the children every natural phenomenon, every event of their lives is to them under the control of some invisible spirit. they have a profound belief in their marvellous fairy tales, and many of them never grow out of this extreme condition of credibility during the whole of their existence. they cling to their mystic interpretations of natural phenomena, with such force, that in the schools that have been recently founded, the attempts to teach the elements of natural science have been made under rather disheartening circumstances. the children are perfectly certain that thunder is exactly what their name for it denotes, "the sky crying." there is a horrible giant of great strength and furious temper who leads a very quarrelsome life with a cantankerous wife, and when he grumbles and growls at her various iniquities, the echo of his voice comes in cries from the sky. when in fits of violent anger he hurls his ponderous hatchet at his spouse, it strikes the floor of heaven, and a thunderbolt falls. when the broad flashes of lightning play at hide-and-seek amongst the dense black masses of cloud during the wet months of the rainy season, they say a woman is flashing a mirror in the air, or according to another interpretation, the angels are amusing themselves by striking fire with bricks. the falling stars are produced when frolicsome spirits in their sportive moods pitch torches at each other. when the giant crab comes up out of his hole in the deep parts of the sea, he bears up the waters on his back, and the tide flows; when he retires again, it ebbs. sometimes the angels in heaven all take it into their heads to have a bath at the same time, and as a consequence they splash the water over the sides of the bath, and the rain falls. another theory states, however, that the rain is caused by a huge fish a thousand miles long, who with his mighty tail furiously lashes the waters of the deep. the most poetical of all these superstitions is that which ascribes the origin of the winds to the voices of the babies who have departed this life. not only children, but thousands of the grown-up men and women hold firmly to these beliefs in spite of all the scientific explanations that are given to them. quite recently a debate was held at the bangkok literary institute on "what is the shape of the world?" the ecclesiastical portion of the audience, who were mostly natives, fought tooth and nail for the flatness of our planet, and though one or two of their own countrymen argued very forcibly against their notions, when the final vote was taken there was quite a large majority opposed to the theory of "round like an orange." one of the teachers was giving a lesson to his class one day on this very subject. his scholars promptly informed him that the world was flat. he further learned that it would take two hundred years to travel round it at the rate of two hundred miles a day, and that somewhere within the circumference of this pancake-shaped planet there is a mountain called mount meru, which is eight hundred and forty thousand miles high, bearing upon its summit the realms of heaven. he explained that the world was round, and was greeted by the remark, "why, that can't possibly be, for if the world were round the water would all roll off." as there are no scientific terms in the language, and as all attempts to explain why the water did not roll off would have been utterly beyond the comprehension of the young minds of his scholars, he was rather non-plussed. he did his best, however, and believed that, by his earnestness in pressing home his point, he had at last made them accept, even if they did not understand, the fact. by way of recapitulation at the close of his lesson he asked one who had shown intense incredulity, "what shape is the world?" the boy stolidly replied, "the teacher says it is round." in their fairy tales they demand episodes of the most marvellous character. an englishman once read to some siamese boys the story of "jack the giant killer," thinking it might interest them. to his great surprise they listened with the greatest indifference to his narrative. on being questioned as to whether they liked the story or not, one boy replied, "it isn't fierce enough;" and further, by way of illustrating what he considered satisfactory in this class of fiction, he related how a siamese hero met the whole of his enemies banded together against him in a deep ravine. the hero went towards them single-handed, and just when the assembled foes were calculating upon a triumphant victory, he quietly took up the mountains to the right and left of him, in the hollows of his hands, brought them rapidly together, annihilated the multitude with one stroke, and then unfatigued, replaced the mountains upon their bases once more. in some cases their superstitions exert a very real influence upon their actions. there are many people who would never dare to utter the words "tiger" or "crocodile" in a spot where these terrible creatures might possibly be in hiding, for fear of directing the attention of the beasts towards themselves. another illustration may also here be given. one of the students in training at the normal college for teachers, was absent for some time. on his return, the principal spoke to him, calling him by the name he had previously been known by. he at once requested that his old name should not again be used, and gave a new one. on enquiring the reason, it was found he had been absent through illness. while lying sick at home, an angel had appeared to his mother in a dream and had warned her that if her son's name were not changed, he would die, as the name he then possessed was an unlucky one for him. his name was immediately changed, and he recovered. at the same time, his cousin lay ill in the same house, and the angel gave a similar warning with regard to this boy's name, but the prophetic voice was in this case unheeded, and the child died. as there is no registry of births or deaths there is practically no trouble in altering a name, and in fact, such alterations are of frequent occurrence. a few years ago the siamese government organised an education department, with the intention of establishing an adequate system of primary education, which was to be followed in due time by a system of secondary education. up to that time the only schools were those in connection with the monasteries. in these schools reading and writing were taught by the priests. though their methods were illogical and their curriculum narrow, it must never be forgotten that most siamese men can read and write their own language, and that the country owes a deep debt of gratitude to these monks who did their best according to their own theories. these schools must in the future be the starting-points for any system of education that would pretend to exercise any influence throughout the country. the work of the education department, as far as progress or reform is concerned, has been, so far, in connection with the establishment of a training college for teachers, the founding of four anglo-vernacular schools for boys, one of which is a boarding-school, and a boarding-school for girls. these have been organised and controlled by europeans and are fairly satisfactory. attached to the training college is a practising school, which is the only good vernacular school in siam. it owes its present excellent condition to the three englishmen who have had it successively under their charge. but undoubtedly the most successful educational institution is the school for girls. it has been more than usually fortunate in possessing a staff of teachers possessing brilliant intellectual attainments, great professional skill, and a deep living interest in everything that tends towards social progress. unfortunately, the vernacular schools have not yet come under european influence, and they still preserve their antiquated methods. only about seven or eight of them are directly under the control of the education department. they possess no furniture, and the children sit on the floor. in one school, the head master has provided a number of old soap and biscuit boxes to act as desks. there are no registers or other records. there is a "code" which contains two standards. it takes a boy from three to four years to pass the first, and comparatively few ever attempt to pass the second. the teachers in these government vernacular schools are not priests, though the schools themselves are usually in some part of the temple grounds. it is to be hoped that in the near future the government will decide upon a thorough re-organisation of these schools, for, when they are properly taught and controlled, they will be very powerful for good, the bright and intelligent character of the scholars rendering all school work eminently successful. chapter iv. the shaving of the top-knot. of all the ceremonies that attend the lives of siamese children none are so important as those connected with the shaving of the top-knot. from their earliest days the whole of the hair is shaved off the top of the head, with the exception of one small tuft that is never touched until it is finally removed with great pomp and ritual. this single lock is daily combed, twisted, oiled, and tied in a little knot. a jewelled pin stuck through it, or a small wreath of tiny flowers encircling it, are its usual adornments. the head, as being the crown and summit of the human body is held in extreme reverence, and it is considered the height of impertinence for one person to touch another's head except when necessity demands. under the tuft there lies, according to the hindoo legend, a microscopic aperture through which the human spirit finds a means of entrance at birth and departure at death, and when ravana, one of the giant kings of ceylon, once carelessly or caressingly laid the tip of his finger upon the hair of the beautiful vedavatti, she turned to him in direst anger, declaring that after such an unwarrantable insult, life was no longer possible to her, and that she would speedily cut off her abundant and outraged locks and then perish in flames before his eyes. the ceremony of tonsure is a very ancient one, and is found existing in many countries separated from each other not only by miles of land and sea, but far more widely divided by different religious and social customs. the priests of isis, the hindoo siva, the roman catholic monks, the candidates for admission to the religious brotherhood of peru--are all examples of the extent to which this ceremony has been practised in many lands, through many years. it figures as a religious observance symbolical of a change of life and purpose; it occurred amongst the chinese originally as a sign of subjection consequent upon a change of masters; and it exists in siam as a civil rite terminating the period of childhood. in all cases it typifies a complete change of condition or purpose--it marks a re-birth. in the case of siamese boys, who must shave the whole of the head before entering the priesthood, the ceremony takes place a year or so before the time when they must each, according to their national custom, don the yellow robe. girls lose their top-knot when they are about eleven or thirteen years of age. in any case it must be removed before they reach the age of puberty, and as many of them reach this condition before or near the thirteenth year, their parents generally keep on the safe side by performing the operation when they are eleven years old. the twelfth year is inadmissible, as twelve, being an even number, is unlucky. when the year has arrived in which it is deemed expedient to cut off the carefully tended lock, the astrologers are consulted as to the appointment of a propitious day. now this is an extremely difficult task, for the day chosen must be one free from any of the numerous evil influences that affect the lives of men. these evil influences have been duly studied and catalogued, and include the powers of innumerable demons and of death. the day must not be one on which sickness is liable to appear; in the heavens above, no constellation bearing a female name must be visible; it must not be a day marked in the calendar as being likely to be visited by thunderbolts, conflagrations, wrecks or loss of life by drowning. then also it must be free from dangers from enemies or wild beasts; or yet again, it must not be a day on which a man may expect severe punishment from his earthly rulers, or death by falling off a tree. even when the auspicious day has been decided after long and laborious calculations, and earnest consultations of old calendars, there yet remains the necessity of choosing a particularly lucky moment on the particularly lucky day. when all these preliminary details have been satisfactorily settled, the date is announced and preparations are made for the celebration of the event with an elaborate and mystic ritual. the house of the parents of the child is cleaned and adorned, a process it never undergoes except on those occasions when it is the scene of the performance of religious ceremonies. a table is placed to receive the numerous offerings which will be freely made on the auspicious day, and a gilded image of buddha is placed reverentially on an altar and surrounded with candelabra bearing waxen tapers, with incense sticks in china vases, with wax flowers and the sacred vessels used during the celebration. around this decorated altar a hallowed circle is formed with certain utensils deemed especially important and holy. it includes within its circumference, a bench or table on which are placed several vessels of gold and silver, and the bowls of water which will be afterwards consecrated by means of a number of formulã¦ recited by the priests from the sacred buddhist or brahminical texts. the mystic conch-shell, and the shears and razors complete the holy ring. there are three pairs of scissors, the handles of one pair being of gold, of another of silver, and of the third of an alloy of copper and gold. on another stand about as high as the level of the eye of a man of average height, are placed several offerings of dainty food in small saucers made of plaited leaves. these are for the refreshment and propitiation of the tutelary deities of the place, to whom, and to the shades of the dead, the brahminical astrologers make oblations and prayers at the rate of about two shillings and four pence per day. a curiously-shaped throne is next erected. it is a raised square dais with four slender posts, one at each corner, which lean towards each other at the top, and support a frail canopy. the whole structure is first covered with white cloth, and then draped with curtains of white gauze and cloth of gold. it is on this throne that the candidate sits to be bathed with consecrated water when the top-knot has been removed. during the initial stages of the proceedings it bears a nine-storied pagoda. the pagoda tapers towards the summit and is of very frail material. the corner stays are made of the mid-ribs of the plantain leaves, and each story is formed of strong fibrous leaves. on each stage there are nine square dishes also constructed of leaves. they hold a number of sweetmeats and foods that are supposed to be particularly palatable to the god ketu. this deity is of a kindly and beneficent disposition, and, if properly worshipped, rewards his devotees by endowing them with long life and prosperity. hence all these preliminary preparations in order to entreat his presence on this important occasion. along the corner stays are stuck incense sticks, tapers, and flags of a peculiar pattern. the preparations are completed by surrounding the whole house with a protective cord or thread made of unspun cotton. the thread is attached at one end to the dais erected for the monks, passes over the altar, is twined round the bowls containing the water to be consecrated, is carried round the exterior of the house, and is then brought back to the hall, where it ends in a small ball, ready to be tied to the top-knot of the child. it is supposed to be efficacious in keeping out all evil spirits or other influences that would in the absence of any such consecrated barrier, force an entrance to the hall of ceremonies and render nugatory the performance of the various rites. a similar cord may be seen at times round the palace or city walls, serving a similar purpose. on the appointed day, the floor of the house is covered with mats or carpets, and a dais is prepared for the monks who are to be present. it is raised above the level on which all ordinary mortals will sit, and is covered with fine white cloth. pillows with embroidered triangular ends are prepared for the monks to lean against, and spittoons, bowls of water, and trays of tea-cups and betel-nut are placed before each pillow. there are usually seven or nine monks, but even when their number is more or less than this, it is never by any chance an even one. at the side of the platform a gong is hung from a tripod stand. this gong plays an important part in the subsequent proceedings, for it is used to mark the end of each successive stage of the ritual. every relative and friend is invited, and each of the guests is expected to bring a present either of food or money. the more people are invited, the more profitable does the ceremony become to the candidate and his parents. if the people are poor, they can always borrow the gold and silver utensils that are required from some wealthy friend or relative, for it is the custom on these occasions for help to be freely requested and as freely rendered. about three or four in the afternoon of the first day the monks and friends arrive. as the first monk enters the house, one stroke is given to the gong. the arrival of the second monk is announced by two strokes, the third by three, and so on. it is customary amongst the lower classes to wash the feet of each priest on his entrance into the house. a basin of water is thrown over his feet, after which they are dried with a towel. when the priests are all seated, tea is poured out for each of them. while they are refreshing themselves the band in attendance strikes up a lively tune, the visitors at the same time seating themselves upon the floor in readiness for the first item on the official programme. in the meantime the child is being robed and otherwise adorned. he wears a full gala dress and is loaded with costly ornaments. the skirt is of rich brocade, and the cape round the shoulders is of gold filigree set with precious stones. heavy gold and jewelled bangles are placed upon the wrists and ankles, and armlets of similar value encircle the arms. in certain cases a triple gold chain is placed over the left shoulder and under the right arm. sometimes the child is so heavily weighted with these valuable ornaments that he is unable to walk without support. a coronet or wreath surrounds the top-knot. he bears in his hands a charm on which are written several sentences of protective import. in this way a further precaution is taken against the intrusions of undesirable visitors from the supernatural world. two household priests of the brahmin faith precede the child as he comes forth from the inner apartments to meet the assembled guests. they scatter in front of them flowers and parched rice as an offering to those celestial beings whose favours and influence they desire. behind these, comes another couple, one blowing the conch trumpet and the other vigorously agitating the hour-glass-shaped tabor. a musical outburst greets their appearance, while the smiling faces of every one present afford encouragement and sympathy to the nervous subject of the trying ordeal. the child proceeds to the dais, raises his hands, palm to palm, to his forehead and bows his head to the ground in obeisance to the monks. he repeats his salutations three times; at the third time, placing his head on a cushion on the floor of the dais. he remains in this prostrate condition until the end of that portion of the ritual which is celebrated on the first day. the priests now take the protective cord in their hands, and the monk of highest rank ties the loose end of the thread to the top-knot. then a member of the family crawls on hands and knees to the raised platform, and with bent head and uplifted hands, beseeches the monks to recite the five daily precepts of abstinence. in a monotonous gregorian kind of chant, the assembled priests then intone these five precepts, asking buddha to keep them that day from all destruction of life, from thieving, from impurity, from lying, and from intoxicating liquors. the guests repeat them solemnly after the priests, and by so doing bind themselves to a faithful observance of them for that day at least. a number of texts are next recited by the priests in the same monotonous kind of chant. at the end of each text, three strokes are given to the gong. when the recital is finished, the candidate rises from his prostrate position and leaves the room in the same way that he entered it, the brahmins scattering offerings in front of him, the gongs, conch trumpets and band combining in one deafening burst of sound to indicate that that day's portion of the ceremonial is over. the texts that are recited are regarded by the people as so many exorcisms against malignant influences, but their real purpose, which has long been forgotten, is more of an instructive character, as they were intended by buddha to teach the people what were the evils against which they were to strive. the day closes with great merriment. old friends tell their own experiences or those of their children on similar occasions; invitations to forthcoming ceremonies are given and accepted; every one feasts and smokes, and then a theatrical performance takes place that lasts long into the small hours of the morning. the whole ceremony is now a complex mixture of both buddhist and brahminical rites, but there is very little difference between the parts enacted by the priests of buddha and those of brahma. the brahminical priests, however, have a special set of chants of their own, and these they repeat during the first day's ceremonies. the object of their prayers is to entreat a number of their own supernatural beings to grant their approval of all that is being done. they appeal to the devas, and to siva sitting on his porpoise. they cry to vishnu as he rides on the back of the serpent king in an ocean of milk; to the four-armed brahma on his golden swan; to the god of the winds riding swiftly in his chariot of clouds; and to indra on his wonderful elephant with the three and thirty heads. they recall to the minds of these deities the past existences of the tonsorial candidate. they remind them of the good actions he has previously performed, and wind up with a powerful and poetic appeal that they will combine to endow the subject of their prayers with a long and prosperous existence. on the morning of the third day, when the actual cutting will take place, the monks arrive at a very early hour, before the sun has risen, but no gong tells of their arrival, nor is any noise of any description permitted, as the spirits of ill must not be awakened or allowed to know that this is the day of the great event. the priests take their breakfast in silence, no band accompanying their repast, with its joyful strains. as the hour of dawn approaches, the brahmins lead in the child. as the particular moment, foretold by the astrologers, draws near, the buddhist priests sing songs to buddha, using the pali, a language which is not understood by the people, relating his many triumphs, and by judicious praise securing his approval. these songs are thought to be extremely efficacious in procuring for the child an abundance of good luck in the future. while the singing is taking place, the top-knot is divided into three locks, each lock being then fastened at the ends. amulets are placed in them, and every precaution is taken to carry out the final act of this, the most important, stage of this important rite, with the strict observance of the minutest detail. any deviation from the prescribed mode of procedure would be fatal to its success. the chanting continues until the actual moment has arrived when the hair must be severed from the head. at the very moment the chants end, the gongs are beaten, and the guest of highest rank takes up the gold-encrusted scissors and quickly snips off one of the three locks. then the two most aged relatives of the child present, take the other scissors, and cut off the remaining tufts. each of the three in turn pretends to shave off the short hairs that are left, after which a skilled barber, with a genuine razor, speedily removes the last trace of the long-cherished appendage, leaving the head perfectly bald. the long hairs are placed in one basin, and the short hairs in another. they are afterwards dealt with in a manner to be presently described. more chanting and gong-beating announce that the performance has been successfully accomplished. there are still other forms to be gone through, the first of which immediately follows the operation of shaving. the offering to ketu is removed from the throne that it has occupied up to the present time, and the shaven-headed child is seated under the canopy on the exact spot previously occupied by the offering to the god. in his hand he holds a powerful charm, which he presses tightly to his breast. the eldest monk, or else the one of the highest rank, takes a portion of the consecrated water and pours it over the head of the child. all the other priests follow suit, and then comes the turn, first, of the relatives, and lastly, of the most distinguished visitors. as the bathing takes place in early morning, the air is generally rather cold, and the candidate is doubtless very much relieved when the last drop of holy water has been thrown over him. when the bathing is over, he retires and changes his costume for the most gorgeous apparel that his friends possess or can borrow. he is dressed in the brightest of colours, adorned with jewels, and then returns to his friends. his first duty is to feed the officiating priests. this he does by first taking to each of them a silver bowl filled with rice, from which he helps each monk to a liberal portion, with a carved wooden ladle inlaid with mother of pearl. having served out the rice, he takes trays of sweetmeats and fruit, going and returning on his knees, and prostrating himself before each monk in turn. music again accompanies the feast, and at its conclusion the priests chant a song of thanksgiving, and give their blessing to the child. in the afternoon another feast is held, followed by a purely brahminical ceremony of peculiar interest. each person, so say these priests, possesses a "kwun." it is difficult to translate this word into english, and it has been variously rendered as "soul," "spirit," "good-luck," and "guardian-angel." it is supposed to enter and leave the body at different times, and its absence is always indicated by the troubles that immediately visit the person whose corporeal frame it has vacated. now at the time of the tonsure ceremony, great anxiety is felt, as at this time there is great probability that the "kwun" may depart, and so leave the unfortunate child a hopeless wreck in after life. the purpose of the subsequent ceremonies is to recall this mysterious being, should he by any chance have departed, and then to fix him so securely in the body of the child that ever afterwards he may be sure of possessing the subtle, fickle phantom. no time is wasted before making the attempt to induce the "kwun" to take up a permanent abode. a pagoda is erected, and on it are placed several kinds of food known to be favoured by the spirit. this pagoda, several mystic candle-holders, boxes of perfumed unguents, offerings of cocoa-nuts, and an auspicious torch are arranged in a holy circle. in the afternoon, after the "kwun" has had time to enter the charmed ring and satisfy his spiritual appetite with the perfumes of the unguents and the foods, the candidate is led into the centre of the hall and placed near the pagoda. a cloth is thrown over the food in order to confine the spirit and prevent him getting away. all the people present, sit down on the floor, forming a circle, with the child, the captured "kwun" and the priests in the middle. the brahmins now address the spirit, and in a very earnest fashion ask him to come into the child. they tell tales to him, and so try to amuse him, and they entreat him with flattery, joke, and song. the gongs ring out their loudest notes, the people cheer, and the priests pray, and only a "kwun" of the most unamiable disposition could resist the combined appeal. the last sentences of the formal invocation run thus:- "benignant kwun![a] thou fickle being who art wont to wander and dally about! from the moment that the child wast conceived in the womb, thou hast enjoyed every pleasure, until ten (lunar) months having elapsed and the time of delivery arrived, thou hast suffered and run the risk of perishing by being born alive into the world. gracious kwun, thou wast at that time so tender, delicate, and wavering as to cause great anxiety regarding thy fate; thou wast exactly like a child, youthful, innocent, and inexperienced. the least trifle frightened thee and made thee shudder. in thy infantile playfulness thou wast wont to frolic and wander to no purpose. as thou didst commence to learn to sit, and, unassisted, to crawl totteringly on all fours, thou wast ever falling flat on thy face or on thy back. as thou didst grow up in years and couldest move thy steps firmly, thou didst then begin to run and sport thoughtlessly and rashly all round the rooms, the terrace, and bridging planks of travelling boat or floating house, and at times thou didst fall into the stream, creek, or pond, among the floating water-weeds, to the utter dismay of those to whom thy existence was most dear. o gentle kwun, come into thy corporeal abode; do not delay this auspicious rite. thou art now full-grown and dost form everybody's delight and admiration. "let all the tiny particles of kwun that have fallen on land or water, assemble and take permanent abode in this darling little child. let them all hurry to the site of this auspicious ceremony and admire the magnificent preparations made for them in this hall." the brocaded cloth from the central pagoda is now removed, rolled up tightly and handed to the child, who is told to clasp it firmly to his breast and not to let the "kwun" escape. everyone stands up, still forming a ring round the candidate. the mystical torch in the centre is lit; the brahmin takes three candlesticks, each containing three tapers, and lights them at the central fire. with his palms together he raises the nine lights above his head, describes with them a circle in the air, and then with the back of his right hand, wafts the smoke into the child's face. each person in the surrounding group repeats the same actions in turn, and when the last person has finished, the officiating priest takes one betel leaf from the pagoda. a second and a third time is the waving of fire performed, and each time a betel leaf is removed from the stand. after the third time of waving, the priest replaces the candlesticks, and daubs the three leaves with a paste made of the sweet smelling oils and other substances on the different stories of the pagoda. he extinguishes the nine candles by pinching the wicks between the smeared leaves, after which he takes them all in his hands, relights them, once more puts out the flame and blows the smoke in the child's face. he repeats the same mystical operations twice, and at last replaces all the candlesticks. he now dips one finger into the dirty leaves, and with the paste draws a scroll between the child's eyebrows. milk is taken from the cocoa-nuts in a small spoon, and the spoon is presented to each successive layer of the pagoda, as though it were taking a portion of each of the articles placed thereon. the child drinks the milk, and having thus imbibed the food of the "kwun," ensures ultimately the "kwun's" permanent residence in his body. around his wrist is fastened a charmed and magic cord to protect him from those infernal spirits whose vocation it is to tempt the "kwun" to forsake its home. for three nights he sleeps with the embroidered cloth that was taken from the pagoda, fast clasped in his arms. if after three days nothing unfortunate occurs to trouble him, his future welfare is definitely established. it now only remains to dispose of the hairs that were taken from the head on the removal of the top-knot. the short hairs are put into a little vessel made of plantain leaves, and sent adrift on the ebb tide in the nearest canal or river. as they float away, there goes with them also, all that was harmful or wrong in the previous disposition of the owner. the long hairs are kept until such time as the child shall make a pilgrimage to the holy footprint of buddha on the sacred hill at prabat. they will then be presented to the priests, who are supposed to use them for the manufacture of brushes for the sweeping of the footprint; but in reality, so much hair is presented to the priests each year, that they are unable to use it all, so they wait till the pilgrims have departed, when they consume with fire all that they do not require. so important to the individual is this ceremony of shaving the top-knot, that were it omitted in the case of any single person, the unlucky one would believe himself ruled by evil influences for the rest of his life, and would unfailingly attribute every disaster in after-life to the fatal omission of the ceremony. yet there are many people who have neither money themselves, nor friends or relatives from whom they can borrow it. were it not for the kindness of the government, their unfortunate offspring would never be able to enjoy the advantages conveyed to them by the celebration of the tonsorial ritual. the government, however, holds a public ceremony which is less impressive and expensive than the private one, at which all who are too poor to afford the cost of the ceremony at home, may have their heads shaved by brahmin priests gratuitously. each child receives also a present of a small silver coin worth about two-pence. this public function is held immediately after the close of the "swinging festival,"[b] and three or four hundred people annually avail themselves of the opportunity thus afforded them to get their children's top-knots removed. [illustration: mount kailasa, as erected for the hair-cutting ceremonies of h. r. h. the crown prince of siam.] in the case of children of royal birth, the celebrations are of a still more imposing character. the essential details are similar, but various modifications are introduced in order to emphasise the extra importance of the rite to those belonging to the royal family. on these occasions the shaven candidate is not bathed upon a mere canopied dais. in the courtyard in front of the royal palace, a hillock is erected in imitation of mount kailasa, the abode of siva. it is a hollow structure, built up of plaited bamboo, supported on poles, and covered with tinsel. upon the summit of this artificial hill is a central pavilion beautifully gilt, elaborately decorated, and adorned with tapestry and cloth of gold. a fence of prescribed pattern encloses the pavilion. it is an open framework with small rhomboidal openings, in each of which is hung a small gilded heart-shaped lozenge. conical umbrellas with seven tiers occur at every two or three yards. there are four pavilions, also lavishly decorated, one at each corner of the hill. at one side, an artificial grotto is constructed in which the bathing takes place. in the walls of the grotto are representations of the heads of the horse, the elephant, the lion and the bull. over the entrance appears the head of the hooded snake. these heads are connected with the water-main, and are so placed that the five streams of water from the five mouths all converge to the central spot which the candidate occupies when he takes the bath. the floor of the grotto is a miniature lake in which are placed golden models of water-beetles, fishes and other aquatic creatures. rare flowering plants and ferns complete the internal decorations of the place. a little passage leads thence to the pavilion where the young prince or princess will change his or her attire on the completion of the ceremony. on the ground, four lath and plaster elephants covered with tinsel of different colours, face the four points of the compass. here and there about the hill is a multitude of mechanical toys, plaster casts, waxen flowers, real plants and models of animals. the candidate is carried round the palace each day, with an imposing procession of priests, members of the amazon guard, soldiers and attendants. no other event in the life of any siamese is celebrated with anything like the expense that attends the top-knot cutting, except perhaps a funeral. chapter v. courtship and marriage. although marriage does not follow immediately after the shaving of the top-knot, yet after the important event has taken place, both boys and girls are legally entitled to marry. in the case of the girls, marriage takes place about fourteen, but the men defer their entrance into the matrimonial condition until they are about twenty. every girl gets married sooner or later, so that old maids do not exist. there are about as many ways of attaining the state of matrimony in siam as there are in england. two people may fall in love with each other with the consent of their parents; they may elope without the consent of their parents; or a wife may be bought out and out without any real affection existing on either side. in the methods adopted to secure this most desirable consummation of human happiness, there are several dissimilarities of procedure between the east and the west. if a siamese wishes to go through the ceremony of a strictly regular marriage, he must be prepared to observe a great deal of formality and to experience a great deal of trouble. should he attempt to pay his addresses to the object of his affections in any but the recognised way, he will, if discovered, be suspected of improper motives, and will be liable to suffer personal chastisement at the hands of the young lady's male relatives. a young siamese who is anxious to join the ranks of the benedicts, first chooses amongst the maidens of his acquaintance the particular one to whom he wishes to be allied. if he allowed himself to be guided in this matter by the counsels given in one of the native books, he would consider the reputed character of the lady he desires for his wife, and try to discover to which of seven distinct classes of wives his beloved belonged. there is nothing very remarkable in the remarks of the philosopher who has thus catalogued the several classes of women who are mated with men, but as his classification throws considerable light upon the power, position, and character of siamese women, it is here given in full. 1.--some wives are to their husbands as a younger sister. they look to their husbands for approving smiles as the reward of their kind and affectionate forethought. they confide in him and feel tenderly towards him. and when they have once discovered the wish, the taste, and the ideas of him whose approval they respect, they devote themselves thoughtfully and assiduously to the realisation of his desires. their own impulsive passions and temper are kept under strict control lest some hasty word should mar the harmony of their union. 2.--some wives are to their husbands as an elder sister. they watch sedulously their husband's outgoings and incomings so as to prevent all occasion for scandal. they are careful as to the condition of his wardrobe and keep it always in order for every occasion. they are diligent in preserving from the public gaze anything that might impair the dignity of their family. when their lord and master is found wanting in any particular they neither fret nor scold, but wait patiently for the time when they can best effect a reformation in his morals and lead him towards the goal of upright manly conduct. 3.--some wives are to their husbands like a mother. they are ever seeking for some good thing that may bring gladness to the heart of the man for whom they live. they desire him to be excellent in every particular, and will themselves make any sacrifice to secure their object. when sorrow or trouble overtakes them, they hide it away from the eyes of him they love. all their thoughts centre round him, and they so order their conversation and actions that in themselves he may find a worthy model for imitation. should he fall sick, they tend him with unfailing care and patience. 4.--some wives are to their husbands as a common friend. they desire to stand on an exactly equal footing with him. if ill-nature is a feature in the character of their husbands, they cultivate the same fault in themselves. they will quarrel with him on the slightest provocation. they meet all his suggestions with an excess of carping criticism. they are always on the look-out for any infringement of what they deem their rights, and should the husband desire them to perform any little service for him, he must approach the subject with becoming deference or their refusal is instant and absolute. 5.--some wives wish to rule their husbands. their language and manners are of a domineering nature. they treat the man as if he were a slave, scolding, commanding, and forbidding with unbecoming asperity. the husbands of such women are a miserable cringing set of men. 6.--some wives are of the robber kind. their only idea in getting married is the possession of a slave and the command of a purse. if there is money in the purse they are never satisfied until they have it in their own grasp. such wives generally take to gambling and staking money in the lottery, or purchasing useless articles. they have no care as to where the money comes from or by whose labours it is earned, so long as they can gratify their own extravagant and ruinous fancies. 7.--some wives are of the murderess kind and possess revengeful tempers. being malicious and fault-finding, they never appreciate their own homes and families, and are always seeking for sympathisers from outside. they share their secrets with other men, using their pretended domestic discomfort as a cloak for their own vice and an excuse for their greatest misdeeds. no young man ever imagines that his beloved will fall into any of the undesirable classes, but, deeming her worthy in every respect, he seeks her hand. what the young lady may think concerning his intentions towards herself counts for little or nothing, as the would-be bridegroom never consults her; though if he were desirous that she should return his affections he could attain his desire by purchasing from a fortune-teller or quack, a love-potion, which when taken by the maiden would arouse in her the most passionate longing to become his wife. he does not dare to outrage his national etiquette by asking for her hand direct from her parents, but, with all avoidance of secrecy concerning the state of his affections, he communicates the matter to his friends and to the elders of his own household. they select a rather elderly woman, who must be acquainted with and respected by the girl's parents. she pays a visit to their home, and while engaged in sipping her tea, gently insinuates the purpose of her call. she does this with an art only perfected by long practice, gained in many similar missions. the mother rolls up her reply in a great many vague expressions, the general tone of which can, however, be easily judged by the ambassadress to be favourable or otherwise. nothing very decisive is uttered on either side, but the old lady on her return presents a report upon which after developments arise. if the indications are considered favourable, the parents of the young man choose from amongst their friends a few elderly persons of both sexes, who are respectable and who are also intimate friends of both families. they issue invitations to the selected friends to pay them a visit on a given day. then in a protracted conversation they discuss the match, and decide amongst themselves as to whether it is desirable to enter into definite negotiations with the other parties or not. having pronounced for the match, they choose a lucky day, and then the committee of counsellors repairs to the home of the young lady's parents. these at once understand the object of the visit, and receive the visitors with great politeness, setting before them trays of tea, betel-nut and tobacco. when a sufficient amount of drinking and chewing has been accomplished, the elderly people open up the subject of their mission. they speak with due respect to the parents, and never fail to use exactly the right pronoun that describes their relative positions. the slightest hitch in the extremely delicate negotiations would be fatal to success. the conversation that ensues is of a formal and deliberate character. says one of the visitors, "the parents of ---having ascertained that this is a propitious day, have commissioned us to come and confer with you concerning their son who at present has no wife. his parents have asked him if he had any one in his mind that he would like to take for his wife, and to whom he could trust his life in sickness and his obsequies after death. the young man replied that the only person he had in his mind was your daughter of the name of ----. therefore at the request of the parents of this young man, we are here to visit you, the highly respected parents of this young lady, that we may confer with you in reference to this matter. what do the parents say?" then the parents reply after this wise. "our daughter stands high in our affections, and the young man is also much beloved by his parents. we have an ancient proverb which says, 'move slowly, and you will gain your object; a prolonged effort is usually attended with favourable results.' we will consult our relatives on the right hand and on the left hand and take their counsel and opinion upon the matter. please call again." it often happens that some youthful beauty is sought in marriage by more than one of her love-sick acquaintances, and a choice has to be made. but phyllis is voiceless in this most important matter which so deeply concerns her future welfare. her parents, with due regard to the interests of all concerned, settle the point for her after long and careful consideration. the "go-betweens" wait for what they consider a reasonable time, and then on a lucky day they once more visit the lady. the parents of the maiden have by this time made up their minds, and if they are favourably inclined to the match, they say to their visitors, "we have consulted our relatives, and they are unanimously of the opinion that if the young man sincerely loves our daughter, and if he can place implicit confidence in her as a proper person to tend him in sickness, and direct his funeral ceremonies after death, then we will no longer place any barrier to the attainment of his wishes. but how is it with regard to the ages and the birthdays of the parties? are they such as are suitable to each other?" it takes a little while to answer this question. the siamese have a cycle of twelve years, bearing respectively the names of the rat, cow, tiger, rabbit, major dragon, minor dragon, horse, goat, monkey, cock, dog and hog. one of their prevalent superstitions asserts that persons born in certain years should not marry each other, as any union between them would only be fruitful of endless discord. thus a person born in the "year of the dog" might lead a life of never ending discord with one born in the "year of the rat." when a marriage between two persons is contemplated, this important question of the year of birth must be referred to a fortune-teller, who, being of an obliging disposition, and having a keen eye to business, will, for a small fee, generally pronounce that, so far as the conditions of birth are concerned, there is "no just cause or impediment why the two persons should not be joined in holy matrimony." this difficulty having been satisfactorily settled, another visit follows, when the elders announce the result of their visit to the astrologer. "since birthdays need cause no further delay, what shall be said about the money to be provided for the young couple to commence business on, and the money for building a house for their habitation?" it must here be explained that every intending bridegroom must either possess a house or signify his willingness to erect one. in most cases the new houses are erected if possible upon the premises of the bride's parents, so that, provided a man has many daughters and plenty of land, he may ultimately gather round him quite a small village of descendants. the girl's parents reply, "we are not in any way rich, so that we shall be quite unable to afford much money for the purpose you mention. but we should like to enquire how much the young man is likely to receive from his parents." "that," answer the ambassadors, "depends almost entirely upon the parents of the young lady." they next suggest sums of money which of course vary in amount according to the wealth of the contracting parties. so much is put down as being for use in trade, and so much for building a house. the number of dishes is also specified, that the young man's friends will be expected to contribute towards the wedding festivities. as a rule, they discuss at the same time, the plan of the proposed house, the number of rooms it should contain and the quantity of furniture that should be provided. when all these details have been finally settled, the committee return and report the results of their negotiations. the last preliminary detail is settled by the acceptation of the terms of the contract by the young man's parents. the fortunate lady is now informed that she is about to be married, and the young man is similarly told that he may soon call the desired one his own. he is not allowed to go near her, or to indulge in any form of courtship, but the obliging parents, with every desire to save the pair any unnecessary trouble or excitement, themselves convey all gifts and messages. during the whole time that elapses between the first mention of the marriage until the ceremony itself is actually accomplished, the betrothed pair are supposed never to meet. they have no opportunity of indulging in any of those little marks of affection which are supposed to be the especial weaknesses of young lovers. they are not allowed to be demonstrative after this fashion. kissing is never at any time common, and even when it occurs it seems a very strange operation, for it consists of a vigorous sniff made when the nose is pressed against the cheek of the one so saluted. the mothers at this time guard their daughters with great vigilance, and any approach of the lover to his lass would put an end to all his schemes for future bliss. the erection of the new house is rapidly proceeded with, and owing to the frail character of the structure, the work occupies but a very short time. all arrangements for the wedding are made, and many invitations issued to friends and relatives. the money mentioned in the agreement is paid over to the parents of the bride. it is called "ka nom," or "the price of the mother's milk" with which the bride was nourished in her infancy. a number of gifts are exchanged between the parents, and then the astrologers fix the day for the wedding ceremony. the wedding partakes of the nature of a feast. on the happy day, fruits and sweetmeats are prepared and laid out for the guests. musicians and priests are summoned to the festival. the groom heads a procession to the bride's home, taking with him presents for his bride and for her father and mother. his most intimate friends and a band of musicians accompany him. everyone is in his gayest attire, and the crowd is a medley of orange, yellow, saffron, blue, pink, scarlet and green. when the bridegroom reaches the house he goes to his own new quarters, where he is met by a boy, who brings him a tray of betel-nut sent by his future wife. at the commencement of the wedding ceremony a screen separates him from the lady, and he is not yet allowed to look upon her face. after a certain time spent in feeding, the money provided by both parties is laid upon the ground. the amount is examined in order to test the accuracy and genuineness of the sums deposited. if all is in order, they are sprinkled with rice, scented oil and flowers. the priests offer up a prayer, the screen is removed, and then the couple kneel down to be bathed with holy water. the chief elder pours it first over the head of the bridegroom, and then over the head of the bride, at the same time pronouncing a blessing upon them both. very often the bowing and bathing are dispensed with, and the couple are considered as married as soon as the money is paid over. no registers are signed, and no official record of the event is made. the bride retires to remove her wet clothes, but the bridegroom waits till he receives her gift of a new suit, in which he speedily attires himself. the priests again engage in chanting, and the guests return to their feasting until evening, when they all return to their homes, with the exception of the bridegroom, who hires a band with which to serenade his lady-love until the small hours of the next morning. as yet he has had no conversation with her whatever. on the morning of the next day, the priests and visitors arrive once more, when all busy themselves in waiting upon the monks as they make a hearty and luxurious meal. should this day be a propitious one according to the wisdom of the astrologers, the ceremonies close in the evening. a respectable old couple who are intimate friends of the bride, and are themselves the parents of numerous offspring, go to the new house to make all ready for the homecoming of the newly married ones. the young man goes next, attended by his friends bearing torches. about nine o'clock, a crowd of elderly people escort the bride to her husband's dwelling, where they soon begin to drink tea and chew betel-nut, not forgetting at frequent intervals to give to the young people many wise yet unnecessary counsels. if anything should happen of doubtful omen, the bride is once more taken home again, for she may not take up her residence with her husband except under the most propitious circumstances. the end is reached at last, and the kind and benevolent friends retire to their homes, and leave the newly married couple to make each other's acquaintance. then for the first time do they enjoy the pleasure of each other's company, and there can be no doubt, that no friends were ever so willingly parted with as those whose footsteps are heard last descending the bamboo ladder as they take themselves away into the darkness. after a few days the groom takes his wife to visit his parents. she carries with her several presents, and on reaching the house, prostrates herself to the ground before her new relatives. in a few minutes she is raised by her mother-in-law, who embraces her and treats her with becoming respect and attention. the bride also takes her husband to visit her parents, where the same forms of etiquette are again observed. [illustration: a chinese merchant.] at every wedding feast there are always three metallic plates or dishes containing respectively, chinese cakes, a very highly seasoned kind of mincemeat, and a tray of betel-nut. these three dishes were formerly known collectively, under the name of "the betel-nut tray," and so universal is the custom of providing them, that the wedding ceremony itself is now frequently spoken of by the same name. after the birth of the first child the joint stock is produced and the young couple are set up in business. up to this time their household expenses have been defrayed by the bride's parents. siamese law gives the husband the right to administer a little wholesome chastisement to his wife, should he think she requires it; but such occasions must be of rare occurrence where the women are so good-tempered, and so gentle in their manners. the whole ceremony above described is only observed in the case of the first or chief wife, who always remains the legal head of her husband's household. other wives are merely bought as so much merchandise, all formality being omitted except such as attends the payment of the purchase money. polygamy is extensively practised amongst the higher classes, but it is controlled in the case of the poor by the fact that a man must not have more wives than he can keep. chastity is highly commended by the buddhist religion, but although buddha censured polygamy he did not absolutely forbid it. he did not see his way clear to a thorough prohibition of the practice, and even admits that if a man's wives are properly acquired, he is unable to pronounce it wrong. the practice of only having one wife he strongly commends, and looks upon it as a form of celibacy. no disgrace of any kind is attached to the condition of a subordinate wife, but she does not hold a high social position. very often she inhabits a house separated from that in which the head wife resides. upon the death of the husband, her children are legally entitled to a share of the property, but they do not share on equal terms with the children of the first wife. then too, a bought wife can be sold or given away, while the head wife can only be divorced. it sometimes happens that a man sells one of his concubines, and she takes her children with her if she has any, so that her sons and daughters possess a father and a step-father both living at the same time. there is a very elastic divorce law, and marriages can practically be annulled by mutual consent. in such cases the wife takes away with her all the property she brought to the husband on her marriage, and all she may have since acquired either by trade or purchase. she also retains possession of the first, third, and fifth children. great respect is shown to the condition of motherhood, a wife of low rank with children being of far more importance in the family than even the chief wife should she be childless. the king, the princes, and most--of the noblemen have fairly large harems. the late king had eighty-four children who were the offspring of thirty-five mothers. the possession of a large harem appears to be regarded as an honour to the owner, who glories in his property much after the same fashion as western noblemen take great pride in their private art galleries or libraries. the king has generally one wife who is called the queen. at the present time there are two queens--the first queen and the second queen, both of them being half-sisters of the reigning sovereign. the women of the royal harem, unlike all other siamese women, are under great restrictions as regards their personal liberty. they are known under the name of "forbidden women", that is, women forbidden to leave the palace. they are not permitted to pass beyond their prison walls except with special permission, which is rarely, and only on occasions of extraordinary importance, granted to them. their quarters are called "the inside," and it is not considered polite in siamese society to hold conversation concerning the place or its inmates. into this region no man but the king ever enters. it is a city of women, complete in itself, with its own shops, markets, gaol and policemen. those noblemen or princes who possess handsome daughters are only too glad to present them to their sovereign, for should their children become favourites with their royal husband, honours and promotion will most likely fall to them as a natural consequence. the late king once remarked that he was not particularly anxious to acquire all the youth and beauty of siam himself, but, as so many of her fairest daughters had already been presented to him, he could not possibly refuse similar gifts in future, as he did not wish to offend any of his subjects. the siamese have several amusing reasons for permitting a man to have as many wives as he pleases, while they refuse to grant a like privilege to women folk. woman, they say, is man's inferior, is under his control, and may not be allowed the luxury of possessing two masters. besides, if a woman had several husbands, she would never know who was the father of her children, and the children, not knowing their own father, might possibly at some time or other injure him, or even commit parricide without knowing it. and moreover, there is a remarkable difference in the several dispositions of men and women; men, however many wives they have, and whatever their feelings towards them, would never desire to kill them, but if women had more husbands than one, they would wish to put to death all except the one they liked best, for such is their nature. "there was once on a time a priest, who daily blessed a great king, saying, 'may your majesty have the firmness of a crow, the audacity of a woman, the endurance of a vulture, and the strength of an ant.' and the king, doubting his meaning, said, 'what do you mean by the endurance of a vulture?' and he replied, 'if a vulture and all other kinds of animals be caged up without food, the vulture will outlive them all.' and the king tried, and it was so. then the priest said, 'i spoke of the strength of an ant, for the ant is stronger than a man or anything that lives. no other animal can lift a lump of iron or copper as large as itself, but an ant will carry off its own bulk of either metal if only it be smeared with sugar. also i spoke of the firmness of a crow, for none can subdue the boldness and energy of the crow, however long it may be caged. it can never be tamed. and if the king would see the audacity of a woman, i beg him to send for a couple who have been married but one or two months, and who are as yet, deeply in love with each other. first call the husband and tell him to take this knife and cut off his wife's head and bring it to you, when, as a reward, you will give him half your kingdom and make him viceroy. and if he will not do it, then send for the woman and tell her that if she will cut off her husband's head and bring it to you, you will make her your chief queen and ruler of all the ladies in the palace.' and the king did so. he found a newly married couple who had never quarrelled and were deeply enamoured of one another, and sending for the husband, he spoke to him as the priest suggested. the man took the knife, hid it in his dress, and that same night he rose when his wife slept, thinking to kill her, but he could not, because he was kind-hearted and reflected that she had done no wrong. and the next day he returned the knife to the king, saying that he could not use it against his wife. then the king sent messengers to the wife secretly, and they brought her to him, and he flattered her and enticed her with promises, as the priest had told him. she took the knife, and as soon as her husband slept, stabbed him, cut off his head, and took it to the king. this story shows not only that women are more audacious than men, but also that, if anyone entices or pleases them, they will plot the death of their husbands, which is good reason for not letting them have more than one husband."[c] chapter vi. domestic life and customs. it is an easy matter to obtain some idea of the daily life and surroundings of the poorer inhabitants of siam, for their houses are such open structures that every enquiring eye may gaze therein without any interruption. they spend so much of their time, and pursue so many of their employments in the open air, that even the most casual observer could not fail to rapidly acquire much information concerning their domestic life and customs. in the case of the wealthier classes there is much more privacy. they may be described as living also a kind of double life. their houses are divided into two parts; in one quarter they live their own native life after their own native fashion; in the other portion an attempt is made to reproduce the european style of living. this latter part is the only one shown to the european visitor. he is received in a drawing-room with tables and chairs, piano and pictures; he dines in a room where the dishes are of european pattern, the servants have the habits of european waiters, and the menu contains only such dishes as are known to be palatable to the white man. all the surroundings are of such an unmistakably foreign origin, that the visitor looks in vain for any trace of the life and manners of the native in the house of his wealthy host. were he permitted to pass beyond the bounds set by modern fashion, he would possibly find much to interest and amuse in the real house of the native prince or nobleman. as this is more or less unusual or impossible, he is forced to seek for his information in those poorer dwellings, which the forward march of so-called civilisation has, as yet, left completely untouched. the house-boats which represent the original dwellings of the people have been already described. the land houses are of a very frail and rude character, though not without their own charm and picturesqueness when seen embedded in bowers of tropical foliage. each house represents very strikingly the social grade of its owner, whether it be the low hut of the labourer in which a man of average height may scarcely stand upright, or the brick and stone palace with carpets and electric lights of the prince or nobleman. most of the houses are of wood, and are made of either bamboo or teak. they stand upon wooden platforms about six feet from the ground, being supported in that position by strong teak pillars. teak is used for this purpose not only on account of its strength, but because it is also one of the few woods which are so hard that the destructive little "white ant" leaves it alone. the walls are of teak boards, or else of plaited bamboo. in the latter case the dwelling is light and airy, for the numerous interstices between the strands of wood are left unclosed, thus admitting a plentiful supply of air and light. the roof is always covered with some form of thatch, never with slates or tiles. along the river banks and near water generally, the attap palm grows in abundance, and its long fibrous leaves make an excellent thatch. the leaves are stitched together, forming rectangular layers about two feet long and one foot wide. when these leafy mats are placed on the roof in an inclined position they form a water-tight covering. in places remote from water, where the leaves cannot be easily obtained, an equally serviceable thatch is made from the long broad leaves of certain kinds of jungle grass. these leafy roofs last about three years. in the summer they get so completely dried by the sun that they become brittle, and every strong gust of wind carries away tiny bits of the thatch. in this condition they are extremely inflammable, and fires are of frequent occurrence. as the houses are usually very close together, a fire is a very serious calamity; for not only are numerous dwellings consumed in the rapidly spreading conflagration itself, but it is always necessary to destroy every house in the neighbourhood on which sparks would be likely to fall, in order to prevent a wholesale bonfire. there is no fire-brigade either amateur or professional, and the soldiers are always employed to put out the flames. one of these houses could be easily smashed to bits by a hatchet, especially in the dry season, when they are about as substantial as a match-box. the houses are built on poles for two reasons; first, to avoid the floods during the rainy season, and secondly, to prevent the intrusion of the wild beasts who roam about at nights in the more remote parts of the country. there is no second storey, but a platform or verandah runs along the front or even round the whole of the house. the ascent to this verandah, or to the front door in the absence of one, is made by means of a rickety ladder constructed of the indispensable bamboo. [illustration: a siamese teak-wood house.] the house is divided into at least three rooms, a kitchen, a drawing-room and a bedroom. so powerful is the superstition that even numbers are unlucky, that the number of rooms is always an odd one. the same fancy regulates also the number of windows and doors, and even the rungs of the ladder. of these rooms the least dirty is the one we have designated the drawing-room. the kitchen is always remarkable for its accumulation of dirt and rubbish. a properly constructed fireplace is of course impossible in a wooden house. a substitute for grate and oven is obtained in one of two ways. a wooden box is filled with earth, and a couple of bricks are placed thereon. the fire, which is of wood or charcoal, is laid between the bricks, and the pot, pan, or kettle is supported by them. a more civilised form of stove is an earthenware furnace. it resembles in shape a short narrow pail, containing a shelf midway, pierced by a number of round holes. below the shelf an oblong aperture is cut in the side of the pail. the pot stands on the rim of the bucket, the charcoal is placed on the sieve-like shelf, and a current of air is caused to pass upwards by rapidly waving a fan to and fro in front of the lateral opening. no chimney or other method of exit is provided in the kitchen by which the smoke of the fire can escape. it finds its way to the exterior or into the other rooms of the house, through the holes in the walls or through the light frame-work screens and partitions that represent walls. grime and soot accumulate year after year, and form a very complete if inartistic covering to the sides and roof of this oriental kitchen. the place is never cleaned out or disinfected. spiders spin their webs in undisturbed possession of every nook; tiny lizards crawl over the walls, open-mouthed, looking for flies and mosquitoes; multitudes of insects of the "crawly creepy" kind find comfortable breeding-places amidst the shreds of smoke-stained attap. every member of the household knows how to cook. if the mother is not at home, the father can easily take her place, for he knows quite well how long rice should be boiled or bananas stewed. the little children can fry the fish or make the curry, and so are independent of their parents in this respect. whenever the voice of hunger makes itself heard, its appeal is promptly responded to, and consequently great irregularity prevails in the times of meals. but as a general rule there are two fixed meals each day, one at about seven o'clock in the morning and the other about half-past five in the afternoon. the chief article of food is rice. in the cooking of this grain the people have no rivals. they wash it four or five times, and then soak it for a little while. they put it next into boiling water for three or four minutes, and then pour off the water. the pot is left over the fire for some time longer so that it is well steamed, care being taken, however, to remove the pot before the rice is burned. when it is turned out into the basin, the grains are all considerably swollen, and are separate from each other. they are as white as snow and not at all sticky. rice is cooked in many other ways; made into cakes, fermented to make an intoxicating drink, taken internally as medicine, and used externally as a poultice. fruits and sweetmeats are eaten between meals. the rice is often served up cold. when making a meal, the natives either follow the custom of the chinese and poke their food into their mouths with chopsticks, or they attempt to imitate the european, and use spoons made of tin, lead, or china; or finally, they use their own fingers. a large bowl of rice is placed in the centre of the floor and the hungry ones sit round it in a circle, either squatting upon their haunches or sitting tailor-fashion with their legs crossed under them. various curries and other foods are eaten with the rice, and these are placed in small china basins arranged round the central one. each person has in front of him a small basin, and helps himself, so that the quickest eater naturally gets the biggest share. rice is sold in the markets and at many little shops, ready cooked, and wrapped up in small quantities in a banana leaf. workmen and others engaged in outdoor occupations find it just as easy to get a meal outside as at home, for they never suffer from lack of plates, tables, or chairs. they just sit down by the side of the road and wait for the first itinerant dealer in eatable wares to appear, when they dip into his pots or baskets, and for a few cents get a fairly substantial meal. as a relish with the rice, fish is generally eaten. this may be fresh or stale, fried or fermented. the stale fish eaten by the natives may be recognised from afar owing to its powerful perfume. such forms of food, especially when they have the additional attraction of a particularly pungent flavour, are held in high esteem. decaying prawn well covered with fiery pepper is a delicacy keenly appreciated. eggs that have been salted and preserved are also considered palatable. amongst the other dainties that figure on the menu may be mentioned the seeds and stalks of the sacred lotus, the stem of the young bamboo, peas, beans, sugar-cane, several kinds of weeds and blossoms, every kind of fruit obtainable, chilies, mango-chutney, cocoa-nut milk, and fat pork. the favourite sauce is called "nam-prik" or "pepper-water." red pepper is bruised in a mortar and then made into a paste with shrimps or prawns in a condition politely described as "high." to this is added black pepper, garlic and onions. brine and citron juice give to the compound the necessary liquidity. a little ginger is also considered a desirable ingredient. this sauce is said to be decidedly efficacious in stimulating a jaded appetite. being accustomed to this highly seasoned kind of diet, the siamese fail as a rule to appreciate the more delicate flavours of the european table, which they describe as being perfectly insipid. they excel in the art of preparing fruit, and they can remove the hard kernels from all stone fruit, with such skill that when placed upon the table, the eye fails to discover from its external appearance, that the natural condition of the fruit has been in any way altered. the meal is washed down with a draught of canal water. there are no water-works, and as the poor cannot afford to buy receptacles in which to store up rain water, they are forced during the dry season to drink the filthy sewage-water of the canals. needless to state, cholera epidemics are by no means infrequent. the floor of the kitchen is of plaited bamboo, like most of the walls. through the cracks are thrown all the scraps that remain when breakfast or dinner is finished. the cooking water, the old bits of meat, bone, and fish, the skins of fruits, and most other domestic refuse are similarly disposed of. there is always a crowd of bony, hungry pariahs lying in wait beneath the kitchen floor, ready to snap up the bits as they fall. it is well for the inhabitants that these canine waifs and strays do thus frequent their habitations, for in the absence of any salaried scavengers, they would otherwise become veritable pest-houses. the little furniture that the kitchen boasts, is not of any great value. there is the fireplace,--a wooden box, or earthen stove; a few earthenware pots; a few china and brass basins; some old kerosine tins, which are used for carrying water; a few baskets; a kettle and a small table; an old stool or up-turned box. just as there are no cleaning days, so there are no washing days. when the people go to bathe, they go into the water in the garment they happen to be wearing at the time. when they come out again; they very dexterously wrap a clean dry one round the body, at the same time slipping off the wet one, which is then wrung out, and left to dry in the sun. the professional washermen or "dhobies" are all chinese and are chiefly employed by the europeans. their methods of washing immediately destroy flannels, and ultimately ruin every article of whatever texture that is handed over to their tender mercies. they wash clothes on the banks of the canal in the dirty water. they first soak them till thoroughly wet, then rub them well over with soap, and then bang them against the stones till they have succeeded in knocking some of the dirt out, and many holes in. a rinse in water follows, and then the articles are dried in the sun. they understand the mysteries of "ironing and starching", but the "ironing" process is productive of numerous patches of "mould", and the "starching" results in an uncanny limpidity. any man in want of a dress-shirt, or a clean pair of white drill trousers, can always borrow those belonging to someone else on application at the "laundry", and the payment of a small fee. the drawing-room, sitting-room, parlour, or whatever other name it may be known by, is not luxuriously furnished. the visitor sits upon the floor, with only a skin or mat between himself and the boards. in many instances even this form of couch is absent. a few low stools may occasionally be found. the walls are commonly adorned with photographs, cheap lithographs, and prints. every caller is offered a tray of betel-nut and its accompanying condiments; a cup of tea, and cigarettes. the betel-nut is not eaten alone, but with a mixture of tobacco, seri-leaf, turmeric and lime, and no host ever forgets to offer these things to his guest. in time, as a result of continual chewing, the gums and lips become a vivid red, and the teeth an intense shiny black, and in extreme old age the teeth also protrude in a repulsive fashion. the first effect of the nut upon a beginner is rather of an intoxicating or stupefying nature. but after having once contracted a strong liking for its bitter flavour, many people find themselves absolutely unable to do without it. every man carries in his pocket a small box containing the nut, the tobacco etc., or is followed wherever he goes by his servant who bears it after him. when the master sits down, the servant deposits it by his side so that it is easily within reach of the owner. these boxes are often of valuable material and beautiful workmanship. the commonest material used in their construction is silver, but the wealthier classes have their betel-boxes made of rich, ruddy gold and set with jewels. the black teeth that are obtained by the constant use of the nut are considered beautiful. the natives express their contempt for white teeth in the remark, "any dog can have white teeth." the local dentists keep in stock complete sets of black false teeth, so that when a naturally black tooth is removed, an artificially coloured one can at once take its place and so prevent any break in the uniform coal-like aspect of the mouth. saliva is produced in copious quantities during mastication, and is of a blood red colour. as it is never swallowed, spittoons must always accompany the betel-box. if the saliva is allowed to fall upon wood or stone it produces brick-red stains which are not easily removable. such stains are exceedingly common in the streets and houses. the black deposit formed upon the teeth is said to exercise a preserving influence upon them. smoking is to some extent gradually replacing betel-nut chewing, especially with the children, who now take to the weed when they are about five or six years old. the native tobacco is very strong, and when smoked as a cigarette wrapped in dried banana-leaf, it is decidedly unpalatable to the european. light cigarette tobaccos of foreign manufacture are now much in vogue. those who can afford it, roll up the tobacco in lotus leaf. for this purpose the petals of the lotus flowers are taken, dried in the sun, flattened with a hot iron, and then cut into rectangular pieces of the same size as ordinary cigarette paper. pipes are rarely seen. the natives are not addicted either to strong drink or to opium. those who drink beer and spirits have learnt the habit from their western friends. the opium monopoly is farmed, and is at present in the hands of a chinaman who is the king's head cook. the late king feared that his subjects might take to the drug, and he issued a decree forbidding all of them under heavy penalties to buy or smoke it, but the law has become inoperative. the bedroom, the third necessary room of every siamese dwelling, cannot be held up as a model of cleanliness. frequently it is the lumber-room where everything old and unnecessary is stowed away. the altar and the idols are placed therein, especially if the sick or dying are lying there. on retiring for the night, the doors and windows are closed, and the atmosphere soon becomes hot and unhealthy. owing to the presence of innumerable mosquitoes whose buzzing and stinging are effective preventatives of somnolescence, every one must sleep inside a mosquito net. in the majority of cases the net is so dirty, and its meshes are so clogged with deposits of dust accumulated through many days, that neither air nor mosquitoes can penetrate its folds. people sleep on the bare boards, on mats or skins, and on mattresses stuffed with tree cotton. pillows are not in common use, except amongst those who have borrowed the chinese form of this luxury--namely, a hard, hollow, semi-cylindrical frame of bamboo. when sleeping, the head must not be pointing to the west, as that point of the compass where the sun finishes his daily round, is synonymous with death. the favourable position is with the head to the north and the feet to the south. other superstitions with regard to the points of the compass prevail, certain directions being considered auspicious according to the days of the week. thus on sunday, the east is the lucky situation; on monday, the west; on tuesday, the south; on wednesday, the south west; on thursday, the north; on friday, the south east; and on saturday, the north west. it is very important that on any given day a person should not set out to travel in any other direction, or place his face towards any other point of the compass should he be taking part in any ceremony of importance. if the tenant of the house owns any cattle, they are stabled underneath, so that any thieves who may visit his premises during the night may readily be detected. pigs and cows directly under one's bedroom are not usually considered as being conducive to healthy, restful sleep, but the siamese do not seem to mind their presence in the least. frequent mention has been made of the bright colours of the clothes worn by the people. most of the cotton or silk goods are manufactured in england, germany, or switzerland, but the brighter and more artistic colours are produced by the natives themselves, by means of a number of dyes made from various roots, fruits, and seeds. some of the colours thus obtained are never to be found in any of the cloths imported from abroad, especially the many beautiful shades of yellow and orange, so conspicuous in the ecclesiastical vestments. to be thoroughly fashionable one must put on a differently coloured garment every day, and wear rings and other jewelled ornaments with stones of corresponding hue. this custom is not simply a fashionable one. it owes its origin to an old superstition. sunday is under the rule of the sun, therefore on that day bright red silks and rubies should be worn; monday, the day of the moon, can only be properly respected by wearing silver or white coloured garments and moonstones; tuesday, the day of ruddy mars, requires light red clothes with coral ornaments; wednesday, devoted to the greenish tinted mercury, is the day when green garments and emeralds are correct; the variegated appearance of jupiter dominates the fashion for thursday and prescribes the cat's-eye as the proper jewel; venus rules on friday, and requires from her worshippers silver-blue apparel and diamonds; while saturday is under the influence of saturn, who demands sapphires and dark-blue costumes. [illustration: making curry.] the siamese wear their hair cut short and brushed straight up from the forehead. this method of dressing the hair is of comparatively late origin. the king's crown, the actor's head-dress, and the hats worn in many processions are all of a conical shape. they owe their design to that period when the hair was knotted and piled up on the head in such a way as to require a conical hat or crown. before the first century, the hair is said to have been worn in a long flowing plait, resembling the pig-tail of the chinese. from the second to the eighth centuries, when siam was tributary to cambodia, a hindoo style of dressing the hair was adopted from the sovereign state. at this time a central lock of hair adorned the head. at a later date when the country gained its independence, the hair was allowed to grow uniformly all over the head, but cut short. the change was made in order that some visible sign could be shown that freedom had been gained. this fashion remained in vogue till about the thirteenth century when the top-knot was introduced as a relic of sivaitic worship, together with other hindoo manners, by immigrants from india. other forms were at different times adopted. for instance, from 1002 a.d. to 1768 a.d. the hair of the men was frequently cut in a cup-shaped fashion. the king who reigned at that time is popularly supposed to be responsible for this style, which could be most satisfactorily produced by placing half a cocoa-nut upon the head, and shaving or cutting away all the hair then visible. women, however, allowed their locks to grow until they flowed over the shoulders. again, from 1698 a.d. to 1798 a.d. many people adopted the "great freemen" pattern, in which the hair appeared in the form of a reversed brush in the centre of the head. there are certain days of the week when it is unwise to visit the barber, others on which it is highly desirable that any alteration in the condition of the hair should be made. if it is cut on sunday, lasting happiness and long life are ensured to him who then loses his locks; the unfortunate individual who undergoes the same operation on a monday may expect fatal diseases, sorrows, and many unpleasant surprises; tuesday hair-cuttings bring peacefulness and prosperity, and victory in war, while those of a wednesday are attended with manifold evils, great anxieties, and troubles from enemies. if a man desires the powerful protection of those angels who inhabit the heavenly spheres, he must get his hair cut on a thursday; if he would have the satisfaction of finding all kinds of food savoury and palatable, he must visit the barber on friday; and lastly, if he would be certain of the successful accomplishment of every rite and deed performed on the saturday, he should submit his locks to the shears on that day. in a country where so many insanitary conditions surround the life of the people, sickness is common. hence doctors and quacks abound. a few siamese have been educated for the medical profession in foreign countries, and are skilful practitioners. a few others have learnt the principles of european medicine and surgery in the medical school at bangkok, but the vast majority of the native professors of the healing art have no other knowledge than that handed down to them by tradition. there are royal "doctors" attached to the court, quacks who profess to cure anything and everything under the sun, and magicians who both cure and kill for a moderate consideration. if a person has an enemy whose death he wishes to encompass, there are certain wizards who will give effect to his wishes by bewitching a buffalo. the animal then dwindles to the size of a pea. this highly condensed pill is given to the enemy, and when swallowed begins to expand to its original size, with a result that is best left undescribed. other magicians make clay images to represent sick persons. over these images they perform curious incantations, and then bury them in the jungle, where they absorb and so remove the sickness of the person whom they represent. there is, however, a distinct school and science of medicine which is not simply a matter of magic. in the treatment of fevers and other local ailments, the native doctors are as good as the european. they are clever practisers of the operation of massage; they understand the nature and use of many of the herbs and roots that grow in their jungles; and they are great believers in shower-baths, and in the healing properties of earth when applied to wounds and boils. their physiological and scientific knowledge is summed up briefly in the following paragraphs. all nature is composed of four elements, earth, fire, wind and water. the bodies of men and animals are made up of the same constituents, the earth and water being visible in the bones, flesh and blood, while the fire and wind, though invisible, are clearly present in the breath and heat. the earth of which all solid bodies are composed is of twenty-six varieties; the different forms of water are divided into twelve classes, those of wind into six classes, and those of fire into four. now in the body of man all the six kinds of wind are known to exist. the first flows from his head to his feet, the second from his feet to his head. the third wind circulates in the region of the diaphragm; the fourth forms the pulse; the fifth enters the lungs; and the sixth is present in the abdominal viscera. of the four kinds of fire that exercise any influence upon the health of humanity, two varieties of this subtle element are beneficial, and produce respectively the natural temperature of the body, and an easy digestion. the other two kinds are of an undesirable character, as one is the cause of fevers, and the other consumes the body in old age. the body is divided into thirty-two parts subject to ninety-six diseases, all of which are the inevitable result of any excess in the amount of any one of the primary elements. an excess in the quantity of fire produces all kinds of fevers; any superabundance of water creates dropsy and kindred ailments. all sicknesses that cannot be easily accounted for, are attributed to an accumulation of wind, and the natives commonly reply when asked what is the matter with them, "ben lom", that is, "it is wind." [illustration: steaming rice.] ill health and good health are dispensed by numerous spirits, and it behoves all men so to order their lives and actions that they may not incur the displeasure of those spirits who have sickness at their disposal, but that they may win the favour of those who dispense the blessing of perfect health. in the days when buddha walked and talked amongst men, there lived a man of remarkable wisdom who is the father of medicine. to him the plants and flowers of the forest spoke, revealing their many virtues. the knowledge thus revealed to him he wrote down in books, and also taught by word of mouth to his fellow-men. the remedies he prescribed are sacred and infallible. if they apparently fail to cure, the failure is not to be attributed to the method of treatment he laid down, but to the want of sufficient goodness of life and character in the doctor or his patient. every native physician has in his house an image of this legendary founder of his profession. upon his face is a beneficent smile. one of his hands is held outstretched. in the hollow of this outstretched hand, every drug is placed to receive his blessing before it is administered to the ailing one. after having received the blessing, the drug is taken to the house of the patient and there boiled in an earthenware pot. the solution thus obtained, very often has to be drunk in quarts before any effect is produced. if the sick man dies the doctor gets no remuneration for his services. the following recipe for a mixture that will cure snake-bites should be noticed by all those who intend to hunt or work in jungles where poisonous reptiles abound. a piece of the jaw of a wild hog. a piece of the jaw of a tame hog. a piece of the bone of a goose. a piece of the bone of a peacock. the tail of a fish. the head of a venomous snake. chapter vii. domestic life and customs (_continued_). slavery or serfdom is one of the most interesting features in the social life of the siamese. it is another of those customs which they have borrowed from a neighbouring nation. the shan ancestors of the siamese were "free" men, and the name "thai", which was the name they called themselves, signified that fact. it is, moreover, the name of the nation to-day, though the condition of slavery is a very wide-spread one. for many years the inhabitants of the plains were tributary to cambodia, whose princes and nobles treated all servants and aliens as slaves. when the foreign yoke was thrown off, this domestic custom was instituted amongst the "free" men, and all the subjects of the king became theoretically his slaves. but as he was unable to find employment for this large body of serfs, he delegated a portion of his ownership to persons of lower rank. these in turn handed on their powers to other people, and so arose a condition of universal serfdom, which, however, was only strictly enforced in the case of the poorer classes. the system thus organised divided the whole nation into a series of social strata, but the limits between the different grades of society have never been so rigid and impassable as the adamantine boundaries that separate the castes of india. in fact, the serf in siam to-day may be a nobleman of high rank in the future, should he possess ability of sufficient distinction to warrant so great a promotion. until the present reign there were theoretically no "free" men in the kingdom at all, for everybody owed homage to some one of higher degree; but one of the first acts of h. m. king chulalongkorn after he came to the throne, was to issue a decree by which all children born of slaves were thereafter declared free. as freedom could be purchased there were also many people in the land who had obtained their independence. though the king's decree struck a very decisive blow at the condition of domestic slavery, a system of state slavery still prevails inasmuch as the laws relating to _corvã©e_ and conscription are still enforced. chinese, priests, and foreigners are all exempt from enforced labour of any kind, but the first-named of these classes has to pay a triennial tax as the price of its exemption. the people who are now in bondage are in that condition chiefly as the result of financial indebtedness. when a native borrows money he either promises to pay a certain amount of interest for the loan, or he promises and actually allows the lender to have his services for a specified time in lieu of interest. should the borrower under the first agreement here mentioned, fail to pay the interest he has promised, he then offers his personal services in payment of both interest and capital. if the total sum is large, a lifetime may not be long enough to work off the debt at the native rate of wages, and he so becomes a slave for life. many people, too, when heavily in debt, sell themselves bodily to someone who will discharge their numerous debts for them. the man who has lost his freedom as the result of financial misfortunes can always re-obtain it if he can in any way obtain sufficient money to pay off his debts. there is nothing cruel or revolting in the treatment of the serfs, and many of them are sincerely attached to their masters, and have been known voluntarily to afford them any assistance they could when misfortunes have overtaken them. they are fed, clothed, and housed at the expense of their owners, and rarely experience in their dependent condition any real hardship. away in the country the majority of the people prefer to live as the bondservants of some powerful person, who in return for their labour provides both them and their families with protection and support. the _corvã©e_ laws are also responsible for a certain number of those who are in bondage. when the central authorities claim the services of someone resident in a remote quarter of the country, the order is made through the governor of the province in which the person whose time and labour are required, resides. if this person desires to avoid the requisition, he is often allowed by the local officials to pay a certain sum of money sufficient for the hire or purchase of a substitute. a mark is then tattooed on the wrist of the substitute, and he becomes definitely the property of the government. now if the "marked" man should die at an early date, an illegal claim is often made for the provision of another proxy, on his wife and children. this claim is in opposition to the law, but has often been made by officials of cruel, arbitrary dispositions. in most cases he who so breaks the law is also the administrator of the law for that district, and if the woman and her children are unable to satisfy the demand for money thus unjustly made, they must become themselves the slaves of the official till they work off the amount required from them. when the boys have grown to such a height that they too may be called upon by the government for _corvã©e_ or conscription, their master also marks them upon the wrist, and in this way the condition of serfdom is perpetuated from generation to generation. when at a later date the government does actually requisition their services, their owner professes that they are really his own personal property, and he pays to the central authorities a tax of ninety cents per annum for each male, and so retains them as his dependants. in these cases also, the bond-man becomes free when he is prepared to pay a certain fixed sum, but it is rarely possible for a serf to obtain the necessary funds, as he is daily employed in the service of his master and so prevented from earning wages elsewhere. no slaves can be sold to another person without their own consent. if a slave is sold, and if he afterwards absconds, the seller is bound to repay to the buyer the sum originally paid, less a reasonable amount reckoned for loss of service during the time he has been absent from his old master, unless it is directly specified to the contrary in the agreement made at the time of purchase. before the king's decree freed the children of all slaves, they too became the property of the owners of their parents, but they could be set at liberty by paying a sum of money which was fixed by law. they could not be sold to anyone else without the consent both of themselves and their parents. each slave has a paper on which is stated the amount to be paid for his or her redemption. the paper is kept by the owner, but it must be given up whenever the amount specified therein is forthcoming. the slave who attempts to gain freedom by running away, and so avoiding what is often a perfectly just and legal debt, is punished by being put in chains, but the fetters are of no great weight and are simply put on the ankles to prevent any further attempt at escape. in any case they are preferable to an indefinite period of imprisonment in the native goal. if a man buys a new servant, and afterwards sees reason to regret his bargain, he may demand the return of the purchase money, and the cancelling of the agreement, provided he makes his claim before the expiration of three months from the date of purchase. if any bond-servant neglects the due performance of any of the duties prescribed by the master, the losses that are thereby incurred are added to the amount of the redemption money, and must be paid before freedom can be claimed. if any female slave is married against her will to any favourite of her owner, or maybe to the owner himself, the price of her freedom must forthwith be reduced by one half. when wars took place, the man who fought in lieu of his master, thereby regained his freedom. should any serf sustain injury in any way while carrying out work demanded from him by his owner, he is entitled to receive compensation according to the nature and extent of his injuries. when a slave is killed in defending either his master or his master's property, no claim can be made against the person who was security for the slave. but if any slave absconds, then any money spent in his apprehension is added to the price of his redemption. it will be seen that the laws of the kingdom which govern the system of domestic bondage, are on the whole of a just and equitable nature. and it must not be forgotten that these laws were made long before western influence had in any way exercised any effect in the land. they are sufficient in themselves to demonstrate the essentially broad-minded and humanitarian character of the present and previous sovereigns. it is true that they are often broken by powerful officials in remote districts, but under the new system of administration now being rapidly organised, there will perhaps arise a more rigorous and judicial application of the principles of the legislative code. the national etiquette is the logical result of the national condition of society. briefly put, it consists of a certain number of laws relating to the amount of deference to be paid by persons of one social grade to those of a higher one. most of the old forms of etiquette are strictly observed by all ranks, though of late years a few have disappeared under the pressure of progressive social reforms stimulated and often initiated by the king himself. as the head is the most sacred part of the body, the chief rules that concern the behaviour of an inferior person in the presence of his superior, relate to the position of the body. formerly no person dared raise his head to the level of that of one of higher rank. he might not cross a bridge while his superior passed beneath, nor could he walk in a room situated above that in which his superior might be lying or sitting. at the present time, bridges and floors are trodden indiscriminately. until the year 1874 a.d., all persons approached the sovereign on hands and knees, crawling with the head upon a level with the monarch's feet. the crawling in public has been abolished, but nearly every person crouches in the streets when he speaks to, or passes, one whom he knows to be of higher rank than himself. the abolition of public crawling was made by the present king in the presence of his assembled courtiers a few years after he ascended the throne. the occasion will ever remain a memorable one in the annals of the country. all the chief members of the different government services were in their accustomed positions on hands and knees, with heads bent to the ground, when a decree was read to them of which the following paragraphs formed a portion. "since his majesty ascended the throne, it has been the royal purpose to cherish the state and augment the happiness of the greater and lesser princes, ministers and nobles, the clergy, the brahmins, and the masses of the people all over the kingdom. whatever is oppressive and burdensome, it has been the royal purpose to remove from the people, and abolish from the state. his majesty has noticed that the great countries and powers in eastern and western asia, that is to say to the east of our country, china, cochin china and japan, and to the west, india and the regions where oppression existed, compelling the inferiors to prostrate and worship their masters and persons of rank, similar to the custom prevailing in siam, have at present ceased these customs and instituted new ones. "they have universally changed and ceased the custom of prostration and worship, to make manifest the good purpose that there shall be no more oppression in their countries. the countries that have abolished these rigorous exactions, have manifestly greatly increased in their prosperity. "in this kingdom of siam there are some national customs that are rigorous, hostile to good usage, and ought to be modified; but the changing and modifying of customs cannot be effected at once; such changes must be the subject of much thought and gradual modification, adapted to times and circumstances. it is in this way that states will augment their susceptible prosperity. "the custom of prostration and human worship in siam, is manifestly an oppressive exaction which an inferior must perform to a superior, causing him embarrassing fatigue in order to honour a superior. these acts of showing honour by such prostration and worship, his majesty perceives are of no benefit whatever to the country. inferiors who are obliged to perform them, to honour their superiors, must endure and suffer much till the time when they leave the presence of their superior and thus escape the requisition. this custom his majesty perceives is a primary cause of many existing oppressive exactions, therefore, this ancient national custom, which made prostration the prescribed method of demonstrating respect in siam, must be abolished; for his majesty is graciously disposed to confer happiness upon all, and to this end, will relieve them from the burden of prostration as practised heretofore. his majesty proposes to substitute in the place of crouching and crawling, standing and walking; and instead of prostration on all-fours and bowing with palm-joined hands to the ground, a graceful bow of the head. "standing, walking, bowing the head, are equal demonstrations of respect with crouching and crawling. "perhaps some persons of rank who may favour the custom of crouching and crawling as heretofore, thinking it good, may have their doubts as to the wisdom or advisability of the new regulations, and may wish to know why the change from prostration to standing will be advantageous to the state. these may rest assured that the proposed change is ordered to impress upon the people the intention to remove from them all oppressive exactions. states that do not oppress the inferior ranks will assuredly have great prosperity. "henceforth, the princes and nobles according to their rank, when in solemn audience before the throne, or wherever his majesty may be present, will please observe this royal edict, which is hereby promulgated to regulate henceforth the conduct of noblemen in every particular in in this matter."[d] the decree proceeded to detail and explain the new social rules, after which the whole crowd rose from the ground, and for the first time in the history of the country, the subject stood upright in the presence of the sovereign. the people to whom this wise edict was addressed are of a conservative nature, and believe in precedent as an infallible guide in all matters. they have no love for innovations, and have been slow to follow their king in his forward march towards a pure and enlightened form of government. there are many noblemen who still insist upon their servants approaching them in the ancient way, in spite of the proclamation and the king's own wishes. but on court days no such demonstrations are now ever seen within the precincts of the audience chamber. the place of honour is on the right hand of the chief guest. places near the wall on the right hand are of greater honour than those on the left, while the position of greatest distinction in any room is opposite the door. civil and religious holidays follow each other in rapid succession the whole year round. the king's birthday is celebrated for three days by the entire nation. ships are wreathed in flowers and bunting, banquets are given, receptions are held, and salutes are fired. at night, the palaces in the city, the vessels in the river, every house by the side of a road or on the bank of a stream, are ablaze with light. night is turned to day, and earth becomes a fairy land. [illustration: a rickshaw.] the new year holidays also last three days. they commence on the first of april, a day which is scarcely auspicious from the european point of view. for the usual feasting that accompanies this and all other holidays, a special kind of cake is made, which is as much in demand as our own shrove-tuesday pancakes or our good-friday hot cross-buns. the temples are thronged with women and children making offerings to buddha and his priests. the people inaugurate their new year with numerous charitable and religious deeds. the rich entertain the monks, who recite appropriate prayers and chants. every departed soul returns to the bosom of his family during these three days, freed from any fetters that may have bound him in regions of indefinable locality. on the third day the religious observances terminate, and the remaining hours are devoted to "the world, the flesh, and the devil." gambling is not confined to the licensed houses, but may be indulged in anywhere. games of chance hold powerful sway in every house as long as the license to participate in them lasts. priests in small companies occupy posts at regular intervals round the city wall, and spend their time in chanting away the evil spirits. on the evening of the second day, the ghostly visitors from the lower realms lose the luxury of being exorcised with psalms. every person who has a gun may fire it as often as he pleases, and the noise thus made is undoubtedly fearful enough in its intensity to cause any wandering traveller from the far-off fiery land to retrace his steps with speed. the bang and rattle of pistols, muskets, shot-guns, and rifles cease not till the break of day, by which time the city is effectually cleared of all its infernal visitors. twice each year another important holiday occurs, in connection with the taking of the oath of allegiance. every person who is a prince, a nobleman, or a paid servant of the government, is required to present himself at the temple in the grounds of the royal palace, or at other places appointed in other parts of the country, to swear his allegiance to the king. each person signifies his acceptance of the oath read to him, by drinking, and sprinkling upon his forehead, a few drops of specially prepared water. some ordinary rain-water is first placed in a bowl, and then stirred with swords, pistols, spears and other weapons such as are likely to be used in the punishment of those who are guilty of treasonable practices. priests are excused, as it is considered that their professions of holiness are sufficient guarantees of their loyalty. portions of the symbolical water are afterwards sent to the distant provinces. the local governors then assemble those people who are in any way connected with the local administration, and require them also to take the oath and drink the water of allegiance. the formula of the oath is somewhat lengthy, but the following translation of a portion of it will serve to show its general character. "we beseech the powers of the deities to plague with poisonous boils that will rapidly prove fatal, and with all manner of terrible diseases, the dishonourable, perverse, and treacherous. may we be visited with untimely wretched and appalling deaths that our disloyalty may be made manifest in the eyes of the whole world. when we shall have departed from this life upon earth, cause us to be sent to, and all to be born again in, that great hell where we shall burn with unquenchable fire through limitless transmigrations. and when we have expiated our penalties there, and are born again into any other world, we pray that we may fail to find the least happiness in any pleasurable enjoyments that may there abound. let us not meet the god buddha; let us not hear the sacred teachings; let us not come into contact with the sacred priests whose mission it is to be gracious to men and animals, and to help them to escape from misery, to attain a progressive succession of births and deaths, and finally to reach heaven itself. should we by any chance meet with holy men or priests, let us receive therefrom no gracious helpful assistance."[e] although the oath is rather a terrible one to take, very very little solemnity prevails on these occasions, and every one performs his part of the ceremony in a most casual manner. those natives who have had little or no communication with europeans are the best exemplars of the true character of the nation. they are very gentle in their manners; timid, especially in the dark or with strangers; gay and cheerful, and fond of cheerful persons. they rarely quarrel amongst themselves, as they dislike worry and trouble of every description. they are lazy when ordinary work has to be done, but busy enough when preparations have to be made for amusements or holiday processions. their idea of the millenium is that the tide will flow up one side of the river and down the other, so that everyone may go whithersoever he pleases without the trouble of rowing. there will be no work of any description, and men will lie in the sunshine, as happy as birds. the country people never beg, and even in the capital it is only the leprous and the blind who ask for alms. there is no clamouring for backsheesh as in other oriental countries. the people are sharp and witty, and delight in jokes and sharp sayings. they are not nearly so imitative as the chinese, but they absorb new ideas, and adapt themselves to changes of custom with great rapidity, when they have once overcome their initial prejudice against the innovation. when the electric tramway was first opened in bangkok, the absence of any visible locomotive machinery caused them the greatest bewilderment, and for several days they half worshipped the cars as they passed them in the streets, murmuring to themselves the while, "it is the devil's carriage." in less than a week, the cars were packed on every journey with a crowd who distinctly appreciated the speed and ease with which they were being carried along. they are not greater liars than other men, except when they have come into close contact with civilisation. there are old residents living in bangkok who remember the day when the word of a native was as good as his bond. today the dwellers in the city are never to be trusted. some of them carefully avoid speaking the truth on all occasions, even when it would be quite as serviceable as an untruth. the money formerly used consisted of sea-shells of small value, eight hundred to a thousand being equal to about two pence. it was easy in those days for a man however poor to get something to eat, for there was always something on sale that could be bought for the thousandth part of two-pence. in imitation of foreign ways, a flat coin was introduced made of lead, and the old sea-shell was abolished as legal currency. the government made a huge profit out of the transaction, for they refused to buy up any of the worthless little cowries, and they sold the leaden coins for more than they were worth. counterfeiting naturally followed, and the coins were re-called, but as soon as the treasury-boxes were filled with a mixture of good and false money the government refused to receive any more. all those who still had any of the leaden money in their possession experienced a serious loss. an alloy of lead and copper was issued at a reduced value; but the profit to be made by coining was still so great that counterfeit coins speedily found their way into circulation. small bullets of gold and silver next came into use, and one of them still remains in circulation. none of these coins were stamped with the image of the king, for at that time there was a strong prejudice against the making of portraits in any medium. europeans who travel into the jungle, have even at the present time, only to point a camera at a crowd in order to procure its instant dispersion. when a copy of the face of a person is made and taken away from him, a portion of his life goes with the picture. unless the sovereign had been blessed with the years of a methuselah he could scarcely have permitted his life to be distributed in small pieces together with the coins of the realm. but not many years ago the present king ordered a new issue of the coinage. flat, round copper and silver pieces were made at the mint in the palace, and on every disc appeared the shapely profile of the reigning monarch. postage stamps followed, with the same profile printed on them; then the king was painted and photographed; and so the old superstition has lost its power; while modern fashion requires that all who can afford it shall be photographed. it is perhaps scarcely necessary to add here, that with the exception of two or three europeans, all the professional photographers are chinamen. the flat, gold coins were hoarded by the people, turned into ornaments or used in the making of jewelry. they are no longer used as money, but are bought as curios for four times their original value. weights and scales have not as yet displaced the old methods of measurement. the table of siamese dry measure is a good illustration of the devices adopted by uncivilised people to facilitate their buying and selling in the absence of any fixed legal standard. 880 tamarind seeds make one cocoa-nut shell (kanahn) 25 cocoa-nut shells make one bamboo basket (sat) 80 bamboo baskets make one cart (kwien) or 830 tamarind seeds make one cocoa-nut shell 20 cocoa-nut shells make one bucket (tung) 100 buckets make one cart. in calculating time two calendars are used. one is a religious one and is only used for ecclesiastical purposes. it commences with the death of buddha, about 543 b.c. the civil calendar is the one in general use. it dates from the founding of bangkok in 1784 a.d. the idea of eternity is expressed in concrete form in the following manner. eternity is divided into long periods of time, called "kops". each "kop" is represented by a stone measuring ten miles each way. once in every hundred years, an angel descends to one of these stones and wipes its surface with a gossamer web. when by these successive century wipings, one stone shall have been thoroughly worn away, one "kop" will have been completed, and a second period of eternity will begin. the human race is gradually dwindling away. in the misty ages of the past all men were giants. the present race of siamese is well proportioned, but small. their descendants will be smaller. some of them will diminish till they are as small as dogs; a few centuries later, all will be no bigger than rats; the stature of a butterfly and then of a flea will measure the height of men, and ultimately they will disappear altogether from the face of the earth. the siamese speak a language of their own. it possesses its own nouns, verbs and other parts of speech, a sprinkling of slang, and practically no "swear" words. these are only used by those whose knowledge of english is colloquial. there is a special language devoted to the sacred person and attributes of the king, which must be used by all who speak to or of him. the special vocabulary required is a difficult one to learn even to the natives themselves. the hairs of the monarch's head, the soles of his feet, the breath of his body--in fact every single detail of his person both internal and external, has a particular name. when he eats or drinks, sleeps or walks, a special word indicates that these acts are being performed by the sovereign himself, and such words cannot possibly be applied to any other person whatever. there is no word in the language by which any creature of higher rank or greater dignity than a monarch can be described; and the missionaries in speaking of "god" are forced to use the native word for "king". each person in speaking to another uses a pronoun which at once expresses whether the speaker is of superior, equal, or inferior rank to the person spoken to. in this way superiority of social position is asserted, or corresponding inferiority confessed, in every conversation between two persons. the language spoken by the pure siamese is monosyllabic and toned. the apparently longer words are really a collection of monosyllables. for instance: "mi-keet-fi" "a match" is made up of three words, "mi" ... "wood" "keet" ... "a line" "fi" ... "a fire" the word for "ice" is a combination of two words meaning "hard water", and that for "cheese" a combination of two words meaning "hard butter". the toned words are a great trouble to foreigners who are not accustomed to a "sing-song" form of speech. some syllables have three different sounds, others as many as five, and each different tone expresses a different meaning. in many cases the mistakes that are made by the foreigner cause little difficulty, as his meaning is clear, though his speech is mysterious. the word for "horse" is a differently sounded form of the word for "dog," but any such mistake in speech, as "chain that horse to his kennel," or "order me a two-dog carriage," would be readily understood by a servant, who would merely receive the order with a smile and then proceed to execute it according to the wish of his master. there are many words between which the difference in sound is important, as the smallest mistake would make all the difference between an ordinary and an obscene word. there are others too where it behoves the white man to be careful of his inflections, or he may, when intending to say to some village farmer, "i am going to dance upon your _field_," unfortunately remark, "i am going to dance upon your _aunt_," or even "i am going to dance upon your _face_," either of which errors might be productive of results not foreseen by the imperfect linguist. names in siam often indicate precise relationships. on pointing out one person to another and asking "who is that?"--the person spoken to may reply, if any such relationship exist, "that is my elder brother," or "that is my younger brother" as the case may be, never simply "that is my brother." nearly all such words as "grandfather," "grandmother," "uncle," and "aunt" when spoken by anyone indicate whether the relationship is on the paternal or maternal side. names of children often relate to their appearance, or circumstances connected with their birth. one is "little," another "large," while even a particular deformity may be perpetually called attention to by such a name as "hunch-back." there are no names specially set aside as belonging to male and female, so that both a boy or girl may be called "lotus," or "black," or any other name fancied by the parents. there are also no surnames. "nai" is a general term comparable to "mr." and applied to males of all ages who possess no higher title. "maa" is similarly used in the case of females. the absence of surnames, and also of numbered houses in most of the streets, causes some difficulty when it becomes necessary to send letters through the post. an envelope has often to be addressed something like the following: to mr. lek, student of the normal college, son of mr. yai, soldier, near the foot of the black bridge at the back of the lotus temple, new road, bangkok. the alphabet is derived from pali. there is no distinction between the written and printed characters, nor are there any capital letters. letters and books are written from left to right as in the european languages, but no spaces are left between the words. printing has only been in use in the country for about forty years, and all the old religious texts are written with a style, on long thin strips of palm leaf about eighteen inches long and two inches broad. the edges of the leaves are covered with gold leaf, and the "pages" of any book are fastened together with silk cords. every monastery possesses a good collection of these leafy documents. they are kept in the temples in cases which are often elaborately gilded or inlaid with mother-of-pearl. chapter viii. popular amusements. the siamese are fond of being amused and of amusing themselves, but they do not usually indulge in active sports with the exception of rowing and a species of football. games that involve any great physical exertion are played chiefly by persons who make a business of the performance. the professional acrobats that are met with on festive occasions are fearless and skilful. amongst the many feats they perform for the amusement of their fellow-countrymen, there are few that do not require both strength of nerve as well as agility of limb. the "acrobat poles" are stout bamboo rods fastened firmly to the ground. each pole terminates, about twenty feet from the ground, in a lotus-shaped capital. the acrobats climb to the top and perform various feats on the small space afforded them by the flattened surface of this small platform. no nets or mattresses are provided to break their fall in case of accident. there are other men who fix pikes and sword-blades in a row and then lie with their bare backs upon the sharpened points. juggling with keen-edged daggers is certainly a less dangerous amusement. "throwing the hammer" here takes a new form as "swinging the hammer". a heavy sledge-hammer is lifted by a rope held between the teeth, and then swung deftly over the shoulder so as to fall well to the rear of the athlete. these dangerous acrobatic exhibitions are not at all frequent, probably owing to the fact that there are only a few men in the whole country who are able to take part in them. on national holidays an open air play known as "kra, ooa," or "spearing the buffalo," is enacted. it is a mixture of dumb show and grotesque dancing, and is based on an old burmese story. the legend relates that once upon a time there was an old woman who had a husband named ta so. one night she dreamt that she was enjoying a dish of buffalo's liver. her enjoyment of the luxury was so great that she presently awoke. she was unable to sleep, so she awakened her husband and told him of her dream, and of the wonderful flavour of the meat. the more she dwelt upon the delicious character of her phantom repast, the stronger grew her desire to taste the real article. she urged ta so to go out into the jungle and spear a buffalo. he for some time declined to rise from his couch, alleging that he was a bad hunter and dared not track so formidable a creature. he attempted to seek repose once more, but the hungry lady grew more and more importunate, and he was forced at last to set out on a hunting excursion. his wife accompanied him to see that he did not shirk the task she had set him. after a long time they managed to track a wild buffalo. they skirmished and scouted, and finally succeeded in killing it. they opened the animal, extracted the desired delicacy, and then returned home to enjoy it.--the representation of this story has been repeated times without number, but it never fails to meet with popular approval. an actor first appears dressed as a burmese woman. she next proceeds in very colloquial vernacular to bully her husband in accordance with the tradition. the buffalo used is a sham one. four or five people throw a dark-coloured cloth over themselves, and the foremost of these holds in his hands a huge mask, supposed to be a buffalo's head. it would serve equally well for the head of any other creature known to natural history, for it is unlike anything but the fabulous creation of some man's mad imaginings. as the husband and wife chase the ungainly brute, it gambols to the music of a native band, in a circle about twenty feet in diameter. the dodging and running, the pretended attack, the sham wounds, and the awful groans are always received with the same loud bursts of hearty appreciative laughter. the game of "takraw" is popular with boys and youths, and is similar to the game of football as exhibited by the burmese in recent years in london. the players, who may be of any number, stand in a ring. one of them tosses into the ring a light wicker ball. as it falls another player catches it on his foot, head, or shoulder. he at once passes it to someone else, without touching it with his hands. the ball passes swiftly from one spot to another, and it is often kept up for quite a long time. if it falls to the earth, it is picked up and again tossed to the skilful players. and so the game proceeds until every one is tired. there is no scoring of points or winning of games. new-comers join in the fun and weary ones leave without in any way interfering with the amusement of the rest. the "fancy kicking" that is exhibited by expert players excites great admiration in natives and foreigners. [illustration: laying wagers on fighting fish.] games in which the element of chance enters are the greatest favourites. the people are born gamblers, and to make a bet is the delight of everyone, from prince to peasant. they bet on the results of a cock-fight, a boxing match, a fight between crickets, or a combat between their pugilistic fishes. even kite-flying is accompanied by unlimited "book-making." the siamese are not to be compared with the japanese in the art of constructing curious or beautiful kites, but they are certainly their equals in flying them. the most common form of kite is a five-pointed one--a pentagonal star. on none of the kites, whatever may be their shape or size, is "tailing" ever used, and rarely does a native run in order to get the kite to rise. by a peculiar rapid jerking of the string, the kite is made to create its own wind when a natural one is not blowing. men may often be seen on calm still days flying their kites from boats as they pass up and down the river. kite contests are of frequent occurrence during the windy months. one kite is called the male and the other the female. the object of the contest is the capturing of the female by the male. when they are both at a considerable height from the ground, one flyer so jerks the string of the male kite as to cause it to swoop downwards with great velocity. if the apex of the falling star strikes the body of the soaring female, it effectually wounds her and brings her to earth. but it is perhaps oftener luck than skill that ends the contest so suddenly. as a rule the string of the descending kite passes over the string of the steady one. then the owner of the male toy checks its downward motion, and with a rapid pull of the string towards him, causes it to pass under the string that is attached to the female, and then to rise again. in this way one string is wound round the other. the operation is repeated a second and even a third time, after which the players each pull their kites towards them, let them go again, pull in again and so on, so that each string is sawing the other one. excitement takes possession of the spectators and they begin to speculate as to which string will first break. they frequently stake large sums of money on the result of the aerial combat. in many instances the owner of the entangled female, manages by a skilful manipulation of the string to free her from the toils of her antagonist, who then once more pursues her, and manoeuvres to compass her destruction. [illustration: a writer of lottery tickets.] in every street there will always be found a chinaman, wearing big goggles, sitting at a table in the front of an open house or shop, wearing upon his wooden countenance a quiet and meditative smile. by his side is a small pile of thin sheets of yellow paper, and a quantity of writing material. he is an agent of the gambling farmer and deals in lottery tickets. the government farms out the monopoly and derives a considerable revenue from it, as in some years as much as thirty thousand pounds sterling has been paid for the privilege of being allowed to gently ease other people of their superfluous cash. the lottery farmer chooses, every day, one out of thirty-four characters of the alphabet as the lucky one for that day. he keeps the secret of his choice to himself, and leaves those people who are of a speculative turn of mind to guess the particular letter he has chosen. everyone is at liberty to try his luck. the gambler goes to one of the numerous writers of lottery tickets and names a letter. the writer slowly inscribes the letter upon one of the sheets of paper. he then folds it up, and on the back states his own name and address, the name and address of the purchaser of the ticket, and the amount paid for the same. he keeps possession of the paper till the close of the day. the city is divided into districts, over each of which the lottery farmer places a trustworthy overseer. towards evening the overseer visits every ticket writer in his locality, collects all the papers, and the money paid for them. these he afterwards takes to the office of his chief. at a given hour the farmer declares the winning letter and the papers are opened. all those papers that do not bear the chosen character are thrown away and the money appropriated. those who have been fortunate enough to guess correctly the letter for the day, receive back twenty-nine times their stake, so that the man who staked one pound receives twenty-nine as his reward. the chances in favour of the proprietor of the lottery are so great, and so many thousands of people patronise him every day that he can easily afford to award a prize of high value to the few winners. some people endeavour to calculate their chances beforehand. in every writer's house is placed a board divided into squares. every day from the beginning to the end of the month, the letter chosen is written in one of these squares. the board is consulted by those about to try their luck, and they try to work out a system which shall guide them in their choice. many gamblers, especially if they are chinese, consult their gods about the matter. they go to the temples and stand in front of the altar. there they find a bamboo box containing thirty-four strips of bamboo, on each of which is printed one of the letters used by the lottery farmers. they address the presiding deity of the place and promise him abundance of fat pork and chickens if only he will be so kind as to help them in their venture. after having made this tempting offer, one stick is chosen from the bundle. the gambler looks at it, and then wonders if the gods are going to make sport of him. he proceeds to test the sincerity of the deity. he takes two pieces of bamboo root, which have been flattened on the one side and rounded on the other. he throws them into the air, exclaiming as he does so, "if i have chosen the right letter, let these two roots fall with the flat sides up." suppose they fall as he desires, he repeats the experiment, saying, "if i have chosen the right letter, let these two roots fall with the round side up." even if success again crowns his experiment, he still feels inclined to doubt the playful deity to whom he is appealing for counsel. so he throws the roots yet once again--"if i have chosen the right letter let these two roots fall, one with the flat side up, and one with the round side up." if they should fall in this way, he is practically certain the gods are with him. he pawns everything he possesses and stakes every farthing he can obtain on the letter of his choice. thirty-three chances to one that he loses, and he may spend the rest of his life in extreme poverty, bewailing the fickleness of the god he supplicated. anyone who can write can set up a stand, for it is the policy of the farmer to have his agents scattered all over the city. the overseers are not directly paid for their services, but on the contrary, actually pay to be allowed to hold the office. the writers of the tickets receive a commission of one shilling for every forty-four shillings they hand to the overseers. the overseer receives from the farmer the same proportion of the total amount he collects each day. thirty times the sum actually staked is handed to the writer of a correct letter. he then hands over to the winner twenty-nine times the sum, so that he gets a further profit of one-thirtieth of all the winning money that passes through his hands. a few years ago, the gambling farmer lost a considerable sum of money through his own indiscretion. he had obtained a new wife of great beauty, of whom he was passionately fond. one day she asked him what letter he had chosen for the winning one. "why do you wish to know?" said he. woman-like, she replied, "oh, i merely asked you out of curiosity." "well," said the infatuated adorer, "promise me that you will on no account reveal it to any single person you may meet. remember, if people were to know what letter i had chosen, i should lose a tremendous sum of money." the new favourite answered, "i promise not to tell." he gave her the letter, and faithful to her promise, she kept the secret. but she went to one of the writers and staked all the money she had on what she knew was to be the lucky character. the writer knew who she was, and jokingly asked her why she had chosen that particular letter. she answered that she had simply selected it as any one else might have done in order try her luck. several people standing by heard the conversation, and learning that the chief had been to see her the day before in her own quarters, they thought it extremely probable that she was in possession of that days winning number. they promptly followed her example, with the result that her confiding spouse lost several thousand dollars on the day's transactions. he at once accused her of betraying his trust, and although she pleaded her innocence, he sold her within a few days to gratify his want of revenge, or perhaps, to recoup himself in part for the losses he had sustained as the result of his own folly. in the small gambling houses that abound, various games of chance are played all day. they are open to the road, and are always fairly well filled. idlers strolling by with an odd cent in their waistband, step in and lose it, and then pass on their way to give place to others who seek easily-made fortunes. the games played require no skill on the part of those who play. it is all pure chance, as the following descriptions will show. [illustration: (the mat game)] the mat game. on the floor is spread a mat with two lines drawn across it at right angles to each other, as shown in the diagram. the banker sits in the position marked a, and the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 are placed as here indicated. in front of the banker is a big pile of cowrie shells. he takes up as many as he can hold in his two hands and places them in front of him. the crowd then place any amount they like on any one of the four numbers. suppose, for example, that there are four playing and that each places a shilling on a different number. when all those who wish to play have put down their money, the proprietor begins to count out the shells he has taken from a large heap, and to place them in small piles of four each, and notes the remainder when all the shells have been disposed of. if there is a remainder of two, then the man whose money is on two gets his stake doubled. number four loses, and numbers one and three neither lose nor gain. if there is a remainder of three, the money on three is doubled, number one loses, and numbers two and four remain unaltered. if there are twenty or thirty people playing, the principle is the same. all those who have guessed the right remainder get their money doubled, the opposite numbers lose, and the others neither win nor lose. if there is no remainder then the winning number is four. one variation in the method of staking is allowed. the money may be placed on any one of the four diagonal lines. suppose the stake is laid on the line between three and two, then if either three or two be the remainder the money is doubled, but if one or four wins, then the money is lost. porcelain counters of very small value are used at these places, and so common is the gambling habit, that these counters are used in the markets for the purchase of goods, for both buyers and sellers know that the gambler's coins can easily be disposed of again. if a banker fails, he is unable to redeem his porcelain coinage and the holders are then liable to lose the value of the counters in their possession. brass cup game. the necessary apparatus for this form of speculation is a small brass cup and a wooden cube. the upper face of the cube is divided by a line into two halves, one of which is painted red and the other white. the banker puts the cube on the table in any position he chooses, without letting the people see how it is placed. he covers it with the brass cup. the players put down their stakes in various positions round the cup. the banker raises the cup. all money opposite the white edge is returned at the rate of three to one, while all opposite the other three sides passes into the banker's pocket. the animal game. this is a very favourite amusement at fairs. a board is provided which measures about eighteen inches by twenty. it is divided by lines into a number of equal oblongs. in each space is painted some animal. the owner has three large wooden dice with figures painted on the sides corresponding to those in the squares on the board. those who wish to try their luck choose a picture and place their money thereon. the three dice are placed in a cocoa-nut shell, and rattled about, and then thrown on a table. the winning pictures are those that appear on the topmost faces of the three cubes. gambling with cards is very common. the cards are all of chinese pattern, and measure three inches by one. on them are printed kings, governors, soldiers, officials, and other important personages. there are one hundred and sixteen cards in a pack, but what are the rules that govern their complicated manipulation the writer has failed to fathom, even as he has also failed to find any other european who could furnish the requisite explanation. chess is one of the few pastimes that is not used for betting purposes. the game is substantially the same as that played in england, but a boat replaces the castle, the bishop is represented by a nobleman, and the knight's moves are made by a horse. there are many skilful players, and the present minister for foreign affairs, prince devawongse, can checkmate most of the foreigners who have had the opportunity of playing with him. the real siamese chessmen are difficult to obtain as they are made only for private use and not for sale. the poorer classes readily make up a full set when they want a game, by using buttons or cowries for the pawns and modelling the rest of the pieces out of bits of soft clay. but the most popular of all amusements is the theatre. it is the delight of old and young alike, and is intensely interesting to the foreigner, as probably representing to a very large degree, the primitive way in which the dramas that were presented to his forefathers, were staged and enacted. it possesses an additional attraction inasmuch as it is yet a purely native institution, unaffected by those western influences that are so rapidly destroying in the east the many oriental manners and customs that were once the delight of the traveller. yokohama is a european seaport. there are english policemen in shanghai, and cafã©s in saigon. in bangkok itself electric lights and tram-cars have appeared, and one of the latest orders of the court requires that at all future state ceremonies the native shall discard his own picturesque costume for frock-coat, european trousers, and top-hat. so far, however, the siamese theatre has remained unaffected by these modern fashions. the theatre of the capital may differ from that of the province, but the differences are those demanded by native taste alone. it is in all cases admirably suited to a people of fertile imagination and simple habits. spectacular displays and gorgeous transformation scenes are neither expected nor given. realism is not demanded in any form. except in the matter of dress, simplicity characterises the whole performance. great attention is paid to the pattern and the material of the costumes. they are of a regulation type--heroes, angels, soldiers, and monarchs being arrayed according to fashions that have descended from generation to generation. cloth of gold, richly embroidered cloaks, and expensive jewels, make up the wardrobe of the richer companies. there is only one theatre in the capital to which any admission fee is charged and where regular performances are held. on dark nights when the moon is hidden the theatre is closed, for there would be no light to go home by, but as soon as the new moon appears again, the doors are opened and the people flock to the only place of amusement that can successfully compete with the rival attractions of the gambling hells and opium dens. all other theatrical performances take place as a rule at private houses on the occasion of a wedding, a cremation, or any other public or private ceremony at which large crowds of people congregate. the various troupes of performers are the private property of certain noblemen, who greatly pride themselves on the skill and beauty of their "prima-donnas". there are also bands of players who stroll from place to place and depend for their living on the voluntary offerings of the spectators. occasionally they find their services required for some domestic celebration. at other times they perform in the open air, or in any odd empty shed they may happen to discover in the course of their wanderings. there are two kinds of theatre--the "lakhon" and the "yeegai". the former, which stands highest in public estimation is probably derived from the nautch dances of india. at one time there was a large brahmin settlement in the town of ligore, which is situated to the north-east of the malay peninsula. these emigrants from india brought with them a number of nautch girls whose dances were highly appreciated by the people of the land in which they had newly settled. the native name for ligore is lakhon, and when the dancers went from place to place, they were known as "the actors from lakhon," and later on simply as the "lakhons". the word passed into the common speech and is now used as the name for "theatre". the members of the "lakhon" companies are all women with the exception of a few clowns. they seldom produce any new or original plays. those that they act over and over again are chiefly translations of hindoo myths, and are intolerably long. several hours a night for a fortnight would be required for the complete performance of some of these lengthy dramas. this is no barrier to the enjoyment of the audience, for the stories of the plays are the only literature that they constantly read. they are therefore thoroughly familiar with the plot, the characters, and all the incidents of the dramas performed before them. it follows that they never need to attend the theatre from night to night in order to follow the development of the story. in fact, the better they know the play, and the oftener they see it performed, the more they enjoy it. [illustration: faces from a siamese theatre.] there is no acting in our sense of the word. the words of the play are dolefully chanted by a chorus of women, whose screeching voices produce sounds that are painfully unmusical when judged from the european standpoint. the only words uttered by the actresses themselves are similarly chanted at times when they feel that the situation has reached a climax, and consequently needs an extra amount of noise to make it thoroughly effective. the orchestra employed is called the "mahoree", and contains twenty-one instruments when complete. the instruments used are chiefly of the percussion type and are powerful sound producers. amongst them are drums, cymbals, tom-toms, gongs and bamboo dulcimers. stringed instruments are represented by a few squeaky one-stringed fiddles and an instrument that resembles a zither. a terrible wind instrument is sometimes employed when it is desirable to produce a sound that can be calculated to rival that of the bagpipes when played by a zealous but unmusical amateur. the use of the band is chiefly to mark the rhythm of the chorus and to produce effective noisy bursts of sound in important scenes. any embrace between a pair of lovers is emphasised by a forcible hammering of drums and clashing of cymbals. they know nothing of harmony, but musical experts with well-trained ears, say that they play in unison. there is nothing natural in the actions of the performers except as regards those of the clowns. the funny men are the only ones who ever say anything in their natural voices or who ever move their limbs in a common everyday manner. the ladies go through a series of posturing evolutions euphemistically called dances. they are nothing more than extraordinary contortions of the body accompanied by equally strange motions of the limbs. the fingers are bent backwards from the joints, and the arms backwards from the elbows in a way no untrained person could ever possibly imitate. from early childhood the fingers and arms are daily bent out of place until finally they become, as it were, double jointed. the actresses whiten their faces with powder and do not relieve their ghostly appearance with any touch of colour. they fasten on the finger-tips artificial gold finger-nails of abnormal length. the audience either stands or sits on the floor, and smokes incessantly. the stage is simply a portion of the floor marked out by mats, round the sides of which sit those members of the audience who are nearest the performers. there is a raised seat or small platform at the back of the stage for the use of those who represent kings and queens in the different scenes. at the back of the seat is the common dressing-room of the whole company. it is partially or completely open to the public gaze, and a small crowd always gathers there to see the fair ones powder and adorn themselves. the strolling troupes dispense with even this imitation of a dressing-room, and prepare themselves for their parts in full view of the audience. they carry their belongings in old kerosine tins, which they arrange along one side of the shed in which they are performing. if a horse is required, an actress comes on the stage, wearing a piece of head-gear shaped like a horse's head. it is not worn as a mask to cover the face, but as a hat on the top of the head. the rider does not mount her steed, but places her hand on its shoulder and walks by its side. monkeys and elephants play important parts in the old legends, and they are represented in the same simple fashion; though one private company in bangkok boasts a real elephant that has been trained for theatrical performances. a voyage at sea is undertaken without ships. one of the players crosses the stage, having a pole in imitation of a mast fastened to his chest. from the top floats the national flag, while pieces of thin cord are fastened from the same point to the neck and shoulders of the player to represent rigging. the passengers then embark by arranging themselves in two long lines behind the man with the pole. when they are all safely aboard, the stern of the vessel arrives and forms the tail end of the procession. he also bears a pole, a flag, and a quantity of string rigging, and attached to his back is a wooden rudder, the cords of which are held by the passenger immediately in front of him. they then sail away, rolling their supple bodies in time to the music, in imitation of the rolling motion of a vessel at sea. they cross the stage, pass out at one side, and re-enter at the other, time after time, as though they were trying to impress the audience with the tedious and protracted nature of their journey. the possession of a tin sword is a sufficient indication of a warrior; while a tall tapering crown is the symbol of monarchial authority. occasionally there is a villain in the piece, who after some wicked deed, finds it necessary to conceal his whereabouts. this appears at first sight to be a very difficult matter, for the stage is absolutely bare of everything that could possibly afford the slightest concealment. the difficulty is soon surmounted. if he needs a wall behind which to hide himself, a bamboo screen with a hole in the middle is at once pushed on the stage in full view of the audience. he retires behind it, and the spectators then enjoy the comical sight of a hero seeking and finding not, while the villain amuses himself by watching through the hole in the screen the fruitless efforts made to discover his hiding-place. if he is supposed to be concealed in a wood, a banana leaf or a branch of a tree is handed to him, and he holds it with his hands in front of his face. again the hero is disappointed in his search, and when tired out with his long and unrewarded exertions, he plucks fruit from off the branch behind which the villain is in safe retirement, the audience roars with delight. the eagerness and keen enthusiasm with which the spectators receive all these primitive methods of dramatic representation, are conclusive proof that they are endowed with strong imaginations. the "yeegai" is of a different character entirely. it is malay in origin. the performers are all men or boys, and belong generally to the lower classes. chorus and orchestra are not considered indispensable, the former being always absent, and the latter generally consisting of seven large drums. there is no posturing and fantastic dancing, but genuine acting. the old legends give way to more modern and original works of a strictly farcical character. the buffoonery is excellent, but the language is nearly always coarse. current events are burlesqued, and foreign residents with pronounced mannerisms get caricatured. whatever be the play or wherever it be performed, luxuriously upholstered boxes and special incidental music are not required, for the story itself is of sufficient interest to the people to capture their hearts and minds without the assistance of any expensive and elaborate furniture. chapter ix. outside the capital. within the limits of the crowded capital one can easily study closely the superstitions, the customs, and the ceremonies of the people. but if any idea is to be gained of the industries of the country, it is necessary to pass from the busy canals and the crowded highways into the wide plains beyond. in the busy city the siamese are shopkeepers, policemen, postmen, soldiers and government officials. the mechanics and artisans are chinese. there is no sign of any native industry, no weaving of cloth, tanning of leather or manufacture of anything beautiful or useful. the city is the mart; the goods that are sold therein are made or grown in other localities. travel into the jungle or the field, and then you may find the native at work, earning his living, and spending his life in the most primitive manner. it may here be stated that it is not an easy matter to travel even a short distance in siam, and very few of the foreign residents ever make a trip except for business purposes. the journey to every place must be commenced by water, either in a house-boat or in a steamer. the house-boat is about eighteen feet long and four feet beam, and is rowed by a number of strong skilful boatmen. the number of men varies from two to eight according to the size of the boat. the man at the stern manages the rudder with his foot while he rows with his hands. all the men stand to their work, and row after the native fashion. in the centre of the boat is a small hut or cabin, which is about three feet high, so that its occupant can only lie therein. standing or sitting is impossible, and the operations of dressing, washing and eating are performed under trying conditions. the deck planks are all removable, and under these must be stowed away sufficient clothing and provisions to last the traveller during the whole of his trip, for no matter where he travels, he can never replenish his larder or his wardrobe. the chinese cook, who is an indispensable part of every expedition, sleeps and cooks at the back of the boat, in a space about three feet square. he shelters himself during the heat of the day with a big paper umbrella, and sleeps at night on the floor of his kitchen. he prepares his master's meals just as though he were surrounded with all the ordinary utensils supposed necessary in the practice of culinary art, and when they are ready, he acts as waiter and hands them into the cabin through a small window in the back. the traveller's limbs get very sore with constantly lying on a hard mattress; but he has little opportunity of taking exercise, for the jungle comes down to the water's edge in most places that are uninhabited. these house-boats are only used for inland journeys as they would soon be capsized in a rough sea. [illustration: preparing rattan for chair-making.] one thing that soon strikes the wanderer is the presence of the chinese. in the most secluded hamlet, and in the deepest jungle, wherever men are gathered together, there are the celestials in the midst of them, doing the chief share of the work, and taking the largest share of the profits. the wealth of the country consists in its agricultural produce. rice is the chief food article cultivated, and will be dealt with in the succeeding chapter. but at chantaboon, now in the hands of the french, excellent pepper is grown. coffee has only recently been introduced, and it too flourishes in the neighbourhood of the same port. sugar-cane is very plentiful, but is little used for the making of sugar. where the refineries do exist they belong to the chinese. the tobacco plant that is grown is very rank, and too powerful in its effects to become popular with europeans. if it were properly cured and prepared, it might be more palatable. amongst the other agricultural products may be mentioned hemp, cotton, cocoa-nut, areca-nut, maize, teak, bamboo, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, indigo, a little tea in the far north, and fruit of many varieties. [illustration: fishing lugger.] petchabooree is a typical siamese agricultural village. it is easily reached by house-boat from bangkok in two or three days. through the village runs a clear silvery stream with a white sandy bed. on each side of the stream extends a double row of wooden houses, under which lie innumerable pariahs. between the double line is a narrow passage forming the street, market, and pleasure-ground of the inhabitants. buffaloes come down to the river for water at regular hours twice each day. on the broad plains in the neighbourhood rice is grown. a few miles away is a laos settlement, occupied by the descendants of prisoners of war who were once placed here to till the soil for those who captured them. they still preserve their dark striped petticoats, and are never seen without their long knives at their waists. they spend most of their time at this particular place in manufacturing sugar from the sugar palm. when the fruit appears upon the tree, a man climbs to the top, and cuts it off. to the cut stalk he fastens the hollow stem of a bamboo, about eighteen inches long. as the juice oozes from the cut surface it drops into the wooden cylinder. when this is filled it is removed, and replaced by another. the juice is collected and boiled in iron pans under an attap-thatched shed. the furnace is of very simple construction. a trough is dug in the earth, and the hole thus made filled with wood. a light is applied, and then the pan is placed on the ground, with its centre over the hollow dug-out fireplace. fresh wood is pushed into the hole when required. as the wood costs nothing and the iron pan is cheap, the manufacture of sugar in this primitive fashion is not at all costly. the thick syrupy liquid is put into big wooden barrels, and sent to bangkok to be further boiled and converted into sugar. the fresh juice of the sugar palm is sweet and refreshing, but when it begins to ferment it is a powerful intoxicant. there are many pretty places on the shores of the gulf of siam, but these can only be visited by steamer. they are charmingly picturesque, the bathing is excellent, and the fish are delicious. no steamers call at these desirable spots, there are no hotels, and except for fish they have no food for sale. only one of them--anghin, has any house in which a foreigner would care to reside. the village of anghin ("stone basins") is so called because there are several large hollows in the granite rocks, where rain water collects in the wet season. public attention was first drawn to the place in 1868, when a notice appeared in the local papers in these words:- "h. e. ahon phya bhibakrwongs maha kosa dhipude, the pra klang, minister for foreign affairs, has built a sanitarium at anghin for the benefit of the public. it is for the benefit of siamese, europeans, or americans, who may go and occupy it when unwell, to restore their health. all are cordially invited to go there for a suitable length of time and be happy, but are requested not to remain month after month, and year after year, and regard it as a place without an owner. to regard it in this way cannot be allowed, for it is public property, and others should go and stop there also." [illustration: fishing boats at the bar.] for a time a few people went, but the sanitarium is now in ruins, and is only habitable in dry weather when holes in roofs and walls are no inconvenience to the visitor. it is necessary when visiting this lovely little spot to take with one all the provisions required during the stay, a plentiful supply of pure water, and every article of furniture, such as beds, tables, chairs, and wardrobes. having collected all these things, a small steamer is next required to convey them and their owner to his destination. an english resident in bangkok who wished to take a holiday there, bargained with a native merchant for the loan of a vessel. the native promised faithfully that the steamer should be at a certain landing near the englishman's house by one o'clock in the afternoon of the day mentioned. early in the morning he removed all his baggage to the riverside. he was surrounded by baskets of ducks, baskets of chickens, hams in canvas bags, jars of rain water, boxes of soda water, pans, pots, furnaces, chairs, tables, mattresses books, camera, and sketching material. a few friends who were going to accompany him helped to keep guard over this motley collection. at one o'clock no steamer was visible, but there was nothing very surprising in that fact, as the oriental does not know the meaning of punctuality. but when two o'clock passed, then three o'clock, and then four, he felt that something had gone wrong. one of the party went to make enquiries. he returned after dark to say that the propeller of the steamer was broken, and that the steamer was in dock, but that she would be at the landing by seven the next morning. all the boxes and furniture were sadly and slowly conveyed back to the house again. one of the boxes was opened, and a dinner made of soda water and corned beef. the host and his guests slept as best they could, on the floors of the dining-room and the drawing-room. at seven the next morning all the holiday traps were carried out and placed on the landing, where they were speedily surrounded by a crowd of jeering natives who scoffingly enquired when the party proposed to start. they endured this until four o'clock in the afternoon, when the vessel did at last put in an appearance. they embarked as rapidly as possible, and began their journey at night. there was only one cabin, which was dirty beyond description, and swarming with spiders and cockroaches. in the middle of the night it began to rain, so they wrapped themselves up in cloaks and waterproofs and slept on deck under the tables. one of them asked the malay skipper why the vessel was going so slowly. said he, with an amused smile, "this boat go half-speed. this boiler got many holes. go full-speed--burst!" then he chuckled. when about two miles from anghin the recently mended propeller broke and sank. everything was landed by means of one small boat. the sanitarium had been untenanted for many months by human beings, but thousands of ants, spiders, cockroaches, and lizards had made themselves at home there. the men opened some tins of kerosine and flooded the place with it. all the creatures that were not destroyed by it were driven away by its obnoxious smell, and in a short time the place was rendered habitable. perhaps the reader will now understand why it is that european residents in siam seldom go to the sea-side. there is not much difference between a fishing and an agricultural village. there is the same double row of houses with the street between, and the back doors of each of the houses nearest the sea or river, facing the water. along the beach small heaps of sea-shells are found at intervals of a few yards. they have been collected by the villagers, who send them in small sailing boats to bangkok where they are used for making lime. the lime-kilns are made of bricks in the shape of a shallow box. the floor has a number of apertures, and some fire is placed beneath. in the box a layer of shells lies upon a layer of straw and charcoal. then comes another layer of fuel and another layer of shells, and so on until the box is full. a blast of air is driven into it by a fan connected to treadles. there is no covering to the kiln, and the fumes that rise have several times been fatal to the workmen. [illustration: khlong near petchabooree. _page 174._] from the beach can be seen, at low tide, long lines of poles radiating in all directions. these form the fishing traps that are used chiefly for catching a fish called "plah-tu." it is about the size of a herring, tastes like trout when fresh, and like kippers when smoked. during the north-east monsoon these fish are driven in great shoals to the northern end of the gulf, and while this wind continues to blow the fishermen are kept busily employed. the fishing stakes are long slender poles. they are fixed in the bed of the sea about forty inches apart from each other, in double rows, forming a funnel-shaped passage with a very wide entrance or mouth. several funnels converge upon a central circular or rectangular structure also made of thin poles, which we may for convenience call the trap. nets are fixed in it by cords so as to be ready for use when the fishermen pay it a visit. the radiating lines are often half a mile long, and as they move to and fro in the restless sea they form an impassable barrier to the timid fish, who are driven by the currents into the trap, from which they seem unable to find their way out. the boats usually go out at sunset, and they form a very pretty picture as they skim lightly over the buoyant waves, their yellow porous mat-sails catching rosy or orange hues from the setting sun, which are again mirrored in deeper shades in the purple waters below. on reaching the trap the men let down their nets, only to haul them up again a few minutes later, laden with silvery fish. the boats return about daybreak. their coming is eagerly awaited by the whole population, who turn out to receive them. buffalo carts are also ready to carry the fish from the boats to the village. in the village the night's booty is sorted and examined. the fish are cleaned and the gills removed, all the refuse being thrown into strong brine. the briny solution of fishy odds and ends is afterwards sold as "fish sauce". the best fish are very lightly steamed and then packed in flat circular baskets, put on board the swiftest sailing boats, and sent off to bangkok. a certain amount is sold to people near at hand, or used for food by the villagers themselves. the remainder are either smoked, or packed with brine in deep pits in the ground. when well salted the fish is dried and exported. the value of the fish exported is about one and a half million dollars. it finds great favour with the chinese. the javanese too buy large quantities of the salted fish, chiefly on account of the salt that they purchase at the same time, for pure salt is a very dear luxury in that island. the decaying rotten refuse is used as manure in the kitchen gardens of the chinese. if its properties as a manure are half as powerful as its odour, it should be extremely valuable. but "plah-tu" are not the only fish caught in this out of the way corner of the earth. prawns are plentiful, and they are caught in nets of very small mesh. two boats go out together from the shore for a little distance and then separate. from boat to boat is suspended a net heavily weighted to make it sink. when the net is fully extended the boats move towards the shore, dragging it with them. in this way thousands of prawns and small fish are easily caught. prawns are pounded into a paste with salt. the mixture is not unlike anchovy sauce. mussels and many other shell-fish are obtained in an easy manner. long poles are driven into the sand in water where these creatures are known to abound, and left there for some time. after a while they are covered with the shell-fish, which have fastened on the poles. to pull up the pole and scrape off the deposit is but the work of a few hours. [illustration: a buffalo cart.] the buffalo carts used in the villages in this part of siam, are peculiar-looking conveyances. but they are admirably fitted for the rough work for which they are built. they are used between villages on the coast at times when boats cannot pass from place to place, and also between places inland where no canals exist. their construction will be better understood from the accompanying illustration than from any written description, but a few points may be noticed. the hood over the top is not for protection from sun or rain. there are no roads in the jungle, though here and there, there are a few tracks. the buffaloes literally force their way through the dense undergrowth, the eye of the experienced driver always telling him where the most passable spots are to be found. the hood protects the head of the driver or his passengers from the branches of the trees that obstruct the way. without it they would be unable to travel at all in any place where the vegetative growth was at all thick. the projecting side pieces in a similar way keep the wheels from getting entangled in the undergrowth. the bottom of the cart is at a good distance from the ground, for very often the way lies through swamps or flooded marshes so deep that only the heads of the buffaloes can be seen above the mud and water. in such places the animals frequently lie down to cool themselves. this in no way endangers the cart, as the beasts are not harnessed to it in any way. the yoke is simply laid across their necks, and prevented from slipping by straight pieces of wood on each side. when passengers travel, a plank is placed at about the level of the driver's elbow in the picture. the reins are of rope, and the bell round the neck is a hollowed piece of wood with two or three wooden tongues inside it. owing to the uneven character of the ground the cart sways from side to side, and produces in most people who experience the motion for the first time, a feeling akin to sea-sickness. as the plank, on which the traveller sits cross-legged, is near the top of the vehicle, his head is dangerously near the roof. every time the cart gives a sudden lurch to one side, he receives a smart rap on the side or top of his head. as a rule he recoils from the blow only to receive another on the other side as the vehicle recovers its equilibrium. the huge wheels, unsupplied with metal bearings, creak and groan with awful ceaseless regularity. [illustration: a siamese bullock cart.] in many places valuable minerals are said to exist. gold, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds have been found, but so far have not been obtained in very large quantities. in the siamese provinces in the malay peninsula, tin is exceedingly abundant and is mined by the chinese. in the northern provinces there are numerous valuable teak forests, from which the government derives a very large revenue. nearly the whole of the teak that is used in building the ships of the different nations of the world, comes from the extensive forests of upper burmah and northern siam. much of the teak that is exported from moulmein and sold as burmese or indian, is really obtained from siamese forests lying between the river meping and the river salween. the forests of burmah have been worked for a much longer period than those of siam, and the logs obtained therefrom are of inferior quality and smaller girth. the teak forests of siam are worked with british capital alone, no french or germans being engaged in the trade. the agents of the british firms live at the scene of the lumbering operations, and are personally responsible for the hiring of the forests, the cutting of the wood, and its subsequent exportation to bangkok. the different firms have saw-mills of their own in the city, and they trim and cut the logs before they are finally sent abroad. the leases for the forests are obtained from the lao chiefs in whose districts they stand, but the terms of the leases are often subject to revision by the siamese commissioners. the trees are killed before they are felled, by having a ring cut in the bark, about two or three feet from the ground. the "girdled" stem is left for nearly three years before it is cut down, as it is not properly dead before that time. the only method of transport possible in places where there is no water, is by elephants, and this form of transportation is so very expensive that the workings are mostly confined to the banks or the immediate vicinity of the streams. teak trees unfortunately do not grow in clusters or groves, but only in isolated spots, often separated from each other by considerable distances, so that the question of carriage is financially a very important one. felling takes place during the rainy season when the ground is soft and wet, so that the trees as they fall are not likely to sustain any serious damage. three labourers working together are able to fell three trees in one day. the rough logs are piled side by side until they are removed by the elephants. one of these strong sagacious creatures is harnessed to the log by ropes. he drags it over the ground to the nearest water, his work being considerably lightened by the aid of rude rollers placed along the track. the elephants on reaching the water, pile up the logs on the bank, until the buyer or the agent has examined them. the owner places his own mark on them for purposes of identification, and then the elephants roll them into the water, and place them in positions that render their being bound into rafts a comparatively easy matter. thieves make themselves busy at such times, breaking up rafts, stealing logs from which they obliterate the owner's mark, and disposing of them as rapidly as possible at nominal values to the first customer they can find. they keep on the look-out for stray elephants too, and occasionally manage to get safely away with their valuable spoil. no replanting goes on, and great waste of timber is caused by the servants of the lessees. the forests will ultimately be destroyed unless some regulations are made with regard to the girth of the trees cut down, and the replanting of fresh ones in the places of those that have been felled. the loss that the world will experience from the loss of the wood, will be infinitesimal compared with the injury that is likely to fall upon the country itself in the changed climatic conditions that invariably attend such wholesale deforestation. very fine trees are allowed to stand because the natives are afraid to cut them down. within any giant of the forest they suppose powerful spirits to be embodied, and they are afraid to call down upon themselves unforeseen and terrible visitations of anger from the spirits who inhabit them. the villagers in all parts of the country are very hospitable and kindly disposed towards travellers. they show their politeness in their extreme inquisitiveness. they poke their noses into everything, and beg old bottles and sardine tins from the cook, at the same time making little presents of eggs and fish. in very remote places the white skin of the european is a great curiosity, but they never molest any traveller whatever his colour, nor do they interfere with his personal liberty. on the other hand, every one, from the governor of the district down to the lowest slave, will do all they can to help the wanderer, provided he treats them with that courtesy and respect which they are prepared to show to him. sometimes a native with a little mischief in his nature will attempt a practical joke, but it is usually of such a harmless character that only a very disagreeable person would be likely to experience any great annoyance. a fisherman one day visited a small party of europeans who were encamped in his neighbourhood, and offered to sell them an animal for food. the creature had neither head, feet, nor tail, but their absence was explained by the vendor, who said he had removed them in order to save the white men trouble. he further stated that the animal was a hare that he had trapped in the jungle. none of the party knew very much about anatomy, but they felt rather dubious as to the truth of the man's statements. one of them, quite thoughtlessly and casually, observed, "perhaps it is a dog." a broad grin spread over the wily fisherman's face, for the stray shot had hit the mark. he retired roaring with laughter, and exclaimed in the vernacular, "master very clever, very clever!" they are generally frightened by a camera, but it is a strange thing that no where do the priests object to having their photographs taken and printed. in fact, as soon as they learn the nature of the apparatus they become a perfect nuisance by the eagerness they express to be photographed. they will come every morning to the tent or hut where the photographer is encamped, dressed in their best sunday robes, and wait about all day, in the hope of being "taken." they express considerable astonishment at the coloured and inverted picture seen on the ground-glass screen at the back of the camera, and they are unable to understand why prints cannot be instantaneously produced. a very picturesque old peguan was once entreated to sit for his portrait by a man who was travelling. the ancient one hesitated, and thought, and consulted his family. he was allowed to look through the ground glass and see the faces of a few of his friends thereon. that decided the point. he threw his fears and scruples to the winds, and posed himself in a graceful attitude astride a water-jar. the photographer focussed and adjusted his machine, snapped the shutter, shut up the slide, and exclaimed, "it is finished." then the old man came up to have a look. when he found that his picture was not ready at once, he felt that he had been grossly deceived, and his remarks were such that the photographer deemed it wise to seek for the company of his friends. the sight of the coloured picture on the ground-glass screen of the camera, led a few villagers to commit an amusing error. after looking at it for some time, they went to another spot to watch an artist who was at work there at the same time. they decided amongst themselves that his work was a superior form of photography, and that as he drew his brushes across the canvas they made the coloured picture come up through the back. their theory worked excellently for a while, but when the artist began to put in boats in places in the picture which did not correspond to those in the landscape, they felt that the machine had gone wrong, and departed, murmuring that it wasn't a very good "picture-box" after all. chapter x. the cultivation of rice. the natives of siam depend absolutely on rice for their very existence. it is the only necessary article of food. should the supply fail, there is nothing to take its place. all other forms of food are, comparatively speaking, luxuries. abundance of rice means life; scarcity of rice brings famine and death. the failure of the crops in siam would produce a famine as far-reaching and as disastrous in its results as those of india, which have at different times evoked to such a large degree, the practical sympathies of the english people. and yet, despite the terrible nature of the disaster which would attend any sensible diminution in the supply of this all-necessary and all-sufficient article of food, the methods of cultivation are primitive to the last degree, and are carried on with agricultural implements of the rudest possible character. [illustration: the swinging festival. _page 212._] when a farmer increases the area of the land under cultivation, by buying or stealing a new piece of wooded ground or jungle for the purpose of cultivating rice, he commences his farming operations by burning down the whole of the timber in order to save himself the trouble of cutting it. in this way, with the maximum of waste and the minimum of labour, the ground is cleared. [illustration: collecting ripe grain.] it is next ploughed with an instrument the total cost of which is about three shillings. roughly speaking, the plough is merely a crooked stick with one handle. if a piece of wood or cane be bent into two portions, one longer than the other, and if the shorter portion of the cane be fastened into a heavy block of wood pointed at one end, while the longer arm is held in the hand, a rough model of a siamese plough will be obtained. occasionally, but by no means always, a triangular piece of iron is fitted on to the wooden foot. this, however, is never permanently fastened to the block. the plough cuts a shallow furrow about two inches deep and five or six inches wide. it is usually drawn by buffaloes, which are the chief beasts of burden in this country. the "tã¡me" buffalo, as it is called, seems very docile with its native owners, and little children are often seen driving them about, running behind them, belabouring them with sticks, or sitting on their broad hard backs, guiding them in the desired direction by whacking them over the nose. they have, however, a strong dislike to europeans, and will attack a white man without any provocation whatever. the natives give as the reason for his dislike, that the "smell" of the white man is offensive to the beasts. they are yoked to the plough in a manner as simple as it is inexpensive. a slightly curved wooden yoke is laid across their powerful necks. on either side of the neck a straight piece of wood passes through a hole in the yoke, hangs downwards, and so keeps the heads of the animals in the right position. from the yoke to the shorter portion of the plough, there passes a long heavy wooden beam. this is fastened into a socket in the plough, just below the handle. it is tied to the yoke with a thong of hide, or a long strip of rattan cane, and ends in a graceful curve a foot or two above the heads of the animals. the free end of the beam is often decorated with flowers, feathers, or brightly coloured ribbons. pieces of rope passed through holes in the nostrils are the native substitute for the european bridle, harness, and reins. thus the whole weight of the plough, the beam, and the yoke rests upon the necks of the animals. with one hand on the plough, and the other loosely grasping the reins, the field labourer toils through the broiling heat of the day, guiding the great clumsy-looking animals by an occasional tug at the reins, or urging them to greater speed with long low groan-like exclamations. the harrow is square in shape, is made of bamboo, and bears a number of straight wooden teeth. it is drawn by buffaloes, yoked and harnessed as in the case of the plough. as rice only grows where there is an excess of moisture, an abundant supply of water must be produced either by natural or artificial means. there is scarcely any artificial irrigation in siam, for the peasants depend upon the chance rise of the rivers to flood the fields after the heavy rains are over. these floods not only inundate the low-lying plains, and so save the peasant the trouble of watering his fields himself, but when they subside they leave behind a deposit of mud so rich and fertile that manuring is rendered unnecessary. and as these floods are of annual occurrence, any system of rotation of crops has never been considered. occasionally some farmer deems it advisable to adopt some artificial method of inundating his fields, and various methods of doing this are in use. in none of them, however, are pumps ever used, though considering the number of canals that thread the country from end to end, one would think that the easiest and most natural way of getting the water from the canal into the fields would be by means of pumps connected to a series of troughs that would carry the water to any point where it was required. instead of a pump, various arrangements of baskets and buckets are employed. the baskets, which are made of cane and pitched inside and out to prevent leakage, will hold about seven or eight gallons. they are so suspended by a system of ropes, that a couple of children can easily scoop up water from the canal and pour it on to the adjacent rice-patch. when the fields in the immediate neighbourhood of the water-supply have been deluged, the water is passed over into the fields further away by means of a large wooden scoop, which takes up a few gallons at a time. this process is repeated for each successive field, and eventually the whole of the farm receives the requisite amount of water. when buckets are used, the system of irrigation is called "watering with the foot." the buckets are small, and are linked together about twelve inches apart. they revolve on a rude wooden windlass, which is worked by two men, who place their feet on treadles fastened to the shaft round which the buckets revolve, at the same time grasping a horizontal bar for support. they run from the canal or pool, up an inclined trough, fall over the shaft, and tilt their contents into the field, pass back again under the shaft, and so return to the canal again. [illustration: a siamese rice-plough. _page 199._] of the forty different kinds of rice known to agriculturists, about six varieties are grown in siam. the natives divide these roughly into two classes, which they name respectively "garden rice," and "field rice." the latter kind is inferior in quality, and is scattered broadcast in the fields, where it is left to grow without any further care or attention being bestowed upon its cultivation. "garden rice," on the other hand, is carefully sown and tended. the seeds are first sown as thickly as they can grow, in well-watered patches. they soon sprout, and the beautiful green blades grow rapidly in the hot sunshine. when they are a few inches high, they are pulled up by the roots, and bound into small bundles. these bundles are taken to the fields by men, women, and children, to be there transplanted in long straight rows. the fields have by this time been covered with water, and trampled into a thick black mud under the hoofs of the buffaloes. everyone, to use a native expression, now "dives into the field." they push the roots of the young shoots deep down into the soft mud, with their nimble hands and feet, with amazing rapidity. a good worker will not take more than three days to plant an acre. planting lasts from about june to october, and during that time the farm hands receive in wages from eight to twelve shillings a month. the way in which the rice is reaped when the time for harvest has arrived, depends largely on the state of the fields. if the waters have subsided, it is reaped with the sickle, and bound into sheaves, which are first allowed to dry in the sun, and are then removed by buffalo carts or bullock waggons. but if the fields are still under water, this method is obviously impossible, and besides, there is always a sufficiently large number of leeches, land-crabs and water-snakes moving about in the slimy mud to make the labourer cautious as to where he treads. in this case the people go to the fields in their long narrow canoes. they cut off the ripe heads with a sickle, and drop them into small baskets placed in the bottom of the boat. great carelessness is often shown by the laughing, gossiping reapers, who drop handful after handful of ripe grain into the water. [illustration: planting out young rice--foot of korat hills.] when the threshing commences, the services of the ever useful buffalo are once more demanded. a threshing floor is first prepared. a piece of ground is cleared, and then covered with a plaster made of soil, cow-dung, and water. after a few days this pasty mixture sets into a hard, firm coating. a tall, straight bamboo is erected in the centre of the floor, and a few good heads of rice are fastened at the top for the birds to eat. a roughly carved figure of a man, jokingly christened "the grandfather," is added by way of decoration. two buffaloes are used, which are yoked side by side. the inner one is loosely fastened on the inside to the central pole, and on the outside to his fellow-worker, while both are guided by a half-naked man or boy, who runs round and round behind the animals, holding on to the tail of the outer one. the threshing takes place on moonlight nights, and rarely does the moon shine on a more interesting or curious scene. the buffaloes pace on in their monotonous round, regardless of their screaming driver or of his vigorous jerking of their hindmost appendages. in the heaps of straw tumble all the merry, laughing urchins of the neighbourhood. the air resounds with the sounds of music, fiddles and tom-toms, dulcimers and drums. joke and song pass from mouth to mouth. here glows the red end of a cigarette; there a shiny brown back glistens in the moonlight. the large meek eyes of the animals stare through the gloom. cocoa-nut oil lanterns vie with the ruddy flames of the fitful bonfires in lending more light to the scene, but rarely do more than tinge their own dark smoke a tawny hue. fire-flies light up the deep shadows under the long drooping leaves of the palms, or mirror their own pale light in the bits of shiny straw that flutter in the evening breeze. through all these varied shades of semi-darkness come laughter and song, the cry of the driver, the creaking of the pole, the firm, steady footfall of the patient beasts, the chirping of crickets, the croaking of frogs, and a million other sounds that tell of life and motion in the late hours of a tropical night. [illustration: ploughing a rice-field.] the rice is winnowed by the wind as it is poured from one wide shallow basket to another, and as the chaff flies about in the sunlight its gilded hues mingle with the vivid green of the surrounding landscape, to form behind the well-proportioned forms of the girls and women, a background which is unique in its brilliant combinations of light and colour. the grain is stored in large baskets made of cane and plastered outside with mud. these stand on a raised platform, and are covered by a roof made of leaves. the eye of the farmer grows bright as he regards his well-filled rice-bins, for by their number and contents does he measure his wealth. the farmers live together in small villages for mutual protection; but in spite of all their precautions, those who inhabit the more remote portions of the country suffer severely from the depredations of bands of dacoits. during the night, too, the herds of cattle often break out and wander over the fields, doing irreparable damage as they wander from one plantation to another, the absence of all hedges or fences rendering their wanderings merely a matter of choice to themselves. the rice-mills of bangkok are constructed after european models, and contain modern machinery; but outside the capital, the primitive mill of earlier days still survives. this is simply a short, broad stump of a tree with a conical hollow inside, the apex of the cone being near the ground. a long lever carries at one end a heavy wooden hammer-head, which falls into the hollow of the stem. it is raised by placing the foot on the other end of the lever, and then jumping up so as to press upon the lever with the whole weight of the body. the women are generally employed in this work, and in any small village you can hear the steady thump, thump of the hammers from morning to night, and see the girls and young women jumping on and off the short end of the lever, with an almost painful regularity and precision. a great deal of the rice grown in some of the northern provinces is sent to luang prabang, the local supply there being insufficient for the wants of the inhabitants. it is sent down the river mekong on huge rice-rafts made of bamboo. it takes a fairly large crew to manage one of these rafts, and as several members of the party are sure to have a wife or child with them, the whole structure somewhat resembles a floating village. the most usual measurements of these rafts are one hundred and twenty feet long and about thirty feet beam. they are very difficult to manage, but so skilful are the native boatmen, that by means of a number of oars rigged fore and aft, they generally succeed in taking their cumbersome craft through the numerous rapids and eddies, with only occasional or trifling loss of their valuable cargo. two curious ceremonies take place each year in connection with the agricultural operations. one is held in connection with the opening of the field season, while the other is an oriental form of "harvest-thanksgiving." the first ceremony is known as "raakna" and is generally held about the middle of may. until the "ploughing festival" is over, no one is supposed to plough or sow. on a certain day foretold by the brahmin astrologers of the court, the minister for agriculture, who is always a prince, or a nobleman of high rank, goes in procession to a piece of ground some distance from the city walls. he is for the time being the king's proxy, and on that day many shopkeepers, and holders of stalls in the markets, pay their taxes to him as the representative of their sovereign. formerly his followers were in the habit of seizing the goods of any shopkeeper which were exposed for sale along the route of the procession, but this arbitrary manner of collecting dues has, like many other harmful customs, completely disappeared during the reign of the present enlightened monarch. on reaching the scene of the festival ceremonies, the minister finds there a new plough with a pair of exceptionally fine buffaloes yoked to it. both plough and buffaloes are gaily decorated with flowers and leaves. the minister takes the plough, and for about an hour he guides it over the field, closely watched by the assembled spectators. they do not, however, concentrate their attention upon his skill as a ploughman, but on the length of the piece of silk which forms his lower garment. if, in the course of his amateur agricultural operations, the minister should pull this garment above his knee, it is believed that excessive and therefore disastrous rains will occur during the wet season. on the other hand, should he allow it to fall to the ankle a great scarcity of rain is anticipated. a prosperous season is foretold when the folds of the garment reach midway between knee and ankle. when a certain portion of the field has been ploughed, several old women in the king's service, strew grain of different kinds over the recently ploughed land. the animals are unyoked and led up to the scattered grain and allowed to feed upon it. once more the crowd are on the alert, as they seek for yet other omens. that kind of grain of which the buffaloes most freely partake, will, it is expected, be scarce at the next harvest; the kind they disdain will be reaped in abundance. the ceremony over, the minister returns in procession, accompanied by soldiers and military bands; while the brightly dressed, chattering crowds return to their homes to prepare for the ploughing and the sowing, hoping for abundant rain and sunshine, and looking for a fruitful harvest, that thereby they may escape the terrible and remorseless hand of famine. the harvest-festival ceremonies are of brahminical origin and are known to the people under the name of "lo ching cha". the first word "lo" means "to pull"--"ching cha" is "a swing". the place where the "swinging festival" is held is inside the city walls. it is a small green lawn situated opposite to a very large temple, and on the edge of a very busy thoroughfare. for three hundred and sixty three days in each year, there is nothing, except the huge pillars of the swing, to draw one's attention to the spot. a few boys playing football or flying kites, a few old women squatting down for a little gossip, or a few malay grooms with their masters' ponies are the usual everyday occupants of the spot. on the other two days of the year, when the harvest festival is held, every inch of available space is occupied. the native children, unable to see over the heads of the men and women when they are upon the ground, quickly mount the neighbouring walls, and perch themselves in the branches of the trees, or cling, like monkeys, to every lamp-post and telegraph pole within sight of the proceedings. the thoroughfares leading to the place are blocked with innumerable carriages and rickshaws. the crowd is an exceedingly good-tempered one, and brawling of any kind is very unusual. the distant sound of a military band heralds the approach of another of those processions so dear to the heart of the siamese. the procession passes through the dense crowd without any trouble, for the people willingly fall back so as not to impede its progress. strangely coloured banners bearing quaint devices, flutter above the heads of the crowd. a modern military band plays "marching through georgia," while an ancient band in tattered vermilion garments with yellow trimmings, bangs curious drums, and pierces the air with the penetrating shrieks of long brass trumpets. the tom-tom and the gong join in the general uproar. the crowd sways to and fro, striving to catch a glimpse of the barefooted soldiers in their brilliant uniforms, or of the numerous articles borne in the procession to indicate the nature and meaning of the festivities. decorated buffaloes dragging decorated carts, bundles of rice, offerings of fruit and flowers, are all evidences of the thankfulness of the people for the safe ingathering of their harvests. [illustration: buffaloes returning from the rice-fields.] in the centre of the procession, carried in a chair of state on the shoulders of a number of strong well-built men, and shielded from the sun by a huge state umbrella, sits the master of the ceremonies resplendent in cloth of gold and jewelled ornaments. at one time the minister for agriculture officiated on these occasions, but now a different nobleman is selected each year, whose business it is to organise and superintend all the arrangements for the festival. all eyes turn towards the seated figure in his tall conical hat and jewelled robes. he is carried to a small brick platform, which is draped with the national flag and covered with flowers. he takes his seat, with two brahmin priests on his right hand and two on his left. he places his right foot on his left knee, the left foot resting upon the ground. after having once seated himself in this position he is not allowed to remove his foot off his knee until the whole ceremony is finished. as this lasts about two hours, the presiding nobleman must be fairly uncomfortable by the time it is over. the penalty for moving the foot was, formerly, the confiscation of the culprit's property and the loss of his rank, in addition to any immediate ill-usage the attendant priests might think fit to bestow upon him; but this is now all done away with, and the only deterrent influence brought to bear upon the temporary sufferer is the opinion of the people, who would feel deeply hurt and disappointed should any detail of their well-beloved ceremony be omitted. the attention of the crowd is next directed to the performance of the swinging games. the swing itself is like any ordinary child's swing except for its enormous size. the side pillars are about ninety feet high, and the seat of the swing is about half-way between the ornamented cross-bar and the ground. a few feet in front of the seat, on the side towards the palace, a long bamboo-stem is fixed in the ground, and from the top is suspended a small bag of silver coins. the men who take part in the games are usually brahmins. they are dressed in white, and wear conical hats. they swing towards the bag of money and endeavour to catch it with their teeth. there are generally three competitors; the prizes for the first being worth about fifteen shillings, while for the second and third they are worth about ten and five shillings respectively. when the winners have received their rewards they pass amongst the crowd, sprinkling the spectators with consecrated water contained in bullocks' horns. soon afterwards the minister returns to his home, the crowd disperses, and thus this very ancient ceremony is brought to a close. chapter xi. laws and legislation. recent years have witnessed great changes in the methods of governing and judging the people. in nothing is the distinction between old and young siam so definitely marked. but it is the old order of things that will chiefly concern us in this chapter, for the new order, though indicative of great progress, has been carried out by western minds in imitation of western methods, and it therefore presents little which is of intrinsic interest to the student of foreign customs. but as any account of the country's laws and legislation would be incomplete without some mention of modern reforms, a brief account of some of the most important of them is here given. the king is theoretically an absolute monarch with power to control the life and property of every one of his subjects. but he appointed a cabinet to assist him in carrying on the government of his country, and it is very doubtful whether he would now care to exercise his despotic authority to the full, should he by so doing incur the combined opposition of the cabinet he has created. there are twelve ministers in this cabinet, who hold portfolios and seats. they are 1. the minister for foreign affairs. 2. the minister for finance, who is also minister of customs and controls the various monopolies, gambling and opium farms. 3. the minister for war, who controls both army and navy. 4. the minister of justice. 5. the minister of the north, who has under his control the administration of nearly all the provinces north of bangkok. 6. the minister of the south and west, who also directs the civil and military _corvã©e_. 7. the minister of the royal household. 8. the minister of public works, including the railways, posts and telegraphs, and all public buildings. 9. the minister of local government, with control of prisons, police, and police-courts in bangkok. he combines the functions of a lord mayor and a home secretary. 10. the minister for agriculture, who grants mining concessions, superintends surveys, and looks after the land revenues. 11. the minister of public instruction. under him are placed the hospitals, the museums, and a number of ecclesiastical establishments. 12. privy seal. the cabinet holds its business meetings at night. they begin about eight o'clock and sit on through the cool dark hours of the night and early morning. the king may or may not be present. last year an additional legislative body was established, under the name of "the legislative council". the members of the cabinet are all members of the legislative council, but many others have been added. they do not hold their meetings in secret, like the older body, and they also call in outsiders, both foreign and native, when they want professional advice on any matter. they have appointed a number of sub-committees, of each of which some european servant of the government is a member. they are concerned with the reform of old laws and the devising of new ones. one article in the decree that appointed this assembly is sufficient to show how the king has gradually but voluntarily resigned the position of a pure despot. until the formation of this council no law could pass into action, and no reform or new law could even be initiated without the express written sanction of the king. during recent years he has been at times seriously ill for many weeks together. naturally everything came to a stand-still. now the new body of councillors has been specially requested to introduce and discuss new laws and regulations, and it has been further empowered to put into operation any law that it may pass, without the authority of the king, provided he is not at the time sufficiently well in health to attend to business. he, however, reserves to himself the right to amend the law should he afterwards think fit. those who know anything of the present king will recognise the wisdom of this arrangement, for he can always be depended upon not to destroy but to stimulate everything which makes for the happiness of his people. each province has at its head a royal commissioner who has extensive powers, but who holds office at the pleasure of the king, though in the first instance his appointment is generally for some definite period. the commissioners are not simply responsible for the good government, or for the collection of the taxes in the district under their charge, but they are intended to form connecting links between the central and the outlying portions of the kingdom. for in faraway provinces, powerful and enterprising chiefs occasionally find it convenient to forget the fact that they are not independent monarchs. the appointment of royal commissioners was very much resented by some of the chiefs, especially by those who had previously reigned with the title and dignity of sovereigns. amongst these was the "king of luang prabang," who had for many years governed the province of luang prabang under the above title. it has been stated that this man is the only man in the country, except the king, who can boast a purely siamese descent. everyone else has some foreign blood in his veins. at any rate, this so-called king belonged to one of the oldest families in the land. when the new commissioners were appointed, a very young man was sent to take over the government of this province. on nearing the scene of his new labours, he sent word to the old chief to tell him of his arrival, and to demand a formal and elaborate reception to be made for him, as a mark of respect to the sovereign whose orders he had come to execute. the old man went himself to meet the new arrival, indulging in a good deal of grumbling by the way, and wondering why there was any necessity to make such a fuss. when he found to what extent he was to be superseded in the government of his ancient domain, his grief and anger knew no bounds, but as he was powerless to resent he had to content himself with grumbling and moaning. he rather pertinently asked why the young king had sent a young man to control an old chief who had so long done his duty faithfully and well. one day the commissioner heard the deposed governor addressed by the people, with the title of "king." he at once forbade the repetition of the word, saying, "there is but one king in siam." the old man smarted not a little under what he considered was a new insult, but he restrained any outward expression of his feelings. not long after this occurrence the commissioner found that the chief had in his possession a state umbrella with the number of tiers used by royalty. he ordered two of these to be at once removed, and his order was obeyed. the insulted chief got his revenge at last, when the french took the province of luang prabang. m. pavie, the french commissioner, and formerly french minister in bangkok, sent the siamese representative about his business, and invited the old chief to an interview. when the chief arrived, m. pavie asked him if there was anything he wanted either for himself or his people. the old man related his loss of dignity and title, and begged that he might be allowed to repair his umbrella, and call himself "king" once more. "certainly," said m. pavie, with diplomatic condescension, "call yourself 'king' if you like, and as to the umbrella, add two tiers or twenty, just as you please." the remade king was delighted, and returned home exceedingly glad at heart at the complete restoration of his royal name and furniture. the majority of the commissioners, as well as the chief members of the cabinet and of the legislative council are relatives of the king. siam possesses an excellent code of laws. they are, in the main, just and well suited to the people for whom they were intended. there are faulty laws amongst them, and there are a few that are barbarous or cruel, but these, be it said to the credit of the present government, are never enforced. the faults of siam's legislative system do not lie in the laws themselves, but in the administration of them. bribery has been the curse of every court throughout the country. bribed judges and perjured witnesses have hindered the operations of laws that would have been powerful for good, and have converted what should have been halls of justice into houses of oppression. the venial judge could be publicly flogged, but when the other judges and the witnesses were all also venial, no righteous accuser could be found. the system has existed for so many years that the people have got accustomed to it, and look upon bribery as a necessary and natural part of any legal proceedings. the prolongation of the different lawsuits meant more and more profit to the judge, and so adjournments were indulged in _ad infinitum_. in this way thousands of cases have accumulated; and up to a few months ago the condition of affairs was so bad that the most just of judges might have been forgiven for preferring to leave alone the legal dust and uncleanliness accumulated by his predecessors. one of the most beneficial results that has followed the appointment of the legislative council, has been an enquiry into the character and causes of the defective administration of justice. a party of belgian lawyers, assisted by a few siamese lawyers trained for their profession in foreign countries, set to work to overhaul the courts and cases. they cleared off the legal arrears at the rate of scores each week. they found men who had been lying in gaol for years, without trial, for some trivial offence. in many instances the plaintiff who had originally entered the case was dead, or could not be found. these unfortunate sufferers they released at once. they discovered numerous examples of cruel or excessive sentences, which they reduced or annulled. to prevent further accumulations they assisted the native judges in trying all new cases as they came up day by day, giving them in this way, many a valuable object lesson in the administration of justice, though not without occasional hindrances from the judges, and even from the litigants themselves. one day an old woman went to one of the new foreign judges, crouched at his feet, and sobbed out a bitter tale of cruel wrong. she was engaged in some trivial lawsuit with a relative, and she alleged that she could not get her rights because the judge was receiving bribes. "my cousin," said she, "sends the judge presents of flowers and fruit, and i know what is hidden in the basket." she dwelt on the enormity of the offence and the suffering she endured thereby, and the foreigner listened with great interest. at last he remarked, "well, what do you want me to do for you?" the woman, her eyes bright with hope, answered him, "next week the case is coming before you, and if you will only pronounce a verdict in my favour, i too will make you a present of fruit and flowers." the laws of the country do not admit of being catalogued or described in any brief manner, as they occupy seventy volumes of closely printed siamese, a mass of legal literature which it is obviously impossible to condense for the purposes of this chapter. there are two courts for the trial of criminal cases, and a number of minor courts for the trial of civil cases in bangkok. there is also an international court where the subjects of different nations attempt to settle their differences with the natives. as far as englishmen are concerned, this court is practically useless; for owing to the lackadaisical manner in which the affairs of englishmen are dealt with by the members of the british consulate, the native judges know full well that they can always give their own countrymen every possible benefit of the slightest doubt. a remark once made by a siamese to an english resident is only too true--"what good are your consuls and ministers to you? if i bring a case against you in your court, i shall win it, and if you bring a case against me in my court, i am equally certain you will lose it." there are provincial courts for dealing with minor offences in the outlying districts, but the judges in these courts have no power to sentence a man to death unless such power is directly given them by the king himself. the course of procedure in any court is simple but slow. the plaintiff presents his case in writing. this is neatly copied by the clerks, and then read to the complainant in order to see that no inaccuracy occurs. if he signifies that the document so read, is a faithful reproduction of the original, it is folded up and fastened with a bit of wax or soft mud, on which he impresses his private seal, that is, the mark of his thumb-nail. a synopsis of the plaint is sent to the defendant, who makes his answer in writing, which is similarly copied and sealed. a day for hearing the case is appointed, but the litigants are called together before the day of trial, with a view to settling the matter privately. if these efforts at conciliation prove unfruitful, the depositions are read before subordinate judges, who, after considering the case, make their award in writing. their written judgment is forwarded to the chief judge and he pronounces the sentence. the chief judge has full powers, but an appeal to the king is allowable. this privilege is more or less a dead letter, as it would be practically impossible for a poor man to get his appeal brought before the notice of his sovereign. very few of the courts have a legal aspect. the judge reclines at one end of the room, on a mat placed on the floor. under his arm is a three-cornered pillow. he smokes, drinks tea, chews betel-nut, and spits during the whole course of the trial, and his example is followed by the policemen, witnesses, lawyers and spectators. a long and terrible oath is administered to each witness. it runs as follows: "i, ----, who have been brought here as an evidence in this matter, do now in presence of the divine buddha declare that i am wholly unprejudiced against either party, and uninfluenced in any way by the opinions or advice of others, and that no prospects of pecuniary advantages or of advancement to office have been held out to me. i also declare that i have not received any bribes on this occasion. if what i have now spoken be false, or if in my further averments i should colour or pervert the truth so as to lead the judgment of others astray, may the three holy existences before whom i now stand, together with the glorious devattas of the twenty-two firmaments, punish me. "if i have not seen, yet shall say that i have seen--if i shall say that i know that which i do not know, then may i be thus punished. should innumerable descents of the deity happen for the salvation and regeneration of mankind, may my erring and migrating soul be found beyond the pale of their mercy. wherever i go, may i be encompassed by dangers and not escape from them, whether arising from murderers, spirits of the ground, robbers, spirits of the forest, of the water, of the air, or from all the angels, or from the gods of the four elements and all other spirits. may blood flow out of every pore of my body, that my crime may be made manifest to the world. may all or any of these evils overtake me three days hence. or may i never stir from the place on which i now stand; or may the 'lash of the sky'[f] cut me in twain, so that i may be exposed to the derision of the people; or if i should be walking abroad, may i be torn in pieces by either of the four preternaturally endowed lions, or destroyed by poisonous herbs or venomous snakes. when in the waters of the river or ocean may alligators and large fishes devour me; or may the winds or waves overwhelm me; or may the dread of such evils keep me during my life a prisoner at home, estranged from every pleasure; or may i be afflicted by the intolerable oppressions of my superiors; or may cholera cause my death, after which may i be precipitated into hell, there to go through innumerable stages of torture; amongst which, may i be condemned to carry water over the flaming regions, in open wicker baskets, to assuage the heat felt by the judge of hell when he enters the infernal courts of justice, and thereafter may i fall into the lowest pit of hell. or if these miseries should not ensue, may i after death migrate into the body of a slave, and suffer all the hardships and pain attending the worst state of such a being, during a period of years measured by the sands of the four seas; or may i animate the body of an animal or beast during five hundred generations; or endure in the body of a deaf, blind, dumb, homeless beggar, every species of loathsome disease during the same number of generations, and then may i be hurried to the bottomless pit, there to be crucified by the king of hell."[g] the old code contains a list of persons who are not to be allowed to give evidence. so many people must have been excluded from the witness-box by the old regulations, that one wonders how they ever could have obtained any evidence at all had they obeyed the regulations completely. for instance, none of the following persons could be called to give evidence:--drunkards, opium-smokers, gamblers, notorious vagabonds, goldsmiths, braziers, blacksmiths, shoe-makers, executioners, beggars, potters, dancing women, women who had been married three times, adulterers, clerks, orphans, players, jugglers, acrobats, undutiful children, atheists, slaves, friends of either party, enemies of either party, quacks, liars, and sorcerers. physical defects excluded unmarried or pregnant women, the blind, halt, deaf, people above seventy years old and children under seven, dying people, and persons suffering from any loathsome disease. intellectual defects prohibited the giving of evidence by those who could not read, could not count up to ten, and who did not know the names of the eight cardinal sins. on the other hand, this curious old code directed that special attention should be given to the testimony of men of good learning and of known good character. it was sometimes considered necessary to make a supposed criminal confess. to that end, provided he could not be persuaded by gentler means, the prisoner received ninety lashes on his bare back, with a rattan rod. time was given for the cuts to heal, and then the experiment was repeated. a time for healing again intervened and then a third flogging settled the matter, for if the man did not confess under the third application of the rod, he was considered innocent. the fear of the punishment that awaited those who did not confess, must often have caused many innocent persons to declare themselves guilty. flogging was not the only aid to confession. a modification of the thumb-screw in the form of a split bamboo, was held to possess a strong persuasive influence. one or two very ancient customs still linger. thus both plaintiff and defendant are expected to provide bail when bail is demanded. and in serious cases where bail is not given, the plaintiff has to go to prison with the defendant until the case is tried. this regulation doubtless often prevents false accusations being made, but it has its severe side, as shown by the fact that a woman who had been plaintiff in a case, was recently released from prison by the new judges, after lying in confinement for over three years. the defendant, moreover, had been allowed to go scot-free many months before. again, the relatives of a man are held security for his good behaviour, and the inhabitants of any neighbourhood are liable to fines and taxes if murders or suicides take place amongst them. these laws if strictly enforced in a country where people rarely leave their own neighbourhood, would render the detection of criminals a fairly easy matter. they are sometimes enforced when it suits the authorities to carry them out. an incident that came under the personal knowledge of the writer will perhaps illustrate in a general way some of the merits and demerits of the native method of apprehending offenders. during the franco-siamese trouble, the natives naturally felt rather unfriendly towards their enemies, and not being able to distinguish between the subjects of one foreign nation and another, they exhibited their displeasure towards all white men alike. an englishman who was in the siamese government service, was one afternoon taking a walk in the outskirts of the city, accompanied by two ladies. suddenly he felt a hard blow on the ear, and at the same instant a brick went whizzing past with great velocity. he turned round to see from where the missile came, only to find a barefooted, half-naked native going down the road as fast as he could run. he mentioned the matter the next day to the minister in charge of the department in which he was employed. his chief very kindly reported the matter to the minister for foreign affairs, who promised that some attempt should be made to arrest the offender. a policeman was sent to the place where the offence occurred, to make enquiries. he promptly arrested the first loafer he saw, and accused him of the offence. the man denied the charge, but said he could give information as to the name and residence of the man who was wanted. he then took the policeman to the house where the culprit lived. the official went into the place and asked for the man. his relatives professed complete ignorance as to his whereabouts. the policeman then gave them a week in which to find him, and reminded them that if the man were not found by that time he should be compelled to arrest the whole family. within a week they handed over the culprit. he was taken before the judge and charged with assault. he confessed, and was sentenced to imprisonment for a definite time. all this time the complainant was not summoned to appear; he was not asked to identify the man, or to prosecute in any way. in fact, he knew nothing at all about it until he received a letter from the officials telling him that his assailant was in jail, and that if he wanted to interview the prisoner he would be permitted to do so. many minor offences are punished with flogging. the man's hands and feet are loosely fastened to a bamboo framework, and he is then thrashed on the bare back, with a rattan rod. deserters from the army are thus punished. but in all cases a timely bribe will lighten the weight of the descending rod, the guilty man meanwhile not forgetting to howl and groan his loudest, so that the official who superintends the execution of the punishment may not discover the fraud. the late king is reported to have been very fond of this method of punishment, and to have ordered frequent chastisement of his chief officials in his own presence whenever he had cause, or thought he had cause, to be seriously offended with them. the punishment for murder is death by decapitation. those who are reprieved through the mercy of the king, lose their titles, rank and property, and are branded on the arm. they are then condemned to the degrading office of cutting grass for the king's elephants. they are not allowed to hire anyone to perform their duties for them, but are obliged to do the work set them until death puts an end to their tasks. the execution of the death penalty is an impressive if barbarous ceremony. such occasions are very rare, and constitute about the only events that are not attended with merry-making. the laughing, joking, merry-hearted native forgets for once to chatter and be glad. the interior of a court, a palace, a gaol, or a temple exercises no restraining influence upon the voluble tongues of the people. but in the presence of the executioners a deathly silence falls upon the whole of the spectators, which is all the more intense and real by reason of its rare occurrence. at the break of day, near a lonely temple on the banks of a lonely canal, some distance from the city walls, the prisoner is led to the spot where he must pay for life with life. his feet and wrists are firmly manacled, and the clink-clank, clink-clank of the chains in the still morning air is the only sound heard as the vermilion-robed executioners bring their victim forth. presently the sound of chanting arises, and the brethren of the yellow robe intone the prayers for the dead. the man's neck is fastened to a bundle of bamboos, but he realises very little of what is taking place, for the executioners, with a merciful consideration worthy of much imitation in other walks of life, have thrown their victim into a state of stupor by means of a powerful drug. into his ears they have rammed plugs of soft clay or mud, so that in case the drug should fail, the wretched creature shall not hear their steps when they come behind him to deliver the fatal blow. the executioners next plead to buddha for forgiveness, for they are about to break the well-observed law, "thou shalt not kill." they plead the command of the king and the requirements of justice, and prostrate themselves on the ground. their prayers over, a silent signal is given, the red-robed figure comes silently and slowly along with a quaint dancing gait; he raises his keen-edged blade on high, and with one sweep of the weapon severs the head from the trunk. the head is set up on a pole as a warning to those present; the feet and hands of the victim are hacked off; the fetters collected, and the crowd disperses silently, with the ominous croaking of many birds of prey impressing the meaning of the lesson upon their mournful hearts. chapter xii. ceremonies for the dying and the dead. death is essentially awe-inspiring and mysterious, and in the case of a people whose lives, from the cradle upwards, are lived in an atmosphere of superstition, it is only to be expected that the ceremonies for the dead should be duly and respectfully performed. [illustration: a royal funeral procession. _page 245._] when a person is at the point of death, those by the bedside endeavour to fix the thoughts of the dying one upon the "great teacher," whose words are their hope and guide at such a time. loudly and rapidly, at least eight or ten times a minute, the watchers exclaim, "pra arahang, pra arahang," this being one of the many names of the last buddha. with the mind dwelling upon the precepts of the ancient sage, the sick one passes from this world of men, and the body lies stiff in death. still the cry goes forth, louder and more rapidly than before, "pra arahang, pra arahang," so that the departed soul may not forget the teacher as it takes its flight into another world. the cry ceases not until the spirit has passed so far away that all hope of it hearing the voices of earthly relatives must be abandoned. then loud wailing, the natural world-wide expression of uncontrollable grief, is heard all over the house. even the visitors, the domestics, the slaves and others who might not be supposed to be so deeply affected by the loss of the one who has passed away, join in the mournful chorus, as a fitting way of showing their respect for the dead. if the person is of high rank the body is bathed with great ceremony. the king himself comes to the bedside to pour water over the corpse. other princes follow his example, after whom come the nobles present, according to their rank. the corpse is dressed in pantaloons and a tight-fitting jacket, wrapped in a winding-sheet and placed in a sitting posture in a copper urn. a tube is placed in the mouth, and a mixture of quicksilver and honey poured into the body. the copper urn, which has a grating at the bottom, is next placed inside a golden urn richly studded with precious stones. at the bottom of this urn there is a stop-cock through which the products of decomposition are drained away day by day, in the interval that elapses between the death and the cremation of the body. as the urn is placed on a high pedestal a loud blast is blown upon the trumpets, the ancient conch shell is sounded, the wailing of relatives and friends bursts out afresh, and the band plays sorrowfully a weird funeral dirge. this noisy demonstration is known as "the invitation to the corpse to sit upon the platform." all the insignia of office belonging to the deceased are arranged at the foot of the urn, together with those articles he has continually used in his daily life, such as his cigar case, his golden betel-nut box, his spittoon, his jewellery, and his writing materials. at dawn, at noon, and again at early evening, the women relatives and domestics gather round the base of the pedestal to indulge in loud and tearful moans. in the intervals between these demonstrations of sorrow, the priests occupy the room, chanting the prayers for the dead and other stanzas from their religious texts appropriate to the occasion. the remains are kept for a long time, sometimes for several years before they are burned. all people are not cremated. if a man has committed suicide, or died a sudden death, as by lightning, cholera, or small-pox, he is held to be deficient in "merit" and not worth burning. such people are buried. it may here be noticed how little wood is really required to burn a body. about two armfuls of fuel will reduce a corpse to ashes. upon the death of a king, it is the duty of his successor to make preparations for the cremation. the royal burnings take place on an open piece of ground in front of the royal palace in bangkok, called the "pramane ground." the word "pramane" is the name of the structure erected for the ceremony. a square is marked out on the ground, with its sides about forty feet long. at the angles of the square are placed four huge pillars of teak about two hundred feet long. these pillars must be straight, of the finest timber to be found in the kingdom, and must never have been used in any previous ceremony. they lean towards each other at the top, forming a truncated pyramid, and support a pyramidal structure which ends in a tall tapering spire and is profusely decorated with gold-leaf and tinsel. a large fence of newly cut bamboo is erected to enclose the central erection--the pramane. in three sides of the fence, gates are placed midway. inside the fence there are a number of temporary buildings, one for the priests, one for the king and royal family, and another for specially invited visitors. the king's pavilion is easily distinguishable from the rest by its wealth of crimson drapery and cloth of gold. the floor of the enclosure is covered with a carpet of split bamboos, which has been specially made for the occasion and may never again be used for a similar purpose. at many points in the fence, royal seven-tiered umbrellas of cloth of gold reflect the powerful sunlight with dazzling brilliancy. outside the enclosure another set of buildings is provided for the use of the officials, while over the rest of the ground are scattered theatres, puppet-shows, shadow plays and other forms of amusement. under the central pagoda is a royal throne richly draped, and an eight-sided pyramid which rests upon a firm platform. from the centre of the roof hangs a circular awning, from which long strips of crape, white silk, and cloth of gold are carried to the four corners of the pramane. the eight-sided pyramid is the resting-place of the urn, and has a special canopy of cloth of gold. floral wreaths and other decorations, made with marvellous skill and taste, are displayed in every available spot, while bits of glass and porcelain adorn the pillars and reflect the light of the sun by day, and of the torches and lamps by night. after sunset a general illumination of the whole place occurs. it is produced by thousands of torches, oil lamps and chinese lanterns. at dawn, on the first day of the celebration of the funeral rites, the corpse is taken in a car to the scene of the ceremonies. the first carriage in the sad procession is occupied by the high priest. as it moves slowly along, he reads from the buddhist scriptures the passages on death, and fixes his thoughts upon the fleeting nature of this earthly life. the second carriage contains the favourite children of the deceased monarch, while the third is the funeral car. the high priest holds in his hands, pressed closely against the sacred book, one end of a long strip of silver ribbon. the ribbon is carried backwards, passes through the hands of the children, and is fastened at the other end to the golden urn which contains the remains. as the priest reads, holy influences pass from the sacred words through the ribbon to the living bodies of the children and the dead body of their royal father. other carriages follow the funeral car, one of which contains sticks of fragrant wood, with gilded ends--the fuel for the burning. another is filled with representations of fabulous animals made in bamboo and covered with tinsel. the head and tail of the funeral procession are formed by the white-robed brahmins in their usual conical hats. the throbbing of the death-drums falls upon the ear with a dull regular boom, boom, boom. on arriving at the pramane, the urn is placed upon the pagoda, there to remain for seven days. the silver ribbon is fastened in the middle to the urn, and at the ends to the east and west sides of the room, thus indicating the path traversed by the sun in his daily round, and symbolising the life of man in its passage from the cradle to the grave. the priests assemble in great numbers to recite stanzas bearing upon life and death, and upon the mysteries of nirvana and the hereafter. when their recitations are finished, they sit for a little while, with bent heads, in silent meditation upon the things they have spoken. they retire for a time, but return a few hours later to repeat their solemn chants. the mourning colour is white, and every subject must wear it when the sovereign dies. unfortunately black is being gradually substituted for white. it is a very hot and ugly colour to wear in a tropical land. every subject must also shave completely the hair of his head, and keep his head in this condition of baldness as long as the court may command. thousands of priests are on such occasions fed, and presented with new robes, and books, and a crowd of miscellaneous articles, such as clocks, boxes of cigars, trays of betel-nut, and umbrellas. here and there on the pramane ground are placed the "trees that gratify the desires of men." they have no likeness to any tree at all, but are hollow wicker baskets on the ends of long poles. tied to the "branches" are a number of fresh limes, each of which contains either a small silver coin or a lottery ticket. they are supposed to represent the four trees that will blossom at the four corners of the city in which the next buddha will be born. they will then produce all kinds of delicious fruit in fabulous quantities. in the evening men go up the wicker 'tree,' pluck off the limes and throw them to the crowd. the greatest excitement prevails, and the people shriek and shout, and tumble over each other in their endeavours to obtain one of the coveted souvenirs. a display of fireworks follows the distribution of limes. birds, water-spouts, "bellowing elephants," and many other fantastic forms blaze, fizz, and explode. when the last spark has disappeared the first sound of orchestral music is heard, and free open-air theatres, puppet-shows, and shadow plays offer their several attractions for the amusement of the people. on the seventh day the urn of gold is taken from under the canopy, and the copper one removed from it. all the inflammable drapery, and all articles of any value are carried away to be beyond reach of flame. a pile of fragrant wood and spices is neatly arranged, and then the urn is placed thereon. a quick-burning fuse or train of gunpowder is laid from the funeral pyre to the king's pavilion. at the proper time, about sunset usually, he ignites the fuse with sacred fire from the royal temple. everyone who is permitted, goes at once to the pramane, lights a candle, and lays it in the fire, thereby increasing the brilliancy and intensity of the fire. great care has to be taken to prevent the whole structure and the surrounding buildings being consumed in a general conflagration. many people are engaged in extinguishing the fire at places where it threatens to exceed its proper limits. in about an hour the cremation of the body is complete, and the fire is everywhere carefully extinguished. the charred bones are placed in the golden urn once more, the original pyramid rebuilt, and the draperies replaced as before. the ashes of the fire are collected, wrapped up in muslin, placed on a golden dish, taken in a procession of state barges some distance down the river, and there thrown into the waters. for three days after the burning the festivities are kept up, and general rejoicing prevails amongst the crowd. the charred remains are kept in a room in the palace, specially set aside for the reception of the royal remains. the timber used in the construction of the pramane or of any of the attendant buildings, can never be used again for funeral purposes. it is distributed to the priests to be used by them in the erection or repairing of their dwellings. such then is the ceremony that attends the death of a king. other members of the royal family and all princes and nobles of high rank are also cremated with great pomp and with a lavish expenditure of money. as the king's household is a very large one, and as a few deaths occur every year, it would involve a fearful waste of time and money if a separate funeral service were held for each of them in turn. one by one as deaths occur, the dead bodies are placed in the copper urn, and this again in the golden one, until a fairly large number await their cremation. in 1895 a royal funeral ceremony was held that lasted for a week, several bodies being burnt every day. the illustration, "a royal funeral procession", was made in connection with this particular ceremony. the boxes seen passing through one of the city gates were the coffins of the least honoured or distinguished of the dead. such a cremation, though performed with great state, is not nearly so imposing as that connected with the death of a king. [illustration: the poor man's funeral.] the poorer classes cannot afford the money to pay for fireworks, theatres, and processions, but they do all that they possibly can to show their respect for the dead, with becoming ritual. when a man is thought to be nearing his end, the priests are called to his bedside. they read to the dying man of his future births, of the blessed nirvana, and endeavour to drive all fear from his mind. when life is extinct they sprinkle the body with water, and join the relatives in the chorus "pra arahang, pra arahang". the body is washed, and wrapped in a clean cloth, and money is placed in the mouth. it is then put into an urn, if the friends can afford to buy one; but if not, it rests simply in the coffin. the coffin is an oblong wooden box, covered outside with wall-paper and tinsel, and has no lid. food is placed inside, and very often the body lies face downwards so that the spirit shall not find its way back again. the coffin is removed from the house through a hole in the wall, and not through the door, for if the spirit of the deceased should be lingering near, it might refuse to pass through the doorway into the outer world, and would then remain to haunt the house and disturb its inhabitants. the coffin is carried round and round the house three or four times, so as to baffle the spirit that it may not be able to return to its former home. for it must be remembered that these people believe that it takes the soul seven days to reach its final destination, and there is always the possibility of its being re-called from its onward flight by earthly attractions, or by non-observance of the ceremonies that should be performed. the bearers next proceed to one of the temples which possesses a public "pramane" or crematorium. after the burning has taken place the bones, or charred objects that look like bones, are collected from the ashes, to be reverentially preserved by the relatives. as they have no gold urns in which to store these relics, they keep them in common thick glass tumblers of foreign manufacture, over which they place a pagoda-like covering made of red lacquer and gilded by some native artisan. on very particular occasions these remains are brought out and distributed about the rooms, perhaps as a reminder to the pleasure-seekers that death is ever with them. those who have died of cholera or by lightning, and who have consequently been buried, are dug up a few months later, and what is left of them committed to the flames. paupers and criminals are disposed of in a barbarous and revolting manner. at one of the city temples a flock of vultures, numbering over a hundred, is kept. the vultures are repulsive, dirty-looking birds who sit stolidly hour by hour upon the roof or walls of the temple, apparently without life or motion except when a body is brought for their repast. then they become keenly excited at the prospect of the coming feast, for which, however, they must first do battle with the crowd of pariahs that also haunt the vicinity of the same temple. they flock down with noisy croaking and great flapping of wings, but are beaten off by the attendants, who first prepare the body for the feast by cutting it open in different places with large sharp knives. they cast a few pieces of flesh to the dogs and then retire. in a second the body is hidden by the birds, who settle upon it from head to foot. nothing is to be seen but a compact mass of quivering feathers. the vultures gorge themselves with the flesh, never ceasing as long as anything remains to be consumed, unless it be to make a vicious grab at the head of some venturesome pariah who dares to interfere with their enjoyment of the feast. it is a sickening spectacle, and its only merit is that it is safer from a sanitary point of view to allow the flesh to be eaten in this way than to bury it beneath the damp soil near some human dwelling. the meal over, the feathered cannibals return to their perches upon roof and wall. the relatives gather up the clean white bones, put them loosely in a wooden coffin, light wax tapers, and bearing the coffin with them, march three times round the funeral pyre. they then light the fire, place the coffin on the burning fuel, and scatter sweetly smelling incense in the leaping flames. there are two spirits who watch over and take charge of all burning-places. they are familiarly spoken of as the "grandfather cocoa-nut shell," and the "grandmother cocoa-nut shell." to neglect the cremation ceremony would be as fatal to the happiness of the departed soul in its future existence, as to neglect the shaving of the top-knot would be to the success of a child in this. the soul of the man whose body has not been consumed with fire passes into everlasting and fearful servitude. it becomes the bond-slave of a horrid master whose distinguishing personal characteristics are a dog's head on a human body and a ferocious temper. he sits for all time with his feet in the fires of hell, enjoying the infernal heat, but as his enjoyment would cease were his extremities to be consumed, he requires a body of servants to cool them. the souls of the uncremated are his slaves, and it is their duty to carry through the long years of eternity, water in open wicker baskets. their way to the wells lies across a long and perilous bridge, but over it they must pass day by day without end as they perform their thankless task. when the body is burned the soul is liberated from this terrible bondage. there have been times when some frightful epidemic has ravaged the city, and when the attendants in fear and trembling have left the sick to die alone. then the soldiers have been sent to gather up the dead and cast them into the public graves. when the scourge has spent itself and the minds of the living have become calm again, the relatives of those who have not been burned begin to reflect upon the awful fate that has overtaken the departed souls. were they to go to the public grave and dig up a body and burn it, it might not be that of him they seek, and their efforts would be of no avail. but they free the fettered soul in another manner. they believe that the horrid monster of the nether regions knows all the names both of the living and the dead, so that if they endeavour to perform any act of propitiation he will know by whom and for whom the deed is done. they obtain the release of the soul by promising to call themselves in this life the relatives of the demon. it is merely a nominal relationship, but it pleases the fiend with the burning feet, and in return for the homage thus paid to his power he allows the captured soul to go its way. the worldly relations of the infernal spirit acknowledge their relationship by getting from the priests several red and yellow strings and binding them upon their necks, wrists and ankles. they also make a little cart, and model two clay oxen which they harness to the tiny shafts. in this they put clay images, one for each member of the family. round the chief joints of these toy images, red and yellow strings are fastened by their owners. offerings of flowers and fruit are put in the cart and then it is taken to the rice-fields and deposited in some convenient spot. the cart and its contents are soon destroyed by the birds, the wind, and the little field-mice, but they are never restored. chapter xiii. the order of the yellow robe. "lord buddha sat the scorching summer through, the driving rains, the chilly dawns and eves; wearing for all men's sakes the yellow robe, eating in beggar's guise the scanty meal chance gathered from the charitable." "_light of asia_," book v.--arnold. among the crowd of brightly dressed people who throng the streets and alleys, the canals and rivers of eastern venice, there are none who so soon command the attention of the new arrival, or who appeal more strongly to the eye of the oldest inhabitant of the city, than the yellow-robed priests of the buddhist faith. in the capital of siam there are over ten thousand of them, while in the whole kingdom there are more than one hundred thousand. no ancient order of grey or white friars ever exhibited their individuality either with such frequency, persistency, or picturesqueness as these representatives of a far more ancient if less noble worship. it is scarcely necessary in these days when oriental creeds and faiths have been so fully and widely discussed, to point out that the primal elements of that philosophy which announced the necessity of the buddhist priesthood are entirely different to those which caused the creation of similar institutions in the west. the monk of the western orders claims to be an intercessor between god and man. the buddhists have no god, and therefore they do not make intercession for their brethren. the western monk is a teacher and a preacher, the buddhist priest may be, but is by no means necessarily so. the order rests upon a basis something like this:--the evil in the world is the result of past evil and will be productive of future evil. the only way to eradicate the general wickedness of the world is by casting it separately out of each individual in the world. this can only be accomplished by the individual himself, and as long as he remains in contact with the world he is under constant temptation to indulge in its pleasures, to gratify his passions, and to add in a thousand ways to the sum of human misery. by retirement he no longer craves for fine food and raiment, but has every opportunity for long and careful meditation upon his own evil doings and desires, and upon the way to get rid of them. the monastic institution finds its parallel in the life of a layman, when such a one, with a large amount of work to be performed, shuts himself up in his own room and denies himself friends and rest that his labours may be properly accomplished. there is no real division between priest and layman; either may become the other at will. in siam the monastic vow is not binding for life, but is cancelled by the superior of the monastery whenever a request to that effect is made. every man in siam enters the priesthood for at least three months of his life, during which time he is supported by the voluntary offerings of the people. the original purity and simplicity of the mendicant order has long been lost. the society has often been endowed by kings and chiefs with gold and silver; idleness and worthlessness are too often the characteristics of the temporary priests. still, there are a few who desire to live the noble life of their founder and to follow faithfully in his paths of wisdom and virtue. for years they have been the schoolmasters and the doctors, and the copiers and makers of books. they are known in siamese as "pra," a word which means both "sacred" and "great." each monk has eight requisite and lawful possessions; namely, three robes of yellow cloth which are all worn at the same time; a bowl for the collection of the daily food; a razor with which to shave the head and eyebrows; a case of needles for the repairing of clothes; a girdle; and a filtering cloth. but the siamese monks often have many possessions besides these. there is a rule that all other property except the above shall be given up to the common use of the monastery, but the rule is not obeyed. the three patched yellow robes are often represented by seven or more; and in the wealthier monasteries they are not of common cloth, but of rich and beautiful silk. the term "yellow" as applied to the priest's vestments is apt to convey a wrong impression to the minds of those not acquainted with buddhist countries. in these degenerate times the monks desire that ornament in dress which their religion forbids, and they render themselves very artistic in appearance by a combination of colours not strictly yellow, but ranging from a rich chocolate through shades of saffron, gold and orange to the palest tints of the orthodox colour. the following note from alabaster's "wheel of the law" is an interesting comment upon the priestly robes: "i cannot state with any certainty the reason yellow robes were adopted by the buddhists. there is a story that thieves wore yellow dresses, and that the poor ascetics, in the depth of their humility, imitated the thieves. it is far more probable that the people of the lowest caste, or outcasts, were compelled to wear yellow, and that the buddhists, voluntarily making themselves outcasts, proudly adopted the colour which marked their act. we find them boasting of the yellow robe as the flag of victory of the saints. in the early days of buddhism the monks wore whatever they could get. some picked up and patched together the rags strewn about the cemeteries, whilst others are mentioned as magnificently attired in glittering royal vestments, and in the precious dresses procured by kings for the ladies of the harems, which the ladies piously gave away." each priest also possesses a large fan. it is intended to assist him in keeping his eyes from the things of the world, and so to keep his thoughts from straying as he walks along the streets. a priest is forbidden to look more than a plough's length in front of him, and must keep his eyes fixed upon the ground; but the siamese monk who obeys this rule must be diligently sought for in out of the way corners. the fan is generally carried by a boy attendant, who holds it so as to screen the priest's head from the sun, while his eyes roam at will, seeking for novelty and amusement. [illustration: priest and attendant.] all those who wear the yellow robe are not men. many children can daily be seen with shaven heads and eyebrows, dressed in the priestly garments. these are novices or "nanes," not fully ordained monks. they are not admitted before they are eight years old, and, unless their parents intend them to remain in the monasteries for life, they wait until the top-knot has been shaved off before entering into the service of the temple, so that their average age is about thirteen. after a time they leave the temple, return to the world, and get married. but about the age of twenty or twenty-one they must re-enter the priesthood, for in early manhood every male, including the king himself, must seek full ordination. the "nane" during his noviciate has only about ten rules to observe, whereas the fully ordained priest has to obey over two hundred. the ceremony of ordination if respectfully and devoutly performed would be a very impressive one, but as at present carried out, the only persons in the temple who are at all reverent are the priests themselves. the behaviour of the congregation is marked by indifference and often by extreme levity. when an applicant desires admission to the priesthood he signifies his request sometime beforehand to the president of the chapter, who then appoints a day for him to be formally received. the applicant arrives at the temple with a host of relatives and friends dressed as for a holiday. he is clothed in white, and over his ordinary garments he wears a mantle of gauze decorated with gold and silver spangles. a procession is formed, and to the sound of a band that plays in the open air, he and his male friends march three times round the outside of the temple. he next enters the building and sits down on the floor in a place reserved for him. the women of the party sit on one side of the temple and the men on the other. they all chew betel-nut, and the men smoke, while all refresh their thirst from the numerous tea-pots that circulate round and round the congregation. at the far end of the building the priests are arranged in two or more rows, facing each other, with the president at their head. one of the friends of the candidate who has already been ordained, leads him to the superior, saying, "i present this person who wishes to become a priest." the applicant prostrates himself before the president three times, with his hands pressed against his forehead, palm to palm, and says, "venerable president, i own you as my ordainer." the president fastens the bundle of robes round his neck, and he goes to the entrance of the temple, where two friends who are members of the chapter, fasten the begging bowl round his neck. the three men then return to the altar and bow. the candidate retires a little way, and kneels in reverential attitude while he answers several questions. a private examination has previously taken place. the president now reminds him that he is expected to give truthful replies to the questions put to him, and then puts him publicly through the following catechism. "are you free from consumption, fits, leprosy, or any contagious disease?" "i am free." "have you ever been bewitched or in the power of the magicians?" "never." "are you in the full possession of all your mental faculties?" "i am." "are you of the male sex?" "i am." "are you in debt?" "i am not." (many people endeavour to enter the priesthood in order to avoid payment of their debts.) "are you a slave or a fugitive?" "i am not." (those drawn for conscription often seek admission, as the forced military service is very unpopular.) "do your parents give their consent to the step you are now about to take?" "they consent." "are you over twenty years of age?" "i am." "have you the requisite utensils and garments?" "i have." "then come forward." the candidate goes forward on hands and knees, and with palm-joined hands salutes the president three times, saying, "o father benefactor, i pray to be admitted to the sacred dignity of the priesthood. take pity on me and raise me from the lowly condition of the laity to the perfect condition of the priesthood." the presiding priest next asks the monks of the chapter whether any of them know any just or lawful reason why the candidate should not have his request granted. if none of them state any objection, the president signifies his willingness to admit the candidate to full ordination. the name, age, and address of the applicant are now written down in the records of the monastery, after which he goes to one side of the temple to be robed. he takes off the clothes he has been wearing and puts on his new garments in full view of the whole congregation. this is not at all an easy matter, and he is always assisted by some friend who has previously gone through the same ordeal. if the friend gets the robes entangled, as he frequently does, the congregation laughs immoderately at the uncomfortable dilemma in which the candidate is placed. the difficulty is solved by some kindly-disposed priest, who leaves his place and comes to assist in the robing. with fan in hand and the alms-bowl slung over the shoulder, the wearer of the yellow robe kneels once more before the superior, saying:- "i go for refuge to the buddha." "i go for refuge to the law." "i go for refuge to the order." he follows this by taking ten vows:- 1 "i take the vow not to destroy life." 2 "i take the vow not to steal." 3 "i take the vow to abstain from impurity." 4 "i take the vow not to lie." 5 "i take the vow to abstain from intoxicating drinks, which hinder progress and virtue." 6 "i take the vow not to eat at forbidden times." 7 "i take the vow to abstain from dancing, singing, music, and stage-plays." 8 "i take the vow not to use garlands, scents, unguents, or ornaments." 9 "i take the vow not to use a broad or high bed." 10 "i take the vow not to receive gold or silver." then the president says to him, "you are now received into the brotherhood. i will therefore instruct you what duties you are to perform and what sins you are to avoid. you will daily collect alms and will never put off your yellow robes. you must dwell continually in a monastery and never with the laity, and you must forsake all carnal pleasures," and so on. the ceremony concludes with the paying of homage to the newly made priest. he sits on the floor, and then all present who are acquainted with him come, one by one, and prostrate themselves to the ground before him, at the same time giving him some present. if he has many friends, the floor of the temple round him is soon covered with about as motley an assortment of articles as it is possible to gather. there are robes, incense sticks, books, pens and ink, pencils, cigars, tobacco, betel-nut, clocks, vases of wax flowers, umbrellas, fans, flowers, fruit and cakes. when all the presents have been given and the congregation have paid their respects to the new monk, they go to their homes, and he at once takes up his residence in the cell allotted him. as long as he remains at the monastery he must obey orders and regard the superior as a second father. the monks are not allowed to take food after noon. they may drink tea, chew betel-nut, or smoke tobacco, but they must not partake of solid food of any description. this rule is certainly far more rigidly observed than most of those that are laid down to regulate the conduct of the order. one of the commonest sights in any part of siam is the procession of priests, soon after sunrise, seeking their daily bread. they carry a bowl, basin or bag, and go straight on from house to house, each in the district appointed him. they stand outside the houses, but make no request for alms. if anything is given to them they bless the giver; if they receive nothing they pass silently on their way. having collected their food, they return to the monastery to eat, and to meditate meanwhile upon the perishableness of the body. on such occasions as weddings, hair-cuttings, and funerals, wealthy laymen entertain the priests at their own houses, and send them away afterwards with further gifts of food. buddha's early life as a mendicant was passed in the forest, and he held that the solitude and quiet of such a place was conducive to that long process of self-examination and renunciation which constitutes the distinguishing feature of the order. but as he afterwards found that he could be more useful to men by living amongst them, he permitted his disciples to live in companies in different places. the charity of the pious soon provided them with temples and monasteries, some of which were built even in his own time. during the whole of the dry weather the monks travel from place to place, but in the rainy season, which is the buddhist lent, they settle down in some particular monastery. they are not allowed to sleep outside the temple they have chosen for their habitation during this period of retirement, except for some very important reason, and then only with the direct sanction of the superior. as at this time the jungle is flooded, and malaria common, there is much wisdom in the rule that forbids travelling about until the dry weather comes again. the priests, during lent, preach to the people, who come in large numbers to listen, and to bring offerings. it is a very busy religious season as far as outward appearances are concerned, but the apparent indifference of the majority of the worshippers raises a doubt as to whether these observances possess any moral influence upon their lives. the catalogue of the sins which the priests may not commit is a lengthy one and is religiously neglected. for instance, it is a sin to inhale flowers, to sit or sleep more than twelve inches above the ground, to break up the soil, to listen to music, to sing, to dance, to use perfumes, to sit or sleep in a higher position than the superior, to use gold or silver, to hold conversation on any but religious topics, to take gifts from or give gifts to a woman, to borrow, to ask for alms, to possess warlike weapons, to eat too much, to sleep too long, to take part in any sports or games, to judge one's neighbours, to swing the arms when walking, to bake bricks, to burn wood, to wink, to stretch out the legs when sitting, to look contemptuously at any one or anything, to buy, to sell, to slobber or make a noise when eating, to have any hair anywhere about the head or face, to keep the leavings of meals, to have many robes, to meddle with royal affairs except in so far as they concern religion, to cook rice, to ride on an elephant, to put flowers in the ears, to wear shoes, to love one man more than another, to eat seeds, to sleep after meals, to make remarks about the alms given to them, to wear any colour but yellow, to pander to popular taste when preaching sermons, to wash in the dark, to destroy either animal or vegetable life, and to whistle. there are five sins that will certainly lead to everlasting punishment, whether committed by a priest or layman, viz., to murder one's father, to murder one's mother, to murder a priest, to treat the words or temples of buddha with contempt, expressed as "to wound buddha's foot so as to make it bleed," and to persuade priests to act falsely. members are expelled from the order on commission of the following sins:--sexual intercourse, theft, and murder. after such expulsions they can never be re-admitted. confessions of sin are made twice a month, at full and new moon, when the chapter meets to listen to the reading of the rules of the order. there is no inquisition; confession is purely voluntary. slight punishments, such as sweeping the courtyard, or sprinkling dust round the holy bo-tree follow the acknowledgment of slight breaches of duty. serious offences are tried in the ecclesiastical courts, for the priestly body is not amenable to the ordinary laws of the land. in these courts, presided over by the chief priest, no oath is taken. an ordinary affirmation or negative answer to any question is given in silence by the raising and lowering of a fan. if the defendant is found guilty he is unfrocked, publicly flogged, and then expelled from the order. [illustration: offering rice to the priests.] the priest must rise before daylight, wash himself, sweep the room in which he lives, sweep round the bo-tree, fetch the drinking water for the day, filter it to prevent killing any creatures it may contain when drinking it. these practical offices concluded, he is supposed to retire to a solitary place and there fix his mind in pious meditation upon the rules that regulate his daily life. he rises to place offerings of flowers before the sacred image, the sacred dome-shaped shrine or the bo-tree, thinking the whole time of the great contrast between his own weaknesses and buddha's virtues. the next portion of the daily routine is strictly and regularly followed. he takes the begging-bowl, follows his superior, collects his food, returns, eats his meal, asks a blessing for the donor, performs little duties for his superior, and washes the alms-bowls. for the next hour he should again meditate upon the kindness of buddha, and then study the sacred books. at sunset he sweeps the holy place, lights the lamps, and listens to the teaching of the superior. as the novices do all the manual work, the superior is expected to devote himself more fully to study and meditation. many of the chief priests of the different temples are profound sanscrit and pali scholars. the minute routine set forth in the ecclesiastical books is rarely followed in siam. priests walk about after sunset, and return late to the temples, their attendants lighting the way with torches. the time they give to meditation and worship is far short of that prescribed in the rules, and they are always ready to turn out for a chat with any visitor to their temple. meditation is the buddhist substitute for prayer. there are five distinct classes of meditation.[h] 1.--meditation on love. the priest must think of the future happiness which awaits him when he has rid himself of all evil desires. this leads him to desire the same happiness for all his friends; and finally for his foes. he meditates upon the good actions of his enemies, forgets their evil deeds, and endeavours to arouse in himself a wide-spreading, all-embracing, overshadowing love for all the world, which shall enable him to look with tenderness and affection upon all with whom he comes into contact. 2.--meditation on pity. he concentrates his thoughts upon the miseries and sorrows of the world, and awakens the sentiment of pity in his own breast for all the distressed ones among his fellow-men. 3.--meditation on joy. he is to change the attitude of his mind to one of contemplation of the joys of all men, and therein to find cause for rejoicing himself. 4.--meditation on impurity. he must try to realise the evils of sickness, death, and corruption, to become horrified at the endless misery entailed by the continual recurrence of birth and death, and to desire its final extinction. 5.--meditation on serenity. the priest contemplates the worldly opinions of men as to the badness and goodness of things; the desire for wealth and power; the hatred of injustice and oppression; he contrasts youth and disease, love and treachery, honour and disgrace, and endeavours so to rise above them all, that without haughtiness or pride he may be indifferent to all the evils and joys which accompany them, and free from all desires to partake of the same. this is not the place to discuss the philosophy of buddha, as we are here concerned only with the mendicant order in siam. but in order to gain a more complete idea of the duties and character of the monastic body as contemplated by their founder, the following facts taken from professor rhys davids's work on "buddhism" are here given. buddha before his death told his disciples that they were to propagate his laws, viz., (1) the four earnest meditations. (2) the four great efforts. (3) the four roads to iddhi. (4) the five moral powers. (5) the seven kinds of wisdom; and (6) the noble eightfold path. the four earnest meditations are: (1) on the impurity of the body; (2) on the evils which arise from sensation; (3) on the impermanence of ideas; (4) on the conditions of existence. the four great efforts are--the exertion (1) to prevent bad qualities from arising; (2) to put away bad qualities which have arisen; (3) to produce goodness not previously existing; (4) to increase goodness where it does exist. the four roads to iddhi are the four bases of saintship by which it is obtained. they are: (1) the will to acquire it; (2) the necessary exertion; (3) the necessary preparation of the heart; (4) investigation. the five moral powers are--faith, energy, recollection, contemplation, intuition. the seven kinds of wisdom are--energy, recollection, contemplation, investigation of scripture, joy, repose and serenity. the noble eightfold path which leads to nirvana comprises: (1) right belief; (2) right aims; (3) right words; (4) right behaviour; (5) right mode of livelihood; (6) right exertion; (7) right mindfulness; (8) right meditation and tranquillity. all these different powers, laws, etc., are again subdivided and re-subdivided; but the above lines will be sufficient to outline the moral philosophy of that system which not only the priests should bear out in their lives, but to which every true believer in buddhism is expected to conform. practically, however, these counsels are so many obsolete laws, long since dead and forgotten. outside the permanent priests and a few students, the vast majority of the people know nothing whatever about the system, and if some of the learned writers upon buddhism in europe were to preach their buddhist sermons to the subjects of the only independent buddhist king remaining, the people would stare in wonder at their new teachers and ask one another what strange doctrines were these that were being preached unto them. buddha's own sermons as to the duties of the priesthood are worth a moment's notice, though the priests as a rule have never heard them, or heard them with indifferent ears. the following passages are quoted from the book mentioned above, and are translations of passages in those sermons whose authenticity is established. "he who, himself not stainless, would wrap the yellow-stained robe around him, he, devoid of self-control and honesty is unworthy of the yellow robe." "but he who, cleansed from stains, is well grounded in the precepts, and full of honesty and self-restraint 'tis he who's worthy of the yellow robe." "the restrained in hand, restrained in foot, restrained in speech, the best of self-controlled; he whose delight is inward, who is tranquil and happy when alone--him they call _mendicant_." "the mendicant who controls his tongue, speaking wisely, and is not puffed up, who throws light on worldly and on heavenly things, his word is sweet." "let his livelihood be kindliness, his conduct righteousness, then, in the fulness of gladness, he will make an end of grief." "as the vassika plant casts down its withered blossoms so cast out utterly, o mendicants, ill-will and lust." "do no violence to a brahman, but neither let _him_ fly at his aggressor. woe to him who strikes a brahman; more woe to him who strikes the striker." "what is the use of plaited hair, o fool! what of a garment of skins? your low yearnings are within you, and the outside thou makest clean." "a mendicant, who is fond of disputes, is walled in by ignorance, and understands neither religion nor the law of gautama." "a mendicant having received in right time, his meal, returning alone, should sit in private, reflecting within himself; he should not spread out his mind; his mind should be well controlled. should he speak with a follower of the buddha or another mendicant, he should speak of the excellent law, and not backbite or speak ill of another. some fortify themselves for controversy. we praise not those small-minded persons. temptations from this source and that are made to cling to them, and they certainly send their minds very far away when they engage in controversy." the mendicant that gautama had in his mind when he uttered the above passages, may be as easily discovered amongst the thousands that wear the yellow robe to-day, as a needle in a mountain of hay. after a short interval the priests put off their robes and return to the world. if they are wanted for _corvã©e_ or conscription they stay an indefinite period in their safe retreat. the yellow robes are never taken away, but are given by him who is leaving them, to one of the inmates of the same monastery. if a priest is thought to be dying the robes are taken from him, for they must not be contaminated with death. they are afterwards hung on the sacred bo-tree, but never burned. anyone who has once been a priest, but has returned to a secular life, may re-enter the priesthood whenever he chooses, but he must be again formally presented and ordained. in the vicinity of several temples women with shaven heads and white dresses are sometimes seen. they are not always mourners for the dead, but belong to an order of nuns. the first nun was buddha's foster-mother, who after the death of his father, wished to be ordained. buddha at first refused to comply with her wishes, but on the intercession of his favourite disciple, ananda, he granted the request. ananda's wife, a half-sister of buddha, was also subsequently ordained as a nun. the order of nuns does not appear to have been at any time half as flourishing as that of the monks. nuns in siam are very old widows. they do no teaching, sewing, or work of any description. to them the temple is a form of alms-house where they will be lodged and fed as long as they live. chapter xiv. among the temples. every single town and village of siam is crowded with temples, or "wats," as they are locally called. compared with similar religious institutions in england, their number seems to be out of all proportion to the number of the population. their variety of size and method of decoration, as well as their number, is sufficiently conspicuous to make even the most casual observer enquire why they abound to such an extent. and the reason for this superabundance of religious edifices is not to be found in the immense number of people who are popularly supposed to believe in the teachings of buddha, but rather in a very prevalent, but degraded form of one of the tenets of an originally pure doctrine. for though it is usually stated that five hundred millions of people are believers in, and followers of "the light of asia," no one who has lived in a buddhist country will venture to assert that half that number are regular attendants at the temple on the buddhist sunday, or that the vast majority of the people do anything more than passively accept the superstitions of their forefathers without ever enquiring or even caring whether they are the true teachings of buddha or not. ask any person you meet a few questions about the sage who propounded the faith that they are supposed to hold, and it will be speedily discovered that even those who are most assiduous in their attendance at the temple, and who are most charitable in the offerings they give to their priests, know little of the life and less of the teachings of him whom they apparently worship. it will be at once evident to the readers of the foregoing chapters of this book, that the people whose customs are here treated of, though nominally buddhists, and classed _en masse_ as such in western calculations of the number of those who worship the great indian teacher of old, are guided in their daily lives, not by the principles of an old world faith, but rather by a number of powerful superstitions gathered at different times from the different nations by whom they are surrounded, or with whom they have come into close contact, which superstitions have little if anything to do with buddhism. it is not possible to call them buddhists at all, if the term is to be used as comparable to the term christian as applied to the believers in christ in western lands. the great moral precepts of their religion are not taught to them, are unknown to them, and it is very questionable if the sanskrit words for benevolence, gratitude, charity, and kindred virtues have any parallel in the ordinary everyday vocabulary of the people. even if such words do exist, they are only understood by the learned few, and would be as utterly incomprehensible to the great mass of the people as greek and latin. [illustration: a village temple. _page 281._] temples then, not being required as houses of continual or devout worship, why do they abound, not only in the capital, but in every village, and on the banks of every river and canal throughout the length and breadth of the whole kingdom? the explanation is found in the fact that the people believe that in order to make merit during this life to save themselves from misery in some future existence, they must among other things follow "the religion which teaches alms-giving." "make merit." that is the sum and substance of their religious faith and worship. as every reader of buddhism knows, the soul is said to pass through many stages of existence before it reaches the mysterious region of nirvana, and that it is possible for any soul to pass even beyond the shadowy confines of this debatable territory and finally attain the perfect condition of buddhahood. at death, the merit and demerit of the soul are balanced, and the next condition of the wandering soul determined according to a system of debit and credit. the wicked king may be re-born as a slave or even pass into the body of a toad. the soul of a slave may be re-born in one of royal degree or may even ascend to an habitation in the celestial spheres. hence it behoves every living being during this life upon earth to make as much merit as it possibly can, and as the custom of alms-giving is held to be a very profitable method of investment for the future, it is widely practised by king and peasant alike, each giving to the priests or to those of his fellow-men who may be in distress, according to the abundance of his possession of this world's goods. that portion of buddha's teaching which deals with the law of cause and effect in its relation to the progression or retrogression of migrating souls, has been lost to all except the few, and a mere superstition reigns in its stead. an english resident in siam had a servant who frequently absented himself from his duties. on each occasion, when questioned by his master as to the cause of his absence, he replied, "please, sir, i went to make merit." said the englishman, perhaps a little too irreverently, "at the rate you are making merit, i should think you would be an archangel when you die."--"ah no," replied the servant, "i don't want to be an angel. i don't want to get to nirvana. i shouldn't like to make enough merit to get to nirvana; i only want to make just enough merit to be born back again into this world as a royal prince, with lots of money, plenty of wives and heaps of fun." "merit" is made in many other ways besides alms-giving and feeding the priests. a woman who was robbed devoted the lost money to merit-making, and gave it charitably away. even the scattering of limes containing lottery tickets at important cremations and public ceremonies is considered merit-making. tradition relates that when buddha was being sorely tempted by the evil mara, he appealed to the fiend to answer whether or not, he, the tempted one, had not in his lifetime on earth been conspicuous for generous alms-giving, and the world made affirmative answer for him by a gigantic earthquake. and so the modern buddhist believes that his merit-making and his alms-giving will cry out on his behalf when he passes from this earthly life into some other condition at present unrevealed to him. even their reluctance to kill any living thing is merely another form of the same belief. that it is wrong to destroy the life of anything, be it that of a seed or that of a snake, for the reasons taught by buddha, they do not seem to know. but they have it firmly established amongst their current superstitions that to take life would be an act of demerit that would be reckoned against them in the future, and so they abstain from killing, though they will readily eat what others have destroyed. they justify their fishing operations by saying that they do not kill the fish, but that they only pull them out of the water, after which they die a natural death. [illustration: "sala" in a jungle clearing. _page 286._] now one of the most ostentatious ways of purchasing future happiness is the building of a "wat." there the priests will find a home; there the people may adorn the images, make frequent offerings to buddha, and engage in other meritorious works; there the children may be taught to read and write; and there all men may see a lasting evidence of the wealth and devotion of the builders. and so temples were built year by year without ceasing, until there are hundreds more than would be wanted even if every man, woman, and child in the land were regular worshippers. time lays its heavy hand upon these perishable structures and works their ruin. seeds sprout in nooks and crevices and their growing roots burst open the walls and roofs. the torrent rains lend their powerful aid in the work of destruction, and in the course of the builder's lifetime the sacred building may become a ruin. but until quite lately, these "wats" were never repaired; they were built and left to crumble. the continued erection of temples has been suspended during late years, partly owing to the influence of the king, who has wisely urged that the repairing of an old and falling "wat" is a more useful and equally effective way of making merit than the building of a new one. the word "wat," or temple, includes many structures. they frequently stand in extensive grounds, shaded by giant banyans, and surrounded by strong, well-built walls or fences. they are refuges for destitute animals as well as for men seeking retirement. the litter of pariah puppies that must not be destroyed, although not wanted, is deposited inside the temple grounds, there to be fed on the scraps that remain when the monks have finished their midday meal. the central building or church where the idols are kept, the prayers recited, and the priests ordained, is called the "bote." round about it are the houses or cells inhabited by the monks. these may be of wood or stone, of an orthodox cell-like pattern, or they may be ordinary native houses specially erected in the precincts of the "bote" for the accommodation of the priests. they should possess no furniture, and rarely do so. all temples may be divided into two classes, called respectively wat luang and wat ratsadon. the first are endowed and dedicated by royalty, while the second class comprises all others. the land on which these buildings are erected becomes for ever the property of the chapter, and cannot be taken away by law, or sold, or in any way disposed of for secular purposes. the central buildings are chiefly of a uniform oblong shape, and are built of wood, brick, or stone, the outer walls being washed or painted white. a colonnade runs round the outside, supported by strong, square pillars of teak-wood, that lean inwards from the base to the roof. the roof may be built in one, two or three tiers, but is always covered with differently coloured tiles arranged in symmetrical patterns. gold-leaf is lavishly used in the ornamentation of the gabled ends of the roof, and a new temple, with the mid-day sun shining full upon it, presents a very brilliant appearance, especially when seen through the bright green foliage around it. the walls are pierced by a number of windows which are closed by strong teak shutters. the doors of the poorer temples are of plain, unvarnished, undecorated teak, and though solid, are not handsome. in the wealthier "wats" the decoration of doors and windows is often very beautiful. the doors are either ornamented with very intricate designs worked in gold upon a black background, or with scenes in the life of buddha worked in mother-of-pearl upon a foundation of shining black lacquer. the interiors of the numerous "botes" are variously adorned. there may be only dirty walls, or brilliant mosaics, elaborate designs or painted pictures. some of the pictures are extremely funny. in one of the temples in the capital, the artist who has been entrusted with the internal decorations has mixed together in ludicrous confusion, scenes from the life of buddha, events in hindoo mythology, and rough reproductions of old european drawings. he has placed a number of european ladies and gentlemen of the time of louis xiv, on the side of a hill, where they are enjoying themselves with dance and song. it is a rural picnic. under the hill is a railway tunnel with a train about to enter, and on the summit is buddha in a contemplative attitude brooding over the whole, but owing to the faulty perspective of the drawing, it is impossible to state whether buddha is contemplating the scene of merriment, or brooding over the curious handiwork of the designer. one image of buddha in a sitting posture occupies the place of honour at the far end of the temple, facing the door. the number of smaller images varies considerably from half a dozen to several hundreds. in one of the temples in the old capital of ayuthia there are over twenty thousand. they are covered all over with gold-leaf, and the eyes of the larger ones are made of mother-of-pearl. some of the most barbarous laws in the siamese civil code relate to the profanation of idols. they are never enforced now, and any need for them must at any time have been very small. section 48 of the above code is: "if a thief steal an image of buddha, and use various devices for removing its ornaments, such as washing or smelting, let him be put into a furnace and be treated in exactly the same way as he treated the image, and thus pay for his wickedness." section 49 says, "if any thief strip a buddha image of its gold or gilding, let him be taken to a public square and a red-hot iron rubbed over him till he is stripped of his skin, as he stripped the image of its gold, and thus pay for his crime. if a thief scratch the gold from a buddha image, pagoda, or temple, or sacred tree, let his fingers be cut off." heaped round the altar are the offerings of the merit-makers,--old bottles, birmingham-made vases, clocks, china, saucers, joss-sticks, looking-glasses, bits of coloured glass, and many other articles of equally trivial value. in addition to these things for the adornment of the altar or the use of the temple, the priests also receive food, clothes, money, mosquito netting, boats and small pieces of native furniture. after a big alms-giving day the interior of the sacred pile looks something like an auction room awaiting the commencement of a sale. the "prachadee" is a conspicuous feature of all ecclesiastical architecture. it is a brick or stone monument, round at the base, but tapering to a long thin spire at the top, as shown in several of the illustrations in this book. it represents the primitive tope or relic mound, and covers either a relic or an image of buddha. when a genuine relic cannot be obtained, an imitation of one answers the same purpose. around the "bote", the most holy of all the buildings, are placed eight stones, one at each of the eight chief points of the compass. they are called "bai sema," and are cut in the shape of the leaf of the _ficus religiosa_ or bo-tree. they mark out the boundaries of the consecrated part of the "wat." they are erected when the temple is first consecrated. eight round smooth stones are first buried a little way below the ground, together with the relic or image. holy water is sprinkled over them, and across the boundary thus formed the spirits of evil intent have not the courage to intrude. small, solid, cubical platforms of brick are built over the stones, and on the platforms are placed the gilded or painted stone representations of the sacred leaf. these again are covered with a canopy of stone cut in a similar shape, and often elaborately carved or inlaid with mosaics. every monastery has its bell-tower, whose chimes call the priests to prayers, tell when the sun has crossed its mid-day path, and "toll the knell of parting day". the towers are of wood and have three stories, in each of which is placed one bell. the bells are painted pale blue, and ornamented with broad plain bands of gold-leaf, which run round the rim, and also divide the surface into four equal segments. they are remarkable for their purity of tone, and are not to be equalled by the bells usually found in western churches. the tone is soft and sweet, and at the same time so penetrating that it can be heard for long distances. the bells are not rung, but are beaten. the first few strokes are given slowly and gently, then they gradually increase in rapidity and force, till the bell resounds under a torrent of blows, the tone becoming louder and louder, but never jarring or discordant. not only at every temple, but in many secluded spots at the entrances to lonely canals, and on the edges of the distant jungle, rest-houses are built for the use of wanderers. they are called "salas", and to build a "sala" is a work of merit. as the erection of one of these rest-houses involves less expense than the building of a temple, they are therefore even more abundant than the temples. they consist simply of a wooden platform raised a few feet above the ground by strong posts. several pillars round the sides of the platform support a thatched or tiled roof. there are no walls and no rooms. here the traveller, be he native or foreigner, may hold a picnic, may eat, rest, and sleep without expense or interruption. madmen and lunatics choose the rest-houses near the temples as places where they can live quietly without fear of molestation. the description given above would apply to the majority of siamese temples. but it is worth our while to look in detail at a few of the more noted temples in the capital. the royal temple, wat prakow, stands within the circumference of the outer wall that surrounds the palace and the government offices, and on account of the part it plays in important state ceremonies, and because it is the king's own place of worship, it is far more elaborate than any of the other temples of the country. at this temple the water of allegiance is taken and the oath of allegiance is sworn, and in the same building was held the requiem service for the late crown prince. a central "prachadee" stands in the courtyard of the temple, surrounded by many similar structures of lesser height and beauty. the large one in the centre towers high above all the surrounding buildings, and is said to be covered with plates of gold. it certainly looks like a solid mass of that precious metal, and at sunrise and sunset when it catches the roseate hues of the rising or the setting sun, its golden surface can be seen from afar, shining and glittering like a second sun itself, above the coloured roofs of the temples and the white or many-tinted spires that are associated with it. the smaller relic mounds are covered with mosaics of glass and enamel roughly set in plaster. the bits of glass and enamel are not laid in the plaster so as to form a level surface, but here and there they stand out in tiny rosettes, branches and flowers, and fruit and animals. at a distance the rude character of the workmanship is totally hidden, the tawdry appearance of the material is completely lost, and as the uneven surfaces reflect the brilliant light of the sun, the spire-capped shrines form a series of glittering satellites around the central spire of gold. from the temple courtyard the roof of the large and imposing modern palace can be seen. in the centre, and at either end of the triple-coloured roof, is one of those crown-shaped spires so common in all state and ecclesiastical buildings in siam. it has been stated that "upon a nearer approach to the magnificent spectacle of wat prakow, so dazzling is the effect that it is hard to convince yourself that you are not actually standing before buildings set with precious stones." now this is not by any means true. the temples of buddha in siam are like buddhism itself, seen to the greatest advantage when distance has lent its proverbial enchantment. even as the moral teaching of the great philosopher when viewed through the spectacles of western professors, is a very different creed to that followed by the people, so the temples when seen through the golden mist of early morning from a distant point of view, are brilliant and beautiful beyond description, though on a nearer view, the perishable and paltry character of the material of which they are constructed destroys the appearance of magnificence, leaving, however, in the place of earlier impressions, a feeling of wonder at the marvellous skill of the people who can produce such striking effects from such tawdry material. near to the gilded "prachadee" is the actual "bote" used by the king, surmounted by a similar spire, which is overlaid with sapphire-coloured plates of glass and porcelain; while a little distance away stands the larger temple, set in parts with mosaics of emerald green upon a gilt background. there are several smaller spires of ruby red, bright yellow, or snowy white, standing amongst this mass, whose tapering summits are exceedingly slender and graceful in form, though the raised flowers and decorations that surround their bases are made of nothing but common porcelain and glass. one really valuable "prachadee" is constructed of pure white marble, and stands upon a heavy base supported by seven elephants cast in bronze. in various places near the doors of the temple, or the gates in the walls surrounding the courtyard, there are a number of enormous, grotesque figures, some in helmets, and some in old-fashioned chimney-pot hats. they are evidently of foreign origin, and the sculptor has produced an extremely comical effect by so cutting the eyes as to give them an unmistakable leer or wink. they represent demons, and are supposed to guard the entrance to the sacred edifice. each figure leans upon a gigantic staff, and gazes into the faces of all those who enter the courtyard or buildings. there are also griffins in stone, the representations of powerful kings who keep the world from being entirely captured by the spirits of evil. the stone lions are the emblems of shakyamuni in his character as king of men and beasts. a large, bronze figure of the sitting buddha rests opposite a row of these quaintly carved images of men and animals. it is seated upon a pedestal of marble under a canopy fashioned in imitation of a lotus leaf. the lotus leaf is the buddhist lily, even as the bo-tree is the buddhist cross, and the forms of both these plant structures appear again and again in temple decorations. the lotus is especially noticeable in the lotus-shaped capitals of the huge teak pillars that support the roofs and colonnades of the holy "bote." the courtyard which contains all these vari-coloured and fantastic shrines and images, is paved with slabs of white stone and marble, which reflect the heat and light of the sun with oppressive intensity. other creations in marble, bronze, stone, and wood, set with the same mosaics of cheap china and common glass, and representing europeans, fishes, dolphins, and fabulous monsters are scattered profusely but irregularly amongst the larger and more conspicuous monuments. the roofs are covered with coloured tiles. there is a central rectangle in orange, yellow or red, with its edges set parallel to the roof, while round it run several borders in red, blue, and green. owing to the height of the buildings these coloured roofs are always so far removed from the eye of the spectator that they never lose their artistic appearance. the gables are of wood or metal, and curve upwards at the ends into a peculiar ornament, which is so common in civil as well as religious architecture as to cause much speculation as to its meaning. it has been described as being symbolical of many things, but it most probably represents the head of the naga or king of snakes. round the edges of the roofs of several of the constituent buildings of this royal "wat," are hung many small sweetly toned bells, whose silvery voices may be heard in the farthest corners of the enclosure as they swing to and fro with every gentle breeze. the windows and doors are deeply sunk in the extremely thick walls. they are covered with black lacquer and look as though they were made of ebony. designs in mother-of-pearl have been worked into the lacquer, while the hinges and fastenings of the separate shutters have been richly gilt. [illustration: temple bell-tower. _page 285._] the floor of the chief building is covered with matting made entirely of woven silver wire. the roof is lofty, and is made of teak. the room is of the usual oblong shape, but at the further end a magnificent altar-like shrine stretches from side to side. the sides of this valuable altar are covered with gold-leaf and gilded glass, which lose a little of their dazzling brilliancy, though they gain in depth of colour, in the subdued light of the interior. small prachadees in clusters stand at the same end of the temple, all heavily gilt. this buddhist temple is unique amongst siamese temples in containing objects of real value. inside there is nothing tawdry and cheap. everything is genuine as becomes the gift of a king. on a square table at the back, supported on the tall conical hats of twelve large figures, are seated seven figures of buddha, in pure solid gold. one hand of each of the figures is raised and pointing upwards. on every finger and thumb of the uplifted hand glitters a king's ransom in rings of emeralds, sapphires, and rubies, while in the centre of each palm shines and flashes a rosette of diamonds. away up in a dim recess towards which the seven hands are pointing, there is an image of buddha, often said to be cut out of one enormous emerald. in reality, it is made of jade. this stone is reported to be of priceless value. it cannot easily be examined by visitors as it is partly hidden in shadow, but with a pair of opera-glasses the features are easily distinguishable. the idol is said to have fallen from heaven into one of the laos states. it was captured from these northern people by its present owners. it possesses three diamond eyes of great value, the third of which is set in the centre of the forehead. it has several times been lost or stolen, but has always been recovered. there are many rare and precious vessels for the temple services, such as cups, incense burners, and candlesticks made of gold and studded with jewels, but unfortunately the workmanship is in some cases very defective, and the stones have lost a great deal of their value by being badly set and cut. one or two museum cases are to be seen, containing offerings made by royalty or wealthy noblemen. round the base of the altar are a number of ebony tables holding the usual vases, wax flowers, and clocks, but in this temple they are all of real value. the walls and ceiling are painted in native style and colour, with scenes from the life of buddha, and from the hindoo myth of ramayana. they are executed with that curious absence of perspective common to oriental pictures, but nevertheless many of the figures are full of life and action. in particular, the elephants are usually accurately drawn, though strangely coloured. we may fitly close this chapter with an account of one of the country temples given by h. warington smyth in his "notes of a journey on the upper mekong." "at wieng chan, on the north bank (of the mekong), the remains of the great wat prakaon are very fine; the latter rises from a series of terraces, up which broad flights of steps lead, and is of large proportions. the effect of height is increased by the perpendicular lines of the tall columns which support the great east and west porticos, and which line the walls along the north and south; the windows between the latter being small, and narrower at the top than at the bottom, also lead the eye up. a second row of columns once existed, and the effect must have been very fine. now the roof is gone, and the whole structure crowned by a dense mass of foliage, as is the case with all the remains of smaller buildings not yet destroyed. one very beautiful little pagoda at the west end is now encased in a magnificent peepul tree which has grown in and around it, and has preserved it in its embrace. there are remains of several deep water-tanks; and the grounds, which were surrounded by a brick wall, must once have been beautiful. but the best thing at wieng chan, or the old city, as they call it, is the gem of a monastery known as wat susaket. it is a small building, the wat itself, of the usual style, with a small lantern rising from the central roof. the walls are very massive, and, with the height inside, the place was delightfully cool; all round the interior, from floor to roof, the walls are honeycombed with small niches in rows, in which stand the little gilt images, looking out imperturbably, generally about eight inches in height. "round this building, outside, runs a rectangular cloister which faces inwards, and here, at one time, the monks were living amongst the statues which stand round the walls, many of these three and more feet high, while the walls too are ornamented with niches similar to those inside the main building. in the centre of each side there is a gateway surmounted by a gable, there being also similar ornaments at each corner. the beauty and retired air of the court inside could not be surpassed, and the effect of the green grass, the white walls, the low-reaching, red-tiled roofs, and the deep shadows is charming; there is nothing flat, nothing vulgarly gaudy, and very little that is out of repair. and here, as is most noticeable in the remains of the other buildings about, the proportions are perfect. in this the ruined remains of wieng chan surpass all other buildings i have seen in siam, and bear witness to a true artistic sense in the builders." chapter xv. among the temples (_continued_). several of the larger "wats" in the capital are deserving of further notice. the largest temple in the country is wat poh. it has often been said that "he who has seen wat poh has seen every buddhist temple in siam." it covers an immense extent of ground in the very heart of the great city, and inside its high brick walls are gathered together examples in wood and stone, in bronze and porcelain, of everything connected with ecclesiastical architecture in the country. its chief attraction is an immense idol. in one of the lofty buildings lies a sleeping buddha of gigantic proportions. it is probably the largest image of its kind in the world. the room containing it is over two hundred feet long. the idol itself is one hundred and seventy-five feet long, so that it practically occupies the whole of the building, with the exception of a narrow passage all round the base of the rectangular brick platform on which it reclines. the heavy shutters and ponderous doors are always locked, except when some inquisitive foreigner desires to view. his wish can be gratified by the payment to the man in charge of a fee varying from eighteen-pence to two shillings. after payment has been made, the gigantic doors are flung open and the visitor enters, only to find himself in almost total darkness. one by one a few of the heavy shutters are slowly opened and a little daylight gradually admitted. the light falls upon the dull red walls or elaborate frescoes, and upon the sides of the sleeping figure, but loses itself at last in the dim recesses of the lofty roof. when the eye has become accustomed to the gloom, the peculiar wonder of the spectacle begins to be appreciated. the whole of the building or the image cannot be seen from any one point of view. the gigantic idol is made of brick, which has been covered over with cement. upon the cement a smooth layer of lacquer has been deposited, and then the whole coated with gold-leaf. the figure measures eighteen feet across the chest; the feet are fifteen feet in length; and the toes are each three feet long. the soles of the feet are inlaid with symbols in mother-of-pearl, according to the legend which states that buddha had upon his feet at birth a number of signs that proclaimed his true character. the head is covered with a conical cluster of spiral curls, the apex of the cone being far away from human eye in the shadows of the rafted roof. [illustration: wat chang, bangkok. _page 301._] the sketch of the figure given in this book is the only drawing of the idol in existence, and no photo has ever been taken by any of the local photographers owing to the darkness of the interior. it was only on payment of a heavy bribe that the caretaker allowed the artist to put up his easel. after further debate, followed by a fee, he condescended to open a few more windows so as to admit sufficient light to render any sketching possible. while the sketch was being made, a small piece of the gilded lacquer fell from the chest of the recumbent idol. in less time almost than it takes to write of the occurrence, the windows were closed, the place veiled in utter darkness, and the artist unceremoniously requested to leave the building. the man evidently expected the whole structure to fall upon his unlucky head as a punishment for allowing the sacred place to be so desecrated by the white man. doubtless by this time the caretaker has worked off the demerit he earned that day, by devoting some of the money he then received to purchasing merit in one of the many ways known to him. in the grounds of wat poh there are several ponds, shaded by magnificent trees, and surrounded by grotesque figures in stone. these ponds are the homes of a few alligators, which are kept and fed by the priests and servants of the temple. almost opposite to wat poh, on the other bank of the river, is wat chang, a marvel to every one who has ever seen it. the actual "bote," the priests' houses, and the relic mounds are in no respect extraordinary, but on the bank of the river is a huge monument consisting of a series of pagodas resting on a square base. it is this collection of pinnacles that attracts and charms the eye. their form is not that of the slender-spired "prachadee," but that of a bluntly pointed pyramid, and they are known as "praprang." viewed from a little distance, they look, as any photo shows, like a collection of beautifully carved stone pinnacles, but a closer view reveals the fact that they are only made of brick and plaster and covered with divers figures made of broken plates and saucers. thousands upon thousands of pieces of cheap china must have been smashed to bits in order to furnish sufficient material to decorate this curious structure. it must be admitted that though the material is tawdry, the effect is indescribably wonderful. it is not until one stands close to the work itself that it is possible to realise that the elaborate designs and the quaint figures are merely so many pieces of common china. the tallest of the pagodas, the one in the centre, can be seen from many points in the city, and by ascending the steps that lead half way up to the summit, a magnificent view of the capital itself is gained. the winding river and the broad canals shine like ribbons of burnished silver; the houses are hidden beneath masses of foliage, from amongst whose leafy crowns the prettily coloured roofs and the graceful white spires of many temples stand out in bold and picturesque relief. at sunset the details of the structure of the pagodas of wat chang are lost, but the mass of spires and pinnacles takes on a purple tint which changes to one of dusky hue as the light fades slowly from the sky. the whole edifice is in its way a triumph of decorative skill of which the people are reasonably proud. the golden hill is the name given to an artificial mound about two hundred feet high, which faces the public crematorium where the vultures congregate. at first it is difficult to believe that it is not a genuine hillock, for though later investigation shows it to be constructed of bricks and mortar, trees have been planted on it and creepers trained over it, till it looks as though nature in some sportive mood had raised an isolated hill amidst the broad extent of low-lying plain by which it is surrounded. on the summit of this leaf-clad brick and plaster mound is a snow-white prachadee with a very large base. the interior of the round basal portion is an open room, in the middle of which, guarded by iron railings, stands a gilded shrine containing an imitation in glass of the famous tooth of buddha which is preserved in ceylon. from the size of the original it is evidently spurious, for it is impossible to conceive that the ancient philosopher and teacher possessed the benign and dignified aspect that is attributed to him, if the tooth shown is really genuine. the scoffing sceptic has even hinted that it is of equine origin. the bangkok relic is not shown to the worshippers. it is hidden in its gilt case, and many of the natives who bow before the shrine really believe that the object it contains is not an imitation, but an actual tooth of buddha. steep stone staircases lead from the smooth lawn at the base to the shrine upon the summit. in clear weather the view extends far away to the jungle-clad interior in one direction, and in the other, to the distant blue hills upon the eastern shores of the gulf. at one time foreigners frequently ascended the golden hill for the sake of the view, but since the time of the franco-siamese trouble it has been guarded by soldiers, and no one is allowed to pass the sentries on duty without a special permit signed by the minister for foreign affairs. on three days of the year, however, when a special holiday occurs in connection with the worship of the relic, the hill is open to every one. around the base are set up numerous stalls, booths, and side-shows, and a native fair with all its varied attractions draws thousands of people to the spot. side by side are the booths where the missionaries sell their school books and their translations of certain portions of the bible, and the stalls where the wonderful wicker-work made by the prisoners in the jails is offered for sale. gambling tents, shadow pantomimes, and chinese theatres are in full swing. there is but very little direct purchasing. nearly every booth has a lottery. you may pay sixpence for the privilege of rolling three wooden balls along a bagatelle table. you will then be allowed to choose an article whose value varies according to the numbers in the holes into which the little spheres have rolled. at another place a man stands behind a board in which a square hole has been cut on a level with his face. he moves his head quickly backwards and forwards in front of the hole, poking out his tongue and rolling his eyes with marvellous rapidity. at the quickly appearing and disappearing countenance you are permitted to throw three tennis balls, and if you are successful in hitting the distorted features, you receive a prize of little value. it is an oriental form of aunt sally, with a living aunt of male extraction, willing to be a target at the rate of three shots for sixpence. on another stall every article has a thread fastened to it. the loose ends of the cotton strands are collected and passed through a bit of hollow bamboo about six inches long. you pay your money and you choose your thread. then the proprietor traces it out, and you get what is fastened to the other end of it. the prizes range from a common piece of slate pencil, to a penny exercise book, and a german concertina. all the merit-makers before indulging in the fun of the fair, first buy a bit of gold-leaf, a few wax flowers, or a tiny candle, then mount the steep and broken steps, kneel in front of the shrine, stick their gold-leaf on the iron railings, light their candles and fix them on iron spikes, and throw their waxen blossoms into a blazing bonfire. the visitor to the summit looks down upon a ring of twinkling lights, beyond which lies the deep darkness. the air is full of many sounds. a native band discourses native airs with customary vigour in front of the shrine itself; a military band plays operatic selections in a band-stand half way up the hill; and the devotees bang the big deep-toned bells with more force than is demanded by purely religious feeling. up from the crowd below comes the roar of hundreds of human voices, the cries of the cheap jacks and lottery owners, and the shouts of the men with the shows, all telling of the animation and excitement that exists amongst the dark-looking figures that ever move, but never leave a vacant spot in the brilliant torch-lit avenues and passages. the priests sit in long pavilions, their yellow robes and shaven heads set off by the red and white draperies of their temporary resting-places. they drink tea and chew betel-nut incessantly, chatter and laugh with animation, and evidently enjoy the fun quite as much as any of their lay brethren who have come to the place for the double purpose of making merry and making merit. another temple, wat samplum, boasts a copy of buddha's famous footprint, which is also worshipped amidst much jollity for three days each year. this footprint is sunk in the centre of the floor of a small spire-crowned room on the top of a low artificial hillock. it has no toes and also no heel. it is shaped like an infant's bath, and is about three feet long, two feet wide, and eighteen inches deep, and has been cut or moulded with strict mathematical regularity. it passes the wit of any european to imagine by what process of logical or illogical reasoning any person could bring himself to look upon this curious object as having the slightest resemblance to a human footprint. the usual fair accompanies the worship, and the believers have no sooner plastered their bit of gold-leaf on the sides or sole of the footprint than they descend the little elevation to take their part in the fun that rages fast and furiously at the bottom. there are in several of the northern mountain ranges or isolated hills large limestone or granite caves which have been utilised at various times for religious purposes. near to the walled city of karnbooree on the river meklong, there is one large cave which was used as a store-house for idols and offerings during the last war between the siamese and burmese. here the discoloured images and the withered offerings remain to this day, rarely visited by any one; the entrances to the cavern being nearly blocked up by the jungle growth which has flourished undisturbed for many years. in the town of petchabooree there are several caves occupying the whole interior of a hill which is open at the summit and bears all the appearances of an extinct volcano. these caves are still distinctly used as temples. steps have been cut in the solid rock to form an easy means of descent to their open mouths. one of them receives its light through a crater-like opening in the hill-side; some of them are too dark to be visited without the aid of torches or lanterns. the floors have in all cases been nicely levelled and sanded, while one has been neatly tiled. idols are arranged in rows round the sides, and buddhas in standing, sleeping, or sitting postures occupy every jutting crag and hollow corner. tiny holes, often hidden behind a gigantic image, lead into little, dark, dirty, damp recesses with plank beds and torch smoked altars, where hermits live, or years ago have lived, in retirement. there is something almost grotesque in these cavern interiors. huge stalactites and stalagmites shine in the light of the entering sun, or look gloomy and solemn in the fitful spluttering of the smoky torches there is a grandeur of natural power and strength in the great pillars and deep recesses, all tending to make the gilded figures of the benevolent gautama and his chief disciples look more tawdry and worthless than when seen in their more suitable surroundings in the brick and wooden temples of his living followers. one very noticeable feature in the interiors of many temple buildings is the management of the light to increase their solemnity and their impressiveness. for instance, in the case of the sleeping buddha in wat poh, even when many of the windows round it have been opened, the head is still partly hidden in darkness, so that the effect of the height is increased and the wonder of the spectator intensified. and again, mr. smyth mentions in the book quoted above, a small "wat" called wat boria, where "there is a very fine buddha, on whose head and shoulders the light is thrown from a small window in the roof. the effect is quite impressive, and does great credit to the architect who designed it. this is by no means the only place in siam where the light is dexterously managed." he also mentions that at wat chinareth, "one enters a monk's doorway at the south-eastern corner from a cloister, and is at first lost in the gloom. at last the great black columns with their elaborate gilt ornamentation (the one decoration they understand in siam) grow out in the feeble light from the little narrow windows in the low side walls. the lofty peaked roof rises far into blackness." [illustration: the sleeping buddha. _page 297._] mention has frequently been made of the extensive use of gold-leaf in the decoration of shrines and images. the import of this commodity is of the annual value of about one hundred and sixty to two hundred thousand mexican dollars. and in addition to what is imported, a large quantity is manufactured in bangkok by chinese goldsmiths. near to one of the temples inside the city walls there is a small settlement whose chief employment is the beating of gold-leaf. they get thin pieces of gold about a quarter of an inch square, and put them between thick pieces of white oily paper. sheets of gold-leaf and sheets of paper are arranged alternately in a pile about two inches thick. this packet of paper and gold is put inside a stout leathern covering which is left open at two sides, and is then placed on a hard stone slab some three or four inches thick. the gold-beater takes a large, heavy hammer with an iron head, and pounds the little parcel in front of him with all his strength. he continues his hammering until the bits of gold have been considerably flattened out. he next takes the thin gold sheets and puts them between finer pieces of white chinese paper, and then continues his pounding until the sheets have become sufficiently attenuated to be used for the gilding of images and ornaments. gold-leaf is sold in sheets about three inches square at the rate of fifteen to eighteen shillings per thousand sheets. not only is gold-leaf used for covering idols and shrines, but it is also used by native artists in the decorations of the walls. earth colours are used for painting figures and scenery; but whenever a figure requires a golden crown or ornament, or the representation of a shrine or temple requires a golden decoration, then gold-leaf is always used, and the contrast between the bright reflecting surface of the metal and the dull appearance of the washes of the earth colours is very striking. a favourite subject for religious pictures is the representation of the different hells, of which there are eight. though the account of the infernal regions as given below may seem very gruesome, there is nothing repulsive in their pictorial presentation by the native artist, owing to utter lack of any effect of realism. in fact, most europeans require an interpreter in order to understand their meaning. the eight major hells are all places of fearful torment. in the first of the series the condemned creature is cut into infinitesimal pieces, every cut producing its own agonies, as the sense of feeling is never destroyed. when the body has thus been mutilated, a wind possessing life-restoring properties, blows over the torn remains and renovates them once more into a perfect human being, which is again mutilated by the attendants. the torment is repeated indefinitely; but a time arrives at last when the restored body is cast into another portion of the same hell to be the sport of cruel monsters. in this first hell one day is equal in length to nine hundred thousand years. in the second hell the floor is of molten iron, and as the lost ones tread the liquid metal they sink into it and die in frightful pain. a new life follows the recent death, and again and again is the terrible punishment inflicted through long periods of time, where one day is measured by thirty-six million years upon earth. the inhabitants of the third hell have lost a portion of their human form. either they have human heads, and animals' bodies, or their human bodies possess animals' heads. they are the playthings of innumerable fiends who drive them with thongs from one mountain to another, and ever as they run, great masses of rock fall upon them, wounding and killing them. but as in all the other regions inhabited by the guilty, a new life springs from the dead bodies, that the cruel torment may be re-inflicted. the fourth hell is beautiful to look upon. its floor is covered with the sacred lotus, but hidden amongst its rosy petals are sharp-pointed iron spikes. and as the damned come to the edges of hell, they are seized by the powerful arms of diabolical monsters, who fling them with titanic force upon the treacherous flowers below. they are flung times without number, their wailing and moaning echoing and re-echoing through the corridors of hell for a space of four thousand years whose every day is equal to seventy-six million years upon earth. the fifth of the series resembles the fourth inasmuch as its floor is covered with iron-spiked blossoms. but the erring souls continually attempt to escape. with much anxiety of mind and weariness of body, they raise themselves from their spiny bed only to be met by fiends armed with gigantic sledge-hammers. fierce blows of their ponderous weapons send them reeling back to their torment, amidst the horrible laughter of their fierce captors. the sixth hell is that of everlasting fire, but of even a more revolting character than that preached by so many christian teachers. for amidst the roaring flames of the blazing pit scamper the giant dogs of hell, whose teeth are of sharpened iron. they seize their prey, and devour it with insatiable appetite. after being eaten the wicked are re-born, again roasted in the infernal fire, again devoured by iron fangs and so on and on for sixteen thousand weary years. in the seventh hell the sides are steep hills, but they apparently present a means of escape. up the precipitous incline the lost ones toil and clamber, but terrific gusts of wind ever hurl them headlong to the bottom on to a floor of iron spikes. the last of the series is another of unquenchable fire. here the lost are so crowded together that they have no room to move. this is the deepest and widest hell of all, and here the throng of sufferers must endure their torments until that day when a great cloud shall appear in the heavens, announcing the end of the world. as if these eight diabolical creations of some fiendish mortal's brain did not contain sufficient terrors to frighten the wicked, all the eight major hells have each been subdivided into sixteen minor ones equally revolting. they are all of cubical shape, and measure thirty leagues each way; but not wishing to weary the reader by detailing their several characters, only one is here mentioned in illustration of their general nature. in one of these minor hells every one suffers from intolerable thirst. through its gloomy confines flows a river whose waters are saturated with salt. the wretches, maddened by the thirst which none may relieve, fling themselves into the briny flood. along the banks stand devils with long iron poles with burning hooks, who fish them out again, mutilate their bodies with the red-hot iron, and when they cry aloud in their madness for water, pour molten iron down their scorching throats. chapter xvi. religious ceremonies. religious ceremonies follow one another with incredible rapidity in the "kingdom of the yellow robe." they are observed by every one, not on account of their religious value, but because they afford excellent reasons for indulging in general holidays. a few of the more important ones will be dealt with in this and the two succeeding chapters. thet maha chat. the first one to be noticed here is the "thet maha chat" or "the preaching of the story of the great birth." it does not, like the other ceremonies we shall describe, occur on definitely stated days, and in many instances, does not give rise to a general national holiday. it often occurs as a semi-private or domestic religious observance, performed by those and for those whom it immediately concerns. before describing the manner in which the public and private celebrations of this ceremony are held, it will be advisable to relate the story of the great birth according to the account given in the siamese text, for it is said that this account of the great birth does not exist in the buddhist literature of the surrounding countries. buddhist legends, now rejected by many oriental scholars themselves, relate that the hindoo philosopher once taught and enlightened his friends and disciples by relating to them at considerable length, five hundred and fifty stories, called "jatakas", about himself. these narratives give a complete account of the various transmigrations of his soul, which he, having attained to buddhahood, was enabled to vividly recall. of these five hundred and fifty birth stories, the vessantara jataka relates how he lived upon earth as a noble and virtuous prince called vessantara. as this was his last existence previous to his re-birth upon earth as buddha, it is held in high estimation by those who believe in its authenticity. in previous existences he had traversed the whole social scale from king to slave. he had been monarch, courtier, brahmin ascetic, teacher, prince, nobleman, merchant, slave, potter, and outcast. he had inhabited the bodies of the elephant, tiger, monkey, snake, fish, and frog. in the supernatural worlds he had been a tree-god and a fairy. the last ten of the birth stories are of the greatest interest, as they relate how he successfully attained absolute perfection in all things essential to buddhahood; and the first nine of them may be fitly summarised as a preface to the story of the tenth or great birth. the first story tells how he was born as a prince, the heir to a throne and a crown. now, whenever, in previous existences, he had reigned as a king, he had invariably suffered and fallen in the succeeding life. he was therefore very anxious to escape the cares and perils of sovereignty, and so he feigned dumbness. his relatives doubted the reality of his affliction and tried in many ways to make him speak, but all in vain. at last they proposed to bury him alive, and the prospect of this cruel death caused him at last to speak, that he might save his life. in the second story he is again represented as being the son of a great monarch. his father's younger brother turned traitor, usurped the throne, and put to death him whose crown he had taken. the prince was born in exile, but when he arrived at man's estate he was informed of his real rank and title, and he determined to attempt to regain them. he set sail for his native land, but during the voyage a great storm arose, the vessel was wrecked, and he only managed to save his life by swimming to the distant shore. the next birth story relates that he was the son of blind, ascetic parents, to whom he acted as a faithful servant. he trained a pet deer to carry his bowl for him, and wherever he went the timid creature accompanied him. he was killed in the forest by a stray arrow that a king had shot while hunting. he was re-born as a king of wonderful power. his dominions included both heaven and hell, and during the period of his sovereignty he managed to visit both these distant portions of his wide domain. history, however, does not relate what he saw or what he did in either of these regions. [illustration: the festival of kaw prasai. _page 356._] he next became the servant of a warrior king, for whom he acted in the capacity of counsellor and judge, winning for himself great renown for his wisdom and strength of character. on one occasion he is credited with engineering a tunnel through a mighty mountain, that his royal master might fall unawares upon a powerful enemy. the tunnel was constructed, and the attack made with complete success. the sixth of this set of birth stories narrates his career as the naga king, the monarch of the snake world. his two chief relatives were a human brother, and a sister who inhabited the body of a frog. he himself was a cobra, and one day a skilful snake-charmer captured him, and took him about from place to place on exhibition. he was freed from this humiliating condition by his brother and sister, who ingeniously tricked the wandering showman. then again he becomes the son of a king, and holds the position of a judge. owing to his severity in putting down bribery and corruption, he incurred the displeasure of the lord chief justice, who resented the loss of his valuable perquisites. one night the king dreamt that he had paid a visit to the heavenly regions. when he awoke he sent for the chief judge, and asked him if he could suggest any way of realising the journey, as he would very much like to visit those realms at his leisure. the judge suggested that the trip might be accomplished if the favour of the deities was first obtained by making them an offering commensurate with his desires. he suggested the sacrifice of the prince and all the members of his household. the king accepted the idea, and the sacrifice was planned. but several courtiers who had reasons for disliking the chief judge of the kingdom, revealed to their sovereign the enmity that existed between judge and prince. the king, furious at the trick that had been played upon him, instantly ordered the death of the wicked official, but the son, acting with his usual gentleness and mercy, pleaded for his enemy and obtained the remission of his sentence. in the eighth story he is again a king; but this time devotes his life entirely to the noble practice of alms-giving. so great was his generosity that he soon beggared himself, and was forced to become a hermit. having nothing left to distribute to those who sought to profit by his benevolence, he conceived the idea of finally giving his own body away in pieces. but the devas, wishing to save him from the results of such a noble deed, brought him presents of nuggets of gold with which to satisfy the demands of those who daily asked him for alms. the ninth story presents him to us as a wise man teaching and counselling a king. his fame was noised abroad even unto the uttermost ends of the earth. amongst those who heard of his wisdom and purity was the queen of the nagas. she was so deeply impressed by the stories that reached her, that she fell madly in love with the famous counsellor, and wished, not figuratively, but literally, to possess his heart. from amongst her numerous attendants she chose one who was noted for his cunning, and sent him as her ambassador to the far-off land, with orders to bring back that which she so much desired. he met with a certain amount of success, for he won the body of the sage by gambling with the king, but all his efforts to put to death the wise old man were ineffectual. and when he was meditating as to the reason of the failure of his murderous attempts, the old man came to him, and spoke to him with words of such tenderness and truth that the emissary returned to the naga queen without his prize, but a better and a wiser man. the tenth birth story is the last and the greatest, and bears the distinctive title of "the great birth." it is the story of his last existence upon earth as an ordinary human being, and marks the summit of his upward career, the final stage of his successive earthly transmigrations. this story, which we shall presently relate at length, was told by him, after he had become a buddha, to a great gathering of his friends and relatives, in the famous banyan grove of his native city. showers of rain fell from heaven, miraculously bathing his holy body, but leaving untouched the throng of people around him. seven times he appealed to heaven and earth to bear him witness as to the truth of his narrative, and seven times was an answer given in the voice of the thunder and the quaking of the earth. siamese tradition goes on to say that after buddha's death, a holy ascetic ascended to one of the heavens, where he met the buddha who is next to descend and bless this earth with his teachings. the future buddha held a long conversation with the earthly visitor in which he told him, that if the people wished for happiness and prosperity, they must unceasingly perform all the prescribed ceremonies according to the orthodox ritual, and, above all, they must not forget to annually recite the story of "the great birth." at one time, in siam, pegu, and cambodia, it was the universal custom at the end of the rainy season, to gather in private dwellings or temple halls to listen to the reading or recital of the thousand stanzas of the poem which tells the story. the annual celebration is now chiefly a state ceremony performed in special places. in the olden days, offerings were made for the decoration of the halls in which the recital was to be held, and this custom still continues in a smaller degree. the general celebration that formerly took place degenerated at last into a kind of theatrical performance, and was accompanied by pantomime and song. new versions were given; the rhythm of the original poem was altered; and temple vied with temple, and house with house, in the introduction of novelties that would attract large audiences. the late king was a profound scholar and a devout believer in the pure truths and ritual of his religion, and not a nominal buddhist like the majority of his subjects, and he looked upon these theatrical recitals with their accompanying buffoonery and merriment as being nothing less than a desecration of the famous story, and a burlesque of the life of him whose career they were intended to honour. when he left the cloister for the throne he sternly denounced the exhibition in a decree that is remarkable for its reasonableness and its forceful expressions. he even went so far as to tell a story, evidently of his own composition, the moral of which was that, as far as any religious merit was concerned, the money spent in preparing for the recitals would be better spent in burning dead dogs' carcasses. his strong expressions of disfavour and disgust have had the desired effect, and the story is now recited in a decent and becoming manner. the poem, as now recited, contains thirteen cantos and one thousand stanzas, and was written by one of the siamese kings. it had been prophesied that the holy buddhist scriptures would ultimately all be lost, and that the vessantara jataka, being the most valuable, would be the first to disappear. when the scriptures have all been lost, and man has forgotten the meaning of righteousness, a new buddha will be born upon earth to teach once more the principles of morality and truth. the "pious" king who reigned in siam from 1602 to 1628, is known as a priest celebrated alike for his piety and his learning, and as a king famous for his justice and mercy. he left the temple for the throne, but resigned in favour of his nephew and again returned to the seclusion of the hermit's cell. the prophecy as to the loss of the jataka deeply affected him, and in order to prevent so great a calamity befalling his people he decided to write it in the form of a poem that it might be handed down from generation to generation. this poem is the gem of siamese classics, a model of literary style and treatment. king "pious" was the first of the royal poets of siam, but since his day it has been the fashion for the sovereign to write poetical compositions. both the present king and his father are well known in the country as poets and scholars. the late king was probably the greatest scholar siam ever had, so that he enjoyed a double distinction never possessed by any of the monarchs of more civilised lands. and now for the old king's rendering of the vessantara jataka. in ages long since past, the god indra called into his presence the beautiful daughter of one of the devas. he asked her to consent to be re-born into the world of wicked, warring men that she might enjoy the supreme honour and happiness of becoming the mother of the future buddha. the beautiful spirit maiden was not altogether unwilling to become the recipient of the honour offered her, but before finally consenting, she knelt before the throne of indra to beg of him ten boons, of such a character that they should preserve her from unhappiness or trouble when she left the regions of heavenly bliss to descend to the realms of earthly woe. she requested that she should be born as one of the highest caste, and that when she was old enough she should be wedded to the powerful monarch sivi. not forgetting the personal attractions so desirable in an oriental queen who wishes for long to retain her husband's affections, she asked for eyes that should be soft and mild like those of the gazelle, and for lashes whose graceful velvety fringe should be the envy of her rivals and the delight of her husband. her name was not to be changed from that she had borne, in the gardens of heaven where her graceful figure and handsome face had earned for her the name of "blossom." she also stipulated that she should not experience any of the pains of child-birth, nor at any time suffer any deformation of her slender form. her youthful appearance was to be preserved for ever from the ruthless hand of time, her complexion and skin to be soft and delicate beyond comparison with those of any earthly rival, and while her beauty enchained the minds of men, she was to win the hearts of all by being allowed to liberate all the prisoners in the land. her final request included all she had already asked for, and many more besides; for, in a spirit that is delightfully feminine, she asked that when on earth, all her wishes should ever be promptly and completely satisfied. indra with god-like benevolence granted all her boons, even the last. in due time she was born on earth, and afterwards wedded to king sivi. she gave birth to an infant son, the future buddha in earthly form, who was named by his parents vessantara. the child gave evidences of his wonderful character by speaking immediately after he was born, and later by his indifference to all earthly pleasures. neither toys nor jewels were valued by him, and he lived the life of a retired ascetic until he was twenty years old. his father then desired him to marry, and persuaded him to seek for his wife, a princess called maddi, who was famed for her great beauty. an embassy was sent to the maiden's father to ask for her hand, and as he willingly assented to the alliance, the princess returned with the ambassadors to be married without any delay to the hermit-like prince, vessantara. his married life was one of great happiness. he was sincerely attached to his wife and to his son and daughter, but he never forsook his ascetic manner of living. his benevolence was a household word, and gained for him troops of friends, until he made a gift of more than ordinary value to a neighbouring state, and caused thereby a great popular uproar. his father possessed an elephant whose chief value lay in its miraculous power of calling down rain from the skies in times of drought. now, the people of a province near to his father's country, were suffering from want of water, and they sent to vessantara to ask if he would lend them the rain-producing elephant, knowing quite well that he never refused to give to anyone what was asked of him. he granted their request without any hesitation, and told them that they might keep the animal as a present from himself. the ambassadors returned, taking home the beast in triumph; but when the inhabitants of vijaya knew what had happened they burst into angry accusations against their benevolent prince. they complained also that the animal was not his to give, but was the property of the nation. the king was not less angry than his subjects, and ordered his son to leave the capital at once, and live for the rest of his life in exile. the prince, in defending his action, said that the elephant was his and had been given to him by its mother at the time of his birth, as a birthday present. to the father, who was unacquainted with his son's destiny and character, this seemed the most intolerable rubbish, and made him exceedingly angry. maddi, like a faithful wife, sought to mollify the anger of her father-in-law, and implored forgiveness for her husband, but the king's wrath was too great to be appeased by her tearful entreaties. then vessantara gave away the greater part of his property, preparatory to his departing into banishment. he distributed one hundred elephants, one hundred ponies, one hundred vehicles of different kinds, one hundred male slaves, one hundred female slaves, one hundred catties[i] of gold and one hundred catties of silver. he entreated his wife to remain behind and take care of his two children, but she resolutely refused to leave him in his trouble, and taking the children with them, they departed in his chariot. as they drove out of the city they scattered all the money they had, amongst the crowds of people who had collected to see the banished prince leaving his native city. on their journey they met two brahmins, who recognised the prince and asked for his horses. he at once granted their request, and prepared to proceed on foot; but two devas descended from heaven in the form of golden stags and harnessed themselves to the chariot. a little later they were met by another brahmin, who asked for both chariot and steeds. vessantara and maddi dismounted and left the carriage to the stranger. the stags immediately disappeared, to the great astonishment of him who had begged for them. the wedded pair, carrying their children with them, pursued their way on foot, going in the direction of a distant and lonely mountain, where they proposed living the life of the hermits. the road to the mountain passed through the country where maddi's father reigned. he heard of their arrival in his territory and at once set out to meet them. he besought them to stay in his kingdom, offered them a residence near his own palace, and did all he could to persuade them to change their purpose. but they refused all his offers, saying that they were fully determined to live as hermits in the lonely jungle. at his earnest request they stayed with him seven days, but left him at the end of that time to continue their journey to the far-off mountain. they had to pass through perilous places, and were exposed to many dangers from men and beasts. a hunter was sent to guard them during this part of the journey. indra, ever watchful, saw all that was happening, and commissioned one of his celestial architects to go at once to the mountain and prepare two bowers for the reception of the wandering exiles. at this time there was living in another part of the country, an aged brahmin who was wedded to a young but ambitious wife. she had heard of vessantara's gifts, the story of the elephants and the chariot, and of his numerous acts of benevolence, and felt that it would be an easy matter to trade upon his good nature and obtain some valuable gift for herself. so she asked her aged husband to go and ask vessantara for his two children. he refused for a long time, but finally yielded to her entreaties, and set off to find the whereabouts of the generous prince that he might make known his wife's request. the guardian hunter saw him approaching, and levelled his bow at him, but the brahmin said that he was a favourite of the prince, and had often received wise counsel from him, and that he only sought the exile in order to befriend him, and carry to him the messages of old friends. the hunter was deceived, and allowed the brahmin to pass on his way. then the brahmin arrived at a hut where lived a holy ascetic, to whom he addressed himself, enquiring for the way to vessantara's residence. the hermit believing the man to be some greedy creature about to prefer a vexatious request, expressed his disgust and anger in very strong language. but the brahmin, unaffected by the scornful denunciations he had listened to, again professed a desire to befriend the exiled prince. so sincere did his protestations appear, that the hermit gave him the required directions. following the path pointed out to him, he at length reached vessantara's bower, and presenting himself in the disguise of a mendicant, asked the prince to give him his two children. their mother was absent at the time, as she had not returned from gathering fruit and herbs in the jungle. the prince was grieved when he heard the request, but he was fully aware that it was only by acts of great self-sacrifice that he could perfect his nature and attain the goal for which he was striving, so without much hesitation, he handed over his little son and daughter to the care of the beggar. his temper was sorely tried when he saw the mendicant tie their tiny hands fast behind their backs as though they were common slaves, and drag them roughly over the rough and thorny pathway. the tender-hearted parent suffered agonies of pain as he witnessed this cruel treatment of his loved ones, but by keeping his mind fixed on his future he managed to control any outward expressions of grief and anger. at some little distance from the bower, the brahmin stumbled and fell to the ground. the children seeing an opportunity to escape from their brutal master, promptly fled and hid themselves in a lotus pond. the brahmin returned to vessantara, and angrily complained of the behaviour of the runaways, and upbraided the father with having deceived and tricked him. the prince, making no answer to the false rebukes, silently went out to look for his little ones. he saw their footprints in the ground, followed the direction they indicated, and soon discovered his son. in answer to his voice, the daughter also came out of her hiding-place, and there, by the side of the pond, the two children knelt down and embraced the feet of their father. tears that sparkled like gems in the sunlight, fell from the eyes of the sorrowful three. the father spoke tenderly to his weeping children and told them of his great grief for their suffering, but that it was necessary for his and their future happiness. he tried to show them that if their love for him was sincere, they would go away with the mendicant cheerfully and willingly, for by so doing they would ultimately help in his attainment of perfect bliss. the boy acquiesced, but the little girl's heart was full of anger, and the burning tears ran heavily down her sorrow-stricken face. once more they were delivered to the beggar, and again was their father's temper sorely tried, for their new master at once gave them both a sound thrashing before his eyes, as a punishment for what he termed their bad behaviour. while all this was happening, an event had occurred in the forest to prevent the return of maddi before the children had gone away. for indra foresaw that she might possibly by her tears and entreaties, hinder her husband's progress towards that goal of perfect benevolence which was to crown and complete his earthly career. so he arranged that on her homeward way, she should meet three animals, a lion, a tiger, and a leopard. they did her no harm, but simply prevented her from going forward. after many attempts to escape, she fell upon her knees and implored them to allow her to pass. her husband's great act of renunciation having by this time been fully accomplished, the three beasts, who were three devas in disguise, no longer hindered her progress, but departed into the jungle. it was long after midnight when she returned to her home, and the first thing her motherly eyes detected was the absence of her little ones. she turned to her husband, in whose face shone a heavenly glow of happiness not unmixed with sadness, and enquired of him what had become of the children. but to all her questions he answered nothing. then, knowing the generous nature of his heart, and seeing the sadly kind expression on his face, she guessed what had happened, and, overcome with the weight of her great misfortune, she burst into tears and fell in a swoon upon the ground. her husband tended her gently, and when she had recovered consciousness, he told her all that had happened, and besought her with pleading and argument to agree to the act in which she had as yet had no part. deeply impressed with his earnestness and dimly conscious that there was more in the matter than she could realise, she acquiesced in what he had done. now indra saw that there was but one thing left to vessantara which he could give away, and that was his wife maddi. and the god remembered that if the prince should give away his wife, there would be no one left to tend and care for him in that solitary place. to prevent vessantara being left absolutely alone, indra himself descended to earth in the form of an old brahmin and stood before the bower. the prince saw him there, and at once realised that he had now an opportunity of completing his many acts of self-sacrifice by bestowing his wife upon the stranger. he asked the brahmin again and again if there was anything he desired, and the brahmin at length asked for the princess maddi. with mingled joy and grief he parted with his long-loved and faithful help-meet, who had suffered much for his sake. the sorrow he felt at parting with the last earthly possession he dearly loved, was almost drowned in the thought that this was the last act in the long drama he had played through many generations. great was his surprise and delight when the disguised indra returned his wife to him, telling him to keep her in trust. the apparent brahmin promised to return for her at some future time, and departed, leaving the loving pair to wonder as to his identity. the old mendicant who had obtained possession of the children, intended to take them home to become the slaves of his greedy wife. but he lost his way in the trackless forests, and by mistake wandered into the city of vessantara's father. the king was seated in a pavilion on the palace wall, and as the mendicant slowly wended his way past the royal residence, the observant monarch saw and recognised his two grandchildren. he sent for them, and from the boy's lips learned their story. the boy also told him the amounts that had been fixed by their father as the price of their redemption, and these amounts the king at once paid over to the brahmin, and so liberated his grandchildren. the money that the brahmin received was of little use to him, for he died shortly afterwards, leaving no heirs to inherit his wealth. when the children had told their grandfather the story of their father's life and his lonely wanderings in the dangerous jungle, some feeling of pity and remorse took possession of the king, and he determined to have his son back again. he went to the distant forest, accompanied by the queen, his two newly found grandchildren and many soldiers. great rejoicing attended the meeting of the father and son who had been so long separated. vessantara in answer to the queen's entreaties promised to return home. on his return to his native city a great festival was held, the people thronged to see their long-lost prince once more, alms were distributed in great quantities, and the period of self denial and renunciation was brought to a close. all those to whom vessantara had previously given his valuable property returned it to him, asking for his blessing and forgiveness. those who are interested in the after histories of these people may care to know that vessantara appeared upon earth as gautama buddha, that maddi was re-born as his wife yashodra, and that his son was given to him again as rahula. his daughter, however, did not become a member of his family in the next life upon earth, for when she was forced to follow the cruel old brahmin, she swore in her heart that she would never again be re-born as the daughter of such an unjust and unloving father. thus ends the story of "the great birth" according to the version of the "pious" king of siam. with the exception of the public state recital of the poem, it is now only recited in connection with the novitiate of the eldest sons of rich parents. the poor no longer ask their friends to visit their houses to listen to the thousand stanzas. the rich endeavour to reproduce as far as possible the circumstances of the original recital. the novice who has retired to the temple and resigned for the time being all his earthly possessions, represents vessantara. and as buddha told the tale to a multitude of friends and relations in his native city, so the novice returns from the temple to his own home to chant the numerous stanzas in the midst of his acquaintances. the honour of thus repeating the old story belongs now to the eldest son, except in the case of children of royal birth, for each of whom a public recital is held. as the novice has not had time to learn the whole poem, he only delivers the first few lines, the rest being repeated by monks of longer standing, who have it all by heart. at the conclusion of the ceremony, offerings of food and robes are ostentatiously distributed to those priests who have given their services. the preaching of the story of the great birth during the novitiate of the late crown prince of siam, was the occasion of great public rejoicing. the offerings were more numerous and varied than usual, and were arranged in a novel manner in front of the palace. a huge junk was erected on the grass, and its sides were totally covered with boxes of cigars, boxes of sardines, and tinned provisions. the cabins and hold were filled with eatables, and when the "preaching" festivities were ended, the whole vessel was broken up, and its contents distributed amongst the poor and the hospitals. chapter xvii. religious ceremonies (_continued_). the thot katin. the thot katin ceremonies are not nearly so old as those described in the preceding chapter. they are said to have been first established as purely state ceremonies by one of the siamese kings, called somdet pra luang, who reigned over northern siam about seven hundred years ago. he was a very popular monarch, and as powerful as he was popular. whatever he ordered to be done in his own provinces in the north of the country, was always carried out to the letter, and the ceremonies he instituted have extended and developed till they are now universally celebrated all over the kingdom. in the days when the buddhist priesthood lived a purely ascetic life, according to the ideal of their great teacher, long before the days even of pra luang himself, there was one branch of the monastic order which was far more given to practising self-denial and mortification than any of the rest of the brotherhood. and this sect of holy monks vowed a solemn vow that they would never wear any clothes that were directly or indirectly presented to them. they vowed that their robes should only be made of cloth that had no owners, such as the winding-sheets that had enshrouded the bodies of the dead, the clothes that had been cast away because they had been worn by persons suffering from infectious diseases, or the garments that had been discarded by their owners as being too ragged or filthy to be used any longer. garments of this description were the only ones they would wear, and all presents were steadily refused. at the end of the rainy season, when the period of the forced retirement in the monasteries was finished, they went in little parties of three and four to the cemeteries, to the places where the bodies of the dead were burned, and to all the spots where dust, dirt, refuse, and rubbish had been deposited. there they gathered up every scrap and remnant of cloth, to patch them carefully together to make their garments for the coming year. many people saw them frequently groping about in these unhealthy, unfrequented localities, and asked them wonderingly, "what are you doing there? what are you looking for?" and to all enquiries the priests made none other answer save "we seek for ownerless clothes." then the people, partly out of a feeling of pity and partly out of a desire to make merit, went to their homes and brought all the pieces of cotton, linen, or woollen cloth they could spare, and generously offered them as gifts to the ragged priests. but the gifts were always firmly refused, and the people returned to their homes, wondering why this one particular order of mendicant brethren would not accept their voluntary offerings. some of the more inquisitive of those whose gifts had been refused, stealthily followed the priests from place to place, and, unseen themselves, observed all they did. and they saw the worthy monks groping in heaps of refuse and gathering fragments of cloth, taking soiled torn rags from the branches of trees, and collecting the scraps of linen that were blown hither and thither by the wind in the grave-yards, where were buried the uncremated, those who had died of small-pox, cholera, and other dangerous and infectious diseases. when they had seen all this, they returned home and told their brethren, and all wondered greatly, but no one understood. then those people who reverenced the priests, but whose minds held many superstitious notions, invented a theory which seemed to explain all the facts that had been observed, and which afterwards found wide acceptation amongst the people. they said that these wandering, self-denying, rag-hunting monks were of the holiest of the holy, that they had power to see into the realms of heaven and of hell, and that their chief aim and purpose in this life was to promote the future happiness of men and animals. when these priests clad themselves in the garments of one who had died, the deceased ascended into heaven. therefore, the monks, ever living according to the faith they held, and in pursuance of their great desire to give future bliss to those who had departed, wore not the valuable gifts of the living, but the cast-off garments of the dead. when this theory had been heard and accepted by devout or superstitious people, the custom arose of wrapping many extra cloths round the body of a dead person, and requesting the priests to remove them from the corpse and carry them away to the temples. this custom still prevails in many parts of the country amongst people who hope in this way to secure the safe and speedy entrance of their deceased friends and relatives into the realms of indescribable felicity. the late king, in his sincere desire to purify the religious beliefs of his credulous subjects, endeavoured to point out to them that there was nothing whatever in the original scriptural texts to warrant this wide-spread faith, and that it was purely a superstition invented and taught by the laity. he also pointed out the true interpretation of the priests' actions--namely, their desire to live a thoroughly ascetic life that they might purify their minds and be worthy of their master. but the people have refused to accept this simple explanation either from their ruler or from their more enlightened ecclesiastical teachers, and even accuse those priests who exhibit any reluctance to comply with their requests, of being wanting in pity and gentleness. so they continue to wrap unnecessary cloths round the bodies of the dead, that the priests may remove them and wear them, and so ensure the happiness of the dead. there have been also many priests of worldly disposition who have secretly encouraged the custom, as it is a source of considerable worldly profit to themselves. a more reasonable but still unorthodox creed has found many followers. according to some, the priests sought for the clothes that had shrouded people who had died of infectious diseases, not out of pity for the dead, but out of consideration for the living. for by removing these cloths they effectually prevented them from being blown amongst the homes of men, and so spreading the disease. they thus removed a possible disaster. this idea degenerated into the belief that by presenting the priests with robes, impending dangers would be rendered ineffectual to the giver, and led to the custom of throwing garments for the use of the priests in front of the temples. this was usually done at the end of the rainy season, which, according to the old custom of counting time, was the end of the year. the donors thought they would in this way certainly secure prosperity for themselves and families during the ensuing months. as a result of this latter belief it became the custom to present robes to the priests in october and november, when the wet months were drawing to a close. king pra luang in his palace at ayuthia, considered the custom, pronounced it good, and established it as part of the ordinary worship of the devout. when the proper season arrived, he set out himself to distribute robes to the inmates of the royal temple. each temple provided a quantity of fireworks, and appointed responsible officers to superintend their pyrotechnical displays. in front of the landing of the king's palace, were gathered together numerous boats laden with baskets of food and yellow cloth. in the centre of each basket a stout branch was fixed, and from the branches lighted lanterns were suspended. at the bottom of every lantern trailed a strip of yellow silk, symbolical of the scraps that the old monks sought in desolate places. the boats also contained presents of many descriptions given by the king, the government officials, and the common people according to their wealth or their faith. in the evening, as soon as it was dark, the king came down to the bank of the river to examine the boats and their contents. he descended into his state barge, attended by his chief officers, and headed a long procession, accompanied by the chief ladies of the palace, and by crowds of people who had been drawn to the place by the prospect of seeing the fireworks. the boats, crowded by natives, drew after them the other boats containing the baskets of food and the piles of robes. wherever the king stopped, presents of eatables and priestly garments were distributed to the brethren who resided in the temple, and fireworks were let off in honour of the sovereign's arrival, and as a mark of gratitude for his benevolence. at a later date, when temples became multiplied to such an extent that the king was unable to personally visit them all, he entrusted the distribution of the presents to his relatives, and officials of high rank. the custom of presenting robes at the end of the rainy season is now universally observed throughout the whole kingdom, and is looked upon as an excellent way of making merit, though, in common with all the other religious observances of the country, its primary meaning and origin are unknown to most of the worshippers. the festival is known as the "thot katin", and is celebrated with great rejoicing and merriment. "katin", or "kratin", is derived from the pali word, "katina", and means "severe" or "difficult". the term is applied to three separate things. it means a pattern of a priest's robe made of patchwork; it is the name of the robe itself, which must be made of raw cotton and completed in a single day and night--a difficult task; and it also denotes the merit which the maker will receive as a reward for his meritorious exertions. the other word, "thot", means "to lay down", so that the whole expression used as the name of the ceremony of the presentation of the priestly vestments, means "laying down robes made after the katina pattern", on the floor or on a table, for the priests to take up. the holidays last during the month of october, and are celebrated with processions on land and water. the water processions in bangkok are singularly attractive on account of the number of people who take part in them, and the variety of costume, and display of oarmanship which they then exhibit. all day long, lines of canoes, gondolas, and gilded barges carry the worshippers and their offerings to the many temples in the city. the holiday attire is unusually brilliant, and as the numerous colours flash by in the swiftly gliding boats, one begins to wonder if there are any tints or shades of colour that may not be seen on the menam. after prostrating themselves before the idol, and presenting their gifts to the priests, the people hold a great aquatic carnival. [illustration: wat chang at sunset. _page 302._] the following account of this ancient ceremony is quoted from "the bangkok directory" and is presumably a translation of a native composition. "all the temples in bangkok and its suburbs, which have been made by or dedicated to the king, expect a splendid visit from him annually, between the middle of the eleventh and twelfth moons. this is the season appointed by the most ancient and sacred custom for the priests to seek their apparel for the year ensuing. in conformity with this custom, the king, taking a princely offering of priests' robes with him, visits these temples. "the ceremony is called 'thot katin', which means to lay down the robes sewed up in patches according to a given pattern, for the priests to take up. the pattern is the 'katin', which in ancient times the priests of buddha used in cutting their cloth into patches to be sewed together to make their outer and inner robes. the cloth was cut with a knife because it would be wicked to tear it. in olden time, in buddha's day, the custom was for the priests to go out themselves to seek old cast-off clothing, and the best of these they would patch together to form the three kinds of priestly robes required. this was one conspicuous mode of self-mortification. but that mendicant custom has gradually given place to the present one of making the garments of new cloth dyed yellow; and prepared by the princely donations of thousands of the affluent, and the more humble contributions of the multitudes of the poor. they begin to make preparations for this season months before the time, until in bangkok alone, there are many thousands of priests' suits in readiness by the middle of october for distribution at the temples. the cloth is dyed yellow for the purpose, as tradition says, of imitating somewhat the custom of buddha and his early followers, who preferred a dingy yellow colour for their robes, for the express purpose of making themselves odious in the eyes of the world, that there might be no door of temptation open to them to be conformed to the world. in those days it was the custom of robbers and murderers in hindustan, where buddhism began its course, to wear red and yellow clothing as an appropriate badge of their profession. the better classes of the world regarded them with horror, and fled from them. now, gautama buddha, when a prince, had a host of ardent friends who urged him not to abdicate his throne. but he was full set to do it; and this was the mode he took to cut himself off from their sympathy. by assuming the robber's garb, he would rid himself of such ruinous tempters, and yet secure another class of admirers, who would delight to walk with him in the road to nirvana, to which his whole heart and soul was devoted. "although there are so many hundreds of buddhist temples in siam, none are omitted from this annual visitation. the royal temples are visited by the king, or by some prince or nobleman of high rank, who goes in the king's name. outside the capital, these royal temples are always visited by deputies of his majesty, bearing priests' robes and other things provided by the king. "when his majesty goes in person, he does so with great pomp and splendour, whether by land or water. if by water the finest state barges are displayed. there are some ten or more of these splendid boats, each with some august name attached, to distinguish it from the others. these barges are called 'royal throne boats'. only one appears in the royal procession at a time. they are from one hundred and fifty to one hundred and eighty feet in length, and from six to eight feet wide. they gradually become narrower fore and aft, and taper upwards. hanging from the stem and stern are two large white tassels made of the hair of the cashmere goat, and between them floats a royal banner. a little abaft of midships there is a splendid canopy about twelve feet long, having the ridge curving downward at each end, and covered with cloth of gold, and the sides tastefully hung with curtains of the same costly material. within is a throne, suited to this little floating palace. the bows of the barges to convey the priestly robes and other gifts, are formed into heads of hideous dragons, or imaginary sea-monsters, with glaring eyes and horrid teeth and horns. the whole boat is richly carved and gilded to represent scales, often inlaid with pearl and other precious things, while the stern forms an immense tail, curving upwards to the height of twelve or fifteen feet. it is in this kind of barge that the king always rides. when he would appear in his greatest glory, he is seen seated on this, his floating throne, wearing a gold-embroidered coat, and golden shoes. he has generally the crown prince with him, and sometimes other royal children follow him in a barge of second rank, being all beautifully attired. we must not forget to mention the huge jewelled fan, the royal umbrellas, white and yellow, which have their appropriate places in the dragon barge, and help to distinguish it from all there in the imposing pageant. the dragon barges are propelled by sixty or seventy paddlers, who have been trained daily for a full month for that express service. they have been taught to paddle in unison, all striking the water at the same moment, and all raising the blades of their paddles above their heads, at an equal height. these royal boatmen, by their public training on the river, become a pattern for all others in the procession. "preceding the king's personal barge, there are usually from forty to sixty royal guard-boats, over one hundred feet long, and from five to six feet wide, going in pairs. they are modelled after the king's own boat, but smaller, and the canopy is made of whitish leaves resembling the palm leaf, sewed together, and ornamented with crimson cloth bordered with yellow. under the bow and stern of these boats, float a pair of long grey tassels, made of the fibres of pine-apple leaves, and between each of these hangs a golden banner. they have fifty or more paddlers, and two men in each boat beat time with a long pole decorated with white tassels, which they lift up and strike down end-wise on the deck of the boat. "in the rear of the king's barge come princes, nobles, officers, and multitudes of still lower grades, who all follow the king to the temple in boats of various fashions, down to the simple one-oared skiff with its single half-naked occupant. each prince and nobleman sits proudly under his own canopy, attired in his best court robes, having duly arranged about him gold or silver water-pot and tea-pot, and betel and cigar boxes, all of which have been given to him by the king, as insignia of his rank and office. "the boatmen have various coloured liveries. those of the king's dragon barge and its mate usually wear red jackets and caps. on the guard-boats we see many colours; some have red jackets and leather caps of ancient style; in others the men have only short pants, and narrow fillets of palm-leaf about their heads. brass bands follow in the procession, and companies of native men-o'-war's men, who close up the moving panorama. "the floating and other houses along the line of the king's advance have each prepared a little table or altar, upon which they display the choicest fruits and flowers, wax candles, pictures, and other ornaments, as marks of respect to their sovereign. the native and foreign shipping display their colours. the small craft on the river and canals where he is to come, clear out for the time, to make a wide and open passage for him. formerly none were allowed to watch the royal procession, except from behind closed doors or windows, but now all such restrictions are withdrawn, and the people enjoy the sight of their beloved king, and take part in the general rejoicings. "the priests' garments being neatly folded and put up into bundles of a suit each, are borne with the king in the royal throne barge. when he arrives at the landing of a temple, he remains seated until several suits of the yellow robes have been carried up to the door and put in care of an official, to await the approach of his majesty, and until other officers of state and a company of infantry, together with the musicians, have had time to leave their boats and place themselves in position for receiving him. the handrails of the steps which the king ascends are wound with white cotton cloth, and the flagged path from the landing to the temple is covered with grass matting exclusively for him to walk upon. when the king is in the act of ascending the steps of the landing, 'old siam' blows her pipes and conch shells, and beats her drums; the military form in double line and present arms, and the brass band plays the national anthem. "having reached the door of the 'bote', the king takes one suit of the priests' robes, and bearing it in both hands, walks in and lays it on a table prepared for that purpose. on this table are five golden vases of flowers, five golden dishes of parched rice, tastefully arranged in the form of bouquets, five golden candlesticks with their candles, and five incense sticks. his majesty first lights the candles and incense sticks. he then worships before the sacred shrine of buddha, the sacred books, and the assembled priests. he next makes a request to the chief priest to renew his covenant to observe the five rules of the buddhist religion. these are, first, that he will not take the life of any man or other sentient creature; second, that he will not oppress any man; third, that he will not take to wife any woman belonging to another, while there is the least unwillingness on the part of the woman, or of her parents or of her guardians, to the transaction; fourth, that he will not lie, nor deal falsely with mankind, nor use abusive language; fifth, that he will not use intoxicating liquors as a beverage. when the king visits the temple, if it happens to be one of their four sacred days, their custom makes it necessary for him to promise to observe three other rules in addition to the above five; first, that he will not partake of any food after midday on any sacred day until the next morning after light has appeared; second, that he will not on sacred days indulge in any theatrical or musical performances, nor in any way allow or cause his person to be perfumed; third, that he will not on such days sleep on a bed that is more than ten and a half inches high, nor use any mattress, and that he will deny himself as becometh a devout buddhist. if the king is conscious of having transgressed any of these rules since he last renewed his obligations, he is supposed to confess his sins mentally before buddha, and promise solemnly that he will earnestly endeavour to avoid such sins in the future. "his majesty having renewed his obligations, then proceeds to make a formal presentation of his offerings to the priests of that temple, whereupon they respond in the pali tongue, 'sã¢dhu, sã¢dhu' ('well, well'). the chief priest then addresses the fraternity as follows: 'this "katin" robe has been given to us by his most illustrious majesty, the king, who, being endued with exceedingly great goodness and righteousness, has condescended to come hither himself and present these garments to us, a company of buddhist priests, without designating any particular person by whom they shall be worn.' they then distribute the gifts amongst themselves, after which they bow down and worship buddha, reciting a few pali sentences. this distribution of garments is not always done in the presence of the king, but sometimes after he has left the temple. the late king maha mongkut made an innovation on this old custom, by bringing with him extra suits of yellow robes and giving them to certain priests who had distinguished themselves as pali scholars. it is also usual to make a few other gifts to the priests, of such things as they are apt to need, as bedding, boats, and table furniture, but these are not considered any part of the real 'katin.' "as the king is about to leave the temple, the priests pronounce a pali blessing upon him, and he again worships buddha, the sacred books, and the priests. then rising, he walks out of the 'bote,' and descends to the royal barge, with the same ceremonies as when he ascended. he visits several temples during each day, and spends some time in each one. the value of each priest's suit which the king offers, is supposed to be about ten mexican dollars, and the aggregate value of the offerings he makes on these successive days is probably not less than ten thousand mexican dollars." song kran. song kran is an angel who rises with the sun when he enters the sign aries. the date of the holidays held and ceremonies performed under this title is ruled by the sun, and is not definitely fixed. but each successive year the court astrologers announce the event, and then for four days the celebrations take place. the king takes a state shower-bath, and invites the priests to assemble at the palace for prayers and breakfast. the laity have their own special religious services and their own amusements. they gamble and pray, go to the theatres and temples, feed the priests and feed themselves as they do at new year. buddha's image is bathed by the old women, who also sprinkle water over the elderly people and priests present, with the idea of calling down blessings on those who are bathed, as well as on themselves. as a general rule the ceremonies begin about the eleventh or twelfth day of april. kan wisakha bucha. this is the name of the holidays connected with a very important day in the buddhist calendar--namely, the day on which buddha was born. according to the tradition, it is also the day on which he died, and the day on which he attained nirvana. this anniversary day has developed into a three days' celebration, of which the most noticeable feature is the extensive alms-giving that is then practised in imitation of buddha's benevolent deeds. at night, illuminations on a small scale take place, but there is no great state function. khauwasa is derived from the sanskrit "varasha", meaning "rain" or "year." the wasa season lasts from july 8th to october 4th, and has already been mentioned as the period of buddhist lent or confinement. the priests only, fast and do penance, and even for them there are no fixed rules, except that which forbids them to remain outside the temple enclosure between midnight and dawn. several forms of self-mortification have been invented, such as spending the night in a cemetery, thinking of death; sleeping in uncomfortable postures, and only eating once in twenty-four hours. but if the penitent gets tired of doing penance, he may give it up. he will still retain all the merit he has made by what he has already done, though of course the quantity to his credit is less than it would have been had he persevered to the end. the general ceremonies for the people begin at the end of the period of confinement. the food given to the priests at this time is a first-class investment, as it purchases one hundredfold its value in heavenly entertainments in the very next existence. everyone therefore is very anxious to secure a hungry priest for his guest. kaw prasai. the ground surrounding the different monasteries is always covered with sand, so that in wet weather the feet of the priests may not get covered with mud as they walk from their cells to the temple. once each year fresh sand is brought and built up into little hills in the temple grounds; hence the above name, "kaw" meaning "to build," "pra" meaning "holy" and "sai" "sand." the building of these holy sand-hills is a substitute, amongst the poorer classes, for the more laborious and expensive way of making merit, involved in the erection of a prachadee. the sand is moulded as nearly as possible in the form of the spiral relic mounds, and is ornamented with small flags. the sand is bought from the monastery, which thus obtains money for building purposes, or for the purchase of more sand for the courtyard. small coins are placed in the holy hillocks, and these become the property of those who find them when the hillocks are demolished. chapter xviii. religious ceremonies (_continued_). loy krathong. the loy krathong festivals were established by king pra luang, the founder of the thot katin ceremonies, and they originally occurred in connection with them; but they have gradually become separated from them, and have now an independent existence of their own. whereas the katin ceremonies owe their origin to a superstition propagated by worshippers of the buddhist faith, the loy krathong festivities are an outgrowth of brahminical worship. the old "wat" visitations, with the presentation of robes to the priests, originated, as we have seen, in a peculiar belief as to the actions of an ascetic priesthood, and were afterwards definitely established as annual occurrences by the king. their connection with the ceremony about to be described, was due to accidental circumstances that did not arise for several years after the initiation of the older festival. the later ceremonies which were connected primarily with the katin, and which have now become a separate function, originated, according to the late king's account, in the following manner. in the reign of somdet pra luang there lived a famous brahmin who was noted in the capital, and in all the surrounding country, for his great wisdom. there was no branch of knowledge whose depths he had not fathomed. he could read the stars, cast horoscopes, foretell eclipses, and fulfil the duties of a weather prophet. he was well versed in the mysteries of the theory and practice of medicine, and knew the names, habitats, and virtuous properties of all plants that grew. as a theologian he could explain the origin of all things, and discourse upon the subtle doctrines of all the religions then known. he was an authority upon law, could tell what had been the customs of many people, and devise plans for firm and wise government. as a scholar of ancient practices he was unrivalled, and knew all the details of the growth and development of all religious and social usages. such a man found great favour in the eyes of the sovereign, who made use of the brahmin's great wisdom in the management of his subjects. he gave him many honours and appointed him to fill many important positions. amongst many offices that he held, two were given him on account of his unrivalled knowledge, namely, those of chief physician, and chief judge. this encyclopã¦dic philosopher had a young and graceful daughter whom he called nobamas. and as became the child of so wise a father, she also was well skilled in many arts and sciences. her beauty was the subject of every song, and her name was in everyone's mouth. the whole nation were enthusiastic in their praise of her, and so great were her charms and abilities that even her own sex regarded her not with envy, but were proud that one of their number should be distinguished. she was almost as learned as her father and was wont to discourse upon all subjects with great intelligence. she was a clever poetess, a skilful musician, and an artist of great power. and when the poets of the country had exhausted all their vocabulary in describing her beauty and her talents, they began to sing of the honours she ought to receive, and greatest of all these was the honour of becoming the wife of the king. one day the king listened to a group of musicians who were merrily singing, and the subject of their song was the wondrous nobamas, fit only for the wife of the sovereign. the song scorned the idea of her wedding any one of less degree, and eulogised her to such an extent that the listening monarch's curiosity became very great. he returned to his palace, and sought for the ladies of his household. he told them all he had heard, and enquired if any of them knew anything of this peerless creature. to the king's eager enquiries they returned answer that the song was true, but that no words could adequately describe the charms of the brahmin maiden. the king could no longer restrain his desire to possess so fair a creature, and he sent the most elderly ladies of his retinue, according to the custom of the country, to ask her father for her hand. the ladies went, and their mission was entirely successful. the old counsellor who had received so many favours from his sovereign was glad to have an opportunity of showing his gratitude in this way, so he willingly presented his renowned daughter to his royal master. he sent her to the king, who ever afterwards treated her with great tenderness and affection, and soon made her chief of the ladies in the palace. they both of them enjoyed the greatest happiness when in each other's company, and whenever nobamas was not engaged in fulfilling her duties in her department of the palace, she held converse with the king, delighting him with her great wisdom and knowledge, and charming him with her compositions in music and poetry. soon after their marriage there occurred a celebration of the katin ceremonies, and the king desired the fair nobamas to accompany him on his water procession. now, although this beautiful wife had married a buddhist king, she still remained true to her brahmin faith, and worshipped her own idols and spirits according to the precepts her father had taught her in her early childhood. it was a brahminical custom that, at the end of the year, all people should prepare suitable offerings to present to the genii of the river, in order to obtain pardon and the absolution of their sins. towards the end of the year, when the people were getting ready to celebrate the katin, nobamas secretly prepared to perform her own religious rites, and for this purpose she made a small boat-like structure, called a "krathong." this she formed out of plantain leaves, and loaded it with paddy husks to make it float in stable equilibrium. she stitched strips of plantain leaves together, and pinned them round the edge of the little boat by way of ornament. over the ballast she spread smooth clean plantain leaves, and on this green leafy deck she placed a little cargo of betel-nut, sirih leaf, parched rice, and sweet-scented flowers. she took several fresh fruits of a fleshy character, such as the papaya and the pumpkin, and deftly carved them into representations of fruits, flowers, and animals, and piled them up in a conical arrangement in the centre. the artificial flowers she stained with the juices of other plants to make them resemble real blossoms. here and there she fastened one of her own sketches or paintings, and finally finished the work by adorning it with storied umbrellas of paper, tiny flags, toy implements, tapers, and scented incense sticks. on the first evening of the katin ceremony the boats were arranged in front of the palace landing, as usual, and the state barge with the glass throne was moored there, pending the arrival of the king. suddenly everyone's attention was attracted by a strange-looking object that was being floated to the royal landing. it was the krathong that nobamas had made. she intended to light the tapers and the incense sticks, and send the float adrift to bear her message to the spirits, at the same time that the royal party should set out to visit the temples. but as soon as the krathong was come to the landing, all the ladies, and the members of the royal family, who were assembled there to wait for the coming of the king, crowded round it, and begged to be allowed to examine it, so nobamas had to explain the design and the meaning of this, her handiwork. so great was the interest exhibited by everyone in the pretty toy, that no one noticed the arrival of the king, and he seeing the crowd so noisy and so attracted, enquired what was the cause of their merriment and amusement. someone told him that everyone was busily admiring a float that his beautiful consort had made. he then ordered the object to be brought to him that he might also see and hear about it. when he saw it he could not find sufficient words to express his admiration of the skill that had designed and constructed it. he requested to be allowed to keep it, and nobamas knelt before him and presented him with the decorated krathong. he again praised the work, but more still did he praise her who had made it. but when he had examined it a little longer, he discovered its purpose, and said, "this is the offering of a lady of the brahmin faith." and nobamas answered him, saying, "that is so, for i am a brahmin, and hitherto your majesty has not interfered with my religious belief, so at this season of the year, i have made this little krathong with the intention of floating it down the river as an offering to the spirits of the water, as is right and proper for a maiden of the brahmin faith to do." pra luang was a good buddhist and a devout believer in the teachings of his own religion. still, the krathong looked very pretty, and he had a great desire to light the incense sticks and the tapers and send it adrift as nobamas had intended. but he was afraid of the opinions of the people. for if he should make this offering to the spirits and not to buddha, he was afraid the people might upbraid him and accuse him of having abandoned his religion for that of his wife. but he could not resist the temptation to see what the krathong would look like when it was illuminated, so, not without some little misgiving, he lit the lights upon the leafy boat. and still he was not satisfied, for he wanted to see it drifting away into the darkness, with the tapers reflecting their glittering light in the flowing waters. therefore he cast about in his mind for some excuse to explain his actions, and presently he spoke in a loud voice that all around him, whether upon the landing-stage, the banks of the river, or in the boats before him, might hear, and said, "to all the property, such as temples, pagodas, and spires that are dedicated to buddha on the banks of this river; to all his sacred relics, such as his bones and hair, wherever they may be in the subterranean regions concealed from the eye, under the river, or in places which buddha has pressed with his feet, when moving in his might or in his natural state; to his footprints in this river, or in the ocean which receives the stream of this river,--to them i offer this krathong and its contents as worthy of the great buddha. to him and to the relics and to his property i reverently dedicate this krathong. and whatever merit i may obtain by this deed, that merit i do not appropriate for myself, but give to the genii, in whose honour the krathong was first made by nobamas, for i too reverence the spirits she intended to honour." having finished this speech in defence of his actions, and having satisfied his own conscience, he placed the brilliantly illuminated little float in the water, for the stream to carry away to the sea. but all these proceedings, though very complimentary to nobamas herself, did not in any way realise her idea as to what was due to the water-spirits from one who was a brahmin. as she had now no offering, she at once set to work to make one. she hastily gathered fresh leaves and bound them together into a square, shallow box. she cut bits of banana stem to fasten to it, and in the middle she quickly stuck a few tapers and joss sticks, borrowed from the people round about her. into the boat she cast anything she could find, lit the tapers, made her vows and resolves mentally, and cast the toy adrift to follow the one the king had already launched. the monarch saw it, and knew who had made it so quickly, for there was but one woman in the land who had the knowledge and the skill to construct a new krathong so easily. he was loud in his praise, and the people stirred by the example thus set them, took everything that they could find that would float, stuck lighted tapers and incense sticks in them, and put them in the water, till presently the river was all ablaze with twinkling lights, and the air was full of the joyful sound of merry laughter. the king was highly delighted with the sight, and ordered that it should occur annually in honour of the wise and beautiful nobamas. and he entreated the genii of the river to take possession of the hearts and minds of all his subjects at this season of the year, for ever and ever, and compel them to hold a great festival, which he named "khan loi phra prathip krathong." "krathong," as previously explained, means "a little basket-like boat containing small flowers and other offerings suitable for the water-spirits;" "loi" means "to send adrift" or "to float," and "prathip" is derived from the pali word "padipo", meaning "a lamp" or "taper." there are those in the country who say that all the descendants of those who witnessed the first ceremony, are slaves of pra luang, and that at the proper season their minds are forced to obey his wishes, and send adrift the taper-bearing floats. for seven hundred years the ceremony has existed, but its details have changed with each succeeding generation. a few years after its initiation, the king ceased his visitation to all temples that were not near at hand, and all the fireworks that used to be let off on his arrival were brought together to make a gorgeous display at the palace landing. the king sat on a throne to watch the general amusement, and then sent adrift one or more krathongs. since the foundation of bangkok the ceremonies of thot katin and loy krathong have branched off from each other. the late king introduced several changes; for, whereas previously, all the floats were provided by his own officials at their private expense, those sent off by the king himself were made at his expense, and greatly reduced in number. the common people, of course, please themselves as to the number and value of the krathongs they send adrift. at present the festival occurs twice each year; first on the third, fourth, and fifth day of october, and again on the first, second and third of november. the people have various theories as to why they make offerings to the spirits of the water by means of illuminated krathongs and floating fireworks, though they all agree that it is a good way of making merit. about midnight or early morning the king comes down to the royal landing in front of the palace, and pushes off a big krathong, whose tapers he has lit with his own hand. the royal children and princes follow suit. as they float away into the darkness, they give the signal to the thousands of people who are waiting to do the same thing. night is soon turned into day. fireworks are thrown into the water, the bright little lights sail over the dancing waves, and the river is soon dotted all over as far as the eye can reach, with lights of many colours, that twinkle, fizz, or splutter for a long, long time. the krathongs take many shapes, and illuminated palaces, ships, rafts, lotuses, and boats ride on the river, carrying their little offerings of food and tobacco as a gracious gift to the "mother of the waters", amidst the blare of trumpets and the shouts of many voices. away by the sea shore, the crested billows bear the same offerings out to sea, to be soon lost and drowned in the deep dark ocean. eclipses. whenever an eclipse occurs, the natives turn out of their houses and indulge in a very noisy demonstration. though their actions on these occasions cannot be described as strictly of a religious character, yet as most of the so-called religious ceremonies have been developed from superstitions, the superstition that forms the basis of the popular theory of eclipses may here be fitly given. the native astrologers are able to calculate the time of these astronomical phenomena, with considerable accuracy; but as they do not understand the use of logarithms, their methods are tedious and lengthy. when an eclipse occurs, the people beat drums and gongs, shout their loudest, let off fire-arms, and in fact make any and every noise they can think of. some people say that a demon is eating up the moon, or the sun, as the case may be, and that only in this way can they frighten the monster away, and so prevent the loss of these brilliant luminaries. but there is another story quite as fantastic, which also attempts to account for a lunar eclipse. in times long ago, so long ago that no man knows any one who can remember them, it was the custom of the sun to descend to earth and hold daily conversation with his younger brothers, the emperor of china and the king of siam. these two potentates held long and weighty consultations with the renowned and brilliant king sol, taking his advice on all matters of importance, discussing with him all the details of state management and intrigue, and seeking his aid when foreign powers attacked their thrones. the stars and planets formed the retinue of the solar monarch, and were employed as ambassadors both in times or war and of peace. at that time the king of siam dwelt at ayuthia, then the capital of all the kingdom. owing to the constant visits of the sun, life was longer and less liable to disease. such was the vitality imparted by the warmth and cheerfulness of his rays, that no man began to talk of growing old until he had lived for about two thousand years. the king having reigned peacefully and with great success for over two hundred years, decided to abdicate in favour of his son, who was a mere youth of not more than one hundred and sixty or seventy years of age. now after this young boy had ascended the throne, old king sol made up his mind to do his best to assist the youthful sovereign in the difficult art of right government. to this end he kept his watchful eye ever fixed upon the young king and his doings. he never slept, or took a holiday, but hour by hour, and day by day, poured forth his shining light in loving guardianship of his royal nephew. the services of the stars were no longer required. when they found themselves of no importance in the administration of government, they became suspicious and angry. they met together and formed a league, vowed to revolt against their liege lord, and to proclaim a republic at the earliest opportunity. like all true conspirators they hid their deep designs, and while pretending sleep, they only blinked and snoozed, ever on the alert for anything which they might use for the disadvantage of their powerful monarch. as they lay in wait, they said one to another, "why does our king never go to sleep now? aforetime he took his nightly rest as all respectable monarchs should. why these sleepless hours?" it happened that the old king, who had abdicated the throne, had a daughter of the most lovable disposition, who was also exceedingly fair to look upon. she was called rosy morn. whenever she came to her father, he lost any lingering desires for regal pomp and splendour, for her presence was refreshing to him above all things on earth. no one except his own family had ever looked upon her. beautiful and good, chaste and simple, she was beloved by all her relatives, with a love that was half worship. her days were spent in rural pursuits of charming simplicity. she gathered flowers and made wreaths of them to deck her own fair head; she talked to the birds who never hid their gorgeous plumage when she approached them; and she listened to the voices of the spirits that frolic in the rain-drops and the dew, as they chattered and laughed in every floral cup. one day, having sung her father to rest, she wandered forth to stroll in the still green woods around her home. in these woods there was a cavern, whose entrance, hidden by a mass of tropical foliage, had never been discovered by any one except rosy morn, who, keen lover of nature as she was, knew every secret nook and corner of the whole forest. through this secluded cavern there ran a brook, clear as crystal and pure beyond description. whenever the maiden was tired of wandering through the woods, she made her way to this safe retreat and bathed her tiny feet in the clear cool water. thus happiness and peace attended her day by day, and her mind, pure and tender, knew no other excitements except those of simple wonder and delight. but one day a butterfly of unusually brilliant appearance flittered across her path. it was larger than any she had ever seen before, and the colours of its wings were of the most resplendent tints. she chased this wonderful little creature, and tried to catch it, but without success. it flew from palm to palm, and from fern to fern, now hiding itself behind some radiant blossom, now poising itself high out of reach upon some feathery branch. suddenly a light appeared, in whose brilliancy the hues of the butterfly were lost, and the eyes of the maiden dazzled so that she could not see. it was the chariot of old sol coming over a neighbouring hill. she turned and fled, and retiring to the cave, quite unconscious that she had been observed by anyone, she sought to cool her heated body and refresh her weary limbs by bathing in the sparkling waters that ran through her retreat. but old sol had seen her, and being struck by her wondrous beauty, the like of which in all his rambles he had never beheld before, he drove after her with furious speed, and discovered the place where she had concealed herself. he entered into the cavern, but as she was lying down asleep after her bath, he did not disturb her, but sat down quietly by her side, and waited patiently for her to open her eyes. when she awoke, she was startled by his dazzling presence. he calmed her fears, revealed to her all his majesty and power, and then cast himself before her in the humble suppliant attitude of a devout lover. the maiden, unable to resist either the glory of his station, or the sincerity of his submission to herself, accepted him as her lover, with great shyness and trembling. they plighted their troth, and wandered arm in arm about the cavern. they agreed to keep their engagement secret, and to meet regularly at noon every day in that place, until such time as it should be convenient to disclose their intention to their friends. for about two thousand years they kept their betrothal a secret, but at last, through some mischance, the stars, eager for revolt, got an inkling of their monarch's misconduct. they set a watch, and one day when he was paying his accustomed day visit to his sweetheart, they seized his chariot, and driving with furious speed, they rushed home to spread the news. elated with their discovery they proclaimed aloud all they knew of sol's behaviour, and declared a republic. when the glorious monarch had said farewell to rosy morn for that day, he found that his carriage had been stolen, and that his conduct was known. he wept bitterly, shedding tears of pure gold. the mountains, on whose majestic forms he had so often cast his cheery, warming rays, now took pity on the distressed king, and opened a passage in the earth by means of which he could return to his home in safety. every day he came to visit his sweetheart, driving in a new chariot through the mountain caverns. ever as he drove along he cried aloud in sorrow for his misfortunes, and ever as he wept his tears fell down to earth in streams of purest gold. these precious tears hidden away in the ground are now the gold mines of siam. it took him twelve hours to get home. then he turned, and rode back during the night, taking another twelve hours' journey just to get a momentary glimpse at the faithful maiden. all this time rosy morn wandered about in caverns and mountains also. her heart was heavy with her grief, and she wept bitterly. her tears fell wherever she walked, in streams of purest silver, giving rise to the silver mines of the country. after a long time the revolted stars made a compact with their lawful king. for two weeks each month the maiden was to live with king sol in some distant home, but during the other half of the month the stars were to be permitted to gaze upon her lovely face and call her moon. one other stipulation was made--namely, that sol should never kiss rosy morn whenever there was any one looking on. but this latter part of the agreement he occasionally breaks, for during the eclipse of the moon he is seen by many thousands of people, impudently kissing her silver face before the public gaze. then the dwellers upon earth make a great noise to remind him of his promise, and to let him know how very shocked they are. though this story exists in the native legends, it is not generally accepted as giving the true theory of the eclipse; the idea of sunor moon-eating demons being far more popular. but this latter story also gives an account of the origin of the gold and silver mines of siam. the cave in which rosy morn and old sol held their daily meetings, is said to be near ayuthia. until a few years ago, pilgrimages were made to this cave, and into a bottomless pit, every one according to his rank, cast in gold and silver as a memorial of the day when silver and precious metals were first discovered in the kingdom of siam. chapter xix. the pilgrimage to prabat. about one hundred miles to the north-north-east of the city of bangkok there stands an isolated hill, whose sides are greatly scored with "rays" that plainly indicate its volcanic origin. as all the surrounding land is but a wide stretch of low level plain, flooded in the rainy season, the jagged peak is a conspicuous object for many miles away from its base. the hill is known as mount prabat. the name "pra-bat" is a compound of two words, meaning "the holy foot," and is given to the hill because popular superstition asserts that in a hollow in its rocky sides there is a footprint of the holy buddha. thousands of people every year make their way to the spot to worship this memento of their master's presence on this earth. from bangkok the pilgrims ascend the menam chow phya in boats, until they reach the old ruined capital of ayuthia, from which point, the rest of the journey, some fourteen or fifteen miles, is made by land. some people trudge the whole way on foot; some ride in the picturesque buffalo carts, or in the cumbersome bullock waggons; while others travel by means of elephants. the howdah of the elephant is no gorgeously caparisoned seat, like those so often seen in indian pictures, but is merely a plain wooden saddle, covered over with a light canopy of basket-work which shields the head from the heat of the sun, and the thorns of the long spiny creepers that hang from the branches overhead. the siamese elephant does not kneel in order to allow the passenger to mount, but he lifts one of his front legs, and bends it at the knee so as to form a kind of step. a sharp iron spike, stuck in the end of a long rod or pole, is the weapon used by the mahout or elephant driver to guide the beast and to urge it to greater speed. it functions both as whip and reins. the road, in the height of the pilgrim season, is thronged throughout its whole length with crowds of people going and returning, and there are plenty of enterprising chinese and siamese at convenient intervals along the track, anxious to make a little honest profit by supplying the devotees with food. rice is the chief article offered for sale, and is cooked in bamboo shoots, which here take the place of the ordinary iron pot. sugar obtained from the palm tree, and wild honey in the comb, from the trees in the neighbouring forest, are also largely disposed of as palatable forms of light refreshment. on the hill, and round about it, there are many temple-like buildings and houses for the attendant priests. salas, rooms for preaching, halls filled with hundreds of idols, and huts made of bamboo for the use of the pilgrims abound at the base of the hill, and testify to the large number of worshippers who annually frequent the place. on trees and temples, on shrines and shanties, are hung innumerable bells, which when light are swung by every breeze, and when heavy are banged by the worshippers. a native band performs hour by hour, and endeavours, unsuccessfully, to drown the clear sweet melody of the bells in its harsh discord of gongs and drums. the mountain is dotted all over with the usual white spire-crowned pagodas, and, over the footprint, a particularly beautiful shrine has been erected. its roof is built in seven stories which overlap each other, and upon the summit rests a very tall prachadee with a snow-white spire and a richly gilded base, which indicates with dazzling brilliancy, the whole day through, the exact locality of the sacred spot. the whole structure is placed on a small projecting platform in the rock, and the ascent is made by a series of about fifty or sixty steps cut in the solid rock. up these steps all truly devout buddhists crawl on their hands and knees, and as the result of the visits to the shrine of thousands of worshippers who year by year have come to bow before the footprint of their ancient teacher, the steps are distinctly worn and polished. the external walls of the building are covered with brightly coloured mosaics; the outer surfaces of the heavy doors and windows are beautifully inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and the whole of the interior is decorated with a series of perspectiveless frescoes, illustrating various scenes from the life of buddha. the platform of rock is about thirty feet square; and inside the building the floor is laid with plates of solid silver covered over with a carpet of pure silver net-work, which is polished intensely bright by the knees of the devotees. two copies of the sacred footprint are hung on the walls. both are made of pure gold, and one of them has all the mystic symbols inlaid with precious stones. the footprint itself is about four feet long and one foot and a half broad, and both in size and shape bears no resemblance whatever to the footprint of anything either human or divine. it is in a dark hole, and cannot be distinctly seen. the golden copies on the wall are apparently purely imaginative. railings of solid bars of silver enclose the depression in the rock, and render minute examination perfectly impossible. a gilt canopy with flowing curtains of cloth of gold is suspended from the roof immediately above the object of the people's veneration. the numerous worshippers enter on their knees. they carry wax candles in their hands, and crawl up to the depression, prostrate themselves devoutly at its edge, fasten a bit of gold-leaf on the sides of the hole, sprinkle holy water on their heads, and then crawl out again on hands and knees. offerings of bottles, looking-glasses, wax and paper flowers, and other tawdry objects are heaped in piles on the floor. the more valuable gifts are carefully preserved elsewhere. those who cannot afford to give anything at all, satisfy their consciences by carefully fanning the footprint itself. [illustration: prabat hills from near ayuthia. _page 375._] the siamese are not the only people in the world who have been known to reverence a supposed footprint, nor is prabat the only place where the impress of the feet of the holy of old is pointed out. the footprint superstition is world-wide. there is the well-known footprint on adam's peak in ceylon, which is claimed by the buddhists as marking the place where buddha once stood. it is worshipped by the brahmins as being that of siva, while the mahomedans assert that it was made by adam, and christians have been known who have stated that they believe it to be the footprint of st. thomas. on the kodam rasul hill near hyderabad, the mahomedans have found a footprint of mahomed. at thanet, st. augustine left the marks of his feet upon a rock upon which he pressed heavily when he landed upon our heathen shores. in a circular chapel over a foot-like depression in the rocky sides of the mount of olives, the footprint of christ is pointed out to travellers. on the other side of the world the inhabitants of the island of samoa exhibit a similar memorial of tiitii; while the ancient mexicans claimed to possess an equally authentic relic of tezcatlipoa. in a "life of buddha", written in sanskrit, it is said that when gautama was born he bore in his person a number of signs or personal peculiarities that at once foretold that his ultimate destiny was that of a powerful emperor or of a widely renowned and worshipped teacher. there are thirty-two chief and eighty minor signs given, and they mostly refer to personal characteristics considered handsome or beautiful in men or women according to the oriental idea of beauty. some of them do not appear to the mind of the european to be at all conducive to an impressive or handsome presence. for instance, the wonderful being who is born with the thirty-two major distinguishing marks of future greatness or holiness, has amongst other things, a skin of the colour of gold, arms so long that they reach far below the knees when he stands upright, and a thin butterfly kind of tongue long enough to reach round and enter his ears when fully produced. upon his fingers and toes there should be a network of lines described with mathematical regularity. the worship of the footprint in the far east extends back for many years, and in many of the oldest sculptures that have been brought from india, there are to be seen distinct representations of the sole of a foot with the mark of a wheel in the centre. at first, all other marks, except this universal one of the wheel, varied considerably in character, and were few in number. but the imaginations of the eastern worshippers gradually added further ornamentations until the sole of the foot was covered entirely by a collection of symbols. the elaboration of these signs reached its greatest height in siam and burmah. there is nothing in the earliest scriptures to warrant the present widely-spread superstition, and, in fact, it is not until many years after buddha's death that any mention of such a belief is to be found in the sanskrit writings. the prabat relic in siam was discovered in 1602 a.d., by a hunter named boon. it is very probable that he had at some time or other been a pilgrim to ceylon, for such pilgrimages to adam's peak were not uncommon in those days. one day when hunting in the forest he noticed a depression in the rock, which he thought resembled the relic in ceylon. he proclaimed his discovery to many people, and the king, hearing the report, sent a body of learned monks to the place to examine the footprint and report upon its authenticity. they examined and compared it with the copies they possessed of the one in ceylon, and returned to the king, declaring that it was perfectly genuine. thereupon, the sovereign, being only too willing to accept the conclusions of the monks, made no further enquiry as to the character of the discovery, but built a shrine over it, and ordered his people to worship it annually. this they gladly did, for their national pride was intensely gratified by the belief that they had in their country so unmistakable a proof that the holy buddha had once resided amongst them. in all the well-known buddhist footprints the figure of a wheel or disc occupies the centre. it probably first represented speed, and was therefore symbolical of fleetness of foot, an attribute of greatness in early days. in later times it lost the form of an ordinary chariot wheel, and became the chakkra or quoit of vishnu and indra. its form is well seen in the watermark on siamese stamps, and on the old siamese coins. in the hands of vishnu and indra it was a powerful weapon of destruction, as it always annihilated all those enemies against whom, in their wrath, they hurled it. in the buddhist mythology it has lost its material character, and taken on a new significance, as representing the pure moral teachings of gautama, which when cast by holy men against the ignorance and sin of the world will effectually destroy them. the other marks on the footprints in siam and burmah are later designs added by credulous and imaginative worshippers. they are grouped symmetrically round the central chakkra, and represent various attributes of royal power, and holiness, or else are symbolical of different natural and supernatural ideas. the principal of them are mentioned below. there are the sixteen heavens of the formed brahmas, and the six heavens inhabited by the inferior angels or devas. another sign represents mount meru, the centre of each system of the universe. there are also depicted on the sole of the foot, the seven mountains which form a ring round mount meru, and the seven belts of deep dark ocean that lie in the valleys between them, and in whose waters monstrous fishes and water-elephants gambol and amuse themselves. then there is another ocean, the eighth, in which float four worlds inhabited by human beings. in the first of these worlds, the men have faces such as are familiar to the dwellers upon our own particular planet. in the second, the faces of the inhabitants are square in shape, while those of the third have a round moon-like visage, and those of the fourth have countenances bounded by semi-circles. another compartment of the footprint holds mount chakrawan, the great mountain of crystal which encircles the world and forms a wall around it. the heavens are represented by a group of stars. the himalaya mountains, that appear so often in hindoo legends, are not forgotten, nor are their seven lakes in which bloom lotuses of many different colours, ever omitted. five rivers flow from the himalaya mountains, and on their banks are the great forests inhabited by fabulous beasts and birds. the naga king, the seven-headed cobra who shielded buddha, with his seven hoods, during a time of danger, finds a place in another compartment. but amidst all these curious and mystic symbols there is no animal of evil disposition, for upon the foot of the holy man there was nothing of bad omen. figures representing royal authority occur in the form of a palace, a flag, a throne, a royal sword, a white seven-storied state umbrella, a spiral crown, and a golden ship. it is rather surprising that the late king, who was very hostile to many popular superstitions, encouraged the worship at the shrine on the hill at prabat. perhaps he half believed in it himself, or perhaps he thought it good for his people to be reminded as often and as forcibly as possible of the life of the founder of the national faith. the reader need scarcely be told that not only is the whole footprint purely fabulous, but that also there is nothing in the authentic history of ancient times to warrant the notion that buddha ever set foot in siam at all. the two following stories referring to buddha's feet are given by alabaster, as being translated from the burmese "life of buddha" by bishop bigandet. "during all the time that elapsed after the rain, buddha travelled through the country, engaged in his usual benevolent errand, and converting many amongst men and angels. in the country of gaurint, in a village of pounhas, called magoulia, the head man, one of the richest in the place, had a daughter whose beauty equalled that of a daughter of the angels. she had been in vain asked in marriage by princes, nobles, and pounhas. the proud damsel had rejected every offer. on the day that her father saw gautama he was struck with his manly beauty and deportment. he said within himself, 'this man shall be a proper match for my daughter.' on his return home he communicated his views to his wife. on the following day, the daughter having put on her choicest dress and richest apparel, they all three went with a large retinue to the dzetawon monastery. admitted to the presence of buddha, the father asked for his daughter the favour of being allowed to attend on him. without returning a word or reply, or giving the least sign of acceptance or refusal, buddha rose up and withdrew to a small distance, leaving behind him on the floor the print of one of his feet. the pounha's wife, well skilled in the science of interpreting wonderful signs, saw at a glance that the marks on the print indicated a man no longer under the control of passions, but a sage emancipated from the thraldom of concupiscence." the story goes on to relate how the father made a further offer of his daughter to buddha, and how the saint preached to the parents a sermon that stilled their longings to possess him for a son-in-law. they returned home with their still unmarried daughter. she never forgave the man who had refused her love, and cherished for him a lively and life-long hatred. the other story tells of a visit paid by the saint kathaba to the pile upon which buddha was laid for his cremation. "standing opposite to the feet, he made the following prayer, 'i wish to see the feet of buddha whereupon are imprinted the marks that formerly prognosticated his future glorious destiny. may the cloth and cotton they are wrapt with be unloosened, and the coffin as well as the pile be laid open, and the sacred feet appear out, and extend so far as to lie on my head.' he had scarcely uttered this prayer when the whole suddenly opened, and there came out the beautiful feet, like the full moon emerging from the bosom of a dark cloud." chapter xx. the elephants. the siamese twins and the siamese white elephants are the two objects round which many an englishman grouped all his knowledge of "the kingdom of the yellow robe" until the political troubles of the past few years drew public attention to this hitherto little known country. the elephants have given rise to a proverbial expression in england, which is a little misleading when viewed in the light of siamese opinion. to give to a european a useless and troublesome present is known as giving him a "white elephant," but to give a buddhist a present of a white elephant would be to give him possession of a creature which, kindly treated, would cause blessings and good fortune to fall in showers around him in this and all future existences. the white elephant has been held in great respect in many countries, and has played a great part in many legends. in enarea, in central africa, elephants of this colour are reverenced. when shahab ud-din, in 1194, attacked and defeated jaya chandra of benares, he captured from his conquered foes a white elephant which refused to make obeisance to its new master, and made a furious assault upon its driver when he attempted to coerce it into respectful behaviour. in the time of the grandfather of mahomed, when the christian king of himyar advanced against kenanah in hijaz, to revenge the pollution of a christian church at sennaa, he secured his victory beforehand by going to the scene of battle upon an elephant whose skin was of the colour of milk. in siam the representation of the white elephant is everywhere conspicuous. the national flag is "a white elephant on a scarlet ground." the mercantile flag is "a white elephant on a blue ground." on every temple and official building in the land there is a representation in stone, plaster, or colour of this wonderful creature. but the _body_ of a real white elephant has never yet been seen. the creature who bears the name is simply an elephant which is a little lighter in colour than the ordinary elephant. for the sake of convenience we shall refer to it as the "white elephant," though there is no such name for it in the native language, and though its colour is very much more like that of a dirty bath-brick. even this distant approach to whiteness is not distributed generally all over the body, but is usually confined to a few solitary patches near the extremities. these blotches of lighter colour are not natural or hereditary. they are often the result of an eruptive affection. the irritation that accompanies the disease causes the animal to rub the affected part against the trunks of trees or other hard material, and so to destroy the epidermal surface. all so-called white elephants have, however, a few really white hairs which are not to be accounted for in this manner. the white elephant has at times been worshipped with a veneration which, though we may consider it misdirected, may charitably be regarded as laudable in intention. it has been believed that this particular animal contains the soul of some very distinguished person, possibly that of a buddha, who in some future age will appear in human form to enlighten and bless the world by his counsel and example. this being the belief, the adoration that is offered to such an animal is reasonable. the white elephants in the stables at bangkok have chiefly been captured in the laos territories in the north. when one of them is caught, the finder is handsomely rewarded, and there is general rejoicing throughout the land. it is immediately handed over to the king, who provides for its earthly comforts ever after. it is of priceless value, and cannot be bought or sold. about twenty years ago a body of brahmin astrologers who are permanently attached to the court, declared that the present reign would be an especially happy one, and that several white elephants would be caught. both their forecasts have proved correct. their prophetic utterances were conveyed from one end of the country to the other, and large rewards were offered to the men who would discover a white elephant. for a long time a most diligent search in forest and jungle was made by the native hunters. every place where elephants had ever been seen or heard of was examined with great care and perseverance, but without success. one day, however, a number of men caught sight of an elephant of excellent shape, but his colour gave no evidence that he was one of the kind they were searching for. on looking closer at the mud-bespattered animal, they were attracted by some peculiarity in the skin, and also by the pale neapolitan yellow colour of the iris of the eye. this latter mark being considered as one of the chief beauties of a white elephant, they determined to capture the animal. this was a matter speedily accomplished. they then took the animal home and gave it a good bath, patiently scrubbing and scraping away until all the accumulated mud and dirt upon it was removed, when to their almost infinite joy and astonishment they beheld a most beautiful specimen of the white elephant family. it was of pale bath-brick colour, and on its back there were actually a few hairs that could, without any flattery, be truly called white. this elephant is said to be the finest example of the kind ever captured. the excitement which prevailed in the whole land to its furthest boundaries, and affected the whole population from king to coolie, is said to have been unrealisable to the english mind. it was more than a mere national rejoicing, for in many thousands of homes it was mingled with that deep superstitious veneration in which the oriental mind satisfies its longings and its imagination. gorgeous preparations were made for the elephant's reception. the king travelled up the river as far as ayuthia to meet it; bangkok was decorated and illuminated; every nobleman was arrayed in his richly embroidered cloth of gold, and was followed by his retinue of servants. people from outlying districts poured into the city to swell the enormous crowd of spectators; every available ornament for personal use was displayed; the brightest colours were donned; flags and bunting were hoisted; and when the noble animal appeared, surrounded by gaily gilded state barges, a group of brahmin priests descended to the river's edge to receive the living cause of all this rejoicing. to it they read an address, of which the following translation is a part: "with holy reverence we now come to worship the angels who preside over the destiny of all elephants. most powerful angels, we entreat you to assemble now, in order that you may prevent all evil to his majesty the king of siam, and also to this magnificent elephant, which has recently arrived. we appeal to you all, whom we now worship, and beg that you will use your power in restraining the heart of this animal from all anger and unhappiness. we also beg that you will incline this elephant to listen to the words of instruction and comfort, that we now deliver. "most royal elephant! we beg that you will not think too much of your father and mother, your relatives and friends. we beg that you will not regret leaving your native mountains and forests, because there are evil spirits there that are very dangerous; and wild beasts are there that howl, making a fearful noise; and there too is the big bird which hovers round and often picks up elephants and eats them; and there are bands of cruel hunters who kill elephants for their ivory. we trust that you will not return to the forest, for you would be in constant danger. and that is not all: in the forest you have no servants, and it is very unpleasant to sleep with the dust and filth adhering to your body, and where the flies and mosquitoes are troublesome. "brave and noble elephant! we entreat you to banish every wish to stay in the forest. look at this delightful place, this heavenly city! it abounds in wealth and in everything your eyes could wish to see or your heart desire to possess. it is of your own merit that you have come to behold this beautiful city, to enjoy its wealth, and to be the favourite guest of his most exalted majesty the king."[j] then the brahmin priests baptised the sacred beast with holy water, and, after its purification, bestowed upon it the highest of the titles which the king can confer upon his subjects. the title was written on a piece of sugar-cane. upon this cane there were also a number of sentences describing the virtues, qualities, and perfections of the new nobleman. when the baptismal ceremonies were over, the sugar-cane was handed to the beast, that he might eat it, a part of the ceremony which the elephant understood, and performed with noteworthy despatch. it was then lodged in the royal stables, with a few other brethren who had previously experienced the same fãªting and reverence. old accounts tell us that the white elephants were treated, during their lives, with the greatest respect and care. their stables were comfortable, and their food consisted of such dainties as were thought most likely to be appreciated by them. their food was presented to them upon silver salvers, by servants who knelt as they offered the dish. their eyes were reverently wiped; they received cool sponge baths at frequent intervals; and it might fairly be supposed that they led about as lazy and luxurious a life as any creature could desire. if they were ill the wisest of the court physicians were sent to them, and their ailments received as much weighty consideration as those of a king. at death they were deeply mourned for, their departure from this life being attended with the usual eastern pomp and ceremony. they do not live in this condition now. as henry norman says in his book on "the far east"--"they are in a plight that would shame the bear-cage of a wandering circus; tended by slouching ruffians who lie about in rags and tatters, eking out a scanty livelihood by weaving baskets, and begging a copper from every visitor in return for throwing a bunch of seedy grass or rotting bananas to the swaying beasts, which raise their trunks in anticipation of the much needed addition to their scanty diet." elephant stories are prevalent in the myths which cloud and hide the purer ideas of the buddhist faith. shortly before the birth of buddha, his mother queen maia had a vision. the four kings of the world removed her to the himalayan forest, and there seated her on an immense rock. she was bathed, robed, and adorned by a number of queens, and was then led to a golden palace standing on a silver mountain, and requested to rest on a couch, with her face turned to the west. she did so, and beheld a golden mountain on which the future buddha marched in the form of a white elephant. it descended the golden mountain, and bearing a white lotus flower in its trunk, and trumpeting loudly as it came, made its way to the couch of the astonished queen maia. the birth of buddha was attended by a number of portents which betokened that a most distinguished person had appeared on earth. either he was a buddha or a universal emperor- "a chakravartin, such as rise to rule once in each thousand years."[k] if he were the latter, he would possess "seven gifts", tokens of his future universal power. one of them was "... a snow white elephant, the hasti-katna, born to bear his king."[l] by the signs on his foot, which we have already described, he was known to be a buddha. one of these signs is an elephant, named chatthan. this is the three-headed elephant on which indra rides, and is represented in many siamese decorations, and in the royal coat of arms, but in all the sculptures which represent the sole of buddha's foot, the elephant possesses only one head. there is also in siamese story a king of elephants, chatthan or chaddanta, who lives on the shores of the lake chatthan in the himalayas. here he resides in a golden palace, attended by eighty thousand ordinary elephants. the elephant chatthan is sometimes known as "the elephant of six defences," an allusion to his possession of six tusks. when the great king mara (who reigns over all the mara angels, and corresponds in the buddhist scriptures to the satan of the bible) came to tempt the buddha as he sat under the bo-tree, in the time when he attained the wisdom and holiness of buddhahood, it is said that he came on an elephant. he assumed an immense size, and brandishing numerous weapons in his thousand arms, advanced to the tree, riding on his elephant girimaga, which was no less than a thousand miles in height. a number of similar elephant stories could easily be compiled, for they are plentifully distributed in the legends of the east. probably the great size and strength of the beast are the bases upon which the stories rest. how important the elephant was in former times may be gathered from a letter written to sir john bowring by the late king, when that nobleman visited siam in march 1855, on a diplomatic mission. sir john's steamer had scarcely anchored at the bar at the mouth of the river, when a letter was handed to him from the sovereign, welcoming him to the country in very flattering terms. the letter was signed when the king suddenly added a postscript, saying, "i have just returned from the old city ayudia, of siam, fifteen days ago, with the beautiful she-elephant which your excellency will witness here on your excellency's arrival." every few years there is a great elephant "hunt" at ayuthia, to procure elephants for government service. a large kraal of quadrangular shape is erected. its walls are six feet thick, and there is but one entrance. inside the walls there is a fence of thick stakes set a few inches apart from each other. a herd of wild elephants is driven by tame ones into the enclosure, and the best of those thus obtained are noted. a good elephant should be of a light colour, have black nails on his toes, and his tail intact. as many of the stronger elephants often lose their tails in fights, it is not always possible to obtain an animal which is both powerful and handsome. the chosen elephants are lassoed, and their feet bound together. the tame elephants render great assistance in the work, and vigorously prod with their tusks any captives who become obstreperous. after a few days' dieting and training the captured animals are ready to be taught their several duties. * * * * * writers upon foreign countries generally consider it a portion of their task to make mental if not outspoken comparisons between their mother land and the land they have been discussing, and they generally make their comparisons in favour of the former. yet it is not easy for any man to hold the balance fairly, and to say in what way a nation is wanting; for whether the comparison be of things moral or social, there arises the difficulty of fixing a standard of measurement. morality cannot be weighed in a balance or measured with a foot-rule. what is reprehensible in one country may be at least excusable in another. take, for instance, the effect of climate upon national morality. in a cold country a man who is not born to wealth must either work or starve. hence arise the pushing, prosperous, practical, so-called civilised nations of the world. but in a warm and fertile country where the fruit grows to your hand, and the earth brings forth her abundance for your maintenance, where the sun and the rain perform nearly all the agricultural labour that is needed, it is scarcely to be wondered at that the people do not hanker after work. it is therefore scarcely permissible to call them lazy according to the general acceptation of the meaning of the term. they have no particular liking for long and vigorous toil in the blazing heat of the sun, and their apparent indolence is the result of their environment. it will never be otherwise until humanity has lost its human nature. the progress of any oriental nation towards civilisation, such as we understand it, must of necessity be slow. their intense conservatism is not easily to be abolished. to the country of siam these remarks are particularly applicable. those who describe the habit of chewing betel-nut as disgusting, forget that there can be no one universal standard to judge by, and that many european habits appear equally revolting to the eastern. when speaking of the dirtiness of their dwellings it would be as well to remember the slums of the great european cities, and the defective sanitation of the majority of their dwelling-places. and when pronouncing judgment upon the slowness with which educational reforms are being undertaken, it should not be forgotten that we ourselves, in spite of our long educational history and our modern reforms, number our illiterate voters by hundreds. the climatic, racial, and social differences between the nations of the east and of the west are too great to render it easily possible for a member of either to sum up for or against the general moral condition of the other. the present writer, while believing that the evolutionary laws of growth and development apply as well to nations as to animals and plants, is well content to leave to others the task of estimating the intrinsic value of siam's present moral and social condition; hoping only that his attempts to portray briefly some of the manners and customs, the ideas and interests of her people, as he has actually seen them in daily life and intercourse, may help to give a truer notion of their condition and prospects, than would more lengthy criticisms founded on general observations of those merely political matters which necessarily bound the horizon of the casual and passing traveller. finis. andrã©e and his balloon expedition by henri lachambre and alexis machuron with coloured frontispiece and 40 full-page illustrations. cr. 8vo. 6s. this volume contains an accurate account of the making and equipping of mr. andrã©e's balloon, and a detailed account of the first attempt made in 1896, when, owing to the bad weather, andrã©e and his two companions could not start, and a detailed and authoritative account of the final preparation and start for the famous flight into the unknown. the volume is fully illustrated, and contains a short biography of andrã©e. the two authors accompanied the expedition to spitsbergen, the one author in 1896, and the other in july, 1897. this work is being published simultaneously in four different languages. a northern highway of the czar by aubyn trevor-battye _author of "ice-bound on kolguev."_ illustrated. crown 8vo. 6s. the dedication of this volume has been graciously accepted by his majesty the czar of russia. travels and life in ashantee by r. austin freeman fully illustrated from drawings by the 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"mr. nisbet bain's new volume about the makers of russia could not have appeared at a time more opportune for the attraction of popular interest than the moment when sir henry irving has taken it upon him to interpret for us, on the stage of the lyceum, the character of peter the great. his familiarity with the history and politics of northern europe in the last century renders him peculiarly fitted for the task of presenting us with a picture of the russian court and empire up to the death of the empress anne."--_daily chronicle._ "mr. bain has here put together from authentic sources an interesting and useful book. without attempting the picturesque, he has written a book that attracts the reader; his judgment is sound, he is unprejudiced and tolerant, and he understands the strange world that he is depicting. his portraits have the great merit of fidelity, and he has a good knowledge of contemporary european politics."--_manchester guardian._ "an excellent piece of historical study, founded entirely on original research, sober, broad, and sympathetic in treatment, with a fine sense of historical proportion, and most illuminating as respects the light it throws on a dark and ill-known time and country."--_spectator._ "a lucid and masterly sketch of the slow development of the modern russian state between the year 1697 and 1740."--_daily news._ "mr. nisbet bain is, without question, the best informed student of northern history who now writes for the british public, and the volume before us will add to his reputation."--_manchester courier._ westminster archibald constable and co. 2 whitehall gardens 1898 announcements the life of sir charles tilston bright by edward brailston bright, c.e., and charles bright, c.e., f.r.s.e. with many illustrations, portraits, and maps. 2 vols. _demy 8vo, â£3 3s. net._ (_â£2 2s. net to subscribers before publication._) debateable claims a series of essays on secondary education by john charles tarver, author of "some observations of a foster parent." _crown 8vo, 6s._ dante's ten heavens a study in the paradiso by edmund gardner. _demy 8vo._ a french view of english contemporary art by e. de la sizeranne. translated by h. m. poynter. _crown 8vo._ highland dress and ornament by lord archibald campbell. _demy 8vo._ andrã©e and his balloon by henri lachambre and alexis machuron with coloured frontispiece and 40 full-page plates. _crown 8vo. 6s._ this volume contains an accurate account of the making and equipping of mr. andrã©e's balloon, and a detailed account of the first attempt made in 1896, when, owing to the bad weather, andrã©e and his two companions could not start, and a detailed and authoritative account of the final preparation and start for the famous flight into the unknown. the volume is fully illustrated, and contains a short biography of andrã©e. the two authors accompanied the expedition to spitzbergen, the one author in 1896, and the other in july, 1897. the volume is of very great general interest, containing as it does the only authoritative account of the expedition up to date, and is of special value to all interested in ballooning, as the authors are acknowledged experts. this work is being published simultaneously in four different languages. the kingdom of the yellow robe by ernest young. fully illustrated by e. a. norbury, r.c.a., and from photographs. _demy 8vo._ constable's "hand gazetteer of india" uniform with constable's "hand atlas of india." a book of travels and life in ashantee by r. austin freeman, f.r.g.s. fully illustrated, from drawings by the author, and from photographs. 2 maps. _demy 8vo._ a northern highway of the czar by aubyn trevor battye, author of "ice-bound on kolguev." _illustrated. crown 8vo. 6s._ the dedication of this volume has been graciously accepted by his majesty the czar of russia. our troubles in poona and the deccan by arthur travers crawford, c.m.g., late commissioner of poona. _fully illustrated. demy 8vo, 14s._ few of the troubles we have had in india from time to time have assumed so serious an aspect as the recent disturbances in poona; but the extreme alarmist view taken by the press at home and the public utterances of certain ill-informed "globe-trotters" have had a mischievous effect in confusing the mind of the british public as to the rights and wrongs of the case. the author of this book, having a large experience of the districts affected, has written this work in order to make the situation clear. two native narratives of the mutiny in delhi translated from the originals by the late charles theophilus metcalfe, c.s.i. (bengal civil service). _demy 8vo, with large map. just ready._ these two narratives are a unique and interesting contribution to the literature of the indian mutiny--inasmuch as they are the only ones from a purely native source. one is the diary, kept daily throughout the siege of delhi in 1857 by munshi jeewan lall. this man, who was an official in the employ of the governor general's agent in delhi, was all along loyal to us, and remained, till his death, an honoured servant of the british government. he gave the original diary to the translator on the occasion of the imperial assemblage at delhi in 1877. the other narrative is by an educated native nobleman--nawab mainodin hassan khan. he threw in his lot with the rebels, and had eventually to fly, with a price on his head. after some years of exile he returned to india, stood his trial, and was acquitted of complicity in murder, and pardoned for his share in the fighting. this result was brought about mainly through the influence of sir t. metcalfe, whose life he had saved during the siege. the nawab subsequently drew up the narrative from materials in his possession, and gave it in the original to the translator. mr. metcalfe having died before the papers were ready for publication, they are now edited and brought out by his widow. constable's hand atlas of india a new series of sixty maps and plans prepared from ordnance and other surveys under the direction of j. g. bartholomew, f.r.g.s., f.r.s.e., &c. _in half-morocco, or full-bound cloth, gilt top, 14s._ "it is tolerably safe to predict that no sensible traveller will go to india in future without providing himself with 'constable's hand atlas of india.' nothing half so useful has been done for many years to help both the traveller in india and the student at home. 'constable's hand atlas' is a pleasure to hold and to turn over."--_athenã¦um._ now ready at all libraries through china with a camera by john thomson, f.r.g.s. with about 100 illustrations. foolscap 4to. _one guinea net._ this work contains probably the finest series of pictures of china ever published. _contents._ chapter i. a brief sketch of the condition of china, past and present. " ii. the chinaman abroad and at home. chinese guilds--hong-kong--native boats--shopkeepers--artists--music halls. " iii. the chinaman abroad and at home (_continued_). gambling--typhoons--the floating population of hong-kong--north branch of the pearl river. " iv. canton and kwang-tung province. tea--foreign hongs and houses--schroffing. " v. canton (_continued_). its general appearance--its population--streets--mode of transacting business--signboards--work and wages--the willow-pattern bridge--juilin, governor-general of the two kwang--clan fights--hak-kas--the mystic pills--dwellings of the poor--the lohang-tang--buddhist monastic life--on board a junk. " vi. canton (_continued_). macao. swatow. chao-chow-fu--amoy. the charitable institutions of china--macao--description of the town--its inhabitants--swatow--foreign settlement--chao-chow-fu--swatow fan-painters--modellers--chinese art--village warfare--amoy--the native quarter--abodes of the poor--infanticide--manure-pits--human remains in jars--lekin--romantic scenery--ku-lang-su--the foreign settlement. " vii. formosa. takow harbour, formosa--la-mah-kai--difficulties of navigation--tai-wan-fu--the taotai--his yamen--how to cancel a state debt--the dutch in 1661--sylvan lanes--medical missions--a journey to the interior--old watercourses--broken land--hak-ka settlers--poahbe--pepohoan village--baksa valley--the name "isla formosa"--a long march--the central mountains--bamboo bridges--"pau-ah-liau" village--the physician at work--ka-san-po village--a wine-feast--interior of a hut--pepohoan dwellings--a savage dance--savage hunting-grounds--la-lung village--return journey. " viii. foochow and the river min. the japanese in formosa--cause of the invasion--the river min--foochow arsenal--chinese gunboats--foochow city and great bridge--a city of the dead--its inhabitants--beggars--thieves--lepers--ku-shan monastery--the hermit--tea plantation on paeling hills--voyage up the min--shui-kow--an up-country farm--captain sheng and his spouse--yen-ping city--sacrificing to the dead--shooting the yen-ping rapids a native passenger-boat. " ix. shanghai. ningpo. hankow. the yangtsze. steam traffic in the china sea--in the wake of a typhoon--shanghai--notes of its early history--japanese raids--shanghai foreign settlement--paul sii, or "su-kwang-ki"--shanghai city--ningpo--native soldiers--snowy valley--the mountains--azaleas--the monastery of the snowy crevice--the thousand-fathom precipice--buddhist monks--the yangtsze, kiang--hankow--the upper yangtsze, ichang--the gorges--the great tsing-tan rapid--mystic fountain lights--a dangerous disaster--kwei-fu--our return--kiukiang--nanking; its arsenal--the death of tsing-kwo-fan--chinese superstition. " x. chefoo. pekin. tientsin. the great wall. the foreign settlement--the yellow river--silk--its production--taku forts--the peiho river--chinese progress--floods in pei-chil-li--their effects--tientsin--the sisters' chapel--condition of the people--a midnight storm--tung-chow--peking--the tartar and chinese divisions of the metropolis--its roads, shops and people--the foreign hotel--temple and domestic architecture--the tsungli yamen--prince kung and the high officers of the empire--literary championship--the confucian temple--the observatory--ancient chinese instruments--yang's house--habits of the ladies--peking enamelling--yuen-ming-yuen--remarkable cenotaph--a chinese army--li-hung-chang--the inn of "patriotic perfection"--the great wall--the ming tombs. problems of the far east japan--corea--china by the rt. hon. george n. curzon, m.p. with numerous illustrations and maps. _extra crown 8vo, 7s. 6d._ this volume, written by the under-secretary of state for foreign affairs, is of unusual value at present, in view of the various questions which will arise in connection with the position of the great powers and china and japan in the far east. 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(orig: klong near petchaboorree.) page 2: changed "suceess" to "success." (orig: new sovereign owed much of his suceess.) page 18: "kharki" may be a typo for "khaki." (orig: postmen in their yellow kharki uniforms) page 115: deleted duplicate "of." (orig: cut into rectangular pieces of of the same size) page 261: changed "foo" to "food." (orig: they must not partake of solid foo of any description.) page 268: changed "obselete" to "obsolete." (orig: these counsels are so many obselete laws,) page 270: changed "he" to "be." (orig: his mind should he well controlled.) page 325: changed "carcases" to "carcasses." (orig: better spent in burning dead dogs' carcases.) page 335: changed "the" to "he." (orig: with mingled joy and grief the parted with his long-loved) page 338: changed "he" to "be." (orig: whatever he ordered to he done in his own provinces) page 358: changed "estabished" to "established." (orig: afterwards definitely estabished as annual occurrences) page 395: changed "on" to "one." (orig: on of them was) the english governess at the siamese court being recollections of six years in the royal in the royal palace at bangkok by anna harriette leonowens. with illustrations, from photographs presented to the author by the king of siam. [illustration: gateway of the old palace.] to mrs. katherine s. cobb. i have not asked your leave, dear friend, to dedicate to you these pages of my experience in the heart of an asiatic court; but i know you will indulge me when i tell you that my single object in inscribing your name here is to evince my grateful appreciation of the kindness that led you to urge me to try the resources of your country instead of returning to siam, and to plead so tenderly in behalf of my children. i wish the offering were more worthy of your acceptance. but to associate your name with the work your cordial sympathy has fostered, and thus pleasantly to retrace even the saddest of my recollections, amid the happiness that now surrounds me,--a happiness i owe to the generous friendship of noble-hearted american women,--is indeed a privilege and a compensation. i remain, with true affection, gratitude, and admiration, your friend, a. h. l. 26th july, 1870. preface. his majesty, somdetch p'hra paramendr maha mongkut, the supreme king of siam, having sent to singapore for an english lady to undertake the education of his children, my friends pointed to me. at first it was with much reluctance that i consented to entertain the project; but, strange as it may seem, the more i reflected upon it the more feasible it appeared, until at length i began to look forward, even with a glow of enthusiasm, toward the new and untried field i was about to enter. the siamese consul at singapore, hon. w. tan kim-ching, had written strongly in my favor to the court of siam, and in response i received the following letter from the king himself:-"english era, 1862, 26th february. grand royal palace, bangkok. "to mrs. a. h. leonowens:-"madam: we are in good pleasure, and satisfaction in heart, that you are in willingness to undertake the education of our beloved royal children. and we hope that in doing your education on us and on our children (whom english, call inhabitants of benighted land) you will do your best endeavor for knowledge of english language, science, and literature, and not for conversion to christianity; as the followers of buddha are mostly aware of the powerfulness of truth and virtue, as well as the followers of christ, and are desirous to have facility of english language and literature, more than new religions. "we beg to invite you to our royal palace to do your best endeavorment upon us and our children. we shall expect to see you here on return of siamese steamer chow phya. "we have written to mr. william adamson, and to our consul at singapore, to authorize to do best arrangement for you and ourselves. "believe me "your faithfully, (signed) "s. s. p. p. maha mongkut." about a week before our departure for bangkok, the captain and mate of the steamer rainbow called upon me. one of these gentlemen had for several years served the government of siam, and they came to warn me of the trials and dangers that must inevitably attend the enterprise in which i was embarking. though it was now too late to deter me from the undertaking by any arguments addressed to my fears, i can nevertheless never forget the generous impulse of the honest seamen, who said: "madam, be advised even by strangers, who have proved what sufferings await you, and shake your hands of this mad undertaking." by the next steamer i sailed for the court of siam. in the following pages i have tried to give a full and faithful account of the scenes and the characters that were gradually unfolded to me as i began to understand the language, and by all other means to attain a clearer insight into the secret life of the court. i was thankful to find, even in this citadel of buddhism, men, and above all women, who were "lovely in their lives," who, amid infinite difficulties, in the bosom of a most corrupt society, and enslaved to a capricious and often cruel will, yet devoted themselves to an earnest search after truth. on the other hand, i have to confess with sorrow and shame, how far we, with all our boasted enlightenment, fall short, in true nobility and piety, of some of our "benighted" sisters of the east. with many of them, love, truth, and wisdom are not mere synonyms but "living gods," for whom they long with lively ardor, and, when found, embrace with joy. those of my readers who may find themselves interested in the wonderful ruins recently discovered in cambodia are indebted to the earlier travellers, m. henri mouhot, dr. a. bastian, and the able english photographer. james thomson, f. r. g. s. l., almost as much as to myself. to the hon. george william curtis of new york, and to all my other true friends, abroad and in america, i feel very grateful. and finally, i would acknowledge the deep obligation i am under to dr. j. w. palmer, whose literary experience and skill have been of so great service to me in revising and preparing my manuscript for the press. a. h. l. contents. i. on the threshold ii. a siamese premier at home iii. a sketch of siamese history iv. his excellency's harem and helpmeet v. the temples of the sleeping and the emerald idols vi. the king and the governess vii. marble halls and fish-stalls viii. our home in bangkok ix. our school in the palace x. moonshee and the angel gabriel xi. the ways of the palace xii. shadows and whispers of the harem xiii. fa-ying, the king's darling xiv. an outrage and a warning xv. the city of bangkok xvi. the white elephant xvii. the ceremonies of coronation xviii. the queen consort xix. the heir-apparent.--royal hair-cutting xx. amusements of the court xxi. siamese literature and art xxii. buddhist doctrine, priests, and worship xxiii. cremation xxiv. certain superstitions xxv. the subordinate king xxvi. the supreme king: his character and administration xxvii. my retirement from the palace xxviii. the kingdom of siam xxix. the ruins of cambodia.--an excursion to the naghkon watt xxx. the legend of the maha naghkon [illustration: fac-simile of letter from present supreme king of siam: transcription follows:] amarinde winschley palace bangkok march 6th 1869 mrs. a. h. leonowens new york dear madam, i have great pleasure in condescending to answer your sympathising letter of 25th november last wherein the sorrowful expressions of your heart in relation to my most beloved sovereign father in demise which is a venerated burden and i have left to this day and ever more shall bear this most unexpressable loss in mind, with the deepest respect and lamentation, and resignation to the will of divine providence;--are very loyal to you too to ful, and share your grief in behalf the affection you have for your royal pupils, and the kind remembrances you have made of them in your letter, loves you too with that respect and love your are held in ther esteem, for such disinterestioness in imparting knowledge to them during your stay here with us. i have the pleasure also, to mention you that our government in counsel has elected me to assume the reins of government notwithstanding my juvenility; and i am pleased to see the love the people have for me, most undoubtedly arising from the respect and veneration they have had for my beloved royal father and i hope to render them prosperity and peace, and equal measure, they have enjoyed since the last reign in return. may you and your beloved children be in the peace of the divine providence. i beg to remain, yours sincerely somdetch phra chulalonkorn klou chow-yu hua supreme king of siam on 114th day of reign i. on the threshold. march 15, 1862.--on board the small siamese steamer chow phya, in the gulf of siam. i rose before the sun, and ran on deck to catch an early glimpse of the strange land we were nearing; and as i peered eagerly, not through mist and haze, but straight into the clear, bright, many-tinted ether, there came the first faint, tremulous blush of dawn, behind her rosy veil; and presently the welcome face shines boldly out, glad, glorious, beautiful, and aureoled with flaming hues of orange, fringed with amber and gold, wherefrom flossy webs of color float wide through the sky, paling as they go. a vision of comfort and gladness, that tropical march morning, genial as a july dawn in my own less ardent clime; but the memory of two round, tender arms, and two little dimpled hands, that so lately had made themselves loving fetters round my neck, in the vain hope of holding mamma fast, blinded my outlook; and as, with a nervous tremor and a rude jerk, we came to anchor there, so with a shock and a tremor i came to my hard realities. the captain told us we must wait for the afternoon tide to carry us over the bar. i lingered on deck, as long as i could dodge the fiery spears that flashed through our tattered awning, and bear the bustle and the boisterous jests of some circus people, our fellow-passengers, who came by express invitation of the king to astonish and amuse the royal household and the court. scarcely less intelligent, and certainly more entertaining, than these were the dogs of our company,-? brutes of diverse temperament, experience, and behavior. there were the captain's two, trumpet and jip, who, by virtue of their reflected rank and authority, held places of privilege and pickings under the table, and were jealous and overbearing as became a captain's favorites, snubbing and bullying their more accomplished and versatile guests, the circus dogs, with skipper-like growls and snarls and snaps. and there was our own true bessy,--a newfoundland, great and good,--discreet, reposeful, dignified, fastidious, not to be cajoled into confidences and familiarities with strange dogs, whether official or professional. very human was her gentle countenance, and very loyal, i doubt not, her sense of responsibility, as she followed anxiously my boy and me, interpreting with her heart the thoughts she read in our faces, and responding with her sympathetic eyes. in the afternoon, when we dined on deck, the land was plainly visible; and now, as with a favoring tide we glided toward the beautiful meinam ("mother of waters"), the air grew brighter, and the picture lived and moved; trees _grew_ on the banks, more and more verdure, monkeys swung from bough to bough, birds flashed and piped among the thickets. though the reddish-brown water over the "banks" is very shallow at low tide, craft of moderate burden, with the aid of a pilot, cast anchor commonly in the very heart of the capital, in from ten to twelve fathoms of water. the world has few rivers so deep, commodious, and safe as the meinam; and when we arrived the authorities were contemplating the erection of beacons on the bar, as well as a lighthouse for the benefit of vessels entering the port of bangkok. the stream is rich in fish of excellent quality and flavor, such as is found in most of the great rivers of asia; and is especially noted for its _platoo_, a kind of sardine, so abundant and cheap that it forms a common seasoning to the laborer's bowl of rice. the siamese are expert in modes of drying and salting fish of all kinds, and large quantities are exported annually to java, sumatra, malacca, and china. in half an hour from the time when the twin banks of the river, in their raiment of bright green, seemed to open their beautiful arms to receive us, we came to anchor opposite the mean, shabby, irregular town of paknam, or sumuttra p'hra-kan ("ocean affairs"). here the captain went ashore to report himself to the governor, and the officials of the custom-house, and the mail-boat came out to us. my boy became impatient for _couay_ (cake); moonshee, my persian teacher, and beebe, my gay hindostanee nurse, expressed their disappointment and disgust, moonshee being absurdly dramatic in his wrath, as, fairly shaking his fist at the town, he demanded, "what is this?" near this place are two islands. the one on the right is fortified, yet withal so green and pretty, and seemingly so innocent of bellicose designs, that one may fancy nature has taken peculiar pains to heal and hide the disfigurements grim art has made in her beauty. on the other, which at first i took for a floating shrine of white marble, is perhaps the most unique and graceful object of architecture in siam; shining like a jewel on the broad bosom of the river, a temple all of purest white, its lofty spire, fantastic and gilded, flashing back the glory of the sun, and duplicated in shifting, quivering shadows in the limpid waters below. add to these the fitful ripple of the coquettish breeze, the burnished blazonry of the surrounding vegetation, the budding charms of spring joined to the sensuous opulence of autumn, and you have a scene of lovely glamour it were but vain impertinence to describe. earth seemed to have gathered for her adorning here elements more intellectual, poetic, and inspiring than she commonly displays to pagan eyes. these islands at the gateway of the river are, like the bank in the gulf, but accumulations of the sand borne down before the torrent, that, suddenly swollen by the rains, rushes annually to the sea. the one on which the temple stands is partly artificial, having been raised from the bed of the meinam by the king p'hra chow phra-sat-thong, as a work of "merit." visiting this island some years later, i found that this temple, like all other pyramidal structures in this part of the world, consists of solid masonry of brick and mortar. the bricks made here are remarkable, being fully eight inches long and nearly four broad, and of fine grain,--altogether not unlike the "tavellae" brick of the egyptians and ancient romans. there are cornices on all sides, with steps to ascend to the top, where a long inscription proclaims the name, rank, and virtues of the founder, with dates of the commencement of the island and the shrine. the whole of the space, extending to the low stone breakwater that surrounds the island, is paved with the same kind of brick, and encloses, in addition to the p'hra-cha-dei ("the lord's delight"), a smaller temple with a brass image of the sitting buddha. it also affords accommodation to the numerous retinue of princes, nobles, retainers, and pages who attend the king in his annual visits to the temple, to worship, and make votive offerings and donations to the priests. a charming spot, yet not one to be contemplated with unalloyed pleasure; for here also are the wretched people, who pass up and down in boats, averting their eyes, pressing their hard, labor-grimed hands against their sweating foreheads, and lowly louting in blind awe to these whited bricks. even the naked children hush and crouch, and lay their little foreheads against the bottom of the boat. his majesty somdetch p'hra paramendr maha mongkut, the late supreme king, contributed interesting _souvenirs_ to the enlargement and adornment of this temple. the town, which the twin islands redeem from the ignominy it otherwise deserves, lies on the east bank of the river, and by its long lines of low ramparts that face the water seems to have been at one time substantially fortified; but the works are now dilapidated and neglected. they were constructed in the first instance, i am told, with fatal ingenuity; in the event of an attack the garrison would find them as dangerous to abandon as to defend. paknam is indebted for its importance rather to its natural position, and its possibilities of improvement under the abler hands into which it is gradually falling, than to any advantage or promise in itself; for a more disgusting, repulsive place is scarcely to be found on asian ground. the houses are built partly of mud, partly of wood, and, as in those of malacca, only the upper story is habitable, the ground floor being the abode of pigs, dogs, fowls, and noisome reptiles. the "government house" was originally of stone, but all the more recent additions have been shabbily constructed of rough timber and mud. this is one of the few houses in paknam which one may enter without mounting a ladder or a clumsy staircase, and which have rooms in the lower as well as in the upper story. the custom-house is an open _sala_, or shed, where interpreters, inspectors, and tidewaiters lounge away the day on cool mats, chewing areca, betel, and tobacco, and extorting moneys, goods, or provisions from the unhappy proprietors of native trading craft, large or small; but europeans are protected from their rascally and insolent exactions by the intelligence and energy of their respective consuls. the hotel is a whitewashed brick building, originally designed to accommodate foreign ambassadors and other official personages visiting the court of siam. the king's summer-house, fronting the islands, is the largest edifice to be seen, but it has neither dignity nor beauty. a number of inferior temples and monasteries occupy the background, and are crowded with a rabble of priests, in yellow robes and with shaven pates; packs of mangy pariah-dogs attend them. these monasteries consist of many small rooms or cells, containing merely a mat and wooden pillow for each occupant. the refuse of the food, which the priests beg during the day, is cast to the dogs at night; and what _they_ refuse is left to putrefy. unimaginable are the stenches the sun of siam engenders in such conditions. a village so happily situated might, under better management, become a thriving and pleasing port; but neglect, cupidity, and misrule have shockingly deformed and degraded it. nevertheless, by its picturesque site and surroundings of beauty, it retains its hold upon the regretful admiration of many europeans and americans, who in ill health have found strength and cheer in its sea-breezes. we heartily enjoyed the delightful freshness of the evening air as we glided up the meinam, though the river view at this point is somewhat marred by the wooden piers and quays that line it on either side, and the floating houses, representing elongated a's. from the deck, at a convenient height above the level of the river and the narrow serpentine canals and creeks, we looked down upon conical roofs thatched with attaps, and diversified by the pyramids and spires and fantastic turrets of the more important buildings. the valley of the meinam, not over six hundred miles in length, is as a long deep dent or fissure in the alluvial soil. at its southern extremity we have the climate and vegetation of the tropics, while its northern end, on the brow of the yunan, is a region of perpetual snow. the surrounding country is remarkable for the bountiful productiveness of its unctuous loam. the scenery, though not wild nor grand, is very picturesque and charming in the peculiar golden haze of its atmosphere. i surveyed with more and more admiration each new scene of blended luxuriance and beauty,--plantations spreading on either hand as far as the eye could reach, and level fields of living green, billowy with crops of rice and maize, and sugar-cane and coffee, and cotton and tobacco; and the wide irregular river, a kaleidoscope of evanescent form and color, where land, water, and sky joined or parted in a thousand charming surprises of shapes and shadows. the sun was already sinking in the west, when we caught sight of a tall roof of familiar european fashion; and presently a lowly white chapel with green windows, freshly painted, peeped out beside two pleasant dwellings. chapel and homes belong to the american presbyterian mission. a forest of graceful boughs filled the background; the last faint rays of the departing sun fell on the mission pathway, and the gentle swaying of the tall trees over the chapel imparted a promise of safety and peace, as the glamour of the approaching night and the gloom and mystery of the pagan land into which we were penetrating filled me with an indefinable dread. i almost trembled, as the unfriendly clouds drove out the lingering tints of day. here were the strange floating city, with its stranger people on all the open porches, quays, and jetties; the innumerable rafts and boats, canoes and gondolas, junks, and ships; the pall of black smoke from the steamer, the burly roar of the engine, and the murmur and the jar; the bewildering cries of men, women, and children, the shouting of the chinamen, and the barking of the dogs,--yet no one seemed troubled but me. i knew it was wisest to hide my fears. it was the old story. how many of our sisters, how many of our daughters, how many of our hearts' darlings, are thus, without friend or guide or guard or asylum, turning into untried paths with untold stories of trouble and pain! we dropped anchor in deep water near an island. in a moment the river was alive with nondescript craft, worked by amphibious creatures, half naked, swarthy, and grim, who rent the air with shrill, wild jargon as they scrambled toward us. in the distance were several hulks of siamese men-of-war, seemingly as old as the flood; and on the right towered, tier over tier, the broad roofs of the grand royal palace of bangkok,--my future "home" and the scene of my future labors. the circus people are preparing to land; and the dogs, running to and fro with anxious glances, have an air of leave-taking also. now the china coolies, with pigtails braided and coiled round their low, receding brows, begin their uncouth bustle, and into the small hours of the morning enliven the time of waiting with frantic shouts and gestures. before long a showy gondola, fashioned like a dragon, with flashing torches and many paddles, approached; and a siamese official mounted the side, swaying himself with an absolute air. the red _langoutee_, or skirt, loosely folded about his person, did not reach his ankles; and to cover his audacious chest and shoulders he had only his own brown polished skin. he was followed by a dozen attendants, who, the moment they stepped from the gangway, sprawled on the deck like huge toads, doubling their arms and legs under them, and pressing their noses against the boards, as if intent on making themselves small by degrees and hideously less. every asiatic on deck, coolies and all, prostrates himself, except my two servants, who are bewildered. moonshee covertly mumbles his five prayers, ejaculating between, _mash-allah! a tala-yea kia hai?_ [footnote: "great god! what is this?"] and beebe shrinks, and draws her veil of spotted muslin jealously over her charms. the captain stepped forward and introduced us. "his excellency chow phya sri sury wongse, prime minister of the kingdom of siam!" half naked as he was, and without an emblem to denote his rank, there was yet something remarkable about this native chief, by virtue of which he compelled our respect from the first glance,--a sensibly magnetic quality of tone or look. with an air of command oddly at variance with his almost indecent attire, of which he seemed superbly unconscious, he beckoned to a young attendant, who crawled to him as a dog crawls to an angry master. this was an interpreter, who at a word from his lord began to question me in english. "are you the lady who is to teach in the royal family?" on my replying in the affirmative, he asked, "have you friends in bangkok?" finding i had none, he was silent for a minute or two; then demanded: "what will you do? where will you sleep to-night?" "indeed i cannot tell," i said. "i am a stranger here. but i understood from his majesty's letter that a residence would be provided for us on our arrival; and he has been duly informed that we were to arrive at this time." "his majesty cannot remember everything," said his excellency; the interpreter added, "you can go where you like." and away went master and slaves. i was dumfoundered, without even voice to inquire if there was a hotel in the city; and my servants were scornfully mute. my kind friend the captain was sorely puzzled. he would have sheltered us if he could; but a cloud of coal-dust and the stamping and screaming of a hundred and fifty chinamen made hospitality impracticable; so i made a little bed for my child on deck, and prepared to pass the night with him under a canopy of stars. the situation was as oriental as the scene,--heartless arbitrary insolence on the part of my employers; homelessness, forlornness, helplessness, mortification, indignation, on mine. fears and misgivings crowded and stunned me. my tears fell thick and fast, and, weary and despairing, i closed my eyes, and tried to shut out heaven and earth; but the reflection would return to mock and goad me, that by my own act, and against the advice of my friends, i had placed myself in this position. the good captain of the chow phya, much troubled by the conduct of the minister, paced the deck (which usually, on these occasions, he left to the supercargo) for more than an hour. presently a boat approached, and he hailed it. in a moment it was at the gangway, and with robust, hearty greetings on both sides, captain b----, a cheery englishman, with a round, ruddy, rousing face, sprang on board; in a few words our predicament was explained to him, and at once he invited us to share his house, for the night at least, assuring us of a cordial welcome from his wife. in the beautiful gondola of our "friend in need" we were pulled by four men, standing to their oars, through a dream-like scene, peculiar to this venice of the east. larger boats, in an endless variety of form and adornment, with prows high, tapering, and elaborately carved, and pretty little gondolas and canoes, passed us continually on the right and left; yet amid so many signs of life, motion, traffic, bustle, the sweet sound of the rippling waters alone fell on the ear. no rumbling of wheels, nor clatter of hoofs, nor clangor of bells, nor roar and scream of engines to shock the soothing fairy-like illusion. the double charm of stillness and starlight was perfect. "by the by," broke in my cheery new friend, "you'll have to go with me to the play, ma'm; because my wife is there with the boys, and the house-key is in her pocket." "to the play!" "o, don't be alarmed, ma'm! it's not a regular theatre; only a catchpenny show, got up by a frenchman, who came from singapore a fortnight since. and having so little amusement here, we are grateful for anything that may help to break the monotony. the temporary playhouse is within the palace grounds of his royal highness prince krom lhuang wongse; and i hope to have an opportunity to introduce you to the prince, who i believe is to be present with his family." the intelligence was not gratifying, a siamese prince had too lately disturbed my moral equilibrium; but i held my peace and awaited the result with resignation. a few strokes of the oars, seconded by the swift though silent current, brought us to a wooden pier surmounted by two glaring lanterns. captain b---handed us out. my child, startled from a deep sleep, was refractory, and would not trust himself out of my fond keeping. when finally i had struggled with him in my arms to the landing, i saw in the shadow a form coiled on a piece of striped matting. was it a bear? no, a prince! for the clumsy mass of reddishbrown flesh unrolled and uplifted itself, and held out a human arm, with a fat hand at the end of it, when captain b---presented me to "his royal highness." near by was his excellency the prime minister, in the identical costume that had disgraced our unpleasant interview on the chow phya; he was smoking a european pipe, and plainly enjoying our terrors. my stalwart friend contrived to squeeze us, and even himself, first through a bamboo door, and then through a crowd of hot people, to seats fronting a sort of altar, consecrated to the arts of jugglery. a number of chinamen of respectable appearance occupied the more distant places, while those immediately behind us were filled by the ladies and gentlemen of the foreign community. on a raised dais hung with kincob [footnote: silk, embroidered with, gold flowers.] curtains, the ladies of the prince's harem reclined; while their children, shining in silk and ornaments of gold, laughed, prattled, and gesticulated, until the juggler appeared, when they were stunned with sudden wonder. under the eaves on all sides human heads were packed, on every head its cherished tuft of hair, like a stiff black brush inverted, in every mouth its delicious cud of areca-nut and betel, which the human cattle ruminated with industrious content. the juggler, a keen little frenchman, plied his arts nimbly, and what with his ventriloquial doll, his empty bag full of eggs, his stones that were candies, and his candies that were stones, and his stuffed birds that sang, astonished and delighted his unsophisticated patrons, whose applauding murmurs were diversified by familiarly silly shrieks--the true siamese did-you-ever!--from behind the kincob curtains. but i was weary and disheartened, and welcomed with a sigh of relief the closing of the show. as we passed out with our guide, the glare of many torches falling on the dark silent river made the swarthy forms of the boatmen weird and charon-like. mrs. b---welcomed us with a pleasant smile to her little heaven of home across the river, and by the simplicity and gentleness of her manners dispelled in a measure my feeling of forlornness. when at last i found myself alone, i would have sought the sleep i so much needed, but the strange scenes of the day chased each other in agitating confusion through my brain. then i quitted the side of my sleeping boy, triumphant in his dreamless innocence, and sat defeated by the window, to crave counsel and help from the ever-present friend; and as i waited i sank into a tumultuous slumber, from which at last i started to find the long-tarrying dawn climbing over a low wall and creeping through a half-open shutter. ii. a siamese premier at home. i started up, arranged my dress, and smoothed my hair; though no water nor any after-touches could remove the shadow that night of gloom and loneliness had left upon my face. but my boy awoke with eager, questioning eyes, his smile bright and his hair lustrous. as we knelt together by the window at the feet of "our father," i could not but ask in the darkness of my trouble, did it need so bitter a baptism as ours to purify so young a soul? in an outer room we met mrs. b---_en dã©shabillã©_, and scarcely so pretty as at our first meeting, but for her smile, remarkable for its subtile, evanescent sweetness. at breakfast our host joined us, and, after laughing at our late predicament and fright, assured me of that which i have since experienced,--the genuine goodness of the prince krom lhuang wongse. every foreign resident of bangkok, who at any time has had friendly acquaintance or business with him, would, i doubt not, join me in expressions of admiration and regard for one who has maintained through circumstances so trying and under a system so oppressive an exemplary reputation for liberality, integrity, justice, and humanity. soon after breakfast the prime minister's boat, with the slave interpreter who had questioned me on the steamer, arrived to take us to his excellency's palace. [illustration: the prime minister.] in about a quarter of an hour we found ourselves in front of a low gateway, which opened on a wide courtyard, or "compound," paved with rough-hewn slabs of stone. a brace of chinese mandarins of ferocious aspect, cut in stone and mounted on stone horses, guarded the entrance. farther on, a pair of men-at-arms in bass-relief challenged us; and near these were posted two living sentries, in european costume, but without shoes. on the left was a pavilion for theatrical entertainments, one entire wall being covered with scenic pictures. on the right of this stood the palace of the prime minister, displaying a semicircular _faã§ade_; in the background a range of buildings of considerable extent, comprising the lodgings of his numerous wives. attached to the largest of these houses was a charming garden of flowers, in the midst of which a refreshing fountain played. his excellency's residence abounded within in carvings and gildings, elegant in design and color, that blended and harmonized in pleasing effects with the luxurious draperies that hung in rich folds from the windows. we moved softly, as the interpreter led us through a suite of spacious saloons, disposed in ascending tiers, and all carpeted, candelabraed, and appointed in the most costly european fashion. a superb vase of silver, embossed and burnished, stood on a table inlaid with mother-of-pearl and chased with silver. flowers of great variety and beauty filled the rooms with a delicious though slightly oppressive fragrance. on every side my eyes were delighted with rare vases, jewelled cups and boxes, burnished chalices, dainty statuettes,-_objets de virtu_, oriental and european, antique and modern, blending the old barbaric splendors with the graces of the younger arts. as we waited, fascinated and bewildered, the prime minister suddenly stood before us,--the semi-nude barbarian of last night. i lost my presence of mind, and in my embarrassment would have left the room. but he held out his hand, saying, "good morning, _sir_! take a seat, _sir_!" which i did somewhat shyly, but not without a smile for his comical "sir." i spied a number of young girls peeping at us from behind curtains, while the male attendants, among whom were his younger brothers, nephews, and cousins, crouched in the antechamber on all fours. his excellency, with an expression of pleased curiosity, and that same grand unconsciousness of his alarming poverty of costume, approached us nearly, and, with a kindly smile patting boy on the head, asked him his name. but the child cried aloud, "mamma, come home! please, mamma, come home!" and i found it not easy to quiet him. presently, mustering courage for myself also, i ventured to express my wish for a quiet house or apartments, where i might be free from intrusion, and at perfect liberty before and after school-hours. when this reasonable request was interpreted to him--seemingly in a few monosyllables--he stood looking at me, smiling, as if surprised and amused that i should have notions on the subject of liberty. quickly this look became inquisitive and significant, so that i began to fancy he had doubts as to the use i might make of my stipulated freedom, and was puzzled to conjecture why a woman should wish to be free at all. some such thought must have passed through his mind, for he said abruptly, "you not married!" i bowed. "then where will you go in the evening?" "not anywhere, your excellency. i simply desire to secure for myself and my child some hours of privacy and rest, when my duties do not require my presence elsewhere." "how many years your husband has been dead?" he asked. i replied that his excellency had no right to pry into my domestic concerns. his business was with me as a governess only; on any other subject i declined conversing. i enjoyed the expression of blank amazement with which he regarded me on receiving this somewhat defiant reply. "_tam chai!_" ("please yourself!") he said, and proceeded to pace to and fro, but without turning his eyes from my face, or ceasing to smile. then he said something to his attendants, five or six of whom, raising themselves on their knees, with their eyes fixed upon the carpet, crawled backward till they reached the steps, bobbed their heads and shoulders, started spasmodically to their feet, and fled from the apartment. my boy, who had been awed and terrified, began to cry, and i too was startled. again he uttered the harsh gutturals, and instantly, as with an electric shock, another half-dozen of the prostrate slaves sprang up and ran. then he resumed his mysterious promenade, still carefully keeping an eye upon us, and smiling by way of conversation. it was long before i could imagine what we were to do. boy, fairly tortured, cried "come home, mamma! why don't you come home? i don't like that man." his excellency halted, and sinking his voice ominously, said, "you no can go!" boy clutched my dress, and hid his face and smothered his sobs in my lap; and yet, attracted, fascinated, the poor little fellow from time to time looked up, only to shudder, tremble, and hide his face again. for his sake i was glad when the interpreter returned on all fours. pushing one elbow straight out before the other, in the manner of these people, he approached his master with such a salutation as might be offered to deity; and with a few more unintelligible utterances, his excellency bowed to us, and disappeared behind a mirror. all the curious, peering eyes that had been directed upon us from every nook and corner where a curtain hung, instantly vanished; and at the same time sweet, wild music, like the tinkling of silver bells in the distance, fell upon our ears. to my astonishment the interpreter stood boldly upright, and began to contemplate his irresistible face and figure in a glass, and arrange with cool coxcombry his darling tuft of hair; which done, he approached us with a mild swagger, and proceeded to address me with a freedom which i found it expedient to snub. i told him that, although i did not require any human being to go down on his face and hands before me, i should nevertheless tolerate no familiarity or disrespect from any one. the fellow understood me well enough, but did not permit me to recover immediately from my surprise at the sudden change in his bearing and tone. as he led us to the two elegant rooms reserved for us in the west end of the palace, he informed us that he was the premier's half-brother, and hinted that i would be wise to conciliate him if i wished to have my own way. in the act of entering one of the rooms, i turned upon him angrily, and bade him be off. the next moment this half-brother of a siamese magnate was kneeling in abject supplication in the half-open doorway, imploring me not to report him to his excellency, and promising never to offend again. here was a miracle of repentance i had not looked for; but the miracle was sham. rage, cunning, insolence, servility, and hypocrisy were vilely mixed in the minion. our chambers opened on a quiet piazza, shaded by fruit-trees in blossom, and overlooking a small artificial lake stocked with pretty, sportive fish. to be free to make a stunning din is a siamese woman's idea of perfect enjoyment. hardly were we installed in our apartments when, with a pell-mell rush and screams of laughter, the ladies of his excellency's private utah reconnoitred us in force. crowding in through the half-open door, they scrambled for me with eager curiosity, all trying at once to embrace me boisterously, and promiscuously chattering in shrill siamese,--a bedlam of parrots; while i endeavored to make myself impartially agreeable in the language of signs and glances. nearly all were young; and in symmetry of form, delicacy of feature, and fairness of complexion, decidedly superior to the malay women i had been accustomed to. most of them might have been positively attractive, but for their ingeniously ugly mode of clipping the hair and blackening the teeth. the youngest were mere children, hardly more than fourteen years old. all were arrayed in rich materials, though the fashion did not differ from that of their slaves, numbers of whom were prostrate in the rooms and passages. my apartments were ablaze with their crimson, blue, orange, and purple, their ornaments of gold, their rings and brilliants, and their jewelled boxes. two or three of the younger girls satisfied my western ideas of beauty, with their clear, mellow, olive complexions, and their almond-shaped eyes, so dark yet glowing. those among them who were really old were simply hideous and repulsive. one wretched crone shuffled through the noisy throng with an air of authority, and pointing to boy lying in my lap, cried, "_moolay, moolay!_" "beautiful, beautiful!" the familiar malay word fell pleasantly on my ear, and i was delighted to find some one through whom i might possibly control the disorderly bevy around me. i addressed her in malay. instantly my visitors were silent, and waiting in attitudes of eager attention. she told me she was one of the many custodians of the harem. she was a native of quedah; and "some sixty years ago," she and her sister, together with other young malay girls, were captured while working in the fields by a party of siamese adventurers. they were brought to siam and sold as slaves. at first she mourned miserably for her home and parents. but while she was yet young and attractive she became a favorite of the late somdetch ong yai, father of her present lord, and bore him two sons, just as "moolay, moolay" as my own darling. but they were dead. (here, with the end of her soiled silk scarf she furtively wiped a tear from her face, no longer ugly.) and her gracious lord was dead also; it was he who gave her this beautiful gold betel-box. "but how is it that you are still a slave?" i asked. "i am old and ugly and childless: and therefore, to be trusted by my dead lord's son, the beneficent prince, upon whose head be blessings,"--clasping her withered hands, and turning toward that part of the palace where, no doubt, he was enjoying a "beneficent" nap. "and now it is my privilege to watch and guard these favored ones, that they see no man but their lord." the repulsive uncomeliness of this woman had been wrought by oppression out of that which must have been beautiful once; for the spirit of beauty came back to her for a moment, with the passing memories that brought her long-lost treasures with them. in the brutal tragedy of a slave's experience,--a female slave in the harem of an asian despot,--the native angel in her had been bruised, mutilated, defaced, deformed, but not quite obliterated. her story ended, the younger women, to whom her language had been strange, could no longer suppress their merriment, nor preserve the decorum due to her age and authority. again they swarmed about me like bees, plying me pertinaciously with questions, as to my age, husband, children, country, customs, possessions; and presently crowned the inquisitorial performance by asking, in all seriousness, if i should not like to be the wife of the prince, their lord, rather than of the terrible chow-che-witt. [footnote: chow-che-witt,--"prince of life,"--the supreme king.] here was a monstrous suggestion that struck me dumb. without replying, i rose and shook them off, retiring with my boy into the inner chamber. but they pursued me without compunction, repeating the extraordinary "conundrum," and dragging the malay duenna along with them to interpret my answer. the intrusion provoked me; but, considering their beggarly poverty of true life and liberty, of hopes and joys, and loves and memories, and holy fears and sorrows, with which a full and true response might have twitted them, i was ashamed to be vexed. seeing it impossible to rid myself of them, i promised to answer their question, on condition that they would leave me for that day. immediately all eyes were fixed upon me. "the prince, your lord, and the king, your chow-che-witt, are pagans," i said. "an english, that is a christian, woman would rather be put to the torture, chained and dungeoned for life, or suffer a death the slowest and most painful you siamese know, than be the wife of either." they remained silent in astonishment, seemingly withheld from speaking by an instinctive sentiment of respect; until one, more volatile than the rest, cried, "what! not if he gave you all these jewelled rings and boxes, and these golden things?" when the old woman, fearing to offend, whispered this test question in malay to me, i laughed at the earnest eyes around, and said: "no, not even then. i am only here to teach the royal family. i am not like you. you have nothing to do but to play and sing and dance for your master; but i have to work for my children; and one little one is now on the great ocean, and i am very sad." shades of sympathy, more or less deep, flitted across the faces of my audience, and for a moment they regarded me as something they could neither convince nor comfort nor understand. then softly repeating _poot-thoo! poot-thoo!_ "dear god! dear god!" they quietly left me. a minute more, and i heard them laughing and shouting in the halls. relieved of my curious and exacting visitors, i lay down and fell into a deep sleep, from which i was suddenly awakened, in the afternoon, by the cries of beebe, who rushed into the chamber, her head bare, her fine muslin veil trampled under her feet, and her face dramatically expressive of terror and despair. moonshee, her husband, ignorant alike of the topography, the language, and the rules of the place, had by mistake intruded in the sacred penetralia where lounged the favorite of the harem, to the lively horror of that shrinking nourmahal, and the general wrath of the old women on guard, two of whom, the ugliest, fiercest, and most muscular, had dragged him, daft and trembling, to summary inquisition. i followed beebe headlong to an open sala, where we found that respectable servant of the prophet, his hands tied, his turban off, woe-begone but resigned; faithful and philosophic moslem that he was, he only waited for his throat to be cut, since it was his _kismut_, his perverse destiny, that had brought him to such a region of _kafirs_, (infidels). assuring him that there was nothing to fear, i despatched a messenger in search of the interpreter, while beebe wept and protested. presently an imposing personage stalked upon the scene, whose appearance matched his temper and his conduct. this was the judge. in vain i strove to explain to him by signs and gestures that my servant had offended unwittingly; he could not or would not understand me; but stormed away at our poor old man, who bore his abuse with the calm indifference of profound ignorance, having never before been cursed in a foreign language. the loafers of the yards and porches shook off their lazy naps and gathered round us; and among them came the interpreter, insolent satisfaction beaming in his bad face. he coolly declined to interfere, protesting that it was not his business, and that the judge would be offended if he offered to take part in the proceedings. moonshee was condemned to be stripped, and beaten with twenty strokes. here was an end to my patience. going straight up to the judge, i told him that if a single lash was laid upon the old man's back (which was bared as i spoke), he should suffer tenfold, for i would immediately lay the matter before the british consul. though i spoke in english, he caught the familiar words "british consul," and turning to the interpreter, demanded the explanation he should have listened to before he pronounced sentence. but even as the interpreter was jabbering away to the unreasonable functionary, the assembly was agitated with what the french term a "sensation." judge, interpreter, and all fell upon their faces, doubling themselves up; and there stood the premier, who took in the situation at a glance, ordered moonshee to be released, and permitted him at my request to retire to the room allotted to beebe. while the slaves were alert in the execution of these benevolent commands, the interpreter slunk away on his face and elbows. but the old moslem, as soon as his hands were free, picked up his turban, advanced, and laid it at the feet of his deliverer, with the graceful salutation of his people, "peace be with thee, o vizier of a wise king!" the mild and venerable aspect of the moonshee, and his snow-white beard falling low upon his breast, must have inspired the siamese statesman with abiding feelings of respect and consideration, for he was ever afterward indulgent to that oriental dominie sampson of my little household. dinner at the premier's was composed and served with the same incongruous blending of the barbaric and the refined, the oriental and the european, that characterized the furniture and adornments of his palace. the saucy little pages who handled the dishes had cigarettes between their pouting lips, and from time to time hopped over the heads of medusã¦ to expectorate. when i pointed reproachfully to the double peccadillo, they only laughed and scampered off. another detachment of these lads brought in fruits, and, when they had set the baskets or dishes on the table, retired to sofas to lounge till we had dined. but finding i objected to such manners, they giggled gayly, performed several acrobatic feats on the carpet, and left us to wait on ourselves. twilight on my pretty piazza. the fiery sun is setting, and long pencils of color, from palettes of painted glass, touch with rose and gold the low brow and downcast eyes and dainty bosom of a bust of clyte. beebe and moonshee are preparing below in the open air their evening meal; and the smoke of their pottage is borne slowly, heavily on the hot still air, stirred only by the careless laughter of girls plunging and paddling in the dimpled lake. the blended gloom and brightness without enter, and interweave themselves with the blended gloom and brightness within, where lights and shadows lie half asleep and half awake, and life breathes itself sluggishly away, or drifts on a slumberous stream toward its ocean of death. iii. a sketch of siamese history. before inducting the reader to more particular acquaintance with his excellency chow phya sri-sury wongse samuha-p'hra kralahome, i have thought that "an abstract and brief chronicle" of the times of the strange people over whom he is not less than second in dignity and power, would not be out of place. in the opinion of pickering, the siamese are undoubtedly malay; but a majority of the intelligent europeans who have lived long among them regard the native population as mainly mongolian. they are generally of medium stature, the face broad, the forehead low, the eyes black, the cheekbones prominent, the chin retreating, the mouth large, the lips thick, and the beard scanty. in common with most of the asiatic races, they are apt to be indolent, improvident, greedy, intemperate, servile, cruel, vain, inquisitive, superstitious, and cowardly; but individual variations from the more repulsive types are happily not rare. in public they are scrupulously polite and decorous according to their own notions of good manners, respectful to the aged, affectionate to their kindred, and bountiful to their priests, of whom more than twenty thousand are supported by voluntary contributions in bangkok alone. marriage is contracted at sixteen for males, and fourteen for females, and polygamy is the common practice, without limit to the number of wives except such as may be imposed by the humble estate or poverty of the husband; the women are generally treated with consideration. the bodies of the dead are burned; and the badges of mourning are white robes for those of the family or kinfolk who are younger than the deceased, black for those who are older, and shaven heads for all who are in inferior degrees connected with the dead, either as descendants, dependents, servants, or slaves. when a king dies the entire population, with the exception of very young children, must display this tonsorial uniform. every ancient or famous city of siam has a story of its founding, woven for it from tradition or fable; and each of these legends is distinguished from the others by peculiar features. the religion, customs, arts, and literature of a people naturally impart to their annals a spirit all their own. especially is this the case in the orient, where the most original and suggestive thought is half disguised in the garb of metaphor, and where, in spite of vivid fancies and fiery passions, the people affect taciturnity or reticence, and delight in the metaphysical and the mystic. hence the early annals of the siamese, or sajamese, abound in fables of heroes, demigods, giants, and genii, and afford but few facts of practical value. swayed by religious influences, they joined, in the spirit of the hebrews, the name of god to the titles of their rulers and princes, whom they almost deified after death. but the skeleton sketch of the history of siam that follows is of comparatively modern date, and may be accepted as in the main authentic. in the year 712 of the siamese, and 1350 of the christian era, phya-othong founded, near the river meinam, about sixty miles from the gulf of siam, the city of ayudia or ayuthia ("the abode of the gods"); at the same time he assumed the title of p'hra rama thibodi. this capital and stronghold was continually exposed to storms of civil war and foreign invasion; and its turreted battlements and ponderous gates, with the wide deep moat spanned by drawbridges, where now is a forest of great trees, were but the necessary fences behind which court and garrison took shelter from the tempestuous barbarism in the midst of which they lived. but before any portion of the city, except that facing the river, could boast of a fortified enclosure, hostile enterprises were directed against it. birman pirates, ascending the meinam in formidable flotillas, harassed it. thrice they ravaged the country around; but on the last of these occasions great numbers of them were captured and put to cruel death by p'hra rama suen, successor to thibodi, who pursued the routed remnant to the very citadel of chiengmai, then a tributary of the birman empire. having made successful war upon this province, and impressed thousands of laotian captives, he next turned his arms against cambodia, took the capital by storm, slew every male capable of bearing arms, and carried off enormous treasures in plate gold, with which, on his return to his kingdom, he erected a remarkable pagoda, called to this day "the mountain of gold." p'hra rama suen was succeeded by his son phya ram, who reigned fourteen years, and was assassinated by his uncle, inthra racha, the governor or feudal lord of the city, who had snatched the reins of government and sent three of his sons to rule over the northern provinces. at the death of inthra racha, in 780, two of these princes set out simultaneously, with the design of seizing and occupying the vacant throne. mounted on elephants, they met in the dusk of evening on a bridge leading to the royal palace; and each instantly divining his brother's purpose, they dismounted, and with their naked swords fell upon each other with such fury that both were slain on the spot. the political and social disorganization that prevailed at this period was aggravated by the vulnerable condition of the monarchy, then recently transferred to a new line. princes of the blood royal were for a long time engaged, brother against brother, in fierce family feuds. ayuthia suffered gravely from these unnatural contentions, but even more from the universal license and riot that reigned among the nobility and the proud proprietors of the soil. in the distracted and enfeebled state of all authority, royal and magisterial, the fields around remained for many years untilled; and the only evidence the land presented of the abode of man was here and there the bristling den of some feudal chief, a mere outlaw and dacoit, who rarely sallied from it but to carry torch and pillage wherever there was aught to sack or burn. in 834 the undisputed sovereignty of the kingdom fell to another p'hra rama thibodi, who reigned thirty years, and is famous in siamese annals for the casting of a great image of buddha, fifty cubits high, of gold very moderately alloyed with copper. on an isolated hill, in a sacred enclosure, he erected for this image a stately temple of the purest white marble, approached by a graceful flight of steps. from the ruins of its eastern front, which are still visible, it appears to have had six columns at either end and thirteen on each side; the eastern pediment is adorned with sculptures, as are also the ten metopes. p'hra rama thibodi was succeeded by his son, p'hra racha kuman, whose reign was short, and chiefly memorable for a tremendous conflagration that devastated ayuthia. it raged three days, and destroyed more than a hundred thousand houses. this monarch left at his death but one son, p'hra yot-fa, a lad of twelve, whose mother, the queen sisudah-chand, was appointed regent during his minority. the devil of ambition has rarely possessed the heart of an eastern queen more absolutely than it did that of this infamous woman,--infamous even in heathen annals. she is said to have graced her exalted station alike by the beauty of her person and the charm of her manner; but in pursuit of the most arbitrary and audacious purposes she moved with the recklessness their nature demanded, and with equal impatience trampled on friend and rival. blind superstition was the only weak point in her character; but though her deference to the imaginary instructions or warnings of the stars was slavish, it does not seem to have deterred her from any false or cruel course; indeed, a cunning astrologer of her court, by scaring her with visionary perils, contrived to obtain a monstrous ascendency over her mind, only to plunge her into crime more deeply than by her own weight of wickedness she might have sunk. she ordered the secret assassination of every member of the royal household (not excepting her mother and sisters), who, however mildly, opposed her will. besotted with fear, that fruitful mother of crime, she ended by putting to death the young king, her son, and publicly calling her paramour (the court astrologer, in whose thoughts, she believed, were hidden all the secrets of divination) to the throne of the p'hrabatts. this double crime filled the measure of her impunity. the nobility revolted. the strength of their faction lay, not within the palace, which was filled with the queen's parasites, but with the feudal proprietors of the soil, who, exasperated by the abominations of the court, only waited for a chance to crush it. one day, as the queen and her paramour were proceeding in a barge on their customary visit to her private pagoda and garden,--a paradise of all the floral wonders of the tropics,--a nobleman, who had followed them, hailed the royal gondola, as if for instructions, and, being permitted to approach, suddenly sprang upon the guilty pair, drew his sword, and dispatched them both, careless of their loud cries for help. almost simultaneously with the performance of this tragic exploit, the nobles offered the crown to an uncle of the murdered heir, who had fled from the court and taken refuge in a monastery. having accepted it and assumed the title of maha-charapã¢t racha-therat, he invaded pegu with a hundred thousand men-at-arms, five thousand war elephants, and seven thousand horse. with this mighty host he marched against henzawadi, the capital of pegu, laying waste the country as he went with fire and sword. the king of pegu came out to meet him, accompanied by his romantic and intrepid queen, maha chandra, and supported by the few devoted followers that on so short a notice he could bring together. in consideration of this great disparity of forces, the two kings agreed, in the chivalric spirit of the time, to decide the fortune of the day by single combat. hardly had they encountered, when the elephant on which the king of pegu was mounted took fright and fled the field; but his queen promptly took his place, and fighting rashly, fell, speared through the right breast. she was borne off amid the clash of cymbals and flourish of trumpets that hailed the victor. maha-charapã¢t racha-therat was a great prince. his wisdom, valor, and heroic exploits supplied the native bards with inspiring themes. by his magnanimity he extinguished the envy of the neighboring princes and transformed rivals into friends. jealous rulers became his willing vassals, not from fear of his power, but in admiration for his virtues. malacca, tenasserim, ligor, thavai, martaban, maulmain, songkhla, chantaboon, phitsanulok, look-kho-thai, phi-chi, savan khalok, phechit, cambodia, and nakhon savan were all dependencies of siam under his reign. in the year 1568 of the christian era the siamese territory was invaded and laid under tribute by a birman king named mandanahgri, who must have been a warrior of napoleonic genius, for he extended his dominion as far as the confines of china. it is remarkable that the flower of his army was composed of several thousand portuguese, tried troops in good discipline, commanded by the noted don diego suanes. these, like the famous scotch legion of gustavus adolphus in the thirty years' war, were mercenaries, and doubtless contributed importantly to the success of the birman arms. theirs is by no means the only case of portuguese soldiers serving for hire in the armies of the east. their commander, suanes, seems to have been a brave and accomplished officer, and to have been intrusted with undivided control of the birmese forces. mandanahgri held the queen of siam and her two sons as hostages for the payment of the tribute he had levied; but the princes were permitted to return to siam after a few years of captivity in birmah, and in 1583 their captor died. his successor struggled with an uncle for possession of the throne, and the king of siam, seizing the opportunity, declared himself independent; wherefore a more formidable army was shortly sent against him, under command of the eldest son of the king of birmah. but one of the young princes who had been led into captivity by mandanahgri now sat on the throne of siam. in his youth he had been styled "the black prince," a title of distinction which seems to have fitted his characteristics not less appropriately than it did those of the english edward. undismayed by the strength and fury of the enemy, he attacked and routed them in a pitched battle, killing their leader with his own hands, invaded pegu, and besieged its capital; but was finally compelled to retire with considerable loss. the black prince was succeeded by "the white king," who reigned peacefully for many years. the next monarch especially worthy of notice is p'hra narai, who sent ambassadors to goa, the most important of the portuguese trading-stations in the east indies, chiefly to invite the portuguese of malacca to establish themselves in siam for mutual advantages of trade. the welcome emissaries were sumptuously entertained, and a dominican friar accompanied them on their return, with costly presents for the king. this friar found p'hra narai much more liberal in his ideas than later ambassadors, even to this day, have found any other ruler of siam. he agreed not only to permit all portuguese merchants to establish themselves anywhere in his dominions, but to exempt their goods and wares from duty. the dominican monks were likewise invited to build churches and preach christianity in siam. soon after this extraordinary display of liberal statesmanship p'hra narai narrowly escaped death by a strange conspiracy. four or five hundred japanese adventurers were secretly introduced into the country by an ambitious feudal proprietor, who had conceived the mad design of dethroning the monarch and reigning in his stead; but the king, warned of the planned attack upon the palace, seized the native conspirator and put him to death. the japanese, on the contrary, were enrolled as a kind of praetorian guard, or janissaries; in this character, however, their pride and power became so formidable that the king grew uneasy and disbanded them. p'hra narai, from all accounts, was a man to be respected and esteemed. the events and the _dramatis personae_ of his reign form a story so romantic, so exceptional even in eastern annals, that, but for the undoubted authenticity of this chapter of siamese history, it would be incredible. it was during his reign that the whimsical attempt was made by louis xiv. to conquer siam and proselyte her king. an extraordinary spectacle! one of the most licentious monarchs of france, who to the last breathed an atmosphere poisoned with scepticism, and more than buddhism itself subversive of the true principles of christianity, is suddenly inspired with an apparently devout longing to be the instrument of converting to the true faith the princes of the east. to this end he employs that wily, powerful, and indefatigable body of daring priests, the jesuits, who were then in the very ardor of their missionary schemes. ostensibly for the purpose of propagating the gospel, but with more reality aspiring to extend their subtile influence over all mankind, this society, with means the most slender and in the face of obstacles the most disheartening, have, with indomitable courage and supernatural patience, accomplished labors unparalleled in the achievements of mind. now, in the wilds of western america, taming and teaching races of whose existence the world of refinement had never heard; now climbing the icy steeps and tracking the wastes and wildernesses of siberia, or with the evangel of john in one hand and the art of luke in the other, bringing life to the bodies and souls of perishing multitudes under a scorching equatorial sun,--there is not a spot of earth in which european civilization has taken root where traces of jesuit forethought and careful, patient husbandry may not be found. so in siam, we discover a monarch of consummate acumen, more european than asiatic in his ideas, sedulously cultivating the friendship of these foreign workers of wonders; and finally we find a greek adventurer officiating as prime minister to this same king, and conducting his affairs with that ability and success which must have commanded intellectual admiration, even if they had not been inspired and promoted by motives of integrity toward the monarch who had so implicitly confided in his wisdom and fidelity. constantine phaulkon was the son of respectable parents, natives of the island of cephalonia, where he was born in 1630. the geography, if not the very name, of the kingdom whose affairs he was destined to direct was quite unknown to his compatriots of the ionian isles,--even when as a mariner, wrecked on the coast of malabar, he became a fellow-passenger with a party of siamese officials, his companions in disaster, who were returning to their country from an embassy. the facile greek quickly learned to talk with his new-found friends in their own tongue, and by his accomplishments and adroitness made a place for himself in their admiration and influence, so that he was received with flattering consideration at the court of p'hra narai, and very soon invited to take service under government. by his sagacity, tact, and diligence in the management of all affairs intrusted to him, he rapidly rose in favor with his patron, who finally elevated him to the highest post of honor in the state: he was made premier. the star of the cephalonian waif and adventurer had now mounted to the zenith, and was safe to shine for many years with unabated brilliancy; to this day he is remembered by the expressive term _vicha-yen_, "the cool wisdom." the french priests, elated at his success, spared no promises or arts to retain him secretly in their interest. under circumstances so extraordinary and auspicious, the plans of the jesuits for the conversion of all eastern asia were put in execution. from the vatican bishops were appointed, and sent out to cochin china, cambodia, siam, and pegu, while the people of those several kingdoms were yet profoundly ignorant of the amiable intentions of the pope. francis pallu, m. de la motte lambert, and ignatius cotolendy were the respective exponents of this pious idea, under the imposing titles of bishops of heliopolis, borytus, byzantium, and metellopolis,--all frenchmen, for louis xiv. insisted that the glory of the enterprise should be ascribed exclusively to france and to himself. but all their efforts to convert the king were of no avail. the jesuits, however, opened schools, and have ever since labored assiduously and with success to introduce the ideas and the arts of europe into those countries. after some years p'hra narai sent an embassy to the court of louis, who was so sensible of the flattery that he immediately reciprocated with an embassy of his own, with more priests, headed by the chevalier de chaumont and the pã¨re tachard. the french fleet of five ships cast anchor in the meinam on the 27th of september, 1687, and the chevalier and his reverend colleague, attended by jesuits, were promptly and graciously received by the king, who, however, expressed his "fears" that the chief object of their mission might not prove so easy of attainment as they had been led to believe. as for phaulkon, he had adroitly deceived the jesuits from the first, and made all parties instruments to promote his own shrewd and secret plans. de chaumont, disheartened by his failure, sailed back to france, where he arrived in 1688, in the height of the agitation attending the english revolution of that year. phaulkon, finding that he could no longer conceal from the jesuits the king's repugnance to their plans for his conversion, placed himself under their direction and control; for though he had not as yet conceived the idea of seizing upon the crown, it was plain that he aspired to honors higher than the premiership. then rumors of disaffection among the nobles were diligently propagated by the french priests, who, although not sufficiently powerful to dethrone the king, were nevertheless dangerous inciters of rebellion among the common people. meanwhile the king of johore, then a tributary of siam, instigated by the dutch, who, from the first, had watched with jealousy the machinations of the french, sent envoys to p'hra narai, to advise the extermination or expulsion of the french, and to proffer the aid of his troops; but the proposition was rejected with indignation. these events were immediately followed by another, known in siamese history as the revolt of the macassars, which materially promoted the ripening of the revolution of which the french had sown the seeds. celebes, a large, irregular island east of borneo, includes a district known as macassar, the ruler of which had been arbitrarily dethroned by the dutch; and the sons of the injured monarch, taking refuge in siam, secretly encouraged the growing enmity of the nobles against the french. meanwhile phaulkon, by his address, and skilful management of public affairs, continued to exercise paramount influence over the mind of the king. he persuaded p'hra narai to send another embassy to france, which arrived happily (the former having been shipwrecked off the cape of good hope) at the court of louis xiv. in 1689. he also diligently and ably advanced the commercial strength of the country; merchants from all parts of the world were invited to settle in siam, and factories of every nation were established along the banks of the meinam. both ayudia and lophaburee became busy and flourishing. he was careful to keep the people employed, and applied himself with vigor to improving the agriculture of the country. rice, sugar, corn, and palm-oil constituting the most fruitful and regular source of revenue, he wisely regulated the traffic in those staples, and was studious to promote the security and happiness of the great body of the population engaged or concerned in their production. the laws he framed were so sound and stable, and at the same time so wisely conformable to the interests alike of king and subject, that to this day they constitute the fundamental law of the land. phaulkon designed and built the palaces at lophaburee, consisting of two lofty edifices, square, with pillars on all sides; each pillar was made to represent a succession of shafts by the intervention of salient blocks, forming capitals to what they surmounted and pedestals to what they supported. the apartments within were gorgeously gilt and sumptuously furnished. there yet remains, in remarkable preservation, a vermilion chamber looking toward the east; though, otherwise, a forest of stately trees and several broken arches alone mark the spot where dwelt in regal splendor this foreign favorite of p'hra narai. he also erected the famous castle on the west of the town, on a piece of ground, near the north bank of the river, which formerly belonged to a buddhist monastery. finally, to keep off the birman invaders, he built a wall, surmounted along its whole extent by a parapet, and fortified with towers at regular intervals of forty fathoms, as well as by four larger ones at its extremities on the banks of the river, below the two bridges. its gates appear to have been twelve or thirteen in number, and the extent of the southern portion is fixed at two thousand fathoms. suburban villages still exist on both sides of the river, and, beyond these, the religious buildings, which have been restored, but which now display the fantastic rather than the grand style which distinguished the architecture of this consummate grecian, whom the people name with wonder,--all marvellous works being by them attributed to gods, genii, devils, or the "vicha-yen." but the luxury in which the haughty statesman revelled, his towering ambition, and the wealth he lavished on his private abodes, joined to the lofty, condescending air he assumed toward the nobles, soon provoked their jealous murmurings against him and his too partial master; and when, at last, the king, falling ill, repaired to the premier's palace at lophaburee, some of the more disaffected nobles, headed by a natural son of p'hra narai and the two princes of macassar, forced their way into the palace to slay the monarch. but the brave old man, at a glance divining their purpose, leaped from his couch and, seizing his sword, threw himself upon it, and died as his assassins entered. in the picturesque drama of siamese history no figure appears so truly noble and brilliant as this king, not merely renowned by the glory of his military exploits and the happy success of his more peaceful undertakings, but beloved for his affectionate concern for the welfare of his subjects, his liberality, his moderation, his modesty, his indifference to the formal honors due to his royal state, and (what is most rare in asiatic character) his sincere aversion to flattery, his shyness even toward deserved and genuine praise. turning from the corpse of the king, the baffled regicides dashed at the luxurious apartment where phaulkon slumbered, as was his custom of an afternoon, unattended save by his fair young daughter constantia. breaking in, they tore the sleeping father from the arms of his agonized child, who with piteous implorings offered her life for his, bound him with cords, dragged him to the woods beyond his garden, and there, within sight of the lovely little greek chapel he had erected for his private devotions, first tortured him like fiends, and then, dispatching him, flung his body into a pit. his daughter, following them, clung fast to her father, and, though her heart bled and her brain grew numb between the gashes and the groans, she still cheered him with her passionate endearments; and, holding before his eyes a cross of gold that always hung on her bosom, inspired him to die like a brave man and a christian. after that the lovely heroine was dragged into slavery and concubinage by the infamous chow dua, one of the bloodiest of the gang. even pagan chroniclers do not fail to render homage to so brave a man, of whom they tell that "he bore all with a fortitude and defiance that astounded the monsters who slew him, and convinced them that he derived his supernatural courage and contempt of pain from the miraculous virtues of his daughter's golden cross." after the death of the able premier, the birmese again overran the land, laying waste the fields, and besieging the city of ayuthia for two years. finding they could not reduce it by famine, they tried flames, and the burning is said to have lasted two whole months. one of the feudal lords of siam, phya tã¢k, a chinese adventurer, who had amassed wealth, and held the office of governor of the northern provinces under the late king, seeing the impending ruin of the country, assembled his personal followers and dependants, and with about a thousand hardy and resolute warriors retired to the mountain fastness of naghon najok, whence from time to time he swooped down to harass the encampments of the birmese, who were almost invariably worsted in the skirmishes he provoked. he then moved upon bangplasoi, and the people of that place came out with gifts of treasure and hailed him as their sovereign. thence he sailed to rajong, strengthened his small force with volunteers in great numbers, marched against chantaboon, whose governor had disputed his authority, and executed that indiscreet official; levied another large army; built and equipped a hundred vessels of war; and set sail--a part of his army preceding him overland--for kankhoa, on the confines of cochin china, which place he brought to terms in less than three hours. thence he pushed on to cambodia, and arriving there on the siamese sabã¢to, or sabbath, he issued a solemn proclamation to his army, assuring them that he would that evening worship in the temple of the famous emerald idol, p'hra kã«au. every man was ordered to arm as if for battle, but to wear the sacred robe,--white for the laity, yellow for the clergy; and all the priests who followed his fortunes were required to lead the way into the grand temple through the southern portico, over which stood a triple-headed tower. then the conqueror, having prepared himself by fasting and purification, clad in his sacred robes and armed to the teeth, followed and made his words good. almost his first act was to send his ships to the adjacent provinces for supplies of rice and grain, which he dispensed so bountifully to the famishing people that they gratefully accepted his rule. this king is described as an enthusiastic and indefatigable warrior, scorning palaces, and only happy in camp or at the head of his army. his people found in him a true friend, he was ever kind and generous to the poor, and to his soldiers he paid fivefold the rates of former reigns. but toward the nobles he was haughty, rude, exacting. it is supposed that his prime minister, fearing to oppose him openly, corrupted his chief concubine, and with her assistance drugged his food; so that he was rendered insane, and, imagining himself a god, insisted that sacrifices and offerings should be made to him, and began to levy upon the nobility for enormous sums, often putting them to the torture to extort treasure. instigated by their infuriated lords, the people now rebelled against their lately idolized master, and attacked him in his palace, from, which he fled by a secret passage to an adjoining monastery, in the disguise of a priest. but the premier, to whom he was presently betrayed, had him put to death, on the pretext that he might cause still greater scandal and disaster, but in reality to establish himself in undisputed possession of the throne, which he now usurped under the title of p'hra-phuthi-chow-luang, and removed the palace from the west to the east bank of the meinam. during his reign the birmese made several attempts to invade the country, but were invariably repulsed with loss. this brings us to the uneventful reign of phen-den-klang; and by his death, in 1825, to the beginning of the story of his majesty, maha mongkut, the late supreme king, and my employer, with whom, in these pages, we shall have much to do. iv. his excellency's harem and helpmeet. when the senabawdee, or royal council, by elevating to the throne the priest-prince chowfa mongkut, frustrated the machinations of the son of his predecessor, they by the same stroke crushed the secret hopes of chow phya sri sury wongse, the present premier. it is whispered to this day--for no native, prince or peasant, may venture to approach the subject openly--that, on the day of coronation, his excellency retired to his private chambers, and there remained, shut up with his chagrin and grief, for three days. on the fourth, arrayed in his court robes and attended by a numerous retinue, he presented himself at the palace to take part in the ceremonies with which the coronation was celebrated. the astute young king, who in his priestly character had penetrated many state secrets, advanced to greet him, and with the double purpose of procuring the adherence and testing the fidelity of this discontented and wavering son of his stanch old champion, the duke somdetch ong yai, appointed him on the spot to the command of the army, under the title of phya p'hra kralahome. this flattering distinction, though it did not immediately beguile him from his moodiness, for a time diverted his dangerous fancies into channels of activity, and he found a safe expression for his annoyance in a useful restlessness. but after he had done more than any of his predecessors to remodel and perfect the army, he relapsed into morbid melancholy, from which he was once more aroused by the call of his royal master, who invited him to share the labors and the honors of government in the highest civil office, that of prime minister. he accepted, and has ever since shown himself prolific in devices to augment the revenue, secure the co-operation of the nobility, and confirm his own power. his remarkable executive faculty, seconding the enlightened policy of the king, would doubtless have inaugurated a golden age for his country, but for the aggressive meddling of french diplomacy in the quarrels between the princes of cochin china and cambodia; by which exasperating measure siam is in the way to lose one of her richest possessions, [footnote: cambodia.] and may in time become, herself, the brightest and most costly jewel in the crown of france. such was chow phya sri sury wongse when i was first presented to him: a natural king among the dusky forms that surrounded him, the actual ruler of that semi-barbarous realm, and the prime contriver of its arbitrary policy. black, but comely, robust, and vigorous, neck short and thick, nose large and nostrils wide, eyes inquisitive and penetrating, his was the massive brain proper to an intellect deliberate and systematic. well found in the best idioms of his native tongue, he expressed strong, discriminative thoughts in words at once accurate and abundant. his only vanity was his english, with which he so interlarded his native speech, as often to impart the effect of levity to ideas that, in themselves, were grave, judicious, and impressive. let me conduct the reader into one of the saloons of the palace, where we shall find this intellectual sensualist in the moral relaxation of his harem, with his latest pets and playthings about him. peering into a twilight, studiously contrived, of dimly-lighted and suggestive shadows, we discover in the centre of the hall a long line of girls with skins of olive,--creatures who in years and physical proportions are yet but children, but by training developed into women and accomplished actresses. there are some twenty of them, in transparent draperies with golden girdles, their arms and bosoms, wholly nude, flashing, as they wave and heave, with barbaric ornaments of gold. the heads are modestly inclined, the hands are humbly folded, and the eyes droop timidly beneath long lashes. their only garment, the lower skirt, floating in light folds about their limbs, is of very costly material bordered heavily with gold. on the ends of their fingers they wear long "nails" of gold, tapering sharply like the claws of a bird. the apartment is illuminated by means of candelabras, hung so high that the light falls in a soft hazy mist on the tender faces and pliant forms below. another group of maidens, comely and merry, sit behind musical instruments, of so great variety as to recall the "cornet, flute, sackbut, harp, psaltery, and dulcimer" of scripture. the "head wife" of the premier, earnestly engaged in creaming her lips, reclines apart on a dais, attended by many waiting-women. from the folds of a great curtain a single flute opens the entertainment with low tender strains, and from the recesses twelve damsels appear, bearing gold and silver fans, with which, seated in order, they fan the central group. now the dancers, a burst of joyous music being the signal, form in two lines, and simultaneously, with military precision, kneel, fold and raise their hands, and bow till their foreheads touch the carpet before their lord. then suddenly springing to their feet, they describe a succession of rapid and intricate circles, tapping the carpet with their toes in time to the music. next follows a miracle of art, such as may be found only among pupils of the highest physical training; a dance in which every motion is poetry, every attitude an expression of love, even rest but the eloquence of passion overcome by its own fervor. the music swelling into a rapturous tumult preludes the choral climax, wherein the dancers, raising their delicate feet, and curving their arms and fingers in seemingly impossible flexures, sway like withes of willow, and agitate all the muscles of the body like the fluttering of leaves in a soft breeze. their eyes glow as with an inner light; the soft brown complexion, the rosy lips half parted, the heaving bosom, and the waving arms, as they float round and round in wild eddies of dance, impart to them the aspect of fair young fiends. and there sits the kralahome, like the idol of ebony before the demon had entered it! while around him these elfin worshippers, with flushed cheeks and flashing eyes, tossing arms and panting bosoms, whirl in their witching waltz. he is a man to be wondered at,--stony and grim, his huge hands resting on his knees in statuesque repose, as though he supported on his well-poised head the whole weight of the maha mongkut [footnote: "the mighty crown."] itself, while at his feet these brown leaves of humanity lie quivering. is it all _maya_,--delusion? i open wide my eyes, then close them, then open them again. there still lie the living puppets, not daring to look up to the face of their silent god, where scorn and passion contend for place. the dim lights, the shadows blending with them, the fine harmony of colors, the wild harmony of sounds, the fantastic phantoms, the overcoming sentiment, all the poetry and the pity of the scene,--the formless longing, the undefined sense of wrong! poor things, poor things! the prime minister of siam enjoys no exemption from that mocking law which condemns the hero strutting on the stage of the world to cut but a sorry figure at home. toward these helpless slaves of his nod his deportment was studiously ungracious and mean. no smile of pleased surprise or approbation ever brightened his gloomy countenance. true, the fire of his native ardor burns there still, but through no crevice of the outward man may one catch a glimpse of its light. though he rage as a fiery furnace within, externally he is calm as a lake, too deep to be troubled by the skipping, singing brooks that flow into it. rising automatically, he abruptly retired, bored. and those youthful, tender forms, glowing and panting there,--in what glorious robes might not their proper loveliness have arrayed them, if only their hearts had looked upward in freedom, and not, like their trained eyes, downward in blind homage. koon ying phan (literally, "the lady in one thousand") was the head wife of the premier. he married her, after repudiating the companion of his more grateful years, the mother of his only child, a son--the legitimacy of whose birth he doubted, and so, for a grim jest, named the lad _my chi_, "not so." he would have put the mother to death, but finding no real grounds for his suspicion, let her off with a public "putting away." the divorced woman, having nothing left but her disowned baby, carefully changed the _my chi_ to _ny chi_ ("not so" to "master so "),--a cunning trick of pride, but a doubtful improvement. koon ying phan had neither beauty nor grace; but her habits were domestic, and her temper extremely mild. when i first knew her she was perhaps forty years old,--stout, heavy, dark,--her only attraction the gentle expression of her eyes and mouth. around her pretty residence, adjoining the premier's palace, bloomed the most charming garden i saw in siam, with shrubberies, fountains, and nooks, designed by a true artist; though the work of the native florists is usually fantastic and grotesque, with an excess of dwarfed trees in chinese vases. there was, besides, a cool, shaded walk, leading to a more extensive garden, adorned with curious lattice-work, and abounding in shrubs of great variety and beauty. koon ying phan had a lively love for flowers, which she styled the children of her heart; "for my lord is childless," she whispered. in her apartments the same subdued lights and mellow half-tints prevailed that in her husband's saloons imparted a pensive sentiment to the place. there were neither carpets nor mirrors; and the only articles of furniture were some sofa-beds, low marble couches, tables, and a few arm-chairs, but all of forms antique and delicate. the combined effect was one of delicious coolness, retirement, and repose, even despite the glaring rays that strove to invade the sweet refuge through the silken window-nets. this lady, to whom belonged the undivided supervision of the premier's household, was kind to the younger women of her husband's harem, in whose welfare she manifested a most amiable interest,--living among them happily, as a mother among her daughters, sharing their confidences, and often pleading their cause with her lord and theirs, over whom she exercised a very cautious but positive influence. i learned gladly and with pride to admire and love this lady, to accept her as the type of a most precious truth. for to behold, even afar off, "silent upon a peak" of sympathy, the ocean of love and pathos, of passion and patience, on which the lives of these our pagan sisters drift, is to be gratefully sensible of a loving, pitying, and sufficing presence, even in the darkness of error, superstition, slavery, and death. shortly after her marriage, koon ying phan, moved partly by compassion for the wrongs of her predecessor, partly by the "aching void" of her own life, adopted the disowned son of the premier, and called him, with reproachful significance, p'hra nah why, "the lord endures." and her strong friend, nature, who had already knit together, by nerve and vein and bone and sinew, the father and the child, now came to her aid, and united them by the finer but scarcely weaker ties of habit and companionship and home affections. [illustration: the temple of the sleeping idol.] v. the temples of the sleeping and the emerald idols. the day had come for my presentation to the supreme king. after much preliminary talk between the kralahome and myself, through the medium of the interpreter, it had been arranged that my straightforward friend, captain b----, should conduct us to the royal palace, and procure the interview. our cheerful escort arrived duly, and we proceeded up the river,--my boy maintaining an ominous silence all the while, except once, when he shyly confessed he was afraid to go. at the landing we found a large party of priests, some bathing, some wringing their yellow garments; graceful girls balancing on their heads vessels of water; others, less pleasing, carrying bundles of grass, or baskets of fruit and nuts; noblemen in gilded sedans, borne on men's shoulders, hurrying toward the palace; in the distance a troop of horsemen, with long glittering spears. passing the covered gangway at the landing, we came upon a clean brick road, bounded by two high walls, the one on the left enclosing the abode of royalty, the other the temple watt poh, where reposes in gigantic state the wondrous sleeping idol. imagine a reclining figure one hundred and fifty feet long and forty feet high, entirely overlaid with plate gold; the soles of its monstrous feet covered with bass-reliefs inlaid with mother-of-pearl and chased with gold; each separate design distinctly representing one of the many transmigrations of buddha whereby he obtained niphan. on the nails are graven his divine attributes, ten in number: 1. arahang,--immaculate, pure, chaste. 2. samma sam-putho,--cognizant of the laws of nature, infallible, unchangeable, true. 3. vicharanah sampanoh,--endowed with all knowledge, all science. 4. lukha-tho,--excellence, perfection. 5. lã´k-havi-tho,--cognizant of the mystery of creation. 6. annutharo,--inconceivably pure, without sin. 7. purisah tham-mah sarathi,--unconquerable, invincible, before whom the angels bow. 8. sassahdah,--father of beatitude, teacher of the ways to bliss. 9. poodh-tho,--endowed with boundless compassion, pitiful, tender, loving, merciful, benevolent. 10. pã¢k-havah,--glorious, endowed with inconceivable merit, adorable. leaving this temple, we approached a low circular fort near the palace, --a miniature model of a great citadel, with bastions, battlements, and towers, showing confusedly over a crenellated wall. entering by a curious wooden gate, bossed with great flat-headed nails, we reached by a stony pathway the stables (or, more correctly, the palace) of the white elephant, where the huge creature--indebted for its "whiteness" to tradition rather than to nature--is housed royally. passing these, we next came to the famous watt p'hra kã«au, or temple of the emerald idol. an inner wall separates this temple from the military depot attached to the palace; but it is connected by a secret passage with the most private apartments of his majesty's harem, which, enclosed on all sides, is accessible only to women. the temple itself is unquestionably one of the most remarkable and beautiful structures of its class in the orient; the lofty octagonal pillars, the quaint gothic doors and windows, the tapering and gilded roofs, are carved in an infinite variety of emblems, the lotos and the palm predominating. the adornment of the exterior is only equalled in its profusion by the pictorial and hieroglyphic embellishment within. the ceiling is covered with mythological figures and symbols. most conspicuous among the latter are the luminous circles, resembling the mystic orb of the hindoos, and representing the seven constellations known to the ancients; these revolve round a central sun in the form of a lotos, called by the siamese _dok ã�thit_ (sun-flower), because it expands its leaves to the rising sun and contracts them as he sets. on the cornices are displayed the twelve signs of the zodiac. the altar is a wonder of dimensions and splendor,--a pyramid one hundred feet high, terminating in a fine spire of gold, and surrounded on every side by idols, all curious and precious, from the bijou image in sapphire to the colossal statue in plate gold. a series of trophies these, gathered from the triumphs of buddhism over the proudest forms of worship in the old pagan world. in the pillars that surround the temple, and the spires that taper far aloft, may be traced types and emblems borrowed from the temple of the sun at baalbec, the proud fane of diana at ephesus, the shrines of the delian apollo; but the brahminical symbols and interpretations prevail. strange that it should be so, with a sect that suffered by the slayings and the outcastings of a ruthless persecution, at the hands of their brahmin fathers, for the cause of restoring the culture of that simple and pure philosophy which nourished before pantheism! the floor is paved with diamonds of polished brass, which reflect the light of tall tapers that have burned on for more than a hundred years, so closely is the sacred fire watched. the floods of light and depths of shadow about the altar are extreme, and the effect overwhelming. the emerald idol is about twelve inches high and eight in width. into the virgin gold of which its hair and collar are composed must have been stirred, while the metal was yet molten, crystals, topazes, sapphires, rubies, onyxes, amethysts, and diamonds,--the stones crude, or rudely cut, and blended in such proportions as might enhance to the utmost imaginable limit the beauty and the cost of the adored effigy. the combination is as harmonious as it is splendid. no wonder it is commonly believed that buddha himself alighted on the spot in the form of a great emerald, and by a flash of lightning conjured the glittering edifice and altar in an instant from the earth, to house and throne him there! on either side of the eastern entrance--called _patoo ngam_, "the beautiful gate"--stands a modern statue; one of saint peter, with flowing mantle and sandalled feet, in an attitude of sorrow, as when "he turned away his face and wept"; the other of ceres, scattering flowers. the western entrance, which admits only ladies, is styled _patoo thavã¢dah_, "the angels' gate," and is guarded by genii of ferocious aspect. at a later period, visiting this temple in company with the king and his family, i called his majesty's attention to the statue at the beautiful gate, as that of a christian saint with whose story he was not unfamiliar. turning quickly to his children, and addressing them gently, he bade them salute it reverently. "it is mam's p'hra," [footnote: saint, or lord.] he said; whereupon the tribe of little ones folded their hands devoutly, and made obeisance before the effigy of saint peter. as often as my thought reverts to this inspiring shrine, reposing in its lonely loveliness amid the shadows and the silence of its consecrated groves, i cannot find it in my heart to condemn, however illusive the object, but rather i rejoice to admire and applaud, the bent of that devotion which could erect so proud and beautiful a fane in the midst of moral surroundings so ignoble and unlovely,--a spiritual remembrance perhaps older and truer than paganism, ennobling the pagan mind with the idea of an architectural sabbath, so to speak, such as a heathen may purely enjoy and a christian may not wisely despise. [illustration: the beautiful gate of the temple.] vi. the king and the governess. in 1825 a royal prince of siam (his birthright wrested from him, and his life imperilled) took refuge in a buddhist monastery and assumed the yellow garb of a priest. his father, commonly known as phen-den-klang, first or supreme king of siam, had just died, leaving this prince, chowfa mongkut, at the age of twenty, lawful heir to the crown; for he was the eldest son of the acknowledged queen, and therefore by courtesy and honored custom, if not by absolute right, the legitimate successor to the throne of the p'hra-batts. [footnote: the golden-footed.] but he had an elder half-brother, who, through the intrigues of his mother, had already obtained control of the royal treasury, and now, with the connivance, if not by the authority, of the senabawdee, the grand council of the kingdom, proclaimed himself king. he had the grace, however, to promise his plundered brother--such royal promises being a cheap form of propitiation in siam--to hold the reins of government only until chowfa mongkut should be of years and strength and skill to manage them. but, once firmly seated on the throne, the usurper saw in his patient but proud and astute kinsman only a hindrance and a peril in the path of his own cruder and fiercer aspirations. hence the forewarning and the flight, the cloister and the yellow robes. and so the usurper continued to reign, unchallenged by any claim from the king that should be, until march, 1851, when, a mortal illness having overtaken him, he convoked the grand council of princes and nobles around his couch, and proposed his favorite son as his successor. then the safe asses of the court kicked the dying lion with seven words of sententious scorn,--"the crown has already its rightful owner"; whereupon the king literally cursed himself to death, for it was almost in the convulsion, of his chagrin and rage that he came to his end, on the 3d of april. in siam there is no such personage as an heir-apparent to the throne, in the definite meaning and positive value which attaches to that phrase in europe,--no prince with an absolute and exclusive title, by birth, adoption, or nomination, to succeed to the crown. and while it is true that the eldest living son of a siamese sovereign by his queen or queen consort is recognized by all custom, ancient and modern, as the _probable_ successor to the high seat of his royal sire, he cannot be said to have a clear and indefeasible right to it, because the question of his accession has yet to be decided by the electing voice of the senabawdee, in whose judgment he may be ineligible, by reason of certain physical, mental, or moral disabilities,--as extreme youth, effeminacy, imbecility, intemperance, profligacy. nevertheless, the election is popularly expected to result in the choice of the eldest son of the queen, though an interregnum or a regency is a contingency by no means unusual. it was in view of this jurisdiction of the senabawdee, exercised in deference to a just and honored usage, that the voice of the oracle fell upon the ear of the dying monarch with a disappointing and offensive significance; for he well knew who was meant by the "rightful owner" of the crown. hardly had he breathed his last when, in spite of the busy intrigues of his eldest son (whom we find described in the _bangkok recorder_ of july 26, 1866, as "most honorable and promising"), in spite of the bitter vexation of his lordship chow phya sri sury wongse, so soon to be premier, the prince chowfa mongkut doffed his sacerdotal robes, emerged from his cloister, and was crowned, with the title of somdetch phra paramendr maha mongkut.[footnote: duke, and royal bearer of the great crown.] for twenty-five years had the true heir to the throne of the p'hra-batts, patiently biding his time, lain _perdu_ in his monastery, diligently devoting himself to the study of sanskrit, pali, theology, history, geology, chemistry, and especially astronomy. he had been a familiar visitor at the houses of the american missionaries, two of whom (dr. house and mr. mattoon) were, throughout his reign and life, gratefully revered by him for that pleasant and profitable converse which helped to unlock to him the secrets of european vigor and advancement, and to make straight and easy the paths of knowledge he had started upon. not even the essential arrogance of his siamese nature could prevent him from accepting cordially the happy influences these good and true men inspired; and doubtless he would have gone more than half-way to meet them, but for the dazzle of the golden throne in the distance which arrested him midway between christianity and buddhism, between truth and delusion, between light and darkness, between life and death. in the oriental tongues this progressive king was eminently proficient; and toward priests, preachers, and teachers, of all creeds, sects, and sciences, an enlightened exemplar of tolerance. it was likewise his peculiar vanity to pass for an accomplished english scholar, and to this end he maintained in his palace at bangkok a private printing establishment, with fonts of english type, which, as may be perceived presently, he was at no loss to keep in "copy." perhaps it was the printing-office which suggested, quite naturally, an english governess for the _ã©lite_ of his wives and concubines, and their offspring,--in number amply adequate to the constitution of a royal school, and in material most attractively fresh and romantic. happy thought! wherefore, behold me, just after sunset on a pleasant day in april, 1862, on the threshold of the outer court of the grand palace, accompanied by my own brave little boy, and escorted by a compatriot. a flood of light sweeping through the spacious hall of audience displayed a throng of noblemen in waiting. none turned a glance, or seemingly a thought, on us, and, my child being tired and hungry, i urged captain b---to present us without delay. at once we mounted the marble steps, and entered the brilliant hall unannounced. ranged on the carpet were many prostrate, mute, and motionless forms, over whose heads to step was a temptation as drolly natural as it was dangerous. his majesty spied us quickly, and advanced abruptly, petulantly screaming, "who? who? who?" captain b---(who, by the by, is a titled nobleman of siam) introduced me as the english governess, engaged for the royal family. the king shook hands with us, and immediately proceeded to march up and down in quick step, putting one foot before the other with mathematical precision, as if under drill. "forewarned, forearmed!" my friend whispered that i should prepare myself for a sharp cross-questioning as to my age, my husband, children, and other strictly personal concerns. suddenly his majesty, having cogitated sufficiently in his peculiar manner, with one long final stride halted in front of us, and pointing straight at me with his forefinger, asked, "how old shall you be?" scarcely able to repress a smile at a proceeding so absurd, and with my sex's distaste for so serious a question, i demurely replied, "one hundred and fifty years old." had i made myself much younger, he might have ridiculed or assailed me; but now he stood surprised and embarrassed for a few moments, then resumed his queer march; and at last, beginning to perceive the jest, coughed, laughed, coughed again, and in a high, sharp key asked, "in what year were you borned?" instantly i struck a mental balance, and answered, as gravely as i could, "in 1788." at this point the expression of his majesty's face was indescribably comical. captain b---slipped behind a pillar to laugh; but the king only coughed, with a significant emphasis that startled me, and addressed a few words to his prostrate courtiers, who smiled at the carpet,--all except the prime minister, who turned to look at me. but his majesty was not to be baffled so: again he marched with vigor, and then returned to the attack with _ã©lan_. "how many years shall you be married?" "for several years, your majesty." he fell into a brown study; then, laughing, rushed at me, and demanded triumphantly:-"ha! how many grandchildren shall you now have? ha, ha! how many? how many? ha, ha, ha!" of course we all laughed with him; but the general hilarity admitted of a variety of constructions. then suddenly he seized my hand, and dragged me, _nolens volens_, my little louis holding fast by my skirt, through several sombre passages, along which crouched duennas, shrivelled and grotesque, and many youthful women, covering their faces, as if blinded by the splendor of the passing majesty. at length he stopped before one of the many-curtained recesses, and, drawing aside the hangings, disclosed a lovely, childlike form. he stooped and took her hand, (she naively hiding her face), and placing it in mine, said, "this is my wife, the lady tã¢lã¢p. she desires to be educated in english. she is as pleasing for her talents as for her beauty, and it is our pleasure to make her a good english scholar. you shall educate her for me." i replied that the office would give me much pleasure; for nothing could be more eloquently winning than the modest, timid bearing of that tender young creature in the presence of her lord. she laughed low and pleasantly as he translated my sympathetic words to her, and seemed so enraptured with the graciousness of his act that i took my leave of her with a sentiment of profound pity. he led me back by the way we had come; and now we met many children, who put my patient boy to much childish torture for the gratification of their startled curiosity. "i have sixty-seven children," said his majesty, when we had returned to the audience hall. "you shall educate them, and as many of my wives, likewise, as may wish to learn english. and i have much correspondence in which you must assist me. and, moreover, i have much difficulty for reading and translating french letters; for french are fond of using gloomily deceiving terms. you must undertake; and you shall make all their murky sentences and gloomily deceiving propositions clear to me. and, furthermore, i have by every mail foreign letters whose writing is not easily read by me. you shall copy on round hand, for my readily perusal thereof." _nil desperandum_; but i began by despairing of my ability to accomplish tasks so multifarious. i simply bowed, however, and so dismissed myself for that evening. one tempting morning, when the air was cool, my boy and i ventured some distance beyond the bounds of our usual cautious promenade, close to the palace of the premier. some forty or fifty carpenters, building boats under a long low shed, attracted the child's attention. we tarried awhile, watching their work, and then strolled to a stone bridge hard by, where we found a gang of repulsive wretches, all men, coupled by means of iron collars and short but heavy fetters, in which they moved with difficulty, if not with positive pain. they were carrying stone from the canal to the bridge, and as they stopped to deposit their burdens, i observed that most of them had hard, defiant faces, though here and there were sad and gentle eyes that bespoke sympathy. one of them approached us, holding out his hand, into which boy dropped the few coins he had. instantly, with a greedy shout, the whole gang were upon us, crowding us on all sides, wrangling, yelling. i was exceedingly alarmed, and having no more money there, knew not what to do, except to take my child in my arms, and strive again and again to break through the press; but still i fell back baffled, and sickened by the insufferable odors that emanated from their disgusting persons; and still they pressed and scrambled and screamed, and clanked their horrid chains. but behold! suddenly, as if struck by lightning, every man of them fell on his face, and officers flew among them pell-mell, swingeing with hard, heavy thongs the naked wincing backs. it was with a sense of infinite relief that we found ourselves safe in our rooms at last; but the breakfast tasted earthy and the atmosphere was choking, and our very hearts were parched. at night boy lay burning on his little bed, moaning for _aiyer sujok_ (cold water), while i fainted for a breath of fresh, sweet air. but god blesses these eastern prison-houses not at all; the air that visits them is no better than the life within,--heavy, stifling, stupefying. for relief i betook me to the study of the siamese language, an occupation i had found very pleasant and inspiring. as for boy, who spoke malay fluently, it was wonderful with what aptness he acquired it. when next i "interviewed" the king, i was accompanied by the premier's sister, a fair and friendly woman, whose whole stock of english was, "good morning, sir"; and with this somewhat irrelevant greeting, a dozen times in an hour, though the hour were night, she relieved her pent-up feelings, and gave expression to her sympathy and regard for me. mr. hunter, private secretary to the premier, had informed me, speaking for his excellency, that i should prepare to enter upon my duties at the royal palace without delay. accordingly, next morning, the elder sister of the kralahome came for us. she led the way to the river, followed by slave-girls bearing a gold teapot, a pretty gold tray containing two tiny porcelain cups with covers, her betel-box, also of gold, and two large fans. when we were seated in the closely covered basket-boat, she took up one of the books i had brought with me, and, turning over the leaves, came upon the alphabet; whereat, with a look of pleased surprise, she began repeating the letters. i helped her, and for a while she seemed amused and gratified; but presently, growing weary of it, she abruptly closed the book, and, offering me her hand, said, "good morning, sir!" i replied with equal cordiality, and i think we bade each other good morning at least a dozen times before we reached the palace. we landed at a showy pavilion, and after traversing several covered passages came to a barrier guarded by amazons, to whom the old lady was evidently well known, for they threw open the gate for us, and "squatted" till we passed. a hot walk of twenty minutes brought us to a curious oval door of polished brass, which opened and shut noiselessly in a highly ornate frame. this admitted us to a cool retreat, on one side of which were several temples or chapels in antique styles, and on the other a long dim gallery. on the marble floor of this pavilion a number of interesting children sat or sprawled, and quaint babies slept or frolicked in their nurses' arms. it was, indeed, a grateful change from the oppressive, irritating heat and glare through which we had just passed. the loungers started up to greet our motherly guide, who humbly prostrated herself before them; and then refreshments were brought in on large silver trays, with covers of scarlet silk in the form of a bee-hive. as no knife or fork or spoon was visible, boy and i were fain to content ourselves with oranges, wherewith we made ourselves an unexpected but cheerful show for the entertainment and edification of those juvenile spectators of the royal family of siam. i smiled and held out my hand to them, for they were, almost without exception, attractive children; but they shyly shrank from me. meanwhile the "child-wife," to whom his majesty had presented me at my first audience, appeared, and after saluting profoundly the sister of the kralahome, and conversing with her for some minutes, lay down on the cool floor, and, using her betel-box for a pillow, beckoned to me. as i approached, and seated myself beside her, she said: "i am very glad to see you. it is long time i not see. why you come so late?" to all of which she evidently expected no reply. i tried baby-talk, in the hope of making my amiable sentiments intelligible to so infantile a creature, but in vain. seeing me disappointed and embarrassed, she oddly sang a scrap of the sunday-school hymn, "there is a happy land, far, far away"; and then said, "i think of you very often. in the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth." this meritorious but disjointed performance was followed by a protracted and trying silence, i sitting patient, and boy wondering in my lap. at last she half rose, and, looking around, cautiously whispered, "dear mam mattoon! i love you. i think of you. your boy dead, you come to palace; you cry--i love you"; and laying her finger on her lips, and her head on the betel-box again, again she sang, "there is a happy land, far, far away!" mrs. mattoon is the wife of that good and true american apostle who has nobly served the cause of missions in siam as a co-laborer with the excellent dr. samuel house. while the wife of the latter devoted herself indefatigably to the improvement of schools for the native children whom the mission had gathered round it, mrs. mattoon shared her labors by occasionally teaching in the palace, which was for some time thrown open to the ladies of her faithful sisterhood. here, as elsewhere, the blended force and gentleness of her character wrought marvels in the impressible and grateful minds to which she had access. so spontaneous and ingenuous a tribute of reverence and affection from a pagan to a christian lady was inexpressibly charming to me. thus the better part of the day passed. the longer i rested dreaming there, the more enchanted seemed the world within those walls. i was aroused by a slight noise proceeding from the covered gallery, whence an old lady appeared bearing a candlestick of gold, with branches supporting four lighted candles. i afterward learned that these were daily offerings, which the king, on awakening from his forenoon slumber, sent to the watt p'hra kã«au. this apparition was the signal for much stir. the lady tã¢lã¢p started to her feet and fled, and we were left alone with the premier's sister and the slaves in waiting. the entire household seemed to awake on the instant, as in the "sleeping palace" of tennyson, at the kiss of the fairy prince,- "the maid and page renewed their strife; the palace banged, and buzzed, and clackt; and all the long-pent stream of life dashed downward in a cataract." a various procession of women and children--some pale and downcast, others bright and blooming, more moody and hardened--moved in the one direction; none tarried to chat, none loitered or looked back; the lord was awake. "and last with these the king awoke, and in his chair himself upreared, and yawned, and rubbed his face, and spoke." presently the child-wife reappeared,--arrayed now in dark blue silk, which contrasted well with the soft olive of her complexion,--and quickly followed the others, with a certain anxious alacrity expressed in her baby face. i readily guessed that his majesty was the awful cause of all this careful bustle, and began to feel uneasy myself, as my ordeal approached. for an hour i stood on thorns. then there was a general frantic rush. attendants, nurses, slaves, vanished through doors, around corners, behind pillars, under stairways; and at last, preceded by a sharp, "cross" cough, behold the king! we found his majesty in a less genial mood than at my first reception. he approached us coughing loudly and repeatedly, a sufficiently ominous fashion of announcing himself, which greatly discouraged my darling boy, who clung to me anxiously. he was followed by a numerous "tail" of women and children, who formally prostrated themselves around him. shaking hands with me coldly, but remarking upon the beauty of the child's hair, half buried in the folds of my dress, he turned to the premier's sister, and conversed at some length with her, she apparently acquiescing in all that he had to say. he then approached me, and said, in a loud and domineering tone:-"it is our pleasure that you shall reside within this palace with our family." i replied that it would be quite impossible for me to do so; that, being as yet unable to speak the language, and the gates being shut every evening, i should feel like an unhappy prisoner in the palace. "where do you go every evening?" he demanded. "not anywhere, your majesty. i am a stranger here." "then why you shall object to the gates being shut?" "i do not clearly know," i replied, with a secret shudder at the idea of sleeping within those walls; "but i am afraid i could not do it. i beg your majesty will remember that in your gracious letter you promised me 'a residence adjoining the royal palace,' not within it." he turned and looked at me, his face growing almost purple with rage. "i do not know i have promised. i do not know former condition. i do not know anything but you are our servant; and it is our pleasure that you must live in this palace, and--_you shall obey_." those last three words he fairly screamed. i trembled in every limb, and for some time knew not how to reply. at length i ventured to say, "i am prepared to obey all your majesty's commands within the obligation of my duty to your family, but beyond that i can promise no obedience." "you _shall_ live in palace," he roared,--"you _shall _live in palace! i will give woman slaves to wait on you. you shall commence royal school in this pavilion on thursday next. that is the best day for such undertaking, in the estimation of our astrologers." with that, he addressed, in a frantic manner, commands, unintelligible to me, to some of the old women about the pavilion. my boy began to cry; tears filled my own eyes; and the premier's sister, so kind but an hour before, cast fierce glances at us both. i turned and led my child toward the oval brass door. we heard voices behind us crying. "mam! mam!" i turned again, and saw the king beckoning and calling to me. i bowed to him profoundly, but passed on through the brass door. the prime minister's sister bounced after us in a distraction of excitement, tugging at my cloak, shaking her finger in my face, and crying, "_my di! my di!_" [footnote: "bad, bad!"] all the way back, in the boat, and on the street, to the very door of my apartments, instead of her jocund "good morning, sir," i had nothing but _my di_. but kings, who are not mad, have their sober second-thoughts like other rational people. his golden-footed majesty presently repented him of his arbitrary "cantankerousness," and in due time my ultimatum was accepted. vii. marble halls and fish-stalls. well! by this time i was awake to the realities of time, place, and circumstance. the palace and its spells, the impracticable despot, the impassible premier, were not the phantasms of a witching night, but the hard facts of noonday. here were the very apollyons of paganry in the way, and only the great hearts of a lonely woman and a loving child to challenge them. with a heart heavy with regret for the comparatively happy home i had left in malacca, i sought an interview with the kralahome, and told him (through his secretary, mr. hunter) how impossible it would be for me and my child to lodge within the walls of the grand palace; and that he was bound in honor to make good the conditions on which i had been induced to leave singapore. at last i succeeded in interesting him, and he accorded me a gracious hearing. my objection to the palace, as a place of residence as well as of business, seemed to strike him as reasonable enough; and he promised to plead my cause with his majesty, bidding me kindly "give myself no further trouble about the matter, for he would make it right." thus passed a few days more, while i waited monotonously under the roof of the premier, teaching boy, studying siamese, paying stated visits to the good koon ying phan, and suffering tumultuous invasions from my "intimate enemies" of the harem, who came upon us like a flight of locusts, and rarely left without booty, in the shape of trifles they had begged of me. but things get themselves done, after a fashion, even in siam; and so, one morning, came the slow but welcome news that the king was reconciled to the idea of my living outside the palace, that a house had been selected for me, and a messenger waited to conduct me to it. hastily donning our walking-gear, we found an elderly man, of somewhat sinister aspect, in a dingy red coat with faded facings of yellow, impatient to guide us to our unimaginable quarters. as we passed out, we met the premier, whose countenance wore a quizzing expression, which i afterward understood; but at the moment i saw in it only the characteristic conundrum that i had neither the time nor the talent to guess. it was with a lively sense of relief that i followed our conductor, in whom, by a desperate exploit of imagination, i discovered a promise of privacy and "home." in a long, slender boat, with a high, uneven covering of wood, we stowed ourselves in the oriental manner, my dress and appearance affording infinite amusement to the ten rowers as they plied their paddles, while our escort stood in the entrance chewing betel, and looking more ill-omened than ever. we alighted at the king's pavilion facing the river, and were led, by a long, circuitous, and unpleasant road, through two tall gates, into a street which, from the offensive odors that assailed us, i took to be a fish-market. the sun burned, the air stifled, the dust choked us, the ground blistered our feet; we were parching and suffocating, when our guide stopped at the end of this most execrable lane, and signed to us to follow him up three broken steps of brick. from a pouch in his dingy coat he produced a key, applied it to a door, and opened to us two small rooms, without a window in either, without a leaf to shade, without bath-closet or kitchen. and this was the residence sumptuously appointed for the english governess to the royal family of siam! and furnished! and garnished! in one room, on a remnant of filthy matting, stood the wreck of a table, superannuated, and maimed of a leg, but propped by two chairs that with broken arms sympathized with each other. in the other, a cheap excess of chinese bedstead, that took the whole room to itself; and a mattress!--a mutilated epitome of a lazarine hospital. my stock of siamese words was small, but strong. i gratefully recalled the emphatic monosyllables wherewith the premier's sister had so berated me; and turning upon the king's messenger with her tremendous _my di! my di!_ dashed the key from his hand, as, inanely grinning, he held it out to me, caught my boy up in my arms, cleared the steps in a bound, and fled anywhere, anywhere, until i was stopped by the crowd of men, women, and children, half naked, who gathered around me, wondering. then, remembering my adventure with the chain-gang, i was glad to accept the protection of my insulted escort, and escape from that suburb of disgust. all the way back to the premier's our guide grinned at us fiendishly, whether in token of apology or ridicule i knew not; and landing us safely, he departed to our great relief, still grinning. straight went i to the kralahome, whose shy, inquisitive smile was more and more provoking. in a few sharp words i told him, through the interpreter, what i thought of the lodging provided for me, and that nothing should induce me to live in such a slum. to which, with cool, deliberate audacity, he replied that nothing prevented me from living where i was. i started from the low seat i had taken (in order to converse with him at my ease, he sitting on the floor), and not without difficulty found voice to say that neither his palace nor the den in the fish-market would suit me, and that i demanded suitable and independent accommodations, in a respectable neighborhood, for myself and my child. my rage only amused him. smiling insolently, he rose, bade me, "never mind: it will be all right by and by," and retired to an inner chamber. my head throbbed with pain, my pulse bounded, my throat burned. i staggered to my rooms, exhausted and despairing, there to lie, for almost a week, prostrated with fever, and tortured day and night with frightful fancies and dreams. beebe and the gentle koon ying phan nursed me tenderly, bringing me water, deliciously cool, in which the fragrant flower of the jessamine had been steeped, both to drink and to bathe my temples. as soon as i began to recover, i caressed the soft hand of the dear pagan lady, and implored her, partly in siamese, partly in english, to intercede for me with her husband, that a decent home might be provided for us. she assured me, while she smoothed my hair and patted my cheek as though i were a helpless child, that she would do her best with him, begging me meanwhile to be patient. but that i could not be; and i spared no opportunity to expostulate with the premier on the subject of my future abode and duties, telling him that the life i was leading under his roof was insupportable to me; though, indeed, i was not ungrateful for the many offices of affection i received from the ladies of his harem, who in my trouble were sympathetic and tender. from that time forth the imperturbable kralahome was ever courteous to me. nevertheless, when from time to time i grew warm again on the irrepressible topic, he would smile slyly, tap the ashes from his pipe, and say, "yes, sir! never mind, sir! you not like, you can live in fish-market, sir!" the apathy and supineness of these people oppressed me intolerably. never well practised in patience, i chafed at the _sang-froid_ of the deliberate premier. without compromising my dignity, i did much to enrage him; but he bore all with a _nonchalance_ that was the more irritating because it was not put on. thus more than two months passed, and i had desperately settled down to my oriental studies, content to snub the kralahome with his own indifference, whilst he, on the other hand, blandly ignored our existence, when, to my surprise, he paid me a visit one afternoon, complimented me on my progress in the language, and on my "great heart,"--or _chi yai_, as he called it,--and told me his majesty was highly incensed at my conduct in the affair of the fish-market, and that he had found me something to do. i thanked him so cordially that he expressed his surprise, saying, "siamese lady no like work; love play, love sleep. why you no love play?" i assured him that i liked play well enough when i was in the humor for play; but that at present i was not disposed to disport myself, being weary of my life in his palace, and sick of siam altogether. he received my candor with his characteristic smile and a good-humored "good by, sir!" next morning ten siamese lads and a little girl came to my room. the former were the half-brothers, nephews, and other "encumbrances" of the kralahome; the latter their sister, a simple child of nine or ten. surely it was with no snobbery of condescension that i received these poor children, but rather gratefully, as a comfort and a wholesome discipline. and so another month went by, and still i heard nothing from his majesty. but the premier began to interest me. the more i saw of him the more he puzzled me. it was plain that all who came in contact with him both feared and loved him. he displayed a kind of passive amiability of which he seemed always conscious, which he made his _forte_. by what means he exacted such prompt obedience, and so completely controlled a people whom he seemed to drive with reins so loose and careless, was a mystery to me. but that his influence and the prestige of his name penetrated to every nook of that vast yet undeveloped kingdom was the phenomenon which slowly but surely impressed me. i was but a passing traveller, surveying from a distance and at large that vast plain of humanity; but i could see that it was systematically tilled by one master mind. viii. our home in bangkok rebuked and saddened, i abandoned my long-cherished hope of a home, and resigned myself with no good grace to my routine of study and instruction. where were all the romantic fancies and proud anticipations with which i had accepted the position of governess to the royal family of siam? alas! in two squalid rooms at the end of a bangkok fish-market. i failed to find the fresh strength and courage that lay in the hope of improving the interesting children whose education had been intrusted to me, and day by day grew more and more desponding, less and less equal to the simple task my "mission" had set me. i was fairly sick at heart and ready to surrender that morning when the good koon ying phan came unannounced into our rooms to tell us that a tolerable house was found for us at last. i cannot describe with what an access of joy i heard the glad tidings, nor how i thanked the messenger, nor how in a moment i forgot all my chagrin and repining, and hugged my boy and covered him with kisses. it was not until that "order for release" arrived, that i truly felt how offensive and galling had been the life i had led in the premier's palace. it was with unutterable gladness that i followed a half-brother of the kralahome, moonshee leading boy by the hand, to our new house. passing several streets, we entered a walled enclosure, abounding in broken bricks, stone, lime, mortar, and various rubbish. a tall, dingy storehouse occupied one side of the wall; in the other, a low door opened toward the river; and at the farther end stood the house, sheltered by a few fine trees, that, drooping over the piazza, made the place almost picturesque. on entering, however, we found ourselves face to face with overpowering filth. poor moonshee stood aghast. "it must be a paradise," he had said when we set out, "since the great vizier bestows it upon the mem sahib, whom he delights to honor." now he cursed his fate, and reviled all viziers. i turned to see to whom his lamentations were addressed, and beheld another mohammedan seated on the floor, and attending with an attitude and air of devout respect. the scene reminded boy and me of our old home, and we laughed heartily. on making a tour of inspection, we found nine rooms, some of them pleasant and airy, and with every "modern convenience" (though somewhat oriental as to style) of bath, kitchen, etc. it was clear that soap and water without stint would do much here toward the making of a home for us. beebe and boy were hopeful, and promptly put a full stop to the rhetorical outcry of moonshee by requesting him to enlist the services of his admiring friend and two china coolies to fetch water. but there were no buckets. with a few dollars that i gave him, moonshee, with all a moslem's resignation to any new turn in his fate, departed to explore for the required utensils, while the brother of the awful kralahome, perched on the piazza railing, adjusted his anatomy for a comfortable oversight of the proceedings. boy, with his "pinny" on, ran off in glee to make himself promiscuously useful, and i sat down to plan an attack. where to begin?--that was the question. it was such filthy filth, so monstrous in quantity and kind,--dirt to be stared at, defied, savagely assaulted with rage and havoc. suddenly i arose, shook my head dangerously at the prime minister's brother,--who, fascinated, had advanced into the room,--marched through a broken door, hung my hat and mantle on a rusty nail, doffed my neat half-mourning, slipped on an old wrapper, dashed at the vile matting that in ulcerous patches afflicted the floor, and began fiercely tearing it up. in good time moonshee and his new friend returned with half a dozen buckets, but no coolies; in place of the latter came a neat and pleasant siamese lady, mrs. hunter, wife of the premier's secretary, bringing her slaves to help, and some rolls of fresh, sweet china matting for the floor. how quickly the general foulness was purified, the general raggedness repaired, the general shabbiness made "good as new"! the floors, that had been buried under immemorial dust, arose again under the excavating labors of the sweepers; and the walls, that had been gory with expectorations of betel, hid their "damnã©d spots" under innocent veils of whitewash. moonshee, who had evidently been beguiled by a cheap and spurious variety of the wine of shiraz, and now sat maudlin on the steps, weeping for his home in singapore, i despatched peremptorily in search of beebe, bedsteads, and boxes. but the kralahome's brother had vanished, doubtless routed by the brooms. bright, fresh, fragrant matting; a table neither too low to be pretty nor too high to be useful; a couple of armchairs, hospitably embracing; a pair of silver candlesticks, quaint and homely; a goodly company of pleasant books; a piano, just escaping from its travelling-cage, with all its pent-up music in its bosom; a cosey little cot clinging to its ampler mother; a stream of generous sunlight from the window gilding and gladdening all,--behold our home in siam! i worked exultingly till the setting sun slanted his long shadows across the piazza. then came comfortable beebe with the soup and dainties she had prepared with the help of a "bombay man." boy slept soundly in an empty room, overcome by the spell of its sudden sweetness, his hands and face as dirty as a healthy, well-regulated boy could desire. triumphantly i bore him to his own pretty couch, adjusted my hair, resumed my royal robes of mauve muslin, and prepared to queen it in my own palace. and even as i stood, smiling at my own small grandeur, came tender memories crowding thick upon me,--of a soft, warm lap, in which i had once loved to lay my head; of a face, fair, pensive, loving, lovely; of eyes whose deep and quiet light a shadow of unkindness never crossed; of lips that sweetly crooned the songs of a far-off, happy land; of a presence full of comfort, hope, strength, courage, victory, peace, that perfect harmony that comes of perfect faith,--a child's trust in its mother. passionately i clasped my child in my arms, and awoke him with pious promises that took the form of kisses. beebe, soup, teapot, candlesticks, teacups, and dear faithful bessy, looked on and smiled. hardly had we finished this, our first and finest feast, in celebration of our glorious independence, when our late guide of fish-market fame, he of the seedy red coat and faded yellow facings, appeared on the piazza, saluted us with that vacant chuckle and grin wherefrom no inference could be drawn, and delivered his majesty's order that i should now come to the school. unterrified and deliberate, we lingered yet a little over that famous breakfast, then rose, and prepared to follow the mechanical old ape. boy hugged bessy fondly by way of good-by, and, leaving beebe on guard, we went forth. the same long, narrow, tall, and very crank boat received us. the sun was hot enough to daunt a sepoy; down the bare backs of the oarsmen flowed miniature meinams of sweat, as they tugged, grunting, against the strong current. we landed at the familiar (king's) pavilion, the front of which projects into the river by a low portico. the roof, rising in several tiers, half shelters, half bridges the detached and dilapidated parts of the structure, which presents throughout a very ancient aspect, parts of the roof having evidently been renewed, and the gables showing traces of recent repairs, while the rickety pillars seem to protest with groans against the architectural anachronism that has piled so many young heads upon their time-worn shoulders. ix. our school in the palace. the fact is remarkable, that though education in its higher degrees is popularly neglected in siam, there is scarcely a man or woman in the empire who cannot read and write. though a vain people, they are neither bigoted nor shallow; and i think the day is not far off when the enlightening influences applied to them, and accepted through their willingness, not only to receive instruction from europeans, but even to adopt in a measure their customs and their habits of thought, will raise them to the rank of a superior nation. the language of this people advances but slowly in the direction of grammatical perfection. like many other oriental tongues, it was at first purely monosyllabic; but as the pali or sanskrit has been liberally engrafted on it, polysyllabic words have been formed. its pronouns and particles are peculiar, its idioms few and simple, its metaphors very obvious. it is copious to redundancy in terms expressive of royalty, rank, dignity--in fact, a distinct phraseology is required in addressing personages of exalted station; repetitions of word and phrase are affected, rather than shunned. sententious brevity and simplicity of expression belong to the pure spirit of the language, and when employed impart to it much dignity and beauty; but there is no standard of orthography, nor any grammar, and but few rules of universal application. every siamese writer spells to please himself, and the purism of one is the slang or gibberish of another. [illustration: a pupil of the royal school.] the siamese write from left to right, the words running together in a line unbroken by spaces, points, or capitals; so that, as in ancient sanskrit, an entire paragraph appears as one protracted word, "that, like a wounded snake, drags its slow length along." when not written with a reed on dark native paper, the characters are engraved with a style (of brass or iron, one end sharp for writing, the other flat for erasing) on palm-leaves prepared for the purpose. in all parts of the empire the boys are taught by priests to read, write, and cipher. every monastery is provided with a library, more or less standard. the more elegant books are composed of tablets of ivory, or of palmyra leaves delicately prepared; the characters engraved on these are gilt, the margins and edges adorned with heavy gilding or with flowers in bright colors. the literature of the siamese deals principally with religious topics. the "kammarakya," or buddhist ritual,--a work for the priesthood only, and therefore, like others of the vinnã¢yã¢, little known,--contains the vital elements of the buddhist moral code, and, _per se_, is perfect; on this point all writers, whether partial or captious, are of one mind. spence hardy, a wesleyan missionary, speaking of that part of the work entitled "dhammã¢-padam," [footnote: properly _dharmna_,--"footsteps of the law."] which is freely taught in the schools attached to the monasteries, admits that a compilation might be made from its precepts, "which in the purity of its ethics could hardly be equalled from any other heathen author." m. laboulaye, one of the most distinguished members of the french academy, remarks, in the _dã©bats_ of april 4, 1853, on a work known by the title of "dharmna maitrã®," or "law of charity":-"it is difficult to comprehend how men, not aided by revelation, could have soared so high and approached so near the truth. beside the five great commandments,--not to kill, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to lie, not to get drunk,--every shade of vice, hypocrisy, anger, pride, suspicion, greed, gossip, cruelty to animals, is guarded against by special precepts. among the virtues commended we find, not only reverence for parents, care for children, submission to authority, gratitude, moderation in time of prosperity, resignation and fortitude in time of trial, equanimity at all times, but virtues unknown to any heathen system of morality, such as the duty of forgiving insults, and of rewarding evil with good." all virtues, we are told, spring from _maitrã®_, and this _maitrã®_ can only be rendered by charity and love. "i do not hesitate," says burnouf, in his _lotus de la bonne loi_, "to translate by 'charity' the word _maitrã®_, which expresses, not merely friendship, or the feeling of particular affection which a man has for one or more of his fellow-creatures, but that universal feeling which inspires us with good-will toward all men and a constant willingness to help them." i may here add the testimony of barthã©lemy saint-hilaire: "i do not hesitate to add," he writes, "that, save the christ alone, there is not among the founders of religion a figure more pure, more touching, than that of buddha. his life is without blemish; his constant heroism equals his conviction; and if the theory he extols is false, the personal examples he affords are irreproachable. he is the accomplished model of all the virtues he preaches; his abnegation, his charity, his unalterable sweetness, never belie themselves. at the age of twenty-nine he retires from the court of the king, his father, to become a devotee and a beggar. he silently prepares his doctrine by six years of seclusion and meditation. he propagates it, by the unaided power of speech and persuasion, for more than half a century; and when he dies in the arms of his disciples, it is with the serenity of a sage who has practised goodness all his life, and knows that he has found truth." another work, as sacred and more mystic, is the "parajikã¢," read in the temples with closed doors by the chief priests exclusively, and only to such devotees as have entered the monastic schools for life. then there are the "p'ra-jana para-mita," (the "accomplishment of reason," or "transcendental wisdom,)" and other works in abstruse philosophy. the "lalita vistara" contains the life of buddha, and is esteemed the highest authority as to the more remarkable events in the career of the great reformer. the "saddharma-pundikara" (or _pundariki_ in ceylon), "the white lotos of the true religion," presents the incidents of buddha's life in the form of legend and fable. the "ganda-veyuha," but little known, consists of remarkable and very beautiful forms of prayer and thanksgiving, with psalms of praise addressed to the perfection of the infinite and to the invisible, by sakya muni, the buddha. the "nirwana" treats of the end of material existence, and is universally read, and highly esteemed by buddhists as a treatise of rare merit. but the most important parts of the theological study of the siamese priesthood are found in a work revered under the titles of "tautras" and "kala-chakara,"--that is, "circles of time, matter, space"; probably a translation of the sanskrit symbolic word, _om_, "circle." there are twenty-two volumes, treating exclusively of mystics and mystical worship. the libraries of the monasteries are rich in works on the theory and practice of medicine; but very poor in historical books, the few preserved dealing mainly with the lives and actions of siamese rulers, oddly associated with the genii and heroes of the hindoo mythology. like the early historians of greece and rome, the writers are careful to furnish a particular account of all signs, omens, and predictions relating to the several events recorded. they possess also a few translated works in chinese history. the late king was an authority on all questions of religion, law, and custom, and was familiar with the writings of pythagoras and aristotle. the siamese have an extravagant fondness for the drama, and for poetry of every kind. in all the lyric form predominates, and their compositions are commonly adapted for instrumental accompaniment. their dramatic entertainments are mainly musical, combining rudely the opera with the ballet,--monotonous singing, and listless, mechanical dancing. dialogue is occasionally introduced, the favorite subjects being passages from the hindoo avatars, the epic "ramayana," and the "mahabharata"; or from legends, peculiar to siam, of gods, heroes, and demons. throughout their literature, mythology is the all-pervading element; history, science, arts, customs, conversation, opinion, doctrine, are alike colored and flavored with it. with so brief and meagre a sketch of the literature of siam, i would fain prepare the reader to appreciate the peculiarities of an english classical school in the royal palace at bangkok. in siam, all schools, literary societies, monasteries, even factories, all intellectual and progressive enterprises of whatever nature and intention, are opened and begun on thursday, "one p'ra hatt"; because that day is sacred to the goddess of mind or wisdom, probably the hindoo saraswati. on the thursday appointed for the opening of my classes in the palace, one of the king's barges conveyed us across the meinam. at the landing i was met by slave-girls, who conducted me to the palace through the gate called patoo sap, "gate of knowledge." here i was received by some amazons, who in turn gave notice to other slave-girls waiting to escort us to a pavilion--or, more correctly, temple--dedicated to the wives and daughters of siam. [footnote: _watt khoon choom manda thai_,--"temple of the mothers of the free."] the profound solitude of this refuge, embowered in its twilight grove of orange and palm trees, was strangely tranquillizing. the religion of the place seemed to overcome us, as we waited among the tall, gilded pillars of the temple. on one side was an altar, enriched with some of the most curious and precious offerings of art to be found in the east. there was a gilded rostrum also, from which the priests daily officiated; and near by, on the summit of a curiously carved trunk of an old bho tree, [footnote: the sacred tree under which guadama discoursed with his disciples.] the goddess of mind presided. the floor of this beautiful temple was a somewhat gaudy mosaic of variegated marble and precious stones; but the gilded pillars, the friezes that surmounted them, and the vaulted roof of gilded arabesques, seemed to tone down the whole to their own chaste harmony of design. in the centre of the temple stood a long table, finely carved, and some gilt chairs. the king and most of the nobler ladies of the court were present, with a few of the chief priests, among whom i recognized, for the first time, his lordship chow khoon sã¢h. his majesty received me and my little boy most kindly. after an interval of silence he clapped his hands lightly, and instantly the lower hall was filled with female slaves. a word or two, dropped from his lips, bowed every head and dispersed the attendants. but they presently returned laden, some with boxes containing books, slates, pens, pencils, and ink; others with lighted tapers and vases filled with the white lotos, which they set down before the gilded chairs. at a signal from the king, the priests chanted a hymn from the "p'ra-jana para-mita"; [footnote: "accomplishment of reason," or "transcendental wisdom."] and then a burst of music announced the entrance of the princes and princesses, my future pupils. they advanced in the order of their ages. the princess ying you wahlacks ("first-born among women"), having precedence, approached and prostrated herself before her royal father, the others following her example. i admired the beauty of her skin, the delicacy of her form, and the subdued lustre of her dreamy eyes. the king took her gently by the hand, and presented me to her, saying simply, "the english teacher." her greeting was quiet and self-possessed. taking both my hands, she bowed, and touched them with her forehead; then, at a word from the king, retired to her place on the right. one by one, in like manner, all the royal children were presented and saluted me; and the music ceased. his majesty then spoke briefly, to this effect: "dear children, as this is to be an english school, you will have to learn and observe the english modes of salutation, address, conversation, and etiquette; and each and every one of you shall be at liberty to sit in my presence, unless it be your own pleasure not to do so." the children all bowed, and touched their foreheads with their folded palms, in acquiescence. then his majesty departed with the priests; and the moment he was fairly out of sight, the ladies of the court began, with much noise and confusion, to ask questions, turn over the leaves of books, and chatter and giggle together. of course, no teaching was possible in such a din; my young princes and princesses disappeared in the arms of their nurses and slaves, and i retired to my apartments in the prime minister's palace. but the serious business of my school began on the following thursday. on that day a crowd of half-naked children followed me and my louis to the palace gates, where our guide gave us in charge to a consequential female slave, at whose request the ponderous portal was opened barely wide enough to admit one person at a time. on entering we were jealously scrutinized by the amazonian guard, and a "high private" questioned the propriety of admitting my boy; whereat a general tittering, and we passed on. we advanced through the noiseless oval door, and entered the dim, cool pavilion, in the centre of which the tables were arranged for school. away flew several venerable dames who had awaited our arrival, and in about an hour returned, bringing with them twenty-one scions of siamese royalty, to be initiated into the mysteries of reading, writing, and arithmetic, after the european, and especially the english manner. it was not long before my scholars were ranged in chairs around the long table, with webster's far-famed spelling-books before them, repeating audibly after me the letters of the alphabet. while i stood at one end of the table, my little louis at the other, mounted on a chair, the better to command his division, mimicked me with a fidelity of tone and manner very quaint and charming. patiently his small finger pointed out to his class the characters so strange to them, and not yet perfectly familiar to himself. about noon, a number of young women were brought to me, to be taught like the rest. i received them sympathetically, at the same time making a memorandum of their names in a book of my own. this created a general and lively alarm, which it was not in my power immediately to allay, my knowledge of their language being confined to a few simple sentences; but when at last their courage and confidence were restored, they began to take observations and an inventory of me that were by no means agreeable. they fingered my hair and dress, my collar, belt, and rings. one donned my hat and cloak, and made a promenade of the pavilion; another pounced upon my gloves and veil, and disguised herself in them, to the great delight of the little ones, who laughed boisterously. a grim duenna, who had heard the noise, bustled wrathfully into the pavilion. instantly hat, cloak, veil, gloves, were flung right and left, and the young women dropped on the floor, repeating shrilly, like truant urchins caught in the act, their "ba, be, bi, bo." one who seemed the infant phenomenon of the royal harem, so juvenile and artless were her looks and ways, despising a performance so rudimentary as the a, b, c, demanded to be steered at once into the mid-ocean of the book; but when i left her without pilot in an archipelago of hard words, she soon showed signals of distress. at the far end of the table, bending over a little prince, her eyes riveted on the letters my boy was naming to her, stood a pale young woman, whose aspect was dejected and forlorn. she had entered unannounced and unnoticed, as one who had no interest in common with the others; and now she stood apart and alone, intent only on mastering the alphabet with the help of her small teacher. when we were about to dismiss the school, she repeated her lesson to my wise lad, who listened with imposing gravity, pronounced her a "very good child," and said she might go now. but when she perceived that i observed her curiously, she crouched almost under the table, as though owning she had no right to be there, and was worthy to pick only the crumbs of knowledge that might fall from it. she was neither very young nor pretty, save that her dark eyes were profound and expressive, and now the more interesting by their touching sadness. esteeming it the part of prudence as well as of kindness to appear unconscious of her presence, and so encourage her to come again, i left the palace without accosting her, before his majesty had awakened from his forenoon nap. this crushed creature had fallen under the displeasure of the king, and the after chapters of her story, which shall be related in their proper connection, were romantic and mournful. x. moonshee and the angel gabriel. our blue chamber overlooked the attap roofs of a long row of houses, badly disfigured by the stains and wear of many a wet season, in which our next neighbor, a mohammedan of patriarchal aspect and demeanor, stored bags of sugar, waiting for a rise in the market. this worthy paid us the honor of a visit every afternoon, and in the snug little eastern chamber consecrated to the studies and meditations of my persian teacher propounded solemn problems from the alkoran. under moonshee's window the tops of houses huddled, presenting forms more or less fantastic according to the purse or caprice of the proprietors. the shrewd old man was not long in finding tenants for all these roofs, and could even tell the social status and the means of each. it tickled his vanity to find himself domiciled in so aristocratic a quarter. our house--more oriental than european in its architecture--was comparatively new, having been erected upon the site of the old palace, the _dã©bris_ of which had furnished the materials of which it was constructed. among the loose slabs of marble and fragments of pottery that turned up with the promiscuous rubbish every day, we sometimes found surfaces of stone bearing siamese or cambodian inscriptions; others with grotesque figures in bass-relief, taken from the mythology of the hindoos. had these relics a charm for moonshee, and was he animated by the antiquarian's enthusiasm, that he delved away hour after hour, unearthing, with his spade, bricks and stones and tiles and slabs? i was at a loss to account for this new freak in the old man; but seeing him infatuated with his eccentric pursuit, and boy enraptured over grubs and snails and bits of broken figures, the resurrections of the nimble spade, i left them to their cheap and harmless bliss. one evening, as i sat musing in the piazza, with my book unopened on my lap, i heard boy's clear voice ringing in happy, musical peals of laughter that drew me to him. on the edge of a deep hole, in a corner of the compound, sat moonshee, an effigy of doleful disappointment, and beside him stood the lad, clapping his little hands and laughing merrily. the old child had taken the young one into his confidence, and by their joint exertions they had dug this hole in search of treasure; and lo! at the bottom lay something that looked like a rusty purse. with a long look and a throbbing heart moonshee, after several empty hauls, had fished it up; and it was--a toad! a huge, unsightly, yellow toad! "may the foul fiend fly away with thee!" cried the enthusiast in his rage, as he flung the astonished reptile back into the pit, and sat down to bewail his _kismut_, while boy made merry with his groans. for some days the spade was neglected, though i observed, from the cautious drift of his remarks at the conclusion of our evening lesson, that moonshee's thoughts still harped on hidden treasure. the fervid imagination of the child had uncovered to his mind's eye mines of wealth, awaiting only the touch of the magic spade to bare their golden veins to the needs of his mem sahib and himself. there was no dispelling his golden visions by any shock of hard sense; the more he dreamed the more he believed. but the spot? the right spot? "only wait." another week elapsed, and boy and i worked harder than ever in our school in the cool pavilion. i had flung off the dead weight of my stubborn repinings, and my heart was light again. there were delightful discoveries of beauty in the artless, childish faces that greeted us every morning; and now the only wonder was that i had been so slow to penetrate the secret of their charm. that eager, radiant elf, the princess somdetch chow fã¢-ying, [footnote: "first-born of the skies."] the king's darling (of whom, by and by, i shall have a sadder tale to tell), had become a sprite of sunshine and gladness amid the sombre shadows of those walls. in her deep, dark, lustrous eyes, her simple, trusting ways, there was a springtide of refreshment, a pure, pervading radiance, that brightened the darkest thing it touched. even the grim hags of the harem felt its influence, and softened in her presence. as boy was reciting his tasks one morning before breakfast, moonshee entered the room with one of his profoundest salaams, and an expression at once so earnest and so comical that i anxiously asked him what was the matter. panting alike with the eagerness of childhood and the feebleness of age, he stammered, "i have something of the greatest importance to confide to you, mem sahib! now is the time! now you shall prove the devotion of your faithful moonshee, who swears by allah not to touch a grain of gold without your leave, in all those bursting sacks, if mem sahib will but lend him ten ticals, only ten ticals, to buy a screw-driver!" "what in the world can you want with a screw-driver, moonshee?" "o mem, listen to me!" he cried, his face glowing with the very rapture of possession; "i have discovered the exact spot on which the old duke, somdetch ong yai, expired. it is a secret, a wonderful secret, mem sahib; not a creature in all siam knows it." "then how came you by it," i inquired, "seeing that you know not one word of the language, which you have bravely scorned as unworthy to be uttered by the faithful, and of no use on earth but to confound philosophers and moonshees?" "_sunnoh, sunnoh!_ [footnote: "listen, listen!"] mem sahib! no human tongue revealed it to me. it was the angã¨ gibhrayeel. [footnote: the angel gabriel.] he came to me last night as i slept, and said, 'o son of jaffur khan! to your prayers is granted the knowledge that, for all these years, has been denied to kafirs. arise! obey! and with humility receive the treasures reserved for thee, thou faithful follower of the prophet!' and so saying he struck the golden palms he bore in his hand; and though i was now awake, mem sahib, i was so overpowered by the beauty and effulgence of his person, that i was as one about to die. the radiant glory of his wings, which were of the hue of sapphires, blinded my vision; i could neither speak nor see. but i felt the glow of his presence and heard the rustle of his pinions, as once more he beat the golden palms and cried, 'behold, o son of jaffur khan! behold the spot where lie the treasures of that haughty kafir chief!' i arose, and immediately the angel flashed from my sight; and as i gazed there appeared a luminous golden hen with six golden chickens, which pecked at bits of blazing coal that, as they cooled, became nuggets of pure gold. when suddenly i beheld a great light as of _rooshnees_, [footnote: fire-balls.] and it burst upon the spot where the hen had been; and then all was darkness again. mem sahib, your servant ran down and placed a stone upon that spot, and kneeling on that stone, with his face to the south, repeated his five kalemahs." [footnote: thanksgivings.] i am ashamed to say i laughed; whereat the old man was so mortified that he vowed the next time the angel appeared to him, he would call us all to see. i accepted the condition; and even promised that if i saw the nuggets of pure gold that gabriel's chickens pecked, i would immediately accommodate him with the ten ticals to invest in a screw-driver. so perfect was his faith in the vision, that he accepted the promise with complete satisfaction. not many nights after this extraordinary apparition, we were aroused by beebe and her husband calling, "awake, awake!" thinking the house was on fire, i threw on my dressing-gown and ran into the next room with boy in my arms. there was indeed a fire, but it was in a distant corner of the yard. the night was dark, a thick mist rose from the river, and the gusty puffs of wind that now and then swept through the compound caused the wood fire to flare up and flicker, casting fitful and fantastic shadows around. moonshee stared, with fixed eyes, expecting every moment the reappearance of the supernatural poultry; but i, being as yet sceptical, descended the stairs, followed by my trembling household, and approached the spot. on a remnant of matting, with a stone for a pillow, lay an old siamese woman asleep. driven by the heat to the relief of the open air, she had kindled a fire to keep off the mosquitoes. "now, moonshee," said i, "here is your angel gabriel. don't you ever again trouble me for ticals to invest in screw-drivers." xi. the ways of the palace. the city of bangkok is commonly supposed to have inherited the name of the ancient capital, ayudia; but in the royal archives, to which i have had free access, it is given as krung thã¨p'ha maha-nakhon si-ayut-thia maha-dilok racha-thani,--"the city of the royal, invincible, and beautiful archangel." it is ramparted with walls within and without, which divide it into an inner and an outer city, the inner wall being thirty feet high, and flanked with circular forts mounted with cannon, making a respectable show of defence. centre of all, the heart of the citadel, is the grand palace, encompassed by a third wall, which encloses only the royal edifice, the harems, the temple of watt p'hra kã«au, and the maha p'hrasat. the maha phrasat is an immense structure of quadrangular faã§ades, surmounted by a tall spire of very chaste and harmonious design. it is consecrated; and here dead sovereigns of siam lie in state, waiting twelve months for their cremation; here also their ashes are deposited, in urns of gold, after that fiery consummation. in the maha phrasat the supreme king is crowned and all court ceremonies performed. on certain high holidays and occasions of state, the high-priest administers here a sort of mass, at which the whole court attend, even the chief ladies of the harem, who, behind heavy curtains of silk and gold that hang from the ceiling to the floor, whisper and giggle and peep and chew betel, and have the wonted little raptures of their sex over furtive, piquant glimpses of the world; for, despite the strict confinement and jealous surveillance to which they are subject, the outer life, with all its bustle, passion, and romance, will now and then steal, like a vagrant, curious ray of light, into the heart's darkness of these tabooed women, thrilling their childish minds with eager wonderment and formless longings. within these walls lurked lately fugitives of every class, profligates from all quarters of the city, to whom discovery was death; but here their "sanctuary" was impenetrable. here were women disguised as men, and men in the attire of women, hiding vice of every vileness and crime of every enormity,--at once the most disgusting, the most appalling, and the most unnatural that the heart of man has conceived. it was death in life, a charnel-house of quick corruption; a place of gloom and solitude indeed, wherefrom happiness, hope, courage, liberty, truth, were forever excluded, and only mother's love was left. the king [footnote: all that is here written applies to maha mongkut, the supreme king, who died october, 1868; not to his successor (and my pupil), the present king.] was the disk of light and life round which these strange flies swarmed. most of the women who composed his harem were of gentle blood,--the fairest of the daughters of siamese nobles and of princes of the adjacent tributary states; the late queen consort was his own half-sister. beside many choice chinese and indian girls, purchased annually for the royal harem by agents stationed at peking, foo-chou, and different points in bengal, enormous sums were offered, year after year, through "solicitors" at bangkok and singapore, for an english woman of beauty and good parentage to crown the sensational collection; but when i took my leave of bangkok, in 1868, the coveted specimen had not yet appeared in the market. the cunning _commissionnaires_ contrived to keep their places and make a living by sending his majesty, now and then, a piquant photograph of some british nourmahal of the period, freshly caught, and duly shipped, in good order for the harem; but the goods never arrived. had the king's tastes been gallic, his requisition might have been filled. i remember a score of genuine offers from french demoiselles, who enclosed their _cartes_ in billets more surprising and enterprising than any other "proposals" it was my office to translate. but his whimsical majesty entertained a lively horror of french intrigue, whether of priests, consuls, or _lionnes_, and stood in vigilant fear of being beguiled, through one of these adventurous sirens, into fathering the innovation of a franco-siamese heir to the throne of the celestial p'hrabatts. the king, as well as most of the principal members of his household, rose at five in the morning, and immediately partook of a slight repast, served by the ladies who had been in waiting through the night; after which, attended by them and his sisters and elder children, he descended and took his station on a long strip of matting, laid from one of the gates through all the avenues to another. on his majesty's left were ranged, first, his children in the order of rank; then the princesses, his sisters; and, lastly, his concubines, his maids of honor, and their slaves. before each was placed a large silver tray containing offerings of boiled rice, fruit, cakes, and the seri leaf; some even had cigars. a little after five, the patoo dharmina ("gate of merit," called by the populace "patoo boon") was thrown open and the amazons of the guard drawn up on either side. then the priests entered, always by that gate,--one hundred and ninety-nine of them, escorted on the right and left by men armed with swords and clubs,--and as they entered they chanted: "take thy meat, but think it dust! eat but to live, and but to know thyself, and what thou art below! and say withal unto thy heart, it is earth i eat, that to the earth i may new life impart." then the chief priest, who led the procession, advanced with downcast eyes and lowly mien, and very simply presented his bowl (slung from his neck by a cord, and until that moment quite hidden under the folds of his yellow robe) to the members of the royal household, who _offered_ their fruit or cakes, or their spoonfuls of rice or sweetmeats. in like manner did all his brethren. if, by any chance, one before whom a tray was placed was not ready and waiting with an offering, no priest stopped, but all continued to advance slowly, taking only what was freely offered, without thanks or even a look of acknowledgment, until the end of the royal train was reached, when the procession retired, chanting as before, by the gate called dinn, or, in the court language, _prithri_, "gate of earth." after this, the king and all his company repaired to his private temple, watt sasmiras manda-thung, [footnote: "temple in memory of mother."] so called because it was dedicated by his majesty to the memory of his mother. this is an edifice of unique and charming beauty, decorated throughout by artists from japan, who have represented on the walls, in designs as diverse and ingenious as they are costly, the numerous metempsychoses of buddha. here his majesty ascended alone the steps of the altar, rang a bell to announce the hour of devotion, lighted the consecrated tapers, and offered the white lotos and the roses. then he spent an hour in prayer, and in reading texts from the p'ra-jana para-mita and the p'hra-ti-mok-sha. this service over, he retired for another nap, attended by a fresh detail of women,--those who had waited the night before being dismissed, not to be recalled for a month, or at least a fortnight, save as a peculiar mark of preference or favor to some one who had had the good fortune to please or amuse him; but most of that party voluntarily waited upon him every day. his majesty usually passed his mornings in study, or in dictating or writing english letters and despatches. his breakfast, though a repast sufficiently frugal for oriental royalty, was served with awesome forms. in an antechamber adjoining a noble hall, rich in grotesque carvings and gildings, a throng of females waited, while his majesty sat at a long table, near which knelt twelve women before great silver trays laden with twelve varieties of viands,--soups, meats, game, poultry, fish, vegetables, cakes, jellies, preserves, sauces, fruits, and teas. each tray, in its order, was passed by three ladies to the head wife or concubine, who removed the silver covers, and at least seemed to taste the contents of each dish; and then, advancing on her knees, she set them on the long table before the king. but his majesty was notably temperate in his diet, and by no means a gastronome. in his long seclusion in a buddhist cloister he had acquired habits of severe simplicity and frugality, as a preparation for the exercise of those powers of mental concentration for which he was remarkable. at these morning repasts it was his custom to detain me in conversation relating to some topic of interest derived from his studies, or in reading or translating. he was more systematically educated, and a more capacious devourer of books and news, than perhaps any man of equal rank in our day. but much learning had made him morally mad; his extensive reading had engendered in his mind an extreme scepticism concerning all existing religious systems. in inborn integrity and steadfast principle he had no faith whatever. he sincerely believed that every man strove to compass his own ends, _per fas et nefas_. the _mens sibi conscia recti_ was to him an hallucination, for which he entertained profound contempt; and he honestly pitied the delusion that pinned its faith on human truth and virtue. he was a provoking _mã©lange_ of antiquarian attainments and modern scepticism. when, sometimes, i ventured to disabuse his mind of his darling scorn for motive and responsibility, i had the mortification to discover that i had but helped him to an argument against myself: it was simply "my peculiar interest to do so." money, money, money! that could procure anything. but aside from the too manifest bias of his early education and experience, it is due to his memory to say that his practice was less faithless than his profession, toward those persons and principles to which he was attracted by a just regard. in many grave considerations he displayed soundness of understanding and clearness of judgment,--a genuine nobility of mind, established upon universal ethics and philosophic reason,--where his passions were not dominant; but when these broke in between the man and the majesty, they effectually barred his advance in the direction of true greatness; beyond them he could not, or would not, make way. ah, if this man could but have cast off the cramping yoke of his intellectual egotism, and been loyal to the free government of his own true heart, what a demi-god might he not have been among the lower animals of asiatic royalty! at two o'clock he bestirred himself, and with the aid of his women bathed and anointed his person. then he descended to a breakfastchamber, where he was served with the most substantial meal of the day. here he chatted with his favorites among the wives and concubines, and caressed his children, taking them in his arms, embracing them, plying them with puzzling or funny questions, and making droll faces at the babies: the more agreeable the mother, the dearer the child. the love of children was the constant and hearty virtue of this forlorn despot. they appealed to him by their beauty and their trustfulness, they refreshed him with the bold innocence of their ways, so frolicsome, graceful, and quaint. from this delusive scene of domestic condescension and kindliness he passed to his hall of audience to consider official matters. twice a week at sunset he appeared at one of the gates of the palace to hear the complaints and petitions of the poorest of his subjects, who at no other time or place could reach his ear. it was most pitiful to see the helpless, awe-stricken wretches, prostrate and abject as toads, many too terrified to present the precious petition after all. at nine he retired to his private apartments, whence issued immediately peculiar domestic bulletins, in which were named the women whose presence he particularly desired, in addition to those whose turn it was to "wait" that night. and twice a week he held a secret council, or court, at midnight. of the proceedings of those dark and terrifying sittings i can, of course, give no exact account. i permit myself to speak only of those things which were but too plain to one who lived for six years in or near the palace. in siam, the king--maha mongkut especially--is not merely enthroned, he is enshrined. to the nobility he is omnipotence, and to the rabble mystery. since the occupation of the country by the jesuits, many foreigners have fancied that the government is becoming more and more silent, insidious, secretive; and that this midnight council is but the expression of a "policy of stifling." it is an inquisition,--not overt, audacious, like that of rome, but nocturnal, invisible, subtle, ubiquitous, like that of spain; proceeding without witnesses or warning; kidnapping a subject, not arresting him, and then incarcerating, chaining, torturing him, to extort confession or denunciation. if any siamese citizen utter one word against the "san luang," (the royal judges), and escape, forthwith his house is sacked and his wife and children kidnapped. should he be captured, he is brought to secret trial, to which no one is admitted who is not in the patronage and confidence of the royal judges. in themselves the laws are tolerable; but in their operation they are frustrated or circumvented by arbitrary and capricious power in the king, or craft or cruelty in the council. no one not initiated in the mystic _sã©ances_ of the san luang can depend upon siamese law for justice. no man will consent to appear there, even as a true witness, save for large reward. the citizen who would enjoy, safe from legal plunder, his private income, must be careful to find a patron and protector in the king, the prime minister, or some other formidable friend at court. spies in the employ of the san luang penetrate into every family of wealth and influence. every citizen suspects and fears always his neighbor, sometimes his wife. on more than one occasion when, vexed by some act of the king's, more than usually wanton and unjust, i instinctively gave expression to my feelings by word or look in the presence of certain officers and courtiers, i observed that they rapped, or tapped, in a peculiar and stealthy manner. this i afterward discovered was one of the secret signs of the san luang; and the warning signal was addressed to me, because they imagined that i also was a member of the council. _en passant_, a word as to the ordinary and familiar costumes of the palace. men and women alike wear a sort of kilt, like the _pu'sho_ of the birmans, with a short upper tunic, over which the women draw a broad silk scarf, which is closely bound round the chest and descends in long, waving folds almost to the feet. neither sex wears any covering on the head. the uniform of the amazons of the harem is green and gold, and for the soldiers scarlet and purple. there are usually four meals: breakfast about sunrise; a sort of tiffin at noon; a more substantial repast in the afternoon; and supper after the business of the day is over. wine and tea are drunk freely, and perfumed liquors are used by the wealthy. an indispensable preparation for polite repast is by bathing and anointing the body. when guests are invited, the sexes are never brought together; for siamese women of rank very rarely appear in strange company; they are confined to remote and unapproachable halls and chambers, where nothing human, being male, may ever enter. the convivial entertainments of the court are usually given on occasions of public devotion, and form a part of these. xii. shadows and whispers of the harem. as, month, after month, i continued to teach in the palace,--especially as the language of my pupils, its idioms and characteristic forms of expression, began to be familiar to me,--all the dim life of the place "came out" to my ken, like a faint picture, which at first displays to the eye only a formless confusion, a chaos of colors, but by force of much looking and tracing and joining and separating, first objects and then groups are discovered in their proper identity and relation, until the whole stands out, clear, true, and informing in its coherent significance of light and shade. thus, by slow processes, as one whose sight has been imperceptibly restored, i awoke to a clearer and truer sense of the life within "the city of the beautiful and invincible angel." sitting at one end of the table in my school-room, with boy at the other, and all those far-off faces between, i felt as though we were twenty thousand miles away from the world that lay but a twenty minutes' walk from the door; the distance was but a speck in space, but the separation was tremendous. it always seemed to me that here was a sudden, harsh suspension of nature's fundamental law,--the human heart arrested in its functions, ceasing to throb, and yet alive. [illustration: presentation of a princess.] the fields beyond are fresh and green, and bright with flowers. the sun of summer, rising exultant, greets them with rejoicing; and evening shadows, falling soft among the dewy petals, linger to kiss them good-night. there the children of the poor--naked, rude, neglected though they be--are rich in the freedom of the bounteous earth, rich in the freedom of the fair blue sky, rich in the freedom of the limpid ocean of air above and around them. but within the close and gloomy lanes of this city within a city, through which many lovely women are wont to come and go, many little feet to patter, and many baby citizens to be borne in the arms of their dodging slaves, there is but cloud and chill, and famishing and stinting, and beating of wings against golden bars. in the order of nature, evening melts softly into night, and darkness retreats with dignity and grace before the advancing triumphs of the morning; but here light and darkness are monstrously mixed, and the result is a glaring gloom that is neither of the day nor of the night, nor of life nor of death, nor of earth nor of--yes, hell! in the long galleries and corridors, bewildering with their everlasting twilight of the eye and of the mind, one is forever coming upon shocks of sudden sunshine or shocks of sudden shadow,--the smile yet dimpling in a baby's face, a sister bearing a brother's scourging; a mother singing to her "sacred infant," [footnote: p'hra-ong.] a slave sobbing before a deaf idol. and o, the forlornness of it all! you who have never beheld these things know not the utterness of loneliness. compared with the predicament of some who were my daily companions, the sea were a home and an iceberg a hearth. how i have pitied those ill-fated sisters of mine, imprisoned without a crime! if they could but have rejoiced once more in the freedom of the fields and woods, what new births of gladness might have been theirs,--they who with a gasp of despair and moral death first entered those royal dungeons, never again to come forth alive! and yet have i known more than one among them who accepted her fate with a repose of manner and a sweetness of smile that told how dead must be the heart under that still exterior. and i wondered at the sight. only twenty minutes between bondage and freedom,--such freedom as may be found in siam! only twenty minutes between those gloomy, hateful cells and the fair fields and the radiant skies! only twenty minutes between the cramping and the suffocation and the fear, and the full, deep, glorious inspirations of freedom and safety! i had never beheld misery till i found it here; i had never looked upon the sickening hideousness of slavery till i encountered its features here; nor, above all, had i comprehended the perfection of the life, light, blessedness and beauty, the all-sufficing fulness of the love of god as it is in jesus, until i felt the contrast here,--pain, deformity, darkness, death, and eternal emptiness, a darkness to which there is neither beginning nor end, a living which is neither of this world nor of the next. the misery which checks the pulse and thrills the heart with pity in one's common walks about the great cities of europe is hardly so saddening as the nameless, mocking wretchedness of these women, to whom poverty were a luxury, and houselessness as a draught of pure, free air. and yet their lot is light indeed compared with that of their children. the single aim of such a hapless mother, howsoever tender and devoted she may by nature be, is to form her child after the one strict pattern her fate has set her,--her master's will; since, otherwise, she dare not contemplate the perils which might overtake her treasure. pitiful indeed, therefore, is the pitiless inflexibility of purpose with which she wings from her child's heart all the dangerous endearments of childhood,--its merry laughter, its sparkling tears, its trustfulness, its artlessness, its engaging waywardness; and in their place instils silence, submission, self-constraint, suspicion, cunning, carefulness, and an ever-vigilant fear. and the result is a spectacle of unnatural discipline simply appalling. the life of such a child is an egg-shell on an ocean; to its helpless speck of experience all horrors are possible. its passing moment is its eternity; and that overwhelmed with terrors, real or imaginary, what is left but that poor little floating wreck, a child's despair? i was often alone in the school-room, long after my other charges had departed, with a pale, dejected woman, whose name translated was "hidden-perfume." as a pupil she was remarkably diligent and attentive, and in reading and translating english, her progress was extraordinary. only in her eager, inquisitive glances was she child-like; otherwise, her expression and demeanor were anxious and aged. she had long been out of favor with her "lord"; and now, without hope from him, surrendered herself wholly to her fondness for a son she had borne him in her more youthful and attractive days. in this young prince, who was about ten years old, the same air of timidity and restraint was apparent as in his mother, whom he strikingly resembled, only lacking that cast of pensive sadness which rendered her so attractive, and her pride, which closed her lips upon the past, though the story of her wrongs was a moving one. it was my habit to visit her twice a week at her residence, [footnote: each of the ladies of the harem has her own exclusive domicile, within the inner walls of the palace.] for i was indebted to her for much intelligent assistance in my study of the siamese language. on going to her abode one afternoon, i found her absent; only the young prince was there, sitting sadly by the window. "where is your mother, dear?" i inquired. "with his majesty up stairs, i think," he replied, still looking anxiously in one direction, as though watching for her. this was an unusual circumstance for my sad, lonely friend, and i returned home without my lesson for that day. next morning, passing the house again, i saw the lad sitting in the same attitude at the window, his eyes bent in the same direction, only more wistful and weary than before. on questioning him, i found his mother had not yet returned. at the pavilion i was met by the lady tã¢lã¢p, who, seizing my hand, said, "hidden-perfume is in trouble." "what is the matter?" i inquired. "she is in prison," she whispered, drawing me closely to her. "she is not prudent, you know,--like you and me," in a tone which expressed both triumph and fear. "can i see her?" i asked. "yes, yes! if you bribe the jailers. but don't give them more than a tical each. they'll demand two; give them only one." in the pavilion, which served as a private chapel for the ladies of the harem, priests were reading prayers and reciting homilies from that sacred book of buddha called _sã¢sã¢nã¢h thai_, "the religion of the free"; while the ladies sat on velvet cushions with their hands folded, a vase of flowers in front of each, and a pair of odoriferous candles, lighted. prayers are held daily in this place, and three times a day during the buddhist lent. the priests are escorted to the pavilion by amazons, and two warriors, armed with swords and clubs, remain on guard till the service is ended. the latter, who are eunuchs, also attend the priests when they enter the palace, in the afternoon, to sprinkle the inmates with consecrated water. leaving the priests reciting and chanting, and the rapt worshippers bowing, i passed a young mother with a sleeping babe, some slave-girls playing at _sabã¢h_ [footnote: marbles, played with the knee instead of the fingers.] on the stone pavement, and two princesses borne in the arms of their slaves, though almost women grown, on my way to the palace prison. if it ever should be the reader's fortune, good or ill, to visit a siamese dungeon, whether allotted to prince or peasant, his attention will be first attracted to the rude designs on the rough stone walls (otherwise decorated only with moss and fungi and loathsome reptiles) of some nightmared painter, who has exhausted his dyspeptic fancy in portraying hideous personifications of hunger, terror, old age, despair, disease, and death, tormented by furies and avengers, with hair of snakes and whips of scorpions,--all beyond expression devilish. floor it has none, nor ceiling, for, with the meinam so near, neither boards nor plaster can keep out the ooze. underfoot, a few planks, loosely laid, are already as soft as the mud they are meant to cover; the damp has rotted them through and through. overhead, the roof is black, but not with smoke; for here, where the close steam of the soggy earth and the reeking walls is almost intolerable, no fire is needed in the coldest season. the cell is lighted by one small window, so heavily grated on the outer side as effectually to bar the ingress of fresh air. a pair of wooden trestles, supporting rough boards, form a makeshift for a bedstead, and a mat (which may be clean or dirty, the ticals of the prisoner must settle that) is all the bed. in such a cell, on such a couch, lay the concubine of a supreme king and the mother of a royal prince of siam, her feet covered with a silk mantle, her head supported by a pillow of glazed leather, her face turned to the clammy wall. there was no door to grate upon her quivering nerves; a trap-door in the street overhead had opened to the magic of silver, and i had descended a flight of broken steps of stone. at her head, a little higher than the pillow, were a vase of flowers, half faded, a pair of candles burning in gold candlesticks, and a small image of the buddha. she had brought her god with her. well, she needed his presence. i could hardly keep my feet, for the footing was slippery and my brain swam. touching the silent, motionless form, in a voice scarcely audible i pronounced her name. she turned with difficulty, and a slight sound of clanking explained the covering on the feet. she was chained to one of the trestles. sitting up, she made room for me beside her. no tears were in her eyes; only the habitual sadness of her face was deepened. here, truly, was a perfect work of misery, meekness, and patience. astonished at seeing me, she imagined me capable of yet greater things, and folding her hands in an attitude of supplication, implored me to help her. the offence for which she was imprisoned was briefly this:-she had been led to petition, through her son, [footnote: a privilege granted to all the concubines.] that an appointment held by her late uncle, phya khien, might be bestowed on her elder brother, not knowing that another noble had already been preferred to the post by his majesty. had she been guilty of the gravest crime, her punishment could not have been more severe. it was plain that a stupid grudge was at the bottom of this cruel business. the king, on reading the petition, presented by the trembling lad on his knees, became furious, and, dashing it back into the child's face, accused the mother of plotting to undermine his power, saying he knew her to be at heart a rebel, who hated him and his dynasty with all the rancor of her peguan ancestors, the natural enemies of siam. thus lashing himself into a rage of hypocritical patriotism, and seeking to justify himself by condemning her, he sent one of his judges to bring her to him. but before the myrmidon could go and come, concluding to dispense with forms, he anticipated the result of that mandate with another,--to chain and imprison her. no sooner was she dragged to this deadly cell, than a third order was issued to flog her till she confessed her treacherous plot; but the stripes were administered so tenderly, [footnote: in these cases the executioners are women, who generally spare each other if they dare.] that the only confession they extorted was a meek protestation that she was "his meanest slave, and ready to give her life for his pleasure." "beat her on the mouth with a slipper for lying!" roared the royal tiger; and they did, in the letter, if not in the spirit, of the brutal sentence. she bore it meekly, hanging down her head. "i am degraded forever!" she said to me. when once the king was enraged, there was nothing to be done but to wait in patience until the storm should exhaust itself by its own fury. but it was horrible to witness such an abuse of power at the hands of one who was the only source of justice in the land. it was a crime against all humanity, the outrage of the strong upon the helpless. his madness sometimes lasted a week; but weeks have their endings. besides, he really had a conscience, tough and shrunken as it was; and she had, what was more to the purpose, a whole tribe of powerful connections. as for myself, there was but one thing i could do; and that was to intercede privately with the kralahome. the same evening, immediately on returning from my visit to the dungeon, i called on him; but when i explained the object of my visit he rebuked me sharply for interfering between his majesty and his wives. "she is my pupil," i replied. "but i have not interfered; i have only come to you for justice. she did not know of the appointment until she had sent in her petition; and to punish one woman for that which is permitted and encouraged in another is gross injustice." thereupon he sent for his secretary, and having satisfied himself that the appointment had not been published, was good enough to promise that he would explain to his majesty that "there had been delay in making known to the court the royal pleasure in this matter"; but he spoke with indifference, as if thinking of something else. i felt chilled and hurt as i left the premier's palace, and more anxious than ever when i thought of the weary eyes of the lonely lad watching for his mother's return; for no one dared tell him the truth. but, to do the premier justice, he was more troubled than he would permit me to discover at the mistake the poor woman had made; for there was good stuff in the moral fabric of the man,--stern rectitude, and a judgment, unlike the king's, not warped by passion. that very night [footnote: all consultations on matters of state and of court discipline are held in the royal palace at night.] he repaired to the grand palace, and explained the delay to the king, without appearing to be aware of the concubine's punishment. on monday morning, when i came to school in the pavilion, i found, to my great joy, that hidden-perfume had been liberated, and was at home again with her child. the poor creature embraced me ardently, glorifying me with grateful epithets from the extravagant vocabulary of her people; and, taking an emerald ring from her finger, she put it upon mine, saying, "by this you will remember your thankful friend." on the following day she also sent me a small purse of gold thread netted, in which were a few siamese coins, and a scrap of paper inscribed with cabalistic characters,--an infallible charm to preserve the wearer from poverty and distress. among my pupils was a little girl about eight or nine years old, of delicate frame, and with the low voice and subdued manner of one who had already had experience of sorrow. she was not among those presented to me at the opening of the school. wanne ratã¢na kania was her name ("sweet promise of my hopes"), and very engaging and persuasive was she in her patient, timid loveliness. her mother, the lady khoon chom kioa, who had once found favor with the king, had, at the time of my coming to the palace, fallen into disgrace by reason of her gambling, in which she had squandered all the patrimony of the little princess. this fact, instead of inspiring the royal father with pity for his child, seemed to attract to her all that was most cruel in his insane temper. the offence of the mother had made the daughter offensive in his sight; and it was not until long after the term of imprisonment of the degraded favorite had expired that wanne ventured to appear at a royal _levã©e_. the moment the king caught sight of the little form, so piteously prostrated there, he drove her rudely from his presence, taunting her with the delinquencies of her mother with a coarseness that would have been cruel enough if she had been responsible for them and a gainer by them, but against one of her tender years, innocent toward both, and injured by both, it was inconceivably atrocious. on her first appearance at school she was so timid and wistful that i felt constrained to notice and encourage her more than those whom i had already with me. but i found this no easy part to play; for very soon one of the court ladies in the confidence of the king took me quietly aside and warned me to be less demonstrative in favor of the little princess, saying, "surely you would not bring trouble upon that wounded lamb." it was a sore trial to me to witness the oppression of one so unoffending and so helpless. yet our wanne was neither thin nor pale. there was a freshness in her childish beauty, and a bloom in the transparent olive of her cheek, that were at times bewitching. she loved her father, and in her visions of baby faith beheld him almost as a god. it was true joy to her to fold her hands and bow before the chamber where he slept. with that steadfast hopefulness of childhood which can be deceived without being discouraged, she would say, "how glad he will be when i can read!" and yet she had known nothing but despair. her memory was extraordinary; she delighted in all that was remarkable, and with careful wisdom gathered up facts and precepts and saved them for future use. she seemed to have built around her an invisible temple of her own design, and to have illuminated it with the rushlight of her childish love. among the books she read to me, rendering it from english into siamese, was one called "spring-time." on translating the line, "whom he loveth he chasteneth," she looked up in my face, and asked anxiously: "does thy god do that? ah! lady, are _all_ the gods angry and cruel? has he no pity, even for those who love him? he must be like my father; _he_ loves us, so he has to be _rye_ (cruel), that we may fear evil and avoid it." meanwhile little wanne learned to spell, read, and translate almost intuitively; for there were novelty and hope to help the buddhist child, and love to help the english woman. the sad look left her face, her life had found an interest; and very often, on _fãªte_ days, she was my only pupil;--when suddenly an ominous cloud obscured the sky of her transient gladness. wanne was poor; and her gifts to me were of the riches of poverty,--fruits and flowers. but she owned some female slaves; and one among them, a woman of twenty-five perhaps (who had already made a place for herself in my regard), seemed devotedly attached to her youthful mistress, and not only attended her to the school day after day, but shared her scholarly enthusiasm, even studied with her, sitting at her feet by the table. steadily the slave kept pace with the princess. all that wanne learned at school in the day was lovingly taught to mai noie in the nursery at night; and it was not long before i found, to my astonishment, that the slave read and translated as correctly as her mistress. very delightful were the demonstrations of attachment interchanged between these two. mai noie bore the child in her arms to and from the school, fed her, humored her every whim, fanned her naps, bathed and perfumed her every night, and then rocked her to sleep on her careful bosom, as tenderly as she would have done for her own baby. and then it was charming to watch the child's face kindle with love and comfort as the sound of her friend's step approached. suddenly a change; the little princess came to school as usual, but a strange woman attended her, and i saw no more of mai noie there. the child grew so listless and wretched that i was forced to ask the cause of her darling's absence; she burst into a passion of tears, but replied not a word. then i inquired of the stranger, and she answered in two syllables,--_my ru_ ("i know not"). shortly afterward, as i entered the school-room one day, i perceived that something unusual was happening. i turned toward the princes' door, and stood still, fairly holding my breath. there was the king, furious, striding up and down. all the female judges of the palace were present, and a crowd of mothers and royal children. on all the steps around, innumerable slave-women, old and young, crouched and hid their faces. but the object most conspicuous was little wanne's mother, manacled, and prostrate on the polished marble pavement. there, too, was my poor little princess, her hands clasped helplessly, her eyes tearless but downcast, palpitating, trembling, shivering. sorrow and horror had transformed the child. as well as i could understand, where no one dared explain, the wretched woman had been gambling again, and had even staked and lost her daughter's slaves. at last i understood wanne's silence when i asked her where mai noie was. by some means--spies probably--the whole matter had come to the king's ears, and his rage was wild, not because he loved the child, but that he hated the mother. promptly the order was given to lash the woman; and two amazons advanced to execute it. the first stripe was delivered with savage skill; but before the thong could descend again, the child sprang forward and flung herself across the bare and quivering back of her mother. _ti chan, tha moom! [footnote: tha mom or moom, used by children in addressing a royal father.] poot-thoo ti chan, tha mom!_ ("strike _me_, my father! pray, strike me, o my father!") the pause of fear that followed was only broken by my boy, who, with a convulsive cry, buried his face desperately in the folds of my skirt. there indeed was a case for prayer, any prayer!--the prostrate woman, the hesitating lash, the tearless anguish of the siamese child, the heart-rending cry of the english child, all those mothers with grovelling brows, but hearts uplifted among the stars, on the wings of the angel of prayer. who could behold so many women crouching, shuddering, stupefied, dismayed, in silence and darkness, animated, enlightened only by the deep whispering heart of maternity, and not be moved with mournful yearning? the child's prayer was vain. as demons tremble in the presence of a god, so the king comprehended that he had now to deal with a power of weakness, pity, beauty, courage, and eloquence. "strike _me_, o my father!" his quick, clear sagacity measured instantly all the danger in that challenge; and though his voice was thick and agitated (for, monster as he was at that moment, he could not but shrink from striking at every mother's heart at his feet), he nervously gave the word to remove the child, and bind her. the united strength of several women was not more than enough to loose the clasp of those loving arms from the neck of an unworthy mother. the tender hands and feet were bound, and the tender heart was broken. the lash descended then, unforbidden by any cry. xiii. fã�-ying, the king's darling. "will you teach me to draw?" said an irresistible young voice to me, as i sat at the school-room table, one bright afternoon. "it is so much more pleasant to sit by you than to go to my sanskrit class. my sanskrit teacher is not like my english teacher; she bends my hands back when i make mistakes. i don't like sanskrit, i like english. there are so many pretty pictures in your books. will you take me to england with you, mam cha?" [footnote: "lady, dear."] pleaded the engaging little prattler. "i am afraid his majesty will not let you go with me," i replied. "o yes, he will!" said the child with smiling confidence. "he lets me do as i like. you know i am the somdetch chow fã¢-ying; he loves me best of all; he will let me go." "i am glad to hear it," said i, "and very glad to hear that you love english and drawing. let us go up and ask his majesty if you may learn drawing instead of sanskrit." with sparkling eyes and a happy smile, she sprang from my lap, and, seizing my hand eagerly, said, "o yes! let us go now." we went, and our prayer was granted. never did work seem more like pleasure than it did to me as i sat with this sweet, bright little princess, day after day, at the hour when all her brothers and sisters were at their sanskrit, drawing herself, as the humor seized her, or watching me draw; but oftener listening, her large questioning eyes fixed upon my face, as step by step i led her out of the shadow-land of myth into the realm of the truth as it is in christ jesus. "the wisdom of this world is foolishness with god"; and i felt that this child of smiles and tears, all unbaptized and unblessed as she was, was nearer and dearer to her father in heaven than to her father on earth. this was the somdetch chowfa chandrmondol, best known in the palace by her pet name of fã¢-ying. her mother, the late queen consort, in dying, left three sons and this one daughter, whom, with peculiar tenderness and anxiety, she commended to the loving kindness of the king; and now the child was the fondled darling of the lonely, bitter man, having quickly won her way to his heart by the charm of her fearless innocence and trustfulness, her sprightly intelligence and changeful grace. morning dawned fair on the river, the sunshine flickering on the silver ripples, and gilding the boats of the market people as they softly glide up or down to the lazy swing of the oars. the floating shops were all awake, displaying their various and fantastic wares to attract the passing citizen or stranger. priests in yellow robes moved noiselessly from door to door, receiving without asking and without thanks the alms wherewith their pious clients hoped to lay up treasures in heaven, or, in buddhist parlance, to "make merit." slaves hurried hither and thither in the various bustle of errands. worshippers thronged the gates and vestibules of the many temples of this city of pagodas and _p'hracha-dees_, and myriads of fan-shaped bells scattered aeolian melodies on the passing breeze. as boy and i gazed from our piazza on this strangely picturesque panorama, there swept across the river a royal barge filled with slaves, who, the moment they had landed, hurried up to me. "my lady," they cried, "there is cholera in the palace! three slaves are lying dead in the princesses' court; and her highness, the young somdetch chow fã¢-ying, was seized this morning. she sends for you. o, come to her, quickly!" and with that they put into my hand a scrap of paper; it was from his majesty. "my dear mam,--our well-beloved daughter, your favorite pupil, is attacked with cholera, and has earnest desire to see you, and is heard much to make frequent repetition of your name. i beg that you will favor her wish. i fear her illness is mortal, as there has been three deaths since morning. she is best beloved of my children. "i am your afflicted friend, "s. s. p. p. maha mongkut." in a moment i was in my boat. i entreated, i flattered, i scolded, the rowers. how slow they were! how strong the opposing current! and when we did reach those heavy gates, how slowly they moved, with what suspicious caution they admitted me! i was fierce with impatience. and when at last i stood panting at the door of my fã¢-ying's chamber--too late! even dr. campbell (the surgeon of the british consulate) had come too late. there was no need to prolong that anxious wail in the ear of the deaf child, "p'hra-arahang! p'hra-arahang!" [footnote: one of the most sacred of the many titles of buddha, repeated by the nearest relative in the ear of the dying till life is quite extinct.] she would not forget her way; she would nevermore lose herself on the road to heaven. beyond, above the p'hra-arahang, she had soared into the eternal, tender arms of the p'hra-jesus, of whom she was wont to say in her infantine wonder and eagerness, _mam cha, chã¢n rã¢k p'hra-jesus mã¢k_ ("mam dear, i love your holy jesus.") as i stooped to imprint a parting kiss on the little face that had been so fair to me, her kindred and slaves exchanged their appealing "p'hra-arahang" for a sudden burst of heart-rending cries. an attendant hurried me to the king, who, reading the heavy tidings in my silence, covered his face with his hands and wept passionately. strange and terrible were the tears of such a man, welling up from a heart from which all natural affections had seemed to be expelled, to make room for his own exacting, engrossing conceit of self. bitterly he bewailed his darling, calling her by such tender, touching epithets as the lips of loving christian mothers use. what could i say? what could i do but weep with him, and then steal quietly away and leave the king to the father? "the moreover very sad & mournful circular [footnote: from the pen of the king.] from his gracious majesty somdetch p'hra paramendr maha mongkut, the reigning supreme king of siam, intimating the recent death of her celestial royal highness, princess somdetch chowfa chandrmondol sobhon baghiawati, who was his majesty's most affectionate & well beloved 9th royal daughter or 16th offspring, and the second royal child by his majesty's late queen consort rambery bhamarabhiramy who deceased in the year 1861. both mother and daughter have been known to many foreign friends of his majesty. "to all the foreign friends of his majesty, residing or trading in siam, or in singapore, malacca, pinang, ceylon, batavia, saigon, macao, hong-kong, & various regions in china, europe, america, &c. &c.... "her celestial royal highness, having been born on the 24th april, 1855, grew up in happy condition of her royal valued life, under the care of her royal parents, as well as her elder and younger three full brothers; and on the demise of her royal mother on the forementioned date, she was almost always with her royal father everywhere day & night. all things which belonged to her late mother suitable for female use were transferred to her as the most lawful inheritor of her late royal mother; she grew up to the age of 8 years & 20 days. on the ceremony of the funeral service of her elder late royal half brother forenamed, she accompanied her royal esteemed father & her royal brothers and sisters in customary service, cheerfully during three days of the ceremony, from the 11th to 13th may. on the night of the latter day, when she was returning from the royal funeral place to the royal residence in the same sedan with her royal father at 10 o'clock p.m. she yet appeared happy, but alas! on her arrival at the royal residence, she was attacked by most violent & awful cholera, and sunk rapidly before the arrival of the physicians who were called on that night for treatment. her disease or illness of cholera increased so strong that it did not give way to the treatment of any one, or even to the chlorodine administered to her by doctor james campbell the surgeon of the british consulate. she expired at 4 o'clock p.m., on the 14th may, when her elder royal half brother's remains were burning at the funeral hall outside of the royal palace, according to the determined time for the assembling of the great congregation of the whole of the royalty & nobility, and native & foreign friends, before the occurrence of the unforeseen sudden misfortune or mournful event. "the sudden death of the said most affectionate and lamented royal daughter has caused greater regret and sorrow to her royal father than several losses sustained by him before, as this beloved royal amiable daughter was brought up almost by the hands of his majesty himself, since she was aged only 4 to 5 months, his majesty has carried her to and fro by his hand and on the lap and placed her by his side in every one of the royal seats, where ever he went; whatever could be done in the way of nursing his majesty has done himself, by feeding her with milk obtained from her nurse, and sometimes with the milk of the cow, goat &c. poured in a teacup from which his majesty fed her by means of a spoon, so this royal daughter was as familiar with her father in her infancy, as with her nurses. "on her being only aged six months, his majesty took this princess with him and went to ayudia on affairs there; after that time when she became grown up his majesty had the princess seated on his lap when he was in his chair at the breakfast, dinner & supper table, and fed her at the same time of breakfast &c, almost every day, except when she became sick of colds &c. until the last days of her life she always eat at same table with her father. where ever his majesty went, this princess always accompanied her father upon the same, sedan, carriage, royal boat, yacht &c. and on her being grown up she became more prudent than other children of the same age, she paid every affectionate attention to her affectionate and esteemed father in every thing where her ability allowed; she was well educated in the vernacular siamese literature which she commenced to study when she was 3 years old, and in last year she commenced to study in the english school where the schoolmistress, lady l---has observed that she was more skillful than the other royal children, she pronounced & spoke english in articulate & clever manner which pleased the schoolmistress exceedingly, so that the schoolmistress on the loss of this her beloved pupil, was in great sorrow and wept much. ".... but alas! her life was very short. she was only aged 8 years & 20 days, reckoning from her birth day & hour, she lived in this world 2942 days & 18 hours. but it is known that the nature of human lives is like the flames of candles lighted in open air without any protection above & every side, so it is certain that this path ought to be followed by every one of human beings in a short or long while which cannot be ascertained by prediction, alas! "dated royal grand palace, bangkok, 16th may, anno christi 1863." not long after our darling fã¢-ying was taken from us, the same royal barge, freighted with the same female slaves who had summoned us to her death-bed, came in haste to our house. his majesty had sent them to find and bring us. we must hurry to the palace. on arriving there, we found the school pavilion strangely decorated with flowers. my chair of office had been freshly painted a glaring red, and on the back and round the arms and legs fresh flowers were twined. the books the princess fã¢-ying had lately conned were carefully displayed in front of my accustomed seat, and upon them were laid fresh roses and fragrant lilies. some of the ladies in waiting informed me that an extraordinary honor was about to be conferred on me. not relishing the prospect of favors that might place me in a false position, and still all in the dark, i submitted quietly, but not without misgivings on my own part and positive opposition on boy's, to be enthroned in the gorgeous chair, whereof the paint was hardly dry. presently his majesty sent to inquire if we had arrived, and being apprised of our presence, came down at once, followed by all my pupils and a formidable staff of noble dowagers,--his sisters, half-sisters, and aunts, paternal and maternal. having shaken hands with me and with my child, he proceeded to enlighten us. he was about to confer a distinction upon me, for my "courage and conduct," as he expressed it, at the death-bed of her highness, his well-beloved royal child, the somdetch chow fã¢-ying. then, bidding me "remain seated," much to the detriment of my white dress, in the sticky red chair, and carefully taking the ends of seven threads of unspun cotton (whereof the other ends were passed over my head, and over the dead child's books, into the hands of seven of his elder sisters), he proceeded to wind them round my brow and temples. next he waved mysteriously a few gold coins, then dropped twenty-one drops of cold water out of a jewelled shell, [footnote: the conch, or chank shell] and finally, muttering something in sanskrit, and placing in my hand a small silk bag containing a title of nobility and the number and description of the roods of lands pertaining to it, bade me rise, "chow khoon crue yai"! my estate was in the district of lophaburee and p'hra batt, and i found afterward that to reach it i must perform a tedious journey overland, through a wild, dense jungle, on the back of an elephant. so, with wise munificence, i left it to my people, tigers, elephants, rhinoceroses, wild boars, armadillos, and monkeys to enjoy unmolested and untaxed, while i continued to pursue the even tenor of a "school-marm's" way, unagitated by my honorary title. in fact, the whole affair was ridiculous; and i was inclined to feel a little ashamed of the distinction, when i reflected on the absurd figure i must have cut, with my head in a string like a grocer's parcel, and boy imploring me, with all his astonished eyes, not to submit to so silly an operation. so he and i tacitly agreed to hush the matter up between us. speaking of the "chank" shell, that is the name given in the east indies to certain varieties of the _voluta gravis_, fished up by divers in the gulf of manaar, on the northwest coast of ceylon. there are two kinds, _payel_ and _patty,_--the one red, the other white; the latter is of small value. these shells are exported to calcutta and bombay, where they are sawed into rings of various sizes, and worn on the arms, legs, fingers, and toes by the hindoos, from whom the buddhists have adopted the shell for use in their religious or political ceremonies. they employ, however, a third species, which opens to the right, and is rare and costly. the demand for these shells, created by the innumerable poojahs and pageants of the hindoos and buddhists, was formerly so great that a bounty of sixty thousand rix dollars per annum was paid to the british government for the privilege of fishing for them; but this demand finally ceased, and the revenue became not worth collecting. the fishing is now free to all. xiv. an outrage and a warning. one morning we were startled by a great outcry, from which we presently began to pick out, here and there, a coherent word, which, put together, signified that moonshee was once more in trouble. i ran down into the compound, and found that the old man had been cruelly beaten, by order of one of the premier's half-brothers, for refusing to bow down before him. exhausted as he was, he found voice to express his sense of the outrage in indignant iteration. "am i a beast? am i an unbelieving dog? o son of jaffur khan, how hast thou fallen!" i felt so shocked and insulted that i went at once, and without ceremony, to the kralahome, and complained. to my surprise and disgust, his excellency made light of the matter, saying that the old man was a fool; that he had no time to waste upon such trifles; and that i must not trouble him so often with my meddling in matters of no moment, and which did not concern me. when he was done with this explosion of petulance and brow-beating, i endeavored to demonstrate to him the unfairness of his remarks, and the disadvantage to himself if he should appear to connive at the ruffianly behavior of his people. but i assured him that in future i should not trouble him with my complaints, but take them directly to the british consul. and so saying i left this unreasonable prime minister, meeting the cause of all our woes (the half-brother) coming in as i went out. that same evening, as i sat in our little piazza, where it was cooler than in the house, embroidering a new coat for boy to wear on his approaching birthday, i felt a violent blow on my head, and fell from my chair stunned, overturning the small table at which i was working, and the heavy argand lamp that stood on it. on recovering my senses i found myself in the dark, and boy, with all his little strength, trying to lift me from the floor, while he screamed, "_beebe maree! beebe maree!_" [footnote: maree, "come here" (malay).] i endeavored to rise, but feeling dizzy and sick lay still for a while, taking louis in my arms to reassure him. when beebe came from the river, where she had been bathing, she struck a light, and found that the mischief had been done with a large stone, about four inches long and two wide; but by whom or why it had been thrown we could not for some time conjecture. beebe raised the neighborhood with her cries: "first my husband, then my mistress! it will be my turn next; and then what will become of the _chota baba sahib?_" [footnote: the little master.] but i begged her to have done with her din and help me to the couch, which she did with touching tenderness and quiet, bathing my head, which had bled so profusely that i sank, exhausted, into a deep sleep, though the sight of my boy's pale, anxious face, as he insisted on sharing beebe's vigil, would have been more than enough to keep me awake at any other time. when i awoke in the morning, there sat the dear little fellow in a chair asleep, but dressed, his head resting on my pillow. i now felt so much better, though my head was badly swollen, that i rose and paid a visit to moonshee, who was really ill, though not dying, as his wife declared. the shame and outrage of his beating was the occasion of much sorrow and trouble to me, for my persian teacher now begged to be sent back to singapore, and i thought that beebe could not be persuaded to let him go alone, though my heart had been set on keeping them with me as long as i remained in siam. it was in vain that i tried to convince the terrified old man that such a catastrophe could hardly happen again; he would not be beguiled, but, shedding faithful tears at the sight of my bandaged head, declared we should all be murdered if we tarried another day in a land of such barbarous kafirs. i assured him that my wound was but skin-deep, and that i apprehended no further violence. but all to no purpose; i was obliged to promise them that they should depart by the next trip of the chow phya steamer. i deemed it prudent, however, to send for the premier's secretary, and warn him, in his official capacity, that if a repetition of the outrage already perpetrated upon members of my household should be attempted from any quarter, i would at once take refuge at the british consulate, and lodge a complaint against the government of siam. mr. hunter, who was always very serious when he was sober and very volatile when he was not, took the matter to heart, stared long and thoughtfully at my bandaged head and pallid countenance, and abruptly started for the premier's palace, whence he returned on the following day with several copies of a proclamation in the siamese language, signed by his excellency, to the effect that persons found injuring or in any way molesting any member of my household should be severely punished. i desired him to leave one or two of them, in a friendly way, at the house of my neighbor on the left, the kralahome's half-brother; for it was he, and no other, who had committed this most cowardly act of revenge. the expression of mr. hunter's face, as the truth slowly dawned upon him, was rich in its blending of indignation, disgust, and contempt. "the pusillanimous rascal!" he exclaimed, as he hurried off in the direction indicated. "the darkest hour is just before day." so the gloom now cast over our little circle by moonshee's departure was quickly followed by the light of love in beebe's tearful eyes as she bade her husband adieu. "how could she," she asked, "leave her mem and the _chota baba sahib_ alone in a strange land?" xv. the city of bangkok. ascending the meinam (or chow phya) from the gulf, and passing paknam, the paltry but picturesque seaport already described, we come next to paklat beeloo, or "little paklat," so styled to distinguish it from paklat boon, a considerable town higher up the river, which we shall presently inspect as we steam toward bangkok. though, strictly speaking, paklat beeloo is a mere cluster of huts, the humble dwellings of a colony of farmers and rice-planters, it is nevertheless a place of considerable importance as a depot for the products of the ample fields and gardens which surround it on every side. the rice and vegetables which these supply are shipped for the markets of bangkok and ayudia. at paklat beeloo that bustle of traffic begins which, more and more as we approach the capital, imparts to the river its characteristic aspect of activity and thrift,--an animated procession of boats of various form and size, deeply laden with grain, garden stuffs, and fruits, drifting with the friendly helping tide, and requiring little or no manual labor for their navigation, as they sweep along tranquilly, steadily, from bank to bank, from village to village. diverse as are the styles and uses of these boats, the most convenient, and therefore the most common, are the rua-keng and the rua-pãªt. the former resembles in all respects the venetian gondola, while the rua-pãªt has either a square house with, windows amidships, or (more commonly) a basket cover, long and round, like the tent-top of some western wagons. the dimensions of many of these boats are sufficient to accommodate an entire family, with their household goods and merchandise, yet one seldom sees more than a single individual in charge of them. the tide, running strongly up or down, affords the motive-power; "the crew" has but to steer. often unwieldy, and piled clumsily with cargo, one might reasonably suppose their safe piloting to be a nautical impossibility; yet so perfect is the skill--the instinct, rather--of these almost amphibious river-folk, that a little child, not uncommonly a girl, shall lead them. accidents are marvellously rare, considering the thousands of large, heavy, handsome keng boats that ply continually between the gulf and the capital, now lost in a sudden bend of the stream, now emerging from behind a screen of mangroves, and in their swift descent threatening quick destruction to the small and fragile market-boats, freighted with fish and poultry, fruit and vegetables. from paklat beeloo a great canal penetrates directly to the heart of bangkok, cutting off thirty miles from the circuitous river route. but the traveller, faithful to the picturesque, will cling to the beautiful meinam, which will entertain him with scenery more and more charming as he approaches the capital,--higher lands, a neater cultivation, hamlets and villages quaintly pretty, fantastic temples and pagodas dotting the plain, fine oriental effects of form and color, scattered edens of fruit-trees,--the mango, the mangostein, the bread-fruit, the durian the orange,--their dark foliage contrasting boldly with the more lively and lovely green of the betel, the tamarind, and the banana. every curve of the river is beautiful with an unexpectedness of its own,--here the sugar-cane swaying gracefully, there the billow-like lights and shadows of the supple, feathery bamboo, and everywhere ideal paradises of refreshment and repose. as we drift on the flowing thoroughfare toward the golden spires of bangkok, kaleidoscopic surprises of summer salute us on either hand. presently we come to paklat boon, a place of detached cottages and orchards, fondly courting the river, the pretty homesteads of husbandmen and gardeners. here, too, is a dock-yard for the construction of royal barges and war-boats, some of them more than eighty feet long, with less than twelve feet beam. from paklat boon to bangkok the scene is one of ever-increasing splendor, the glorious river seeming to array itself more and more grandly, as for the admiration of kings, and proudly spreading its waters wide, as a courtier spreads his robes. its lake-like expanses, without a spiteful rock or shoal, are alive with ships, barks, brigs, junks, proas, sampans, canoes; and the stranger is beset by a flotilla of river pedlers, expertly sculling under the stern of the steamer, and shrilly screaming the praises of their wares; while here and there, in the thick of the bustle and scramble and din, a cunning, quick-handed chinaman, in a crank canoe, ladles from a steaming caldron his savory chow-chow soup, and serves it out in small white bowls to hungry customers, who hold their peace for a time and loll upon their oars, enraptured by the penetrating brew. three miles below the capital are the royal dock-yards, where most of the ships composing the siamese navy and merchant marine are built, under the supervision of english shipwrights. here, also, craft from hong-kong, canton, singapore, rangoon, and other ports, that have been disabled at sea, are repaired more thoroughly and cheaply than in any other port in the east. there are, likewise, several dry-docks, and, in fact, an establishment completely equipped and intelligently managed. a short distance below the dock-yards is the american mission, comprising the dwellings of the missionaries and a modest school-house and chapel, the latter having a fair attendance of consuls and their children. above the dock-yards is the roman catholic establishment, a quiet little settlement clustered about a small cross-crowned sanctuary. yet one more bend of the tortuous river, and the strange panorama of the floating city unrolls like a great painted canvas before us,--piers and rafts of open shops, with curious wares and fabrics exposed at the very water's edge; and beyond and above these the magnificent "watts" and pagodas with which the capital abounds. these pagodas, and the _p'hra-cha-dees_, or minarets, that crown some of the temples, are in many cases true wonders of cunning workmanship and profuse adornment--displaying mosaics of fine porcelain, inlaid with ivory, gold, and silver, while the lofty doors and windows are overlaid with sculptures of grotesque figures from the buddhist and brahminical mythologies. near the grand palace are three tall pillars of elegant design, everywhere inlaid with variegated stones, and so richly gilt that they are the wonder and the pride of all the country round. these monuments mark the places of deposit of a few charred bones that once were three demigods of siam,--the kings p'hra rama thibodi, p'hra narai, and p'hra phya tak, who did doughty deeds of valor and prowess in earlier periods of siamese history. the grand royal palace, the semi-castellated residence of the supreme king of siam, with its roofs and spires pointed with what seem to be the horns of animals, towers pre-eminent over all the city. it is a great citadel, surrounded by a triplet of walls, fortified with many bastions. each of the separate buildings it comprises is cruciform; and even the palace lately erected in the style of windsor castle forms with the old palace the arms of a cross, as the latter does with the phrasat,--and so on down to an odd little conceit in architecture, in the chinese style throughout. in front of the old palace is an ample enclosure, paved, and surrounded with beautiful trees and rare plants. a gateway, guarded by a pair of colossal lions and two gigantic and frightful nondescripts, half demon, half human, leads to the old palace, now almost abandoned. beyond this, and within the third or innermost wall, is the true heart of the citadel, the quarters of the women of the harem. this is in itself a sort of miniature city, with streets, shops, bazaars, and gardens, all occupied and tended by women only. outside are the observatory and watch-tower. some of the grandest and most beautiful temples and pagodas of siam are in this part of the city. on one side of the palace are the temples and monasteries dedicated to the huge sleeping idol, and on the other the mass of buildings that constitute the palace and harem of the second king. from these two palaces broad streets extend for several miles, occupied on either side by the principal shops and bazaars of bangkok. leaving the grand palace, a short walk to the right brings us to the monuments, already mentioned, of the three warrior kings. from noble pedestals of fine black granite, adorned at top and bottom with cornices and rings of ivory, carved in mythological forms of animals, birds, and flowers, rise conical pillars about fifty feet high. the columns themselves are in mosaic, with diverse material inlaid upon the solid masonry so carefully that the cement can hardly be detected. no two patterns are the same, striking effects of form and color have been studied, and the result is beautiful beyond description. close beside these a third pillar was lately in process of erection, to the memory of the good king p'hra-phen-den klang, father of his late majesty, somdetch p'hra-paramendr maha mongkut. on the outer skirt of the walled town stands the temple watt brahmanee waid, dedicated to the divinity to whom the control of the universe has been ascribed from the most ancient times. his temple is the only shrine of a brahminical deity that the followers of buddha have not dared to abolish. intelligent buddhists hold that he exists in the latent forces of nature, that his only attribute is benevolence, though he is capable of a just indignation, and that within the scope of his mental vision are myriads of worlds yet to come. but he is said to have no form, no voice, no odor, no color, no active creative power,--a subtile, fundamental principle of nature, pervading all things, influencing all things. this belief in brahma is so closely interwoven with all that is best in the morals and customs of the people, that it would seem as though buddha himself had been careful to leave unchallenged this one idea in the mythology of the hindoos. the temple includes a royal monastery, which only the sons of kings can enter. opposite the brahmanee watt, at the distance of about a mile, are the extensive grounds and buildings of watt sah kã¢te, the great national burning-place of the dead. within these mysterious precincts the buddhist rite of cremation is performed, with circumstances more or less horrible, according to the condition or the superstition of the deceased. a broad canal surrounds the temple and yards, and here, night and day, priests watch and pray for the regeneration of mankind. not alone the dead, but the living likewise, are given to be burned in secret here; and into this canal, at dead of night, are flung the rash wretches who have madly dared to oppose with speech or act the powers that rule in siam. none but the initiated will approach, these grounds after sunset, so universal and profound is the horror the place inspires,--a place the most frightful and offensive known to mortal eyes; for here the vows of dead men, howsoever ghoulish and monstrous, are consummated. the walls are hung with human skeletons and the ground is strewed with human skulls. here also are scraped together the horrid fragments of those who have bequeathed their carcasses to the hungry dogs and vultures, that hover, and prowl, and swoop, and pounce, and snarl, and scream, and tear. the half-picked bones are gathered and burned by the outcast keepers of the temple (not priests), who receive from the nearest relative of the infatuated testator a small fee for that final service; and so a buddhist vow is fulfilled, and a buddhist "deed of merit" accomplished. bangkok, the modern seat of government of siam, has (according to the best authorities) two hundred thousand floating dwellings and shops,--to each house an average of five souls,--making the population of the city about one million; of which number more than eighty thousand are chinese, twenty thousand birmese, fifteen thousand arabs and indians, and the remainder siamese. these figures are from the latest census, which, however, must not be accepted as perfectly accurate. the situation of the city is unique and picturesque. when ayudia was "extinguished," and the capital established at bangkok, the houses were at first built on the banks of the river. but so frequent were the invasions of cholera, that one of the kings happily commanded the people to build on the river itself, that they might have greater cleanliness and better ventilation. the result quickly proved the wisdom of the measure. the privilege of building on the banks is now confined to members of the royal family, the nobility, and residents of acknowledged influence, political or commercial. at night the city is hung with thousands of covered lights, that illuminate the wide river from shore to shore. lamps and lanterns of all imaginable shapes, colors, and sizes combine to form a fairy spectacle of enchanting brilliancy and beauty. the floating tenements and shops, the masts of vessels, the tall, fantastic pagodas and minarets, and, crowning all, the walls and towers of the grand palace, flash with countless charming tricks of light, and compose a scene of more than magic novelty and beauty. so oriental fancy and profusion deal with things of use, and make a wonder of a commonplace. a double, and in some parts a triple, row of floating houses extends for miles along the banks of the river. these are wooden structures, tastefully designed and painted, raised on substantial rafts of bamboo linked together with chains, which, in turn, are made fast to great piles planted in the bed of the stream. the meinam itself forms the main avenue, and the floating shops on either side constitute the great bazaar of the city, where all imaginable and unimaginable articles from india, china, malacca, birmah, paris, liverpool, and new york are displayed in stalls. naturally, boats and canoes are indispensable appendages to such houses; the nobility possess a fleet of them, and to every little water-cottage a canoe is tethered, for errands and visits. at all hours of the day and night processions of boats pass to and from the palace, and everywhere bustling traders and agents ply their dingy little craft, and proclaim their several callings in a babel of cries. daily, at sunrise, a flotilla of canoes, filled with shaven men in yellow garments, visits every house along the banks. these are the priests gathering their various provender, the free gift of every inhabitant of the city. twenty thousand of them are supported by the alms of the city of bangkok alone. at noon, all the clamor of the city is suddenly stilled, and perfect silence reigns. men, women, and children are hushed in their afternoon nap. from the stifling heat of a tropical midday the still cattle seek shelter and repose under shady boughs, and even the prows cease their obstreperous clanging. the only sound that breaks the drowsy stillness of the hour is the rippling of the glaring river as it ebbs or flows under the steaming banks. about three in the afternoon the sea-breeze sets in, bringing refreshment to the fevered, thirsty land, and reviving animal and vegetable life with its compassionate breath. then once more the floating city awakes and stirs, and an animation rivalling that of the morning is prolonged far into the night,--the busy, gay, delightful night of bangkok. the streets are few compared with the number of canals that intersect the city in all directions. the most remarkable of the former is one that runs parallel with the grand palace, and terminates in what is now known as "sanon mai," or the new road, which extends from bangkok to paknam, about forty miles, and crosses the canals on movable iron bridges. almost every other house along this road is a shop, and at the close of the wet season bangkok has no rival in the abundance of vegetables and fruits with which its markets are stocked. i could wish for a special dispensation to pass without mention the public prisons of bangkok, for their condition and the treatment of the unhappy wretches confined in them are the foulest blots on the character of the government. some of these grated abominations are hung like bird-cages over the water; and those on land, with their gangs of living corpses chained together like wild beasts, are too horrible to be pictured here. how european officials, representatives of christian ideas of humanity and decency, can continue to countenance the apathy or wilful brutality of the prime minister, who, as the executive officer of the government in this department, is mainly responsible for the cruelties and outrages i may not even name, i cannot conceive. the american protestant missionaries have as yet made no remarkable impression on the religious mind of the siamese. devoted, persevering, and patient laborers, the field they have so faithfully tilled has rewarded them with but scanty fruits. nor will the fact, thankless though it be, appear surprising to those whose privilege it has been to observe the buddhist and the roman catholic side by side in the east, and to note how, even on the score of doctrine, they meet without a jar at many points. the average siamese citizen, entering a roman catholic chapel in bangkok, finds nothing there to shock his prejudices. he is introduced to certain forms and ceremonies, almost the counterpart of which he piously reveres in his own temple,--genuflections, prostrations, decorated shrines, lighted candles, smoking incense, holy water; while the prayers he hears are at least not less intelligible to him than those he hears mumbled in pali by his own priests. he beholds familiar images too, and pictures of a saviour in whom he charitably recognizes the stranger's buddha. and if he happen to be a philosophic inquirer, how surprised and pleased is he to learn that the priests of this faith (like his own) are vowed to chastity, poverty, and obedience, and, like his own, devoted to the doing of good works, penance, and alms. there are many thousands of native converts to catholicism in siam; even the priests of buddhism do not always turn a deaf ear to the persuasions of teachers bound with them in the bonds of celibacy, penance, and deeds of merit. and those teachers are quick to meet them half-way, happily recommending themselves by the alacrity with which they adopt, and make their own, usages which they may with propriety practise in common, whereby the buddhist is flattered while the christian is not offended. such, for example, is the monastic custom of the uncovered head. as it is deemed sacrilege to touch the head of royalty, so the head of the priest may not without dishonor pass under anything less hallowed than the canopy of heaven; and in this buddhist and roman catholic accord. the residences of the british, french, american, and portuguese consuls are pleasantly situated in a bend of the river, where a flight of wooden steps in good repair leads directly to the houses of the officials and european merchants of that quarter. most influential among the latter is the managing firm of the borneo company, whose factories and warehouses for rice, sugar, and cotton are extensive and prosperous. the more opulent of the native merchants are grossly addicted to gambling and opium-smoking. though the legal penalties prescribed for all who indulge in these destructive vices are severe, they do not avail to deter even respectable officers of the government from staking heavy sums on the turn of a card; and long before the game is ended the opium-pipe is introduced. one of the king's secretaries, who was a confirmed opium-smoker, assured me he would rather die at once than be excluded from the region of raptures his pipe opened to him. xvi. the white elephant. it is commonly supposed that the buddhists of siam and birmah regard the chang phoouk, or white elephant, as a deity, and worship it accordingly. the notion is erroneous, especially as it relates to siam. the buddhists do not recognize god in any material form whatever, and are shocked at the idea of adoring an elephant. even buddha, to whom they undoubtedly offer pious homage, they do not style "god" but on the contrary maintain that, though an emanation from a "sublimated ethereal being," he is by no means a deity. according to their philosophy of metempsychosis, however, each successive buddha, in passing through a series of transmigrations, must necessarily have occupied in turn the forms of white animals of a certain class,--particularly the swan, the stork, the white sparrow, the dove, the monkey, and the elephant. but there is much obscurity and diversity in the views of their ancient writers on this subject. only one thing is certain, that the forms of these nobler and purer creatures are reserved for the souls of the good and great, who find in them a kind of redemption from the baser animal life. thus almost all white animals are held in reverence by the siamese, because they were once superior human beings, and the white elephant, in particular, is supposed to be animated by the spirit of some king or hero. having once been a great man, he is thought to be familiar with the dangers that surround the great, and to know what is best and safest for those whose condition in all respects was once his own. he is hence supposed to avert national calamity, and bring prosperity and peace to a people. [illustration: a war elephant ] from the earliest times the kings of siam and birmah have anxiously sought for the white elephant, and having had the rare fortune to procure one, have loaded it with gifts and dignities, as though it were a conscious favorite of the throne. when the governor of a province of siam is notified of the appearance of a white elephant within his bailiwick, he immediately commands that prayers and offerings shall be made in all the temples, while he sends out a formidable expedition of hunters and slaves to take the precious beast, and bring it in in triumph. as soon as he is informed of its capture, a special messenger is despatched to inform the king of its sex, probable age, size, complexion, deportment, looks, and ways; and in the presence of his majesty this bearer of glorious tidings undergoes the painfully pleasant operation of having his mouth, ears, and nostrils stuffed with gold. especially is the lucky wight--perhaps some half-wild woodsman--who was first to spy the illustrious monster munificently rewarded. orders are promptly issued to the woons and wongses of the several districts through which he must pass to prepare to receive him royally, and a wide path is cut for him through the forests he must traverse on his way to the capital. wherever he rests he is sumptuously entertained, and everywhere he is escorted and served by a host of attendants, who sing, dance, play upon instruments, and perform feats of strength or skill for his amusement, until he reaches the banks of the meinam, where a great floating palace of wood, surmounted by a gorgeous roof and hung with crimson curtains, awaits him. the roof is literally thatched with flowers ingeniously arranged so as to form symbols and mottoes, which the superior beast is supposed to decipher with ease. the floor of this splendid float is laid with gilt matting curiously woven, in the centre of which his four-footed lordship is installed in state, surrounded by an obsequious and enraptured crowd of mere bipeds, who bathe him, perfume him, fan him, feed him, sing and play to him, flatter him. his food consists of the finest herbs, the tenderest grass, the sweetest sugar-cane, the mellowest plantains, the brownest cakes of wheat, served on huge trays of gold and silver; and his drink is perfumed with the fragrant flower of the _dok mallee_, the large native jessamine. thus, in more than princely state, he is floated down the river to a point within seventy miles of the capital, where the king and his court, all the chief personages of the kingdom, and a multitude of priests, both buddhist and brahmin, accompanied by troops of players and musicians, come out to meet him, and conduct him with all the honors to his stable-palace. a great number of cords and ropes of all qualities and lengths are attached to the raft, those in the centre being of fine silk (figuratively, "spun from a spider's web"). these are for the king and his noble retinue, who with their own hands make them fast to their gilded barges; the rest are secured to the great fleet of lesser boats. and so, with shouts of joy, beating of drums, blare of trumpets, boom of cannon, a hallelujah of music, and various splendid revelry, the great chang phoouk is conducted in triumph to the capital. here in a pavilion, temporary but very beautiful, he is welcomed with imposing ceremonies by the custodians of the palace and the principal personages of the royal household. the king, his courtiers, and the chief priests being gathered round him, thanksgiving is offered up; and then the lordly beast is knighted, after the ancient manner of the buddhists, by pouring upon his forehead consecrated water from a chank-shell. the titles reserved for the chang phoouk vary according to the purity of the complexion (for these favored creatures are rarely true albinos,--salmon or flesh-color being the nearest approach to white in almost all the historic "white elephants" of the courts of birmah and siam) and the sex; for though one naturally has recourse to the masculine pronoun in writing of a transmigrated prince or warrior, it often happens that prince or warrior has, in the medlied mask of metempsychosis, assumed a female form. such, in fact, was the case with the stately occupant of the stable-palace at the court of maha mongkut; and she was distinguished by the high-sounding appellation of mã¢ã¢ phya seri wongsah ditsarah krasã¢at,--"august and glorious mother, descendant of kings and heroes." for seven or nine days, according to certain conditions, the chang phoouk is fãªted at the temporary pavilion, and entertained with a variety of dramatic performances; and these days are observed as a general holiday throughout the land. at the expiration of this period he is conducted with great pomp to his sumptuous quarters within the precincts of the first king's palace, where he is received by his own court of officers, attendants, and slaves, who install him in his fine lodgings, and at once proceed to robe and decorate him. first, the court jeweller rings his tremendous tusks with massive gold, crowns him with a diadem of beaten gold of perfect purity, and adorns his burly neck with heavy golden chains. next his attendants robe him in a superb velvet cloak of purple, fringed with scarlet and gold; and then his court prostrate themselves around him, and offer him royal homage. when his lordship would refresh his portly person in the bath, an officer of high rank shelters his noble head with a great umbrella of crimson and gold, while others wave golden fans before him. on these occasions he is invariably preceded by musicians, who announce his approach with cheerful minstrelsy and songs. if he falls ill, the king's own leech prescribes for him, and the chief priests repair daily to his palace to pray for his safe deliverance, and sprinkle him with consecrated waters and anoint him with consecrated oils. should he die, all siam is bereaved, and the nation, as one man, goes into mourning for him. but his body is not burned; only his brains and heart are thought worthy of that last and highest honor. the carcass, shrouded in fine white linen, and laid on a bier, is carried down the river with much wailing and many mournful dirges, to be thrown into the gulf of siam. in 1862 a magnificent white--or, rather, salmon-colored--elephant was "bagged," and preparations on a gorgeous scale were made to receive him. a temporary pavilion of extraordinary splendor sprang up, as if by magic, before the eastern gate of the palace; and the whole nation was wild with joy; when suddenly came awful tidings,--he had died! no man dared tell the king. but the kralahome--that man of prompt expedients and unfailing presence of mind--commanded that the preparations should cease instantly, and that the building should vanish with the builders. in the evening his majesty came forth, as usual, to exult in the glorious work. what was his astonishment to find no vestige of the splendid structure that had been so nearly completed the night before. he turned, bewildered, to his courtiers, to demand an explanation, when suddenly the terrible truth flashed into his mind. with a cry of pain he sank down upon a stone, and gave vent to an hysterical passion of tears; but was presently consoled by one of his children, who, carefully prompted in his part, knelt before him and said: "weep not, o my father! the stranger lord may have left us but for a time." the stranger lord, fatally pampered, had succumbed to astonishment and indigestion. a few days after this mournful event the king read to me a curious description of the defunct monster, and showed me parts of his skin preserved, and his tusks, which in size and whiteness surpassed the finest i had ever seen. his (that is, the elephant's) eyes were light blue, surrounded by salmon-color; his hair fine, soft, and white; his complexion pinkish white; his tusks like long pearls; his ears like silver shields; his trunk like a comet's tail; his legs like the feet of the skies; his tread like the sound of thunder; his looks full of meditation; his expression full of tenderness; his voice the voice of a mighty warrior; and his bearing that of an illustrious monarch. that was a terrible affliction, to the people not less than to the king. on all occasions of state,--court receptions, for example,--the white elephant, gorgeously arrayed, is stationed on the right of the inner gate of the palace, and forms an indispensable as well as a conspicuous figure in the picture. when the siamese ambassadors returned from england, the chief of the embassy--a man remarkable for his learning and the purity of his character, who was also first cousin to the supreme king--published a quaint pamphlet, describing england and her people, their manners and customs and dwellings, with a very particular report of the presentation of the embassy at court. speaking of the personal appearance of queen victoria, he says: "one cannot but be struck with the aspect of the august queen of england, or fail to observe that she must be of pure descent from a race of goodly and warlike kings and rulers of the earth, in that her eyes, complexion, and above all her bearing, are those of a beautiful and majestic white elephant." xvii. the ceremonies of coronation. on the morning of the 3d of april, 1851, the chowfa mongkut, after being formally apprised of his election by the senabawdee to the supreme throne, was borne in state to a residence adjoining the phrasat, to await the auspicious day of coronation,--the 15th of the following month, as fixed by the court astrologers; and when it came it was hailed by all classes of the people with immoderate demonstrations of joy; for to their priest king, more sacred than a conqueror, they were drawn by bonds of superstition as well as of pride and affection. the ceremony of coronation is very peculiar. in the centre of the inner hall of audience of the royal palace, on a high platform richly gilded and adorned, is placed a circular golden basin, called, in the court language, _mangala baghavat-thong_, "the golden circlet of power." within this basin is deposited the ancient _p'hra-batt_, or golden stool, the whole being surmounted by a quadrangular canopy, under a tapering, nine-storied umbrella in the form of a pagoda, from ten to twelve feet high and profusely gilt. directly over the centre of the canopy is deposited a vase containing consecrated waters, which have been prayed over nine times, and poured through nine different circular vessels in their passage to the sacred receptacle. these waters must be drawn from the very sources of the chief rivers of siam; and reservoirs for their preservation are provided in the precincts of the temples at bangkok. in the mouth of this vessel is a tube representing the pericarp of a lotos after its petals have fallen off; and this, called _sukla utapala atmano_, "the white lotos of life," symbolizes the beauty of pure conduct. the king elect, arrayed in a simple white robe, takes his seat on the golden stool. a brahmin priest then presents to him some water in a small cup of gold, lotos-shaped. this water has previously been filtered through nine different forms of matter, commencing with earth, then ashes, wheaten flour, rice flour, powdered lotos and jessamine, dust of iron, gold, and charcoal, and finally flame; each a symbol, not merely of the indestructibility of the element, but also of its presence in all animate or inanimate matter. into this water the king elect dips his right hand, and passes it over his head. immediately the choir join in an inspiring chant, the signal for the inverting, by means of a pulley, of the vessel over the canopy; and the consecrated waters descend through another lotos flower, in a lively shower, on the head of the king. this shower represents celestial blessings. a buddhist priest then advances and pours a goblet of water over the royal person from the bed of the ganges. he is then arrayed in regal robes. on the throne, which is in the south end of the hall, and octagonal, having eight seats corresponding to eight points of the compass, the king first seats himself facing the north, and so on, moving eastward, facing each point in its order. on the top step of each seat crouch two priests, buddhist and brahmin, who present to him another bowl of water, which he drinks and sprinkles on his face, each time repeating, by responses with the priests, the following prayer:-_priests_. be thou learned in the laws of nature and of the universe. _king_. inspire me, o thou who wert a law unto thyself! _p_. be thou endowed with all wisdom, and all acts of industry! _k_. inspire me with all knowledge, o thou the enlightened! _p_. let mercy and truth be thy right and left arms of life! _k_. inspire me, o thou who hast proved all truth and all mercy! _p_. let the sun, moon, and stars bless thee! _k_. all praise to thee, through whom all forms are conquered! _p_. let the earth, air, and waters bless thee! _k_. through the merit of thee, o thou conqueror of death! [footnote: for these translations i am indebted to his majesty, maha mongkut; as well as for the interpretation of the several symbols used in this and other solemn rites of the buddhists.] these prayers ended, the priests conduct the king to another throne, facing the east, and still more magnificent. here the insignia of his sovereignty are presented to him,--first the sword, then the sceptre; two massive chains are suspended from his neck; and lastly the crown is set upon his head, when instantly he is saluted by roar of cannon without and music within. then he is presented with the golden slippers, the fan, and the umbrella of royalty, rings set with huge diamonds for each of his forefingers, and the various siamese weapons of war: these he merely accepts, and returns to his attendants. the ceremony concludes with an address from the priests, exhorting him to be pure in his sovereign and sacred office; and a reply from himself, wherein he solemnly vows to be a just, upright, and faithful ruler of his people. last of all, a golden tray is handed to him, from which, as he descends from the throne, he scatters gold and silver flowers among the audience. the following day is devoted to a more public enthronement. his majesty, attired more sumptuously than before, is presented to all his court, and to a more general audience. after the customary salutations by prostration and salutes of cannon and music, the premier and other principal ministers read short addresses, in delivering over to the king the control of their respective departments. his majesty replies briefly; there is a general salute from all forts, war vessels, and merchant shipping; and the remainder of the day is devoted to feasting and various enjoyment. immediately after the crowning of maha mongkut, his majesty repaired to the palace of the second king, where the ceremony of subordinate coronation differed from that just described only in the circumstance that the consecrated waters were poured over the person of the second king, and the insignia presented to him, by the supreme sovereign. five days later a public procession made the circuit of the palace and city walls in a peculiar circumambulatory march of mystic significance, with feasting, dramatic entertainments, and fireworks. the concourse assembled to take part in those brilliant demonstrations has never since been equalled in any public display in siam. xviii. the queen consort. when a king of siam would take unto himself a wife, he chooses a maiden from a family of the highest rank, and of royal pedigree, and, inviting her into the guarded circle of his women, entertains her there in that peculiar state of probation which is his prerogative and her opportunity. should she prove so fortunate as to engage his preference, it may be his pleasure to exalt her to the throne; in which event he appoints a day for the formal consummation of his gracious purpose, when the principal officers, male and female, of the court, with the priests, brahmin as well as buddhist, and the royal astrologers, attend to play their several parts in the important drama. the princess, robed in pure white, is seated on a throne elevated on a high platform. over this throne is spread a canopy of white muslin, decorated with white and fragrant flowers, and through this canopy are gently showered the typical waters of consecration, in which have been previously infused certain leaves and shrubs emblematic of purity, usefulness, and sweetness. while the princess is thus delicately sprinkled with compliments, the priests enumerate, with nice discrimination, the various graces of mind and person which henceforth she must study to acquire; and pray that she may prove a blessing to her lord, and herself be richly blessed. then she is hailed queen, with a burst of exultant music. now the sisters of the king conduct her by a screened passage to a chamber regally appointed, where she is divested of her dripping apparel, and arrayed in robes becoming her queenly state,--robes of silk, heavy with gold, and sparkling with diamonds and rubies. then the king is ushered into her presence by the ladies of the court; and at the moment of his entrance she rises to throw herself at his feet, according to the universal custom. but he prevents her; and taking her right hand, and embracing her, seats her beside him, on his right. there she receives the formal congratulations of the court, with which the ceremonies of the day terminate. the evening is devoted to feasting and merriment. a siamese king may have two queens at the same time; in which case the more favored lady is styled the "right hand," and the other the "left hand," of the throne. his late majesty, maha mongkut, had two queens, but not "in conjunction." the first was of the right hand; the second, though chosen in the lifetime of the first, was not elevated to the throne until after the death of her predecessor. when the bride is a foreign princess, the ceremonies are more public, being conducted in the hall of audience, instead of the ladies' temple, or private chapel. the royal nuptial couch is consecrated with peculiar forms. the mystic thread of unspun cotton is wound around the bed seventy-seven times, and the ends held in the hands of priests, who, bowing over the sacred symbol, invoke blessings on the bridal pair. then the nearest relatives of the bride are admitted, accompanied by a couple who, to use the obstetrical figure of the indispensable mrs. gamp, have their parental quiver "full of sich." these salute the bed, sprinkle it with the consecrated waters, festoon the crimson curtains with flowery garlands, and prepare the silken sheets, the pillows and cushions; which done, they lead in the bride, who has not presided at the entertainments, but waited with her ladies in a screened apartment. on entering the awful chamber, she first falls on her knees, and thrice salutes the royal couch with folded hands, and then invokes protection for herself, that she may be preserved from every deadly sin. finally, she is disrobed, and left praying on the floor before the bed, while the king is conducted to her by his courtiers, who immediately retire. the same ceremony is observed in nearly all siamese families of respectability, with, of course, certain omissions and variations adapted to the rank of the parties. after three days the bride visits her parents, bearing presents to them from the various members of her husband's family. then she visits the parents of her husband, who greet her with costly gifts. in her next excursion of this kind her husband (unless a king) accompanies her, and valuable presents are mutually bestowed. a large sum of money, with jewels and other finery, is deposited with the father and mother of the bride. this is denominated _zoon_, and at the birth of her first child it is restored to the young mother by the grandparents. the king visits his youthful queen just one month after the birth of a prince or princess. she present the babe to him, and he, in turn, places a costly ring on the third finger of her left hand. in like manner, most of the relatives, of both families, bring to the babe gifts of money, jewels, gold and silver ornaments, etc., which is termed _tam kwaan_. even so early the infant's hair is shaved off, except the top-knot, which is permitted to grow until the child has arrived at the age of puberty. xix. the heir-apparent.--royal hair-cutting. the prince somdetch chowfa chulalonkorn [footnote: the present supreme king.] was about ten years old when i was appointed to teach him. being the eldest son of the queen consort, he held the first rank among the children of the king, as heir-apparent to the throne. for a siamese, he was a handsome lad; of stature neither noticeably tall nor short; figure symmetrical and compact, and dark complexion. he was, moreover, modest and affectionate, eager to learn, and easy to influence. his mother dying when he was about nine years old, he, with his younger brothers, the princes chowfa chaturont rasmi and chowfa bhangurangsi swang wongse, and their lovely young sister, the princess somdetch chowfa chandrmondol ("fã¢-ying"), were left to the care of a grand-aunt, somdetch ying noie, a princess by the father's side. this was a tranquil, cheerful old soul, attracted toward everything that was bright and pretty, and ever busy among flowers, poetry, and those darlings of her loving life, her niece's children. of these the little fã¢-ying (whose sudden death by cholera i have described) was her favorite; and after her death the faithful creature turned her dimmed eyes and chastened pride to the young prince chulalonkorn. many an earnest talk had the venerable duchess and i, in which she did not hesitate to implore me to instil into the minds of her youthful wards--and especially this king that was to be--the purest principles of christian faith and precept. yet with all the freshness of the religious habit of her childhood she was most scrupulous in her attendance and devotions at the temple. her grief for the death of her darling was deep and lasting, and by the simple force of her love she exerted a potent influence over the mind of the royal lad. [illustration: the heir-apparent.] a very stern thing is life to the children of royalty in siam. to watch and be silent, when it has most need of confidence and freedom,--a horrible necessity for a child! the very babe in the cradle is taught mysterious and terrible things by the mother that bore it,--infantile experiences of distrust and terror, out of which a few come up noble, the many infamous. here are baby heroes and heroines who do great deeds before our happier western children have begun to think. there were actual, though unnoticed and unconscious, intrepidity and fortitude in the manâ�uvres and the stands with which those little ones, on their own ground, flanked or checked that fatal enemy, their father. angelic indeed were the spiritual triumphs that no eye noted, nor any smile rewarded, save the anxious eye and the prayerful smile of that sleepless maternity that misery had bound with them. but even misery becomes tolerable by first becoming familiar, and out of the depths these royal children laughed and prattled and frolicked and were glad. as for the old duchess, she loved too well and too wisely not to be timid and troubled all her life long, first for the mother, then for the children. such was the early training of the young prince, and for a time it availed to direct his thoughts to noble aspirations. from his studies, both in english and pali, he derived an exalted ideal of life, and precocious and inexpressible yearnings. once he said to me he envied the death of the venerable priest, his uncle; he would rather be poor, he said, and have to earn his living, than be a king. "'tis true, a poor man must work hard for his daily bread; but then he is free. and his food is all he has to lose or win. he can possess all things in possessing him who pervades all things,--earth, and sky, and stars, and flowers, and children. i can understand that i am great in that i am a part of the infinite, and in that alone; and that all i see is mine, and i am in it and of it. how much of content and happiness should i not gain if i could but be a poor boy!" he was attentive to his studies, serene, and gentle, invariably affectionate to his old aunt and his younger brothers, and for the poor ever sympathetic, with a warm, generous heart. he pursued his studies assiduously, and seemed to overcome the difficulties and obstacles he encountered in the course of them with a resolution that gained strength as his mind gained ideas. as often as he effectually accomplished something, he indulged in ecstasies of rejoicing over the new thought, that was an inspiring discovery to him of his actual poverty of knowledge, his possibilities of intellectual opulence. but it was clear to me--and i saw it with sorrow--that for his ardent nature this was but a transitory condition, and that soon the shock must come, against the inevitable destiny in store for him, that would either confirm or crush all that seemed so fair in the promise of the royal boy. when the time came for the ceremony of hair-cutting, customary for young siamese princes, the lad was gradually withdrawn, more and more, from my influence. the king had determined to celebrate the heir's majority with displays of unusual magnificence. to this end he explored the annals and records of siam and cambodia, and compiled from them a detailed description of a very curious procession that attended a certain prince of siam centuries ago, on the occasion of his hair-cutting; and forthwith projected a similar show for his son, but on a more elaborate and costly scale. the programme, including the procession, provided for the representation of a sort of drama, borrowed partly from the ramayana, and partly from the ancient observances of the kings of cambodia. the whole royal establishment was set in motion. about nine thousand young women, among them the most beautiful of the concubines, were cast for parts in the mammoth play. boys and girls were invited or hired from all quarters of the kingdom to "assist" in the performance. every nation under the sun was represented in the grand procession. in our school the regular studies were abandoned, and in their place we had rehearsals of singing, dancing, recitation, and pantomime. an artificial hill, of great height, called khoa-kra-lã¢ã¢t, was raised in the centre of the palace gardens. on its summit was erected a golden temple or pagoda of exquisite beauty, richly hung with tapestries, displaying on the east the rising sun, on the west a moon of silver. the cardinal points of the hill were guarded by the white elephant, the sacred ox, the horse, and the lion. these figures were so contrived that they could be brought close together and turned on a pivot; and thus the sacred waters, brought for that purpose from the brahmapootra, were to be showered on the prince, after the solemn hair-cutting, and received in a noble basin of marble. the name given to the ceremony of hair-cutting varies according to the rank of the child. for commoners it is called "khone chook"; for the nobility and royalty, "soh-khan," probably from the sanskrit _sã´h sã¢htha kam_, "finding safe and sound." the custom is said to be extremely ancient, and to have originated with a certain brahmin, whose only child, being sick unto death, was given over by the physicians as in the power of evil spirits. in his heart's trouble the father consulted a holy man, who had been among the earliest converts to buddhism, if aught might yet be done to save his darling from torment and perdition. the venerable saint directed him to pray, and to have prayers offered, for the lad, and to cause that part of his hair which had never been touched with razor or shears since his birth to be shaved quite off. the result was a joyful rescue for the child; others pursued the same treatment in like cases with the same effect, and hence the custom of hair-cutting. the children of princes are forbidden to have the top-knot cut at all, until the time when they are about to pass into manhood or womanhood. then valuable presents are made to them by all who are related to their families by blood, marriage, or friendship. when all the preparations necessary to the successful presentation of the dramatic entertainment were completed, the king, having taken counsel of his astrologers, sent heralds to the governors of all the provinces of siam, to notify those dignitaries of the time appointed for the jubilee, and request their presence and co-operation. a similar summons was sent to all the priests of the kingdom, who, in bands or companies, were to serve alternately, on the several days of the festival. early in the forenoon of the auspicious day the prince was borne in state, in a gorgeous chair of gold, to the maha phrasat, the order of the procession being as follows:-first came the bearers of the gold umbrellas, fans, and great golden sunshades. next, twelve gentlemen, superbly attired, selected from the first rank of the nobility, six on either side of the golden chair, as a body-guard to the prince. then, four hundred amazons arrayed in green and gold, and gleaming armor. these were followed by twelve maidens, attired in cloth of gold, with fantastic head-gear adorned with precious stones, who danced before the prince to the gentle monotonous movement of the _bandos_. in the centre of this group moved three lovely girls, of whom one held a superb peacock's tail, and the two others branches of gold and silver, sparkling with leaves and rare flowers. these damsels were guarded by two duennas on either side. after these stalked a stately body of brahmins, bearing golden vases filled with _khoa tã´k_, or roasted rice, which they scattered on either side, as an emblem of plenty. another troop of brahmins with bandos, which they rattled as they moved along. two young nobles, splendidly robed, who also bore gold vases, lotos-shaped, in which nestled the bird of paradise called nok kurraweã¨k, the sweetness of whose song is supposed to entrance even beasts of prey. a troop of lads, the rising nobility of siam, fairly covered with gold collars and necklaces. the king's japanese body-guard. another line of boys, representing natives of hindostan in costume. malayan lads in costume. chinese lads in costume. siamese boys in english costume. the king's infantry, headed by pioneers, in european costume. outside of this line marched about five thousand men in long rose-colored robes, with tall tapering caps. these represented guardian-angels attending on the different nations. then came bands of musicians dressed in scarlet, imitating the cries of birds, the sound of falling fruit, and the murmur of distant waters, in the imaginary forest they were supposed to traverse on their way to the sacred mount. the order of the procession behind the golden sedan in which the prince was borne, was nearly as follows:-next after the chair of state came four young damsels of the highest rank, bearing the prince's betel-box, spittoon, fan, and swords. then followed seventy other maidens, carrying reverently in both hands the vessels of pure gold, and all the insignia of rank and office proper to a prince of the blood royal; and yet more, holding over their right shoulders golden fans. in the train of these tripped troops of children, daughters of the nobility, dressed and decorated with fantastic splendor. then the maids of honor, personal attendants, and concubines of the king, chastely dressed, though crowned with gold, and decorated with massive gold chains and rings of great price and beauty. a crowd of siamese women, painted and rouged, in european costume. troops of children in corresponding attire. ladies in chinese costume. japanese ladies in rich robes. malay women in their national dress. women of hindostan. then the kariens. and, last of all, the female slaves and dependants of the prince. at the foot of the hill a most extraordinary spectacle was presented. on the east appeared a number of hideous monsters, riding on gigantic eagles. these nondescripts, whose heads reached almost to their knees, and whose hands grasped indescribable weapons, are called yã¢ks. they are appointed to guard the sacred mount from all vulgar approach. a little farther on, around a pair of stuffed peacocks, were a number of youthful warriors, representing kings, governors, and chiefs of the several dependencies of siam. desirous of witnessing the sublime ceremony of hair-cutting, they cautiously approach the yã¢ks, performing a sort of war dance, and chanting in chorus:-_orah pho, cha pai kra lã¢ã¢t_. "let us go to the sacred mount!" whereupon the yã¢ks, or evil angels, point their wonderful weapons at them, chanting in the same strain:-_orah pho, salope thã¢ng pooang_. "let us slay them all!" they then make a show of striking and thrusting, and princes, rajahs, and governors drop as if wounded. the principal parts in the drama were assumed by his majesty, and their excellencies the prime minister and the minister of foreign affairs. the king was dressed for the character of p'hra inn suen, the hindoo indra, or lord of the sky, who has also the attributes of the roman genius; but most of his epithets in sanskrit are identical with those of the olympian jove. he was attended by the prime minister, personating the sanskrit sachã©, but called in siamese "vis summo kã¢m," and the minister of foreign affairs as his charioteer, ma talee. his imperial elephant, called aisarat, caparisoned in velvet and gold, and bearing the supernatural weapons,--_vagra_, the thunderbolts,--was led by allegorical personages, representing winds and showers, lightning and thunder. the hill, khoa kra lã¢ã¢t, is the sanskrit meru, described as a mountain of gold and gems. his majesty received the prince from the hands of his nobles, set him on his right hand, and presented him to the people, who offered homage. afterward, two ladies of the court led him down the flight of marble steps, where two maidens washed his feet with pure water in a gold basin, and wiped them with fine linen. on his way to the maha phrasat he was met by a group of girls in charming attire, who held before him tufts of palm and branches of gold and silver. thus he was conducted to an inner chamber of the temple, and seated on a costly carpet heavily fringed with gold, before an altar on which were lighted tapers and offerings of all descriptions. in his hand was placed a strip of palmyra leaf, on which were inscribed these mystic words: "even i was, even from the first, and not any other thing: that which existed unperceived, supreme. afterwards, i am that which is, and he that was, and he who must remain am i." "know that except me, who am the first cause, nothing that appears or does not appear in the mind can be trusted; it is the mind's maya or delusion,--as light is to darkness." on the reverse was inscribed this sentence:-"keep me still meditating on thy infinite greatness and my own nothingness, so that all the questions of my life may be answered and my mind abundantly instructed in the path of niphan!" in his hands was placed a ball of unspun thread, the ends of which were carried round the sacred hill, and thence round the temple, and into the inner chamber, where it was bound round the head of the young prince. thence again nine threads were taken, which, after encircling the altar, were passed into the hands of the officiating priests. these latter threads, forming circles within circles, symbolize the mystic word _om_, which may not escape the lips even of the purest, but must be meditated upon in silence. early on the third day all the princes, nobles, and officers of government, together with the third company of priests, assembled to witness the ceremony of shaving the royal top-knot. the royal sire handed first the golden shears and then a gilded razor to the happy hair-cutter, who immediately addressed himself to his honorable function. meanwhile the musicians, with the trumpeters and conch-blowers, exerted all their noisy faculties to beguile the patient heir. the tonsorial operation concluded, the prince was robed in white, and conducted to the marble basin at the foot of the sacred mount, where the white elephant, the ox, the horse, and the lion, guarding the cardinal points, were brought together, and from their mouths baptized him in the sacred waters. he was then arrayed in silk, still white, by women of rank, and escorted to a golden pagoda on the summit of the hill, where the king, in the character of p'hra inn suen, waited to bestow his blessing on the heir. with one hand raised to heaven, and the other on the bowed head of his son, he solemnly uttered words of pali, which may be translated thus:-"thou who art come out of the pure waters, be thy offences washed away! be thou relieved from other births! bear thou in thy bosom the brightness of that light which shall lead thee, even as it led the sublime buddha, to niphan, at once and forever!" these rites ended, the priests were served with a princely banquet; and then the nobility and common people were also feasted. about midday, two standards, called _baisãªe_, were set up within a circle of people. these are not unlike the _sawekra chã¢t_, or royal umbrella, one of the five insignia of royalty in siam. they are about five cubits high, and have from three to five canopies. the staff is fixed in a wooden pedestal. each circle or canopy has a flat bottom, and within the receptacle thus formed custom requires that a little cooked rice, called _k'ow k'wan_, shall be placed, together with a few cakes, a little sweet-scented oil, a handful of fragrant flour, and some young cocoanuts and plantains. other edibles of many kinds are brought and arranged about the _baisãªe_, and a beautiful bouquet adorns the top of each of the umbrella-like canopies. then a procession was formed, of princes, noblemen, and others, who marched around the standards nine times. as they went, seven golden candlesticks, with the candles lighted, were carried by princes, and passed from one to another; and as often as they came in front of the prince, who sat between the standards, they waved the light before him. this procession is but another form of the _om_ symbol. afterwards the eldest priest or brahmin took a portion of the rice from the _baisãªe_, and, sprinkling it with cocoanut water, gave the lad a spoonful of it. then dipping his finger, first in the scented oil and then in the fragrant flour, he touched the right foot of the prince, at the same time exhorting him to be manly and strong, and to bear himself bravely in "the conflict of feeling." now presents of silver and gold were laid at the feet of the lad,--every prince not of the royal family, and every nobleman and high officer in the kingdom, being expected to appear with gifts. a chowfa might receive, in the aggregate, from five hundred thousand to a million ticals. [footnote: a tical is equivalent to sixty cents.] it should be remarked in this connection, that the late king commanded that careful note be kept of all sums of money presented by officers of his government to his children at the time of soh-khan, that the full amount might be refunded with the next semi-annual payment of salary. but this decree does not relieve the more distinguished princes and endowed noblemen, who have acquired a sort of complimentary relationship to his majesty through their daughters and nieces accepted as concubines. the children of plain citizens, who cannot afford the luxury of a public hair-cutting, are taken to a temple, where a priest shaves the tuft, with a brief religious ceremony. hardly had the prince recovered his wonted frame of mind, after an event so pregnant with significance and agitation to him, when the time arrived for his induction into the priesthood. for this the rites, though simpler, were more solemn. the hair, which had been suffered to grow on the top of his young pate like an inverted brush, was now shorn close, and his eyebrows were shaven also. arrayed in costly robes and ornaments, similar to those worn at a coronation, he was taken in charge by a body of priests at his father's palace, and by them conducted to the temple watt p'hra kã«au, his yellow-robed and barefooted escort chanting, on the way, hymns from the buddhist liturgy. at the threshold of the temple another band of priests divested him of his fine robes and clad him in simple white, all the while still chanting. the circle being characteristic of a buddhist ceremonial, as the cross is of their religious architecture, these priests formed a circle, standing, and holding lighted tapers in their folded palms, the high-priest in the centre. then the prince advanced meekly, timidly, bowing low, to enter the holy ring. here he was received by the high-priest, and with their hands mutually interfolded, one upon the other, he vowed to renounce, then and there, the world with all its cares and temptations, and to observe with obedience the doctrines of buddha. this done, he was clad afresh in sackcloth, and led from the temple to the royal monastery, watt brahmanee waid; with bare feet and eyes downcast he went, still chanting those weird hymns. here he remained recluse for six months. when he returned to the world, and to the residence assigned him, he seemed no longer the impressible, ardent boy who was once my bright, ambitious scholar. though still anxious to prosecute his english studies, he was pronounced too old to unite with his brothers and sisters in the school. for a year i taught him, from seven to ten in the evening, at his "rose-planting house"; and even from this distant place and time i look back with comfort to those hours. xx. amusements of the court. of all the diversions of the court the most polite, and at the same time the most engrossing, is the drama. in a great sala, or hall, which serves as a theatre, the actors and actresses assemble, their faces and bodies anointed with a creamy, maize-colored cosmetic. fantastic extravagance of attire constitutes the great gun in their arsenal of attractions. hence ear-rings, bracelets, massive chains and collars, tapering crowns with wings, spangled robes, curious finger-rings, and, strangest of all, long tapering nails of gold, are joined to complete their elaborate adornment. the play, in which are invariably enacted the adventures of gods, kings, heroes, genii, demons, and a multitude of characters mythical and fabulous, is often performed in lively pantomime, the interludes being filled by a strong chorus, with songs and instrumental accompaniment. at other times the players, in grotesque masks, give burlesque versions of the graver epics, to the great amusement of the audience. chinese comedies, termed ngiu, attract the siamese in crowds; but the foreign is decidedly inferior to the native talent. "nang," so called, is a sort of tableau, masked, representing characters from the hindoo mythology. parts of the popular epic, ramayana, are admirably rendered in this style. in front of the royal palace an immense transparent screen, mounted on great poles, is drawn across the esplanade, and behind this, at a moderate distance, great fires are lighted. between the screen and the fire masked figures, grotesquely costumed, enact the story of rama and sita and the giant rawuna, with hanuman and his army of apes bridging the gulf of manaar and piling up the himalayas, while the bards, in measured story, describe the several exploits. a great variety of puppet-shows are contrived for the delectation of the children; and the siamese are marvellously ingenious in the manufacture of toys and dolls, of porcelain, stone, wood, bark, and paper. they make pagodas, temples, boats, and floating houses, with miniature families to occupy them, and all true to the life in every apartment and occupation; watts, with idols and priests; palaces, with kings, queens, concubines, royal children, courtiers, and slaves, all complete in costume and attitude. the royal children observe with grave formalities the eventful custom of "hair-cutting" for their favorite dolls; and dramas, improvised for the occasion by ingenious slaves, are the crowning glory of those high holidays of toddling princes and princesses. the ladies of the harem amuse themselves in the early and late hours of the day by gathering flowers in the palace gardens, feeding the birds in the aviaries and the gold-fishes in the ponds, twining garlands to adorn the heads of their children, arranging bouquets, singing songs of love or glory, dancing to the music of the guitar, listening to their slaves' reading, strolling with their little ones through the parks and _parterres_, and especially in bathing. when the heat is least oppressive they plunge into the waters of the pretty retired lakes, swimming and diving like flocks of brown water-fowl. chess and backgammon, chinese cards and dice, afford a continual diversion to both sexes at the court, and there are many skilful players among them. the chinese have established a sort of "lottery," of which they have the monopoly. it is little better than a "sweat-cloth," with thirteen figures, on which money is staked at the option of the gambler. the winning figure pays its stake thirty-fold, the rest is lost. kite-flying, which in europe and america is the amusement of children exclusively, is here, as in china and birmah, the pastime of both sexes, and all ages and conditions of people. at the season when the south-wind prevails steadily, innumerable kites of diverse forms, many of them representing gigantic butterflies, may be seen sailing and darting over every quarter of the city, and most thickly over the palace and its appendages. parties of young noblemen devote themselves with ardor to the sport, betting bravely on results of skill or luck; and it is most entertaining to observe how cleverly they manage the huge paper toys, entangling and capturing each other's kites, and dragging them disabled to the earth. combats of bulls and elephants, though very popular, are not commonly exhibited at court. at certain seasons fairs are held, where exhibitions of wrestling, boxing, fencing, and dancing are given by professional competitors. the siamese, naturally imaginative and gay, cultivate music with great zest. every village has its orchestra, every prince and noble his band of musicians, and in every part of bangkok the sound of strange instruments is heard continually. their music is not in parts like ours, but there is always harmony with good expression, and an agreeable variety of movement and volume is derived from the diversity of instruments and the taste of the players. the principal instrument, the _khong-vong_, is composed of a series of hemispherical metallic bells or cups inverted and suspended by cords to a wooden frame. the performer strikes the bells with two little hammers covered with soft leather, producing an agreeable harmony. the hautboy player (who is usually a professional juggler and snake-charmer also) commonly leads the band. kneeling and swaying his body forward and backward, and from side to side, he keeps time to the movement of the music. his instrument has six holes, but no keys, and may be either rough or smoothly finished. the _ranat_, or harmonicon, is a wooden instrument, with keys made of wood from the bashoo-nut tree. these, varying in size from six inches by one to fifteen by two, are connected by pieces of twine, and so fastened to a hollow case of wood about three feet in length and a foot high. the music is "conjured" by the aid of two small hammers corked with leather, like those of the khong-vong. the notes are clear and fine, and the instrument admits of much delicacy of touch. beside these the siamese have the guitar, the violin, the flute, the cymbals, the trumpet, and the conch-shell. there is the _luptima_ also, another very curious instrument, formed of a dozen long perforated reeds joined with bands and cemented at the joints with wax. the orifice at one end is applied to the lips, and a very moderate degree of skill produces notes so strong and sweet as to remind one of the swell of a church organ. the laos people have organs and tambourines of different forms; their guitar is almost as agreeable as that of europe; and of their flutes of several kinds, one is played with the nostril instead of the lips. another instrument, resembling the banjo of the american negroes, is made from a large long-necked gourd, cut in halves while green, cleaned, dried in the sun, covered with parchment, and strung with from four to six strings. its notes are pleasing. the _takhã¨_, a long guitar with metallic strings, is laid on the floor, and high-born ladies, with fingers armed with shields or nails of gold, draw from it the softest and sweetest sounds. in their funeral ceremonies the chanting of the priests is usually accompanied by the lugubrious wailing music of a sort of clarionet. the songs of siam are either heroic or amatory; the former celebrating the martial exploits, the latter the more tender adventures, of heroes. athletic games and the contests of the arena and the course form so conspicuous a feature in all ceremonies, solemn or festal, of this people, that a description of them may not with advantage be wholly omitted here. the siamese are by nature warlike, and their government has thoughtfully and liberally fostered those manly sports and exercises which constitute the natural preparation for the profession of arms. of these the most popular are wrestling, boxing (in which both sexes take part), throwing the discus or quoit, foot-shuttlecock, and racing on foot or horseback or in chariots; to which may be added vaulting and tumbling, throwing the dart, and leaping through wheels or circles of fire. the professional athletes and gymnasts are exercised at a tender age under male or female trainers, who employ the most approved methods of limbering and quickening and strengthening and toughening their incipient champions, to whom, though well fed, sleep is jealously allowanced and intoxicating drinks absolutely forbidden. their bodies are rubbed with oils and unguents to render them supple; and a short langoutee with a belt forms the sum of their clothing. none but the children of siamese or laotians are admitted to the gymnasia. the code of laws for the government of the several classes is strictly enforced, and nothing is permitted contrary to the established order and regulations of the games. excessive violence is mercifully forbidden, and those who enter to wrestle or box, race or leap, for the prize, draw lots for precedence and position. the siamese practise wrestling in its rude simplicity, the advantage being with weight and strength, rather than skill and address. the wrestlers, before engaging, are rubbed and shampooed, the joints bent backward and all the muscles relaxed, and the body and limbs freely oiled; but after the latter operation they roll in the dust, or are sprinkled with earth, ground and sifted, that they may be grappled the more firmly. they are matched in pairs, and several couples contend at the same time. their struggles afford superb displays of the anatomy of action, and the perfection of strength and skill and fierce grace in the trained animal. though one be seized by the heel and thrown,--which the siamese applaud as the climax of the wrestler's adroitness,--they still struggle grandly on the ground, a double antã¦us of arms and legs, till one be turned upon his back and slapped upon the breast. that is the accepted signal of the victor. in boxing, the siamese cover their hands with a kind of glove of ribbed leather, sometimes lined with brass. on their heads they wear a leather turban, to protect the temples and ears, the assault being directed mainly at the head and face. besides the usual "getting away" of the british bruiser, blows are caught with surprising address and strength in the gloved hand. the boxer who by overreaching, or missing a blow he has put his weight into, throws himself, is beaten; or he may surrender by simply lowering his arms. the siamese discus, or quoit, is round, and of wood, stone, or iron. their manner of hurling it does not differ materially from that which all mighty players have practised since caesar's soldiers pitched quoits for rations. quite otherwise, in its curious novelty, is their spirited and picturesque sport of foot-shuttlecock,--a game which may be witnessed only in asia, and in the perfection of its skill and agility only in birmah and siam. the shuttlecock is like our own, but the battledore is the sole of the foot. a number of young men form a circle on a clear plot of ground. one of them opens the game by throwing the feathered toy to the player opposite him, who, turning quickly and raising his leg, receives it on the sole of his foot, and sends it like a shot to another, and he to another; and so it is kept flying for an hour or more, without once falling to the ground. speed, whether of two legs or four, is in high estimation among the siamese. their public festivals, however solemn, are usually begun with races, which they cultivate with ardor and enjoy with enthusiasm. they have the foot-race, the horse-race, and the chariot-race. in the first, the runners, having drawn lots for places, range themselves across the course, and, while waiting for the starting signal, excite themselves by leaping. at the word "go," they make play with astonishing speed and spirit. the race of a single horse, "against time," with or without saddle, is a favorite sport. the rider, scorning stirrup or bridle, grips the sides of his steed with his knees, and, with his right arm and forefinger stretched eagerly toward the goal, flies alone,--an inspiring picture. sometimes two horsemen ride abreast, and at full speed change horses by vaulting from one to the other. in the chariot-races from two to four horses are driven abreast, and the art consists in winning and keeping the advantage of ground without collision. this kind of racing is not so common as the others. the favorite pastime of the late second king, who greatly delighted in equestrian exercises and feats, was croquet on horseback,--a sport in which he distinguished himself by his brilliant skill and style, as he did in racing and hunting. this unique equestrian game is played exclusively by princes and noblemen. there are a number of small balls which must be croqueted into two deep holes, with the aid of long slender mallets. the limits of the ground are marked by a line drawn around it; and the only conditions necessary to render the sport exciting and the skill remarkable are narrow bounds and restive steeds. the siamese, like other orientals, ride with loose rein and short stirrups. their saddles are high and hard, and have two large circular flaps, gilded and otherwise adorned, according to the rank of the rider. cavaliers of distinction usually dress expensively, in imported stuffs, elaborately embroidered with silk and gold thread. they wear a small cap, and sometimes a strip of red, like the fillet of the greeks and romans, bound round the brows. prizes for the victors in the games and combats are of several kinds,--purses of gold and silver, suits of apparel, umbrellas, and, more rarely, a gold or silver cup. in concluding this imperfect sketch, i feel that a word of praise is due to the spirit of moderation and humanity which seems to govern such exhibitions in siam. even in their gravest festivals there is an element of cheerfulness and kindness, which tends to promote genial fellowship and foster friendships, and by bringing together all sorts of people, otherwise separated by diversity of custom, prejudice, and interest, unquestionably avails to weld the several small states and dependencies of siam into one compact and stable nation. xxi. siamese literature and art. at the head of the siamese writers of profane history stands, i think, p'hra alack, or rather cheing meing,--p'hra alack being the generic term for all writers. in early life he was a priest, but was appointed historian to the court, and in that capacity wrote a history of the reign of his patron and king, p'hra narai,--(contemporary with louis xiv.)--and left a very curious though unfinished autobiography. seri manthara, celebrated as a military leader, wrote nine books of essays, on subjects relating to agriculture and the arts and sciences. some of these, translated into the languages of birmah and pegu, are still extant. among a host of dramatic writers, phya doong, better known as p'hra khein lakonlen, is entitled to the first rank. he composed about forty-nine books in lyric and dramatic verse, besides epigrams and elegies. of his many poems, the few that remain afford passages of much elegance and sweetness, and even of sublimity,--almost sufficient to atone for the taint of grossness he derived from the licentious imagination of his land and time. while yet hardly out of his infancy, he was laid at the feet of the monarch, and reared in the palace at lophaburee. some dramatic pieces composed by the lad for his playmates to act attracted the notice of the king, who engaged teachers to instruct him thoroughly in the ancient literature of india and persia. but he seems to have boldly opened a way for himself, instead of following (as modern orientals, timid or servile, are so prone to do) the well-worn path of the old hindoo writers. in his tragedy (which i saw acted) of _manda-thi-nung_, "the first mother," there are passages of noble thought and true passion, expressed with a power and beauty peculiarly his own. the entertainments of the theatre are devoured by the siamese with insatiable appetite, and the popular preference is awarded to those intellectual contests in which the tragic and comic poets compete for the prize. the laughter or the tears of the sympathetic groundlings are accepted as the expression of an infallible criticism, and by their verdict the play is crowned or damned. the common people, such is their passion for the drama, get whole tragedies or comedies "by heart." every day in the year, and in every street of bangkok, and all along the river, booths and floating salas may be seen, in which tragedy, comedy, and satirical burlesques, are enacted for the entertainment of great audiences, who are thrilled, delighted, or amused. in compositions strictly dramatic the characters, as with us, speak and act for themselves; but in the epic the poet recites the adventures of his heroes. judges are appointed by the king to determine the merits of new plays before they are performed at court; and on the grand occasion of the hair-cutting of the heir-apparent (now king) his late majesty caused the poem "kraelasah" to be modernized and adapted to grace the ceremonies. p'hra ramawsha, a writer highly esteemed, did wonders for the siamese drama. he translated the ramayana, the mahabharata, and portions of the cambodian lyrics into siamese; introduced masks, with magnificence of costume and ornament; substituted theatres, or rather salas, for the temporary booth or the open plain; and elevated the matter and the style of dramatic compositions from the burlesque and buffoonery to the sentimental and majestic. he was also the first to impart spirit and variety to the dialogue, and to teach actors to express like artists, and not like mere animals, the strong _human_ passions of anger, love, and pity. the plays of p'hra ramawsha are highly esteemed at court. in his management of amorous incidents and intrigues, he is, if not positively refined, at least less gross than other siamese dramatists. [illustration: siamese actor and actress.] the dress of the players is always rich, and in the fashion of that worn at court. the actors and actresses attached to the royal establishment make a splendid display in this respect, large sums being expended annually on their costumes, jewels, and other adornings. the development of native genius and skill, in the direction of the fine arts, has greatly declined, if it has not been absolutely arrested, since the reign of p'hra narai, the enlightened founder of lophaburee; and almost all the vestiges of art, purely national, to be found in the country now, may be traced to that golden age of siam. the siamese, though intelligent, clever, facile, and in a notable degree susceptible to the influences of the beautiful in nature or in art, by no means slow or awkward in imitating the graceful products of european taste and industry, are yet fettered by a peculiar oppression in their efforts to express in visible forms their artistic inspirations. no siamese subject is to be congratulated, who by his talent or his skill has won popular applause in any branch of industry. no such man, having extraordinary cleverness or taste, dare display it to the public in works of novel utility or beauty; because he and his inventions may alike be appropriated, without reward or thanks,--the former to serve the king, the latter to adorn the palace. many ply in secret their dangerously graceful callings, and destroy their work when it is done, rather than see it wrested from them, and with it all that is left to them of freedom, to serve the whim of a covetous and cruel master. all that p'hra narai did to foster the sciences and arts in his land has been undone by the ruinous selfishness of his successors; and of the few suicides recorded in the annals of siam since his time, one of the most remarkable is that of a famous painter, who poisoned himself the day after his installation at court. thus all natural ambition has been stupidly extinguished in the breasts of the artists of a land whose remaining monuments attest her ancient excellence in architecture, sculpture, and painting. the most remarkable examples of siamese painting are presented in the cartoons to be found on the walls of the ancient temples, decorated with the brush before the introduction of wall-paper from birmah. one that is still to be seen in the watt kheim mah, or mai, is especially noticeable. this temple was built by the grandmother of the late maha mongkut. the plant _kheim mai_ (indigenous to siam), which bears a lovely little blossom, was one of her favorite flowers, and she called her temple by its name. being a liberal patron of the arts, she employed a promising young painter named nai dang to decorate the watt. the man would hardly be remembered now but for a poem he wrote and dedicated to the queen mother, in which her beauty and goodness are extolled. i could learn of him no more than that he was self-educated, and by unaided perseverance attained a respectable proficiency in drawing and design. he had also a fair knowledge of chemistry as it is practised in the east; but, aspiring to fame and fortune, he abandoned that study and devoted himself exclusively to painting. for years he struggled desperately against the discouragements of poverty in himself and ignorance in his neighbors, but found his reward at last in this engagement to embellish the walls of the watt kheim mai. nai dang's must have been an original and independent mind, for his conceptions in this cartoon are as bold as his handling is vigorous and effective, while his colors are more true to nature than any that i have seen in chinese or japanese art. he has grandly chosen for his subject the birth of buddha. the mother of the divine teacher being on a journey, is overtaken with the pangs of childbirth. her attendants and slaves have gathered about her; but she, as if conscious of the august nature of the babe she is about to bestow upon the world, retires alone to the shade of an orange grove, where, clinging to the friendly boughs, with a look of blended rapture and pain, she gives birth to the great reformer. a few steps farther on, a circle of light is seen glowing round the feet of the infant, as it attempts to rise and walk alone. next we find the child in a rustic cradle; a branch of the tree under which he is sleeping bends low, to shield him from the fierce rays of the sun, and his royal parents, beholding the miracle, kneel and adore him. now he is a youthful prince, beautiful and gentle, troubled with pity for the poor, the afflicted, and the aged, as they rest by the roadside. and finally, as a hermit, he sits in the shade of a boh-tree, rapt in divine contemplation. it is a great work, full of imagination, truth, and power, if justly contemplated by the light of a semi-barbaric age. every figure is instinct with character and action, and the whole is rendered with infinite _naã¯vetã©_, as though it represented undisputed and familiar facts. on the opposite wall another great cartoon represents the hell of the buddhists, with demons whose hideous heads are those of fabulous beasts and creeping things. as a work of imagination and force this is worthy to be the companion of the birth of buddha. the roof is painted as a firmament,--stars in a blue ground; and here it is that the charm of pure feeling and noble treatment is most apparent. with five colors the artist has produced all the variety we see. no cast shadows are shown, the forms themselves are but partially shaded, yet wonderful harmony and beauty pervade the whole. all honor to nai dang! who alone, amid the national decay of art and culture, preserved this germ of glorious life and strength, wrapped in his own obscure, neglected life! the practice of decorating walls and ceilings with paintings may be traced to a remote period in the history of siamese art. in an ancient temple at lophaburee is a curious picture, of less merit than those of nai dang, representing the marriage of buddha with the princess thiwadi, beside many of the transmigrations of the buddhas; and there are elsewhere one or two pictures well worthy of notice, by masters whose names have not been kept in remembrance. thus art in siam has degenerated for want of kind, fostering patrons, and faithful, sympathetic chroniclers, till it has become a thing of mere tools and technics. nevertheless, they still paint with some cleverness on wood, cloth, parchment, ivory, and plastic material, as well as on gold and silver,--a sort of enamelling. they also retain a fair knowledge of effect in fresco, tracing the outline on the wet ground, and laying on the color in a thin glue; in some of their later work of this kind that i have seen, the idea of the designer is expressed with much vigor. their mosaics, executed in colored porcelain of several varieties, glass of all kinds, mother-of-pearl, and colored marbles, represent chiefly flowers and sprays on a brilliant ground. the most remarkable work of this kind is, i imagine, that which is lavished on the temple watt p'hra kã«au,--the walls, pillars, windows, roofs, towers, and gates being everywhere overlaid with mother-of-pearl and ivory, and profusely gilded. the several faã§ades are likewise inlaid with ivory, glass, and mother-of-pearl, fixed with cement in the mortar, which serves as a base. in all cases these works are characterized by a touching simplicity, which seems to struggle through much, that is obscure and illegible to get nearer to nature and truth. most of the tiles employed in the roofing of temples and palaces are colored and gilt. [illustration: spire of the temple watt-poh.] among the older pictures, one in the royal bedchamber of the abandoned palace deserves a parting glance. it is a cartoon (much defaced, and here and there re-touched by clumsy chinese hands) of the first sin. in the foreground a newly created world is rudely represented, and here are several illuminated figures, human but gigantic. one of these, discontented with his spiritual food, is seen tasting something, which we are told is "fragrant earth"; after which, in another figure, he appears to be electrified, and here his monstrous anatomy is depicted with ludicrous attempts at detail. no one could tell me by whom or when this cartoon was painted, and the painting itself is so little appreciated that i might never have seen or heard of it but for a happy chance. a characteristic effect in the few great works by siamese painters appears in their management of shade. they impart to darkness a pervading inner light or clearness, and heighten the effect of the deeper shadows by permitting objects to be seen through them. in addition to the pictures i have described, one or two of some merit are to be found in the watt brahmanee waid. the florid style of architecture seems to have been familiar to the siamese from a very early period. their palaces, temples, and pagodas afford innumerable examples of it, many of them not unworthy of european art. they build generally in brick, using a cement composed of sand, chalk, and molasses, in which the skin of the buffalo has been steeped. their structures are the most solid and durable imaginable. when the masons building a wall round the new palace at ayuthia found their bricks falling short, they tried in vain to detach a supply from the ruined temples and walls of that ancient city. in the art of sculpture the siamese are in advance of their civilization. not only in their palaces, temples, and pagodas, but in their shops and dwellings likewise, and even in their ships and boats, all sorts of figures are to be seen, modelled and finished with more or less delicacy. xxii. buddhist doctrine, priests, and worship. "the world is old, and all things old within it." we plod a trodden path. no truth is new to-day, save only that one which as a mantle covers the face of god, lest we be blinded by the unveiled glory. how many of earth's departed great, buried out of remembrance, might have lived to-day in the love of the wise and just, had theirs but been that perfect quickening which is the breath of his spirit upon the heart, the gift that "passeth understanding!" the world's helpers must first become borrowers of god. the world's teachers must first learn of him that only wisdom, which cometh not of books nor jealous cloister cells, but out of the heart of man as it opens yearningly to the cry of humanity,--the wisdom of love. this alone may challenge a superior mind, prizing truths not merely for their facts, but for their motives,--motives for which individuals or great communities either act or suffer,--to explore with a calm and kindly judgment the spirit of the religion of the buddhists; and not its spirit only, but its every look and tone and motion as well, being so many complex expressions of the religious character in all its peculiar thoughts and feelings. "who, of himself, can interpret the symbol expressed by the wings of the air-sylph forming within the case of the caterpillar? only he who feels in his own soul the same instinct which impels the horned fly to leave room in its involucrum for antennae yet to come." such a man knows and feels that the potential works in him even as the actual works on him. as all the organs of sense are framed for a correspondent world of sense, so all the organs of the spirit are framed for a correspondent world of spirit; and though these latter be not equally developed in us all, yet they surely exist in all; else how is it that even the ignorant, the depraved, and the cruel will contemplate the man of unselfish and exalted goodness with contradictory emotions of pity and respect? we are prone to ignore or to condemn that which we do not clearly understand; and thus it is, and on no better ground, that we deny that there are influences in the religions of the east to render their followers wiser, nobler, purer. and yet no one of respectable intelligence will question that there have been, in all ages, individual pagans who, by the simplicity of their doctrine and the purity of their practice, have approached very nearly to the perfection of the christian graces; and that they were, if not so much the better for the religion they had, at least far, far better than if they had had no religion at all. it is not, however, in human nature to approve and admire any course of life without inquiring into the spirit of the law that regulates it. nor may it suffice that the spirit is there, if not likewise the letter,--that is to say, the practice. the best doctrine may become the worst, if imperfectly understood, erroneously interpreted, or superstitiously followed. in egypt, palestine, greece, and india, the metaphysical analysis of mind had attained its noontide splendor, while as yet experimental research had hardly dawned. those ancient mystics did much to promote intellectual emancipation, by insisting that thought should not be imprisoned within the mere outlines of any single dogmatic system; and they likewise availed, in no feeble measure, to keep alive the heart in the head, by demanding an impartial reverence for every attribute of the mind, till, by converting these into symbols to impress the ignorant and stupid, they came at last to deify them. thus, with the uninitiated, their system degenerated into an ignoble pantheism. the renascence of buddhism sought to eliminate from the arrogant and impious pantheisms of egypt, india, and greece a simple and pure philosophy, upholding virtue as man's greatest good and highest reward. it taught that the only object worthy of his noblest aspirations was to render the soul (itself an emanation from god) fit to be absorbed back again into the divine essence from which it sprang. the single aim, therefore, of pure buddhism seems to have been to rouse men to an inward contemplation of the divinity of their own nature; to fix their thoughts on the spiritual life within as the only real and true life; to teach them to disregard all earthly distinctions, conditions, privileges, enjoyments, privations, sorrows, sufferings; and thus to incite them to continual efforts in the direction of the highest ideals of patience, purity, self-denial. buddhism cannot be clearly defined by its visible results today. there are more things in that subtile, mystical enigma called in the pali _nirwana_, in the birmese _niban_, in the siamese _niphan_, than are dreamed of in our philosophy. with the idea of niphan in his theology, it were absurdly false to say the buddhist has no god. his decalogue [footnote: translated from the pali.] is as plain and imperative as the christian's :-i. from the meanest insect up to man thou shalt kill no animal whatsoever. ii. thou shalt not steal. iii. thou shalt not violate the wife of another, nor his concubine. iv. thou shalt speak no word that is false. v. thou shalt not drink wine, nor anything that may intoxicate. vi. thou shalt avoid all anger, hatred, and bitter language. vii. thou shalt not indulge in idle and vain talk. viii. thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods. ix. thou shalt not harbor envy, nor pride, nor revenge, nor malice, nor the desire of thy neighbor's death or misfortune. x. thou shalt not follow the doctrines of false gods. whosoever abstains from these forbidden things is said to "observe silah"; and whosoever shall faithfully observe silah, in all his successive metempsychoses, shall continually increase in virtue and purity, until at length he shall become worthy to behold god, and hear his voice; and so he shall obtain niphan. "be assiduous in bestowing alms, in practising virtue, in observing silah, in performing bavana, prayer; and above all in adoring guadama, the true god. reverence likewise his laws and his priests." many have missed seeing what is true and wise in the doctrine of buddha because they preferred to observe it from the standpoint and in the attitude of an antagonist, rather than of an inquirer. to understand aright the earnest creed and hope of any man, one must be at least sympathetically _en rapport_ with him,--must be willing to feel, and to confess within one's self, the germs of those errors whose growth seems so rank in him. in the humble spirit of this fellowship of fallibility let us draw as near as we may to the hearts of these devotees and the heart of their mystery. my interesting pupil, the lady tã¢lã¢p, had invited me to accompany her to the royal private temple, watt p'hra kã«au, to witness the services held there on the buddhist sabã¢to, or one-thu-sin. accordingly we repaired together to the temple on the day appointed. the day was young, and the air was cool and fresh; and as we approached the place of worship, the clustered bells of the pagodas made breezy gushes of music aloft. one of the court pages, meeting us, inquired our destination. "the watt p'hra kã«au," i replied. "to see or to hear?" "both." and we entered. on a floor diamonded with polished brass sat a throng of women, the _ã©lite_ of siam. all were robed in pure white, with white silk scarfs drawn from the left shoulder in careful folds across the bust and back, and thrown gracefully over the right. a little apart sat their female slaves, of whom many were inferior to their mistresses only in social consideration and worldly gear, being their half-sisters,--children of the same father by a slave mother. the women sat in circles, and each displayed her vase of flowers and her lighted taper before her. in front of all were a number of my younger pupils, the royal children, in circles also. close by the altar, on a low square stool, overlaid with a thin cushion of silk, sat the high-priest, chow khoon sã¢h. in his hand he held a concave fan, lined with pale green silk, the back richly embroidered, jewelled, and gilt. [footnote: the fan is used to cover the face. jewelled fans are marks of distinction among the priesthood.] he was draped in a yellow robe, not unlike the roman toga, a loose and flowing habit, closed below the waist, but open from the throat to the girdle, which was simply a band of yellow cloth, bound tightly. from the shoulders hung two narrow strips, also yellow, descending over the robe to the feet, and resembling the scapular worn by certain orders of the roman catholic clergy. at his side was an open watch of gold, the gift of his sovereign. at his feet sat seventeen disciples, shading their faces with fans less richly adorned. we put off our shoes,--my child and i,--having respect for the ancient prejudice against them; [footnote: "put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."] feeling not so much reverence for the place as for the hearts that worshipped there, caring to display not so much the love of wisdom as the wisdom of love; and well were we repaid by the grateful smile of recognition that greeted us as we entered. we sat down cross-legged. no need to hush my boy,--the silence there, so subduing, checked with its mysterious awe even his inquisitive young mind. the venerable high-priest sat with his face jealously covered, lest his eyes should tempt his thoughts to stray. i changed my position to catch a glimpse of his countenance; he drew his fan-veil more closely, giving me a quick but gentle half-glance of remonstrance. then raising his eyes, with lids nearly closed, he chanted in an infantile, wailing tone. that was the opening prayer. at once the whole congregation raised themselves on their knees and, all together, prostrated themselves thrice profoundly, thrice touching the polished brass floor with their foreheads; and then, with heads bowed and palms folded and eyes closed, they delivered the responses after the priest, much in the manner of the english liturgy, first the priest, then the people, and finally all together. there was no singing, no standing up and sitting down, no changing of robes or places, no turning the face to the altar, nor north, nor south, nor east, nor west. all knelt _still_, with hands folded straight before them, and eyes strictly, tightly closed. indeed, there were faces there that expressed devotion and piety, the humblest and the purest, as the lips murmured: "o thou eternal one, thou perfection of time, thou truest truth, thou immutable essence of all change, thou most excellent radiance of mercy, thou infinite compassion, thou pity, thou charity!" i lost some of the responses in the simultaneous repetition, and did but imperfectly comprehend the exhortation that followed, in which was inculcated the strictest practice of charity in a manner so pathetic and so gentle as might be wisely imitated by the most orthodox of christian priests. there was majesty in the humility of those pagan worshippers, and in their shame of self they were sublime. i leave both the truth and the error to him who alone can soar to the bright heights of the one and sound the dark depths of the other, and take to myself the lesson, to be read in the shrinking forms and hidden faces of those patient waiters for a far-off glimmering _light_,--the lesson wherefrom i learn, in thanking god for the light of christianity, to thank him for its shadow too, which is buddhism. around the porches and vestibules of the temple lounged the amazonian guard, intent only on irreverent amusement, even in the form of a grotesque and grim flirtation here and there with the custodians of the temple, who have charge of the sacred fire that burns before the altar. about eighty-five years ago this fire went out. it was a calamity of direful presage, and thereupon all siam went into a consternation of mourning. all public spectacles were forbidden until the crime could be expiated by the appropriate punishment of the wretch to whose sacrilegious carelessness it was due; nor was the sacred flame rekindled until the reign of p'hra-pooti-yaut-fa, grandfather of his late majesty, when the royal hall of audience was destroyed by lightning. from that fire of heaven it was relighted with joyful thanksgiving, and so has burned on to this day. the lofty throne, on which the priceless p'hra kã«au (the emerald idol) blazed in its glory of gold and gems, shone resplendent in the forenoon light. everything above, around it,--even the vases of flowers and the perfumed tapers on the floor,--was reflected as if by magic in its kaleidoscopic surface, now pensive, pale, and silvery as with moonlight, now flashing, fantastic, with the party-colored splendors of a thousand lamps. the ceiling was wholly covered with hieroglyphic devices,--luminous circles and triangles, globes, rings, stars, flowers, figures of animals, even parts of the human body,--mystic symbols, to be deciphered only by the initiated. ah! could i but have read them as in a book, construing all their allegorical significance, how near might i not have come to the distracting secret of this people! gazing upon them, my thought flew back a thousand years, and my feeble, foolish conjectures, like butterflies at sea, were lost in mists of old myth. not that buddhism has escaped the guessing and conceits of a multitude of writers, most trustworthy of whom are the early christian fathers, who, to the end that they might arouse the attention of the sleeping nations, yielded a reluctant, but impartial and graceful, tribute to the long-forgotten creeds of chaldea, phenicia, assyria, and egypt. nevertheless, they would never have appealed to the doctrine of buddha as being most like to christianity in its rejection of the claims of race, had they not found in its simple ritual another and a stronger bond of brotherhood. like christianity, too, it was a religion catholic and apostolic, for the truth of which many faithful witnesses had laid down their lives. it was, besides, the creed of an ancient race; and the mystery that shrouded it had a charm to pique the vanity even of self-sufficient greeks, and stir up curiosity even in roman arrogance and indifference. the doctrines of buddha were eminently fitted to elucidate the doctrines of christ, and therefore worthy to engage the interest of christian writers; accordingly, among the earliest of these mention is made of the buddha or phthah, though there were as yet few or none to appreciate all the religious significance of his teachings. terebinthus declared there was nothing in the pagan world to be compared with his (buddha's) _p'hra-ti-moksha_, or code of discipline, which in some respects resembled the rules that governed the lives of the monks of christendom; marco polo says of buddha, "si fuisset christianus, fuisset apud deum maximus factus"; and later, malcolm, the devoted missionary, said of his doctrine, "in almost every respect it seems to be the best religion which man has ever invented." mark the "invented" of the wary christian! but errors, that in time crept in, corrupted the pure doctrine, and disciples, ignorant or stupid, perverted its meaning and intent, and blind or treacherous guides led the simple astray, till at last the true and plain philosophy of buddha became entangled with the egyptian mythology. over the portal on the eastern facade of the watt p'hra kã«au is a bass-relief representing the last judgment, in which are figures of a devil with a pig's head dragging the wicked to hell, and an angel weighing mankind in a pair of scales. now we know that in the mythology of ancient egypt the pig was the emblem of the evil spirit, and this bass-relief of the siamese watt could hardly fail to remind the egyptologist of kindred compositions in old sculptures wherein the good and bad deeds of the dead are weighed by anubis (the siamese anuman or hanuman), and the souls of the wicked carried off by a pig. in the city of arsinoe in upper egypt (formerly crocodilopolis, now medinet-el-fayum), the crocodile is worshipped; and a sacred crocodile, kept in a pond, is perfectly tame and familiar with the priests. he is called suchus, and they feed him with meat and corn and wine, the contributions of strangers. one of the egyptian divinities, apparently that to whom the beast was consecrated, is invariably pictured with the head of a crocodile; and in hieroglyphic inscriptions is represented by that animal with the tail turned under the body. a similar figure is common in the temples of siam; and a sacred crocodile, kept in a pond in the manner of the ancient egyptians, is fed by siamese priests, at whose call it comes to the surface to receive the rice, fruit, and wine that are brought to it daily. the beetle, an insect peculiarly sacred to the buddhists, was the egyptian sign of phthah, the father of gods; and in the hieroglyphics it stands for the name of that deity, whose head is either surmounted by a beetle, or is itself in the form of a beetle. elsewhere in the hieroglyphics, where it does not represent buddha, it evidently appears as the symbol of generation or reproduction, the meaning most anciently attached to it; whence dr. young, in his "hieroglyphical researches," inferred its relation to buddha. mrs. hamilton gray, in her work on the sepulchres of etruria, observes: "as scarabã¦i existed long before we had any account of idols, i do not doubt that they were originally the invention of some really devout mind; and they speak to us in strong language of the danger of making material symbols of immaterial things. first, the symbol came to be trusted in, instead of the being of whom it was the sign. then came the bodily conception and manifestation of that being, or his attributes, in the form of idols. next, the representation of all that belongs to spirits, good and bad. and finally, the deification of every imagination of the heart of man,--a written and accredited system of polytheism, and a monstrous and hydra-headed idolatry." such is the religious history of the scarabã¦us, a creature that so early attracted the notice of man by its ingenious and industrious habits, that it was selected by him to symbolize the creator; and cutting stones to represent it, [footnote: six rubies, exquisitely cut in the form of beetles, are worn as studs by the present king of siam.] he wore them in token of his belief in a creator of all things, and in recognition of the divine presence, probably attaching to them at first no more mysterious import or virtue. there is sound reason for believing that in this form the symbol existed before abraham, and that its fundamental signification of creation or generation was gradually overbuilt with arbitrary speculations and fantastic notions. in theory it degenerated into a crude egoism, a vaunting and hyper-stoic hostility to nature, which, though intellectually godless, was not without that universal instinct for divinity which, by countless ways, seeks with an ever-present and importunate longing for the one sublimated and eternal source from which it sprang. through twenty-five million six hundred thousand asongkhies, or metempsychoses,--according to the overpowering computation of his priests,--did buddha struggle to attain the divine omniscience of niphan, by virtue of which he remembers every form he ever entered, and beholds with the clear eyes of a god the endless diversities of transmigration in the animal, human, and angelic worlds, throughout the spaceless, timeless, numberless universe of visible and invisible life. according to heraclides, pythagoras used to say of himself, that he remembered "not only all the men, but all the animals and all the plants, his soul had passed through." that pythagoras believed and taught the doctrine of transmigration may hardly be doubted, but that he originated it is very questionable. herodotus intimates that both orpheus and pythagoras derived it from the egyptians, but propounded it as their own, without acknowledgment. nearly every male inhabitant of siam enters the priesthood at least once in his lifetime. instead of the more vexatious and scandalous forms of divorce, the party aggrieved may become a priest or a nun, and thus the matrimonial bond is at once dissolved; and with this advantage, that after three or four months of probation they may be reconciled and reunited, to live together in the world again. chow khoon sã¢h, or "his lordship the lake," whose functions in the watt p'hra kã«au i have described, was the high-priest of siam, and in high favor with his majesty. he had taken holy orders with the double motive of devoting himself to the study of sanskrit literature, and of escaping the fate, that otherwise awaited him, of becoming the mere thrall of his more fortunate cousin, the king. in the palace it was whispered that he and the late queen consort had been tenderly attached to each other, but that the lady's parents, for prudential considerations, discountenanced the match; "and so," on the eve of her betrothal to his majesty, her lover had sought seclusion and consolation in a buddhist monastery. however that may be, it is certain that the king and the high-priest were now fast friends. the latter entertained great respect for his reverend cousin, whose title ("the lake") described justly, as well as poetically, the graceful serenity and repose of his demeanor. chow khoon sã¢h lived at some distance from the palace, at the watt brahmanee waid. as the friendship between the cousins ripened, his majesty considered that it would be well for him to have the contemplative student, prudent adviser, and able reasoner nearer to him. with this idea, and for a surprise to one to whom all surprises had long since become but vanities and vexations of spirit, he caused to be erected, about forty yards from the grand palace, on the eastern side of the meinam, a temple which he named _rajah-bah-dit-sang_, or "the king caused me to be built"; and at the same time, as an appendage to the temple, a monastery in mediaeval style, the workmanship in both structures being most substantial and elaborate. the sculptures and carvings on the pillars and faã§ades--half-fabulous, half-historical figures, conveying ingenious allegories of the triumph of virtue over the passions--constituted a singular tribute to the exemplary fame of the high-priest. the grounds were planted with trees and shrubs, and the walks gravelled, thus inviting the contemplative recluse to tranquil, soothing strolls. these grounds were accessible by four gates, the principal one facing the east, and a private portal opening on the canal. the laying of the foundation of the temple and monastery of rajah-bah-dit-sang was the occasion of extraordinary festivities, consisting of theatrical spectacles and performances, a carnival of dancing, mass around every corner-stone, banquets to priests, and distributions of clothing, food, and money to the poor. the king presided every morning and evening under a silken canopy; and even those favorites of the harem who were admitted to the royal confidence were provided with tents, whence they could witness the shows, and participate in the rejoicings in the midst of which the good work went on. after the several services of mass had been performed, and the corner-stones consecrated by the pouring on of oil and water, [footnote: oil is the emblem of life and love; water, of purity.] seven tall lamps were lighted to burn above them seven days and nights, and seventy priests in groups of seven, forming a perfect circle, prayed continually, holding in their hands the mystic web of seven threads, that weird circlet of life and death. then the youngest and fairest virgins of the land brought offerings of corn and wine, milk, honey, and flowers, and poured them on the consecrated stones. and after that, they brought pottery of all kinds,--vases, urns, ewers, goglets, bowls, cups, and dishes,--and, flinging them into the foundations, united with zeal and rejoicing in the "meritorious" work of pounding them into fine dust; and while the instruments of music and the voices of the male and female singers of the court kept time to the measured crash and thud of the wooden clubs in those young and tender hands, the king cast into the foundation coins and ingots of gold and silver. "do you understand the word 'charity,' or _maitrã®_, as your apostle st. paul explains it in the thirteenth chapter of his first epistle to the corinthians?" said his majesty to me one morning, when he had been discussing the religion of sakyamuni, the buddha. "i believe i do, your majesty," was my reply. "then, tell me, what does st. paul really mean, to what custom does he allude, when he says, 'even if i give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing'?" "custom!" said i. "i do not know of any _custom_. the giving of the body to be burned is by him esteemed the highest act of devotion, the purest sacrifice man can make for man." "you have said well. it is the highest act of devotion that can be made, or performed, by man for man,--that giving of his body to be burned. but if it is done from a spirit of opposition, for the sake of fame, or popular applause, or for any other such motive, is it still to be regarded as the highest act of sacrifice?" "that is just what st. paul means: the motive consecrates the deed." "but all men are not fortified with the self-control which should fit them to be great exemplars; and of the many who have appeared in that character, if strict inquiry were made, their virtue would be found to proceed from any other than the true and pure spirit. sometimes it is indolence, sometimes restlessness, sometimes vanity impatient for its gratification, and rushing to assume the part of humility for the purpose of self-delusion." "now" said the king, taking several of his long strides in the vestibule of his library, and declaiming with his habitual emphasis, "st paul, in this chapter, evidently and strongly applies the buddhist's word _maitrã®_, or _maikree_, as pronounced by some sanskrit scholars; and explains it through the buddhist's custom of giving the body to be burned, which was practised centuries before the christian era, and is found unchanged in parts of china, ceylon, and siam to this day. the giving of the body to be burned has ever been considered by devout buddhists the most exalted act of self-abnegation. "to give all one's goods to feed the poor is common in this country, with princes and people,--who often keep back nothing (not even one _cowree_, the thousandth part of a cent) to provide for themselves a handful of rice. but then they stand in no fear of starvation; for death by hunger is unknown where buddhism is preached and _practised_. "i know a man, of royal parentage, and once possessed of untold riches. in his youth he felt such pity for the poor, the old, the sick, and such as were troubled and sorrowful, that he became melancholy, and after spending several years in the continual relief of the needy and helpless, he, in a moment, gave all his goods,--in a word, all,--'to feed the poor.' this man has never heard of st. paul or his writings; but he knows, and tries to comprehend in its fulness, the buddhist word _maitrã®_. "at thirty he became a priest. for five years he had toiled as a gardener; for that was the occupation he preferred, because in the pursuit of it he acquired much useful knowledge of the medicinal properties of plants, and so became a ready physician to those who could not pay for their healing. but he could not rest content with so imperfect a life, while the way to perfect knowledge of excellence, truth, and charity remained open to him; so he became a priest. "this happened sixty-five years ago. now he is ninety-five years old; and, i fear, has not yet found the truth and excellence he has been in search of so long. but i know no greater man than he. he is great in the christian sense,--loving, pitiful, forbearing, pure. "once, when he was a gardener, he was robbed of his few poor tools by one whom he had befriended in many ways. some time after that, the king met him, and inquired of his necessities. he said he needed tools for his gardening. a great abundance of such implements was sent to him; and immediately he shared them with his neighbors, taking care to send the most and best to the man who had robbed him. "of the little that remained to him, he gave freely to all who lacked. not his own, but another's wants, were his sole argument in asking or bestowing. now, he is great in the buddhist sense also,--not loving life nor fearing death, desiring nothing the world can give, beyond the peace of a beatified spirit. this man--who is now the high-priest of siam--would, without so much as a thought of shrinking, give his body, alive or dead, to be burned, if so he might obtain one glimpse of eternal truth, or save one soul from death or sorrow." more than eighteen months after the first king of siam had entertained me with this essentially buddhistic argument, and its simple and impressive illustration, a party of pages hurried me away with them, just as the setting sun was trailing his last long, lingering shadows through the porches of the palace. his majesty required my presence; and his majesty's commands were absolute and instant. "find and fetch!" no delay was to be thought of, no question answered, no explanation afforded, no excuse entertained. so with resignation i followed my guides, who led the way to the monastery of watt rajah-bah-dit-sang. but having some experience of the moods and humors of his majesty, my mind was not wholly free from uneasiness. generally, such impetuous summoning foreboded an interview the reverse of agreeable. the sun had set in glory below the red horizon when i entered the extensive range of monastic buildings that adjoin the temple. wide tracts of waving corn and avenues of oleanders screened from view the distant city, with its pagodas and palaces. the air was fresh and balmy, and seemed to sigh plaintively among the betel and cocoa palms that skirt the monastery. the pages left me seated on a stone step, and ran to announce my presence to the king. long after the moon had come out clear and cool, and i had begun to wonder where all this would end, a young man, robed in pure white, and bearing in one hand a small lighted taper and a lily in the other, beckoned me to enter, and follow him; and as we traversed the long, low passages that separate the cells of the priests, the weird sound of voices, chanting the hymns of the buddhist liturgy, fell upon my ear. the darkness, the loneliness, the measured monotone, distant and dreamy, all was most romantic and exciting, even to a matter-of-fact english woman like myself. as the page approached the threshold of one of the cells, he whispered to me, in a voice full of entreaty, to put off my shoes; at the same time prostrating himself with a movement and expression of the most abject humility before the door, where he remained, without changing his posture. i stooped involuntarily, and scanned curiously, anxiously, the scene within the cell. there sat the king; and at a sign from him i presently entered, and sat down beside him. on a rude pallet, about six and a half feet long, and not more than three feet wide, and with a bare block of wood for a pillow, lay a dying priest. a simple garment of faded yellow covered his person; his hands were folded on his breast; his head was bald, and the few blanched hairs that might have remained to fringe his sunken temples had been carefully shorn,--his eyebrows, too, were closely shaven; his feet were bare and exposed; his eyes were fixed, not in the vacant stare of death, but with solemn contemplation or scrutiny, upward. no sign of disquiet was there, no external suggestion of pain or trouble; i was at once startled and puzzled. was he dying, or acting? in the attitude of his person, in the expression of his countenance, i beheld sublime reverence, repose, absorption. he seemed to be communing with some spiritual presence. my entrance and approach made no change in him. at his right side was a dim taper in a gold candlestick; on the left a dainty golden vase, filled with white lilies, freshly gathered: these were offerings from the king. one of the lilies had been laid on his breast, and contrasted touchingly with the dingy, faded yellow of his robe. just over the region of the heart lay a coil of unspun cotton thread, which, being divided into seventy-seven filaments, was distributed to the hands of the priests, who, closely seated, quite filled the ell, so that none could have moved without difficulty. before each priest were a lighted taper and a lily, symbols of faith and purity. from time to time one or other of that solemn company raised his voice, and chanted strangely; and all the choir responded in unison. these were the words, as they were afterward translated for me by the king. _first voice._ sã¢ng-khã¢ng sã¢rã¢ nang gã¢ch' chã¢ mi! (thou excellence, or perfection! i take refuge in thee.) _all._ nama poothã´ sã¢ng-khã¢ng sã¢rã¢ nang gã¢ch' chã¢ mi! (thou who art named poot-tho!--either god, buddha, or mercy,--i take refuge in thee.) _first voice._ tuti ã¢mpi sã¢ng-khã¢ng sã¢rã¢ nang gã¢ch' cha mi! (thou holy one! i take refuge in thee.) _all._ tã¨ sã¢tiyã¢ sã¢ng-khã¢ng sã¢rã¢ nang gã¢ch' chã¢ mi! (thou truth, i take refuge in thee.) as the sound of the prayer fell on his ear, a nickering smile lit up the pale, sallow countenance of the dying man with a visible mild radiance, as though the charity and humility of his nature, in departing, left the light of their loveliness there. the absorbing rapture of that look, which seemed to overtake the invisible, was almost too holy to gaze upon. riches, station, honors, kindred, he had resigned them all, more than half a century since, in his love for the poor and his longing after truth. here was none of the wavering or vagueness or incoherence of a wandering, delirious death. he was going to his clear, eternal calm. with a smile of perfect peace he said: "to your majesty i commend the poor; and this that remains of me i give to be burned." and that, his last gift, was indeed his all. i can imagine no spectacle more worthy to excite a compassionate emotion, to impart an abiding impression of reverence, than the tranquil dying of that good old "pagan." gradually his breathing became more laborious; and presently, turning with a great effort toward the king, he said, _chan cha pi dauni!_--"i will go now!" instantly the priests joined in a loud psalm and chant, "p'hra arahang sã¢ng-khã¢ng sã¢rã¢ nang gã¢ch' chã¢ mi!" (thou sacred one, i take refuge in thee.) a few minutes more, and the spirit of the high-priest of siam had calmly breathed itself away. the eyes were open and fixed; the hands still clasped; the expression sweetly content. my heart and eyes were full of tears, yet i was comforted. by what hope? i know not, for i dared not question it. on the afternoon of the next day i was again summoned by his majesty to witness the burning of that body. it was carried to the cemetery watt sah kã¢te; and there men, hired to do such dreadful offices upon the dead, cut off all the flesh and flung it to the hungry dogs that haunt that monstrous garbage-field of buddhism. the bones, and all that remained upon them, were thoroughly burned; and the ashes, carefully gathered in an earthen pot, were scattered in the little gardens of wretches too poor to buy manure. all that was left now of the venerable devotee was the remembrance of a look. "this," said the king, as i turned away sickened and sorrowful, "is to give one's body to be burned. this is what your st. paul had in his mind,--this custom of our buddhist ancestors, this complete self-abnegation in life and in death,--when he said, 'even if i give my body to be burned, and have not charity [maitrã®], it profiteth me nothing.'" [illustration: priests at breakfast.] common maxims of the priests of siam. glory not in thyself, but rather in thy neighbor. dig not the earth, which is the source of life and the mother of all. cause no tree to die. kill no beast, nor insect, not even the smallest ant or fly. eat nothing between meals. regard not singers, dancers, nor players on instruments. use no perfume but sweetness of thoughts. neither sit nor sleep in high places. be lowly in thy heart, that thou mayst be lowly in thy act. hoard neither silver nor gold. entertain not thy thoughts with worldly things. do no work but the work of charity and truth. give not flowers unto women, but rather prayers. contract no friendship with the hope of gain. borrow nothing, but rather deny thy want. lend not unto usury. keep neither lance, nor sword, nor any deadly weapon. judge not thy neighbor. bake not, nor burn. wink not. be not familiar nor contemptuous. labor not for hire, but for charity. look not upon women unchastely. make no incisions that may draw blood or sap, which is the life of man and nature. give no medicines which contain poison, but study to acquire the true art of healing, which is the highest of all arts, and pertains to the wise and benevolent. love all men equally. perform not thy meditations in public places. make no idols of any kind. xxiii. cremation. as soon as his majesty had recovered from his genuine convulsion of grief for the death of his sweet little princess, somdetch chow fã¢-ying, he proceeded, habited in white, with all his family, to visit the chamber of mourning. the grand-aunt of the dead child, who seemed the most profoundly afflicted of all that numerous household, still lay prostrate at the feet of her pale cold darling, and would not be comforted. as his majesty entered, silently ushered, she moved, and mutely laid her head upon his feet, moaning, _poot-tho! poot-tho!_ there were tears and sighs and heart-wrung sobs around. speechless, but with trembling lips, the royal father took gently in his arms the little corpse, and bathed it in the siamese manner, by pouring cold water upon it. in this he was followed by other members of the royal family, the more distant relatives, and such ladies of the harem as chanced to be in waiting,--each advancing in the order of rank, and pouring pure cold water from a silver bowl over the slender body. two sisters of the king then shrouded the corpse in a sitting posture, overlaid it with perfumes and odoriferous gums, frankincense and myrrh, and, lastly, swaddled it in a fine winding-sheet. finally it was deposited in a golden urn, and this again in an-other of finer gold, richly adorned with precious stones. the inner urn has an iron grating in the bottom, and the outer an orifice at its most pendent point, through which by means of a tap or stop-cock, the fluids are drawn off daily, until the _cadavre_ has become quite dry. this double rim was borne on a gilt sedan, under a royal gilt umbrella, to the temple of the maha phrasat, where it was mounted on a graduated platform about six feet high. during this part of the ceremony, and while the trumpeters and the blowers of conch-shells performed their lugubrious parts, his majesty sat apart, his face buried in his hands, confessing a keener anguish than had ever before cut his selfish heart. the urn being thus elevated, all the insignia pertaining to the rank of the little princess were disposed in formal order below it, as though at her feet. then the musicians struck up a passionate passage, ending in a plaintive and truly solemn dirge; after which his majesty and all the princely company retired, leaving the poor clod to await, in its pagan gauds and mockery, the last offices of friendship. but not always alone; for thrice daily--at early dawn, and noon, and gloaming--the musicians came to perform a requiem for the soul of the dead,--"that it may soar on high, from the naming, fragrant pyre for which it is reserved, and return to its foster parents, ocean, earth, air, sky." with these is joined a concert of mourning women, who bewail the early dead, extolling her beauty, graces, virtues; while in the intervals, four priests (who are relieved every fourth hour) chant the praises of buddha, bidding the gentle spirit "pass on! pass on!" and boldly speed through the labyrinth before it, "through high, deep, and famous things, through good and evil things, through truth and error, through wisdom and folly, through sorrow, suffering, hope, life, joy, love, death, through endless mutability, into immutability!" these services are performed with religious care daily for six months; [footnote: twelve months for a king.] that is, until the time appointed for cremation. meanwhile, in the obsequies of the princess fã¢-ying, arrangements were made for the erection of the customary _p'hra-mã¨ne_,--a temporary structure of great splendor, where the body lies in state for several days, on a throne dazzling with gold and silver ornaments and precious stones. for the funeral honors of royalty it is imperative that the p'hra-mã¨ne be constructed of virgin timber. trunks of teak, from two hundred to two hundred and fifty feet in length, and of proportionate girth, are felled in the forests of myolonghee, and brought down the meinam in rafts. these trunks, planted thirty feet deep, one at each corner of a square, serve as pillars, not less than a hundred and seventy feet high, to support a sixty-foot spire, an octagonal pyramid, covered with gold leaf. attached to this pyramid are four wings, forty feet long, with handsome porches looking to the cardinal points of the compass; here also are four colossal figures of heroic myths, each with a lion couchant at its feet. on one side of the square reserved for the p'hra-mã¨ne, a vast hall is erected to accommodate the supreme king and his family while attending the funeral ceremonies. the several roofs of this temporary edifice have peculiar horn-like projections at the ends, and are covered with crimson cloth, while golden draperies are suspended from the ceiling. the entire space around the p'hra-mã¨ne is matted with bamboo wicker-work, and decorated with innumerable standards peculiar to siam. here and there may be seen grotesque cartoons of the wars of gods and giants, and rude landscapes supposed to represent the buddhist's heaven, with lakes and groves and gardens. beyond these are playhouses for theatrical displays, puppet-shows, masquerades, posturing, somersaulting, leaping, wrestling, balancing on ropes and wires, and the tricks of professional buffoons. here also are restaurants, or cook-shops, for all classes of people above the degree of boors; and these are open day and night during the period devoted to the funeral rites. the grand lodge erected for the second king and his household, at the cremation of his little niece, resembled that of his brother, the supreme king, in the regal style of its decorations. the centre of the p'hra-mã¨ne is a lofty octagon; and directly under the great spire is a gorgeous eight-sided pyramid, diminishing by right-angled gradations to a truncated top, its base being fifty or sixty feet in circumference, and higher by twenty feet than the surrounding buildings. on this pyramid stood the urn of gold containing the remains of the royal child. above the urn a golden canopy hung from the lofty ceiling, and far above this again a circular white awning was spread, representing the firmament studded with silver stars. under the canopy, and just over little fã¢-ying's urn, the whitest and most fragrant flowers, gathered and arranged by those who loved her best in life, formed a bright odoriferous bower. the pyramid itself was decorated with rare and beautiful gifts, of glass, porcelain, alabaster, silver, gold, and artificial flowers, with images of birds, beasts, men, women, children, and angels. splendid chandeliers suspended from the ceiling, and lesser lights on the angles of the pyramid, illuminated the funeral hall. these showy preparations completed, the royal mourners only waited for the appointed time when the remains must be laid in state upon the consecrated pyre. at dawn of that day, all the princes, nobles, governors, and superior priests of the kingdom, with throngs of baser men, women, and children, in their holiday attire, came to grace the "fiery consummation" of little fã¢-ying. a royal barge conveyed me, with my boy, to the palace, whence we followed on foot. the gold urn, in an ivory chariot of antique fashion, richly gilt, was drawn by a pair of milk-white horses, and followed and attended by hundreds of men clad in pure white. it was preceded by two other chariots; in the first sat the high-priest, reading short, pithy aphorisms and precepts from the sacred books; in the other followed the full brothers of the deceased. a strip of silver cloth, six inches wide, attached to the urn, was loosely extended to the seats of the royal mourners in this second chariot, and thence to the chariot of the highpriest, on whose lap the ends were laid, symbolizing the mystic union between death, life, and the buddha. next after the urn came a chariot laden with the sacred sandal-wood, the aromatic gums, and the wax tapers. the wood was profusely carved with emblems of the indestructibility of matter; for though the fire apparently consumes the pile, and with it the body, the priests are careful to interpret the process as that by which both are endued with new vitality; thus everything consecrated to the religious observances of buddhism is made to typify some latent truth. then came a long procession of mythological figures, nondescripts drawn on small wooden wheels, and covered with offerings for the priests. these were followed by crowds of both sexes and all ages, bearing in their hands the mystic triform flower, emblematic of the sacred circle, _om_, or aum. to hold this mystic flower above the head, and describe with it endless circles in the air, is regarded as a performance of peculiar virtue and "merit," and one of the most signal acts of devotion possible to a buddhist. and yet, as the symbol of one great central spirit, whose name it is profanation to utter, the symbol is strangely at variance with the doctrines of buddhism. the moment the strange concourse, human and mythological, began to move, the conch-shells, horns, trumpets, sackbuts, pipes, dulcimers, flutes, and harps rent the air with wild wailing; but above the din rose the deep, booming, measured beat of the death-drums. very subtile, and indescribably stirring is this ancient music, with its various weird and prolonged cadences, and that solemn thundering boom enhancing the peculiar sweetness of the dirge as it rises and falls. under the spell of such sounds as these the procession moved slowly to the p'hra-mã¨ne. here the urn was lifted by means of pulleys, and enthroned on the splendid pedestal prepared for it. the silver cloth from the chariot of the high-priest was laid upon it, the ends drooping on the eastern and western sides to the rich carpet of the floor. a hundred priests, fifty on either hand, rehearsed in concert, seated on the floor, long hymns in pali from the sacred books, principally embodying melancholy reflections on the brevity and uncertainty of human life. after which, holding the silver cloth between the thumb and forefinger, they joined in silent prayer, thereby, as they suppose, communicating a saving virtue to the cloth, which conveys it to the dead within the urn. they continued thus engaged for about an hour, and then withdrew to give place to another hundred, and so on, until thousands of priests had taken part in the solemn exercises. meanwhile the four already mentioned still prayed, day and night, at the maha phrasat. a service was likewise performed for the royal family twice a day, in an adjacent temporary chapel, where all the court attended,--including the noble ladies of the harem, who occupy private oratories, hung with golden draperies, behind which they can see and hear without being seen. as long as these funeral ceremonies last, the numerous concourse of priests is sumptuously entertained. at nightfall the p'hra-mã¨ne is brilliantly illuminated, within and without, and the people are entertained with dramatic spectacles derived from the chinese, hindoo, malayan, and persian classics. effigies of the fabulous hydra, or dragon with seven heads, illuminated, and animated by men concealed within, are seen endeavoring to swallow the moon, represented by a globe of fire. another monster, probably the chimã¦ra, with the head and breast of a lion and the body of a goat, vomits flame and smoke. there are also figures of echidna and cerberus, the former represented as a beautiful nymph, but terminating below the waist in the coils of a dragon or python; and the latter as a triple-headed dog, evidently the canine bugaboo that is supposed to have guarded pluto's dreadful gates. about nine o'clock fireworks were ignited by the king's own hand,--a very beautiful display, representing, among other graceful forms, a variety of shrubbery, which gradually blossomed with roses, dahlias, oleanders, and other flowers. the flinging of money and trinkets to the rabble is usually the most exciting of the pranks which diversify the funeral ceremonies of siamese royalty; in this _mal ã  propos_ pastime his majesty took a lively part. the personal effects of the deceased are divided into two or more equal portions, one of which is bestowed on the poor, another on the priests; memorials and complimentary tokens are presented to the princes and nobles, and the friends of the royal family. the more costly articles are ticketed and distributed by lottery; and smaller objects, such as rings and gold and silver coins, are put into lemons, which his majesty, standing on the piazza of his temporary palace, flings among the sea of heads below. there is also at each of the four corners of the p'hra-mã¨ne, an artificial tree, bearing gold and silver fruit, which is plucked by officers of the court, and tossed to the poor on every side. each throw is hailed by a wild shout from the multitude, and followed by a mad scramble. in this connection the following "notification" from the king's hand will be intelligible to the reader. "the notification "in regard to the mourning distribution and donation in funeral service or ceremony of cremation of the remains of her late royal highness celestial princess somdetch chowfa chandrmondol sobhon bhagiawati, [footnote: fã¢-ying.] whose death took place on the 12th may, anno christi 1863. "this part consisting of a glasscoverbox enclosing a idol of chinese fabulousquadruped called 'sai' or lion, covered with goldleaf ornamented with coined pieces of silver & rings a black bag of funeral balls enclosing some pieces of gold and silver coins &c., in funeral service of her late royal highness the forenamed princess, the ninth daughter or sixteenth offspring of his majesty the reigning supreme king of siam, which took place in ceremony continued from 16th to 21st day of february anno christi 1864. prepared ex-property of her late lamented royal highness the deceased, and assistant funds from certain members of the royal family, designed from his gracious majesty somdetch p'hra paramendr maha mongkut, her late royal highness' bereaved royal father. their royal highnesses celestial princes somdetch chowfa chulalonkorn the full elder brother, chowfa chaturont rasmi, and chowfa bhangurangsi swang-wongse, the two younger full brothers, and his royal highness prince nobhawongs krommun maha-suarsivivalas the eldest half brother. their royal highnesses twenty-five princes, krita-bhinihar, gaganang yugol &c. the younger half-brothers, and their royal highnesses seven princesses, yingyawlacks, dacksinja, and somawati, &c., the elder sisters, 18 princesses, srinagswasti, &c., the younger half-sisters of her late royal highness the deceased, for friendly acceptance of--who is one of his present siamese majesty's friends who either have ever been acquainted in person or through means of correspondence &c. certain of whom have ever seen her late royal highness, and some have been acquainted with certain of her late royal highness the deceased's elder or younger brothers and sisters. "his siamese majesty, with his 29 sons, and 25 daughters above partly named, trusts that this part will be acceptable to every one of his gracious majesty's and their royal highnesses' friends who ever have been acquainted with his present majesty, and certain of their royal highnesses or her late royal highness the deceased, either in person or by correspondence, or only by name through cards &c. for a token of remembrance of her late royal highness the deceased and for feeling of emotion that this path ought to be followed by every one of human beings after long or short time, as the lights of lives of all living beings are like flames of candles lighted in opening air without covering and protecting on every side, so it shall be considered with great emotion by the readers. "dated royal funeral place. bangkok, 20th february, anno christi 1864." thus twelve days were passed in feasting, drinking, praying, preaching, sporting, gambling and scrambling. on the thirteenth, the double urn, with its melancholy moral, was removed from the pyramid, and the inner one, with the grating, was laid on a bed of fragrant sandalwood, and aromatic gums, connected with a train of gunpowder, which the king ignited with a match from the sacred fire that burns continually in the temple watt p'hra kã«au. the second king then lighted his candles from the same torch, and laid them on the pyre; and so on, in the order of rank, down to the meanest slave, until many hundreds of wax candles and boxes of precious spices and fragrant gums were cast into the flames. the funeral orchestra then played a wailing dirge, and the mourning women broke into a concerted and prolonged keen, of the most ear-piercing and heart-rending description. when the fire had quite burned itself out, all that remained of the bones, charred and blackened, was carefully gathered, deposited in a third and smaller urn of gold, and again conveyed in great state to the maha phrasat. the ashes were also collected with scrupulous pains in a pure cloth of white muslin, and laid in a gold dish; afterward, attended by all the mourning women and musicians, and escorted by a procession of barges, it was floated some miles down the river, and there committed to the waters. nothing left of our lovely darling but a few charred bits of rubbish! but in memory i still catch glimpses of the sylph-like form, half veiled in the shroud of flame that wrapped her last, but with the innocent, questioning eyes still turned to me; and as i look back into their depths of purity and love, again and again i mourn, as at first, for that which made me feel, more and more by its sympathy, the peculiar desolation of my life in the palace. immediately on the death of a supreme king an order is issued for the universal shaving of the bristly tuft from the heads of all male subjects. only those princes who are older than their deceased sovereign are exempt from the operation of this law. upon his successor devolves the duty of providing for the erection of the royal p'hra-mã¨ne--as to the proportions and adornment of which he is supposed to be guided by regard for the august rank of the deceased, and the public estimation in which his name and fame are held. royal despatches are forthwith sent to the governors of four different provinces in the extreme north, where the noblest timber abounds, commanding each of them to furnish one of the great pillars for the p'hra-mã¨ne. these must be of the finest wood, perfectly straight, from two hundred to two hundred and fifty feet long, and not less than twelve feet in circumference. at the same time twelve pillars, somewhat smaller, are required from the governors of twelve other provinces; besides much timber in other forms necessary to the construction of the grand funeral hall and its numerous supplementary buildings. as sacred custom will not tolerate the presence of pillars that have already been used for any purpose whatever, it is indispensable that fresh ones, "virgin trunks," be procured for every new occasion of the obsequies of royalty. these four great trunks are hard to find, and can be floated down the meinam to the capital only at the seasons when that stream and its tributaries are high. this is perhaps the natural cause of the long interval that elapses--twelve months--between the death and the cremation of a siamese king. the "giant boles" are dragged in primitive fashion to the banks of the stream by elephants and buffaloes, and shipped in rafts. arrived at bangkok, they are hauled on rollers inch by inch, by men working with a rude windlass and levers, to the site of the p'hra-mã¨ne. the following description of the cremation, at bejrepuri, of a man "in the middle walks of life," is taken from the _bangkok recorder_ of may 24, 1866:--"the corpse was first to be offered to the vultures, a hundred or more. before the coffin was opened the filthy and horrible gang had assembled, 'for wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles (vultures) be gathered together.' they were perched on the ridges of the temple, and even on small trees and bushes, within a few feet of the body; and so greedy were they that the sexton and his assistants had to beat them off many times before the coffin could be opened. they seemed to know that there would be but a mouthful for each, if divided among them all, and the pack of greedy dogs besides, that waited for their share. the body was taken from the coffin and laid on a pile of wood that had been prepared on a small temporary altar. then the birds were allowed to descend upon the corpse and tear it as they liked. for a while it was quite hidden in the rush. but each bird, grabbing its part with bill and claws, spread its wings and mounted to some quiet place to eat. the sexton seemed to think that he too was 'making merit' by cutting off parts of the body and throwing them to the hungry dogs, as the dying man had done in bequeathing his body to those carrion-feeders. the birds, not satisfied with what they got from the altar, came down and quarrelled with the curs for their share. "while this was going on, the mourners stood waiting, with wax candles and incense sticks, to pay their last tribute of respect to the deceased by assisting in the burning of the bones after the vultures and dogs had stripped them. the sexton, with the assistance of another, gathered up the skeleton and put it back into the coffin, which was lifted by four men and carried around the funeral pile three times. it was then laid on the pile of wood, and a few sticks were put into the coffin to aid in burning the bones. then a lighted torch was applied to the pile, and the relatives and other mourners advanced, and laid each a wax candle by the torch. others brought incense and cast it on the pile. "the vultures, having had but a scanty breakfast, lingered around the place until the fire had left nothing more for them, when they shook their ugly heads, and hopping a few steps, to get up a momentum, flapped their harpy wings and flew away." xxiv. certain superstitions. my friend maha mongkut used to maintain, with the doctors and sophists of his sect, that the buddhist priesthood have no superstitions; that though they do not accept the christian's "providence," they do believe in a creator (_p'hra-tham_), at whose will all crude matter sprang into existence, but who exercises no further control over it; that man is but one of the endless mutations of matter,--was not created, but has existed from the beginning, and will continue to exist to all eternity; that though he was not born in sin, he is held by the secondary law of retribution accountable for offences committed in his person, and these he must expiate through subsequent transmigrations, until, by sublimation, he is absorbed again into the primal source of his being; and that mutability is an essential and absolute law of the universe. in like manner they protest that they are not idolaters, any more than the roman catholics are pagans; that the image of buddha, their teacher and high-priest, is to them what the crucifix is to the jesuit; neither more nor less. they scout the idea that they worship the white elephant, but acknowledge that they hold the beast sacred, as one of the incarnations of their great reformer. nevertheless, no nation or tribe of all the human race has ever been more profoundly inoculated with a superstition the most depraving and malignant than the siamese. they have peopled their spiritual world with grotesques, conceived in hallucination and brought forth in nightmare, the monstrous devices of mischief on the one hand and misery on the other,--gods, demons, genii, goblins, wraiths; and to flatter or propitiate these, especially to enlist their tutelary offices, they commit or connive at crimes of fantastic enormity. while residing within the walls of bangkok, i learned of the existence of a custom having all the stability and force of a medo-persic law. whenever a command has gone forth from the throne for the erection of a new fort or a new gate, or the reconstruction of an old one, this ancient custom demands, as the first step in the procedure, that three innocent men shall be immolated on the site selected by the court astrologers, and at their "auspicious" hour. in 1865, his majesty and the french consul at bangkok had a grave misunderstanding about a proposed modification of a treaty relating to cambodia. the consul demanded the removal of the prime minister from the commission appointed to arrange the terms of this treaty. the king replied that it was beyond his power to remove the kralahome. afterward, the consul, always irritable and insolent, having nursed his wrath to keep it warm, waylaid the king as he was returning from a temple, and threatened him with war, and what not, if he did not accede to his demands. whereupon, the poor king, effectually intimidated, took refuge in his palace behind barred gates; and forthwith sent messengers to his astrologers, magicians, and soothsayers, to inquire what the situation prognosticated. the magi and the augurs, and all the seventh sons of seventh sons, having shrewedly pumped the officers, and made a solemn show of consulting their oracles, replied: "the times are full of omen. danger approaches from afar. let his majesty erect a third gate, on the east and on the west." next morning, betimes, pick and spade were busy, digging deep trenches outside the pair of gates that, on the east and west alike, already protected the palace. meanwhile, the consul either quite forgot his threats, or cooled in the cuddling of them; yet day and night the king's people plied pick and spade and basket in the new foundations. when all was ready, the _san luang_, or secret council of royal judges, met at midnight in the palace, and despatched twelve officers to lurk around the new gates until dawn. two, stationed just within the entrance, assume the character of neighbors and friends, calling loudly to this or that passenger, and continually repeating familiar names. the peasants and market folk, who are always passing at that hour, hearing these calls, stop, and turn to see who is wanted. instantly the myrmidons of the san luang rush from their hiding-places, and arrest, hap-hazard, six of them--three for each gate. from that moment the doom of these astonished, trembling wretches is sealed. no petitions, payments, prayers, can save them. in the centre of the gateway a deep fosse or ditch is dug, and over it is suspended by two cords an enormous beam. on the "auspicious" day for the sacrifice, the innocent, unresisting victims--"hinds and churls" perhaps, of the lowest degree in bangkok--are mocked with a dainty and elaborate banquet, and then conducted in state to their fatal post of honor. the king and all the court make profound obeisance before them, his majesty adjuring them earnestly "to guard with devotion the gate, now about to be intrusted to their keeping, from all dangers and calamities; and to come in season to forewarn him, if either traitors within or enemies without should conspire against the peace of his people or the safety of his throne." even as the last word of this exhortation falls from the royal lips, the cords are cut, the ponderous engine "squelches" the heads of the distinguished wretches, and three bangkok ragamuffins are metempsychosed into three guardian-angels (_thevedah_). siamese citizens of wealth and influence often bury treasure in the earth, to save it from arbitrary confiscation. in such cases a slave is generally immolated on the spot, to make a guardian genius. among certain classes, not always the lowest, we find a greedy passion that expends itself in indefatigable digging for such precious _caches_, in the environs of abandoned temples, or among the ruins of the ancient capital, ayudia. these treasure-seekers first pass a night near the supposed place of concealment, having offered at sunset to the genius of the spot oblations of candles, perfumed tapers, and roasted rice. they then betake themselves to slumber; and in their dreams the genie is expected to appear, and indicate precisely the hiding-place of his golden charge, at the same time offering to wink at its sacking in consideration of the regular perquisite,--"one pig's head and two bottles of arrack." on the other hand, the genie may appear in an angry aspect, flourishing the conventional club in a style that means business, and demanding by what right the intruders would tamper with his charge; whereat sudden waking and dishevelled flight. another and more barbarous superstition relates to premature delivery. in such a case the embarrassed mother calls in a female magician, who declares that an evil spirit has practised a spiteful joke upon the married pair, with a design upon the life of the mother. so saying, she pops the still-born into an earthen pot, and with that in her left hand and a sword in her right, makes for the margin of a deep stream, where, with an approved imprecation upon the fiend and a savage slash at the manikin, she tosses the pot and its untimely contents into the flood. by such witches as this, sorceries of all kinds are practised for fee. they are likewise supposed to be skilled in the art of healing, and are notable compounders of love-philters and potions. the king supports a certain number of astrologers, whose duties consist in the prediction of events, whether great or small, from war or peace to rain or drought, and in indicating or determining future possibilities by the aspect and position of the stars. the people universally wear charms and talismans, to which they ascribe supernatural virtues. a patient in fever with delirium is said to be possessed of a devil; and should he grow frantic and unmanageable in the paroxysms, the one becomes a legion. at the close of each year, a thread of unspun cotton, of seven fibres, consecrated by priests, is reeled round all the walls of the palace; and from sunset until dawn a continuous cannonading is kept up from all the forts within hearing, to rout the evil spirits that have infested the departing year. xxv. the subordinate king a second or subordinate kingship is an anomalous device or provision of sovereignty peculiar to siam, cambodia, and laos. inferior in station to the supreme king only, and apparently deriving from the throne of the phra-batts, to which he may approach so near, a reflected majesty and prestige not clearly understood by his subjects nor easily defined by foreigners, the second king seems to be, nevertheless, belittled by the very significance of the one exclusive privilege that should distinguish him,--that of exemption from the customary prostrations before the first king, whom he may salute by simply raising his hands and joining them above his head. here his proper right of royalty begins and ends. the part that he may play in the drama of government is cast to him in the necessity, discretion, or caprice of his absolute chief next, and yet so far, above him; it may be important, insignificant, or wholly omitted. like any lesser _ducus_ of the realm, he must appear before his lord twice a year to renew his oath of allegiance. in law, he is as mere a subject as the slave who bears his betel-box; or that other slave who, on his knees, and with averted face, presents his spittoon. in history, he shall be what circumstance or his own mind may make him: the shadow or the soul of sovereignty, even as the intellectual and moral weakness or strength may have been apportioned between him and his colleague. from his rank he derives no advantage but the _chance_. [illustration: the princess of chiengmai.] somdetch p'hra pawarendr ramesr mahiswarer, the subordinate king of siam, who died on the 29th of december, 1865, was the legitimate son of the supreme king, second of his dynasty, who reigned from 1809 to 1824. his father had been second king to his grandfather, "grand supreme" of siam, and first of the reigning line. his mother was "lawful first queen consort"; and the late first or major king, somdetch-p'hra paramendr maha mongkut, was his elder full brother. being alike legitimate offspring of the first queen, these two lads were styled _somdetch chowfas_, "celestial royal princes"; and during the second and third reigns they were distinguished by the titles of courtesy pertaining to their royal status and relation, the elder as chowfa mongkut, the younger as chowfa chudha-mani: _mongkut_ signifying "royal crown," and _chudha-mani_ "royal hair-pin." on the death of their father (in 1824), and the accession, by intrigue, of their elder half-brother, the chowfa mongkut entered the buddhist priesthood; but his brother, more ardent, inquisitive, and restless, took active service with the king, in the military as well as in the diplomatic department of government. he was appointed superintendent of artillery and malayan infantry on the one hand; and on the other, translator of english documents and secretary for english correspondence. in a cautious and verbose sketch of his character and services, written after his death by his jealous brother, the priest-king, wherein he is by turns meanly disparaged and damned with faint praise, we find this curious statement:-"after that time (1821) he became acquainted with certain parties of english and east indian merchants, who made their appearance or first commenced trading on late of second reign, after the former trade with siam which had been stopped or postponed several years in consequence of some misunderstanding before. he became acquainted with certain parts of english language and literature, and certain parts of hindoo or bengali language, as sufficient for some unimportant conversation with english and indian strangers who were visitors of siam, upon the latter part of the reign of his royal father; but his royal father did not know that he possessed such knowledge of foreign language, which had been concealed to the native persons in republic affairs, whose jealousy seemed to be strong against strangers, so he was not employed in any terms with those strangers foreign affairs,"--that is, during the life of his father, at whose death he was just sixteen years old. early in the third reign he was sent to meeklong to superintend the construction of important works of defence near the mouth of the meeklong river. he pushed this work with vigor, and completed it in 1835. in 1842 he commanded successfully an expedition against the cochin-chinese, and, in returning, brought with him to siam many families of refugees from the eastern coast. then he was commissioned by the king to reconstruct, "after western models," the ancient fortifications at paknam; and having to this end engaged a corps of european engineers and artisans, he eagerly seized the advantage the situation afforded him, by free and intelligent intercourse with his foreign assistants, to master the english language,--so that, at his death, he notably excelled the first king in the facility with which he spoke, read, and wrote it,--and to improve his acquaintance with the western sciences and arts of navigation, naval construction and armament, coast and inland defence, engineering, transportation, and telegraphy, the working and casting of iron, etc. on the 26th of may, 1851, twelve days after the coronation of his elder brother, the student and priest maha mongkut, he was called by the unanimous voice of "the king and council" to be second king; and throughout his subordinate reign his sagacious and alert inquiry, his quick apprehension, his energetic and liberal spirit of improvement, engaged the admiration of foreigners; whilst his handsome person, his generous temper, his gallant preference for the skilful and the brave, his enthusiasm and princely profusion in sports and shows, endeared him more and more to his people. maha mongkut--at no time inclined to praise him beyond his deserts, and least of all in the latter years of his life, imbittered to both by mutual jealousy and distrust--wrote almost handsomely of him under the pressure of this public opinion. "he made everything new and beautiful, and of curious appearance, and of a good style of architecture, and much stronger than they had formerly been constructed by his three predecessors, the second kings of the last three reigns, for the space of time that he was second king. he had introduced and collected many and many things, being articles of great curiosity, and things useful for various purposes of military acts and affairs, from europe and america, china, and other states, and placed them in various departments and rooms or buildings suitable for those articles, and placed officers for maintaining and preserving the various things neatly and carefully. he has constructed several buildings in european fashion and chinese fashion, and ornamented them with various useful ornaments for his pleasure, and has constructed two steamers in manner of men-of-war, and two steam-yachts, and several rowing state-boats in siamese and cochin-chinese fashion, for his pleasure at sea and rivers of siam; and caused several articles of gold and silver being vessels and various wares and weapons to be made up by the siamese and malayan goldsmiths, for employ and dress of himself and his family, by his direction and skilful contrivance and ability. he became celebrated and spread out more and more to various regions of the siamese kingdom, adjacent states around, and far-famed to foreign countries, even at far distance, as he became acquainted with many and many foreigners, who came from various quarters of the world where his name became known to most as a very clever and bravest prince of siam.... "as he pleased mostly with firing of cannon and acts of marine power and seamen, which he has imitated to his steamers which were made in manner of the man-of-war, after he has seen various things curious and useful, and learned marine customs on board the foreign vessels of war, his steamers conveyed him to sea, where he has enjoyed playing of firing in cannon very often.... "he pleased very much in and was playful of almost everything, some important and some unimportant, as riding on elephants and horses and ponies, racing of them and racing of rowing boats, firing on birds and beasts of prey, dancing and singing in various ways pleasantly, and various curiosity of almost everything, and music of every description, and in taming of dogs, monkeys, &c., &c., that is to say briefly that he has tested almost everything eatable except entirely testing of opium and play. "also he has visited regions of northeastern province of sarapury and gorath very often for enjoyment of pleasant riding on elephants and horses, at forests in chasing animals of prey, fowling, and playing music and singing with laos people of that region and obtaining young wives from there." what follows is not more curious as to its form of expression than suspicious as to its meaning and motive. to all who know with what pusillanimity at times the first king shrank from the approach of christian foreigners,--especially the french priests,--with what servility in his moody way he courted their favor, it will appear of very doubtful sincerity. to those who are familiar with the circumstances under which it was written, and to whom the attitude of jealous reserve that the brothers occupied toward each other at the time of the second king's death was no secret, it may seem (even after due allowance is made for the prejudices or the obligations of the priest) to cover an insidious, though scarcely adroit, design to undermine the honorable reputation the younger enjoyed among the missionaries, and the cordial friendship with which he had been regarded by several of the purest of them. certainly it is suspiciously "of a piece" with other passages, quoted further on, in which the king's purpose to disparage the merits of his brother, and damage the influence of his name abroad, is sufficiently transparent. in this connection the reader may derive a ray of light from the fact that on the birth of the second king's first son, an american missionary, who was on terms of intimacy with the father, named the child "george washington"; and that child, the prince george washington krom mu'n pawarwijagan, is the present second king of siam. but to maha mongkut, and his "art of putting things":-"he was rumored to be baptized or near to be baptized in christianity, but the fact it is false. he was a buddhist, but his faith and belief changed very often in favor of various sects of buddhism by the association of his wives and various families and of persons who were believers in various sects of the established religion of the siamese and laos, peguan and burmese countries. why should he become a christian? when his pleasures consisted in polygamy and enjoyment, and with young women who were practised in pleasant dancing and singing, and who could not be easily given up at any time. "he was very desirous of having his sons to be english scholars and to be learned the art of speaking, reading and writing in english well like himself, but he said he cannot allow his sons to enter the christian missionary-school, as he feared his descendants might be induced to the christianity in which he did not please to believe." pawarendr ramesr had ever been the favorite and darling of his mother, and it was in his infancy that the seeds of that ignoble jealousy were sown between the royal brothers, which nourished so rankly and bore such noxious fruit in their manhood. from his tenderest years the younger prince was remarkable for his personal beauty and his bright intelligence, and before his thirteenth birthday had already learned all that his several masters could teach him. from an old priest, named p'hra naitt, i gathered many pleasant anecdotes of his childhood. for example, he related with peculiar pride how the young prince, then but twelve years old, being borne one day in state through the eastern gate of the city to visit his mother's lotos-gardens, observed an old man, half blind, resting by the roadside. commanding his bearers to halt, he alighted from his sedan and kindly accosted the poor creature. finding him destitute and helpless, a stranger and a wayfarer in the land, he caused him to be seated in his own sedan, and borne to the gardens, while he followed on foot. here he had the old man bathed, clad in fresh linen, and entertained with a substantial meal; and afterward he took his astonished client into his service, as keeper of his cattle. later in life the generous and romantic prince diverted himself with the adventurous beneficence of haroun al raschid, visiting the poor in disguise, listening to the recital of their sufferings and wrongs, and relieving them with ready largesse of charity and justice; and nothing so pleased and flattered him as to be called, in his assumed name of nak pratt, "the wise," to take part in their sports and fãªtes. the affectionate enthusiasm with which the venerable poonghee remembered his royal pupil was inspiring; and to see his eyes sparkle and his face glow with sympathetic triumph, as he described the lad's exploits of strength or skill in riding, fencing, boxing, was a fine sight. but it was with saddened look and tone that he whispered to me, that, at the prince's birth, the astrologer who cast his horoscope had foretold for him an unnatural death. this, he said, was the secret of the watchful devotion and imprudent partiality his mother had always manifested for him. for such a prince to come into even the empty name of power was to become subject to the evil eye of his fraternal lord and rival, for whose favor officious friends and superserviceable lackeys contended in scandalous and treacherous spyings of the second king's every action. yet, meanly beset as he was, he contrived to find means and opportunity to enlarge his understanding and multiply his attainments; and in the end his proficiency in languages, european and oriental, became as remarkable as it was laudable. it was by mr. hunter, secretary to the prime minister, that he was introduced to the study of the english language and literature, and by this gentleman's intelligent aid he procured the text-books which constituted the foundation of his educational course. in person he was handsome, for a siamese; of medium stature, compact and symmetrical figure, and rather dark complexion. his conversation and deportment denoted the cultivation, delicacy, and graceful poise of an accomplished gentleman; and he delivered his english with a correctness and fluency very noticeably free from the peculiar spasmodic effort that marked his royal brother's exploits in the language of shakespeare. in his palace, which, he had rebuilt after the model of an english nobleman's residence, he led the life of a healthy, practical, and systematic student. his library, more judiciously selected than that of his brother, abounded in works of science, embracing the latest discoveries. here he passed many hours, cultivating a sound acquaintance with the results of investigation and experiment in the western world. his partiality for english literature in all its branches was extreme. the freshest publications of london found their way to his tables, and he heartily enjoyed the creations of dickens. for robust and exhilarating enjoyment, however, he had recourse to hunting expeditions, and martial exercises in the drilling of his private troops. punctually at daybreak every morning he appeared on the parade-ground, and proceeded to review his little army with scrupulous precision, according to european tactics; after which he led his well-trained files to their barracks within the palace walls, where the soldiers exchanged their uniform for a working-dress. then he marched them to the armory, where muskets, bayonets, and sabres were brought out and severely scoured. that done, the men were dismissed till the morrow. among his courtiers were several gentlemen of siam and laos, who had acquired such a smattering of english as qualified them to assist the prince in his scientific diversions. opposite the armory stood a pretty little cottage, quite english-looking, lighted with glass windows, and equipped with european furniture. over the entrance to this quaint tenement hung a painted sign, in triumphant english, "watches and clocks made and repaired here"; and hither came frequently the second king and his favorites, to pursue assiduously their harmless occupation of _horlogerie_. sometimes this eccentric entertainment was diversified with music, in which his majesty took a leading part, playing with taste and skill on the flute, and several instruments of the laos people. such a prince should have been happy, in the innocence of his pastimes and the dignity of his pursuits. but the same accident of birth and station to which he owed his privileges and his opportunities imposed its peculiar disabilities and hindrances. his troubles were the troubles of a second king, who chanced to be also an ardent and aspiring man. weary with disappointment, disheartened in his honorable longing for just appreciation, vexed with the caprice and suspicions of his elder brother; oppressed by the ever-present tyranny of the thought--so hard for such a man to bear--that the woman he loved best in the land he was inexorably forbidden to marry, because, being a princess of the first rank, she might be offered and accepted to grace the harem of his brother; a mere prisoner of state, watched by the baleful eye of jealousy, and traduced by the venal tongues of courtiers; dwelling in a torment of uncertainty as to the fate to which his brother's explosive temper and irresponsible power might devote him, hoping for no repose or safety but in his funeral-urn,--he began to grow hard and defiant, and that which, in the native freedom of his soul, should have been his noble steadfastness degenerated into ignoble obstinacy. among the innumerable mean torments with which his pride was persecuted was the continual presence of a certain doctor, who, by the king's command, attended him at all times and places, compelling him to use remedies that were most distasteful to him. he was gallantly kind and courteous toward women; no act of cruelty to any woman was ever attributed to him. his children he ruled wisely, though somewhat sternly, rendering his occasional tenderness and indulgence so much the more precious and delightful to them. never had siam a more popular prince. he was the embodiment of the most hopeful qualities, moral and intellectual, of his nation; especially was he the exponent and promise of its most progressive tendencies; and his people regarded him with love and reverence, as their trusty stay and support. his talents as a statesman commanded the unqualified admiration of foreigners; and it was simply the jealous and tyrannical temper of maha mongkut that forced him to retire from all participation in the affairs of government. at last the mutual reserve and distrust of the royal brothers broke out in open quarrel, provoked by the refusal of the first king to permit the second to borrow from the royal treasury a considerable sum of money. on the day after his order was dishonored, the prince set out with his congenial and confidential courtiers on a hunting expedition to the laos province of chiengmai, scornfully threatening to entrap one of the royal white elephants, and sell it to his supreme majesty for the sum he would not loan. at chiengmai he was regally entertained by the tributary prince of that province; and no sooner was his grievance known, than the money he required was laid at his feet. too manly to accept the entire sum, he borrowed but a portion of it; and instead of taking it out of the country, decided to sojourn there for a time, that he might spend it to the advantage of the people. to this end he selected a lovely spot in the vicinity of chiengmai, called saraburee, itself a city of some consideration, where bamboo houses line the banks of a beautiful river, that traverses teak forests alive with large game. on an elevation near at hand the second king erected a palace substantially fortified, which he named ban sitha (the home of the goddess sitha), and caused a canal to be cut to the eastern slope. here he indulged freely, and on an imposing scale, in his favorite pastime of hunting, and privately took to wife the daughter of the king of chiengmai, the princess sunartha vismita. and here he was happy, only returning to bangkok when called thither by affairs of state, or to take the semi-annual oath of allegiance. among the prince's concubines at this time was a woman named kliep, envious, intriguing, and ambitious, who by consummate arts had obtained control of his majesty's _cuisine_,--an appointment of peculiar importance and trust in the household of an oriental prince. finding that by no feminine devices could she procure the influence she coveted over her master's mind and affections, she finally had recourse to an old and infamous sorcerer, styled khoon hã¢te-nah ("lord of future events"), an adept of the black art much consulted by women of rank from all parts of the country; and he, in consideration of an extraordinary fee, prepared for her a variety of charms, incantations, philters, to be administered to the prince, in whose food daily, for years, she mixed the abominable nostrums. the poison did its work slowly but surely, and his sturdy life was gradually undermined. his strength quite gone, and his spirit broken, his despondency became so profound that he lost all taste for the occupations and diversions that had once delighted him, and sought relief in restless changing from one palace to another, and in consulting every physician he could find. it was during a visit to his favorite residence at saraburee that the signs of approaching dissolution appeared, and the king's physician, fearing he might die there, took hurried steps to remove him to his palace at bangkok. he was bound in a sedan, and lowered from his high chamber in the castle into his barge on the canal at the foot of the cliff; and so, with all his household in train, transported to the palace of krom hluang wongse, physician to the king, and one of his half-brothers. now miserably unnerved, the prince, once so patient, brave, and proud, threw his arms round his kinsman's neck, and, weeping bitterly, implored him to save him. but he was presently removed to his own palace, and laid in a chamber looking to the east. that night the prince expressed a wish to see his royal brother. the king hastened to his bedside in company with his excellency chow phya sri sury-wongse, the kralahome, or prime minister; and then and there a silent and solemn reconciliation took place. no words were spoken; only the brothers embraced each other, and the elder wept bitterly. but from the facts brought to light in that impressive meeting and parting, it was made plain that the second king died by slow poison, administered by the woman kliep,--plain to all but the second king himself, who died in ignorance of the means by which the tragic prophecy of his horoscope had been made good. in the very full account of his brother's death which maha mongkut thought it necessary to write, he was careful to conceal from the public the true cause of the calamity, fearing the foreign populace, and, most of all, the laotians and peguans, who were devoted to the prince, and might attach suspicion to himself, on the ground of his notorious jealousy of the second king. the royal physicians and the supreme council were sworn to secrecy; and the woman kliep, and her accomplice khoon hã¢te-nah, together with nine female slaves, were tortured and publicly paraded through the environs of bangkok, though their crime was never openly named. afterward they were thrown into an open boat, towed out on the gulf of siam, and there abandoned to the mercy of winds and waves, or death by starvation. among the women of the palace the current report was, that celestial avengers had slain the murderous crew with arrows of lightning and spears of fire. in his majesty's account of the last days of his royal brother, we have the characteristic queerness of his english, and a scarcely less characteristic passage of pecksniffian cant:-"the lamentable patient second king ascertained himself that his approaching death was inevitable; it was great misfortune to him and his family indeed. his eldest son prince george [footnote: george washington.] krom mu'n pawarwijagan, aged 27 years on that time, became very sick of painful rheumatism by which he has his body almost steady on his seat and bed, immovable to and fro, himself, since the month of october, 1865, when his father was absent from bangkok, being at ban sitha as aforesaid. when his royal father returned from ban sitha he arrived at his palace at bangkok on 6th december. he can only being lifted by two or three men and placed in the presence of his father who was very ill, but the eldest son forenamed prince was little better, so before death of his father as he can be raised to be stood by two men and can cribble slowly on even or level surface, by securing and supporting of two men on both sides. "when his father became worse and approaching the point of death, upon that time his father can see him scarcely; wherefore the second king, on his being worse, has said to his eldest and second daughters, the half sisters of the eldest son, distempered so as he cannot be in the presence of his father without difficulty, that he (the second king) forenamed on that time was hopeless and that he could not live more than a few days. he did not wish to do his last will regarding his family and property, particularly as he was strengthless to speak much, and consider anything deeply and accurately: he beg'd to entreat all his sons, daughters, and wives that none should be sorry for his death, which comes by natural course, and should not fear for misery of difficulty after his demise. all should throw themselves under their faithful and affectionate uncle, the supreme king of siam, for protection, in whom he had heartfelt confidence that he will do well to his family after his death, as such the action or good protection to several families of other princes and princesses in the royalty, who deceased before. he beg'd only to recommend his sons and daughters, that they should be always honest and faithful to his elder full brother, the supreme king of siam, by the same affection as to himself, and that they should have much more affection and respect toward paternal relative persons in royalty, than toward their maternal relative persons, who are not royal descendants of his ancestors.... "on the 29th december 1865, in the afternoon, the second king invited his majesty the supreme king, his elder full brother, and his excellency chow phya sri sury-wongse samuha p'hra-kralahome, the prime minister, who is the principal head of the government and royal cousin, to seat themselves near to his side on his bedstead where he lay, and other principals of royalty and nobility, to seat themselves in that room where he was lying, that they might be able to ascertain his speech by hearing. then he delivered his family and followers and the whole of his property to his majesty and his excellency for protection and good decision, according to consequences which they would well observe." not a word of that royal reconcilement, of that remorseful passion of tears, of that mute mystery of humanity, the secret spell of a burdened mother's love working too late in the hearts, of her headstrong boys! not a word of that crowning embrace, which made the subordinate king supreme, by the grace of dying and forgiving! xxvi. the supreme king: his character and administration. of somdetch p'hra paramendr maha mongkut, ate supreme king of siam, it may safely be said (for all his capricious provocations of temper and his snappish greed of power) that he was, in the best sense of the epithet, the most remarkable of the oriental princes of the present century,--unquestionably the most progressive of all the supreme rulers of siam, of whom the native historians enumerate not less than forty, reckoning from the founding of the ancient capital (ayudia or ayuo-deva, "the abode of gods") in a.d. 1350. he was the legitimate son of the king p'hra chow-p'hra pooti-lootlah, commonly known as phen-den-klang; and his mother, daughter of the youngest sister of the king somdetch p'hra bouromah rajah p'hra pooti yout fah, was one of the most admired princesses of her time, and is described as equally beautiful and virtuous. she devoted herself assiduously to the education of her sons, of whom the second, the subject of these notes, was born in 1804; and the youngest, her best beloved, was the late second king of siam. one of the first public acts of the king p'hra pooti-lootlah was to elevate to the highest honors of the state his eldest son (the chowfa mongkut), and proclaim him heir-apparent to the throne. he then selected twelve noblemen, distinguished for their attainments, prudence, and virtue,--most conspicuous among them the venerable but energetic duke somdetch ong yai,--to be tutors and guardians to the lad. by these he was carefully taught in all the learning of his time; sanskrit and pali formed his chief study, and from the first he aspired to proficiency in latin and english, for the pursuit of which he soon found opportunities among the missionaries. his translations from the sanskrit, pali, and magadthi, mark him as an authority among oriental linguists; and his knowledge of english, though never perfect, became at least extensive and varied; so that he could correspond, with credit to himself, with englishmen of distinction, such as the earl of clarendon and lords stanley and russell. in his eighteenth year he married a noble lady, descended from the phya tak sinn, who bore him two sons. two years later the throne became vacant by the death of his father; but (as the reader has already learned) his elder half-brother, who, through the intrigues of his mother, had secured a footing in the favor of the senabawdee, was inducted by that "royal council" into power. unequal to the exploit of unseating the usurper, and fearing his unscrupulous jealousy, the chowfa mongkut took refuge in a monastery, and entered the priesthood, leaving his wife and two sons to mourn him as one dead to them. in this self-imposed celibacy he lived throughout the long reign of his half-brother, which lasted twenty-seven years. in the calm retreat of his buddhist cloister the contemplative tastes of the royal scholar found fresh entertainment, his intellectual aspirations a new incitement. he labored with enthusiasm for the diffusion of religion and enlightenment, and, above all, to promote a higher appreciation of the teachings of buddha, to whose doctrines lie devoted himself with exemplary zeal throughout his sacerdotal career. from the buddhist scriptures he compiled with reverent care an impressive liturgy for his own use. his private charities amounted annually to ten thousand ticals. all the fortune he accumulated, from the time of his quitting the court until his return to it to accept the diadem offered by the senabawdee, he expended either in charitable distributions or in the purchase of books, sacred manuscripts, and relics for his monastery. [footnote: "on the third reign he [himself] served his eldest royal half-brother, by superintending the construction and revision of royal sacred books in royal libraries: so he was appointed the principal superintendent of clergymen's acts and works of buddhist religion, and selector of religious learned wise men in the country, during the third reign."--_from the pen of maha mongkut_.] it was during his retirement that he wrote that notable treatise in defence of the divinity of the revelations of buddha, in which he essays to prove that it was the single aim of the great reformer to deliver man from all selfish and carnal passions, and in which he uses these words: "these are the only obstacles in the search for truth. the most solid wisdom is to know this, and to apply one's self to the conquest of one's self. this it is to become the _enlightened_,--the buddha!" and he concludes with the remark of asoka, the indian king: "that which has been delivered unto us by buddha, that alone is well said, and worthy of our soul's profoundest homage." in the pursuit of his appointed ends maha mongkut was active and pertinacious; no labors wearied him nor pains deterred him. before the arrival of the protestant missionaries, in 1820, he had acquired some knowledge of latin and the sciences from the jesuits; but when the protestants came he manifested a positive preference for their methods of instruction, inviting one or another of them daily to his temple, to aid him in the study of english. finally he placed himself under the permanent tutorship of the rev. mr. caswell, an american missionary; and, in order to encourage his preceptor to visit him frequently, he fitted up a convenient resting-place for him on the route to the temple, where that excellent man might teach the poorer people who gathered to hear him. under mr. caswell he made extraordinary progress in advanced and liberal ideas of government, commerce, even religion. he never hesitated to express his respect for the fundamental principles of christianity; but once, when pressed too closely by his reverend moonshee with what he regarded as the more pretentious and apocryphal portions of the bible, he checked that gentleman's advance with the remark that has ever been remembered against him, "_i hate the bible mostly!_" as high-priest of siam--the mystic and potential office to which he was in the end exalted--he became the head of a new school, professing strictly the pure philosophy inculcated by buddha: "the law of compensation, of many births, and of final niphan," [footnote: attainment of beatitude.]--but not nihilism, as the word and the idea are commonly defined. it is only to the idea of god as an _ever-active_ creator that the new school of buddhists is opposed,--not to the deity as a primal source, from whose thought and pleasure sprang all forms of matter; nor can they be brought to admit the need of miraculous intervention in the order of nature. in this connection, it may not be out of place to mention a remark that the king (still speaking as a high-priest, having authority) once made to me, on the subject of the miracles recorded in the bible: "you say that marriage is a holy institution; and i believe it is esteemed a sacrament by one of the principal branches of your sect. it is, of all the laws of the universe, the most wise and incontestable, pervading all forms of animal and vegetable life. yet your god (meaning the christian's god) has stigmatized it as unholy, in that he would not permit his son to be born in the ordinary way; but must needs perform a miracle in order to give birth to one divinely inspired. buddha was divinely inspired, but he was only _man_. thus it seems to me he is the greater of the two, because out of his own heart he studied humanity, which is but another form of divinity; and, the carnal mind being by this contemplation subdued, he became the _divinely enlightened_." when his teacher had begun to entertain hopes that he would one day become a christian, he came out openly against the idea, declaring that he entertained no thought of such a change. he admonished the missionaries not to deceive themselves, saying: "you must not imagine that any of my party will ever become christians. we cannot embrace what we consider a foolish religion." in the beginning of the year 1851 his supreme majesty, prabat somdetch p'hra nang klou, fell ill, and gradually declined until the 3d of april, when he expired, and the throne was again vacant. the dying sovereign, forgetting or disregarding his promise to his half-brother, the true heir, had urged with all his influence that the succession should fall to his eldest son; but in the assembly of the senabawdee, somdetch ong yai (father of the present prime minister of siam), supported by somdetch ong noi, vehemently declared himself in favor of the high-priest chowfa mongkut. this struck terror to the "illegitimates," and mainly availed to quell the rising storm of partisan conflict. moreover, ong yai had taken the precaution to surround the persons of the princes with a formidable guard, and to distribute an overwhelming force of militia in all quarters of the city, ready for instant action at a signal from him. thus the two royal brothers, with views more liberal, as to religion, education, foreign trade, and intercourse, than the most enlightened of their predecessors had entertained, were firmly seated on the throne as "first" and "second" kings; and every citizen, native or foreign, began to look with confidence for the dawn of better times. nor did the newly crowned sovereign forget his friends and teachers, the american missionaries. he sent for them, and thanked them cordially for all that they had taught him, assuring them that it was his earnest desire to administer his government after the model of the limited monarchy of england; and to introduce schools, where the siamese youth might be well taught in the english language and literature and the sciences of europe. [footnote: in this connection the rev. messrs. bradley, caswell, house, matoon, and dean are entitled to special mention. to their united influence siam unquestionably owes much, if not all, of her present advancement and prosperity. nor would i be thought to detract from the high praise that is due to their fellow-laborers in the cause of christianity, the roman catholic missionaries, who are, and ever have been, indefatigable in their exertions for the good of the country. especially will the name of the excellent bishop, monseigneur pallegoix, be held in honor and affection by people of all creeds and tongues in siam, as that of a pure and devoted follower of our common redeemer.] there can be no just doubt that, at the time, it was his sincere purpose to carry these generous impulses into practical effect; for certainly he was, in every moral and intellectual respect, nobly superior to his predecessor, and to his dying hour he was conspicuous for his attachment to a sound philosophy and the purest maxims of buddha. yet we find in him a deplorable example of the degrading influence on the human mind of the greed of possessions and power, and of the infelicities that attend it; for though he promptly set about the reforming of abuses in the several departments of his government, and invited the ladies of the american mission to teach in his new harem, nevertheless he soon began to indulge his avaricious and sensual propensities, and cast a jealous eye upon the influence of the prime minister, the son of his stanch old friend, the duke ong yai, to whom he owed almost the crown itself, and of his younger brother, the second king, and of the neighboring princes of chiengmai and cochin china. he presently offended those who, by their resolute display of loyalty in his hour of peril, had seated him safely on the throne of his ancestors. from this time he was continually exposed to disappointment, mortification, slights, from abroad, and conspiracy at home. had it not been for the steadfast adherence of the second king and the prime minister, the sceptre would have been wrested from his grasp and bestowed upon his more popular brother. yet, notwithstanding all this, he appeared, to those who observed him only on the public stage of affairs, to rule with wisdom, to consult the welfare of his subjects, to be concerned for the integrity of justice and the purity of manners and conversation in his own court, and careful, by a prudent administration, to confirm his power at home and his prestige abroad. considered apart from his domestic relations, he was, in many respects, an able and virtuous ruler. his foreign policy was liberal; he extended toleration to all religious sects; he expended a generous portion of his revenues in public improvements,-monasteries, temples, bazaars, canals, bridges, arose at his bidding on every side; and though he fell short of his early promise, he did much to improve the condition of his subjects. for example, at the instance of her britannic majesty's consul, the honorable thomas george knox, he removed the heavy boat-tax that had so oppressed the poorer masses of the siamese, and constructed good roads, and improved the international chambers of judicature. but as husband and kinsman his character assumes a most revolting aspect. envious, revengeful, subtle, he was as fickle and petulant as he was suspicious and cruel. his brother, even the offspring of his brother, became to him objects of jealousy, if not of hatred. their friends must, he thought, be his enemies, and applause bestowed upon them was odious to his soul. there were many horrid tragedies in his harem in which he enacted the part of a barbarian and a despot. plainly, his conduct as the head of a great family to whom his will was a law of terror reflects abiding disgrace upon his name. yet it had this redeeming feature, that he tenderly loved those of his children whose mothers had been agreeable to him. he never snubbed or slighted them; and for the little princess, chow fã¢-ying, whose mother had been to him a most gentle and devoted wife, his affection was very strong and enduring. but to turn from the contemplation of his private traits, so contradictory and offensive, to the consideration of his public acts, so liberal and beneficent. several commercial treaties of the first importance were concluded with foreign powers during his reign. in the first place, the siamese government voluntarily reduced the measurement duties on foreign shipping from nineteen hundred to one thousand ticals per fathom of ship's beam. this was a brave stride in the direction of a sound commercial policy, and an earnest of greater inducements to enterprising traders from abroad. in 1855 a new treaty of commerce was negotiated with his majesty's government by h.b.m.'s plenipotentiary, sir john bowring, which proved of very positive advantage to both parties. on the 29th of may, 1856, a new treaty, substantially like that with great britain, was procured by townsend harris, esq., representing the united states; and later in the same year still another, in favor of france, through h. i. m.'s envoy, m. montigny. before that time portugal had been the only foreign government having a consul residing at bangkok. now the way was opened to admit a resident consul of each of the treaty powers; and shortly millions of dollars flowed into siam annually by channels through which but a few tens of thousands had been drawn before. foreign traders and merchants flocked to bangkok and established rice-mills, factories for the production of sugar and oil, and warehouses for the importation of european fabrics. they found a ready market for their wares, and an aspect of thrift and comfort began to enliven the once neglected and cheerless land. a new and superb palace was erected, after the model of windsor castle, together with numerous royal residences in different parts of the country. the nobility began to emulate the activity and munificence of their sovereign, and to compete with each other in the grandeur of their dwellings and the splendor of their _cortã©ges_. so prosperous did the country become under the benign influence of foreign trade and civilization, that other treaties were speedily concluded with almost every nation under the sun, and his majesty found it necessary to accredit sir john bowring as plenipotentiary for siam abroad. early in this reign the appointment of harbor-master at bangkok was conferred upon an english gentleman, who proved so efficient in his functions that he was distinguished with the fifth title of a siamese noble. next came a french commander and a french band-master for the royal troops. then a custom-house was established, and a "live yankee" installed at the head of it, who was also glorified with a title of honor. finally a police force was organized, composed of trusty malays hired from singapore, and commanded by one of the most energetic englishmen to be found in the east,--a measure which has done more than all others to promote a comfortable sense of "law and order" throughout the city and outskirts of bangkok. it is to be remembered, however, in justice to the british consul-general in siam, mr. thomas george knox, that the sure though silent influence was his, whereby the minds of the king and the prime minister were led to appreciate the benefits that must accrue from these foreign innovations. the privilege of constructing, on liberal terms, a line of telegraph through maulmain to singapore, with a branch to bangkok, has been granted to the singapore telegraph company; and finally a sanitarium has been erected on the coast at anghin, for the benefit of native and foreign residents needing the invigoration of sea-air. [footnote: "his excellency chow phya bhibakrwongs maha kosa dhipude, the p'hraklang, minister for foreign affairs, has built a sanitarium at anghin for the benefit of the public. it is for benefit of the siamese, europeans, or americans, to go and occupy, when unwell, to restore their health. all are cordially invited to go there for a suitable length of time and be happy; but are requested not to remain month after month and year after year, and regard it as a place without an owner. to regard it in this way cannot be allowed, for it is public property, and others should go and stop there also."--_advertisement, siam monitor_, august 29, 1868.] during his retirement in the monastery the king had a stroke of paralysis, from which he perfectly recovered; but it left its mark on his face, in the form of a peculiar falling of the under lip on the right side. in person he was of middle stature, slightly built, of regular features and fair complexion. in early life he lost most of his teeth, but he had had them replaced with a set made from sapan-wood,--a secret that he kept very sensitively to the day of his death. capable at times of the noblest impulses, he was equally capable of the basest actions. extremely accessible to praise, he indiscriminately entertained every form of flattery; but his fickleness was such that no courtier could cajole him long. among his favorite women was the beautiful princess tongoo soopia, sister to the unfortunate sultan mahmoud, ex-rajah of pahang. falling fiercely in love with her on her presentation at his court, he procured her for his harem against her will, and as a hostage for the good faith of her brother; but as she, being mohammedan, ever maintained toward him a deportment of tranquil indifference, he soon tired of her, and finally dismissed her to a wretched life of obsoleteness and neglect within the palace walls. the only woman who ever managed him with acknowledged edged success was khoon chom piem: hardly pretty, but well formed, and of versatile tact, totally uneducated, of barely respectable birth,--being chinese on her father's side,--yet withal endowed with a nice intuitive appreciation of character. once conscious of her growing influence over the king, she contrived to foster and exercise it for years, with but a slight rebuff now and then. being modest to a fault, even at times obnoxious to the imputation of prudishness, she habitually feigned excuses for non-attendance in his majesty's chambers,--such as delicate health, the nursing of her children, mourning for the death of this or that relative,--and voluntarily visited him only at rare intervals. in the course of six years she amassed considerable treasure, procured good places at court for members of her family, and was the means of bringing many chinamen to the notice of the king. at the same time she lived in continual fear, was warily humble and conciliating toward her rival sisters, who pitied rather than envied her, and retained in her pay most of the female executive force in the palace. in his daily habits his majesty was remarkably industrious and frugal. his devotion to the study of astronomy never abated, and he calculated with respectable accuracy the great solar eclipse of august, 1868. the french government, having sent a special commission, under command of the baron hugon le tourneur, to observe the eclipse in siam, the king erected, at a place called _hua wã¢nn_ ("the whale's head"), a commodious observatory, besides numerous pavilions varying in size and magnificence, for his majesty and retinue, the french commission, the governor of singapore (colonel ord) and suite, who had been invited to bangkok by the king, and for ministers and nobles of siam. provision was made, at the cost of government, for the regal entertainment, in a town of booths and tabernacles, of the vast concourse of natives and europeans who followed his majesty from the capital to witness the sublime phenomenon; and a herd of fifty noble elephants were brought from the ancient city of ayudia for service and display. the prospect becoming dubious and gloomy just at the time of first contact (ten o'clock), the prime minister archly invited the foreigners who believed in an overruling providence to pray to him "that he may be pleased to disperse the clouds long enough to afford us a good view of the grandest of eclipses." presently the clouds were partially withdrawn from the sun, and his majesty observing that one twentieth of the disk was obscured, announced the fact to his own people by firing a cannon; and immediately pipes screamed and trumpets blared in the royal pavilion,--a tribute of reverence to the traditional fable about the angel rahoo swallowing the sun. both the king and prime minister, scorning the restraints of dignity, were fairly boisterous in their demonstrations of triumph and delight; the latter skipping from point to point to squint through his long telescope. at the instant of absolute totality, when the very last ray of the sun had become extinct, his excellency shouted, "hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!" and scientifically disgraced himself. leaving his spyglass swinging, he ran through the gateway of his pavilion, and cried to his prostate wives, "henceforth will you not believe the foreigner." but that other excellency, chow phya bhudharabhay, minister for northern siam, more orthodox, sat in dumfoundered faith, and gaped at the awful deglutition of the angel rahoo. the government expended not less than a hundred thousand dollars on this scientific expedition, and a delegation from the foreign community of bangkok approached his majesty with an address of thanks for his indiscriminate hospitality. but the extraordinary excitement, and exposure to the noxious atmosphere of the jungle, proved inimical to the constitution of the king. on his return to bangkok he complained of general weariness and prostration, which was the prelude to fever. foreign physicians were consulted, but at no stage of the case was any european treatment employed. he rapidly grew worse, and was soon past saving. on the day before his death he called to his bedside his nearest relatives, and parted among them such of his personal effects as were most prized by him, saying, "i have no more need of these things. i must give up my life also." buddhist priests were constant in attendance, and he seemed to derive much comfort from their prayers and exhortations. in the evening he wrote with his own hand a tender farewell to the mothers of his many children,--eighty-one in number. on the morning of his last day (october 1, 1868) he dictated in the pali language a farewell address to the buddhist priesthood, the spirit of which was admirable, and clearly manifested the faith of the dying man in the doctrines of the reformer; for he hesitated not to say: "farewell, ye faithful followers of buddha, to whom death is nothing, even as all earthly existence is vain, all things mutable, and death inevitable. presently i shall myself submit to that stern necessity. farewell! for i go only a little before you." feeling sure that he must die before midnight, he summoned his half-brother, h. r. h. krom hluang wongse, his excellency the prime minister, chow phya kralahome, and others, and solemnly imposed upon them the care of his eldest son, the chowfa chulalonkorn, and of his kingdom; at the same time expressing his last earthly wish, that the senabawdee, in electing his successor, would give their voices for one who should conciliate all parties, that the country might not be distracted by dissensions on that question. he then told them he was about to finish his course, and implored them not to give way to grief, "nor to any sudden surprise," that he should leave them thus; "'tis an event that must befall all creatures that come into this world, and may not be avoided." then turning his gaze upon a small image of his adored teacher, he seemed for some time absorbed in awful contemplation. "such is life!" those were actually the last words of this most remarkable buddhist king. he died like a philosopher, calmly and sententiously soliloquizing on death and its inevitability. at the final moment, no one being near save his adopted son, phya buroot, he raised his hands before his face, as in his accustomed posture of devotion; then suddenly his head dropped backward, and he was gone. that very night, without disorder or debate, the senabawdee elected his eldest son, somdetch chowfa chulalonkorn, to succeed him; and the prince george washington, eldest son of the late second king, to succeed to his father's subordinate throne, under the title of krom p'hra raja bowawn shathan mongkoon. the title of the present supreme king (my amiable and very promising scholar) is prabat somdetch p'hra paramendr maha chulalonkorn kate klou chow-yu-hua. about a year after my first ill-omened interviews with maha mongkut, and when i had become permanently installed in my double office of teacher and scribe, i was one day busy with a letter from his majesty to the earl of clarendon, and finding that any attempt at partial correction would but render his meaning more ambiguous, and impair the striking originality of his style, i had abandoned the effort, and set about copying it with literal exactness, only venturing to alter here and there a word, such as "i hasten with _wilful_ pleasure to write in reply to your lordship's _well-wishing_ letter," etc. whilst i was thus evolving from the depths of my inner consciousness a satisfactory solution to this conundrum in king's english, his majesty's private secretary lolled in the sunniest corner of the room, stretching his dusky limbs and heavily nodding, in an ecstasy of ease-taking. poor p'hra-alã¢ck! i never knew him to be otherwise than sleepy, and his sleep was always stolen. for his majesty was the most capricious of kings as to his working moods,--busy when the average man should be sleeping, sleeping while letters, papers, despatches, messengers, mail-boats waited. more than once had we been aroused at dead of night by noisy female slaves, and dragged in hot haste and consternation to the hall of audience, only to find that his majesty was, not at his last gasp, as we had feared, but simply bothered to find in webster's dictionary some word that was to be found nowhere but in his own fertile brain; or perhaps in excited chase of the classical term for some trifle he was on the point of ordering from london,--and that word was sure to be a stranger to my brain. before my arrival in bangkok it had been his not uncommon practice to send for a missionary at midnight, have him beguiled or abducted from his bed, and conveyed by boat to the palace, some miles up the river, to inquire if it would not be more elegant to write _murky_ instead of _obscure_, or _gloomily dark_ rather than _not clearly apparent_. and if the wretched man should venture to declare his honest preference for the ordinary over the extraordinary form of expression, he was forthwith dismissed with irony, arrogance, or even insult, and without a word of apology for the rude invasion of his rest. one night, a little after twelve o'clock, as he was on the point of going to bed like any plain citizen of regular habits, his majesty fell to thinking how most accurately to render into english the troublesome siamese word _phi_, which admits of a variety of interpretations. [footnote: ghost, spirit, soul, devil, evil angel.] after puzzling over it for more than an hour, getting himself possessed with the word as with the devil it stands for, and all to no purpose, he ordered one of his lesser state barges to be manned and despatched with all speed for the british consul. that functionary, inspired with lively alarm by so startling a summons, dressed himself with unceremonious celerity, and hurried to the palace, conjecturing on the way all imaginable possibilities of politics and diplomacy, revolution or invasion. to his vexation, not less than his surprise, he found the king in dishabille, engaged with a siamese-english vocabulary, and mentally divided between "deuce" and "devil," in the choice of an equivalent. his preposterous majesty gravely laid the case before the consul, who, though inwardly chafing at what he termed "the confounded coolness" of the situation, had no choice but to decide with grace, and go back to bed with philosophy. no wonder, then, that p'hra-alã¢ck experienced an access of gratitude for the privilege of napping for two hours in a snuggery of sunshine. "mam-kha," [footnote: kha, "your slave."] he murmured drowsily, "i hope that in the chat-nah [footnote: the next state of existence.] i shall be a freed man." "i hope so sincerely, p'hra-alã¢ck," said i. "i hope you'll be an englishman or an american, for then you'll be sure to be independent." it was impossible not to pity the poor old man,--stiff with continual stooping to his task, and so subdued!--liable not only to be called at any hour of the day or night, but to be threatened, cuffed, kicked, beaten on the head, [footnote: the greatest indignity a siamese can suffer.] every way abused and insulted, and the next moment to be taken into favor, confidence, bosom-friendship, even as his majesty's mood might veer. alack for p'hra-alã¢ck! though usually he bore with equal patience his greater and his lesser ills, there were occasions that sharply tried his meekness, when his weak and goaded nature revolted, and he rushed to a snug little home of his own, about forty yards from the grand palace, there to snatch a respite of rest and refreshment in the society of his young and lately wedded wife. then the king would awake and send for him, whereupon he would be suddenly ill, or not at home, strategically hiding himself under a mountain of bedclothes, and detailing mrs. p'hra-alã¢ck to reconnoitre and report. he had tried this primitive trick so often that its very staleness infuriated the king, who invariably sent officers to seize the trembling accomplice and lock her up in a dismal cell as a hostage for the scribe's appearance. at dusk the poor fellow would emerge, contrite and terrified, and prostrate himself at the gate of the palace. then his majesty (who, having spies posted in every quarter of the town, knew as well as p'hra-alã¢ck himself what the illness or the absence signified) leisurely strolled forth, and, finding the patient on the threshold, flew always into a genuine rage, and prescribed "decapitation on the spot," and "sixty lashes on the bare back," both in the same breath. and while the attendants flew right and left,--one for the blade, another for the thong,--the king, still raging, seized whatever came most handy, and belabored his bosom-friend on the head and shoulders. having thus summarily relieved his mind, he despatched the royal secretary for his ink-horn and papyrus, and began inditing letters, orders, appointments, before scymitar or lash (which were ever tenderly slow on these occasions) had made its appearance. perhaps in the very thick of his dictating he would remember the connubial accomplice, and order his people to "release her, and let her go." slavery in siam is the lot of men of a much finer intellectual type than any who have been its victims in modern times in societies farther west. p'hra-alã¢ck had been his majesty's slave when they were boys together. together they had played, studied, and entered the priesthood. at once bondman, comrade, classmate, and confidant, he was the very man to fill the office of private secretary to his royal crony. virgil made a slave of his a poet, and horace was the son of an emancipated slave. the roman leech and chirurgeon were often slaves; so, too, the preceptor and the pedagogue, the reader and the player, the clerk and the amanuensis, the singer, the dancer, the wrestler, and the buffoon, the architect, the smith, the weaver, and the shoemaker; even the _armiger_ or squire was a slave. educated slaves exercised their talents and pursued their callings for the emolument of their masters; and thus it is to-day in siam. _mutato nomine, de te fabula narratur_, p'hra-alã¢ck! the king's taste for english composition had, by much exercise, developed itself into a passion. in the pursuit of it he was indefatigable, rambling, and petulant. he had "webster's unabridged" on the brain,--an exasperating form of king's evil. the little dingy slips that emanated freely from the palace press were as indiscriminate as they were quaint. no topic was too sublime or too ignoble for them. all was "copy" that came to those cases,-from the glory of the heavenly bodies to the nuisance of the busybodies who scolded his majesty through the columns of the bangkok recorder. i have before me, as i write, a circular from his pen, and in the type of his private press, which, being without caption or signature, may be supposed to be addressed "to all whom it may concern." the american missionaries had vexed his exact scholarship by their peculiar mode of representing in english letters the name of a native city (_prippri_, or in sanskrit _bejrepuri_). whence this droll circular, which begins with a dogmatic line:-"none should write the name of city of prippri thus--p'et cha poory." then comes a pedantic demonstration of the derivation of the name from a compound sanskrit word, signifying "diamond city." and the document concludes with a characteristic explosion of impatience, at once critical, royal, and anecdotal: "ah! what the romanization of american system that p'etch' abury will be! will whole human learned world become the pupil of their corrupted siamese teachers? it is very far from correctness. why they did not look in journal of royal asiatic society, where several words of sanskrit and pali were published continually? their siamese priestly teachers considered all europeans as very heathen; to them far from sacred tongue, and were glad to have american heathens to become their scholars or pupils; they thought they have taught sacred language to the part of heathen; in fact, they themselves are very far from sacred language, being sunk deeply in corruption of sacred and learned language, for tongue of their former laos and cambodian teachers, and very far from knowledge of hindoostanee, cinghalese, and royal asiatic society's knowledge in sanskrit, as they are considered by such the siamese teachers as heathen; called by them mit ch'a thi-thi, &c., &c., i.e. wrongly seer or spectator, &c., &c." in another slip, which is manifestly an outburst of the royal petulance, his majesty demands, in a "displayed" paragraph:-"why name of mr. knox [thomas george knox, esq., british consul] was not published thus: missa nok or nawk. if name of chow phya bhudharabhay is to be thus: p'raya p'oo t'a ra p'ie. and why the london was not published thus: lundun or landan, if bejrepuri is to be published p'etch' abury." in the same slip with the philological protest the following remarkable paragraphs appear:-"what has been published in no. 25 of bangkok recorder thus:-"'the king of siam, on reading from some european paper that the pope had lately suffered the loss of some precious jewels, in consequence of a thief having got possession of his holiness' keys, exclaimed, "what a man! professing to keep the keys of heaven, and cannot even keep his own keys!"' "the king on perusal thereof denied that it is false. he knows nothing about his holiness the pope's sustaining loss of gems, &c., and has said nothing about religious faith." this is curious, in that it exposes the king's unworthy fear of the french priesthood in siam. the fact is that he did make the rather smart remark, in precisely these words: "ah! what a man! professing to keep the keys of heaven, and not able to guard those of his own bureau!" and he was quite proud of his hit. but when it appeared in the recorder, he thought it prudent to bar it with a formal denial. hence the politic little item which he sent to all the foreigners in bangkok, and especially to the french priests. his majesty's mode of dealing with newspaper strictures (not always just) and suggestions (not always pertinent) aimed at his administration of public affairs, or the constitution and discipline of his household, was characteristic. he snubbed them with sententious arrogance, leavened with sarcasm. when the recorder recommended to the king the expediency of dispersing his solomonic harem, and abolishing polygamy in the royal family, his majesty retorted with a verbal message to the editor, to the purport that "when the recorder shall have dissuaded princes and noblemen from offering their daughters to the king as concubines, the king will cease to receive contributions of women in that capacity." in august, 1865, an angry altercation occurred in the royal court of equity (sometimes styled the international court) between a french priest and phya wiset, a siamese nobleman, of venerable years, but positive spirit and energy. the priest gave phya wiset the lie, and phya wiset gave it back to the priest, whereupon the priest became noisy. afterward he reported the affair to his consul at bangkok, with the embellishing statement that not only himself, but his religion, had been grossly insulted. the consul, one monsieur aubaret, a peppery and pugnacious frenchman, immediately made a demand upon his majesty for the removal of phya wiset from office. this despatch was sent late in the evening by the hand of monsieur lamarche, commanding the troops at the royal palace; and that officer had the consul's order to present it summarily. lamarche managed to procure admittance to the penetralia, and presented the note at two o'clock in the morning, in violation of reason and courtesy as well as of rules, excusing himself on the ground that the despatch was important and his orders peremptory. his majesty then read the despatch, and remarked that the matter should be disposed of "to-morrow." lamarche replied, very presumptuously, that the affair required no investigation, as _he_ had heard the offensive language of phya wiset, and that person must be deposed without ceremony. whereupon his majesty ordered the offensive foreigner to leave the palace. lamarche repaired forthwith to the consul, and reported that the king had spoken disrespectfully, not only of his imperial majesty's consul, but of the emperor himself, besides outrageously insulting a french messenger. then the fire-eating functionary addressed another despatch to his majesty, the purport of which was, that, in expelling lamarche from the palace, the king of siam had been guilty of a political misdemeanor, and had rudely disturbed the friendly relations existing between france and siam; that he should leave bangkok for paris, and in six weeks lay his grievance before the emperor; but should first proceed to saigon, and engage the french admiral there to attend to any emergency that might arise in bangkok. his majesty, who knew how to confront the uproar of vulgarity and folly with the repose of wisdom and dignity, sent his own cousin, the prince mom rachoday, chief judge of the royal court of equity, to m. aubaret, to disabuse his mind, and impart to him all the truth of the case. but the "furious frank" seized the imposing magnate by the hair, drove him from his door, and flung his betel-box after him,--a reckless impulse of outrage as monstrous as the most ingenious and deliberate brutality could have devised. rudely to seize a siamese by the hair is an indignity as grave as to spit in the face of a european; and the betelbox, beside being a royal present, was an essential part of the insignia of the prince's judicial office. on a later occasion this same aubaret seized the opportunity a royal procession afforded to provoke the king to an ill-timed discussion of politics, and to prefer an intemperate complaint against the kralahome, or prime minister. this characteristic flourish of ill temper and bad manners, from the representative of the politest of nations, naturally excited lively indignation and disgust among all respectable dwellers, native or foreign, near the court, and a serious disturbance was imminent. but a single dose of the king's english sufficed to soothe the spasmodic official, and reduce him to "a sense of his situation." "to the hon. the monsieur aubaret, _the consul for h.i.m._ "sir:--the verbal insult or bad words without any step more over from lower or lowest person is considered very slight & inconsiderable. "the person standing on the surface of the ground or floor cannot injure the heavenly bodies or any highly hanging lamp or glope by ejecting his spit from his mouth upward it will only injure his own face without attempting of heavenly bodies--&c. "the siamese are knowing of being lower than heaven do not endeavor to injure heavenly bodies with their spit from mouth. "a person who is known to be powerless by every one, as they who have no arms or legs to move oppose or injure or deaf or blind &c. &c. cannot be considered and said that they are our enemies even for their madness in vain--it might be considered as easily agitation or uneasiness. "persons under strong desires without any limit or acting under illimited anger sometimes cannot be believed at once without testimony or witness if they stated against any one verbally from such the statements of the most desirous or persons most illimitedly angry hesitation and mild enquiry is very prudent from persons of considerable rank." _no signature._ never were simplicity with shrewdness, and unconscious humor with pathos, and candor with irony, and political economy with the sense of an awful bore, more quaintly blended than in the following extraordinary hint, written and printed by his majesty, and freely distributed for the snubbing of visionary or speculative adventurers: "notice. "when the general rumor was and is spread out from siam, circulated among the foreigners to siam, chiefly europeans, chinese, &c, in three points:-"1. that siam is under quite absolute monarchy. whatever her supreme sovereign commanded, allowed, &c all cannot be resisted by any one of his subjects. "2. the treasury of the sovereign of siam, was full for money, like a mountain of gold and silver; her sovereign most wealthy. "3. the present reigning monarch of siam is shallow minded and admirer of almost everything of curiosity, and most admirer of european usages, customs, sciences, arts and literature &c, without limit. he is fond of flattering term and ambitious of honor, so that there are now many opportunities and operations to be embraced for drawing great money from royal treasury of siam, &c. "the most many foreigners being under belief of such general rumour, were endeavoring to draw money from him in various operations, as aiming him with valuable curiosities and expectations of interest, and flattering him, to be glad of them, and deceiving him in various ways; almost on every opportunity of steamer coming to siam, various foreigners partly known to him and acquainted with him, and generally unknown to him, boldly wrote to him in such the term of various application and treatment, so that he can conclude that the chief object of all letters written to him, is generally to draw money from him, even unreasonable. several instances and testimonies can be shown for being example on this subject--the foreigners letters addressed to him, come by every one steamer of siam, and of foreign steamers visiting siam; 10 and 12 at least and 40 at highest number, urging him in various ways; so he concluded that foreigners must consider him only as a mad king of a wild land! "he now states that he cannot be so mad more, as he knows and observes the consideration of the foreigners towards him. also he now became of old age,[footnote: he was sixty-two at this time.] and was very sorry to lose his principal members of his family namely, his two queens, twice, and his younger brother the late second king, and his late second son and beloved daughter, and moreover now he fear of sickness of his eldest son, he is now unhappy and must solicit his friends in correspondence and others who please to write for the foresaid purpose, that they should know suitable reason in writing to him, and shall not urge him as they would urge a madman! and the general rumours forementioned are some exaggerated and some entirely false; they shall not believe such the rumours, deeply and ascertainedly. "royal residence grand palace bangkok 2nd july 1867." and now observe with, what gracious ease this most astute and discriminating prince could fit his tone to the sense of those who, familiar with his opinions, and reconciled to his temper and his ways, however peculiar, could reciprocate the catholicity of his sympathies, and appreciate his enlightened efforts to fling off that tenacious old-man-of-the-sea custom, and extricate himself from the predicament of conflicting responsibilities. to these, on the christian new year's day of 1867, he addressed this kindly greeting:-"s.p.p.m. mongkut: "called in siamese 'p'hra-chomklau chao-yuhua' in magadhi or language of pali 'siamikanam maha rajah,' in latin 'rex siamensium,' in french 'le roi de siam,' in english 'the king of siam' and in malayan 'rajah maha pasah' &c. "begs to present his respectful and regardful compliments and congratulations in happy lives during immediately last year, and wishes the continuing thereof during the commencing new year, and ensuing and succeeding many years, to his foreign friends, both now in siam namely, the functionary and acting consuls and consular officers of various distinguished nations in treaty power with siam and certain foreign persons under our salary, in service in any manner here, and several gentlemen and ladies who are resident in siam in various stations: namely, the priests, preachers of religion, masters and mistresses of schools, workmen and merchants, &c, and now abroad in various foreign countries and ports, who are our noble and common friends, acquainted either by ever having had correspondences mutually with us some time, at any where and remaining in our friendly remembrance or mutual remembrance, and whosoever are in service to us as our consuls, vice consuls and consular assistants, in various foreign ports. let them know our remembrance and good wishes toward them all. * * * * * "though we are not christians, the forenamed king was glad to arrive this day in his valued life, as being the 22,720th day of his age, during which he was aged sixty-two years and three months, and being the 5,711th day of his reign, during which he reigned upon his kingdom 15 years and 8 months up to the current month. "in like manner he was very glad to see & know and hope for all his royal family, kindred and friends of both native and foreign, living near and far to him had arrived to this very remarkable anniversary of the commencement of solar year in anno christi 1867. "in their all being healthy and well living like himself, he begs to express his royal congratulation and respect and graceful regards to all his kindred friends both native and foreign, and hopes to receive such the congratulation and expression of good wishes toward him and members of his family in very like manner, as he trusts that the amity and grace to one another of every of human beings who are innocent, is a great merit, and is righteous and praiseworthy in religious system of all civil religion, and best civilized laws and morality, &c. "given at the royal audience hall, 'anant samagome' grand palace, bangkok," etc., etc. * * * * * the remoter provinces of siam constitute a source of continual anxiety and much expense to the government; and to his majesty (who, very conscious of power, was proud to be able to say that the malayan territories and rajahs--cambodia, with her marvellous cities, palaces, and temples, once the stronghold of siam's most formidable and implacable foes; the laos country, with its warlike princes and chiefs--were alike dependencies and tributaries of his crown) it was intolerably irritating to find cambodia rebellious. so long as his government could successfully maintain its supremacy there, that country formed a sort of neutral ground between his people and the cochin-chinese; a geographical condition which was not without its political advantages. but now the unscrupulous french had strutted upon the scene, and with a flourish of diplomacy and a stroke of the pen appropriated to themselves the fairest portion of that most fertile province. his majesty, though secretly longing for the intervention and protection of england, was deterred by his almost superstitious fear of the french from complaining openly. but whenever he was more than commonly annoyed by the pretensions and aggressive epistles of his imperial majesty's consul he sent for me,--thinking, like all orientals, that, being english, my sympathy for him, and my hatred of the french, were jointly a foregone conclusion. when i would have assured him that i was utterly powerless to help him, he cut me short with a wise whisper to "consult mr. thomas george knox"; and when i protested that that gentleman was too honorable to engage in a secret intrigue against a colleague, even for the protection of british interests in siam, he would rave at my indifference, the cupidity of the french, the apathy of the english, and the fatuity of all geographers in "setting down" the form of government in siam as an "absolute monarchy." "_i_ an absolute monarch! for i have no power over french. siam is like a mouse before an elephant! am i an absolute monarch? what shall you consider me?" now, as i considered him a particularly absolute and despotic king, that was a trying question; so i discreetly held my peace, fearing less to be classed with those obnoxious savans who compile geographies than to provoke him afresh. "i have no power." he scolded; "i am not absolute! if i point the end of my walking-stick at a man whom, being my enemy, i wish to die, he does not die, but lives on, in spite of my 'absolute' will to the contrary. what does geographies mean? how can i be an absolute monarchy?" such a conversation we were having one day as he "assisted" at the founding of a temple; and while he reproached his fate that he was powerless to "point the end of his walking-stick" with absolute power at the peppery and presumptuous monsieur aubaret, he vacantly flung gold and silver coins among the work-women. in another moment he forgot all french encroachments, and the imbecility of geographers in general, as his glance chanced to fall upon a young woman of fresh and striking beauty, and delightful piquancy of ways and expression, who with a clumsy club was pounding fragments of pottery--urns, vases, and goglets--for the foundation of the _watt._ very artless and happy she seemed, and free as she was lovely; but the instant she perceived she had attracted the notice of the king, she sank down and hid her face in the earth, forgetting or disregarding the falling vessels that threatened to crush or wound her. but the king merely diverted himself with inquiring her name and parentage; and some one answering for her, he turned away. almost to the latest hour of his life his majesty suffered, in his morbid egotism, various and keen annoyance, by reason of his sensitiveness to the opinions of foreigners, the encroachments of foreign officials, and the strictures of the foreign press. he was agitated by a restless craving for their sympathy on the one hand, and by a futile resentment of their criticisms or their claims on the other. an article in a singapore paper had administered moral correction to his majesty on the strength of a rumor that "the king has his eye upon another princess of the highest rank, with a view to constituting her a queen consort." and the bangkok recorder had said: "now, considering that he is full threescore and three years of age, that he has already scores of concubines and about fourscore sons and daughters, with several chowfas among them, and hence eligible to the highest posts of honor in the kingdom, this rumor seems too monstrous to be credited. but the truth is, there is scarcely anything too monstrous for the royal polygamy of siam to bring forth." by the light of this explanation the meaning of the following extract from the postscript of a letter which the king wrote in april, 1866, will be clear to the reader, who, at the same time, in justice to me, will remember that by the death of his majesty, on the 1st of october, 1868, the seal of secrecy was broken. "very private post script. "there is a newspaper of singapore entitled daily news just published after last arrival of the steamer chowphya in singapore, in which paper, a correspondence from an individual resident at bangkok dated 16th march 1866 was shown, but i have none of that paper in my possession ... i did not noticed its number & date to state to you now, but i trust such the paper must be in hand of several foreigners in bangkok, may you have read it perhaps--other wise you can obtain the same from any one or by order to obtain from singapore; after perusal thereof you will not be able to deny my statement forementioned more over as general people both native & foreigners here seem to have less pleasure on me & my descendant, than their pleasure and hope on other amiable family to them until the present day. what was said there in for a princess considered by the speaker or writer as proper or suitable to be head on my _harem_ (a room or part for confinement of women of eastern monarch) [footnote: a parenthetical drollery inspired by the dictionary.] there is no least intention occurred to me even once or in my dream indeed! i think if i do so, i will die soon perhaps! * * * * * "this my handwriting or content hereof shall be kept secretly. "i beg to remain "your faithful & well-wisher "s. p. p. m. mongkut e. s. "on 5441th day of reign. "the writer here of beg to place his confidence on you alway." as a true friend to his majesty, i deplore the weakness which betrayed him into so transparent a sham of virtuous indignation. the "princess of the highest rank," whom the writer of the article plainly meant, was the princess of chiengmai; but from lack of accurate information he was misled into confounding her with the princess tui duang prabha, his majesty's niece. the king could honestly deny any such intention on his part with regard to his niece; but, at the same time, he well knew that the writer erred only as to the individual, and not as to the main fact of the case. the princess of chiengmai was the wife, and the princess tui duang the daughter, of his full brother, the second king, lately deceased. much more agreeable is it--to the reader, i doubt not, not less than to the writer--to turn from the king, in the exercise of his slavish function of training honest words to play the hypocrite for ignoble thoughts, to the gentleman, the friend, the father, giving his heart a holiday in the relaxations of simple kindness and free affection,--as in the following note:-"dated ranchaupury 34th february 1865. "to lady l---& her son luise, _bangkok_. "we having very pleasant journey ... to be here which is a township called as above named by men of republick affairs in siam, & called by common people as 'parkphrieck' where we have our stay a few days & will take our departure from hence at dawn of next day. we thinking of you both regardfully & beg to send here with some wild aples & barries which are delicate for tasting & some tobacco which were and are principal product of this region for your kind acceptance hoping this wild present will be acceptable to you both. "we will be arrived at our home bangkok on early part of march. "we beg to remain "your faithful "s. p. p. m. mongkut e. s. "in 5035th day of reign. "and your affectionate pupils "ying yulacks. maneabhadahorn. somdetch chowfa chulalonkork [footnote: the present king.] kritahinihar. prabhassor. somawati." xxvii. my retirement from the palace. in 1864 i found that my labors had greatly increased; i had often to work till ten o'clock at night to accomplish the endless translations required of me. i also began to perceive how continually and closely i was watched, but how and by whom it seemed impossible to discover. among the inducements to me to accept the position of teacher to the royal family was his majesty's assurance, that, if i gave satisfaction, he would increase my salary after a year's trial. nearly three years had passed when i first ventured to remind the king of this promise. to my astonishment he bluntly informed me that i had not given satisfaction, that i was "difficult" and unmanageable, "more careful about what was right and what was wrong than for the obedience and submission." and as to salary, he continued: "why you should be poor? you come into my presence every day with some petition, some case of hardship or injustice, and you demand 'your majesty shall most kindly investigate, and cause redress to be made'; and i have granted to you because you are important to me for translations, and so forth. and now you declare you must have increase of salary! must you have everything in this world? why you do not make _them_ pay you? if i grant you all your petition for the poor, you ought to be rich, or you have no wisdom." at a loss what answer to make to this very unsympathetic view of my conduct, i quietly returned to my duties, which, grew daily in variety and responsibility. what with translating, correcting, copying, dictating, reading, i had hardly a moment i could call my own; and if at any time i rebelled, i brought down swift vengeance on the head of the helpless native secretary. but it was my consolation to know that i could befriend the women and children of the palace, who, when they saw that i was not afraid to oppose the king in his more outrageous caprices of tyranny, imagined me endued with supernatural powers, and secretly came to me with their grievances, in full assurance that sooner or later i would see them redressed. and so, with no intention on my part, and almost without my own consent, i suffered myself to be set up between the oppressor and the oppressed. from that time i had no peace. day after day i was called upon to resist the wanton cruelty of judges and magistrates, till at last i found myself at feud with the whole "san luang." in cases of torture, imprisonment, extortion, i tried again and again to excuse myself from interfering, but still the mothers or sisters prevailed, and i had no choice left but to try to help them. sometimes i sent boy with my clients, sometimes i went myself; and in no single instance was justice granted from a sense of right, but always through fear of my supposed influence with the king. my siamese and european friends said i was amassing a fortune. it seemed not worth my while to contradict them, though the inference was painful to me, for in truth my championship was not purely disinterested; i suffered from continual contact with the sufferings of others, and came to the rescue in self-defence and in pity for myself not less than for them. a chinaman had been cruelly murdered and robbed by a favorite slave in the household of the prime minister's brother, leaving the brother, wife, and children of the victim in helpless poverty and terror. the murderer had screened himself and his accomplices by sharing the plunder with his master. the widow cried for redress in vain. the ears of magistrates were stopped against her, and she was too poor to pay her way; but still she went from one court to another, until her importunity irritated the judges, who, to intimidate her, seized her eldest son, on some monstrous pretext, and cast him into prison. this double cruelty completed the despair of the unhappy mother. she came to me fairly frenzied, and "commanded" me to go at once into the presence of the king and demand her stolen child; and then, in a sudden paroxysm of grief, she embraced my knees, wailing, and praying to me to help her. it was not in human nature to reject that maternal claim. with no little trouble i procured the liberation of her son; but to keep him out of harm's way i had to take him into my own home and change his name. i called him timothy, which by a chinese abbreviation became ti. when i went with this woman and the brother of the murdered man to the palace of the premier, we found that distinguished personage half naked and playing chess. seeing me enter, he ordered one of his slaves to bring him a jacket, into which he thrust his arms, and went on with the game; and not until that was finished did he attend to me. when i explained my errand he seemed vexed, but sent for his brother, had a long talk with him, and concluded by warning my unhappy _protã©gã©s_ that if he heard any more complaints from them they should be flogged. then turning to me with a grim smile, he said: "chinee too much bother. good by, sir!" this surprised me exceedingly, for i had often known the premier to award justice in spite of the king. that same evening, as i sat alone in my drawing-room, making notes, as was my custom, i heard a slight noise, as of some one in the room. looking round, i saw, to my amazement, one of the inferior judges of the prime minister's court crouching by the piano. i asked how he dared to enter my house unannounced. "mam," said he, "your servants admitted me; they know from whom i come, and would not venture to refuse me. and now it is for you to know that i am here from his excellency chow phya kralahome, to request you to send in your resignation at the end of this month." "by what authority does he send me this message?" i asked. "i know not; but it were best that you obey." "tell him," i replied, unable to control my anger at the cowardly trick to intimidate me, "i shall leave siam when i please, and that no man shall set the time for me." the man departed, cringing and crouching, and excusing himself. this was the same wretch at whose instigation poor moonshee had been so shamefully beaten. i did not close my eyes that night. again and again prudence advised me to seek safety in flight, but the argument ended in my turning my back on the timid monitor, and resolving to stay. about three weeks after this occurrence, his majesty was going on an excursion "up country," and as he wished me to accompany my pupils, the prime minister was required to prepare a cabin for me and my boy on his steamer, the volant. before we left the palace one of my anxious friends made me promise her that i would partake of no food nor taste a drop of wine on board the steamer,--an injunction in the sequel easy to fulfil, as our wants were amply provided for at the grand palace, where we spent the whole day. but i cite this incident to show the state of mind which led me to prolong my stay, hateful as it had become. after this, affairs in the royal household went smoothly enough for some time; but still my tasks increased, and my health began to fail. when i informed his majesty that i needed at least a month of rest, and that i thought of making a trip to singapore, he was so unwilling that i should rate highly the services i rendered him, that he was careful to assure me i had not "favored" him in any way, nor given him satisfaction; and that if i must be idle for a month, he certainly should not pay me for the time; and he kept his word. nevertheless, while i was at singapore he wrote to me most kindly, assuring me that his wives and children were anxious for my return. after the sad death of the dear little princess, chow fã¢-ying, the king had become more cordial; but the labor he imposed upon me was in proportion to the confidence he reposed in me. at times he required of me services, in my capacity of secretary, not to be thought of by a european sovereign; and when i declined to perform them, he would curse me, close the gates of the palace against me, and even subject me to the insults and threats of the parasites and slaves who crawled about his feet. on two occasions--first for refusing to write a false letter to sir john bowring, now plenipotentiary for the court of siam in england; and again for declining to address the earl of clarendon in relation to a certain british officer then in siam--he threatened to have me tried at the british consulate, and was so violent that i was in real fear for my life. for three days i waited, with doors and windows barred, for i knew not what explosion. after the death of the second king, his majesty behaved very disgracefully. it was well known that the ladies of the prince's harem were of the most beautiful of the women of laos, pegu, and birmah; above all, the princess of chiengmai was famed for her manifold graces of person and character. etiquette forbade the royal brothers to pry into the constitution of each other's _sã©rail_, but by means most unworthy of his station, and regardless of the privilege of his brother, maha mongkut had learned of the acquisition to the subordinate king's establishment of this celebrated and coveted beauty; and although she was now his legitimate sister-in-law, privately married to the prince, he was not restrained by any scruple of morality or delicacy from manifesting his jealousy and pique. [footnote: see portrait, chap. xxv.] moreover, this disgraceful feeling was fostered by other considerations than those of mere sensuality or ostentation. her father, the tributary ruler of chiengmai, had on several occasions confronted his aggressive authority with a haughty and intrepid spirit; and once, when maha mongkut required that he should send his eldest son to bangkok as a hostage for the father's loyalty, and good conduct, the unterrified chief replied that he would be his own hostage. on the summons being repeated in imperative terms, the young prince fled from his father's court and took refuge with the second king in his stronghold of ban sitha, where he was most courteously received and entertained until he found it expedient to seek some securer or less compromising place of refuge. the friendship thus founded between two proud and daring princes soon became strong and enduring, and resulted in the marriage of the princess sunartha vismita (very willingly on her part) to the second king, about a year before his death. the son of the king of chiengmai never made his appearance at the court of siam; but the stout old chief, attended by trusty followers, boldly brought his own "hostage" thither; and maha mongkut, though secretly chafing, accepted the situation with a show of graciousness, and overlooked the absence of the younger vassal. with the remembrance of these floutings still galling him, the supreme king frequently repaired to the second king's palace on the pretext of arranging certain "family affairs" intrusted to him by his late brother, but in reality to acquaint himself with the charms of several female members of the prince's household; and, scandalous as it should have seemed even to siamese notions of the divine right of kings, the most attractive and accomplished of those women were quietly transferred to his own harem. for some time i heard nothing more of the princess of chiengmai; but it was curious, even amusing, to observe the serene contempt with which the "interlopers" were received by the rival incumbents of the royal gynecium,--especially the laotian women, who are of a finer type and much handsomer than their siamese sisters. meantime his majesty took up his abode for a fortnight at the second king's palace, thereby provoking dangerous gossip in his own establishment; so that his "head wife," the lady thieng, even made bold to hint that he might come to the fate of his brother, and die by slow poison. his harem was agitated and excited throughout,--some of the women abandoning themselves to unaccustomed and unnatural gayety, while others sent their confidential slaves to consult the astrologers and soothsayers of the court; and by the aid of significant glances and shrugging of shoulders, and interchange of signs and whispers, with feminine telegraphy and secret service, most of those interested arrived at the sage conclusion that their lord had fallen under the spells of a witch or enchantress. such was the domestic situation when his majesty suddenly and without warning returned to his palace, but in a mood so perplexing as to surpass all precedent and baffle all tact. i had for some time performed with surprising success a leading part in a pretty little court play, of which the well-meant plot had been devised by the lady thieng. whenever the king should be dangerously enraged, and ready to let loose upon some tender culprit of the harem the monstrous lash or chain, i--at a secret cue from the head wife--was to enter upon his majesty, book in hand, to consult his infallibility in a pressing predicament of translation into sanskrit, siamese, or english. absurdly transparent as it was,--perhaps the happier for its very childishness,--under cover of this naive device from time to time a hapless girl escaped the fatal burst of his wrath. midway in the rising storm of curses and abuse he would turn with comical abruptness to the attractive interruption with all the zest of a scholar. i often trembled lest he should see through the thinly covered trick, but he never did. on his return from the prince's palace, however, even this innocent stratagem failed us; and on one occasion of my having recourse to it he peremptorily ordered me away, and forbade my coming into his presence again unless sent for. daily, after this, one or more of the women suffered from his petty tyranny, cruelty, and spite. on every hand i heard sighs and sobs from young and old; and not a woman there but believed he was bewitched and beside himself. i had struggled through many exacting tasks since i came to siam, but never any that so taxed my powers of endurance as my duties at this time, in my double office of governess and private secretary to his majesty. his moods were so fickle and unjust, his temper so tyrannical, that it seemed impossible to please him; from one hour to another i never knew what to expect. and yet he persevered in his studies, especially in his english correspondence, which was ever his solace, his pleasure, and his pride. to an interested observer it might have afforded rare entertainment to note how fluently, though oddly, he spoke and wrote in a foreign language, but for his caprices, which at times were so ridiculous, however, as to be scarcely disagreeable. he would indite letters, sign them, affix his seal, and despatch them in his own mail-bags to europe, america, or elsewhere; and, months afterward, insist on my writing to the parties addressed, to say that the instructions they contained were _my_ mistake,--errors of translation, transcription, anything but his intention. in one or two instances, finding that the case really admitted of explanation or apology from his majesty, i slyly so worded my letter, that, without compromising him, i yet managed to repair the mischief he had done. but i felt this could not continue long. always, on foreign-mail days, i spent from eight to ten hours in this most delicate and vexatious work. at length the crash came. the king had promised to sir john bowring the appointment of plenipotentiary to the court of france, to negotiate, on behalf of siam, new treaties concerning the cambodian possessions. with characteristic irresolution he changed his mind, and decided to send a siamese embassy, headed by his lordship p'hra nan why, now known as his excellency chow phya sri sury-wongse. no sooner had he entertained this fancy than he sent for me, and coolly directed me to write and explain the matter to sir john, if possible attributing his new views and purpose to the advice of her britannic majesty's consul; or, if i had scruples on that head, i might say the advice was my own,--or "anything i liked," so that i justified his conduct. at this distance of time i cannot clearly recall all the effect upon my feelings of so outrageous a proposition; but i do remember that i found myself emphatically declining to do "anything of the kind." then, warned by his gathering rage, i added that i would express to sir john his majesty's regrets, but to attribute the blame to those who had had no part in the matter, that i could never do. at this his fury was grotesque. his talent for invective was always formidable, and he tried to overpower me with threats. but a kindred spirit of resistance was aroused in me. i withdrew from the palace, and patiently abided the issue, resolved, in any event, to be firm. his majesty's anger was without bounds; and in the interval so fraught with anxiety and apprehension to me, when i knew that a considerable party in the palace--judges, magistrates, and officers about the person of the king--regarded me as an eminently proper person to behead or drown, he condescended to accuse me of abstracting a book that he chanced just then to miss from his library, and also of honoring and favoring the british consul at the expense of his american colleague, then resident at bangkok. in support of the latter charge, he alleged that i had written the american consul's name at the bottom of a royal circular, after carefully displaying my own and the british functionary's at the top of it. the circular in question, which had given just umbrage to the american official, was fortunately in the keeping of the honorable [footnote: here the title is siamese.] mr. bush, and was written by the king's own hand, as was well known to all whom it concerned. these charges, with others of a more frivolous nature,--such as disobeying, thwarting, scolding his majesty, treating him with disrespect, as by standing while he was seated, thinking evil of him, slandering him, and calling him wicked,--the king caused to be reduced to writing and sent to me, with an intimation that i must forthwith acknowledge my ingratitude and guilt, and make atonement by prompt compliance with his wishes. the secretary who brought the document to my house was accompanied by a number of the female slaves of the palace, who besought me, in the name of their mistresses, the wives of the "celestial supreme," to yield, and do all that might be required of me. seeing this shaft miss its mark, the secretary, being a man of resources, produced the other string to his bow. he offered to bribe me, and actually spent two hours in that respectable business; but finally departed in despair, convinced that the amount was inadequate to the cupidity of an insatiable european, and mourning for himself that he must return discomfited to the king. next morning, my boy and i presented ourselves as usual at the inner gate of the palace leading to the school, and were confronted there by a party of rude fellows and soldiers, who thrust us back with threats, and even took up stones to throw at us. i dare not think what might have been our fate, but for the generous rescue of a crowd of the poorest slaves, who at that hour were waiting for the opening of the gate. these rallied round us, and guarded us back to our home. it was, indeed, a time of terror for us. i felt that my life was in great danger; and so difficult did i find it to prevent the continual intrusion of the rabble, both men and women, into my house, that i had at length to bar my doors and windows, and have double locks and fastenings added. i became nervous and excited as i had never been before. my first impulse was to write to the british consul and invoke his protection; but that looked cowardly. nevertheless, i did prepare the letter, ready to be despatched at the first attempt upon our lives or liberty. i wrote also to mr. bush, asking him to find without delay the obnoxious circular, and bring it to my house. he came that very evening, the paper in his hand. with infinite difficulty i persuaded the native secretary, whom i had again and again befriended in like extremities, to procure for him an audience with the king. on coming into the presence of his majesty, mr. bush simply handed him the circular, saying, "mam tells me you wish to see this." the moment the caption of the document met his eye, his majesty's countenance assumed a blank, bewildered expression peculiar to it, and he seemed to look to my friend for an explanation; but that gentleman had none to offer, for i had made none to him. and to crown all, even as the king was pointing to his brow to signify that he had forgotten having written it, one of the little princesses came crouching and crawling into the room with the missing volume in her hand. it had been found in one of the numerous sleeping-apartments of the king, beside his pillow, just in time! mr. bush soon returned, bringing me assurances of his majesty's cordial reconciliation; but i still doubted his sincerity, and for weeks did not offer to enter the palace. when, however, on the arrival of the chow phya steamer with the mail, i was formally summoned by the king to return to my duties, i quietly obeyed, making no allusion to my "bygones." as i sat at my familiar table, copying, his majesty approached, and addressed me in these words:-"mam! you are one great difficulty. i have much pleasure and favor on you, but you are too obstinate. you are not wise. wherefore are you so difficult? you are only a woman. it is very bad you can be so strong-headed. will you now have any objection to write to sir john, and tell him i am his very good friend?" "none whatever," i replied, "if it is to be simply a letter of good wishes on the part of your majesty." i wrote the letter, and handed it to him for perusal. he was hardly satisfied, for with only a significant grunt he returned it to me, and left the apartment at once,--to vent his spite on some one who had nothing to do with the matter. in due time the following very considerate but significant reply (addressed to his majesty's "one great difficulty ") was received from sir john bowring:-claremont, exeter, 30 june, 1867. dear madam:--your letter of 12th may demands from me the attention of a courteous reply. i am quite sure the ancient friendship of the king of siam would never allow a slight, or indeed an unkindness, to me; and i hope to have opportunities of showing his majesty that i feel a deep interest in his welfare. as regards the diplomacy of european courts, it is but natural that those associated with them should be more at home, and better able to direct their course, than strangers from a distance, however personally estimable; and though, in the case in question, the mission of a siamese ambassador to paris was no doubt well intended, and could never have been meant to give me annoyance, it was not to be expected he would be placed in that position of free and confidential intercourse which my long acquaintance with public life would enable me to occupy. in remote regions, people with little knowledge of official matters in high quarters often take upon themselves to give advice in great ignorance of facts, and speak very unadvisedly on topics on which their opinions are worthless and their influence valueless. as regards m. aubaret's offensive proceedings, i doubt not he has received a caution [footnote: aubaret, french consul at bangkok, whose overbearing conduct has been described elsewhere.] on my representation, and that he, and others of his nation, would not be very willing that the emperor--an old acquaintance of mine--should hear from my lips what i might have to say. the will of the emperor is supreme, and i am afraid the cambodian question is now referred back to siam. it might have been better for me to have discussed it with his imperial majesty. however, the past is past. personal influence, as you are aware, is not transferable; but when by the proper powers i am placed in a position to act, his majesty may be assured--as i have assured himself--that his interests will not suffer in my hands. i am obliged to you for the manner in which you have conveyed to me his majesty's gracious expressions. and you will believe me to be yours very truly, john bowring. no friend of mine knew at that time how hard it was for me to bear up, in the utter loneliness and forlornness of my life, under the load of cares and provocations and fears that gradually accumulated upon me. but ah! if any germ of love and truth fell from my heart into the heart of even the meanest of those wives and concubines and children of a king, if by any word of mine the least of them was won to look up, out of the depths of their miserable life, to a higher, clearer, brighter light than their buddha casts upon their path, then indeed i did not labor in vain among them. in the summer of 1866 my health suddenly broke down, and for a time, it was thought that i must die. when good dr. campbell gave me the solemn warning all my trouble seemed to cease, and but for one sharp pang for my children,--one in england, the other in siam,--i should have derived pure and perfect pleasure from the prospect of eternal rest, so weary was i of my tumultuous life in the east; and though in the end i regained my strength in a measure, i was no longer able to comply with the pitiless exactions of the king. and so, yielding to the urgent entreaties of my friends, i decided to return to england. it took me half a year to get his majesty's consent; and it was not without tiresome accusations of ingratitude and idleness that he granted me leave of absence for six months. i had hardly courage to face the women and children the day i told them i was going away. it was hard to be with them; but it seemed cowardly to leave them. for some time most of them refused to believe that i was really going; but when they could doubt no longer, they displayed the most touching tenderness and thoughtfulness. many sent me small sums of money to help me on the journey. the poorest and meanest slaves brought me rice cakes, dried beans, cocoanuts, and sugar. it was in vain that i assured them i could not carry such things away with me; still the supplies poured in. the king himself, who had been silent and sullen until the morning of my departure, relented when the time came to say good by. he embraced boy with cordial kindness, and gave him a silver buckle, and a bag containing a hundred dollars to buy sweetmeats on the way. then turning to me, he said (as if forgetting himself): "mam! you much beloved by our common people, and all inhabitants of palace and royal children. every one is in affliction of your departure; and even that opium-eating secretary, p'hra-alã¢ck, is very low down in his heart because you will go. it shall be because you must be a good and true lady. i am often angry on you, and lose my temper, though i have large respect for you. but nevertheless you ought to know you are difficult woman, and more difficult than generality. but you will forget, and come back to my service, for i have more confidence on you every day. good by!" i could not reply; my eyes filled with tears. then came the parting with my pupils, the women and the children. that was painful enough, even while the king was present; but when he abruptly withdrew, great was the uproar. what could i do, but stand still and submit to kisses, embraces, reproaches, from princesses and slaves? at last i rushed through the gate, the women screaming after me, "come back!" and the children, "don't go!" i hurried to the residence of the heir-apparent, to the most trying scene of all. his regret seemed too deep for words, and the few he did utter were very touching. taking both my hands and laying his brow upon them, he said, after a long interval of silence, "_mam cha klap ma thort!_"--"mam dear, come back, please!" "keep a brave and true heart, my prince!" was all that i could say; and my last "god bless _you!_" was addressed to the royal palace of siam. to this young prince, chowfa chulalonkorn, i was strongly attached. he often deplored with me the cruelty with which the slaves were treated, and, young as he was, did much to inculcate kindness toward them among his immediate attendants. he was a conscientious lad, of pensive habit and gentle temper; many of my poor clients i bequeathed to his care, particularly the chinese lad ti. speaking of slavery one day, he said to me: "these are not slaves, but nobles; they know how to bear. it is we, the princes, who have yet to learn which is the more noble, the oppressor or the oppressed." when i left the palace the king was fast failing in body and mind, and, in spite of his seeming vigor, there was no real health in his rule, while he had his own way. all the substantial success we find in his administration is due to the ability and energy of his accomplished premier, phya kralahome, and even his strength has been wasted. the native arts and literature have retrograded; in the mechanic arts much has been lost; and the whole nation is given up to gambling. the capacity of the siamese race for improvement in any direction has been sufficiently demonstrated, and the government has made fair progress in political and moral reforms; but the condition of the slaves is such as to excite astonishment and horror. what may be the ultimate fate of siam under this accursed system, whether she will ever emancipate herself while the world lasts, there is no guessing. the happy examples free intercourse affords, the influence of european ideas, and the compulsion of public opinion, may yet work wonders. on the 5th of july, 1867, we left bangkok in the steamer chow phya. all our european friends accompanied us to the gulf of siam, where we parted, with much regret on my side; and of all those whose kindness had bravely cheered us during our long (i am tempted to write) _captivity_, the last to bid us god-speed was the good captain orton, to whom i here tender my heartfelt thanks. xxviii. the kingdom of siam. with her despotic ruler, priest and king; her religion of contradictions, at once pure and corrupt, lovely and cruel, ennobling and debasing; her laws, wherein wisdom is so perversely blended with blindness, enlightenment with barbarism, strength with weakness, justice with oppression; her profound scrutiny into mystic forms of philosophy, her ancient culture of physics, borrowed from the primitive speculations of brahminism;--siam is, beyond a peradventure, one of the most remarkable and thought-compelling of the empires of the orient; a fascinating and provoking enigma, alike to the theologian and the political economist. like a troubled dream, delirious in contrast with the coherence and stability of western life, the land and its people seem to be conjured out of a secret of darkness, a wonder to the senses and a mystery to the mind. and yet it is a strangely beautiful reality. the enchanting variety of its scenery, joined to the inexhaustible productiveness of its soil, constitutes a challenge to the charms of every other region, except, perhaps, the country watered by the great river of china. through an immense, continuous level of unfailing fertility, the meinam rolls slowly, reposefully, grandly, in its course receiving draughts from many a lesser stream, filling many a useful canal in its turn, and, from the abundance the generous rains bestow, distributing supplies of refreshment and fatness to innumerable acres. in a soil at once so rich and so well watered, the sun, with its vivifying heats, engenders a mighty vegetation, delighting the eye for more than half the year with endless undulations of grain and a great golden eden of fruit. its staples are solid blessings: rice, the asiatic's staff of life; sugar, most popular of dietetic luxuries; indigo, most valuable of dyes; in the drier tracts, cotton, tobacco, coffee, a variety of palms (from one species of which sugar not unlike that of the maple is extracted), the wild olive, and the fig. then there are vast forests of teak, that enduring monarch of the vegetable kingdom, ebony, satin-wood, eagle-wood; beside ivory, beeswax and honey, raw silk, and many aromatic gums and fragrant spices. and though the scenery is less various and picturesque than that of the regions of gangetic india, where ranges of noble mountains make the land majestic, nevertheless nature riots here in bewildering luxuriances of vegetable forms and colors. vast tracts, shady and cool with dense dark foliage; trees, tall and strong, spreading their giant arms abroad, with prickly, shining shrubs between, while parasites and creepers, wild, bright, and beautiful, trail from the highest boughs to the ground; the bamboo, shooting to the height of sixty feet and upward, with branches gracefully drooping; the generous, kind banana; fairy forests of ferns of a thousand forms; tall grasses, with their pale and plumy blossoms; the many-trunked and many-rooted banyan; the boh, sacred to buddha,--all combine to form a garden that adam might have dressed and kept, and only eve could spoil. it is only when he approaches the borders of the land that the traveller is greeted by grand mountains, crowned with impenetrable forests, and forming an amphitheatre around the graceful plains. along the coast the view is more diversified; islands, the most picturesque, and rich with diversified vegetation, make happy, striking contrasts, here and there, with the deep blue sea around them. the extent and boundaries of the kingdom and its dependencies have been variously described; but according to the statement of his majesty maha mongkut, the dominion of his predecessors, before the possession of malacca by the portuguese, extended over the whole of the malayan peninsula, including the islands of singapore and pinang, which at that time formed a part of the realm of the rajah of quedah, who still pays tribute to the crown of siam. it was at the instigation of english settlers that the states of johore, singapore, rambo, talangore, pahang, and puah became subject to british rule; so that to-day the siamese dominion, starting from the little kingdom of tringamu, extends from the fourth to the twenty-second degree of north latitude, giving about 1,350 miles of length, while from east to west its greatest breadth is about 450 miles. on the north it is bounded by several provinces of laos, tributaries of ava and china; on the east by the empire of anam; on the west by the sea and british possessions; on the south by the petty states of pahang and puah. beyond siam proper are the kingdom of ligor and the four small states, quedah, patan, calantan, and yeingana; on the east a part of the kingdom of cambodia, muang korat, and several provinces of laos; on the north the kingdoms of chiengmai, laphun, lakhon, muang phiã«ã©, muang naun, muang loan, and luang phrabang. the great plain of siam is bounded on the east by a spur of the himalayan range, which breaks off in cambodia, and is found again in the west, extending almost to the extremity of the malayan states; on the north these two mountain ranges approach each other, and form that multitude of small hills which imparts so picturesque an aspect to the laos country. this plain is watered by the river meinam, [footnote: "mother of waters,"--a common siamese term for all large streams.] or chow phya, whose innumerable branches, great and small, and the many canals which, fed by it, intersect the capital in all directions, constitute it the high-road of the empire. for many miles its banks are fringed with the graceful bamboo, the tamarind, the palm, and the peepul, the homes of myriads of birds of the land and of the water,--creatures of brilliant plumage and delightful song. siam has some excellent harbors, though the principal one, on the gulf, is partially obstructed by great banks of sand that have accumulated at the mouth of the chow phya. ships of ordinary burden, however, can cross these banks at high tide, and in a few hours cast anchor in the heart of the capital, in from sixty to seventy feet of water. here they are snug and safe. besides, the gulf itself is free from the typhoons so destructive to shipping on the china seas. in all the malayan islands there are numerous unimportant streams, which, though limited in their course, form excellent harbors at their debouchement on the coast. the eastern regions of laos and cambodia are watered by the river meikhong, which has a course of nearly a thousand miles; but its navigation, like that of the meinam at its mouth, is impeded by sand-banks. the smaller streams, chantabun, pet rue, and tha chang, all run into the meikhong, which, mingling its waters with those of the meinam, flows through chiengmai, receives the waters of phitsalok, and then, diverging by many channels, inundates the great plain of siam once every year, in the month of june. by the end of august this entire region has become one vast sheet of water, so that boats traverse it in every direction without injury to the young rice springing up beneath them. the climate of siam is more or less hot according to the latitude; only continual bathing can render it endurable. there are but two seasons, the wet and the dry. as soon as the southwest monsoon sets in, masses of spongy _cumuli_ gather on the summits of the western mountains, giving rise to furious squalls about sunset, and dispersing in peals of thunder and torrents of refreshing rain. from the beginning to the end of the rainy season, this succession of phenomena is repeated every evening. the monsoon from the north brings an excess of rain, and the thermometer falls. with the return of the dry season the air becomes comparatively cool, and most favorable to health; this continues from october to january. the dews are extremely heavy in the months of march and april. at dawn the atmosphere is impregnated with a thick fog, which, as the sun rises, descends in dews so abundant that trees, plants, and grass drip as from a recent shower of rain. the population of siam is still a matter of uncertainty; but it is officially estimated at from six to seven millions of souls, comprising siamese or thai-malay, laotians, cambodians, peguans, kariens, shans, and loas. siam produces enormous quantities of excellent rice, of which there are forty distinct varieties; and her sugar is esteemed the best in the world. her rivers and lakes abound in fish, as well as in turtles and aquatic birds. the exports are rice, sugar, cotton, tobacco, hemp, cutch, fish (salted and dried), cocoanut oil, beeswax, dried fruits, gamboge, cardamoms, betel-nuts, pepper, various gums and barks, sapan-wood, eagle-wood, rosewood, krachee-wood, ebony, ivory, raw silk, buffalo-hides, tiger-skins, armadillo-skins, elephants' tusks and bones, rhinoceros bones, turtle-shells, peacocks' tails, bird's-nests, king-fishers' feathers, &c. the revenue arising from duties and tolls on imported and native produce being mostly collected in kind, only a small part is converted into specie; the rest is distributed in part payment of salaries to the dependants of the court, whose name is legion. princes of the blood royal, high officers of state, provincial governors, and most of the judges, receive grants of provinces, districts, villages, and farms, to support their several dignities and reward their services; and the rents, fees, fines, bribes, and sops of these assignments are collected by them for their own behoof. thus, to one man are given the fees, to another the fines or bribes, which custom has attached to his functions; to others are alloted offices, by virtue of which certain imposts are levied; to this man the land; to another the waters of rivers and canals; to a third the fruit-bearing trees. but money is distributed with a niggard hand, and only once a year. every officer of revenue is permitted to pocket, and "charge to salary," a part of all that he collects in taxes, fines, extortions, bribes, gifts, and "testimonials." the rulers of laos pay to the crown of siam a tribute of gold and silver "trees," rings set with gems, and chains of solid gold. the trees, which appear to be composed entirely of the precious metals, are really nothing more than cylinders and tubes of tin, substantially gilt or plated, designed to represent the graceful clove-tree indigenous to that part of the country; the leaves and blossoms, however, are of solid gold and silver. each tree is planted in an artificial gilt mound, and is worth from five hundred to seven hundred ticals, while the chains and rings are decorated with large and pure rubies. the raw silk, elephants' tusks, and other rare products of siam, are highly prized by the mohammedan traders, who compete one with another in shipping them for the bombay markets. they are usually put up at auction; and, strange to say, the auctioneers are women of the royal harem, the favorite concubines of the first king. the shrewd moslem broker, turning a longing eye upon the precious stores of the royal warehouses, employs his wife, or a trusty slave, to approach this nourmahal or that rose-in-bloom with presents, and promises of generous premium to her whose influence shall procure for the bidder the acceptance of his proposal. by a system of secret service peculiar to these traders, the amount of the last offer is easily discovered, and the new bidder "sees that" (if i may be permitted to amuse myself with the phraseology of the mississippi bluff-player) and "goes" a few ticals "better." there are always several enterprising stars of the harem ready to vary the monotony by engaging in this unromantic business; and the agitation among the "sealed" sisterhood, though by no means boisterous, is lively, though all have tact to appear indifferent in the presence of their awful lord. the meagreness of the royal allowance of pin-money is the consideration that renders the prize important in the eyes of each of the competitors; and yet it is strange, in all the feminine vanity and vexation of spirit that the occasion engenders, how little of jealous bitterness and heartburning is directed against the lucky lady. the competitors agree upon a favorable opportunity to present the tenders of their respective clients to his majesty. each selecting the most costly and attractive of her bribes, and displaying them to advantage on a tray of gold, lays the written bid on the top; or with a shrewd device of the maternal instinct, so fertile in pretty tricks of artfulness, places it in the hands of a pet child, who is taught to present it winningly as the king descends to his midday meal. the attention of his majesty is attracted by the display of showy toys; he deigns to inquire as to the donors; the "sealed proposals" are respectfully, and doubtless with more or less coquetry, pressed upon him; and the matter is then and there concluded, almost invariably in favor of the highest bidder. this semi-romantic mode of traffic was gravely encouraged by his late majesty, for the benefit of his favorites of the harem; and great store of produce, of the finer varieties, was thus disposed of in the palace. the poll-tax on the chinese, levied once in three years, is paid in bullion. the annual income of the public treasury rarely exceeds the outgo; but whatever the state of the exchequer, and of the funds reserved for the service of the state, the personal resources of the monarch are always most abundant. nor do the great sums lavished upon his favorites and children deplete, in any respect, his vast treasures, because they are all supported by grants of land, monopolies of market, special taxes, tithes, _douceurs_, and other patrimonial or tributary provisions. a certain emolument is also derived from the valuable mines of the country, though, poorly worked as they are, but small importance has as yet been ascribed to these as a source of revenue; yet the gold of bhangtaphan is esteemed the purest and most ductile in the world. beside mines of iron, antimony, gold, and silver, there are quarries of white marble. the extraordinary number of idols and works of art cast in metal seems to indicate that these mines were once largely worked; and it is believed that the vast quantities of gold which for centuries has been consumed in the construction of images and the adornment of temples, pagodas, and palaces, were drawn from them. the country abounds in pits, bearing marks of great age; and there are also remains of many furnaces, which are said to have been abandoned in the wars with pegu. mineral springs--copious and, no doubt, valuable--are numerous in some parts of the country. the exports of siam are various and profitable; and of the raw materials, teak timber is entitled to the first consideration. the domestic consumption of this most useful wood in the construction of dwellings, sacred edifices, ships, and boats, is enormous; yet the forests traversed by the great rivers seem inexhaustible, and the supply continues so abundant that the variations in the price are very slight. the advantage the country must derive from her extensive commerce in a commodity so valuable may hardly be overrated. next in importance are the native sugars, rice, cotton, and silk, which find their way in large quantities to the markets of china and hindostan. among other articles of crude produce may be mentioned ivory [footnote: in siam reserved as a royal appropriation.] (a single fine tusk being often valued at five thousand dollars), wax, lead, copper, tin, amber, indigo, tobacco, honey, and bird's-nests. there are also precious stones of several varieties, and the famous gold of bhangtaphan. forty different kinds of rice are named, but these may properly be reduced to four classes, the common or table, the small-grained or mountain, the glutinous, and the vermilion rice. from the glutinous rice arrack is distilled. the areca, or pinang-nut, and the betel, are used almost universally, chewed with lime, the lime,--being dyed with turmeric, which imparts to it a rich vermilion tint; the areca-nut is also used in dying cotton thread. the characteristic traits of the siamese court are _hauteur_, insolent indifference, and ostentation, the natural features and expression of tyranny; and every artifice that power and opulence can devise is employed to inspire the minds of the common people with trembling awe and devout veneration for their sovereign master. though the late supreme king wisely reformed certain of the stunning customs of the court with more modest innovations, nevertheless he rarely went abroad without extravagant display, especially in his annual visitations to the temples. these were performed in a style studiously contrived to strike the beholder with astonishment and admiration. the royal state barge, one hundred cubits long, beside being elaborately carved, and inlaid with bits of crystal, porcelain, mother-of-pearl, and jade, is richly enamelled and gilt. the stem, which rises ten or eleven feet from the bows, represents the _nagha mustakha sapta_, the seven-headed serpent or alligator. a phrasat, or elevated throne (also termed _p'hra-the-nang_), occupies the centre, supported by four pillars. the extraordinary beauty of the inlaying of shells, mother-of-pearl, crystal, and precious stones of every color, the splendor of the gilding, and the elegance of the costly kinkob curtains with which it is hung, combine to render this one of the most striking and beautiful objects to be seen on the meinam. the barge is usually manned by one hundred and fifty men, their paddles gilt and silver-tipped. [illustration: a royal barge] this government reproduces, in many of its shows of power, pride, and ostentation, a _tableau vivant_ of european rule in the darker ages, when, on the decline of roman dominance, the principles of feudal dependence were established by barbarians from the north. under such a system, it is impossible to ascertain, or to represent by any standards of currency, the amount of the royal revenues and treasures. but it is known that the riches of the siamese monarch are immense, and that a magnificent share of the legal plunder drawn into the royal treasury is sunk there, and never returns into circulation again. the hoarding of money seems to be the cherished practice of all oriental rulers, and even a maxim of state policy; and that the general diffusion of property among his subjects offers the only safe assurance of prosperity for himself and stability for his throne is the last precept of prudence an asiatic monarch ever learns. the armies of siam are raised on the spur of the moment, as it were, for any pressing emergency. when troops are to be called out, a royal command, addressed to all viceroys and governors, requires them to raise their respective quotas, and report to a commander-in-chief at a general rendezvous. these recruits are clothed, equipped with arms and ammunition, and "subsisted" with daily rations of rice, oil, etc., but are not otherwise paid. the small standing army, which serves as the nucleus upon which these irregulars are gathered and formed, consists of infantry, cavalry, elephant-riders, archers, and private body-guards, paid at the rate of from five to ten dollars a month, with clothing and rations. the infantry are armed with muskets and sabres; the cavalry, with bows and arrows as well as spears; but the spear, which is from six to seven feet long, is the favorite weapon of this arm of the service, and they handle it with astonishing dexterity. the king's private body-guards are well paid, clothed, and quartered, having their stations and barracks within the palace walls and near the most attractive streets and avenues, while other troops are lodged outside. it is customary to detain the families of conscripts in the districts to which they belong, as prisoners on parole,--hostages for the good conduct of their young men in the army; and for the desertion or treachery of the soldier, his wife or children, mother or sisters, as the case may be, are tortured, or even executed, without compunction or remorse. the long and peaceful reign of the late king, however, has almost effaced from the minds of the youth of siam the remembrance of such monstrous oppressions. the siamese are but indifferent sailors, their nautical excursions being mainly confined to short coasting trips, or boating in safe and familiar channels. the more adventurous export trade is carried on almost wholly by foreigners. about one thousand war-boats constitute the bulk of the navy. these are constructed from the solid bole of the teak-tree, excavated partly with fire, partly with the adze; and, while they are commonly from eighty to a hundred feet long, the breadth rarely exceeds eight or nine feet, though the apparent width is increased by the addition of a sort of light gallery. they are made to carry fifty or sixty rowers, with short oars working on a pivot. the prow, which is solid, has a flat terrace, on which, for the king's up-country excursions, they mount a small field-piece, a nine or a twelve pounder. there are also several men-of-war belonging to the government, built by european engineers. the number of vessels in the merchant marine cannot be great. dwelling so long in peace and security at home, the tastes and the energies of the siamese people have been confirmed, by their political circumstances, in that inclination toward agricultural rather than commercial pursuits which their geographical conditions naturally engender. the extreme fertility of the soil, watered by innumerable streams, and intersected in every direction by a network of capacious canals (of which the klong yai, klong bangkok-noi, and klong p'hracha-dee, are the most remarkable); the generating heats of the climate; the teeming plains of the upper provinces, bulwarked by mighty mountains; and, above all, that magnificent mother, the meinam, winding in her beauty and bounty through a vast and lovely vale to the sea, in her course subjecting all things to the enriching and adorning influence of her touch,--all combine by their irresistible inducements to determine the native to the tilling of the ground. nothing can be more delightful than an excursion through the country immediately after the subsidence of the floods. then nature is draped in hues as charming as they are various, from the palest olive to the liveliest green; broad fields wave with tall golden spires of grain, or are dotted with tufted sheaves heavy with generous crops; the refreshed air is perfumed with the fragrance of the orange, lemon, citron, and other tropical fruits and flowers; and on every side the landscape is a scene of lovely meadows, alive with flocks and herds, and busy with herdsmen, husbandmen, and gardeners. the most considerable of the many canals by which communication is maintained with all parts of the country is klong yai, the great canal, supposed to have been begun in the reign of phya tã¢k. it is nearly a hundred cubits deep, twenty siamese fathoms broad, and forty miles long. bangkok has been aptly styled "the venice of the orient"; for not only the villages thickly studding the banks of the meinam, but the remoter hamlets as well, even to the confines of the kingdom, have each its own canals. in fact, the lands annually inundated by the mother of waters are so extensive, and for the most part lie so low, and the number of water-ducts, natural and artificial, is so great, that of all the torrents that descend upon the country in the months of june, july, and august (when the whole land is as a sea, in which towns and villages show like docks connected by drawbridges, with little islets between of groves and orchards, whose tops alone are visible), not a tithe ever returns to the ocean. the modern bridges of siam, which are mostly of iron in the european style, are made to be drawn for the passage of the king's barge, since the royal head may not without desecration pass under anything trodden by the foot of man. the more ancient bridges, however, are of stone and brick; and here and there are strange artificial lakes, partly filled up with the debris of temples that once stood on their banks. of roads there are but few that are good, and all are of comparatively recent construction. xxix. the ruins of cambodia.--an excursion to the naghkon watt. [footnote: the cambodian was, without doubt, in its day, one of the most powerful of the empires of the east. as to its antiquity, two opinions prevail,--one ascribing to it a duration of 1,300 years, the other of 2,400. the native historians reckon 2,400 years from the building of the naghkon watt, or naghkon ongkhoor; but this computation, not agreeing with the mythological traditions of the country, which date from the year of the world 205, is not accepted as authentic by the more learned cambodians.] our journey from bangkok to kabin derived its memorable interest from those features and feelings which join to compose the characteristic romance of eastern travel by unhackneyed ways,--the wild freedom of the plain, the tortuous, suspicious mountain track, the tangled jungle, the bewildering wastes and glooms of an unexplored region, with their suggestions of peril and adventure, and especially that glorious participation in the enlargement and liberty of an eastern wanderer's life which these afford. once you begin to feel that, you will be happy, whether on an elephant or in a buffalo-cart,--the very privations and perils including a charm of excitement all unknown to the formal european tourist. the rainbow mists of morning still lay low on the plain, as yet unlifted by the breeze that, laden with odor and song, gently rocked the higher branches in the forest, as our elephants pressed on, heavily but almost noiselessly, over a parti-colored carpet of wild-flowers. strange birds darted from bough to bough among the wild myrtles and limes, and great green and golden lizards gleamed through the shrubbery as we approached siemrã¢p. the more extensive and remarkable ruins of cambodia seem concentrated in this part of the country, though they are by no means confined to it, but are found widely scattered over the neighboring territories. from sisuphon we diverged in a northeasterly direction, and at evening found ourselves in the quaint, antique town of phanomsã´k, half ruined and deserted, where the remains of a magnificent palace can still be traced. the country between cambodia and siam is an inclined plane falling off to the sea, beginning from the khoa don rã¨ke, or highlands of korat, which constitutes the first platform of the terraces that gradually ascend to the mountain chain of laos, and thence to the stupendous himalayas. khoa don rã¨ke ("the mountain, which bears on the shoulders," the cambodian atlas) includes in its domain the dong phya fai ("forest of the lord of fire"), whence many tributary streams flow into the beautiful pachim river. at sunrise next morning we resumed our journey, and after a long day of toiling through treacherous marshes and tangled brushwood came at sunset upon an object whose presence there was a wonder, and its past a puzzle,--a ridge or embankment of ten or twelve feet elevation, which, to our astonishment, ran high and dry through the swampy lowlands. in the heart of an interminable forest it stretches along one side of the tangled trail, in some places walling it in, at others crossing it at right angles; now suddenly diving into the depths of the forest, now reappearing afar off, as if to mock our cautious progress, and invite us to follow it. the eye, wistfully pursuing its eccentric sweep, suddenly loses it in impenetrable shadows. there is not a vestige of any other ruin near it, and the long lines it here and there shows, ghostly white in the moonlight, seem like spectral strands of sand. our guides tell us this isolated ridge was once the great highway of ancient cambodia, that it can be traced from the neighborhood of nohk burree to naghkon watt, and thence to the very heart of cochin china; and one assures us that no man has ever seen the end of it. so on we went, winding our devious way over pathless ground, now diving into shady valleys, now mounting to sunny eminences where the breeze blew free and the eye could range far and wide, but not to find aught that was human. gradually the flowering shrubs forsook us, and dark forest trees pressed grimly around, as we traversed the noble stone bridges that those grand old cambodians loved to build over comparatively insignificant streams. the moon, touching with fantastic light the crumbling arches and imparting a charm of illusion to the scene, the clear spangled sky, the startling voices of the night, and the influence of the unknown, the mysterious, and the weird, overcame us like a dream. truly there is naught of the commonplace or vulgar in this land of ruins and legends, and the foretaste of the wonders we were about to behold met our view in the great bridges. taphan hin ("the stone bridge") and the finer and more artistic taphan thevadah ("the angel's bridge") are both imposing works. arches, still resting firmly on their foundations, buttressed by fifty great pillars of stone, sup-port a structure about five hundred feet long and eighty broad. the road-bed of these bridges is formed of immense blocks or beams of stone, laid one upon another, and so adjusted that their very weight serves to keep the arches firm. in a clearing in the forest, near a rivulet called by the cambodians _sthieng sinn_ ("sufficient to our need"), we encamped; and, having rested and supped, again followed our guides over the foaming stream, and recrossed the stone bridge on foot, marvelling at the work of a race of whose existence the western nations know nothing, who have no name in history, yet who builded in a style surpassing in boldness of conception, grandeur of proportions, and delicacy of design, the best works of the modern world,--stupendous, beautiful, enduring! the material is mostly freestone, but a flinty conglomerate appears wherever the work is exposed to the action of the water. formerly a fine balustrade crowned the bridge on both sides, but it has been broken down. the ornamental parts of these massive structures seem to have been the only portions the invading vandals of the time could destroy. the remains of the balustrade show that it consisted of a series of long quarry stones, on the ridges of which caryatidian pillars, representing the seven-headed serpent, supported other slabs grooved along the rim to receive semi-convex stones with arabesque sculptures, affording a hint of ancient cambodian art. on the left bank we found the remains of a staircase leading down to the water, not far from a spot where a temple formerly stood. next morning we crossed the taphan teph, or heavenly bridge,--like the taphan hin and the taphan thevadah a work of almost superhuman magnitude and solidity. leaving the bridges, our native pilots turned off from the ancient causeway to grope through narrow miry paths in the jungle. on the afternoon of the same day we arrived at another stone bridge, over the paleng river. this, according to our guides, was abandoned by the builders, because the country was invaded by the hostile hordes who destroyed naghkon watt. slowly crumbling among the wild plantains and the pagan lotoses and lilies, these bridges seem to constitute the sole memorial, in the midst of that enchanting desolation, of a once proud and populous capital. from the paleng river, limpid and cheerful, a day's journey brought us to the town of siemrã¢p; and, after an unnecessary delay of several hours, we started with lighter pockets for the ruins of naghkon watt. naghkon, or ongkoor, is supposed to have been the royal city of the ancient kingdom of cambodia, or khaimain, of which the only traditions that remain describe in wild extravagances its boundless territory; its princes without number who paid tribute in gold, silver, and precious stuffs; its army of seventy thousand war elephants, two hundred thousand horsemen, and nearly six millions of foot soldiers; and its royal treasure-houses covering "three hundred miles of ground." in the heart of this lonely region, in a district still bearing the name of ongkoor, and quite apart from the ruined temples that abound hard by, we found architectural remains of such exceeding grandeur, with ruins of temples and palaces which must have been raised at so vast a cost of labor and treasure, that we were overwhelmed with astonishment and admiration. what manner of people were these? whence came their civilization and their culture? and why and whither did they disappear from among the nations of the earth? the site of the city is in itself unique. chosen originally for the strength of its position, it yet presents none of the features which should mark the metropolis of a powerful people. it seems to stand aloof from the world, exempt from its passions and aspirations, and shunning even its thrift. confronting us with its towering portal, overlaid with colossal hieroglyphics, the majestic ruin, of the watt stands like a petrified dream of some michael angelo of the giants--more impressive in its loneliness, more elegant and animated in its grace, than aught that greece and home have left us, and addressing us with a significance all the sadder and more solemn for the desolation and barbarism which surround it. unhappily, the shocks of war, seconding the slowly grinding mills of time, have left but few of these noble monuments; and slowly, but ruthlessly, the work of destruction and decay goes on. vainly may we seek for any chronicle of the long line of monarchs who must have swayed the sceptre of the once powerful empire of maha naghkon. only a vague tradition has come down, of a celestial prince to whom the fame of founding the great temple is supposed to belong; and of an egyptian king, who, for his sacrilege, was changed into a leper. an interesting statue, representing the latter, still stands in one of the corridors,--somewhat mutilated, but sufficiently well preserved to display a marked contrast to the physical type of the present race of cambodians. the inscriptions with which some of the columns are covered are illegible; and if you question the natives as to the origin of naghkon watt, they will tell you that it was the work of the leper king, or of p'hra-inn-suen, king of heaven, or of giants, or that "it made itself." these magnificent edifices seem to have been designed for places of worship rather than of royal habitation, for nearly all are buddhist temples. the statues and sculptures on the walls of the outer corridor are in alto relievo, and generally life-size. the statue of the leper king, set up in a sort of pavilion, is moderately colossal, and is seated in a tranquil and noble attitude; the head especially is a masterpiece, the features being classic and of manly beauty. approaching the temple of ongkoor, the most beautiful and best preserved of these glorious remains, the traveller is compensated with full measure of wonder and delight for all the fatigues and hardships of his journey. complete as is the desolation, a strange air of luxury hangs over all, as though the golden glow of sunshine amid the refreshing gloom were for the glory and the ease of kings. at each angle of the temple are two enormous lions, hewn, pedestal and all, from a single block. a flight of stone steps leads up to the first platform of terraces. to reach the main entrance from the north staircase we traverse a noble causeway, which midway crosses a deep and wide moat that seems to surround the building. the main entrance is by a long gallery, having a superb central tower, with two others of less height on each side. the portico of each of the three principal towers is formed by four projecting columns, with a spacious staircase between. at either extremity are similar porticos, and beyond these is a very lofty door, or gateway, covered with gigantic hieroglyphs, where gods and warriors hang as if self-supported between earth and sky. then come groves of columns that in girth and height might rival the noblest oaks. every pillar and every part of the wall is so crowded with sculptures that the whole temple seems hung with petrified tapestry. on the west side, the long gallery is flanked by two rows of almost square columns. the blank windows are cut out of the wall, and finished with stone railings or balconies of curiously twisted columns; and the different compartments are equally covered with sculptures of subjects taken from the ramayã¢na. here are lakshman and hanuman leading their warriors against rawana,--some with ten heads, others with many arms. the monkeys are building the stone bridge over the sea. rama is seen imploring the aid of the celestial protector, who sits on high, in grand and dreamy contemplation. rama's father is challenging the enemy, while rawana is engaged in combat with the leader of the many-wheeled chariots. there are many other figures of eight-handed deities; and all are represented with marvellous skill in grouping and action. [illustration: ruins of the naghkon watt.] the entire structure is roofed with tiers of hewn stone, which is also sculptured; and remains of a ceiling may still be traced. the symmetrical wings terminate in three spacious pavilions and this imposing colonnade, which, by its great length, height, and harmonious proportions, is conspicuous from a great distance, and forms an appropriate vestibule to so grand a temple. traversing the building, we cross another and finer causeway, formed of great blocks of stone carefully joined, and bordered with a handsome balustrade, partly in ruins, very massive, and covered with sculptures. on either side are six great platforms, with flights of steps; and on each we find remains of the seven-headed serpent,--in some parts mutilated, but on the whole sufficiently preserved to show distinctly the several heads, some erect as if guarding the entrance, others drawn back in a threatening attitude. a smaller specimen is nearly perfect and very beautiful. we passed into an adytum, wardered by gigantic effigies whose mystic forms we could hardly trace; above us that ponderous roof, tier on tier of solid stone, upheld by enormous columns, and incrusted with strange carvings. everywhere we found fresh objects of wonder, and each new spot, as we explored it, seemed the greatest wonder of all. in the centre of the causeway are two elegant pavilions with porticos; and at the foot of the terrace we come upon two artificial lakes, which in the dry season must be supplied either by means of a subterranean aqueduct or by everlasting springs. a balustrade not unlike that of the causeway, erected upon a sculptured basement, starts from the foot of the terrace and runs quite round the temple, with arms, or branches, descending at regular intervals. the terrace opens into a grand court, crowded with a forest of magnificent columns with capitals, each hewn from a single block of stone. the basement, like every other part of the building, is ornamented in varied and animated styles; and every slab of the vast pile is covered with exquisite carvings representing the lotos, the lily, and the rose, with arabesques wrought with the chisel with astonishing taste and skill. the porticos are supported by sculptured columns; and the terraces, which form a cross, have three flights of steps, at each of which are four colossal lions, reclining upon pedestals. the temple is thus seen to consist of three distinct parts, raised in terraces one above the other. the central tower of the five within the inner circle forms an octagon, with four larger and four smaller sides. on each of the four larger faces is a colossal figure of buddha, which overlooks from its eminence the surrounding country. this combination of four buddhas occurs frequently among the ruins of cambodia. the natives call it _p'hra mook bulu_ ("lord of four faces"), though not only the face, but the whole body, is fourfold. a four-faced god of majestic proportions presides over the principal entrance to the temple, and is called bhrama, or, by corruption, _phrã¢m_, signifying divine protection. as the four cardinal points of the horizon naturally form a cross, called "phram," so we invariably find the cross in the plan of these religious monuments of ancient cambodia, and even in the corridors, intersecting each other at right angles. [footnote: the cross is the distinctive character and sign for the doctors of reason in the primitive buddhism of kasyapa.] these corridors are roofed with great blocks of stone, projecting over each other so as to form an arch, and, though laid without cement, so accurately adjusted as to leave scarcely a trace of the joinings. the galleries of the temple also form a rectangle. the ceilings are vaulted, and the roofs supported by double rows of columns, cut from a single block. there are five staircases on the west side, five on the east, and three on each of the remaining sides. each of the porticos has three distinct roofs raised one above the other, thus nobly contributing to the monumental effect of the architecture. in some of the compartments the entire space is occupied with representations of the struggle between angels and giants for possession of the snake-god, sarpa-deva, more commonly called _phya naghk_. the angels are seen dragging the seven-headed monster by the tail, while the giants hold fast by the heads. in the midst is vishnu, riding on the world-supporting turtle. the most interesting of all the sculptures at naghkon watt are those that appear to represent a procession of warriors, some on foot, others mounted on horses, tigers, birds, and nondescript creatures, each chief on an elephant at the head of his followers. i counted more than a thousand figures in one compartment, and observed with admiration that the artist had succeeded in portraying the different races in all their physical characteristics, from the flat-nosed savage, and the short-haired and broad-faced laotian, to the more classic profile of the rajpoot, armed with sword and shield, and the bearded moor. a panorama in life-size of the diverse nationalities, it yet displays, in the physical conformation of each race, a remarkable predominance of the hellenic type--not in the features and profiles alone, but equally in the fine attitudes of the warriors and horsemen. the bass-reliefs of another peristyle represent a combat between the king of apes and the king of angels, and if not the death, at least the defeat, of the former. on an adjoining slab is a boat filled with stalwart rowers with long beards,--a group very admirable in attitude and expression. in fact, it is in these bass-reliefs that the greatest delicacy of touch and the finest finish are manifest. on the south side we found representations of an ancient military procession. the natives interpret these as three connected allegories, symbolizing heaven, earth, and hell; but it is more probable that they record the history of the methods by which the savage tribes were reclaimed by the colonizing foreigners, and that they have an intimate connection with the founding of these monuments. one compartment represents an ovation: certain personages are seen seated on a dais, surrounded by many women, with caskets and fans in their hands, while the men bring flowers and bear children in their arms. in another place, those who have rejected the new religion and its priests are precipitated into a pit of perdition, in the midst of which sits the judge, with his executioners, with swords in their hands, while the guilty are dragged before him by the hair and feet. in the distance is a furnace, and another crowd of "infidels" under punishment. but the converted (the "born again") are conducted into palaces, which are represented on the upper compartments. in these happier figures the features as well as the attitudes denote profound repose, and in the faces of many of the women and children one may trace lines of beauty and tender grace. [illustration: sculptures of the naghkon watt.] on the east side a number of men, in groups on either hand, are in the act of dragging in contrary directions the great seven-headed dragon. one mighty angel watches the struggle with interest, while many lesser angels float overhead. below is a great lake or ocean, in which are fishes, aquatic animals, and sea-monsters. on another panel an angel is seated on a mountain (probably mount meru), and other angels, with several heads, assist or encourage those who are contending for possession of the serpent. to the right are another triumphal procession and a battle scene, with warriors mounted on elephants, unicorns, griffins, eagles with peacocks' tails, and other fabulous creatures, while winged dragons draw the chariots. on the north side is another battle-piece, the most conspicuous figure being that of a chief mounted on the shoulders of a giant, who holds in each hand the foot of another fighting giant. near the middle of this peristyle is a noble effigy of a royal conqueror, with long flowing beard, attended by courtiers with hands clasped on their breasts. these figures are all in _alto relievo_, and well executed. the greater galleries are connected with two smaller ones, which in turn communicate with two colonnades in the form of a cross; the roofs of these are vaulted. four rows of square columns, each still hewn from a single block, extend along the sides of the temple. these are covered with statues and bass-reliefs, many of the former being in a state of dilapidation which, considering the extreme hardness of the stone, indicates great age, while others are true _chefs-d'oeuvre_. the entire structure forms a square, and every part is admirable both in general effect and detail. there are twelve superb staircases, the four in the middle having from fifty to sixty steps, each step a single slab. at each angle is a tower. the central tower, larger and higher than the others, communicates with the lateral galleries by colonnades, covered, like the galleries themselves with a double roof. opposite each of the twelve staircases is a portico with windows resembling in form and dimensions those described above. in front of each colonnade connected with the tower is a dark, narrow chapel, to which there is an ascent of eight steps; each of these chapels (which do not communicate with each other) contains a gigantic idol, carved in the solid wall, and at its feet another, of the same proportions, sleeping. this mighty pile, the wondrous naghkon watt, is nearly three miles in circumference; the walls are from seventy to eighty feet high, and twenty feet thick. we wandered in astonishment, and almost with awe, through labyrinths of courts, cloisters, and chambers, encountering at every turn some new marvel, unheard of, undreamed of, until then. even the walls of the outer courts were sculptured with whole histories of wars and conquests, in forms that seemed to live and fight again. prodigious in size and number are the blocks of stone piled in those walls and towers. we counted five thousand and three hundred _solid_ columns. what a mighty host of builders must that have been! and what could have been their engines and their means of transport, seeing that the mountains from which the stone was quarried are nearly two days' journey from the temple? all the mouldings, sculptures, and bass-reliefs seem to to have been executed after the walls and pillars were in their places; and everywhere the stones are fitted together in a manner so perfect that the joinings are not easy to find. there is neither mortar nor mark of the chisel; the surfaces are as smooth as polished marble. on a fallen column, under a lofty and most beautiful arch, we sat, and rested our weary, excited eyes on the wild but quiet landscape below; then slowly, reluctantly departed, feeling that the world contains no monument more impressive, more inspiring, than, in its desolation, and yet wondrous preservation, the temple of maha naghkon watt. next morning our elephants bore us back to siemrã¢p through an avenue of colonnades similar to that by which we had come; and as we advanced we could still descry other gates and pillars far in the distance, marking the line of some ancient avenue to this amazing temple. xxx. the legend of the maha naugkon [footnote: translated from a ms. presented to the author by the supreme king of siam.] many hundreds of thousands of years ago, when p'hra atheitt, the sun-god, was nearer to earth than he is now, and the city of the gods could be seen with mortal eyes,--when the celestial sovereigns, p'hra indara and p'hra insawara, came down from meru, the sacred mountain, to hold high converse with mortal kings, sages, and heroes,--when the moon and the stars brought tidings of good-will to men, and wisdom flourished, love and happiness were spread abroad, and sorrow, suffering, disease, old age, and death were almost banished,--there lived in thaisiampois a mighty monarch whose years could hardly be numbered, so many were they and so long. and yet he was not old; such were the warmth and strength and vigor imparted by the near glories of the p'hra atheitt, that the span of human life was lengthened unto a thousand, and even fifteen hundred years. the days of the king sudarsana had been prolonged beyond those of the oldest of his predecessors, for the sake of his exceeding wisdom and goodness. but yet this king was troubled; he had no son, and the thought of dying without leaving behind him one worthy to represent his name and race was grievous to him. so, by the advice of the wise men of his kingdom, he caused prayers and offerings to be made in all the temples, and took to wife the beautiful princess thawadee. at that very time p'hra indara, ruler of the highest heaven, dreamed a dream; and behold! in his sleep a costly jewel fell from his mouth to the lower earth; whereat p'hra indara was troubled. assembling all the hosts of heaven, the angels, and the genii, he showed them his dream, but they could not interpret it. last of all, he told it to his seven sons; but from them likewise its meaning was hidden. a second time p'hra indara dreamed, and yet a third time, that a more and more costly jewel had fallen from his lips; and at last, when he awoke, the interpretation was revealed to his own thought,--that one of his sons should condescend to the form of humanity, and dwell on the earth, and be a great teacher of men. then the king of heaven imparted to the celestial princes the meaning of the threefold vision, and demanded which of them would consent to become man. the divine princes heard, and answered not a word; till the youngest and best-beloved of heaven opened his lips and spake, saying: "hear, o my lord and father! i have yearned toward the race thou hast created out of the fire and flame of thy breast and the smoke of thy nostrils. let me go unto them, that i may teach them the wisdom of truth." then p'hra indara gave him leave to depart on his mission of love; and all the hosts of heaven, knowing that he should never more gladden their hearts with his presence, accompanied him, sorrowful, to the foot of mount meru; and immediately a blazing star shot from the mount, and burst over the palace of thaisiampois. that night the gracious princess thawadee conceived and became with child, and the p'hra somannass was no longer a prince of the highest heaven. the princess thawadee had been the only and darling daughter of a mighty king, and still mourned her separation from her beloved sire. her only solace was to sit in the phrasat of the grand palace, and look with longing toward her early home. here, day after day, she sat with her maidens, weaving flowers, and singing low the songs of her childhood. when this became known abroad among the multitude, they gathered from every side to behold one so famed for her goodness and beauty. thus by degrees her interest was aroused. she became thoughtful for her people, and presently found happiness in dispensing food, raiment, and comfort to the poor who flocked to see her. one day, as she was reposing in the porch after her customary benefactions, a cloud of birds, flying eastward, fell dead as they passed over the phrasat. the sages and soothsayers of the court were terrified. what might the omen be? long and anxious were their counsels, and grievous their perturbations one with another; until at last an aged warrior, who had conquered many armies and subjugated kingdoms, declaring that as faithful servants they should lay the weighty matter before their lord, bade all the court follow him, and approached his sovereign, saying:-"long live p'hra chow p'hra sudarsana, lord and king of our happy land, wherefrom sorrow and suffering and death are wellnigh banished! let him investigate with a true spirit and a clear mind the matter we bring for judgment, even though it be to the tearing out of his own heart and casting it away from him." "speak," said the king, "and fear not! has it ever been thought that evil is dearer unto me than good? even to the tearing out of my heart and casting it to dogs shall justice be rendered in the land." then the sages, soothsayers, and warriors spake as with one voice: "it is well known unto the lord our king, that the queen, our lovely lady thawadee, is with child. "but what manner of birth, is this that she has conceived, in that it has already brought grief and death into the land? for as the queen sat in the porch of the temple, a great flight of birds that hastened, thirsty, toward the valleys of the east, when they would have passed over the phrasat were struck dead, as by an unseen spirit of mischief. let the king search this matter, and put away the strange thing of evil out of our land, lest it make a greater sorrow." when the king heard these words, he was sore smitten, and hung down his head, and knew not what to say; for the queen, so gentle and beautiful, was very dear to him. but, remembering his royal word, he shook off his grief and took counsel with his astrologers, who had foretold that the unborn prince would prove either a glorious blessing or a dire curse to the land. and now, by the awful omen of the birds, they declared that the queen had conceived the evil spirit kala mata, and that she must be put to death, she and the fiend with her. then the king in council commanded that the sweet young thawadee should be set upon a floating raft, and given to the mercy of winds and waves. but the brave chief who should have executed the sentence, overcome on beholding her beauty and innocence, interceded for her with the council; and it was finally decreed that, for pity's sake, and because the queen was unconscious of any evil, she should not be slain, but "put away," after the dreadful birth. to this the stricken monarch thankfully agreed. in due time the queen was delivered of a male child, so beautiful that it filled all beholders with delight. his eyes were as sunshine, his forehead like the glow of the full moon, his lips like clustered roses, and his cry like the melody of many instruments; and the queen loved him, and comforted herself with his beauty. when the mother was strong again, the infant prince being then about a month old, the sentence of the council was carried into effect, and the poor princess and her child were banished forever from the beloved land of thaisiampois. clasping her baby to her breast, she went forth, terrified and stunned. on and on, not knowing whither, she wandered, pressing her sleeping babe to her bosom, and moaning to the great gods above. then p'hra indara, king of highest heaven, came down to earth, assumed the form and garb of a bhramin, and followed her silently, shortening the miles and smoothing the rough places, until she reached the bank of a deep and rapid stream. here, as she sat down, faint and foot-sore, to nurse her babe, there came to her a grave and venerable pilgrim, who gently questioned her sorrows and comforted her with thrilling words, saying her child was born to bring peace and happiness to earth, and not trouble and death. quickly thawadee dried her tears, and consented to be led by the good old man, who had come to her as if from heaven. from under his garment he produced a shell filled with food from paradise, of which she partook with ecstasy; and gave her to drink water from everlasting springs, that overflowed her soul with perfect peace. then he led her to a mountain, and prepared in the cleft of a rock a hiding-place for her and her child, and left her with a promise of quick return. for fifty years she dwelt in the cave, knowing neither trouble nor weariness nor hunger, nor any of the ills of life. the young somannass, as the good bhramin had named him, grew to be a youth of wondrous beauty. the melody of his voice tamed the wild creatures of the forest, and charmed even the seven-headed dragons of the lake in which his mother bathed him every morning. then again p'hra indara appeared to them in the form and garb of the aged bhramin; and he rejoiced in the strength and beauty of the young somannass, and his heart yearned after his beloved son. but, hiding his emotion, he held pleasant converse with the queen, and begged to be permitted to take the boy away with him for a season. she consented; and instantly, as in a flash of lightning, he transported the prince into the highest heaven, and somannass found himself seated on a glorious throne by the side of p'hra indara the divine, before whom the hosts of heaven bowed in homage. here he was initiated in all the mysteries of life and death, with all wisdom and foresight. his celestial royal father showed him the stars coursing hither and thither on their errands of love and mercy; showed him comets with tails of fire flashing and whizzing through the centuries, spreading confusion and havoc in their path; showed him the spirits of rebellion and crime transfixed by the spears of the omnipotent. he heard the music of the spheres, he tasted heavenly food, and drank of the river that flows from the footstool of the most highest. and so he forgot the forlorn queen, his mother, and desired to return to earth no more. then p'hra indara laid his hand upon the brow of the lad, and showed him the generations yet to come, rejoicing in his prayers and precepts; and somannass, beholding, stretched his arms to the earth again. and p'hra indara promised to build him a palace hardly less grand and fair than the heavenly abode, a temple which should be the wonder of the world, a stupendous and everlasting monument of his love to men. so somannass returned to the queen, his mother; and p'hra indara sent down myriads of angels, with phya kralewana, chief of angels, to build a dwelling fit for the heavenly prince. in one night it was done, and the rising sun shone on domes like worlds and walls like armies. and because the seven-headed serpent, phya naghk, had shown the way to the mines of gold and silver and iron, and the quarries of marble and granite, the grateful builders laid the sign of the serpent on the foundations, terraces, and bridges; but on the walls they left the effigy of the queen thawadee, the beautiful and bountiful lady. then swift-winged angels flew to heaven, and, returning, brought fruits and flowers the most curious and exquisite; and immediately there bloomed a garden there, of such ravishing loveliness and perfume that the gods themselves delighted to visit it. also they filled the great stables with white elephants and chargers. and then the angels transported thawadee and somannass to their new abode, the fame of which was so spread abroad that the great king sudarsana, with all his court, and followers without number, and all his army, came to see it. and great was their astonishment to find again the fair and gentle thawadee, who thus was reunited to her husband; and he took up his abode with her, and they lived together in love. but the prince somannass built temples, and preached, and taught the people, and healed their infirmities, and led them in the paths of virtue and truth. and the fame of his wisdom and goodness flew through all the lands, so that many kings became willing vassals unto him; but there came from a far-off country, where the heavens drop no rain, but where one great river suddenly floods the plains and then shrinks back into itself like a living thing, a king of lofty stature and exceeding craft. and the prince somannass was gracious toward him, and showed him many favors. but his heart was black and bad, and he would have turned the pure heart of the prince to worship the dragon and other beasts; wherefore somannass changed him into a leper, and cast him out of his palace, and caused a stone statue to be made of him, which stands to this day, a warning to all tempters and evil-doers. and he caused the face of the great p'hra indara to be carved on the north and on the south and on the east and on the west--so that all men might know the true god, who is god alone in heaven, sevarg-savan! proofreading by users brianjungwi, ianh68, kaewmala, lscribe, saksith, rikker, claudio, andysteve, wyaryan, dekpient, gwindarr. pgt is an affiliated sister project focusing on public domain books on thailand and southeast asia. project leads: rikker dockum, emil kloeden. (this file was produced from images generously made available by the internet archive.) jungle and stream or the adventures of two boys in siam by geo. manville fenn author of "in honour's cause," "cormorant crag" "first in the field," etc. dean & son, ltd. 6 la bella sauvage, ludgate hill, london, e.c.4 made and printed in great britain contents i. sixty years ago ii. the jungle hunter iii. sree's prisoner iv. fishing with a worm v. the doctor's post-mortem vi. making plans vii. the brink of a volcano viii. a prowl by water ix. naturalists' treasures x. what harry heard xi. the naga's bite xii. sul the elephant xiii. their first tiger xiv. a young savage xv. for the jungle, ho! xvi. the house-boat xvii. jungle sights and sounds xviii. elephants at home xix. a night alarm xx. a dreary return xxi. a hiding-place xxii. daring plans xxiii. the spear harvest xxiv. the help seeker xxv. a desperate venture xxvi. for life xxvii. the powder mine xxviii. saving the stores xxix. the doctor kept busy xxx. like a bad shilling xxxi. coming home to roost xxxii. in the nick of time xxxiii. what followed [illustration: "then there was a roar like a peal of thunder."] chapter i sixty years ago "charlie is my darling, my darling, my darling!" was sung in a good, clear, boyish tenor, and then the singer stopped, to say impatiently,-"what nonsense it is! my head seems stuffed full of scotch songs,--'wee bit sangs,' as the doctor calls them. seems funny that so many scotch people should come out here to the east. i suppose it's because the irish all go to the west, that they may get as far apart as they can, so that there may not be a fight. i say, though, i want my breakfast." the speaker, to wit harry kenyon, sauntered up to the verandah of the bungalow and looked in at the window of the cool, shaded room, where a man-servant in white drill jacket and trousers was giving the finishing touches to the table. "breakfast ready, mike?" "yes, sir; coffee's boiled, curry's made." "curry again?" "yes, master harry; curry again. that heathen of a cook don't believe a meal's complete without curry and rice." "but i thought we were going to have fried fish this morning." "so did i, sir. i told him plainly enough; but he won't understand, and he's curried the lot." "how tiresome!" "i should like to curry his hide, master harry, but it's leather-coloured already. never mind; there's some fresh potted meat." "bother potted meat! i'm sick of potted meat. look here, next time i bring home any fresh fish you go into the kitchen and cook them yourself." "what, me go and meddle there! look here, master harry, i'll go with you fishing, and wade into that sticky red mud if you want me to; or i'll go with you shooting or collecting, and get my eyes scratched out in the jungle, and risk being clawed by tigers, or stung by snakes, or squeedged flat by an elephant's neat little foot; but i'm not going to interfere with old ng's pots and pans. why, he'd put some poison in my vittles." "nonsense!" "he would, sir, sure as i stand here. he looks wonderful gentle and smiling, with that chinese face of his; but i know he can bite." "poor old ng; he's as harmless as his name. n. g.--ng." "name? i don't call that a name, master harry. fag end of a pig's grunt; that's about what that is." "here, i want my breakfast. isn't father nearly dressed?" "no, sir; he hasn't begun to shave yet, and he won't be down for another quarter of an hour." "call me when he comes," said the lad, and he went off down the garden again, towards the river which flowed swiftly at the bottom, where the bamboo landing-stage had been made, with its high-peaked attap, or palm-leaf roof. it was all bamboo. big canes were driven into the mud for supports, others for pillars and beams, and the floor was of smaller ones, split and laid close together, and then bound in their places with long lengths of the rotan cane which grew so plentifully in the jungle, running up the great forest trees, and after reaching the top, going on growing till it swung down by the yard, and waited till the wind blew it into the next tree, where it held on by its thorns, and went on growing to any length. the garden was beautiful in its wildness, the trees having been left for shade; and john kenyon, the east india merchant, who had settled far up one of the rivers of siam ten years before, after the death of his wife, had found out from long experience that he who tries to make an english garden in a tropical country has worry for crops, while he who encourages the native growths makes his home a place of beauty. so harry kenyon sauntered down, keeping out of the hot rays of the early morning sun--hot enough, though it was only six, for people rise early in the east--and made his way to the bamboo platform beneath which the river, here about a hundred yards wide, looked like a stream whose waters had been transformed into a decoction of coffee and chicory, with the milk left out, or, as harry once said, muddy soup. the creepers, crowded with many-coloured blossoms, hung down from the trees and ran over the roof, forming, with the dry palm-leaves, nesting and hiding places for plenty of natural history objects from the neighbouring jungle. birds nested there, and rats and snakes came birds'-nesting, while lizards of various kinds, from the little active fly-catchers to the great shrieking tokay, found that roof an admirable resting-place. there were sundry rustlings overhead as harry stepped on to the slippery, squeaking, yielding bamboos; but use is second nature, and ten years in such company, without reckoning the inhabitants of the jungle, had made the boy so familiar with many of these things that he looked upon them with a calm contempt. as a matter of course he would have swarmed up a tree fast enough at the sight of a tiger or elephant in either of the forest tracks, or, to use mike's expression, have made himself scarce if he had encountered a cobra, or seen one of the great boas swaying to and fro from the gigantic limb of a tree. even at the moment of stepping upon the covered-in summerhouse-like landing-stage, with its fishing-rods laid up overhead in the bamboo rafters, he shrank a little, and then angrily bared his teeth as he stood gazing down at the water a dozen yards away. "you beast!" he hissed. "oh, if you'd only stay there while i fetched a gun! oh, yes, it's all very well to wink one eye at me; i'd make you wink both." it seemed odd that the lad should address himself like that to a piece of rugged, gnarled tree-trunk floating slowly down the flashing river; but, as aforesaid, harry kenyon had been up the country in siam ever since he was quite a little fellow, and had been accustomed to have the wild creatures of the forest for pets and companions. where boys at home had had cats or dogs, harry had more than once petted a tiger cub; lizards had been as common with him as white mice with english lads. then he had kept squirrels, snakes, monkeys, and birds to any extent. moreover, he had once contrived to keep alive, until it became wild instead of tame a hideous-looking creature which lived in a fenced-in patch of sand with half a sugar hogshead sunk level with the ground, provided with a central heap formed of an old tree-root, and filled up with water. this creature strangely resembled the efts or newts so common in some ponds, but magnified many times, so that there was no cause for surprise that the boy should speak as he did to the tree-trunk, for his experienced eyes had seen at a glance that this was no half-rotten stem torn out from the bank by the flooded river. he had recognised the two horny prominences over the eyes, and their furtive, ugly gleam, so that he was not at all surprised when one end of the trunk moved slowly, in a wavy fashion, and the object began to part the water. "yes, i thought you'd soon go," said harry. "stop a minute, though." he stepped gently back into the garden and snatched up a piece of stone about as big as two fists, from a heap of rockwork, stole back to the bamboo floor till he could just see over the edge, keeping his movements hidden, and launched out the heavy piece of spar with so good an aim that, after curving through the air just above the surface of the water, it fell with a dull thud right in the centre of the trunk. the effect was instantaneous. a long muzzle with gaping jaws rose out of the water for a moment, there was a tremendous wallowing which made the water foam, and then a great serrated tail rose several feet above the surface, quivered in a wavy way, delivered a sounding slap on the top of the water, and disappeared. "i thought that would make you wag your tail, old gentleman. what a whopper! nearly twenty feet long, and as thick as thick. pull a man in? why, it would pull in a young elephant. oh, how i do hate crocs!" the boy stood watching the surface for some minutes, but there was no sign of the huge reptile reappearing. "gone down," muttered the boy. "suppose, though, he has swum underneath here, and is waiting to dash out and grab me by the legs. ugh!" he added, with a shudder, "it does seem such a horrible death, only i suppose the poor people these creatures catch don't feel any more when once they're under the water. wonder whether they do. shouldn't like to try." his thoughts made him peer down through an opening between the warped bamboos, at where the river glided beneath his feet; but all was perfectly quiet there, and he glanced up at the fishing-rods. "be no use to try now," he said; "the brute would scare every fish away, and i've got no bait, and--oh, i say, how badly i do want my breakfast! is father going to lie in bed all day?" evidently not, for the minute after a cheery voice cried, "now, harry, lad, breakfast!" chapter ii the jungle hunter harry kenyon did not run up the slope to the house, which was erected upon an elevation to raise it beyond the flood when the river burst its bounds, as it made a point of doing once or twice a year during the heavy rains. people out in sunny siam do not run much, but make a point of moving deliberately as the natives do, for the simple reason that it takes a very short time to get into a violent perspiration, but a very long time to get cool; besides which, overheating means the risk of chills, and chills mean fever. he walked gently up to meet the tall, thin, rather stern-featured, grizzly-haired man in white flannel and straw hat with puggaree, who had come out to meet him, and who saluted him heartily. "lovely morning, my boy, but quite warm enough already. how sweet the blossoms smell!" "yes, father," said harry, whose brain was full of the great reptile; "but i've just seen such a monster." "crocodile?" "yes; quite twenty feet long." "with discount twenty-five per cent., hal?" said the father, laughing. "no, father, really." "one's eyes magnify when they look at savage creatures, especially at snakes." "oh yes, i know, father," said the lad impatiently; "but this was the biggest i've seen." "then it must have been twenty-four feet long, hal, for i've shown you one of twenty-two." "i didn't measure him, father; he wouldn't wait," said the boy, laughing; "but he was a monster." "you threw something at it, i suppose?" "yes, a big piece out of the rockery--and hit him on the back. it sounded like hitting a leather trunk." "humph!" said mr. kenyon. "boys are boys all the world round, it seems. here have you been in siam almost ever since you were born, and you act just in the same way as an english boy at home." "act! how did i act?" "began throwing stones. bit of human nature, i suppose, learnt originally of the monkeys. so you hit the brute?" "yes, father, and he went off with a rush!" "looking for its breakfast, i suppose. let's go and get ours." harry kenyon required no second invitation, for the pangs of hunger, forgotten in the excitement, returned with full force, and in a few minutes father and son were seated at table in the well-furnished half-eastern, half-english-looking home, enjoying a well-cooked breakfast, served on delicate china from the neighbouring country, and with glistening silver tea and coffee pot well worn with long polishing, for they were portions of a set of old family plate which had been sent out to the fairly wealthy merchant trading with england from the east. "hullo!" said mr. kenyon; "why, you are not eating any of your fish!" "no, father. ng has spoiled them." "spoiled? nonsense; the curry is delicious." "but i don't want to be always eating curry, father. i told him to fry them." "better leave him to do things his own way, my boy, and have some. they are very good. the chinese are a wonderfully conservative people. they begin life running in the groove their fathers ran in before them, and go on following it up to the end of their days, and then leave the groove to their sons. did you catch all these?" "no; phra caught more than i did. he is more patient than i am." "a great deal, and with his studies too." "yes, father; i say, the fish are better than i thought." "i was talking about the prince being more patient over his studies than you are, hal," said mr. kenyon drily. "yes, father," said the lad, reddening. mike just then brought in a dish of hot bread-cakes, and no more was said until he had left the room, when mr. kenyon continued:-"take it altogether, hal, you are not such a bad sort of boy, and i like the way in which you devote yourself to the collecting for the museum; but i do wonder at an english lad calmly letting one of these siamese boys leave him behind." "oh, but he's the son of a king," said harry, smiling. "tchah! what of that? suppose he is a prince by birth, like a score more of them, that is no reason why he should beat you." "he can't, father," said harry sturdily. "well, he seems to." "if i liked to try hard, i could leave him all behind nowhere." "then, why don't you try hard, sir?" "it's so hot, father." "and you are so lazy, sir." "yes, father. i'll have a little more curry, please." "i wish i could have your classics and mathematics curried, sir, so as to make you want more of them," said mr. kenyon, helping his son to more of the savoury dish. "yes, mike?" "old sree is here, sir, with two bearers and a big basket." "oh!" cried harry, jumping up; "what has he got now?" "sit down and finish your breakfast, hal," said his father sternly. "don't be such a young savage, even if you are obliged to live out here in these uncivilized parts." the lad sat down promptly, but felt annoyed, and anxious to know what the old hunter employed by his father to collect specimens had brought. "what has he in the big basket, mike?" asked mr. kenyon. "don't know, sir; he wouldn't tell me. said the sahibs must know first." "then he must have got something good, i know," said harry excitedly. "i expect it's a coo-ah." "one o' them big, speckled peacocks with no colour in 'em, master harry?" said mike respectfully. "no, it isn't one o' them; the basket's too small." "what is it, then?" "don't know, sir; but i think it's one o' those funny little bears, like fat monkeys." "may i send on for phra, father?" "yes, if you like; but perhaps they will not let him come." "oh, i think they will; and i promised always to send on to him when anything good was brought in." "very well," said his father quietly; "send." "run, mike," said the boy excitedly, and the man made a grimace at him. "well, then, walk fast, and ask to see him. they'll let you pass. then tell him we've got a big specimen brought in, and ask him, with my compliments, if he'd like to come on and see it." "yes, sir;" and the man hurried out, while mr. kenyon, who had just helped himself to a fresh cup of coffee, leaned back in his chair and smiled. "what are you laughing at, father?" said the boy, with his bronzed face reddening again. "did i make some stupid blunder?" "well, i hardly like to call it a blunder, hal, because it was done knowingly. i was smiling at the impudence of you, an ordinary british merchant's son, coolly sending a message to a palace and telling a king's son to come on here." "palace! why, it's only a palm-tree house, not much better than this, father; not a bit like a palace we see in books. and as to his being a king's son, and a prince, well, he's only a boy like myself." "of the royal blood, hal." "he can't help that, father, and i'm sure he likes to come here and read english and latin with me, and then go out collecting. he said the king liked it too." "oh yes, he likes it, or he would not let his son come." "phra said his father wanted him to talk english as well as we do." "and very wise of him too, my boy. this country will have more and more dealing with england as the time goes on." harry sat watching his father impatiently, longing the while to get out into the verandah, where he expected that the old hunter would be. "you are not eating, my boy," said mr. kenyon; "go on with your breakfast." "i've done, thank you, father." "nonsense. you always have two cups of coffee. get on with the meal. it is better to make a good breakfast than to wait till the middle of the day, when it is so hot." harry began again unwillingly, and his father remarked upon it. "you want to get out there, but you told me you did not wish to see what the man has brought till your friend came." "yes, i said so, father; but i should like sree to tell me." "finish your breakfast, and you will have plenty of time." harry went on, and after the first few mouthfuls his healthy young appetite prevailed, and he concluded a hearty meal. "there, you can go now," said his father. "call me when the prince comes." harry kenyon hurried out into the broad verandah, and then along two sides of the square bungalow so as to reach the back, where sat a little, wrinkled-faced, square-shaped, yellow-skinned man, with his face and head shaved along the sides as high as the tips of his ears, leaving a short, stubbly tuft of grizzled hair extended backward from the man's low forehead to the nape of his neck, looking for all the world like the hair out of a blacking-brush stretched over the top of his head. his dress was as scanty as that of his two muscular young companions, consisting as it did of a cotton plaid sarong or scarf of once bright colours, but now dull in hue from long usage, and a good deal torn and tattered by forcing a way through the jungle. this was doubled lengthwise and drawn round the loins, and then tightened at the waist by giving the edge of the sarong a peculiar twist and tuck in, thus forming a waist-belt in which in each case was stuck a dagger-like kris, with pistol-shaped handle and wooden sheath to hold the wavy blade, and a parang or heavy sword used in travelling to hack a way through the jungle and form a path by chopping through tangled rotan or tufts of bamboo, or lawyer cane. the three men were squatted on their heels, with their mouths distended and lips scarlet, chewing away at pieces of betel-nut previously rolled in a pepper-leaf, which had first been smeared with what looked like so much white paste, but which was in fact lime, made by burning the white coral, abundant along some portion of the shores, and rising inland to quite mountainous height. as soon as harry came in sight, all rose up, smiling, and the elder man wanted to exhibit the prize contained within the great square basket standing on the bamboo flooring, while two stout bamboos, each about eight feet long, were stood up against the house, a couple of loops on either side of the basket showing where the bamboo poles had been thrust through so that the basket could hang dependent from the two men's shoulders. "what have you got, sree?" asked harry, in english, which from long service with mr. kenyon, and mixing with other colonists, sree spoke plainly enough to make himself understood. "big thing, sahib. very heavy." "bear?" the man made a sign, and his two followers grinned with enjoyment, and seated themselves on the basket, which squeaked loudly. "what did you do that for?" cried harry. "the young sahib must wait till the old sahib comes, and then he see." "old sahib, indeed!" cried harry; "why, my father isn't half so old as you." "the young sahib wait." "of course i can wait," said harry pettishly, "and i was going to wait. i only asked you what it was." the man smiled, and shook his head mysteriously, and just then mike thrust his head out of the door. "ah, got back, mike!" cried harry. "what did the prince say?" "come on almost directly, sir; but i had no end of a job to get to see him." "how was that?" "oh, those guard chaps; soldiers, i s'pose they call themselves. they're a deal too handy with those spears of theirs. they ought to be told that they mustn't point them at an englishman's breast." "oh, it's only because they're on duty, mike," replied harry. "wouldn't make any difference to me, sir, whether it was on dooty or off dooty if one of them was to go inside my chest." "oh, you needn't be afraid of that." "afraid! oh, come, i like that, master harry--afraid! not likely to be afraid of any number of the squatty, yellow-skinned chaps, but they oughtn't to be allowed to carry such things. fancy englishmen at home all going about carrying area railings in their hands." harry shook his head, for his recollections of spear-pointed area railings were very vague. "don't matter, sir," said mike, "they don't know any better; but i know i shall get in a row one of these days for giving one of 'em a smeller right on the nose." "nonsense! you mustn't do that, mike." "why not, sir? couldn't do no harm; they're as flat as flat as it is." "you know what my father said about keeping on good terms with the natives." "yes, sir, i know, sir, but fair play's a jewel; if i keep on good terms with them they ought to keep on good terms with me, and sticking a spear-point into a man's wesket aren't the sort o' terms i like. 'specially when you know the things are poisoned." "nonsense! the prince assured me they were not." "well, those ugly, twisty krises are, sir." "no. the only danger from them is their sharp point." "well, that's bad enough, sir; but how about the thing you've got yonder? what is it, master harry?" he asked. "come out and see. don't stand there with your head just stuck out like a snake in a hole looking to see if it's safe." "well, but is it safe, sir?" "come and see. if it's safe enough for me to be out here, it's safe enough for you." mike evidently considered this reply unanswerable, for he came out slowly and cautiously, the two men seated on the hamper-like basket evidently enjoying the man's timidity. they glanced at harry inquiringly, and he gave them a quick nod of assent, with the result that as mike was passing them, with divers suspicious glances at their seat, they made a sudden spring together, as if the occupant of the bamboo covering had suddenly and by a tremendous effort raised the lid. there was a loud creaking, and with a rush mike was back through the door, which he banged to. the old hunter, who had seated himself to prepare a fresh piece of betel-nut for chewing, laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks, while his two bearers drew their feet up and squatted now upon the basket lid, chuckling with delight, and looking to harry as if expecting a fresh hint for startling mike. harry went to the door and pushed at it, finding it give a little, but only to be pressed to directly, as if by mike's shoulder. "here, it's all right; open the door," cried harry. "he didn't get out." the door was opened cautiously, and mike's head slowly appeared, to look from one to the other and encounter faces that were serious now almost to solemnity. "i thought he'd got out, sir," said mike. "oh no, he's safe enough; look how they've fastened the lid down with bamboo skewers." "yes, sir, but some o' them things is so awful strong. what is it--tiger?" "oh no, it's not a tiger, mike. a tiger would scratch and kick a basket like that to pieces in no time." "of course he would, sir. i say, master harry, hadn't you better tell old sree to get up and sit on the basket too?" "hardly room, is there?" said harry seriously. "plenty, sir, if you make those chaps squeedge up together a bit." "but the basket's so tickle, mike, and their weight might send it over sidewise. if it did the basket would go nearly flat, the lid would be burst off, and where should be we then?" "i know where i should be, sir," said mike--"indoors." "you wouldn't have time, for those beasts are so wonderfully active that this one would be out of the basket like a flash of lightning." "would he, sir? then don't you do it. let him be. what is it, sir--a leopard?" "oh no, not a leopard, mike." "what, then? one of those big monkeys we've never yet got a sight of?" "monkey? oh no." "what is it, then, sir?" "well, you see, mike, i don't know myself yet," said harry, laughing. mike looked at him sharply, then at the three siamese, whose faces were contorted with mirth, and back at his young master. "humbugging me," he said sharply. "that's it, is it, master harry? yah! i don't believe there's anything in the old hamper at all." he went round the basket from the other direction, so as to reach the door, and as he got behind the two men on the lid, he turned. "i do wonder at you, master harry, laughing at a fellow like that, and setting these niggers to make fun of me. yah!" he raised one foot and delivered a tremendous kick at the bottom of the basket, startling the two squatting men on the lid so that one sprang up and the other leaped off on to the bamboo floor of the verandah, while a violent commotion inside the basket showed that its occupant had also been disturbed. "something else for you to laugh at," said mike, and he slipped in and closed the door. harry smiled, the man returned to his perch on the lid, frowning and looking very serious, while the occupant of the basket settled down quietly again, making harry more curious than ever as to what it might be; but he mastered his desire to go and peer through the split bamboo so tightly woven together, and waited impatiently for the coming of his friend and companion. "i believe it's a big monkey, after all," he said to himself. "sree always said he was sure there were monsters right away in the jungle, just about the same as the one father saw at singapore, brought from borneo. it was precious quiet, though, till mike kicked the basket. how savage it made him to be laughed at!" he glanced at the basket again, and then at the old hunter and his men, all three squatting down on their heels, chewing away at their betel-nut, and evidently in calm, restful enjoyment of the habit. "just like three cows chewing their cud," said harry to himself, and then feeling that it was the best way to avoid the temptation to look into the basket, he went along the verandah to the corner of the house, just as his father reached the next corner, coming to join them. "well, has phra come?" he cried. "no, father, not yet." "found out what's in the basket?" said mr. kenyon, smiling. "no; haven't looked." "well done, hal; i didn't give you credit for so much self-denial. but there, i think we have waited long enough. let's go and see now what we've got." "no, no, don't do that," said harry excitedly. "phra would be so disappointed if we began before he had time to get here." "ah well, he will not be disappointed," said mr. kenyon, "for here he is." as he spoke a boat came in sight, gliding along the river at the bottom of the garden--a handsomely made boat, propelled by a couple of rowers standing one in the bow, the other astern, facing the way they were going, and propelling the vessel after the fashion of venetian gondoliers, their oars being secured to a stout peg in the side by a loop of hemp. harry started off down the garden to meet the passenger, who was seated amidships beneath an awning; and as the men ran the craft deftly up to the landing-place, a dark-complexioned, black-haired lad sprang on to the bamboo platform, looking wonderfully european as to his dress, for it was simply of white flannel. it was the little scarlet military cap and the brightly tinted plaid sarong with kris at the waist which gave the eastern tinge to his appearance. "well," he said, in excellent english, as he joined harry, "what have they got? something from their traps in the jungle?" "don't know anything. there they are yonder. we waited till you came." "oh," said the siamese lad, with a gratified look, "i like that. i'm afraid i shouldn't have waited, hal." "oh, but then you're a prince," said harry. the siamese lad stopped short. "if you're going to chaff me about that, i shall go back," he said. "all right; i won't then," said harry. "you can't help it, can you?" "of course i can't, and i shan't be able to help it when i'm king some day." "poor fellow, no; how horrible!" said harry mockingly. "there you go again. you've got one of your teasing fits on to-day." "no, no, i haven't. it's all right, phra, and i won't say another word of that sort. come along." "good-morning," said mr. kenyon, as the boys reached the verandah. "come to see our prize?" "yes, mr. kenyon. what is it you have this time?" "we are waiting to see. harry here wanted it to be kept for you." the new-comer turned to give harry a grateful nod and a smile, and then walked with his host along the verandah, and turned the corner. the moment he appeared, the hunter and the two men leaped up excitedly and dropped upon their knees, raising their hands to the sides of their faces and lowering their heads till their foreheads nearly touched the bamboo floor. the young prince said a few words sharply in his own language, and the men sprang up. "now then, mr. kenyon," he said, "let's see what is in the basket." "what have you got, sree?" asked mr. kenyon. "very fine, big snake, sahib," was the reply. "a snake?" cried harry excitedly. "ugh!" "a big one?" said the merchant uneasily. then, recalling the habit of exaggeration so freely indulged in by these people as a rule, he asked the size. "long as two men and a half, sahib," said sree. "very thick, like man's leg. very heavy to carry." "humph! twelve or fourteen feet long, i suppose," said mr. kenyon. "is it dangerous?" "no, sahib. i find him asleep in the jungle. he eat too much; go to sleep for long time. didn't try to bite when we lift him into the basket. very heavy." "what do you say, prince?" said the merchant. "shall we have the lid off and look at it?" "yes. i won't be afraid," was the reply. "will you, hal?" "not if the brute's asleep; but if it's awake and pops out at us, i shall run for your boat." "and leave your poor father in the lurch?" said mr. kenyon. "but you'd run too, wouldn't you, father?" "not if the snake threw one of its coils round me." "then i suppose i shall have to stay," said harry slowly. "perhaps it would be as well," said mr. kenyon drily--"you won't run, will you?" the young siamese laughed merrily, and showed his white teeth. "i don't know," he said; "i'm afraid i should. snakes are so strong, and they bite. i think it would be best to go with harry." the hunter said something very humbly in the native tongue. "he says that he and his men would hold tight on to the snake if it were angry, and shut it up again; but i don't believe they could. they would all run away too." "i don't think there is any danger," said mr. kenyon gravely. "these things always try to escape back to the jungle, and they are, i believe, more frightened of us than we are of them. we'll have a look at the creature, then, out here, for i have no suitable place for it at present." "you could turn the birds out of the little aviary and let it loose there, father." "good idea, hal; but let's see it first. look here, sree; you and your men must lay hold of the brute if it tries to escape." "yes, sahib; we catch it and shut the lid down again." "that's right," said the merchant. "yes, who's that? oh, you, mike. come to see the prisoner set free? come and stand a little farther this way." "thank you, sir; yes, sir," said the man. harry nudged the prince, and the nudge was returned, with a laughing glance. "no danger, is there, sir?" said mike respectfully. "i hope not," said mr. kenyon; "but you will be no worse off than we are. like to go back before the basket is opened?" "isn't time, sir; they've nearly got it open now." "run round the other way, mike," cried harry. "me, sir? no, thank you," replied the man. "i don't want to run." meanwhile the two bearers were holding the lid of the basket firmly down while sree pulled out eight stout elastic skewers of bamboo, which had held the lid tightly in place. and as one after the other was slowly and carefully extracted with as little movement of the basket as possible, so as not to irritate the snake if awake, or to disturb it if asleep, the interest and excitement increased till only one was left, when harry glanced at mike, who stood with eyes widely staring, cheeks puffed out, and fists clenched, as if about to start off at full speed. sree looked up at mr. kenyon as the two men pressed down harder and he stood ready to pull out the last skewer. "out with it," said mr. kenyon, and a thrill ran through all present as the last piece of bamboo was withdrawn. but still the lid was pressed down, and of this the hunter took hold, said a few words to his two men, who stood back right and left, ready to help if necessary, while their master had stationed himself at the back of the basket, facing his employer and the two boys. he held the lid with outstretched hands, and once more he paused and looked at mr. kenyon as if waiting for orders to proceed, his aim of course being to make the whole business as impressive as possible. "now then, off with it," cried harry, and in spite of their excitement, to the amusement of the two boys the hunters took off the lid with a tremendous flourish, and stood back smiling with triumph. "just like mike taking the dish-cover off a roast peacock," as harry afterwards said. it was too much for the last-mentioned personage. as the basket was laid open for the gentlemen to see its contents, mike took half a dozen steps backward as fast as he could, and with his eye fixed upon the open basket he was in the act of turning to run, when he saw everyone else stand fast. "lies pretty quiet at the bottom," said harry, advancing with phra, mr. kenyon keeping close behind. "only a little one," said the young prince, rather contemptuously. "here! i say, sree; what do you mean by this?" cried harry. "ha, ha, ha!" laughed phra. "this is one of your tricks, hal." "that it isn't," cried the boy. "where is the snake, sree?" said mr. kenyon. "the basket's empty." chapter iii sree's prisoner the hunter took a couple of steps forward, looked down into the basket, looked up, half stunned with astonishment, looked in the lid, then outside it, lifted up the basket and peered under it, threw down the lid, felt in his sarong, and then, as there was no heavy boa twelve or fourteen feet long in its folds, he turned fiercely to the two men in turn to ask them angrily in their own tongue what they had done with the snake. both of them felt in their sarongs and began to protest volubly that they had not touched it; that it was there just now, for they had heard it and felt the weight. it was there--it must be there--and their master had better look again. "it's a conjuring trick," said phra, who looked annoyed. "i had nothing to do with it, then," said harry. "i hadn't, honour bright," he added hurriedly as his companion looked doubtingly at him. "here, sree, have you begun to learn juggling?" "no, sahib; it was a lovely snake, all yellow, with big brown spots and purple shadows all over the dark parts. one of these sons of wickedness must have taken it out to sell it to some ship captain to carry away. surely sree would not try to cheat the good sahibs and his prince by playing tricks like an indian juggler. here, michael; you heard the snake inside before the master came?" "yes," said mike, who looked quite brave now, as he approached and looked into the basket searchingly. "i'm sure i heard it plainly, but there's no snake here now. there has been one here, though, for you can smell it." "yes, there has been one here," cried harry eagerly. "then where is it gone?" "something dreadful has blinded all our eyes, sahib, so that we cannot see. thrust in your hand and feel if it is there." harry shrank for the moment, for the idea of feeling after a snake that had been rendered invisible was startling; but feeling ashamed the next moment of his superstitious folly, he plunged his hand down into the basket, felt round it, and stood up. "there's nothing in there," he said. "well, you could see that there was not," said his father shortly. "but there has been one there quite lately," said harry. "smell my fingers, phra." "pouf! serpent!" cried the young prince, with a gesture of disgust. "it must have got away." sree took hold of the basket, bent down into it, looked all round, and then to the surprise of all he stood it up again, turned it round a little, and then jumped in, to stand upright. the surprise came to an end directly, for sree pointed downward, and as he did so he thrust his toes through the bottom of the basket, where no hole had been apparent, but which gave way easily to the pressure of the man's foot from within, thus showing that it must have been broken at that one particular place. "what! a hole in the bottom for the reptile to crawl out? that was wise of you, sree!" "i was wise, sahib, and the basket had no hole in it when we put the snake in." "then it must have made one, and forced its way through." sree was silent, and looked at mike as if waiting for him to speak. but mike had not the least intention of speaking, and stood with his lips pinched together, perfectly dumb. "why, of course!" cried harry excitedly; "i see now. mike gave the basket a tremendous kick as he went by it, and startled the serpent, and made it swing about. why, mike, you must have broken a hole through then." "master harry, i--" began mike. "yes, sahib, that was it; he broke a hole through, and once the snake's head was through he would force his way right out." "one minute," said mr. kenyon rather anxiously; "tell me, harry: are you perfectly sure that the snake was there?" "certain, father." "and you saw michael kick the basket?" "oh yes, father; and michael knows he did." "that's right enough, sir; but i didn't mean to let the brute out." "no, no, of course not," said mr. kenyon anxiously: "but if the serpent was in that basket a short time ago and is gone now, it must either be in one of the rooms here by the verandah or just beneath the house." "ow!" ejaculated mike, with a look of horror, as he glanced round; and then he shouted as he pointed to an opening in one corner of the verandah, where a great bamboo had been shortened for the purpose of ventilating the woodwork beneath the bungalow, "that's the way he has gone, sir; that's the way he has gone." it seemed only too probable, for it was just the kind of place in which a fugitive, gloom-loving reptile would seek for a hiding-place; while as if to prove the truth of mike's guess there was a sharp, squeaking sound heard somewhere below the house, and one after the other three rats dashed out of the opening, darted across the verandah, and sprang into the garden, disappearing directly amongst the plants. "yes," said mr. kenyon; "the reptile seems to have gone under the house." "and he will clear away all the rats, sahib," said sree, in a tone of voice which seemed to add, "and what could you wish for better than that?" "but i think that my son and i would rather have the rats, my man. what do you say, hal?" "yes, father; of course. we can't live here with a horrible thing like that always lying in wait for us. how long did you say it was, sree?" "two men and a half, sahib." "and that's a man and a half too long, sree. what's to be done?" sree looked disconsolately at the merchant, and slowly rubbed his blacking-brush-like hair. "the sahib told me to bring everything i could find in the jungle, and this was a lovely snake, all yellow and brown and purple like tortoiseshell. the sahib would have been so pleased." "no doubt, if i could have got it shut up safely in some kind of cage; but you see you have let it go." "if the sahib will pardon me," said the man humbly. "of course; yes, it was not your fault, but michael's. well, michael, how are you going to catch this great snake?" "me catch it, sir?" said mike mildly. "yes, of course; we can't leave it at liberty here." "i thought perhaps you would shoot at it, sir, or master harry would have a pop at it with his gun." "that's all very well, mike; but it's of no use to shoot till you can see it," cried harry. "how can we drive it out, sree?" said mr. kenyon. "we must get rid of it somehow." sree shook his head. "i'm afraid it will go to sleep now, sahib," he said. "for how long?" "three weeks or a month, sahib. until it gets hungry again." "why not get guns and two of us stand near here to see if it comes out of this hole, while the others go from room to room hammering on the floor?" "that sounds well," said the merchant. "and it would be good to try first if a cat would go down. snakes do not like cats or the mongoose, and the cat might drive it out. cats hate snakes." "that sounds like a good plan, too, sree. suppose we try that first. we have a cat, but what about a mongoose? have you got one?" "i had one when i was in hindooland, sahib, but perhaps it is dead now." "if not, it's of no use to us now," said mr. kenyon sarcastically. "here, hal, go in and get the two guns hanging in my room. bring the powder-flasks and pouches too. be careful, my lad; the guns are loaded." "come along, phra," said harry. "no, i am going back for my gun." "i meant to lend you one of mine," said the merchant quietly. "you two lads ought to be able to shoot that reptile if we succeed in driving it out." "ah!" cried the young siamese eagerly. "thank you." he looked gratefully at mr. kenyon, and then followed harry into the bungalow. "this is a nice job," said the latter. "we shall never drive the brute out. this place was built as if they wanted to make a snug, comfortable home for a boa constrictor. there are double floors, double ceilings, and double walls. there's every convenience for the brute, whether he wants to stay a week or a year." "never mind; it will be good fun hunting him. where are the guns?" "here, in father's room," said the boy, leading the way into the lightly furnished bed-chamber with its matted floor and walls, bath, and couch well draped with mosquito net. one side was turned into quite a little armoury, guns and swords being hung against the wall, while pouches, shot-belts, and powder-flasks had places to themselves. "take care," said harry, as he took down and handed a gun to his companion, who smiled and nodded. "yes," he said; "but it isn't the first time i've had hold of a gun." "well, i know that, phra. you needn't turn rusty about it. i only said so because it comes natural to warn any one to be careful." "hist! listen," said the prince, holding up his hand. harry had heard the sound at the same moment. it was a strange, rustling, creeping sound, as of horny scales passing over wood in the wall to their right. a look of intelligence passed between the boys, and they stood listening for a few moments, which were quite sufficient to satisfy them that the object of their visit within was gliding slowly up between the bamboos of the open wall, probably to reach the palm-thatched roof. but it was not to do so without hindrance, for after darting another look at his companion phra cocked his gun, walked close to the wall, and after listening again and again he placed the muzzle of his piece about six inches from the thin teak matting-covered boarding, and fired. the result was immediate. whether hit or only startled by the shot, the reptile fell with a loud thud and there was the evident sound of writhing and twisting about. "well done, phra! you've shot him!" cried harry; "but if he dies there we shall have to take the floor up to get him out." "what is it, boys? have you seen the snake?" "no, sir. i heard it in the wall, and fired." "yes, and you have hit it, too," said the merchant. "listen." the boys were quite ready to obey, and all stood attentively trying to analyse the meaning of the movements below the floor. it proved to be easy enough, for the violent writhings ceased, and the serpent began to ascend the side of the room again in the hollow wall. they went on tip-toe to the spot they had marked down, and as soon as they were still again they could hear the faint _crick, crick, crick_ of the scales on the wood, as the serpent crawled from beneath the floor and extended itself more and more up the side, so that it was plain enough to trace the length upward, till evidently a good six feet had been reached. "my turn now," said harry, cocking his piece. "shall i fire father?" "no; it would only bring it down again, and if it dies beneath the floor or in the wall it will be a great nuisance to get it out. it will mean picking the place to pieces." "let it go on up into the roof, then." "yes," said mr. kenyon; "if it gets up there it will be sure to descend to the eaves, and if we keep a pretty good watch we shall see it coming down slowly, and you will both get a good shot at it." they stood listening for a few minutes longer, and then the _crick, crick_ in the wall ceased, and it was evident that a long and heavy body was gliding along over the ceiling. "now then, boys, out with you, and i think i'll bring a gun too; but you shall have the honour of shooting the brute if you can. by the way, i don't think sree has exaggerated as to the reptile's length, and i shall be glad to get rid of such a neighbour." "it's not moving now," said harry, in a whisper. "yes, i can hear it," said phra, whose ears were preternaturally sharp; "it's creeping towards where it can see the light shine through, and it will come out right on the roof." the little party hurried out to where mike and the three siamese were anxiously watching the hole in the corner of the verandah, the three latter armed with bamboo poles, and their long knives in their waist-folds, while mike had furnished himself with a rusty old cavalry sword which he had bought in london, and brought with him because he thought it might some day prove to be useful. their watching in the verandah came to an end on the appearance of the little party, and they were posted ready to rush in to the attack of the reptile if it should be shot and come wriggling down off the attap thatch. but for some minutes after the whole party had commenced their watching there was no sign of the escaped prize, not the faintest rustle or crackle of the crisp, sun-dried roof. phra began to grow impatient at having to stand in the hot sun holding a heavy gun ready for firing, and harry was little better, for the effort of watching in the dazzling glare affected his eyes. "can't you send somebody inside to bang the ceiling with a stick, mr. kenyon?" said phra at last. "yes," said that gentleman. "this is getting rather weary work. here, mike, go indoors and listen till you hear the snake rustling over the ceiling of my room, and then thump loudly with a bamboo." "yes, sir," said mike promptly, and he took two steps towards the house, and then stopped and coughed. "well, what is it?" said mr. kenyon. "i beg pardon, sir; but suppose the beast has taken fright at seeing you all waiting for him, and got into the house to hide." "yes?" said mr. kenyon. "and is scrawming about all over the floor. what shall i do then?" "don't lose a chance; hit it over the head or tail with all your might." mike looked warmer than ever, and began to wipe the great drops of perspiration off his forehead. "yes, sir," he said respectfully. "we must not stop to be nice now, for it seems to be hopeless to think of capturing the reptile again, and i can't have such a brute as that haunting the place." "no, sir, of course not," said mike. "well go on," said mr. kenyon sharply. "you are not afraid, are you?" "oh no, sir, not a bit; but--" mr. kenyon shrugged his shoulders and strode into the house, while the two lads burst out laughing. "i say, mike, you are a brave one!" cried harry. "now, look here," cried the man, "don't you go making the same mistake as the master. i'm not a bit afraid." "ha, ha, ha!" laughed phra. "no, sir," said the man angrily; "not a bit afraid; but i've got a mother in england, and i don't like to be rash." "you never are, mike." "no, sir, and i won't be. i'm sure every one ought to look before he leaps when it's over a dangerous place, and--ah! look out; here he comes." there was a yell, too, from sree and his two men, who dashed forward together, as all at once the great serpent seemed to dart suddenly from under a fold of the palm-leaf thatch, make an effort to glide along the slope from the neighbourhood of those who were waiting for it, and then failing from the steepness of the incline, rolled over and over, writhing and twining, towards the edge where the bamboo supports formed the pillars of the verandah. "here, hi! stop!" roared the boys; but it was all in vain, for the excited siamese men were deaf to everything save their own impulses, which prompted them to recover the escaped prize, and obtain their promised reward. "here, i don't want to shoot one of them," cried phra, stamping in his disappointment. "no, no, don't fire," cried harry, throwing up his gun. "here, hi, mike! now's your time; go and help. lay hold of his tail, but don't be rash." for the serpent had rapidly reached the edge of the thatch and fallen into one of the flower beds with a heavy thud which proclaimed its weight. but the next minute that was a flower bed no longer. the serpent began the work of destruction by struggling violently as it drew itself up into a knot, and the three siamese finished the work. they seemed to have not the slightest fear of the great glistening creature whose scales shone in the sun, but dashed at it to try and pinion it down to the ground. there was a furious hissing, mingled with loud shouts, panting, rustling, and the sound of heavy blows delivered on the earth and the bamboo flooring of the verandah, as the serpent freed its tail and lashed about furiously. then there was a confused knot composed of reptile and men, rolling over, heaving and straining, and a gaily coloured sarong was thrown out, to fall a few yards away. "can't you get a shot at it, boys?" cried mr. kenyon, as he rushed out. "impossible, father." "yes, impossible," repeated mr. kenyon. "what fun!" cried phra excitedly. "they want to catch him alive. look, hal, look." harry was doing nothing else, and forgetful of all his repugnance he approached so near the struggling knot that he had a narrow escape from a heavy flogging blow delivered by the serpent's tail, one which indented the soft earth with a furrow. "ugh! you beast!" cried harry, kicking at one of the reptile's folds, which just then offered itself temptingly; but before the boy's foot could reach it the fold was a yard away and the struggle going on more fiercely than ever. it was the fight of three stout, strong men against that elongated, tapering mass of bone and muscle, with fierce jaws at one end, a thick, whip-like portion at the other, and the men seemed to be comparatively helpless, being thrown here and there in spite of the brave way in which they clung to the writhing form. the end soon arrived, for the reptile made one tremendous effort to escape, wrenched itself free enough to throw a couple of folds of its tail round the thick bamboo pillar which supported the roof, took advantage of the purchase afforded, and threw off its three adversaries, to cling there with half its body undulating and quivering in the air, its head with its eyes glittering fiercely, and its forked tongue darting in and out, menacing its enemies and preparing to strike. the men were up again in an instant, ready to resume the attack, sree giving his orders in their native tongue. "i'll get hold of his neck," he panted, "and you two catch his tail. keep him tight to the bamboo, and i'll hold his head close up and ask the master to tie it to the upright." "stand back, all of you!" cried mr. kenyon. "now, boys, get into the verandah and fire outward. you have a fine chance." "no, no, sahib," cried the hunter imploringly. "the snake is nearly tired out now, and in another minute we shall have caught it fast." "nonsense," cried mr. kenyon; "it is far too strong for you. you are all hurt now." "a few scratches only, sahib, and we could not bear to see so fine a snake, which the master would love to have, killed like that." "thinking of reward, sree?" said the merchant, smiling. harry whispered something to phra, who nodded. "let them have another try, father," cried the boy. "phra and i don't mind missing a shot apiece." "very well," said mr. kenyon, and turning to the men--"take it alive, then, if you can." from wearing a dull, heavy look of disappointment the faces of the siamese were all smiles once more, and they prepared to rush in at their enemy on receiving a word from sree, who now advanced with one of the bamboo poles he had picked up, and held out the end toward the quivering, menacing head of the snake. the latter accepted the challenge directly and struck at the end of the thick pole, its jaws opening and closing, and the dart of the drawn-back head being quicker than the eye could follow. sree was as quick, though. the slightest movement of the wrist threw the end of the pole aside, and the serpent missed it three times running. after that it refused to strike, but drew back its head and swung it from side to side till it was teased into striking once more. this time there was a sharp jar of the bamboo, as the reptile's teeth closed upon the wood, and the pole was nearly jerked out of the man's hands. but he held on firmly without displaying the slightest fear, swaying to and fro as the reptile dragged and gave. "better kill it at once, sree," cried mr. kenyon. "pray no, sahib. he is very strong, but we shall tire him out. i am going to have his neck bound to the great bamboo pillar with a sarong." "my good fellow," cried the merchant, "if you do it will drag the pillar down." "and pull half the roof off," said phra. "yes, they are very strong, these big serpents." "i'm afraid he would, sahib," said the hunter mildly. "now, if i had time i could go into the jungle and get leaves to pound up and give him, and he would be asleep so that we could put him in the basket." "well, hadn't you better go and fetch some?" cried harry mischievously. "here, mike, come and hold this bamboo while sree goes." there was a burst of laughter at this, in which the siamese joined, for mike's features were for a moment convulsed with horror; the next he grasped the fact that a joke was being made at his expense, and stood shaking his head and pretending to be amused. "we had better have a shot, my lads," said mr. kenyon. "it is too unmanageable a specimen to keep, and i shall be quite content with the skin." "let them have another try, mr. kenyon," said phra eagerly. "it is grand to see them fight. perhaps they will win this time." "very well," said mr. kenyon, smiling. "go and help them, phra," said harry, laughing. "it's so hot," said the young siamese, "and one would be knocked about so, and have all one's clothes torn off. besides, you can't take hold, only by clinging round it with your arms, and snakes are not nice. but i will, if you will." "all right," said harry; "only let's have the tail." mike looked at the boys in horror, as if he thought they had gone mad. but at that moment sree gave a sign to his two followers, after finding that the reptile was so much exhausted that he could force its head in any direction, for it still held on tightly with its teeth. there was a rush, and the two men seized the creature's tail and began to unwind it from the pillar by walking round and round. "hurrah! they've mastered it," cried harry, and they drew back as the last fold was untwined from the pillar, mike drawing much farther back than any one else, so as to give plenty of room. but the tight clasp of the teeth-armed jaws did not relax in the slightest degree, and the next minute, by the efforts of the three men, the creature was half dragged, half carried out into the open garden, limp apparently and completely worn out. "why, they'll manage it yet, father," cried harry. "here, mike, bring that basket out here." "yes," cried mr. kenyon, "quick!" mike looked horrified, but he felt compelled to obey, and, hurrying into the verandah, he was half-way to the men with the basket, when he uttered a yell, dropped it, and darted back. "it was frightened of mike," said phra afterwards. frightened or no, all at once when its captors were quite off their guard, the serpent suddenly brought its tremendous muscles into full play, contracted itself with a sudden snatch as if about to tie itself in a knot, and before the men could seize it again, for it was quite free, it went down the garden at a tremendous rate, making at first for the river, then turning off towards the jungle. the men, as they recovered from their astonishment, darted in pursuit, but stopped short, for mr. kenyon's gun rang out with a loud report, making the serpent start violently, but without checking its course, and it was half out of sight among the low-growing bushes when, in rapid succession, phra and harry fired, with the effect of making the reptile draw itself into a knot again, roll, and twine right back into the garden, give a few convulsive throes, and then slowly straighten itself out at full length and lie heaving gently, as a slight quiver ran from head to tail. the boys cheered, and after reloading in the slow, old-fashioned way of fifty years ago, went close up to the reptile. "shall i give him another shot in the head, mr. kenyon?" cried phra. "no, no, my lad; it would be only waste of powder and shot. the brute is beyond the reach of pain now. well, hal, how long do you make it?" he cried, as that young gentleman finished pacing the ground close up to the great reptile. "five of my steps," said harry; "and he's as thick round as i can span--a little thicker. i say, isn't he beautifully marked, father?" "splendidly, my boy." "but who'd have thought a thing like that could be so strong?" "they are wonderfully powerful," said mr. kenyon. "it is a splendid specimen, sree," he continued to that personage, who, with his companions--all three looking sullen and out of heart--was rearranging dragged-off or discarded loin-cloths, and looking dirty, torn, and in one or two places bleeding, from the reptile's teeth. "yes, sahib," said the man sadly; "he would have been a prize, and i should have been proud, and the sahib would have been grateful in the way he always is to his servants." "oh, i see," said harry, who whispered to his father and then to phra, both nodding. "i could not have kept such a monster as that alive, sree," said the merchant; "but you men behaved splendidly. you were brave to a degree, and of course i shall pay you as much or more than i should have given you if it had been prisoned alive." "oh, sahib!" cried the man, whose face became transformed, his eyes brightened, and with a look of delight he brought a smile to his lips. turning quickly to his two men, he whispered to them in their own tongue, and the change was magical. they uttered a shout of joy, threw themselves on their knees, raised their hands to the sides of their heads, and shuffled along towards the master. "that will do, sree," cried mr. kenyon impatiently; "make them get up. you know i do not like to be treated like that." "yes, sahib; i know," said the hunter, and at a word the two men started up, beaming and grinning at the two lads. "brave boys," said phra, speaking in his own tongue; and, thrusting his hand in his pocket, he brought out and gave each of the men one of the silver coins of the country. the next moment all three were grovelling on the earth before their young prince. he waved his hand and they rose. "i don't much like it now, hal," said phra apologetically; "but it is the custom, you know. i like to be english, though, when i am with you." "oh, it's all right," said harry; "but you do improve wonderfully, lad. you'll be quite an english gentleman some day. i say, father, give me some silver; i want to do as phra did." mr. kenyon smiled and handed his son some money, nodding his satisfaction as he saw him give each of the siamese a coin, and check them when they were about to prostrate themselves. "no, no," he shouted; "be english. pull your blacking-brushes--so." the men grinned, and gave a tug at what would have been their forelocks if they had not been cropped short. "skin the snake very carefully, sree," said mr. kenyon quietly, after liberally rewarding the men, whose gloom gave place to the exuberance of satisfaction. "yes, sahib; there shall not be a tear in the skin," cried the old hunter eagerly. "where shall they do it, father?" said harry. "it will make such a mess here." "let them drag it down to the landing-stage, my boy, and they can sluice the bamboo flooring afterwards, and then peg out the skin to dry on the side. you will stay and see it done?" "yes, father," replied the boy, and he turned to phra. "will you stop?" "of course. i came to stay," was the reply; "didn't you see that i sent the boatmen back?" chapter iv fishing with a worm "i say, sree, hadn't you and your fellows better have a wash?" said harry, as soon as mr. kenyon had re-entered the bungalow to go to his office on the other side for his regular morning work connected with the dispatching of rice and coffee down to the principal city. "what good, sahib?" said the man, looking up with so much wonder in his amiable, simple face, that both phra and harry burst out laughing, in which the men joined. "why, you are all so dirty, and you smell nasty and musky of that great snake." "but we are going to skin it, sahib, and we shall be much worse then." "oh yes, i forgot," said harry. "when we have done we shall all bathe and be quite clean, and go and thank the good sahib before we depart." he said a few words to his two men, and, gun in hand, the boys walked with them towards the boa, when a thought occurred to harry. "i say," he cried, "mind what you are about when you bathe, for there's a crocodile yonder, half as long again as that snake." "ah!" ejaculated the man, "then we must take care." "so will we, phra. we'll look out for him and try and get a shot." "a big one?" said the siamese lad. "yes, i think it is the biggest i have seen." "then we'll shoot him. but how bad you have made me! before we became friends i followed our people's rule--never killing anything. now this morning i am going to try and kill a crocodile, after helping to kill a snake." "well," said harry, "i don't care about arguing who's right, but it seems to be very stupid not to kill those horrible great monsters which drag people who are bathing under water and eat them, and to be afraid to kill a tiger that springs upon the poor rice and coffee growers at the edges of the plantations." "so it does," said phra, with a dry look; "and i am trying not to be stupid. all, look there!" harry was already looking, for as one of the men took hold of the serpent's tail, in order to drag it down to the landing-place, it was snatched away, then raised up and brought down again heavily to lie heaving and undulating, the movement being continued right up to the head. "you don't seem to have killed that," said harry drily. "no," replied phra; "but i will," and he cocked his gun. but sree addressed a few words to him in his native tongue, and the lad nodded. "what does he say?" asked harry; "he can kill it more easily, without spoiling the skin?" "yes. look. what a while these things take to die!" "my father says that at home in england the country people say you can't kill a snake directly. it always lives till the sun sets." "you haven't got snakes like that in england?" "oh no; the biggest are only a little more than a yard long." "but how can they live like that? what has the sun to do with it?" "nothing. father says it's only an old-fashioned superstition." "look! sree's going to kill the snake now. he's a bad buddhist." "never mind; he's a capital hunter. see what splendid things we've found when we've been with him," said harry enthusiastically. "he seems to know the habits of everything in the jungle." harry ceased speaking, for sree drew a knife from its sheath in the band of his sarong, or padung, whetted it on one of the stones of the rockery, and went to the head of the serpent, which was moving gently. sree bent down, extending his left hand to grip the reptile softly behind the head, and give it a mortal wound which would afterwards serve as the beginning of the cut to take off the beautifully marked skin. but at the first touch, the reptile seemed to be galvanized into life, and coiling and knotting itself up, it began to twine and writhe with apparently as much vigour as before receiving the shots. "did you ever see such a brute?" cried harry. "take care, or you'll lose him." "oh, no, sahib; i will not do that. only let me get one cut, and i will soon make him still." he waited for a few minutes till the reptile straightened itself out again, and then at a sign the two men followed their leader's example, throwing themselves down upon the fore part of the boa, which began to heave again, the lower part of the body writhing and flogging the earth. but sree was quite equal to the occasion. he had pinned the reptile's neck down with one hand, and managed to hold it till with all the skill of an old huntsman, he had slit up the skin, inserted his knife, and cleverly divided the vertebrae just behind the creature's head. the moment this was done the tremendous thrashing of the tail part began to grow less violent, then grew more gentle still, and finally it lay undulating gently. "he will die now," said the man, and the long, lithe body was dragged to the bottom of the garden and stretched out on the bamboo landing-stage beneath the attap roofing. as soon as this was done, the three men went down to the water's edge, stripped off their sarongs, washed them, and spread them in the hot sun to dry, while, gun in hand, the two lads stood carefully scanning the river in search of enemies, so as to get a shot. but no great reptile was in sight then, and they remained looking on while sree and his men cleverly stripped off the boa's skin and stretched it out to dry, before fetching a couple of brass vessels from the back of the bungalow and using them to thoroughly remove all traces of their late work. their next duty was to take a couple of bamboos and thrust off the body of the serpent. sree, however, undertook to do this himself, telling his men to refill the brass vessels to sluice down the bamboo stage. but instead of thrusting the repulsive-looking reptile off, he stopped, thinking for a few moments. "what is it?" said phra; "why don't you throw that nasty thing in to be swept out to sea?" sree gave him a peculiar look, and turned to harry. "was it a very big crocodile, sahib?" he said. "yes. why?" "would you like to have a shot at it?" "of course; but these big ones are so cunning." "let's see," said the man. "perhaps i could get you a shot." the boys were interested at once. "what are you going to do?" said phra. "see if i can bring one up where you can shoot." "how?" asked harry. "is there a big hook in the house?" said sree. "do you want one?" "yes, sahib." "go up, then, and tell mike to give you one of the biggest meat-hooks. say i want it directly, and then he will." the two men squatted down at the end of the landing-place, smiling, behind their vessels of water, as sree hurried up the garden, while the two boys stood, gun in hand, scanning the surface of the river. "he's going to make a bait of the snake, i suppose; but i don't expect the croc will be about here now. if the water were clear we could see." but, as before said, the stream was flowing of a rich coffee or chocolate hue, deeply laden as it was with the fine mud of the low flats so often flooded after rains in the mountains, and it was impossible to see a fish, save when now and then some tiny, silvery scrap of a thing sprang out, to fall back with a splash. "we're only going to make ourselves hot for nothing," said harry. "i don't believe we shall see the beast. now, if you had been here when i saw him." "and both of us had had guns," said phra. "what nonsense it is to talk like that! one never is at a place at the right time." "fortunately for the crocs," said harry, laughing. "here he is." "what, the croc?" cried phra, cocking his gun. "no, no; sree.--got it?" "yes, sahib. a good big one." the man came on to the landing-stage, smiling, with the bright new double hook in his hand and a stout piece of string. then taking down a little coil of rope used for mooring boats at one of the posts, he thrust one of the hooks through the hemp, bound it fast with string, leaving a long piece after knotting off, and then passed the other hook well through the vertebrae and muscles behind the snake's head, using the remaining string to bind the shank of the hook firmly to the serpent's neck so as to strengthen the hold. there were about twenty yards of strong rope, and sree fastened the other end of this to the post used to secure the boats, before looking up at the boys. "large big fishing," he said, with a dry smile. "fish too strong to hold." "and that's rather a big worm to put on the hook," said harry, laughing. "there, throw it out, and let's see if we get a bite. are you going to fish, phra?" "no," said the prince; "i am going to shoot. you can hold the line." "thankye, but i'm going to fish too. throw out, sree." the old hunter's throwing out was to push one end of the serpent off the end of the bamboo stage, with the result that the rest glided after it, and with their guns at the ready the two boys waited to see if there was a rush made at the bait as it disappeared beneath the muddy stream. but all they saw was a gleam or two of the white part of the serpent, as it rolled over and over, then went down, drawing the rope slowly out till the last coil had gone; and then nothing was visible save a few yards of rope going down from the post into the water, and rising and falling with the action of the current. sree squatted down by the post and went on chewing his betel, his two men by the brass vessels doing the same. so five, ten, fifteen minutes passed away, with the boys watching, ready to fire if there was a chance. "oh, i say, this is horribly stupid," cried harry at last. "let's give it up." "no," said phra; "you want patience to fish for big things as well as for little. you have no patience at all." "well, i'm not a siamese," said harry, laughing. "we english folk are not always squatting down on our heels chewing nut and pepper-leaf, and thinking about nothing." "neither am i," said phra; "but i have patience to wait." "it is your nature to," said harry. "you're all alike here; never in a hurry about anything." "why should we be?" replied phra quietly. "we could not in a hot country like ours. you always want to be in a hurry to do something else. look at sree and his men; see how they wait." "yes, i suppose they're comfortable; but i'm not. i want to go and lie down under a tree. think it's any good, sree? won't come, will he?" "who can say, sahib?" replied the man. "he ought to if he is about here. that bait is big and long; the bait must go far down the stream, and it smells well." "smells well, eh?" said harry. "beautiful for a bait, sahib. you are sure you saw one this morning?" "saw it, and hit it a fine crack with a big stone." "then he ought to be there and take that bait; and he will, too, if you have not offended him by making his back too sore." "offended him! made his back too sore!" said harry, with a chuckle. "what a rum old chap you are, sree! you talk about animals just as if they felt and thought as we do." "yes, sahib, and that is what the bonzes teach. they say that when people die they become crocodiles, or elephants, or birds, or serpents, or monkeys, or some other kind of creature." "and that's all stuff and nonsense, sree. you don't believe all that, i know." "it's what i was taught, sahib," said the man, with a queer twinkle of the eye. "but you don't believe it, sree. you don't think that some one turned when he died into that old snake, or else you wouldn't have caught it to sell to my father as a specimen." "and then skinned it and made a bait of it on a hook to catch a crocodile," said phra. "not he. look at him," cried harry. "see how he's laughing in his sleeve." "he isn't. hasn't got any sleeves." "well, inside, then. his eyes are all of a twinkle. he doesn't believe it a bit. there, i shan't stand here any longer cuddling this gun, with nothing to shoot at." "it is rather stupid, hal." "yes. here, jump up, sree, and take us where we can have a shoot at something, or go and fish; i don't care which." "come and see the elephants," suggested phra. "no, i want to be under the shady trees. what's the good of going to see the tame elephants? they're not white, after all. chained by one leg and nodding their old heads up and down, up and down, till they see you, and then they begin sticking out their leeches." "sticking out their leeches?" said phra, looking at him wonderingly. "trunks, then. they always look to me like jolly great leeches ready to hold on to you. let's go. pull up the hook and line, sree, and get rid of that nasty snake." "yes, sahib," said the old hunter, beginning to haul on the rope, which came in heavily for a few feet. "it comes in slowly," said phra; "has something taken the bait?" _whush!_ went the line through sree's hands, and then _whang!_ as it was snapped tight with such violence that the man started from it, for the stout post was jarred so that it quivered and seemed about to be pulled down, while the light bamboo and palm roof swayed, and the whole structure seemed as if it were going to be dragged over into the river. there was no doubting the violence of the wrench and the danger, for the two men sprang off on to the shore and stood staring, till sree shouted to them to come back and help haul. "why, we've caught him, phra," cried harry, as soon as he had recovered from his astonishment. "look out, lad, and be ready to fire as soon as he shows upon the surface. pull, sree; don't let him drag like that at the post again." "i can't move him, sahib," said the man, who looked startled; and he was already hauling with all his might, but doing nothing more than slightly ease the strain on the post. but first one and then the other man got a grip of the rope, pulling together with such effect that whatever had seized the bait and become hooked began to jerk the line violently, as if it were throwing its head from side to side. "be ready to shoot, master harry," said sree. "he may rush up to the top of the water and come at us, or try to sweep us off here with his tail." "nonsense!" cried harry. "'tisn't," said phra calmly, as he stood like a bronze statue, ready to fire. "i saw a man swept off a boat once like that." "by a croc?" "yes." "what then?" said harry huskily. "i don't know. he was never seen again. ah, look out!" as phra spoke there was a violent eddying in the water where the end of the line must have been. "he's coming up," cried harry, raising his gun to his shoulder. "hold on, all of you. ah, here he is. fire!" the two guns went off almost like one, for all at once the hideous knotted head of a crocodile appeared at the surface and came rapidly towards the stage slackening the rope and making the two men quit their hold and, in spite of an angry cry from sree, tumble one over the other ashore. the hunter behaved bravely enough, but the moment had arrived when he felt that discretion was the better part of valour--when it was evident that the hideous reptile, enraged at finding such a finale to the delicious repast of musky boa, neatly skinned apparently for its benefit, but followed by a horrible tearing sensation in its throat and the pressure of a long rope which could not be swallowed nor bitten through because it persisted in getting between the teeth, had risen to the surface, caught sight of a man dragging at the rope, had aimed straight at him as being the cause of all the pain, and was about to rush at and sweep him from the platform. under the circumstances sree was about to let go and follow the example of his men, but the firing checked the crocodile's charge, sending it rushing down below with a tremendous wallow and splash on the surface with its tail; the rope ran out again, and sree proudly held on, congratulating himself on not having let go, but repenting directly after, for there was a jerk which seemed as if it would drag his arms out of their sockets, and if he had not let the rope slide he must have gone head first into the river. then came another drag at the post which supported the roof, and once more everything quivered, but not so violently as before, while sree tightened his hold again and roared to his men to come. the movement of the rope now showed that the great reptile was swimming here and there deep down in the muddy water, while the two lads with hands trembling from excitement reloaded as quickly as they could; and as the two men resumed their places on the stage and took hold of the rope, the sharp clicking of gun-locks told that a couple more charges were ready. "think we can kill him, sree?" cried harry. "i daren't say, sahib. the rope may break by his teeth at any time, but we'll drag and make him come up again, so that you can have another shot. what are you loaded with?" "big slugs," cried phra. "ought to be bullets," said the hunter. "but we are very near, sree," chimed in harry. "yes, sahib; but an old crocodile like this is so horny. never mind; you must try. say when you're ready." "now," said phra hoarsely, and harry stood with his lips pinched and his forehead a maze of wrinkles. sree turned fiercely to his two followers, who had hold of the rope close behind him. "if you let go this time, i'll knock you both in," he cried, "and then you'll be killed and eaten, and come to life again as crocodiles." the men shivered at this to them horrible threat, and harry and phra exchanged glances. meanwhile sree was, so to speak, just feeling the crocodile's head, and as no extra strain was put upon the rope the reptile kept on swimming to and fro; but the moment the rope was tightened and the three men gave a steady drag there was a violent eddying of the water, the rope slackened, and the huge head and shoulders shot out as if the brute meant to reach its enemies in one bound. but once more the reports of the two guns came nearly together, and the gaping jaws of the reptile snapped together as the head disappeared. "load again," cried harry excitedly. "let him run, sree." the hunter nodded, and as soon as the guns were loaded the drag and reappearance of the beast took place, another couple of shots were received, and this time the reptile whirled itself round and making good use of its favourite weapon struck at the occupants of the landing-stage, its tail sweeping along with terrific force. but the brute had miscalculated the distance. six feet nearer, and the two lads would have been swept into the river. as it was they felt the wind of the passing tail and heard the loud humming _whish_ as it passed. "that was near, phra," said harry. "yes; the hideous wretch! the beast!" hissed the siamese lad through his teeth, and followed it up with another loud, hollow, hissing noise from the barrel of his gun, as he rammed a wad down upon the powder. "let's go on and kill him. such a wretch ought not to live and destroy everything he can reach along the banks. oh, how i wish we had some big bullets! i'd half fill the gun." "then i'm glad you have none, old chap," said harry. "why?" cried phra, pausing, ramrod in hand. "you ought to know by now. burst the gun." "nearly ready, sahib?" cried sree. "he's pulling harder, and i'm afraid of the rope breaking." "not quite," said phra, but a minute later, "let's stand a bit farther back, hal. now, sree, pull." there was another steady draw upon the rope, which ran out now quite at right angles with the stage, and in an instant it was responded to by a tremendous rush. the water rose in a wave, then parted, as the open jaws of the crocodile appeared, coming right at them. the next moment the landing-stage quivered and rocked, for it was as if a tree-trunk had struck it right at the edge. then there was a splash which sent the water flying all over the edifice, and all was still. the reptile's charge had its effect, for as it fell back into the water the three siamese rose to their feet from where they had flung themselves off from the staging in among the flowering bushes, and harry and phra sat up on the path which led into the garden. "oh, what a beast!" cried phra, rubbing himself. "i hate him, oh, ten thousand times worse now!" "lucky we didn't shoot one another," said harry. "i say, see how i've scratched the stock of father's gun." "why didn't you fire, sahib?" said sree ruefully, as he began picking thorns out of his left arm. "come, i like that!" cried harry. "why didn't you three hold on by the rope? i say, sree, this is a one-er." "you see, he doesn't like that hook, sahib," said the hunter. "but he has got to like it," said harry. "there, we're not beaten. come on again. we must kill him now." "i'm afraid, sahib, he is one of those old savage crocodiles that are enchanted, and can't be killed." "oh, are you?" said harry drily; "then i'm not. and if that rope doesn't break, we're going to kill him for being so impudent, aren't we, phra?" "yes," said the lad, with his dark eyes flashing. "we will kill him now if it takes pounds of powder." "and hundredweights of shot," said harry. "now then, look at the primings, and then stir the wretch up again, sree, before he jigs that post down." the jerking of the post was transferred to the arms of the men as the two lads stepped back to the bamboo floor, ready once more, and laughingly now, as they trusted to their own activity to escape the reptile's jaws. the men began to haul at the rope, with the same result as before. but the boys were more ready this time. they watched the approaching wave, and as the open jaws of the enemy appeared, they fired right in between them, as if moved by the same impulse; and this time the creature dropped back at once. "that was a good one, sree," cried harry, beginning to reload. "it was great and wonderful, sahib. how glad i am to see you both trying to slay the old murderer! a few more shots like that, and he will never again drag little children and poor weak women down to his holes in the muddy banks. it is a grand thing to do; but the bullets should be heavier than those." "never mind," said phra; "we'll make these do." once more the order was given to pull, and the rope was tightened as it descended just in the same place, showing that the reptile was lying still in the same spot--probably a hole in the muddy bed--which had formed its lurking-place during the last few minutes. it was a complete repetition in every respect of the last rush, and, taught by experience, the lads were as quick in the repetition of their last tactics. the wave rose in response to the heavy drag, the water eddied and parted, and once more a couple of heavy charges of slugs were poured between the hideous, gaping jaws, which closed with a snap, and the head sank down out of sight. but this time there was a fresh surprise. the monster's tail rose high in the air, and delivered three or four tremendous smacks on the surface, raising such a foam and shower that it was only dimly seen how the reptile must have tried to evade its enemies by shooting up stream. but it was apparent by the direction of the rope, to which the three men held on as long as they could, the final jerk making them let go for a few minutes, but only for sree to seize hold again. "he must have got that last badly, sahib," said the hunter gravely, as he began to pull in the slack, which showed that the reptile was no longer straining at the line. "bring him back then directly we're ready," cried harry, "and we'll give him another dose. but i say," he added, as he went on loading quickly, "that line comes in very easily." "yes, sahib, and we must be on the look-out. i thought he had rushed up stream, but he must be close here." "i know," cried phra; "it's just like the cunning beast. he has come back, and is hiding under the floor. we must look out." "yes, sahib," replied the hunter; "very likely, for they are cunning things. i will not pull in more rope till you are ready for him." "ready!" cried phra a minute later, and harry echoed the cry. "better stand on my other side, sahibs," said sree; and the lads took up the more advantageous place--one, too, which made the hunter more safe from proving the resting-place of the next volley of bullets. the two men eagerly took their places at the rope, for familiarity with the danger incurred had thoroughly bred contempt; and the hauling began slowly and steadily, every one being on the _qui vive_, and ready to spring back. but the first yard came without the slightest resistance. "look out!" said harry, holding his gun to his shoulder, and aiming down at the water; "he must be very near." another yard came without the crocodile being felt. "he must be close in," whispered phra, and the excitement now became intense; for their enemy seemed to be playing a very artful game under cover of the thick water, which completely shielded the approach. "better stand farther back, sahibs," said sree, ceasing to pull, "but we couldn't see to shoot," said harry. "better not shoot than be seized by this child of a horrible mother, sahib." "we should have time to spring back," said phra; "for we should see the water move. go on pulling in the rope." "yes, go on," said harry excitedly. "i can't bear this waiting. haul quicker, and let's have it over." the men obeyed, and another yard was easily and slowly drawn in, the siamese in their excitement opening their eyelids widely so as to show the opalescent eyeballs; but still there was no check, and the curve of the rope now showed that the hook end must be close under the stage. "now, sahibs, mind," whispered sree hoarsely; "he is down there by your feet, or else right under the floor." the lads glanced down at the frail, split bamboos, through whose interstices they could just catch the gleam of the flowing water, while the same idea came to both. suppose the brute were to dash its head upward? it would break through as easily as if the flooring had been of laths. but all was still save the rippling whisper of the water and the hum of insect life outside in the blistering sunshine, as the men drew on cautiously, inch by inch, in momentary expectation of the development of a cunning attack. it was almost in breathless awe now that the men ceased pulling for a few moments in response to an order from sree, who whispered to his superiors,-"we are just at the end, sahibs; be quite ready to fire." "we are," they replied, in a husky whisper. "then we shall pull now sharply, sahibs." "pull," said harry. "quick!" the men gave two rapid heaves, and the boys started back with a shout. "oh!" roared harry, stamping about the floor, "only to think of that!" for sree was standing holding out the frayed and untwisted end of the rope, worn through at last by the crocodile's teeth, and parted in the last rush. "oh, i say!" cried phra. "mind! look out!" yelled harry, making a dash for the shore, and immediately there was a regular stampede, which ended in the prince seizing his friend by the arm, and thumping his back with the butt of the gun he held. "oh, i say, don't--don't!" panted harry, who was choking with laughter. "then will you leave off playing such tricks?" "yes, yes--please, please!" cried harry. "oh, don't; it hurts." "i know: it'll be like that fable of the shepherd boy and the wolf. some day he'll come and no one will run." "i don't care, so long as you leave off thumping me with that gun. don't, phra, old chap," he added, growing serious; "it's dangerous to play with guns." "it's too bad," said phra. "i thought the beast was jumping on to us. what a pity, though! all that powder and shot wasted for nothing." "the bullets were too small, sahib," said sree; "but i'm afraid you could never have killed that crocodile." "oh, nonsense!" cried harry; "bullets would have done it." sree shook his head solemnly. "look at him, phra. i did think he was sensible." "no; he's nearly as superstitious as any of them," replied the lad. "no, sahib," said sree; "i only think it's strange that you fired shot after shot into that thing, and still he was as strong as ever. i hope he will not stop about here, and make it not safe to come down to the landing-place. it would be bad." "ahoy--oy--oy!" rang out in a clear, manly voice, and the sound of oars was followed by a boat gliding into sight. chapter v the doctor's post-mortem "morning, mr. cameron," cried harry heartily, as the boat, propelled by its fore-and-aft rowers, glided up to the landing-stage, sree handing the crocodile-catching rope to one of the men to make the boat fast, while the occupant of the seat beneath the central awning leapt out. he was a good-looking, lightly bronzed, red-haired man of about thirty, tall, and active apparently as a boy, and as he strode over the yielding bamboo flooring, making it creak, he shook hands warmly. "how are you, my lads?--ah, sree!" and the hunter salaamed. "i'm jolly, mr. cameron. phra's bad. put out your tongue, old chap." phra's reply was a punch in the chest. "looks terribly bad," said the new arrival, who knew his friends. "here, what does all this shooting mean? i came on to see." "awful great croc," cried harry. "shooting at it?" "yes, and the big slugs rattled off it like hail on a lot of dry thatch." "then you did not kill it?" "kill it--no. only wish we had. mr. cameron, it was a monster." "so i suppose. nine feet long, eh?" "nine feet long!" said harry contemptuously; "why, it was over twenty." "you young romancer!" cried the new-comer. "how long was it, prince?" "i've only seen its head," said phra. "it was big enough for it to be thirty feet." "then i beg your pardon humbly, hal." this was accompanied by a hearty clap on the shoulder. "oh, i don't mind," said the lad merrily. "only if you won't believe me, mr. cameron, i won't believe you." "i never tell travellers' tales, hal." "no, but you tell me sometimes that your nasty mixtures will do me good, and that's precious hard to believe." the young doctor laughed. "you ought to have killed the croc, though," he said. "sahib! sahib, look!" cried sree, as a shout arose from mr. cameron's boatmen. all turned sharply to where the men were pointing, to see, floating on its back and with its toad-like under part drying in the hot sunshine, the body of a huge crocodile. "that's ours," cried harry. "or a dead one from somewhere up the river," said the doctor. "but we'll soon prove it with our noses." "hooray! no need," cried harry; "that's him;" for all at once the great reptile undulated in the water, struggled, splashed, and turned over, swam round, and went up the river again, passing out of sight. "well, you are pretty sportsmen! why didn't you shoot?" "i never thought of the gun," said phra. "here, take us in your boat, and let's follow him, mr. cameron." there was another shout before the doctor could answer, for the men could see that the reptile's strength was exhausted, it being once more upon its back, floating down the stream. "we'll shoot this time," said phra. "there is no need, master," said sree. "i think it is dead now." "i came to have a chat with your father," said the doctor; "but i must make acquaintance with our friend yonder. look here, sree, take the boat and the rope and tow the brute ashore. take care that it is dead first. don't run any risks." "no, sahib," said the man, drawing his keen knife from his waist and trying its edge and point. "ah, i need not try to teach you, sree." "here's father," cried harry, as mr. kenyon came out of the open window of the bungalow and walked down to where they stood. "ah, cameron, how are you? glad to see you, man. how is the wife?" "complaining about the heat. but look yonder." he pointed at the floating reptile, and the merchant uttered an exclamation of wonder. "so that explains the firing, boys. it is a monster. what a good riddance! what are you going to do, sree?" "put a rope round his neck and bring him ashore, sahib." "yes, we ought to take some measurements. but be careful, or it will capsize you; i don't think it's dead." "it will be soon, sahib," said the man meaningly. "yes, but those creatures have such strength in their tails. where is your spear, man?" "in my boat, sahib, far away." "here, harry, run to the hall and take down one of those malay spears." harry ran, and after a moment's hesitation the young prince followed him, walking in a slow, dignified way. but long contact and education with an english boy had left its traces, and before he had gone many yards the observances of his father's jungle palace were forgotten, and he dashed off as hard as he could go, leaping in at the doorway and nearly overturning his companion. "here, mind where you're coming to," cried harry. "bring two spears," cried phra excitedly. "well, i am bringing two, aren't i? thought you'd like to have a go, too." phra's arm went over his friend's shoulder in an instant. "that's what i do like in you," he cried. "you always want to share everything with me." "you're just as stupid," said harry drily. "here, catch hold. which will you have? make haste. come along." "oh, i don't mind," said phra. "better choose," said harry, holding out the long, keen heads. "this one's as sharp as that one, and that one's got as good a point as this. which is it to be?" "i don't quite understand," said phra, gazing in harry's laughing eyes. "yes, i do. either of them will do. how fond you are of trying to puzzle one!" "make haste, boys," cried mr. kenyon. dignity before the common people was once more forgotten, prince and english boy racing down to the landing-stage with the light spears over their shoulders. "hullo!" said harry's father. "i did not mean you to go." "oh, we must go, father," cried the lad. "well, be careful, sree. mind that the boat is kept a little way back." "yes, sahib; i will take care." "you might have asked me if i'd like to come in my own boat," said the doctor, smiling. "oh, dr. cameron," said phra with an apologetic look, "pray go;" and he offered him the spear he held. "no, no, my dear lad," said the doctor; "i was only joking. it is your task." "but come too," cried harry. "there will be plenty in the boat without me. off with you." harry looked unwilling to stir, but the doctor seized him by the shoulders and hurried him along, and the next minute they were being paddled towards the floating reptile, the men managing so that the boys could have a thrust in turn, the prince as they passed along one side, harry on their return on the other. but the thrusts did not follow one another quickly, for the deep plunging in of the spear by phra seemed to act like a reviver, although it was delivered about where the lad believed the heart to be. in an instant the great reptile had flung itself over and began lashing the water with its tail. "take care!" shouted mr. kenyon from the landing-stage. but the warning was needless, for a sharp stroke from the oars sent the boat well out of reach, the rowers changing their positions and sending it backward in pursuit, as the crocodile began once more to swim up stream, at a pretty good rate at first, then slower and slower, leaving the water stained with its blood as it went on. it managed to make its way, though, quite a hundred yards above the bungalow before its tail ceased its wavy, fish-like motion. then there was a struggle and a little splashing, and once more it turned over upon its back. "your turn now," cried phra excitedly. "i must have missed its heart. you stab it there this time." "want the doctor here to tell me where it is," said harry, as he stood up with his spear poised ready to strike when within reach. "thrust just between its front paws, sahib," said sree from where he squatted just behind the front rower. "i will if i can; if i can't, how can i?" hummed harry. "now," whispered sree. "yes, yes, now," cried phra excitedly. "there you are, then," muttered the lad, and he delivered a thrust right in the spot pointed out, snatching back the weapon just in time, for the wound seemed to madden the reptile, which turned over and began to struggle with astonishing vigour; but only to roll over again and swim round the boat in that position, giving phra the opportunity of delivering a deadly thrust, which was followed by another by harry. "that has done it," said the latter, for there was no response to these save a slight quivering of the tail, and now sree rose from where he had crouched. "dead now, sahibs," he said; "he will fight no more." the two lads worked their spears about in the water a few times to cleanse them, and then sat down under the thatched awning, panting and hot with exertion, while they watched the action of the hunter. sree, aided by the boatmen, who held the crocodile within reach, leaned over the side and slipped a running noose over the monster's head right up to the neck, drew it tight, and then let the rope run through his hands as the two siamese rowers made their oars bend in sending the light sampan along, for the huge bulk was heavy. but the stream was with them, and a few minutes after, in obedience to the doctor's instructions, the crocodile was drawn up close to the muddy bank, some fifty yards below the merchant's garden. here another rope was fetched out and made fast round one of the hind legs, both ropes being held by sree's men, while their leader remained in the boat, the boys having sprung ashore. and now measurements were taken, the monster proving to be just twenty-one feet in length, and of enormous bulk. "i was not far wrong, doctor cameron," said harry. "no, my boy; you were not, indeed." "are you going to let it float down the river now?" asked phra. "not yet," said the doctor; "but perhaps you two had better go now, for i am about to superintend rather a nasty examination in the cause of science." "i know," said harry to his companion; "he is going to see what the thing lives on. shall we go?" "no," said phra gravely; "i want to learn all that i can, and the doctor is so clever, he seems to know everything." "i heard what you said, prince," said the doctor, smiling; "but i don't; i wish i did. now, sree, you know how to go to work; let's get it over; the water will wash everything away." the hunter, who had worked with doctor cameron in many an expedition, and understood what was required, bent over the side of the boat, made one long opening, and then plunging his knife in again, made another, and with the flowing water for help, in a short time laid bare the various objects which formed the loathsome reptile's food. first and foremost there was, to the doctor's astonishment, the snake, and as soon as this had been sent floating down the stream there were fish, seven of goodly size, beside some that were quite small. then the boys were puzzled, but the cleansing water soon showed that what followed next were a couple of water-fowl, nearly as big as geese. "that's all, is it?" said the doctor. "no, sahib, there is something else--something hard," said the hunter, and he searched about, gathering something in his hand, rinsed it to and fro a few times, and carefully threw four objects ashore. harry shuddered and felt a horrible, sickening sensation for a few moments, but it was swept away directly after by the feeling of rage which made the blood run hot to his temples. "i've been thinking what brutes we were, killing things as we have been this morning; but oh, the beast! i should like to kill hundreds." "ugh!" ejaculated phra, as he stamped his foot, and then through his compressed teeth: "the wretches! the monsters! how i hate them!" he said no more, but stood with his companion listening as the doctor rested on one knee and turned over the objects on the grass. "yes, strung on wire; that is why they have not separated. gilt bronze, and very pretty too. each one is chased; the leg and arm bangles are bronze too, and quite plain. you may as well put them in your museum, kenyon, with a label containing their sad little history--worn by some pretty little siamese girl dragged under when bathing." "yes, sahib doctor," said sree respectfully; "they wear bangles like that three days' journey up the river." "horrible!" ejaculated harry, bending over the relics. "horrible indeed, my boy," said his father. then laying his hand upon phra's shoulder, "thank you both, my lads, for ridding the river of a vile old murderer." "thank old sree, too, father," said harry eagerly, "for he did more than either of us." "i'm going to thank sree," said the merchant. "there, let the monster float down to the sea. don't go away yet; doctor cameron and i want to talk to you." "yes, and harry and i want to go up the river to the wild jungle," said phra eagerly. "we have not had a hunt for a week." "come along, then," said mr. kenyon, laying his hand on the prince's shoulder. "we'll talk it over, and perhaps we can join forces. what's that, sree?" "the crocodiles from below are coming up, sahib; they have smelt the blood." "yes, look at that," said the doctor, as there was a wallow and a splash not ten yards from the monster's head. "take care!" said mr. kenyon excitedly. "don't try to untie those ropes, sree, or you may have your hand seized; cut them, and let the reptile go." sree obeyed, dividing the strong cords with a couple of cuts. then taking an oar from one of the boatmen he forced the boat along past the crocodile, giving the latter a thrust, when the current bore it outward, and directly after another of its tribe, of about half the size, raised its head out of the water, and drew itself partly on the bulky body, which rolled over toward it, and then sank back out of sight. but it was not gone, and the agitation of the surface about the floating body showed that others were there, tearing at it as it floated away. "i should hardly have thought that we had so many of these brutes about here," said the doctor. "they come and go, sahib; and they hide so. there are plenty more, and that dead one will never reach the sea." "it's a warning to you two boys never to attempt to bathe off here," said mr. kenyon. "bathe, father!" cried harry, glancing down at the bronze rings and the necklace lying in the grass; "i feel as if i shall never like to bathe again;" and phra curled up his lip, as he once more ejaculated:-"ugh!" chapter vi making plans it was pleasantly dusk and shady in mr. kenyon's museum, where the party had gathered, glad enough to get away from the glare of the sun after the exertions of the morning. for siam is a country beautiful enough, but one where the sun has a bad habit of making it pretty often somewhere near ninety-nine in the shade. the natives revel in this, and grow strong and well, though it has a tendency to make even them a quiet, deliberate, and indolent people. what wonder, then, that an englishman should feel indisposed to work? all the same, there was not much idleness in the kenyons' bungalow, for the merchant was an indefatigable business man, who had built up a fine business, at the same time finding time for gratifying his intense love for natural history, in which he had an energetic companion in the young doctor, who had been encouraged to settle at dahcok by one of the kings. as for harry, his restless nature made him set the hottest weather at defiance unless he was checked, for, to use his own words, "i'm not going to let phra beat me out of doors, even if he was born in the country." there had been a few words in connection with his restlessness when the lads bore in the guns and spears, all of which were handed over to mike to be cleaned and carefully oiled. "you lads had better sit down now and have a good rest in here; it's cool and shady. your face is scarlet, hal. make phra stay and have a bit of dinner with us." "i should like to," said the young prince eagerly. "of course he will, father; but you and doctor cameron want to talk." "about what will interest you as well, i dare say. what were you going to do?" for harry had made a sign to phra, and was sidling towards the door. "oh, i don't know, father; look about and do something along with phra." "do you hear him, doctor? did you ever see such a restless fellow? he's spoiling the prince too." "oh no," said phra; "i'm just as bad as he is, sir." "i begin to think you are," cried mr. kenyon. "look here, cameron; they've had a fight with the boa whose skin i showed you, and another with that crocodile. that ought to satisfy any two boys who love adventure for quite a month." "well, it is a pretty good morning's work," said the doctor, laughing. "take my advice, lads, and have a rest till dinner-time, and another afterwards. as it happens, kenyon, i told the wife i shouldn't be back to dinner." "you wouldn't have gone back if you had not," said mr. kenyon laughing. "oh, by the way, have you completed your collection of fireflies?" "no; there is one which gives out quite a fiery light, very different from the greeny gold of the others. i've seen it three times, but it always soars away over the river or up amongst the lofty trees." "i know that one," said phra eagerly. "i've seen it once," said harry. "old sree would get you one." "i've asked him, but he has not succeeded yet," said the doctor. "we'll try, then," said phra, springing up, an action followed by harry. "but the fireflies are best caught by night," said mr. kenyon drily. "of course," cried phra, reddening through his yellowish bronze skin, and he dropped back in his chair, with harry following suit. but in spite of the heat, the boys could not sit still, and began fidgeting about, while mr. kenyon and his friend chatted about the state of the colony. for want of something else more in accordance with their desires at the moment, the two boys began to go over the various objects in the large, high-ceiled room, which were the result of ten years' collecting. there were bird-skins by the hundred--pheasants with the wondrously-shaped eyes upon tail and wing, which had won for them the name argus; others eye-bearing like the peacock, but on a smaller scale; and then the great peacock itself--the javanese kind--gorgeous in golden green where the indian kinds were of peacock blue. every here and there hung snake-skins, trophies of the jungle, while upon the floor were no less than six magnificent tiger-pelts, each of which had its history, and a black one too, of murder committed upon the body of some defenceless native. leopard-skins, too, were well represented. elephants' tusks of the whitest ivory; and one strange-looking object stood on the floor, resembling a badly rounded tub about twenty inches in diameter, and formed out of the foot of some huge elephant. skulls with horns were there, and skulls without; cases and drawers of birds' eggs, and lovely butterflies and moths, with brilliant, metallic-looking beetles; and the boys smiled at one another as they paused before first one thing and then another in whose capture they had played a part. here, too, was another stand of weapons that would be suitable for the attack upon some tyrant of the jungle, or for defence against any enemy who might rise against the peace of those dwelling at the bungalow. the boys were interested enough in the contents of the museum they had helped to form; but at last the weariness growing upon them became unbearable, and they moved towards the door, expecting to hear some remark made by either mr. kenyon or the doctor; but these gentlemen were too intent upon the subject they had in hand, and about which they were talking in a low voice. "they didn't hear us come out, phra," said harry. "here let's run and see whether old sree has gone yet. i hope mike dunning has given them all plenty to eat." "he was told to," said phra quietly. "yes, he was told to," said harry; "but that does not mean that he always does as he's told." "one of our servants dare not forget to do what he was ordered," said phra, frowning. "no; but our laws don't allow masters to cut off people's heads for forgetting things." by this time they had passed round the house, to find right at the back sree and his two men busy at work cleaning and polishing the guns and spears that had been used that morning, while mike, whose task it was by rights, lounged about giving orders and looking on. "have you given those men their dinner, mike?" asked harry. "oh yes, sir, such a dinner as they don't get every day," replied the man. "that's more than you know, mike," said harry. "hunters know how to live well out in the jungle; don't they, sree?" "we always manage to get enough, master harry," said the man, smiling; "for there is plenty for those who know how to find it in the jungle, out on the river's edge, or in the water." "and you know how to look for provisions if any man does. but here, you, mike, they've no business cleaning these things. you finish them; i want to talk to sree." mike took the gun sree was polishing without a word, and went on with the task, while the hunter rose respectfully and stood waiting to hear what the boys had to say. "we want to have a day in the jungle," said harry. "what is there to shoot?" "a deer, sahib." "no," said phra, frowning; "they are so hard to get near. they go off at the slightest noise." "the young sahibs might wait and watch by a water-hole," said the hunter. "it is easier to catch the deer when they come to drink." "but that means staying out in the jungle all night." "yes, sahib, it is the best way." "no," said phra. "what else, sree?" asked harry. "the sahib said he would like two more coo-ahs; would the sahibs like to lie in wait for them? i could make them come near enough by calling as they do--_coo--ah! coo--ah!_" the man put his hands before his mouth and softly imitated the harsh cry of the great argus pheasant so accurately that phra nodded his head and smiled. "yes, that's like it," cried harry. "_coo--ah! coo--ah!_" "and that isn't a bit like it," said phra laughingly. "you would not have many come to a cry like that; would he, sree?" "no, my prince," replied the man, shaking his head; "the great birds would not come for that." "very rude of them," cried harry merrily; "for it's the best i can do. well, shall we try for the _coo--ahs?_" "what else do you know of, sree?" asked phra. "there was a leopard in the woods across the river yesterday, my prince; but they are strange beasts, and he may be far away to-day." "oh yes, i don't think that's any good," said harry. "i should like to try for an elephant." "there are very few near, just now, sahib," replied the man. "it is only a month since there was the great drive into the kraal, and those that were let go are wild and have gone far away." "oh, i say, phra, and we call this a wild country! why, we shall have to go beetle-catching or hunting frogs." sree smiled, and harry saw it. "well, propose something better," he cried. "the men were at work in the new sugar plantation," said the man quietly. "well, we don't want to go hunting men," cried harry impatiently. "and the tiger leaped out of the edge of the jungle, caught the man by the shoulder, and carried him away." "ah!" cried phra excitedly; "why didn't you tell us that at first?" "because he kept it back for the last," said harry. "that's just his way." "would the sahib and my prince like to try and shoot the tiger?" asked sree. "would we? why, of course we would," cried harry excitedly. "what shall we do? have a place made in a tree?" "no, sahib," replied the man, shaking his head. "if it were a cow or one of the oxen, i would make a place in a tree near the spot where he had dragged the beast, for he would come back to feed upon it as soon as it grew dark; but it was not an ox nor a cow. the poor man has been taken away to the wat, and his wife and friends have paid all they could for him to be burned." "what shall we do, then?" "it is of no use to go without a couple of elephants and beaters to drive the tiger out." harry looked round at phra, who nodded his head quietly. "very well," he said; "we'll have the elephants out, and men to beat. when shall we go? to-morrow?" "yes, my prince; to-morrow when the tiger will be lying asleep." "i'll go and speak to my father," said phra. "he will not care to come himself, but your father and doctor cameron will be sure to say that they will come." "yes, of course," said harry. "but i say, only to think of old sree here knowing of this tiger, and not saying a word!" "i was going to tell you, sahib, before i went away." "but why didn't you tell us before?" "because i did not know, sahib, till a little while ago, when he came to find me and bring me the news." he pointed as he spoke to an ordinary-looking peasant who was squatted a little way off beneath the trees, chewing his betel. the lads had not noticed the man before, as he had shrunk away more into the shade on seeing them come out. "he brought you the bad news?" said phra. "yes, my prince. he went to find me yonder after coming across from his village, and no one could tell him where i had gone, till at last he saw the sahib doctor's boatmen, and they told him that i was here." "then i will go and tell my father we want the elephant," said phra. "you go and speak to them indoors, for we must kill that wretch." "if we can," said harry, smiling; "but mr. stripes is sometimes rather hard to find." phra nodded, and went across the garden on his way to the palace, while harry went back into the house, mike waiting till his young master's back was turned and then handing the gun he was finishing to the old hunter. "you may as well do this, sree," he said; "you clean guns so much better than i can." the old hunter smiled, as he waited to examine the points of the spears his men had been polishing, and then good-humouredly took the gun to finish after his own fashion, for there was a good deal of truth in what mike dunning had said. chapter vii the brink of a volcano the boys were quite wrong in imagining that their act of escaping from the museum had passed unnoticed, for as soon as they had passed out of hearing the doctor nodded his head and threw himself back in his cane chair. "now we are alone," he said to mr. kenyon, "i may as well tell you what i have heard." "nothing serious, i hope?" "no--yes. it may be either," replied the doctor. "i would not say anything before the boys, for it might make phra uneasy." "and harry?" said mr. kenyon. "no, i think not. i don't believe he would give the matter a second thought." "you are hard upon the boy," said mr. kenyon, rather sternly. "not in the least," said the doctor, smiling. "it is his nature. i don't think the matter is really of any consequence, but it would have upset phra, who is as sensitive as a girl; and he would be worrying himself, and thinking about it for weeks, beside exaggerating the matter on his father's account." "what is it, then--some trouble with our friend the other king?" "friend, eh? i believe that if he could have his own way every european would be driven out of the country--or into the river," he added to himself--"before we were twenty-four hours older." "what is the fresh trouble, now?" "nothing fresh about it, kenyon. it is the stale old matter. here we have two parties in the country." "yes, and worse still, two kings," interposed mr. kenyon. "exactly, each having his own party. the one wants to see the country progress and become prosperous and enlightened; the other for it to keep just as it was five hundred years ago; and the worst of it is nearly all the people are on the stand-still side." "yes," said mr. kenyon. "the old traditions and superstitions suit the indolent nature of the people." "and the progress the king is making offends their prejudices." "you mean the prejudices of the bonzes," said mr. kenyon sadly. "exactly; that is what i do mean, and they are getting so thick with the second king, that i sometimes begin to be afraid that we shall have trouble." "you have had that idea for a long time now, but the reigning king holds so strong a position that his kinsman dare not rise against him. he is as gentle and amiable a man as could exist, but there is the old eastern potentate in him still, and our friend number two knows perfectly well that if he attempted to rise he would be pretty well sure to fail, and then his head would fall as surely as if our old harry the eighth were on the throne." "but would he fail? all the bonzes are on his side." "yes," said mr. kenyon, laughing; "and they'd tell him to go on and prosper, but they would not fight." "no, they would not fight," said the doctor musingly. "do you think there is a regular conspiracy?" "i really do sometimes, and it makes me uneasy." "that is because you are a young married man, and fidget about your wife." "well, and quite naturally." "yes, quite naturally, of course; but when you have been here as long as i have, you will not be so nervous." "i don't think i am nervous, kenyon; but it would be very horrible if there should be a rising amongst the people." "horrible, but not likely, my dear sir." "but if there were? i suppose i am right in looking upon ourselves as being favourites." "certainly." "well, then, should we not be among the first whom the people would attack?" "that is quite possible, but i suppose we should defend ourselves, and be defended as well by the people who remained staunch." "i have thought of all that, but if trouble did come it would be sudden and unexpected, and we should be taken by surprise." "we might be, or we might have ample warning. i think the latter, for these people are very open and wanting in cunning." "but don't you think we--or say you--having so much influence with the king, would do wisely if you warned him--told him of our suspicions?" "no, i think not," said mr. kenyon. "why?" "because, quiet and studious as the king is, he happens to be very acute and observant. i feel certain that nothing goes on in the city without his being fully aware of it; and though he seems to take very little notice, i am pretty sure that nothing important takes place except under his eye, or which is not faithfully reported to him by one or other of his councillors." "perhaps you are right," said the doctor, "and i have been unnecessarily nervous." "i feel sure that you have been. i would speak to him, but he might look upon it as an impertinent interference on my part in connection with private family matters. take my advice, and let it rest. we should have ample warning and ample protection, i feel sure. but i am glad you spoke out, all the same. but bah! nonsense! you would not be hurt--you, the doctor who has done so much good among the poor people. why, doctor, they look upon you as something more than man: they idolize you." "for the few simple cures i have effected." "few? hundreds." "well, hundreds, then. but what has it done?" "made you friends with every one in the city." "made me a number of bitter enemies, sir. why, the native doctors absolutely hate me. my word! i should not like to be taken ill and become helpless. they'd never let me get well again if they had the doctoring." "don't be too hard on them," said mr. kenyon. "not i, my dear sir. i only speak as i think. so you would not take a step in our defence?" "not until we were certain that it was necessary; then as many as you like. steps? i'd make them good long strides. but say no more: the boys are coming back, and we don't want to set them thinking about such things." in effect, steps were heard in the verandah, and a few minutes later harry hurried into the museum again. "well, boy!" cried the doctor. "what is it? you look hot." "tiger," said harry eagerly. "where?" cried mr. kenyon and his visitor in a breath. "over yonder, by the new sugar plantation," cried harry. "jumped on a man and killed him. sree has just heard the news. he told me and phra." "how horrible!" said mr. kenyon. "yes, and the village people sent a messenger to sree. they want the brute killed, and we're going to have an expedition and destroy the wretch." "indeed?" said mr. kenyon drily. "you and mr. cameron will come with us, of course, father?" said harry, who was too much excited to notice the glances exchanged between the merchant and his visitor; "but i should like to have first shot, and kill the beast." "no doubt," said the doctor drily; "but i suppose you would not wish us to give up our chances if the tiger came out our way?" "oh no, of course not," said harry. then turning to mr. kenyon, "you will try the new rifles the king sent to you, will you not, father?" "when i go tiger-hunting," said mr. kenyon drily. harry felt damped by his father's manner. "but you will go now, father?" "what, and walk the tiger up like one would a partridge?" said mr. kenyon. "certainly not, and you are not old and experienced enough yet to go tiger-shooting. it requires a great deal of nerve." "oh, but i don't think i should feel frightened, father." "perhaps not; but you would be too much excited, and might shoot the doctor. we could not spare him, hal." "i shouldn't, father. you taught me how to handle a gun, and if i can do that i ought to be able to handle a rifle." "possibly; but, as mr. cameron will tell you, we could not risk going on foot." "we're not going on foot, father," cried harry excitedly. "we're going to have two elephants, and you and doctor could go on one, and phra and i on the other." "oh, that alters the case," said mr. cameron eagerly. "has the king offered to lend us elephants?" said mr. kenyon. "no, father, but he will," said harry. "phra has gone to tell him, and he is sure to say we may have them." "indeed? i doubt it." "he always lets phra and me have anything we ask for." "yes, he is very indulgent to you both, my boy--too much so sometimes; but i notice that there is a certain amount of wisdom in what he does. what about the rifles?" "well, he gave us the rifles, father." "with certain restrictions, hal. they were to be placed in my charge, and i was to decide when it would be right for you to use them." "oh yes, father, he did say that." "yes, and i think it was not until you and phra had been waiting nearly two years that they were sent." "it was a long time, certainly," agreed harry. "the king is a wise man in his way, and i feel pretty sure that he will refuse to lend the elephants. what do you say, cameron?" "i agree with you." "what, and let the tiger lurk about that great plantation and keep on killing the poor fellows who are hoeing?" cried harry indignantly. "i'm sure he wouldn't; he's too particular about protecting people." "he will most likely get up a big hunt to destroy the tiger," said the doctor; "but i don't believe he will let you two boys go." "oh!" cried harry, who seemed as if he could hardly contain himself in his keen disappointment; "any one would think it was wicked and contemptible to be a boy. one mustn't do this and one mustn't do that, because one is a boy. one mustn't do anything because one is a boy. it's always, 'you are too young' for what one wants to do. oh," he cried passionately, "who'd be a boy?" "i would, for one," said the doctor, laughing. "i don't believe it, doctor," cried harry. "you wouldn't like to be always kept down." "perhaps not; boys never do. they're too stupid." "what!" cried harry. "too stupid," said the doctor again, while mr. kenyon lay back in his creaking cane chair with his eyes half closed, listening, with an amused expression of countenance. "why, i was as stupid as you are, hal, at your age." "but you did not think so," retorted hal. "of course i did not. i did not know any better. i could not see that by being a thorough boy for so many years, and being boyish and thinking as a boy should think, i should naturally grow into a thorough manly man." "i don't quite understand you, sir," said harry rather distantly. "but i'm speaking plainly enough, hal. come, confess, my lad; you want to be a man, and to be treated as if you were one?" harry hesitated. "speak out frankly, sir," said mr. kenyon sternly. "well, of course i do," said the lad. "and you can't see that if we treated you as you wish to be treated," said the doctor earnestly, "that we should be weak, foolish, and indulgent, for we should be doing you harm?" "oh, mr. cameron, what nonsense!" "think of this some day in the future, hal, my lad," said the doctor warmly, "and you will find then that it is not nonsense. look here, my lad, a boy of seventeen, however advanced and able he may be in some things, is only a boy." "only a boy!" said harry bitterly. "yes, only a boy; a young, green sapling who must pass through years before he can grow naturally into a strong, muscular man. some boys fret over this and the restraints they undergo, because of their youth, and want to be men at once--want to throw away four or five of the golden years of their existence, and all through ignorance, because they are too blind to see how beautiful they are." "you told me all that once before, mr. cameron." "very likely, hal, for i am rather disposed to moralize sometimes. but it's quite true, my lad." "yes." said mr. kenyon, "it's true enough, hal, for boys are wonderfully boyish. naturally, too, my lad," he added, with a laugh. "but there, don't build any hopes upon this expedition, for i should certainly shrink from letting you go." "oh, father, i would be so careful, and i'll believe all doctor cameron said and won't want to be a man till i am quite grown up. i'll be as boyish as i can be." "i think i'd shrink from any promises of that kind, hal," said the doctor, smiling. "don't tie yourself down to rules of your own invention. look here, aim at being natural, at hitting the happy medium." "i suppose that's the unhappy medium for the boy, isn't it?" "not at all, my lad; it's the way to be happy. leave it to nature; she will set that right. don't be too boyish, and don't aim at being an imitation man--in other words a prig. be natural." "yes," said mr. kenyon; "the doctor's right, hal. be natural, and you will not be far wrong there." "i always am as natural as i can be," said harry, throwing himself into action, and looking as gloomy and discontented as a boy could look; "but no one gets to be so disappointed and sat upon as i am." mr. kenyon's brow clouded over, but he said nothing. "so sure as i set my mind upon anything i'm sure to be balked." "poor fellow!" said the doctor gravely. "yes, doctor, it's all very well for you to make fun of me. you can do just as you like." "of course," said the doctor gravely, "and i see that does make a difference. one sees things from such a different point of view." "yes, that you do," said harry. "exactly," continued the doctor slowly, "and you see, as you say, i do exactly as i like, have everything i wish for, never suffer the slightest trouble, enjoy the most robust health, am as rich as a man need wish to be; in fact, i am the happiest man under the sun." "are you, doctor?" said harry. "i'm glad of it. i didn't know it was so good as that." "and, of course, that is about how you'd like to be, eh, hal?" "well," said the boy, hesitating, "something like that--i--er--i--i don't want to be greedy." "don't want to be greedy?" cried the doctor, changing his manner, as he sprang up and began to pace the museum. "why, you miserable, discontented young cub! there is not one boy in a thousand leads such a life as you do: a good home, surrounded by friends, with plenty of time for study, and plenty of time for the necessary amusement. yours, sir, is an ideal life; but it has spoilt you, and i'm afraid it is from having a too indulgent father." "oh, come, cameron, i must speak in my own defence," said mr. kenyon. "and you ought to speak in mine too, father," cried harry indignantly, as he gazed at the doctor with blazing eyes and flaming cheeks. "i can't, hal," said his father, smiling; "there's so much truth in what he says, my boy, and your words were uncalled for--unjust." "i beg your pardon, kenyon," said the doctor; "i had no business to speak as i did. i had no right. but i'm such a hot-headed scotsman, and master hal here put me out." "there is no begging pardon needed," said mr. kenyon quietly. "you see, i could not help comparing hal's lot with mine--a poor, raw lad on the west coast who lived on potatoes and porridge, with a broiled herring or haddie once in a way for a treat. but there, once more, i had no right to interfere." "i say, granted, and thanks." "then i shan't beg your pardon, hal, boy," cried the doctor, "for i honestly believe what i say is the truth. take it all as so many pills, and if you'll come along the river to my place to-morrow morning i'll give you a draught as well--to do you good, my dear boy--to do you good." "i think i've had physic enough," said harry sulkily. "and you don't seem to like the taste, eh?" said the doctor, laughing. "never mind; it will, as people say, do you good. you will be sure to have some bit of luck to take the taste out of your mouth--a bit of sugary pleasure, my lad. aha! and here it comes in the shape of friend, phra, the prince, who, king's son as he is, does not enjoy a single advantage more than you." "doctor!" cried harry indignantly. "he has only to speak to have everything he wants. no one could be better off than he is. look, he's in a hurry to tell us all about the expedition for to-morrow. oh, it is so disappointing, for i wanted so badly to shoot a tiger. it set me longing when phra and i looked at those skins to-day." "dear me! what a thirst for blood you are developing, hal!" said the doctor, as mr. kenyon still sat back in his chair, looking pained, while his son carefully avoided gazing in his direction. "i should have thought you had killed enough for one day." "well, phra?" cried harry, as his companion came straight in. "well?" said the boy, with a mocking smile. "what did your father say?" phra was silent for a few moments, and then he spoke quietly. "that i was too much of a boy yet to think of going after tigers," said the lad slowly, and then he started and frowned. for the doctor had thrown himself back in one of the cane chairs, which gave vent to a peculiar squeaking noise, while its occupier rocked himself to and fro, literally roaring with laughter. "i am very sorry if i have said some ridiculous thing, sir," said phra gravely. "i speak english as well as i can." "ridiculous thing!" cried the doctor, springing up and seizing the young siamese by the shoulders; "why, it was splendid. look at him," he cried, half-choking with laughter, "look at hal! oh, dear me, how you have made my sides ache!" "but i don't understand," said phra. "then you soon shall," cried the doctor. "my lord there has been in a tantrum because--because--oh, dear me, i shall be able to speak directly." phra looked in a puzzled way from the laughing doctor to his friend, who sat frowning and biting his lips. "because," continued the doctor, "mr. kenyon here has told him that he should not like him to go to the tiger hunt." "mr. kenyon told him so?" cried phra quickly. "yes, because he is too young." "oh, i am so glad," cried phra, showing his white teeth. harry started as if he had received a blow. "what!" he cried fiercely. "i say i am so glad, because that is just what my father said to me." "and very wisely too, phra, my boy," said mr. kenyon, rising. "you lads had better wait a bit longer before you indulge in a sport which is very risky even to one mounted upon an elephant, especially if the elephant is timid. i have known several bad accidents occur through the poor creature becoming unmanageable from a wounded beast's charge." "it's disappointing, sir," said phra; "but i suppose father's right." "of course he is, and i'm glad to see you take it so wisely." the speaker laid his hand on the doctor's arm, and they went out into the verandah. "ah, kenyon, you spoil that boy with indulgence." "think so?" "yes; i don't like to hear a lad like that speak as he did to you. it was that made me fire up. but there, i'm sorry if i've done wrong." "you have not done wrong," said mr. kenyon, "and i am rather glad you spoke as you did. but you do not understand hal so well as i do." "naturally i do not." "he is a queer boy, with a good many things about him that i don't like; but he has some oddities that i do like. i dare say he will display one of them before you go." "he will have to be quick about it, then," said the doctor, smiling, "for i have not much longer to stay." "plenty of time for him to show the stuff he is made of. i'm sorry to disappoint the boys, though." "and ourselves too, for i should have liked the jaunt, and the more of those savage beasts we can destroy the better. what do you say to going over to the palace and asking the old gentleman to let us have the use of the elephants and beaters?" "no," said mr. kenyon, "i could not do that under the circumstances. it would be too hard upon the boys. yes, michael?" "there is a man from--one of the gentlemen from the king to see you, sir," said the man. "indeed? i will come. come too, cameron; i daresay it will interest you." the messenger had come to ask mr. kenyon if he would take charge of a little expedition to be made against a tiger that had been destroying life in the neighbourhood, and to say that as matters were so serious the king would be greatly obliged if he would go. "i don't like to say no, and i don't want to say yes," said mr. kenyon. "i do not see how you can refuse." "neither do i," said mr. kenyon thoughtfully, and he sent a note back, promising to undertake the task. hardly had the messenger departed before harry came hurriedly into the room, but started on seeing the doctor there. "i thought you had gone, sir," he said. "i made sure i heard the door swing to." "no, i have not gone, hal," said the doctor, smiling good-humouredly; "but i'll soon be off, if you want to speak to your father alone." "i did, sir; but it doesn't matter your being here." "what is it, hal?" said mr. kenyon gravely. "wanted to tell you i feel horribly ashamed of myself, father," said harry quickly. "indeed?" "yes, it seems so queer that such a chap as phra should behave like a gentleman over a bit of disappointment, while i--i--well, i behaved like a disagreeable boy." "but very naturally, hal," said the doctor. "better than acting like a make-believe man." "thank you, hal," said mr. kenyon quietly, holding out his hand. "has phra gone?" "no, father." "tell him that his father has sent requesting me to take charge of an expedition against the tiger, and that i am sorry i cannot ask you two lads to go with me." "all right, father; he won't mind. i don't now." harry nodded at the doctor, and went out of the room, while his father waited till his steps had ceased, and a door had swung to. "odd boy, isn't he, cameron?" said mr. kenyon then. "very odd chap," replied the doctor. "but i like boys to be odd like that." chapter viii a prowl by water it was disappointing and hard for two boys to bear, situated as they had been--singled out by the old hunter as the first receivers of the news; but they had determined to be heroic over it, and after a fashion they were. "don't let's seem to mind it the least bit in the world, phra," harry said. "what shall we do? go up the river?" "go up the river? no. let's see them start, and help them with their guns when they mount the elephants. they'll be watching to see how we look, and we're going to puzzle them." "but will not that look queer?" "i dunno," said harry, "and i don't care; but that's what i've made up my mind to do. what do you mean to do?" "the same as you do," said phra firmly. the result was that at the time appointed harry walked up to the court by the palace main entrance, shouldering one of the rifles, and there his heart failed him for a moment or two, but he was himself again directly. for the sight of the two huge elephants with their howdahs, and their mahouts with their legs hidden beneath the huge beasts' ears, each holding his anchus--the short, heavy, spear-like goad with hook which takes the place of whip, spur, and reins, in the driving of the huge beasts--was almost too much for him. there was a party, too, of pretty well fifty spearmen to act as beaters, some of whom were furnished with small gongs. altogether it formed a goodly show, and it sent the sting of disappointment pretty deeply into the boys' breasts, so that they had to bear up bravely to keep a good face on the matter. the king was there to see the start made, after mr. kenyon, with sree for his attendant, had mounted one of the elephants by means of a bamboo ladder, the doctor and a trusted old hunter in the king's service perching themselves upon the other. then the king wished them both good fortune, the word was given, and half the spearmen marched off in front; the elephants at a word from their mahouts shuffled after, side by side, and the remainder of the spearmen followed, passing out of the gateway. the king said a few words to the boys, and then retired, leaving them alone in the yard with the armed men on guard. "shall we follow them part of the way?" said phra then. "no, that wouldn't do," replied harry. "it was right to come and show that we weren't going to mind; but if we followed now, i know what my father would think." "what?" said phra abruptly. "that we were following in the hope of being asked to get on the elephants. it would be too mean." "yes," said phra, "of course. i did not think of that. well, what shall we do?" "i dunno. lie down and go to sleep till they come back; that's the best way to forget it all." "bah! i'm not going to do that. i know: get over the river in a boat, and go and see the big wat." "what for? who wants to see the old place again, with its bonzes, with their yellow robes and shaven heads?" "we could go up the great tower again." "nice job to climb all the way up those steps in a hot time like this! what's the good?" phra looked at him and smiled. "you could take the telescope up, and see for miles." "but i don't want to carry that lumpy thing up those hundreds of steps." "i'd carry it." "but i don't want you to carry it, and i don't want to see for miles. i can see quite as much as i want to-day without the telescope. i don't feel as if i want to see at all. it was quite right, i suppose, for us to be left at home, and proper for us to come and make a show of not minding; but now the excitement's all over, and they're gone, i feel just as if i could howl." "what! cry?" said phra wonderingly. "no--ooo! howl--shout with rage. i want to quarrel with some one and hit him." "well, quarrel with and hit me." "shan't. i should hurt you." "well, hurt away. i won't hit back." "then i shan't be such a coward. here, i know: i'll go and take that chap's spear away, and break it." he nodded his head towards one of the guards on duty close to the entrance of the palace. "what for?" "because i'm in a rage," said harry between his teeth. "oh, i could do that, and then run at another and knock him down, and then yell and shout, and throw stones at those great vases, and break the china squares over the doorway. i feel just like those malay fellows must when they get in one of their mad tempers and run _amok_." "why don't you, then?" said phra mockingly. "because i can't," cried harry bitterly. "can't? why, it would be easy enough. you could go and break the spears of all the guards, and take their krises away. they wouldn't dare to hurt you, seeing what a favourite you are with my father." "i know all that," said harry, snapping his teeth together. "then why can't you do it?" said phra mockingly. "go on; run _amok_." "shan't--can't." "why can't you?" "because i'm english, and i've got to fight it all down, and i'm going to, savage as it makes me feel. here, what shall we do?" "go right up to the highest window in the big tower of the wat over yonder, and take the telescope up with us." "i tell you i don't want to. there's nothing to see there that we haven't seen scores of times." "yes, there is." "no, there isn't." "yes, there is, i tell you." "well, what is there?" "we could watch and follow them with the glass nearly all the way to the new sugar plantation, and perhaps see the tiger hunt." harry started excitedly, and caught his friend by the arm. "so we could," he said, with his face lighting up. "i needn't go back for our glass; you could get one from your father; he'd let you have that if he wouldn't let you have the elephants." "yes. shall i fetch it?" "no," cried harry sharply; "i won't take any more notice of the hunting; we'll do something else." "but you'd like to see it," said phra. "of course i should, but i won't. there." "but it's like--what do you call it when you're doing something to hurt yourself?" "hurting myself," said harry bluntly. "no, no, no. ah, i've got it. biting your own nose off in revenge of your face." "all right, that's what i'm going to do--bite it off. i won't watch them going, and i won't take any more notice of the miserable, disappointing business." "oh, hal, what a temper you're in!" "i know that, but i'm fighting it all the time, and i mean to win." "but you'll be obliged to be here when they come back." "no, i shan't; i won't hear them." "you can't help it; they'll come marching back, banging the gongs and tomtomming and shouting, with the tiger slung on the back of one elephant, and the doctor and your father in the same howdah. oh, you'll be obliged to come and meet them." "yes, i suppose so," said harry, drawing a deep breath. "if i don't, they'll think me sulky." "so you are," said phra, laughing. "i'm not; no, not a bit, only in a temper." "i wish the cricket and football things had come." "i don't believe they ever will come," said harry. "see what time it is." "they will come," said phra gravely. "how do you know?" "because my father said that we should have them. there, you're better now." "no, i'm not; i'm ever so much worse," said harry, through his set teeth. "well, let's go and kill something; you'll be better then." "don't believe i should," replied harry. "what should we go and kill?" "i don't know. let's get the guns and make two of the men row us up the narrow stream, right up yonder through the jungle where the best birds are. your father would like it if we got some good specimens ready for sree to skin." "very well," said harry resignedly; "i shan't mind so long as you don't want me to go up the big temple tower to watch them. i say, phra, i'm beginning to feel a bit better now." phra laughed, and the two boys went into the palace, where the former gave an order to one of the servants about a boat, and then led the way to his own room, a charming little library with a couple of stands on one side bearing guns and weapons of various kinds, beside fishing-rods and a naturalist's collecting gear. "which gun will you have?" asked phra. "either; i don't care," was the reply; and by the time they were prepared one of the attendants announced that the boat was ready. they walked down to the great stone landing-place at the river, stepped into the boat, and seated themselves under the little open-sided roof, while their two rowers pushed off, and keeping close in shore, where the eddy was in their favour, sent the boat rapidly on through the muddy water. for some distance the forest lay back away from the river, while the bank on their right was pretty well hidden by a continuous mass of house-boats, so close together as almost to touch; but at last these were left behind, and the trees on their left began to encroach upon the fields and fruit gardens, where melons, pines and bananas grew in wonderful profusion, and the air was full of life such as would have delighted an entomologist. by degrees cultivation ceased and the wild jungle came close down to the stream, and in places even overhung and dipped the tips of branches in the water. now and then, a small crocodile scuffled off the muddy bank and plunged into the river. fish began to be more plentiful, little shoals showing on the surface, and in two or three places a heavy fellow springing out in pursuit of its prey and falling back with a splash. birds, too, began to be seen: tiny parrots whistled and chattered in the trees; a big hawk hovered overhead; and several times over great long-legged waders were disturbed. but no attempt at firing was made, the two lads sitting quiet and thoughtful beneath their sheltering roof, musing over the expedition, and wondering whether it was being successful. in imagination harry seemed to see it all: the men spread out to beat some fairly open space and drive the tiger towards where the two elephants would be stationed some fifty yards apart, with their occupants, rifle in hand, watching for the slightest movement in a clump of bushes or tuft of reeds. "oh, what would i not give to be there!" said harry to himself at last. "i wish i were not such a boy!" the colour came a little, though, into his cheeks--or it might have been caused by the heat of the sun, at any rate it was there--as he thought of what the doctor had said, and of his own words to his father. and as these thoughts came, he felt something like shame at his feeling of dissatisfaction with what he had, and his striving after that which he had not. "i won't be such a dissatisfied donkey," he muttered, and his face looked brighter as he turned sharply to speak to phra. his change affected his companion, who brightened up too. "we're getting close to the mouth of the little river," he said. "i'm glad of it," said harry cheerfully. "i say, they have been quick; it's hot work for them." "yes," said phra, "but they'll have a good rest soon while we're going slowly, and there will be nothing to do but steer, going back." "i say, suppose they get back first with the tiger." "i hope they will not," cried phra; "but it isn't likely. they've a long way to go, and the beating will take a long time. we shall be back first. ugh, you brute!" he whispered, reaching for his gun, cocking both barrels softly, and taking aim at a large crocodile. _snip! snap!_ and then a splash, as the reptile disappeared. "i don't think you have killed it," said harry seriously, but with his eyes dancing with mischief. "ah, you're better," cried phra pettishly. "you don't want to run _amok_ now. how could i be so stupid! i never thought about not being loaded." "better think about it now," said harry, beginning the operation in the tedious, old-fashioned way that ruled so long before the cartridge was invented for a sportsman's use. "but we were only to shoot birds, i thought." "yes, birds, and only beautiful specimens," replied phra. "i couldn't help being tempted to fire at the brute, though. i shall always be shooting at them now." "here we are," said harry, and at a word from phra the light sampan was guided into a sluggish side stream only some twenty yards or so wide, while on either side the trees rose like a wall of verdure, the water lapping the leaves, which dipped and played up and down with the motion of the stream. "you take that side and i'll take this," said phra; and then giving the order to the rower in front, the man ceased paddling and made his way right astern, to squat down on the little platform beside his fellow, who cleverly propelled and steered the light craft with his one oar, leaving the look-out forward free for the gunners. "hullo! how are you, old gentleman?" cried harry suddenly, as a grey-bearded, venerable-looking little face was suddenly thrust out through the leaves, so that its owner could look down at the strange visitors to his wild home. there was a sharp chattering, the head of the monkey was drawn back, and then a rustling and waving of the boughs on the left began, going on a little in front. "there's a whole troop of them travelling along," said harry. "yes, and they'll scare all the birds," cried phra. "look, they've startled those lovely parroquets. what's to be done?" "they'll soon go," replied harry. "row away." the man astern thrust the boat along with his easy, venice-like manipulation of the oar, and the light boat glided on right in the centre of the beautiful green lane with its watery floor; but the wave as it seemed to be likewise glided along, with a peculiar rustle in the foliage some twenty yards in front. there was not a sound beside, save when, further ahead, some parroquet darted out with a shriek to cross to the other side of the stream, or a sharp flapping of wings told that it was a dove darting frantically through the twigs to escape from enemies with a great love for eggs, and no objection to savoury, plump morsels in the shape of half-fledged young, by way of change from a fruit diet. "let's stop," said phra, on seeing that the undulation in the green wall on their left kept on at about the same rate. "stop, and let them go on?" said harry. "very well." at a word the man ceased paddling, the boat glided on from the impetus already given, but less and less fast, till completely overcome by the stream it was meeting, it gradually came to a standstill, and was on the point of giving way and being borne back, when harry burst into a hearty laugh, which had the result of making the grey, inquiring face of the monkey that had just peered out, pop back again. "row," said phra, "and keep the boat stationary." the rower dipped his oar gently, and the boat ceased to retrograde. "what rum little customers they are!" said harry, as he watched the place where the grey head had disappeared. "just like a little old man watching us. think they're gone now?" "no; look." harry was looking, and saw at the same moment the little face cautiously thrust out again, but withdrawn as he made a threatening movement with his gun. then all was perfectly still for a minute. "perhaps they're gone now," said harry. "no; they are too inquisitive. i daresay there are fifty of them hidden in among the boughs." "i think they're gone," said harry at the end of another minute. "well, try. go on," said phra, and the oar was once more silently plied, gently disturbing the water, while at the same moment the wave in the trees began again, with its gentle rustling, showing that the monkey troop was once more travelling along just in front, scaring the birds away as they advanced. the boat was stopped again, and the monkeys followed suit, the same curious old face peering cautiously out and watching. the boat went on, so did the monkeys; and this was repeated over and over again, stopping and going on, the wave in the trees seeming to be so exactly influenced by the rowers' agitation of the water that it was as if one touch moved both water and leaf. "well, they are comical little beggars," cried harry, who was once more in the highest of spirits. "i say, old man, just take your friends away; we're going shooting. do you hear?" the little head popped in out of sight, but as the boat did not move it popped out again, as if to find the reason why. "we shan't get a bird, for they'll keep on like that for miles." "it's tiresome," said harry. "here, i say, if you don't toddle i'll give you pepper." the gun was raised threateningly as the boy spoke, and the head disappeared. "he knows english," cried harry, "and he's an uncommonly sensible old gentleman. father told me that the country folks at home say rooks can smell powder. so can monkeys, seemingly." "country folks at home? what country folks?" "not yours; ours, in the old home, england. there, let's get on and begin shooting, or we shall get nothing." "it doesn't matter," said phra quietly; "it's very beautiful gliding along without killing things." "yes, but as we came to get specimens, let's get a few. i want to, so as to show father and the doctor that we haven't been moping. row away." the man smiled, and sent the boat gliding up the bright stream again, for the sun was so nearly overhead that scarcely any shadow was cast on their left. but the moment the boat moved the wave ran along the trees again, and phra laughed aloud at his companion's face. "yes, you may laugh, but it's too bad. there, i'll keep my word, though, and as soon as my grey-headed gentleman shows his face i'm going to pepper him with small shot." "no, you're not," said phra, laughing. "you don't want him for a specimen." "no, of course not. i don't want to shoot him. it would be just like killing a little old man. i'll only pepper him so as to scare him and his friends away. they'll spoil all our fun." "hi! look out, hal!" there was a great flapping of wings and a loud rushing sound, as two large birds dashed out from where the troop of monkeys were passing, to fly across the river to the trees on the other side. but before they were two-thirds of the way across a couple of reports followed rapidly one after the other, and the birds fell in the water, which one of them beat with its wings for a few moments, and then became motionless, floating down towards the boat, which was dexterously driven on to meet them. the birds were carefully lifted in, and with their plumage smoothed down, laid in a kind of locker, proving to be a finely developed pair of the great hornbills, no beauties as far as feathering was concerned, but singular as specimens, from the enormous development of their bills, and the great addition in form which has earned for them the sobriquet of rhinoceros. "that's capital," said harry. "father was saying he wanted a good specimen or two, for ours were very poor." the boys were loading again now, and the boat was once more advancing. "the monkeys did not drive those away," said phra. "no; just drove them out right for us. did as well as dogs, but--hullo! where are they?" the boys stared up at the great green wall on their left, but the trees were motionless in the hot sunshine, not a leaf stirring, the only movement visible being in one spot where a gigantic wreath of some flowering creeper hung down from far on high, spreading to the sunshine hundreds of trumpet-shaped white blossoms, and among these somewhere about a score of tiny sun-birds were hovering and darting, the brilliant, metallic, scale-like plumage of head and breast looking as if the diminutive creatures wore helmet and gorget of wonderfully tinted and burnished metals, others approaching in lustre the polish of brilliant gems. it was a beautiful sight as the little creatures darted about, their rapidly beating wings almost invisible, but giving the birds the appearance of being surrounded by a soft haze. here one would be apparently motionless beneath a hanging blossom, into which its long thin beak was thrust to probe the nectar like a gigantic bee. there a couple would be engaged in chase and flight, with flash after flash of metallic light reflected from the surface of their plumage as they darted about in full career, turning different portions of their plumage to the sun's rays. again one would seem to be of the most sober colours, almost dingy, till it moved, and then as it caught the light at some other angle it flashed into a thing of beauty, dazzling in its tints of ruby, sapphire, and purple. the boys had seen these tiny representatives of the humming birds in the new world scores of times, but always found satisfaction in watching them, and for the time being the monkeys were forgotten. "what a chance!" said harry, as the boat was sent in close to the burdened tree without disturbing the sun-birds in the least. "if father wants any more specimens of these, we couldn't come to a better place." "but next time we come by, that bush will not be in flower, and there will be no sun-birds there." "but they would be somewhere else," said harry philosophically. "look at that one with the red band across his breast. what a beauty! i say, next time we want any i vote that we don't shoot them with sand or water, but try a butterfly net." "couldn't reach," said phra. "could if we had it at the end of a long bamboo." "no," said phra decisively; "you could not handle it quickly enough then. it would be too clumsy, and the bird would be as quick again. couldn't do it, hal." "s'pose not," said the boy thoughtfully. "i say, look at that one with the rose-coloured head." "am looking at it. i don't think i ever saw such a beauty." "oh dear!" said harry, with a deep sigh. "what's the matter?" "i was thinking what poor, stupid things our stuffed skins are. they don't look a bit like these tiny beauties all in motion, and seeming to be a fresh colour every time they move. they're so soft and round, and so quick. and see how they fly, too. i say, phra, it seems a shame to shoot them." "horrible! nothing could be more beautiful," said phra, thoughtfully. "humming-birds are more beautiful," observed harry. "ever seen any?" "no, but my father says they are. he has seen them stuffed, and they are so beautiful then that they must be wonderfully lovely alive." "let's go on," said phra thoughtfully. "perhaps we shall get another shot or two, in spite of the monkeys." the man set the boat gliding on again, and harry sat with his gun cocked, waiting to see the little grey face peer out from among the leaves. "i wouldn't pepper him, harry," said phra. "not going to," was the reply. "i've only put some powder to frighten him." "that's right; but i don't see anything moving." "they'll show themselves directly. then we'll stop, and when the little old fellow shows his face i'll fire." but the shots already fired had been sufficient, sending the troop away through the trees at the quickest pace they could command, and the two boys looked in vain. soon after, they had capital chances at different kinds of parrots, but did not lift their guns, these birds being abundant, and the little museum amply supplied with their skins; but upon coming abreast of an opening, the boat stopped, for it seemed a likely place for something novel. "hist!" whispered phra, pointing. "that's a bird you've not shot yet." "yes, like the one you missed that day. let me try for this one.--how tiresome! it's gone in beneath the bushes." it was evidently a bird of secretive habit, for it had dived into a dense place; but just as harry was about to give up, and tell the man to go on, the bird came into sight again, rose from the top of a low tree, and was in the act of flying across the opening, when harry raised his gun quickly and fired. "down?" he said. "i couldn't see for the smoke." "no," said phra; "it flew right away yonder." "oh, it couldn't; i took such a careful aim. did you see it?" he asked the men. they both replied in the affirmative, and harry looked puzzled. "it seems queer," he said, beginning to reload his gun. "i don't know how i could have missed." "i know," cried phra. "you loaded to frighten the monkey." "and did not put any shot in!" cried harry. "oh, how stupid!" at that moment phra raised his gun and fired at a similar bird, as it crossed the river, and dropped just at the edge of the opening. a turn or two of the oar sent the boat alongside, the bird was retrieved, and harry was in ecstasies with its beautiful shades of turquoise blue, pale drab, and grey. "it's the kind father was saying he was so eager to get a specimen of," cried harry. "do you think any more will come if we wait?" "i don't think so," was the reply; "but let's try." they waited for half an hour, but not another bird appeared, and they went on, having the luck to bring down one of the lovely ground thrushes at the next opening. after this phra shot one of the scarlet-breasted trogons, a beautiful insect-eating bird, nearly allied to our goatsuckers and cuckoos, with, in addition to its rosy, scarlet breast, a delicate pencilling of grey and black, while the greater part of its back was of a fine metallic green. flycatchers with inordinately long tails were the next trophies, and harry was beginning to think that enough had been secured for sree to skin and preserve, when phra pressed his companion's arm, and pointed to what looked like a streak of vivid blue being drawn in the air just above the water. it was too far off to fire, so the boys strained their eyesight to note where the beautiful object settled, but without result, so the boat was urged gently forward, and, finger on trigger, the boys watched the spot where they had last seen the bird. "it has a splendid tail, hal," said phra, in a whisper. "you had better fire." "no, you; it's a beauty." "then you fire; you are so much surer than i am. i'll hold my shot in case you don't bring it down." they were in momentary expectation of seeing the bird rise to continue its flight up the watery way; but there was no sign of it, and the lads were getting in despair, when there was a flash from a spot least expected. phra, in his excitement at seeing it going away without harry getting a good view of it, fired, though it seemed to be too late. however, the bird fell into the river, and another rose at the report, skimmed along just above the surface, and was getting almost beyond range, when harry drew trigger, and the bird dropped. "i shan't shoot any more to-day," said harry excitedly, as the two birds were retrieved and laid for their plumage to dry, being two perfect specimens of the racket-tailed kingfisher, whose azure adornments render it one of the most lovely birds of that part of the world. "i say, what beauties! we have done well." "we've shot those bird often," said phra, as he raised one of the kingfishers by the beak, and drew it softly through his hand, removing part of the water which remained, and straightening the produced feathers of the tail, each with its narrow almost naked shaft ending in a lovely blue ellipse of web. this done, he laid the damp bird in the sunshine to dry, adding, "but i don't think we ever shot better specimens, or hurt the plumage so little." a low, hissing noise drew the boys' attention to the man who was not rowing, and, as he caught their eyes, he pointed to something in one of the overhanging trees. "what is it?" said harry; "i can't see;" and he cocked his piece, quite forgetting his words of a short time before. "only nests," said phra; "we don't want them." in effect there was a cluster of about a dozen pensile nests, formed like a chemist's retort by the clever bird-weavers, and hanging neck downward from the ends of thin branches, where they were perfectly safe from the intrusion of active, long-armed monkeys. there was, in fact, something attractive at every few yards, for when birds were not in sight magnificent butterflies or day-flying moths came flitting out of the openings into the forest, one of which was the atlas, as much as ten inches across the wings. and now the tension of seeking for choice specimens being over, the boys sat back carelessly, watching the various objects which came into view. now it would be fish, temptingly suggestive of the sport that might be had up this lovely stream, did they feel disposed to bring tackle. a little farther on the boat was stopped for a cluster of beautiful orchids to be secured, but they were rejected on account of their being inhabited by a colony of virulent ants. "i say," said harry suddenly, "this would be just the place for fireflies. let's tell dr. cameron, and we'll have a trip up some night. we might shoot some of the queer night birds." "yes," said phra, "and something else too. there are tigers up here, they say." "so much the better. we should get a chance to shoot one then by accident. i say, where should we come to if we kept right on as far as the river ran?" "to the place it started from." "well, i know that; but where is it?" "oh, it's all our country. there are mountains there, and plenty of elephants, sree says." "let's have an expedition right up then, and bring a tent and plenty of provisions. we ought to be able to get all kinds of new specimens." "i'm willing," said phra; "but hadn't we better turn back now?" "think they will be coming back from the tiger hunt?" "most likely. i say, hal, it hasn't been a bad time, has it?" "no," said harry with a sigh. "tell him to go back." at the order the man who had been resting returned to the fore part of the boat, and seized his oar, making that the stern now, while his companion laid in his oar, and squatted down for his rest. "hullo! look!" cried harry; "there's another of those queer-looking old chaps," and he nodded in the direction of the other side of the river, where it was evident that a fresh troop of the quaint little animals were travelling along in the trees. they were going up the river, but as soon as they found that the boat was retiring they at once altered their direction, and the foliage waved and trembled as they kept alongside, travelling through the dense jungle about five-and-twenty feet above the ground, and very rarely giving the occupants of the boat a chance of seeing their lithe, active forms. how far these eager, inquisitive little fellows would have followed them, if left undisturbed, it is impossible to say; but after watching their movements and the eager, excited face of their leader for some time, harry grew tired of their company. "send a shot over them, phra," he cried. the boy raised his gun, pistol fashion, in the air, and fired it, while harry watched the wall of verdure. just as the gun was fired the little old face of the leader was being reached out from the extremities of the boughs, the monkey holding on in what proved to be a very precarious position, for the suddenness of the report frightened it out of its small wits, and made it give such a bound that the next moment, collapsed into what looked like a ball fringed with white, it came rushing through the leaves, splash into the water, making the occupants of the boat roar with laughter. "what is fun to you is death to us," said the frogs to the boys, in the fable, and this was nearly the case with the monkey. for as soon as the rower saw the beginning of the mishap he gave a tremendous sweep with his oar, changing the direction of the boat and giving it greater speed at the same time, so that it might glide in close to where the trees dipped, and pick up the monkey before it was drowned or succeeded in dragging itself up. the movement was cleverly conceived and carried out, but it had a different culmination from that which was expected. full of excitement now, the boys were watching for the monkey to rise from its deep plunge, and so well had the boatman judged his distance that the swiftly moving prow was within a yard of the little unfortunate when it rose to the surface. at the same moment the gaping, teeth-armed jaws of a crocodile shot out of the water, and the next would have closed upon the delicate mouthful, had not the prow of the sampan struck the reptile full on the shoulder with a tremendous shock which made the boat quiver, while from the shape of the prow and the force with which it was going, the boat rose and scraped right over the reptile's back, gliding down on the other side amidst a tremendous turmoil in the water. the boys held on by the sides, fully expecting to be capsized, but not a drop of water was shipped, and when they turned to look back it was to see that the unoccupied man had snatched at the monkey and lifted it on board, while the crocodile, a creature of about twelve or fourteen feet long, was lashing the water into a foam with its tail. "here, take us back," cried harry. "i must have a shot at that brute." the man reversed the movement of the oar he handled, and the sampan began to glide back. "mind!" said phra excitedly. "it will be horrible if we are capsized." "i'll capsize him as soon as i get close enough," said harry between his teeth, and he knelt ready in the boat, as it approached nearer and nearer. the monkey seemed to be in an utter state of collapse from fear, as it crouched in its captor's lap, huddled into a drenched ball, till it caught sight of the crocodile, when it was literally transformed. in an instant its eyes were flashing and teeth bare at the sight of its hereditary enemy, the murderer of hundreds of the unfortunates which from time to time played and slipped, or descended to the ends of branches to drink from the river; its dull state of helpless weakness had gone, and before the man who held it could grasp what was about to happen, the little creature uttered a shrieking, chattering cry of anger, bounded to the end of the sampan, and raged at the reptile. that was enough. the crocodile responded to the angry challenge and monkey-like, violent language apparently being heaped upon it, and made a dash at the sampan; but as it reached the prow the monkey bounded on to the top of the palm-leaf roofing, while, reaching backward, harry discharged his piece right between the reptile's eyes. firing as he did, with the muzzle of his piece not above a yard away, the effect of the charge of small shot was much the same as would have been that of a heavy bullet the diameter of the fowling-piece's bore. the rower was on his guard too, and as the lad fired he forced the light sampan away so that they were quite clear of the violent blow given by the creature's tail, as it swung itself round and then sank like a stone. the effect upon the monkey was again startling to a degree. at the report of the gun it leapt upward from the roof of the shelter, and instead of coming down in the same place it dropped on all-fours close to harry, who caught it by one arm. "mind," cried phra warningly; "they can bite very sharply." "oh, i don't think he'll hurt, poor little chap," was the reply, and the boy drew his little prisoner close to him, laid down his gun, and patted its shoulder. "shall we keep it as a pet?" "no," said phra; "it would pine away and die. you must get a young one if you want them to keep." "yes, of course," said harry. "isn't he comic? i wish i'd got something to give him. he's ready to make friends." "so he ought to be," said phra; "we saved his life. that croc would have swallowed him like we do doctor cameron's pills." "that he would. what a narrow squeak! i say, have you got anything you can give him?" "no, give him his liberty." "i'm going to. poor little wretch, how he shivers! he's too much frightened to bite or do anything. hi! old gentleman, get up there on the top." he lifted the monkey up, and it went slowly on to the hot roof, gazing back at its captor with wondering eyes. "now run the boat in close to the trees," said harry, as he patted and stroked the utterly cowed prisoner. the next moment the open, cabin-like construction was brushing against the palm leaves with a loud, rustling sound. this seemed to galvanize the little creature into life, and it uttered a loud _chick, chick, chack!_ this was answered by a chorus from above; for, unnoticed by the occupants of the boat, the trees had been in quiet motion all the while as they glided down. that was enough; the monkey seized the twigs nearest to it and the next minute had swung itself up out of sight. there was a tremendous chattering, which grew distant as if the troop was hurrying through the trees in one direction, while the boat was gliding swiftly down in the other, and then harry said laughingly,-"well; he might have been a bit more grateful; never so much as said thank ye." "i think he was wonderfully grateful, for he did not bite. i say, though, how careful one has got to be about the crocodiles. i turned quite cold, for i thought we were going over." "i felt a bit queer," said harry thoughtfully. "if i were your father i'd offer a reward for every crocodile that was killed in the river. they're no good, and they must do a deal of mischief in the course of the year." "let's tell him so," said phra, smiling. "perhaps he will." the journey back was beautiful enough, for they were looking at the long, sunlit course from a different point of view; but it had ceased to interest, for the lads were hungry and tired, glad enough too when the great stone landing-place was reached, and after giving instructions to the men to take in the birds to place them in mike's charge for transfer to sree when he returned, they went into the palace, harry to be phra's guest over a very hearty, semi-english meal; for the hunters had not returned and there was no temptation for harry to go home and eat alone when he was warmly pressed to stay where he was, so as to be present when the hunters returned in triumph. it was growing late by the time they had done, and they strolled out into the court, and then into the beautiful garden, one of the king's hobbies. it was a lovely moonlight night, with here everything turned to silver, there all looking black and velvety in the shade. the river, too, looked its best, with the moonbeams playing upon its surface; but the boys were growing too weary to admire the beauties around, or to heed the buzzing, croaking, and booming that came from across the river. "look here," said harry at last, "they've gone farther than they meant, and they're not coming back to-night." "going to camp out?" asked phra dubiously. "not a doubt about it. perhaps going to watch through the night for the tiger, with a goat or calf tied up for bait." "very likely," said phra, yawning. "there, don't turn sleepy like that." "can't help it." "i say, look here; go and tell your father you are coming down to the bungalow to keep me company to-night, because i don't like to be alone." "no, you stop and sleep here. then you will not have the bother of walking down there." "no," said harry firmly; "father's out, and i'm sure he wouldn't like me to leave the house when he's away. come and sleep at our place to-night, there's a good chap." "very well," said phra. "come with me and speak to father." "all right," said harry, coolly enough, and they walked through the moonlit garden together, when, as they passed toward the palace, the incongruity of it all seemed to strike the boy, and he laughed softly. "i say, how comic it all seems! here's your father a great eastern king--king over this big country, and yet he's only your father, and i'm going with you to talk to him just as if he was nobody at all." "but he is," said phra thoughtfully. "he's very different with other people, but he talks to you, and about you to me, just as if you were a--i mean a boy like i am." "well, it's very nice of him," said harry. "i've never done anything to make him like me. i never went down on my knees and held my hands on each side of my face, and seemed as if i were going to rub the skin off my nose on the ground because he's a great king." "no; he laughed about it one day, and said that's why he liked you to be my playfellow." "that's funny, isn't it?" "no; he said he liked you because you were frank, and manly, and independent." "ah," said harry, after a brief pause, "he doesn't know what a bad one i can be sometimes." "hist!" "what for?" "listen." "i am listening, but i can't hear anything." "i can, right away in the distance. can't you hear?" "no, nothing but the frogs at the riverside, and the barking of a croc. yes, i can; something going thump, thump, far away." "it's the drum. they're marching back with the elephants." "hurrah!" cried harry excitedly. "well, i am glad, because i should have lain awake ever so long thinking that something had happened, or that father was in danger from the tiger, perhaps. i say, you don't feel sleepy now?" "sleepy? no, not a bit. here, let's get down yonder so as to meet them." "but they'll be half an hour yet. look there; the guard has heard the drum." as he spoke the picturesque beauty of the place was enhanced by the appearance of the guard turning out, bearing lighted torches, some of which were stuck at intervals about the courtyard, throwing up the grotesque figures and carvings abundantly scattered around. then more were fetched, and the place became brilliantly lighted for the reception of the king's friends who were bringing the body of the slain tiger in triumph home. the red glare of the torches mingled strangely with the silvery light of the moon, so that some of the men's spears seemed to be tipped with silver, some with gold; and listening and noting these things the time of waiting soon passed away for the boys, who at last joined a party of a dozen torch-bearers setting off to meet the returning party. but before they reached the gate phra stopped short and arrested his friend. "no," he said in an earnest whisper, "don't let's go. very likely my father will come out, and he would like us to be near to seem to be honouring and paying him respect." "very well," said harry shortly; for it was against his grain. "yes, there he comes," said phra eagerly, as the palace entrance was lit up by numbers of lanthorn-bearers, and the king came and stood on the terrace to welcome his english friends. at last the party of spearmen in advance marched in, with the elephants shuffling along side by side behind; but each bore its load the same as when it started, no alteration having been made. harry ought to have let the elephants go close up to the terrace and kneel before the king, to whom the result of the hunt should have been first communicated, but in his excitement he forgot all about court etiquette, and ran up to the side of the nearest beast. "well, father, where's the tiger?" he cried. "over the hills and far away," cried the doctor. "yes, my boy," said mr. kenyon; "we have seen nothing but his pug--the marks of his feet." chapter ix naturalists' treasures there were a few words exchanged with the king as the hunters were about to descend, but he bade them keep their seats in the howdahs, saying that they must be very tired, and after ordering the mahouts to take their elephants to the gentlemen's quarters, he bade them good-night and went in. "then we must part here, cameron," said mr. kenyon. "yes; good-night, and better luck next time." the doctor's elephant rose and began to shuffle off, its companion following its example and uttering an angry trumpeting sound upon being checked. "here, hal," said mr. kenyon, "you may as well ride." "yes, of course, father. good-night, phra." then mischievously, "they'll have to send us if they want that tiger shot." "yes, mr. kenyon, we don't think much of you and doctor cameron as tiger-hunters." the merchant laughed, as the elephant knelt once more and harry scrambled up into the howdah, sree, who was holding on behind, giving the boy a hand. then there was a heave and a pitch to and fro, and the huge beast was on its legs again, shambling off towards the bungalow, a pleasant enough sight in the moonlight, and welcome enough to harry, who was pretty well tired out. "didn't you see the tiger at all, father?" he asked. "no, or most likely i should have shot it," replied mr. kenyon. "the brute has evidently gone off to the country on the slope of the mountains and saved his stripes this time. what have you been doing with yourself?" harry briefly told of his adventures. "then you have some decent specimens for me?" "yes, father; beauties." "you have done better than we did, my boy. we have only brought back sore bones. there, i am not in much of a humour for talking to-night; i want a good rest." "you must be tired, father." "yes, too tired to think of anything but sleep. not quite, though; there are those birds. sree, can you come first thing in the morning and skin them?" "yes, sahib. i was going to ask if i might come." no more was said till the elephant had stopped of its own accord at the gateway of the bungalow garden for as soon as it had got over its irritation at being separated from its companion it had gone steadily enough. after this the mahout was so liberally rewarded that he wanted to get down from the elephant's neck to prostrate himself, and of course was not allowed, but sent back, harry stopping to watch his great, grey, shambling mount till it disappeared, with sree still hanging by the back of the howdah. breakfast was late the next morning, both the merchant and his son sleeping very soundly; and when at last harry dragged himself from his light bamboo bedstead and had refreshed himself, not with a good swim in the river,--a luxury too dangerous to attempt,--but by squatting in a large, open tub and pouring jars of cold water over his head, he went out into the verandah, to find sree just finishing the skin of the last of the birds by painting the fleshy side all over with preserving paste before turning it back and filling it with cotton wool. "how quick you have been, sree!" said harry. "i meant to have come and helped you." "the young sahib must have been tired." "i'm tired now," said the boy, with a yawn. "but i say, they are all good birds, aren't they?" "some of the best i have ever seen, sahib; there is hardly a feather gone. look at this one," said the man, taking hold of the bird's long, thick beak and giving it a dexterous shake, with the result that the feathers fluffed up and then fell gently back into place, lying so lightly and naturally that it was hard to believe that nothing but the skull, leg and wing bones were left of the little creature which animated the skin so short a time before. "beautiful," said harry, examining it and the others already prepared in turn. "i wish you had been with us, though. we had capital sport." "yes, sahib, i wish i had been with you," said sree. "my heart felt heavy for you when i found you were not to come. i like to be with the young sahibs. we had no sport at all." "ah, you should have been with us. the crocodile must have been fourteen feet long." "ah! but they would not be so big up the little river. i hope, though, the sahib will not shoot any more." "not shoot any more!" cried harry. "are you friends with the wretches?" "no, sahib," said the man solemnly; "but they are dangerous beasts, and i fear if the young sahib goes after them much there may be an accident." "hardly likely," said harry contemptuously. "i don't know, sahib; they are very dangerous beasts. a hungry mugger, as they call them over yonder on the ganges, will rush at any one in the water, or try to sweep him off the shore into the river. if he is wounded he is mad with rage, and strikes about furiously with his tail. one hard blow would break or overturn a sampan, and a man in the water is no match for one of these beasts." "oh, but i shall be careful, sree," cried harry; "and i can't help hating the monsters." "we all hate them, sahib, except some of the foolish people who would think it a sin to hurt a crocodile. do not be rash." "oh no, i shan't be rash," said harry; "but you should have been with us yesterday; it was rare fun with the little grey-whiskered monkey. it was frightened nearly to death, what with the noise of the gun and the fall plump into the water, and the ducking, and then being so nearly snapped up by the crocodile." "it would be frightened, too, on finding it was a prisoner, sahib." "he looked just like a withered-up old man, not much bigger than a baby." "yes, sahib; they are strange little beasts," said sree, who was still busy with the skins, giving delicate touches here and there to the plumage, with a small needle made of ivory. "i never kill one if i can help it, because they are so much like very wild old men." "that is a lovely skin, sree," said harry, bending over the blue and grey thrush. "yes, and these are hard to find, sahib." "father will be delighted with those, i'm sure," said harry. then turning off to the old hunter's last remarks, "so you don't like shooting monkeys?" "no, sahib, i never do." "it does seem a shame, for they're such merry, happy-looking little chaps, swinging and playing about in the trees. how they enjoy the fruit, too! they seem to have quite a jolly life." "oh no, sahib; they have their troubles too," said sree seriously, "and many of them." "monkeys do?" cried harry, laughing. "why, what troubles can they have?" "muggers waiting under the trees to catch any that fall, sahib." "then they ought to know better than to play in the branches which overhang the river." "that is where the best fruit grows, in the open sunshine, sahib, and it is often when they go down to drink that the muggers catch them or sweep them into the water with their tails." "ugh! the beasts!" cried harry. "then there are the leopards lying in wait up in the trees, and some of the big wild cats, too, staring at them. monkeys are very quick, but the leopards are sometimes quicker." "yes, it's wonderful how active those spotted, cat-like creatures are. i say, sree, have you ever seen one of the very big monkeys that live in the islands?" "only once, sahib. it was when i went to borneo with a sahib from india. we were a long time hunting in the woods before we found one, and then it was high up in a tree, going along hanging by his hands. he seemed to be a very quiet, tame sort of beast, only trying to get away; but the sahib shot him, and he hung from a great bough, oh, very high up, till the sahib shot again, and then he let go and came down, dropping from bough to bough till he fell dead, nearly at our feet." "was it very big, sree?" "very, very big, sahib; nearly twice as big as i am." "really?" "oh yes, sahib. not so tall as i am, not higher than the prince phra, but so big and broad--big head--big face with great swellings behind the cheeks--big shoulder, and big arms that reached down nearly to his feet. and such hands and feet, sahib! so big and strong." "much like a man, sree?" "like what a wild man might be, sahib. and yet no, not like a man; he was more like a wild beast, all hairy. the poor people here, some of them, believe that when we die, if we have been wicked we shall turn to monkeys or crocodiles." "and do you believe that, sree?" the man looked up and smiled, as he shook his head. "oh no, sahib; i don't believe anything of the kind. it is all nonsense; but monkeys are very curious little things, and very cunning. they have plenty of sense." "think so?" "oh yes. did not you say that the one you caught was angry with the crocodile, and danced about and called him names?" "well, he did something of the kind," said harry, laughing; "and very comical it was." "oh yes, sahib, i've seen them spit at and shout and chatter at the muggers often enough. being so much in the jungle, watching night and day, i often notice all that the wild things do--birds, snakes, lizards, as well as the tigers and bears and monkeys. i have seen how they fight, and how they play and teach their young ones to play; but there is nothing which can play like a monkey. he is more full of fun than a boy. a monkey always seems to think that another monkey's tail is meant to pull, so as to tease him." "yes, i've seen them do that." "but the funniest thing, sahib," said the old hunter, "is to see a monkey pull another one's tail, and then pretend that he did not do it. i have seen one put his hand out behind, and give a pull, and then snatch his hand back and shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep." "oh, here you are," said mr. kenyon, coming into the verandah. "come, hal, breakfast; we are very late." "here are the specimens phra and i got yesterday father." "these? capital; excellent! that is the kind of _pitta_ i wanted so badly, and those two kingfishers will be a splendid addition to the collection. well skinned too, sree. they are perfect." over the breakfast mr. kenyon related their adventures of the previous day; but there was nothing much to tell save of wearisome wanderings here and there through rugged, thorny ground where the tiger's pugs could be traced. hollows were carefully beaten, and patches of reed and grass driven, while the hunters waited for the coming of the cunning beast which was not there. then at last they found unmistakable traces of his having gone off, and, weary and disgusted, they had turned back. harry kenyon and his father led a very pleasant life in that curious country, for their position was a favoured one, though a great deal was due to the latter's enterprise. at first their existence was lonely, but it was not long before their position became a good deal talked about through correspondence which followed their arrival, and by degrees a happy little colony had grown up in the neighbourhood of the palace. it was entirely at the king's invitation that mr. kenyon had first settled there, for being himself a man who took great interest in scientific matters and the wonders of nature, he had by accident come in contact with the merchant, who had sought an interview, with the object of asking certain concessions and leave to trade. the result was that mr. kenyon was taken quite by surprise on discovering that the king, whom he had expected to find much on a par with so many of the barbaric chieftains of the east, was a man who cared nothing for war and aggrandisement, neither for decking himself out in diamonds, emeralds, and pearls, but who was dressed in the simplest manner, loved to study chemistry, and surrounded himself with beautifully made microscopes and telescopes, obtained at great expense from london and vienna. that one interview was quite enough for the beginning of a friendship, the king soon finding out that his visitor was a man of similar tastes to himself, but immeasurably far in advance, and eager to impart his scientific knowledge to one to whom so many things were enclosed in what seemed to be a sealed-up book of wonder and mystery. the consequence was that, instead of making a temporary stay in siam, mr. kenyon gladly accepted the monarch's friendship and protection, settling down on the banks of the great river at once. this had happened ten years before the events narrated here, but all had not been smooth. there had been plenty of the opposition of ignorance; the king's far-seeing brain was almost alone, and his nobles and retainers of the blood royal looked with contempt upon the strange things that took up so much of their ruler's time. to them many of his studies seemed to be mere madness, and they looked at one another and shook their heads when they learned that the king spent the whole of some nights looking through a tube like a big bamboo, at the moon and stars. then worse things happened: it was found that he was doing uncanny things, a kind of magic by which he conjured up horrible creatures and made them dance and whirl about in water. he showed favoured people strange demons with teeth and horns and claws in a dark room in the palace, where he made a great white spot of light come on the wall, into which he conjured the aforesaid monsters. but the worst of all was his fitting up one little room with shelves and cabinets full of bottles and glasses. it was well known that here he studied, by mixing and boiling up, how to make horrible poisons, one drop of which shown to an enemy would produce madness, while if taken it was sudden death. and all this the nobles, priests from the great temples, and wise men generally, in secret conclave, came to the conclusion could only have one meaning, and that was to kill off secretly every one of the blood royal and second king's family, so that no one except the one the king wished could by any possibility succeed to the throne. it was very dreadful, and they shook their heads more and more, and there were talks about its being a sacred duty to kill such a vile being, and make the second king the first; but so far it had all been talk, for changes are a long time coming about among such people as these. then, too, for a long time mr. kenyon, this foreigner of the barbarians who came from the far west, was looked upon with sinister eyes, for was he not a favourite with the king, helping him to prepare his magic and his terrible poisons? but as no one died, and no one seemed to be any the worse for the king's magic, and above all as the great people of the country found that mr. kenyon was a very pleasant gentleman, who paid great respect to them and all their institutions, it was settled that he should not be stabbed with krises--unless he behaved worse or did some real harm. he did offend soon after, for upon settling down he was favoured by the king with a grant of land on the banks of the river, this being looked upon as a great offence, land in such a position having heretofore been reserved for the sole benefit of the great nobles of the land and the priesthood, for their large monastic institutions--great walled-in enclosures of some fifteen or twenty acres, covered with the temples, shrines, and conventual dwelling-places of the talapoins or bonzes, as they were called, and easily enough to distinguish by their closely shaven heads and long, yellow robes. ordinary people and the poor had to live, according to law, in house-boats, with which the rivers, canals, and backwaters were covered. these waterways were the highways--there were no proper roads--and were thronged with dwelling-places large and small, warehouses, shops, and places of entertainment, all built upon bamboo rafts and moored to the banks, forming a beautifully healthy, populous city, for the tide from the sea swept to and fro, clearing it from all impurities day and night. that grant of land gave great offence, for who was this strange barbarian who had come among them with his little curly-haired boy and a servant, that he should be treated as if he were a noble lord of the land? and once more mr. kenyon's position seemed to be precarious, for the king's favour went farther towards his new english friend and student. for native workmen and material were supplied in abundance, the orders given to the men being that they should build the place, dwelling and warehouses, in accordance with mr. kenyon's design. all this proved a great gain to both, for while mr. kenyon prospered wonderfully in his trading ventures, and had ample opportunity for collecting the strange products of the country in connection with his favourite study, the king found his revenues increase and his capital become more enlightened by the introduction of europeans, who were attracted there through finding that they were protected, treated with respect, and encouraged to trade. this was forgiven, and all went well till the doctor came, when the native medicos grew alarmed and threatening, for this englishman, or scotchman, knew better than they. as the years went on the friendship grew firmer, and the king gladly seized the opportunity of letting his son share young kenyon's studies, for his desire was that his boy should become an enlightened ruler, who would carry on his plans for the improvement of the country over which in all probability he would some day reign. mr. kenyon, who was a highly cultivated man, gratefully entered into the king's plans and invited a clever university man from oxford to come out and act as tutor to the two boys, with the result that the young prince phra passed a good half of his existence with harry at the bungalow, sharing his studies and amusements, while harry was always as welcome a guest as his father at the palace, having only to express a wish to have it gratified, whether his want took the form of books, fishing tackle, guns, men, elephants or boats for some expedition in jungle or open stream. harry's chum was a prince, and to all intents and purposes harry led the life of a king's son himself, though he did not realize the fact, everything coming quite as a matter of course. his chief trouble had to do with the climate, which was, as he told phra, "so jolly hot." phra replied sadly that he could not help it. "no," said harry thoughtfully, "you can't help it; but it's jolly hot all the same." chapter x what harry heard no more was heard of the tiger, but the boys laughed and talked about it together, for they could not help enjoying the ill-luck which had attended those who went in its chase. "i know how it is," said harry, with mock seriousness; "the tiger heard who was coming to shoot him, and he went, off to wait until prince phra had grown up old enough to go tiger-hunting in proper style." "yes, that's it," said phra drily. "but you may as well say how you know. the tiger came and told you, i suppose." "oh, never mind that," said harry. "i wish you wouldn't talk about it. i say, when's that chest coming from london?" "don't know; some day," said phra. it was pretty well on to half a year from the time of the order being given to the day when the big chest was delivered at the palace, being brought up by one of the royal barges, with its many rowers in scarlet jackets, from the vessel lying at the mouth of the river, right up to the stone landing-place in front of the palace, from which it was borne, attached to a couple of great bamboos, by a dozen men, preceded and followed by guards bearing spears. "such a jolly fuss," said harry, frowning. "why, you and i could have each taken hold of an end and carried it up to our house and opened it there." "well, no," said phra; "you see, it is my father's, and he is king, and it is only proper for the box to be brought up like this." "is it?" said harry contemptuously. "all right, only i thought the box was for us." "so it is," said phra; "but father has not given it to us yet." "oh, all right, only it does seem so stupid; and if a lot of english boys could see, i daresay they'd laugh like fun." "if one of them laughed at my father he'd repent it," said phra hotly. "tchah! they wouldn't laugh at your father. i should like to catch 'em at it! i should have something to say then." phra caught his friend warmly by the arm, and his eyes brightened. "they might, though," said harry solemnly, "if they saw him sitting under that big umbrella, with his silk padung on, looking like an old woman in a petticoat." "that he doesn't," said phra warmly; "and i'm sure a padung is a much more comfortable thing out here in a hot country than a pair of trousers." "oh, i don't know," said harry; "but it is jolly hot." "you don't know, because you have only put one on just for fun; but i often feel disposed to give up wearing trousers, and to go back to a padung again." "what, go back to being a barbarian?" cried harry. "you ought to be ashamed of yourself." "well, i'm not," said phra warmly. "it's much cooler, and more pleasant." "oh, you savage! you'd better say it's cooler to go without anything at all." "so it is--in the shade," replied phra. "well, i am!" cried harry. "after all the trouble father, dr. cameron, and your most humble and obedient servant have taken to make a civilized being of you, to talk like that!" "civilized being! pooh! i should have been a civilized being without your help." "not you. to begin with, you wouldn't have worn trousers, and wearing trousers means everything. a man who wears trousers stands at the very top of civilization. a man who doesn't wear them is a savage." "ha! ha! ha!" laughed phra. "i should like mr. cameron to hear you say that he was a savage." "who ever would say so? mr. cameron is--is--well, he's a tip-topper in everything." "but he doesn't wear trousers when he goes with us shooting. he always wears his war petticoat then." "wears his what?" cried harry wonderingly. "that grey fighting petticoat. his kill it." "kill it? kilt!" cried harry. "oh, what a rum chap you are sometimes, phra! but that's only the old savage dress of the highlanders. hardly anybody but soldiers wears that now." "kill--kill it--kilt," said phra thoughtfully. "what had you got to laugh at? why, it does mean a war petticoat." "all right; have it your own way," said harry, who was watching the last of the guard following the box into the courtyard. "but i don't want to have it my own way if i'm wrong," said phra. "i want to be right." "very well. you are wrong there, lad." "why do they call it a kilt, then?" said phra. "because it is a kilt, i suppose. because--because--there, i don't know. we'll ask the doctor. but, i say, i didn't mean any harm about laughing at the king. i wouldn't, and i wouldn't let any one else laugh at him. he's such a good old chap; but he does look rum sometimes." "well, i know that," said phra hurriedly. "and i don't like it, hal, and i wish he would do as english gentlemen do; but he can't altogether." "why?" "because he's king, and the people wouldn't like it. the priests don't like a great deal that he does now, and they talk about it to the common people. they make them believe that my father is fighting against them and doing them harm." "if i were your father, and they talked against me, i'd pitch them all into the river." "no, you wouldn't, hal. but hadn't we better go up to the door and see the chest opened?" "yes, come on," cried harry eagerly, and they followed the guard, going by sentries armed with spear and kris, who smiled solemnly at the two boys, and made way for them with every show of respect. they crossed the courtyard, which partook more of the nature of a garden, and looked particularly attractive, with its quaint, highly-pitched, gable-ended buildings around. but harry had seen the place too often to pay any heed to the beautiful architecture, and he was all eyes for a little procession issuing from the principal doorway, consisting of the king, a quiet, grave-looking, grey-haired man, in silken jacket and sarong, and a number of his chief men, while the royal umbrella was held over his head. the chest, one of ordinary deal, nailed down, strengthened with a couple of bands of hoop-iron, and directed in painted black letters, had been placed in front of the entrance, and ten spearmen stood in a row on each side, when the two boys, in obedience to a sign from the king, went up, each receiving a smile and a nod. "here is the new present," he said, smiling. "take it, and see if everything is as you wished it to be; and i hope it will give you both much pleasure." he spoke in very good english, and smilingly accepted the boys' thanks, before gravely turning and going back in procession to the main entrance to the palace; while, as soon as they were alone, phra sent one of the guards to fetch a couple of artificers to bring hammers and chisels to open the chest. "i don't believe a box ever had so much fuss made over it before," said harry, laughing. "the things ought to be all right. i say, phra, i hope nothing's broken." "oh, don't say that!" "the big clock that came from england was. they're wretches, those sailors, for pitching packages about on board ship." "they ought not to be allowed to be so rough," replied phra. "my father would not permit them to be careless." "ah, but your father's one of the kings of siam. we english people aren't allowed to slice people's heads off because they do as they like. i say, though, suppose they're burst." "burst! oh, i say, don't," cried phra. "i've been looking forward to these things coming, so that we could play english games, and it would be horrible if we had to wait another six months." "perhaps they'll be all right," said harry, in consolatory tones; "but that corner of the box has had a great bang, and the lid's split in two places, just as if it had been thrown down on the stones of a wharf." "it says, 'with care. keep this side up,'" said phra. "oh yes; that's why they knock it about so, i suppose," replied harry, laughing. "the sailors know their heads won't be chopped off." "here are the men," said phra, as a couple of workmen came up, prostrated themselves, and then cleverly attacked the nails in the box, clumsy-looking as their tools were, removing the iron bands, wrenching up the lid and taking it off, while the guards and attendants stood stolidly looking on. the removal of the lid revealed a quantity of paper shavings packed round sundry brown paper parcels, while one end of the chest was occupied by half a dozen pasteboard boxes, one of which was immediately opened, to reveal the neatly-sewn and laced leather cover of a football. "what's that for?" said phra. "yes, i know; a football." "yes. you have first kick. i'll throw it down, and you run and kick it, just as you saw in our book of sports." "i could not with the guard looking on," said phra. "i could," said harry. "english fellows can do anything. here goes." he threw the ball down heavily, making it rebound, and then as it repeated its rebounds he rushed at it, and, although he had never done such a thing before, gave it a flying kick which sent it high in the air, but only to come down and bounce into the fountain basin in the middle of the courtyard. "wonderful!" the spectators seemed to say, as they looked solemnly at one another. "oh, i didn't mean that," cried harry, rushing after the ball, followed by his companion, who walked sedately up just as harry had shouted to one of the guard to come. "here," he said in siamese, "fish out that ball." the man smiled, reached out over the basin, and in another moment would have transfixed the football on his keenly-pointed lance. but harry was too quick for him, and gave the lance shaft a thrust. "not like that," he cried; "you'd kill it--let all its wind out. this way." he showed the man how to guide the ball to the side with his spear, and then picked it up all dripping, to place it in the sun to dry. "i say, phra," he said, as he paused to wipe his wet face; "i'm afraid football's going to be rather a hot game out here." "the book said it was played in winter," said phra. "yes, but then we haven't got any winter here, so we must play it any time we can. but it is going to be rather a warm sort of game. never mind; we've got the balls--six of them." "but you don't want six." "yes, you do," cried harry. "some will burst; some will get kicked over into some one else's place and lost perhaps. but i say, we must learn to play, as we have got the balls." "come and finish opening the box," said phra. "'tis opened. why don't you say unpacking?" "because i am not so full of english as you are," replied phra, with a sigh; and they bent over the chest and went on taking out its treasures: bats, stumps, bails, pads and gloves, all carefully done up in brown paper, while a whole dozen of best cricket balls were in as many little boxes. "seem to be making a pretty good mess with all these shavings," said harry, raising himself up with a sigh of relief that the box was at last emptied. "the people shall clear all away soon," replied phra, glancing at the stolid-looking guards, who were gazing wonderingly at the new form of war club with handle bound with black string, and at the short, sharp-pointed spears which seemed to be a clumsy kind of javelin. "but this cricket seems as if it would be a very hot game to play." "oh, i don't know," said harry carelessly. "of course i've never played, but i know all about it. if you come to that, so do you." "yes," said phra thoughtfully, "but i'm afraid i shall not like a game where one has to get so many runs. it will be terribly hot work." "but you only get a great many runs if you can." "then it will be much cooler and pleasanter if you can't get any," said phra. "i say, harry, couldn't we alter the game?" "i don't know. i daresay we could." "let's do the batting ourselves, and make the people bowl and run after the balls." "and always be in?" said harry. "well, that wouldn't be bad. but i say, where are we to play?" "i should like it to be right away somewhere," said phra. "it would not be pleasant for us to be running and tearing about with our people looking on and making remarks about our getting so hot." "never mind about the cricket to-day," said harry. "you want a lot of fellows to play that--twenty besides ourselves; but we could have a game of football." "very well; let's play football, then. i'll have all these things taken into my room. only let's get right away. i don't care about playing here." "why not? it will be a capital place if we take care not to kick the ball into the fountain." "i don't like playing here, with all the men looking on. it seems so silly to be running after a ball and kicking it, as if you were cross with it for being on the ground." "i never thought of that," said harry. "but let's see: why do we kick it? i wish we'd been the same as other boys." "well, so we are, only you were born in india, and i was born here." "i don't mean that," cried harry. "i mean the same as other english boys are. they go to big schools where they learn all sorts of games when they're half as big as we are. but let's see; we want to know why everything is. why do we kick the football?" "to make it bounce, of course." "that isn't all. we kick it to make it fly through the air." "for exercise," said phra. "that's something to do with it, i suppose; but there's something else. it's to try who's best man. don't you see?" "no," said phra; "i only know that we've got to learn to play football and cricket." "never mind about cricket now; let's get to play football first." "but we don't know anything about it," said phra, "and it seems so stupid. let's ask mr. cameron to show us how." "that we just won't," cried harry. "he'd only laugh at us. 'what!' he'd say, 'don't know how to play football? why, i thought every boy could play that.'" "i don't like to be laughed at," said phra. "of course you don't. i don't either. that's the worse of people too. just because they know something that you don't know, they think themselves so awfully clever, and laugh at you because you don't know the same as they do." "well, how do we play? do you know?" "i know something about it. you make sides, because it's going to be a fight." "then it's a cowardly game," cried phra. "why?" said harry in astonishment. "because in a fight you ought to use your fists; you taught me so; and this is all kicking." "oh, what a chap you are, phra! if i didn't know what a straightforward one you were, i should think you were making fun. can't you see this is not a fighting fight, but a fight in fun--to see who's to get the best of it?" "so's a fighting fight," said phra. "yes, but this is play. there ought to be a lot of fellows on each side, but i don't see why two can't have a game. i'm sure they'll get more kicking. now we're going to play; i'm against you, and you're against me." "i see; i'm against you, and you're against me. well?" "we begin out in the middle of a place, with the ball between us. i've got to kick it to the hedge on your side, and you've got to prevent me. you've got to kick it to the hedge on my side, and i've got to prevent you. that's easy enough to understand, isn't it?" "oh yes, i understand that; but i shan't play here." "why?" "because we're sure to fall out over it and fight, and i don't want our guards to see me and you fighting." "oh, we shouldn't be so stupid." "i don't know whether it's stupid, but i know how you are when you get hurt a bit, hal. no, i shan't play here." "very well, come on home with me. there's plenty of room at the bottom of the garden, and there'll be no one to see us there except mike, and i'll take care he is sent somewhere else." "that will do," said phra. "how many balls shall we want?" "only one, of course." "why not have two?" said phra. "one apiece; then we shouldn't fall out." "and we shouldn't be playing at football. this ball will do. come on." phra made no further opposition, but he hazarded the remark that it was rather hot to play. "yes, this is the hottest place i was ever in," said harry. "there couldn't be any place hotter. but come along; english boys don't study about its being hot or cold when they want to do anything. i'm glad doctor cameron is nowhere near. he'd be interfering and dictating about the game directly. that's the worst of him, he knows so much. it will be much nicer for us to learn how to play well before he sees us at it, and then we shall know as much as he does." the boys trudged off, with the sun shining down upon them as it can shine down in siam. it was somewhere about a hundred degrees fahrenheit in the shade, and it may readily be set down as being a hundred and twenty in the sun; so that harry was quite right in his remarks about dr. cameron, for if he had been present he most assuredly would have interfered to the extent of making them put the football away, and ordering them into the shade. but there was no one to interfere, as they trudged on, and entered by the gate of the bungalow, finding all very quiet till they got around to the back, where a peculiar noise came through the open jalousies of one window, making harry step forward on tip-toe till he could look in. this done, he stepped cautiously back to his companion. "only mike," he whispered. "lying on his back fast asleep, and snoring like a young thunderstorm in the distance. come along; we shall have it all to ourselves." "where's your father?" "gone down to the port in a boat, to see the captain of one of the ships." five minutes later they were in a good-sized field, well hedged in with native growth, and displaying a very respectable lawn-like greensward, one which had cost mr. kenyon years of trouble to get something like an english meadow. it was a capital place, and having settled which were to be the goals--though harry did not call them so--they walked into the middle of the enclosure to make a start. "now," said harry, "of course we don't know exactly how to begin, but--" "why didn't we read what it said in the book?" said phra. "what book?" "the one that came in the chest." "i didn't see any book in the chest." "i did: _the book of games_; it was at the top, wrapped up in paper, and i sent it into my room so as to be safe." "well, you are a fellow!" cried harry. "never mind; we'll read all through it to-night. let's begin our way to-day. there lies the ball, and we must start fair. i'll say one--two--three, and away! and then we must kick." the boys stood face to face with the ball between them, and so close that their toes nearly touched it. "ready?" said harry. "yes." "then one--two--three--and away!" phra was quick as lightning almost, and at the word away! he kicked at the ball; but harry, instead of kicking, thrust it a little on one side so as to get a kick to himself, and he got it, right on the shin. "oh!" he cried, beginning to hop on one leg, while phra sent the ball flying towards his goal, and ran after it at full speed. "hi! stop! stop! stop!" shouted harry. but phra was too much excited to halt. he was finding a certain amount of satisfaction in delivering kick after kick to the yielding ball, which, in spite of a long voyage, proved to be wonderfully elastic, and flew here, there, and everywhere, except in the direction of the goal. for phra's kicks were wanting in experience. he kicked too high, or too low, or out of centre; and the consequence was that he had a great deal of exercise, before a final kick sent the ball up to the hedge which formed one goal. he turned round now, streaming with perspiration and flushed with triumph, to find that harry had been limping and panting after him, to come up now, hot and angry. "i've won," cried phra. "what a capital game!" "you've won!" grumbled harry. "of course you have. any one could win who didn't play fair. but it wasn't playing." "why, what's the matter?" said phra, staring. "you know; you kicked me instead of the ball, and crippled me so that i couldn't try." "i'm so sorry, hal. ought you to have been kicking too?" "yes, and i wish i had--i wish i had kicked you at the beginning as you did me." "but that was an accident," said phra earnestly. "it hurt just as much as if you had done it on purpose." "never mind," cried phra; "let's begin again. i didn't understand the game. but, i say; it's splendid fun." "oh, is it?" said hal, sitting down to rub his tender shin. "yes, splendid. when you kick the ball it flies off so beautifully. you seem obliged to run after it." "yes," said harry sarcastically, "and then i was obliged to run after you. why didn't you kick it my way?" he added fiercely. "i couldn't," replied phra innocently. "that's the funny part of it, and i suppose the ball's made so on purpose. it never went the way i kicked it, but flew to all sorts of places. but i say, it's glorious fun running after it for the next kick." "oh, is it?" sneered harry; for if the skin was not off his shin, it certainly seemed to be off his temper. "yes, come on, and let's begin again." "shan't," said harry sourly; "it's too hot." "oh, nonsense; you don't feel it when you're at play." "play! i don't call it play," cried harry angrily. "i call it being a pig and trying to have everything to yourself." "oh, i say, don't talk like that, hal! i didn't know i was doing wrong. there, i apologise. i won't do it again. come along." "no, i'm not going to try now. it's a fool of a game, and all one-sided." "well, never mind; you'll have the right side sometimes. let's start off again. i know you'll like it." "no, i'm not going to play any more," grumbled harry. "i wish the old ball was burst." "you are in a temper," said phra quietly. "i'm sorry i hurt you. here, have a kick, hal." "shan't; i'm too hot and tired." "rest a bit, then," said phra. "i say, what queer people the english are to have invented a game like that! they must look so comic." "what!" cried harry indignantly. "well, i do like that! who looks comic, playing at shuttlecock and kicking it up in the air, and sending it back with the knees, elbows, or shoulders? i've seen some of the men knock the great shuttlecock up with their necks or chins. now, that does look stupid." phra's eyelids contracted a little, and there was a frown upon his brow for a few moments. it passed off then, and he brightened up, just when a few angry words would have caused an open rupture. "come and have a try, hal, old chap," he said. "sorry i hurt you," and he held out his hand. this was too much for harry, whose irritation was passing off with the pain. jumping up quickly, he made a snatch at the ball, sent it flying, dashed after it, and delivered a tremendous kick, intending to send it right across the field. but it did nothing of the kind, for the kick proved to be a regular sky-flyer, the ball taking an almost perpendicular course. harry was lying in wait for it as it came down, ready to kick again; but phra was coming, and unintentionally proved that two legs are much better for stability than one. of course every one knows this, and takes it for granted, just as most of us know some of the problems of euclid, and could take the theory there set out for granted. but the old greek philosopher proves them all, and phra proved our theory by giving harry a sharp push just as one leg was raised, sending him over like a single ninepin, and securing the ball once more, racing away, laughing heartily the while. "oh!" ejaculated harry; "and him only a nigger! he shan't beat me like this." he rushed off, with his temper coming back, in full chase of phra, who ran on, kicking the ball, and roaring with laughter the while, till just as he was about to finish off with a tremendous kick, one which would secure a goal if it went straight, harry came on with a rush, sent him flying instead of the ball, turned, and enjoyed a capital series of kicks before he was overtaken in turn. phra tried to put the same tactics into force, bounding right at harry, who was just on the point of kicking home, when a thrust sent him over, and while still under the impetus of his run, phra delivered the kick instead, a kick which proved to be the most direct that had been given, for the ball landed close to harry's hedge, bounced, and went right home. "there," cried phra, flushed with victory; "i've won again." then he stared, for harry threw himself down, panting and roaring with laughter. "what are you laughing at?" cried his adversary. "that makes two games i've won." "no," cried harry, wiping his eyes; "this one's mine." "nonsense! i kicked the ball." "yes, but into my goal." "no; it's mine. i kicked the ball there." "by mistake; for me." "oh, what a stupid game!" cried phra pettishly. "phew! how hot i am! i don't want to play any more at a game like that." and now, with the excitement at an end, both found that playing football in their fashion under such a sun was an exercise of which a very little went a long way. they stretched themselves out on the ground, with the ball lying hard by getting warm. "oh, i say, it's too hot to stop here; come and lie in the shade," cried harry. "let's go indoors." they went back, passed through the verandah, and entered the dining-room. it was as hot there, a heavy, stagnant heat; but there was a basket of oranges upon the table. "these'll be better than water to drink," said harry, rolling four across the table to his companion, and pocketing as many for his own use. "but we can't stop here," said phra; "it's too hot to breathe." "i know; let's go and lie down on the floor at the landing-place." "yes, that will do," replied phra, and a few minutes later the boys were extended upon their backs upon the bamboos, shaded by the palm-leaf roofing, and feeling a faint breath of warm air come up from the surface of the river, just as if it had floated up from the sea. here, as they lay, the boys peeled their oranges and threw the yellow rind into the river, where, whenever the white side fell downward, there was a loud splash made by a fish, which dashed at it and left it again as not good enough for food. the oranges were not good--they were small and pithy, as if the sun had dried all the juice out of them; but they were the best the boys could obtain, and they were eaten in silence, neither feeling disposed to talk; and then the natural thing occurred to two boys hot and tired upon a torrid day when there was a sleepy hum in the air in and out beneath the shade in which they lay. five minutes after the last orange was eaten, a heavy breathing could be heard. "asleep, phra?" said harry softly. a repetition of the breathing was the reply, and harry lay with his hands clasped under the back of his head, gazing up at the palm thatch, where all looked softly light, though it was in the shade, the reason being that the sunshine was reflected from the surface of the water and played in a peculiar, mazy way upon the inner part of the roof, as if a golden net were covering the palm leaves and being kept in continuous motion. there was a good deal to be seen up there: flies were darting about, and often faring badly, for every now and then a lizard ran along, looking like a miniature crocodile, the sunny reflections in full motion resembling the water. the dart of one of these lizards upon an unfortunate fly was too quick for the eye to follow. one minute the curious little creature in its glistening armour would be creeping up to within a few inches of a fly busy at work brushing its head and wings with a care and nicety that suggested great pride in its personal appearance; the next moment there would be what seemed to be a faint streak upon the palm thatch, and the lizard would be where the fly was preening itself, but the fly was gone, and it had not been seen to fly away. it was there still, but securely enclosed, and ready to be transmuted into food. "they are quick," thought harry; but his attention was taken off the lizards to the action of something gliding along among the loose leaves of the thatch--something long and pale green and grey. it seemed to be so insecurely placed that it appeared to be on the point of falling, and if it had dropped it must have been upon the sleeping figure of phra. but somehow it held on by means of the long plates or scales at the lower part of its body in one or two places, while the rest hung in limp, unsupported folds. it was very interesting to follow the sinuous movements of this snake, a gracefully thin creature of about four feet long; and over and over again harry laughed to himself, thinking how phra would jump when he felt the thin, twining reptile drop upon him; but there was no fear of its falling, for it had the instinct of self-preservation strong within its fragile body, and it always appeared to be holding on tightly by one part, while the other was gliding forward seeking a fresh hold. it was nothing new to the watcher, for harry had seen snakes of this kind often, both living and dead, and his father had pointed out to him that it was of a perfectly harmless description, the head being softly elliptical and gently graduated off in its junction with the long, thin neck, showing no sudden swellings out caused by the possession of poison glands, which give to the dangerous little serpents the peculiar spade-shaped or triangular head with the corners bluntly rounded off. as harry lay watching the snake, he fully expected to see it dart its head at some of the flies buzzing about, but it went on its way quietly investigating, for it was in search of more juicy morsels than flies, its instinct having taught it that the palm thatch of such a roof as that in which it searched was exceedingly likely to contain the nest of some mouse or hole-loving bird, one of the little wren-like creatures whose fat, featherless young would form delicious morsels for a creature whose teeth were implements for holding on and not for masticating its prey. in those days the american humourist was not born, or, as he did, harry might have lain there and wondered in connection with their food and the great length of neck whether it tasted "good all the way down." but naturally, as he had not read the lines, he thought nothing of the kind. in fact, he paid no more heed to the little snake beyond thinking of what a number of different things there were living in that thatched edifice; for all at once there was a low, deep, humming buzz, a flash as of burnished copper, and a thick, squat beetle flew in beneath the roof, lit on one of the bamboo rafters, and began to fold up its gauzy wings perfectly neatly, shutting them up beneath their cases, into which they fitted so closely, that when all was shut up there was no sign of opening, and a casual observer would never have imagined that such a short, stumpy, armour-clad, horny creature, all spikes and corners about the legs, could fly. that beetle took up a great deal of harry's attention, for all was so still that when it crawled up into the thatching, holding on by its hooked legs, the rustle and scratching could be plainly heard. but at last the sound seemed to be distant, while, strangely enough, the beetle gradually appeared as if it were swelling out to a gigantic size, but grew hazy and undefined, and was apparently about to die out as if into mist, when harry started and saw that it was just the rounded, stumpy, coppery green insect again, and he knew that he had been asleep and was startled into wakefulness by some sound close at hand. voices, and then the rippling of water, and as he lay perfectly still upon his back he knew that a boat was coming abreast of the landing-place and a man was talking in a haughty, contemptuous way, as if in answer to some question that had been asked. "that feringhee dog the king favours; he was the beginning of the swarm that invaded the country." "never mind," said another voice; "don't be angry: it will soon come to an end." "the sooner the better. i am sick of all this. a mad king makes mad people who will not sit still and see their country ruined by his follies. what whim will he have next?" "who knows? there is always some case or another coming by one of the unbelievers' ships. i believe they send their diseases and sicknesses here to kill our people, so that they may come and take the country. it is all wrong. what a beautiful place that man has here!" "hist! don't talk." "why not? i do not mind who hears. i would say what i do even before our foolish king." "be silent; there are people lying asleep on that landing-place, and they might hear." one of them did hear--plainly enough, for in still weather water has a wonderful power for conveying sounds along its surface. these words were spoken in the native dialect, but every word was clear to the involuntary listener, for the language was almost as familiar to harry as his own. the words jarred upon him. what did they mean? the speakers from their tone were evidently people who hated the english colonists, and an intense desire to see whether they were people whom he knew animated the boy with the disposition to start up and look. but on second thoughts he felt that it might be better for them if they appeared to be asleep, especially as phra was the king's son. but once more the desire to see who it was grew strong in harry's breast, and as the light splashing of the oars grew less plain he slowly turned his head till he could open one eye and gaze over the surface of the river. he was too late; there was nothing in sight but the boats moored to the farther bank. "i could see them from the far end of the garden, though," he thought; and rolling himself gently over three or four times, so as not to awaken phra, he reached the bridge-like way off the stage into the garden, where he rose to his feet and keeping in shelter of the flowering shrubs which had been abundantly planted, he made for the corner of the garden higher up the stream, for the slow progress of the boat in passing showed that the people, whoever they were, had gone in that direction. harry had little difficulty in getting to the boundary of his father's grounds, keeping well under cover, though it was hot work hurrying along in a stooping position. but when he raised his head cautiously and peered over the river, the result was disappointing. there was the boat certainly, going on against tide, propelled by a couple of stout rowers; and it was evidently the boat of some one well to do, for the rowers were dressed alike. as to the occupants of the central part beneath the awning, they were partly hidden by the uprights which supported the light roof shelter, and their backs were towards him. they were richly dressed, but though the boy watched till the boat passed out of sight beyond a curve they did not turn their heads once. harry returned to the landing-stage, feeling troubled and thoughtful. he was asking himself whether he should tell phra what he had heard, and a feeling of shrinking from making his companion uncomfortable had almost fixed him in his determination to say nothing until he had told his father. but phra's action altered all this. for just as he was about to set foot upon the stage, phra leaped up and began to rub his ear frantically. "what did you do that for?" he cried fiercely. "do what?" said harry, laughing at the boy's antics. "you put that nasty little beetle in my ear." "i didn't," cried harry, bursting into a roar of laughter. "yes, you did. there it is," cried phra angrily, as he stamped upon and crushed a little round insect about the size of the smaller lady-bird. "tickle, tickle, tickle! why, if i hadn't woke up, the horrible little creature might have eaten its way into my brains, and killed me." "nonsense! nothing would do that." "well, you had no business to play such silly boys' tricks. it's enough to make me hit you. yes, you can laugh at me; but if i were regularly angry, you would be ready to run." "run away?" said harry merrily. "yes, run away." "oh yes, and never come back again. you frighten me horribly." "you're mocking at me, but i tell you it was very cowardly and stupid." "no, it was not; for i did not do it, my boy." "what? why, i woke up and caught you just as you were going to run away." "no, i was coming back." "oh, hal! that's what you call a cracker, and that's more cowardly still. when i went to sleep you were lying down beside me, and when i woke up you were standing over there." "that's right," said harry. "and when you woke up you felt mischievous, and caught that little beetle to put in my ear." "that's wrong," said harry sturdily. "why, i felt it directly it was in; and you must have done it." "oh, of course, because beetles have no legs to crawl, and no wings to fly, and you weren't lying ear upward so that it could drop in off the roof." "you may argue as long as you like, and as i was asleep, of course i couldn't quite tell how you did it; but there's the beetle. see?" "oh yes, i can see," said harry thoughtfully; "but i didn't put it there. it got into your ear while i was away." "oh, hal!" "and oh, phra!" "to say you were coming back when you were just going to slip away!" "wasn't going to slip away. i tell you i was coming back." "i don't believe you." "very well," said harry; "don't." "i--i mean, i beg your pardon, hal." there was no reply. "tell me why you went away," said phra, who felt that he had gone too far. "it's of no use. you will not believe me," said harry, taking out his knife and beginning to carve his initials on one of the big bamboos. "yes, i will!" cried phra. "i daresay i was wrong. i was cross with being woke up like that, and i felt sure you had done it." "and you feel sure now," said harry coldly. "no, not sure," said phra frankly, "only doubtful." "then you ought to be ashamed of yourself for feeling so. it's not as if i were a siamese fellow--they say anything. an english boy doesn't like to be doubted." "beg your pardon, hal--so sorry," said phra penitently. "shake hands." "not i," said harry stiffly. "i'm not going to shake hands with a chap who doesn't believe my word." "hal!" cried phra, with a pleading look in his eyes. "we'd better not be friends any more; and you'd better go away and have nothing more to do with us english people." "why? what makes you say that?" harry was silent, and stood frowning there, hacking at the bamboo; but the quick-witted siamese lad seemed to grasp the idea that there was something more behind the fit of annoyance, and began to press his companion. and the more silent and mysterious harry proved to be, the more he pressed. for a time he obtained nothing but mysterious hints and bitter words about things not being as they should be, and at last the boy said angrily,-"look here, hal, i'm sure you are hiding something. i woke up and saw you there, and i felt sure you had been playing some trick. you know you often do." "yes, often," said harry quietly. "then you told me you had not, and i begged your pardon for saying things when i was cross. i know you well enough now; you can't keep up anything of that sort--you get in a temper sometimes, but it's all over soon and you shake hands, or even if you don't, it's soon all right again and forgotten: but now you keep on talking about our not being friends any more, and i'm sure there's something the matter. now, isn't there?" harry nodded and looked gloomy as he went on cutting in the hard wood, and spoiled the shape of the k he was carving. "what is it, then? why don't you tell me?" "don't want to make you uncomfortable." "then it's something serious?" harry nodded again. "you're not going away, hal?" cried phra excitedly. "it seems as if we'd better," said harry gloomily. "no, that you shan't!" cried phra angrily. "who says that? i know; it's your father's offended about something. but i won't have it." harry smiled. "you're not king," he said. "no, but i shall be some day, and till i am, my father will let me have anything i like, so long as it's wise and good. it's quite right for you and your father to stay here, for it's doing you both good, and us too. father said only the other night that it was a grand thing for the country to have wise englishmen here to instruct us in everything." "do you think so, phra?" "of course i do. why, look at last year, when that dreadful plague came and the people were dying so fast till doctor cameron made them keep the sick people to themselves, and had their clothes and things burnt. father always says he stopped it from going any further. it's so with everything, if people would only learn." "but they don't like us," said harry. "the sensible ones do. it's only the silly, obstinate, old-fashioned folk who like to go on always in the same way, and who think that they know everything and that there's nothing more to be learnt. here's something you never heard. some of the other king's people put it about last year that father was making poisons in his room so as to kill the people." "oh yes, i know it," said harry bitterly. "and they say the bad diseases come in the cases father has from england. i daresay they'll think that there's another plague come in our case with the cricket bats and balls." "they do say so," said harry. "how do you know?" cried phra sharply. "heard 'em." "when?" "just now, when you were asleep." "hah! then that's it!" cried phra; and it all came out. the siamese lad heard his companion to the end with a look of haughty contempt which made him look years older, and when he had finished he said slowly,-"poor silly idiots! those are the sort of people who would say that a blowpipe was better than a rifle. what does it matter?" "matter? why, it is bad for you and your father to be friendly with such people as we are." "how absurd!" cried phra. "the weak, silly, ignorant people are so stupid about things they do not understand." "but these were not common, ignorant people, but noblemen." "very likely," said phra, with a shrug of his shoulders. "it is as father says: many of the old noblemen of the other king's party are too proud to learn anything, and they pretend to believe he deals in magic and is mad." "yes, that's how they talked," said harry. "well, let them talk. i'm glad my father is so mad as he is, and wants to learn all about the wonders of the world, and to get me to learn them too. and i do like it, hal; i'm ever so fond of learning about all these strange things. of course i like playing games, too, and even your games that you teach us are wonderful and clever. pooh! let the silly people talk till they learn to know better." "but these men in the boat spoke threateningly of it all having an end, just as if they meant to attack the king and drive us all away." "bah!" ejaculated the lad. "attack my father? pooh! they dare not. he's as gentle and kind as any one can be, but he can be angry too, and when he is, he is very fierce and stern. he won't believe that any one would dare to attack him. i don't believe it either." "but if you had heard those two men talk?" "well, then i should have heard two men talk, that's all. what is talking? a mere nothing." "but suppose they were to begin to act?" said harry, who was looking at his friend admiringly. "what do you mean--fight?" "yes." "i hope they will not," said phra rather sadly, "because it would be so terrible. they would fight because they don't know better, and they will not learn. but they would learn then when it was too late." "what would happen?" "a number of foolish people would be killed, and when those who began the trouble were caught--" "yes?" said harry, for phra had ceased speaking; "what would happen then?" "they would have to die, too, and it seems horrible when the great world is so beautiful and people might be happy." "think the king would have them executed?" "of course. he is all that is good and kind to everybody now, but if the people rose against him, he would say, 'poor blind, foolish creatures! i must forgive them, for they don't know better; but the leaders must suffer for leading them into sin.'" "and their heads would be chopped off?" "certainly," said phra coldly. "it would be for every one's good. but don't look like that, hal; we can't help the stupid people talking foolishly. it does not matter to us." "but it does," said harry. "it makes me think that we ought not to stay." "nonsense!" cried phra. "are you going to tell your father what the people are saying?" "no; why should i?" "i think he ought to know," said harry. "i daresay he does know how people talk, but it does not trouble him. they are foolish people who do not know he is the best king we have ever had. let them talk. there, i am going home now. you keep the football." chapter xi the naga's bite phra had not been gone long before mr. kenyon returned from his business down in the port, and in reply to his question, "anything fresh happened, my boy?" harry told him what he had heard, watching his father's face intently the while. "then you think it is very serious, father?" said harry. "do i, hal? what makes you say that?" "you look anxious about it." "i was not aware that you were studying my face," said mr. kenyon, smiling. "well, it is serious news, and it is not serious, if you can understand that. the words you heard were those of dissatisfied folk, and these exist everywhere. of course i have long known that the common, ignorant people resent our being here a good deal, especially the followers of the second king, as they call him; but most of the people like us, and i find that they are very eager to deal with me in business, trusting me largely with their goods, and quite content to wait till i choose to pay them. that looks as if we have a good character. then, as regards our treatment in the place, you have never found any one insulting or offensive to you." "no, father; every one is smiling and pleasant." "of course. you need not trouble yourself about the disagreeable remarks of a couple of malcontents." these words cheered harry, whose young imagination had been piling up horrors to come for the dwellers at the palace and the english people who were near. two days later, when he was a little higher up the river, a pleasant, musical voice saluted him from the other side of a hedge. "what! going by without calling? for shame!" harry turned through a gate and down a path to where a lady was seated busy over some kind of needlework under a shady tree. there was something so pleasant in her smile of welcome that the boy eagerly caught at her extended hand, before taking the chair that was pointed out. "but that's the doctor's," he said. "yes, but he is down the river in his boat, seeing some of his patients. have some fruit, harry. all that basketful was sent us this morning by one of duncan's patients." "how nice! may i take that mangosteen?" "take all," said mrs. cameron, for she it was. "the people are never tired of sending us great pines and melons. they are so nice and grateful for everything my husband does for them. i used to think it would be very dreadful to come out here amongst all the strange, half-savage people, as i expected they would be." "but they are not savage," said harry. "savage? no. they are as gentle and nice as can be. they seem to be more afraid of us than we are of them." harry feasted his eyes upon the sweet face and form of the graceful english lady, and the sight seemed to bring up something misty and undefined of some one who used to lean over his little bed at night to press her warm lips upon his face, which was brushed by her long, fair hair. it was a pleasant feeling, but sad as well, for the few moments that the memory stayed. then he had to answer questions as to why he had not brought his friend with him, of the games he had been playing, about his excursions; and he was in the midst of his answers when a quick step was heard, and mrs. cameron sprang up. "here is duncan," she cried. "hullo, hal!" cried the doctor, entering; "here you are, then! where's the prince?" "he has not been down to-day." "oh, then that is why we are honoured with a visit, is it?" "i--i was not coming to see you to-day, was i, mrs. cameron?" said harry, colouring. "no, that is a fact," said the lady. "he was going right by, but i called him in." "ah, well, we will forgive you. stop and have tea with us." harry's acceptation showed that he was only too glad, and after the pleasant meal in the verandah, there was an interesting hour to be spent in the doctor's curious compound of surgery, study, and museum, where plenty of fresh insects had to be examined. mrs. cameron displaying a bright, girl-like interest in everything, till called away to give some instructions to her servants. "how mrs. cameron must help you, doctor!" said harry. "i did not know that she was so clever at pinning out moths." "look here," said the doctor sternly, "have you been saying anything to her about what you told your father you heard said in that boat?" "not a word, sir." "that's right. i'm glad of it; but i was afraid." "oh, i shouldn't have thought of telling her." "i'm glad you have so much discretion, my boy. you see, ladies are easily made nervous; and if my wife had heard all that, she would have been fidgeting about it every time i was away, and of course that is very often." "you don't think there is any danger, do you?" "not the slightest, my boy; the people are all too friendly. it is only a few discontented humbugs who are old-fashioned and object to the king's ways." "that is what my father says," said harry. "and that is what i say, so let's think no more about it." "there's phra," cried harry, starting up, as a long-drawn whistle was heard. harry ran out, and was going down to the gate, passing mrs. cameron, who was walking back to her seat under the tree; but all of a sudden she stopped short, tottered as if about to fall, and then stood there with a ghastly face as white as her dress. it was a mere glimpse that the boy obtained, but it was enough to check his hurried race for the gate. something was wrong, he could not tell what; but the doctor's wife was evidently in sore trouble, and he turned to go to her help. "what is the matter, mrs. cameron?" he cried; but she made no reply. it was as if she had not heard him speak, and with head averted she stood looking to the left in a singularly strained attitude, like one striving to escape from something horrible, but whose feet were held to the ground. in his excitement harry ran round before her and caught her hand in his, to find it icily cold; but she only uttered a gasping sound, and still stared horribly and with convulsed face down to her left. very few moments had elapsed from the boy's first taking alarm till he now turned wonderingly to his right to follow the direction of mrs. cameron's eyes, and then a horrible chill ran through him, and he felt paralysed and helpless, for there, not six feet away, raised up on the lower part of its body, was one of the most deadly serpents in the world, its grey brown marked scales glistening as it played about in a wavy, undulatory fashion, its so-called hood spread out showing the spectacle-like markings, and its flattened head turned down at right angles to the neck, with the forked tongue playing and flickering in and out through the little opening in its jaws. the lower part of the creature was partly hidden by the flowers on a dry bed, but the anterior portion rose fully three feet above the plants, and the creature swung itself about and rose and sank as if preparing for a spring upon the fascinated woman; for either from horror or some occult power on the part of the deadly reptile, mrs. cameron was perfectly helpless, and promised to be an easy victim to the cobra when it struck. but harry's stunned sensation of horror did not last; he stepped back for a moment or two, looking sharply about for a weapon, but looked in vain, for there was nothing near but a small bamboo stool. it was better than nothing. he caught it up by one leg, and raising it above his shoulder he stepped quickly between mrs. cameron and her enemy, prepared to strike with all his might, while the cobra's eyes seemed to burn, and it drew back as if about to spring. at that moment, released from the influence of the reptile by the interposition of harry's body, the power of movement returned, and uttering a low, sobbing cry mrs. cameron sank slowly to her knees upon the ground, where she crouched, watching the movements of her champion, but not daring to look again at the serpent. the sobbing cry behind him drew harry's attention from his enemy for a moment, but only for that space of time. then he was once more on guard, fully realizing the danger of his position, but so strung up by the emergency that he felt not the slightest fear. harry's was but a momentary glance back, but it was an opportunity for the enemy. quick as lightning it struck. there was the darting forward as of a spring set free, the stroke and the rebound, and as the reptile was about to strike again harry delivered his blow, which crushed down the hissing creature with such effect that the next moment it had writhed itself out from among the plants, to lie clear to receive blow after blow from the stool, till the latter flew into fragments, while the cobra twined and twisted and tied itself into knots in its agony, close to the lad's feet. he did not attempt to shrink away, only looked round for something else to seize as a weapon, and then he stared strangely at mrs. cameron, who had sprung up. "harry! what is it?" she cried hoarsely. "did it bite you?" "don't know," he said, in a curious, husky voice. "i--i think so; but i've killed it." "but where? show me where?" panted mrs. cameron wildly. for answer harry drew back the cuff from his right wrist, and held it up. "there," he said. without a moment's hesitation mrs. cameron caught the lad's hand and arm and raised it to her lips, sucking the tiny puncture with all her power, and then, as she withdrew her lips for a moment, she shrieked out,-"duncan! duncan! help, help!" before placing her lips to the bite again. "what's the matter?" cried phra, running to them from the gate. "mrs. cameron! hal! what is it?" "snake," said harry faintly, just as phra caught sight of the writhing creature, struck at it, and watching his opportunity crushed its head into the ground with his heel, the reptile in its dying agonies twining tightly about his ankle and leg. mrs. cameron took her lips from the wound again, and her lips parted to shriek once more; but her cries had been heard, and the doctor came running down to her side. there was no need to ask questions--he saw what had happened at a glance, and the dangerous nature of the wound was told by the swollen shape of the snake's neck by phra's boot. "once more," he said to his wife; "then let me." as mrs. cameron pressed her lips to the wound, her husband snatched the thin silk neckerchief harry wore from his neck, twisted it up into a cord, and tied it as tightly as he could round the lad's arm, just above the elbow-joint. "now let me come," he said sharply. "run in, mary; fetch basin, sponge, water, and the caustic bottle." mrs. cameron was used to her husband's ways in emergencies, and resigning the patient to his hands she ran off to the house. "sit down here, hal," said cameron, "and keep a good heart, lad. i daresay we shall take it in time." as he spoke he pressed the silent lad back into mrs. cameron's chair, snatched off the jacket, tore open the shirt-sleeve, and then drew out his pocket-book, from which he took a lancet. with this he scarified the tiny wound, making it bleed freely, before placing his lips to it and trying to draw the poison away again and again, while phra stood close by, his face of a livid hue, and making no offer of help on account of his position. for the serpent was still twined tightly about his ankle and leg, and he felt sure that if he released the head from beneath his foot, the reptile would strike again. by this time mrs. cameron was back with the various articles required, and she knelt down with the basin in her lap as the doctor took a little wide-mouthed bottle from her hand, removed the stopper, shook out a tiny stick of white, sugar-looking crystal, and after moistening the end, liberally used it in and about the mouth of the wound. "hurt you, my boy?" said cameron sharply, as harry lay back, with his eyes tightly closed. "horribly," was the reply. "feels like red-hot iron." "do you good, boy. act like a stimulus. now, can you walk indoors?" "i think so." "one moment. you, phra, run up and tell mr. kenyon to come here directly." "no, no," cried harry; "don't do that. it would frighten him." "he must be told, hal, my lad. go, phra." the boy addressed pointed to his foot. "if i let its head go, it will sting," he said. "oh, i see," said the doctor coolly, and taking a knife from his pocket, he opened it, bent down, and with one cut passed the knife blade through the cobra's neck, with the result that the long, lithe body was set free, as if it had been held in its place by the position of the head, and phra's leg was released. but he took his foot very cautiously off the head, which even then moved, as if still connected with the slowly writhing body, for the jaws opened and shut two or three times, the vitality in the creature being wonderful. but phra did not stay to see. he stepped quickly to harry's side and caught his left hand, to hold it for a moment against his throbbing breast, and then ran off as hard as he could go. meanwhile, supported on either side by the doctor and his wife, harry was led into the former's room, the boy looking rather wild and strange. here he was seated upon a cane couch, while a draught of ammonia and water was prepared, and held to him to drink. "not thirsty," he said, shaking his head. "never mind; drink," cried the doctor, and the lad hastily tossed off the contents. "nice?" said the doctor, with a smile. "horrid; like soap and water," replied harry. "may i go to sleep?" "yes, for a time, if you can." "but i say, look here, doctor; when father comes, don't let him be frightened. i'm not going to be very bad, am i?" "i hope not, hal. you see, we have taken it in time." "that's right," said the boy, with a deep sigh, and he closed his eyes at once and let his head subside on the pillow, sinking at once into a kind of stupor, for it was not like sleep. "oh, duncan," whispered mrs. cameron, as soon as she felt satisfied that the patient could not hear, "surely he will not die?" "not if i can help it, dear," he replied. "that was very brave of you to suck the wound. it may have saved his life." "poor, brave, darling boy!" she cried, bursting into a convulsive fit of sobbing, as she sank in her husband's arms, utterly giving way now. "he saved me from the horrible reptile, and was bitten himself." "ha! god bless him for it--and spare his life," added the doctor to himself--"that was it, then?" "yes, dear," sobbed mrs. cameron; "i was going back to take up my work when i heard a rustling sound among the flowers, and looking round i saw the horrible thing dancing and waving itself up and down as they do when a snake-charmer plays to them. i couldn't stir; i couldn't speak. i seemed to be suddenly made rigid; and then it was that harry saw the state i was in, and came to my help." "what did he do?" said the doctor, as he tried to calm his wife's hysterical sobs. "ran between me and the snake, and struck at it when it darted itself out. it would have bitten me, for it was gradually coming closer to me, and--and--and--oh, it was so dreadful, duncan dear! i seemed to have no power to move. i knew that if i ran off i should be safe, but i could not stir, only wait as if fixed by the horrible creature's eyes--wait till it darted at and bit me." "and harry dashed in between you?" "yes, dear. he seized the little bamboo stool, and struck at it. oh, duncan! duncan! don't let him die!" "let him die, my dear?" said the doctor, drawing in his breath. "not if my poor knowledge can save him. but i have great hopes that your brave thoughtfulness will have had its effect. now go and lie down a bit till you have grown calm. this terrible business has unhinged you." "no, no, dear; let me stay." "i dare not, my dear. you are weak and hysterical from the shock, and i must keep the poor boy undisturbed." "you may trust me, dear," said mrs. cameron; "i am better now. there, you see i am mastering my weakness. i will master it, and be quite calm, so as to help you to nurse him and make him well." "may i trust you?" "yes, yes, dear." "but suppose he is very, very bad?" whispered the doctor. "i will be quite calm and helpful then. afterwards i will not answer for myself." "then stay," said the doctor, who examined his patient as he lay there, looking strange and completely stupefied. "raise him up a little," said the doctor, after he had mixed some more ammonia and water; "i want him to drink this." mrs. cameron's task was easy, and there was no trouble then in getting the patient to drink, till the last spoonful or two, which he thrust away. "it hurts me to swallow," he muttered, as if to himself--"it hurts me to swallow." the doctor frowned, as he helped his wife to lower the poor fellow down, and examined the wrist and arm, which were now becoming terribly swollen and blotched. "oh, duncan!" whispered mrs. cameron, "can't you do something more?" "no," he said sadly; "one is fearfully helpless in such a case as this. everything possible has been done; it is a fight between nature and the poison." "and there seemed to be no time before i was trying to draw it out of the wound again." "it is so horribly subtle," said the doctor. "what you did ought to have checked the action, but it is going on. i dread poor kenyon's coming, and yet i am longing for it. he cannot be long." "duncan," whispered mrs. cameron, as she laid her hand tenderly upon harry's forehead, "are you sure that he cannot understand what we say?" "quite." "you said the poison was subtle; will it be long before the effect passes off?" "no," replied the doctor; "the danger should be quite at an end before an hour is passed. subtle? horribly subtle and quick, dear. i have known poor creatures die in a quarter of an hour after being struck. hist! i can hear kenyon's steps in the garden. go to the door and bring him in." mrs. cameron went out softly, but returned with phra. "is mr. kenyon coming?" "he went down the river in his boat, michael says, and will not be back till evening." "tut--tut--tut!" ejaculated the doctor. "how is he?" whispered phra. "bad; very bad," replied the doctor. "oh!" cried phra, in agony. "but you are curing him, doctor cameron?" "i am doing everything i possibly can, phra." "yes, i know; and you are so clever. it is all right, and he will soon be better." the doctor groaned, and bent over his patient, exchanging glances with his wife--looks both full of despair. phra stepped to the doctor's side, and caught him fiercely by the arm. "you frighten me," he whispered excitedly. "don't say he is very bad!" "look," said the doctor sadly, and he pointed to the horrible appearance of his young patient's arm. "it is of no use to disguise it, phra: the poison of these dreadful reptiles is beyond a doctor's skill." "but do something--do something!" cried phra angrily. "you are only standing and looking on. you must--you shall do more." mrs. cameron rose and took the lad's hands, drawing them aside. "be patient, phra," she whispered. "my husband is doing everything that is possible." "but it is so dreadful," cried phra. "i saw some one die from a snake-bite, and he looked just like that. but there was no doctor then. can't he do something more?" mrs. cameron shook her head. "you know how clever and wise he is, phra. we must trust him. he knows what is best." phra groaned, and sank down despairingly in a chair; but he started up again directly. "shall i fetch my father? he is very wise about snake-bites. he would come for hal." "he could do nothing," said the doctor gravely. "be silent, please; i am doing everything that is possible." phra frowned on hearing the imperative way in which the doctor spoke, but he did not resent it. he merely went on tip-toe to the head of the couch, and knelt down there, watching every movement on harry's part, though these were few. from time to time the doctor administered ammonia, but it seemed to have not the slightest effect: the swelling went on; the skin of the boy's arm grew of a livid black; and the mutterings of delirium made the scene more painful. and so three hours passed away, with no sign of mr. kenyon, no token given that the danger was nearly passed. every one was indefatigable, striving the best to render harry's sufferings lighter; but all seemed in vain, and at last, as she read truly the look of despair in her husband's face, every palliative he administered seeming to be useless, mrs. cameron, after fighting hard to keep back her grief, threw herself upon her knees by the side of the couch, and burst into a hysterical fit of sobbing. this was too much for phra, who, to hide his own feelings, hurried out into the garden, unable as he was to witness mrs. cameron's sufferings unmoved. and now in his utter despair the doctor made no effort to check his wife's loud sobs, feeling as he did that they could do no harm; and after attending to his patient again, he was about to walk to the window to try and think whether there was anything else that he could do, when to his astonishment harry opened his eyes, stared round vacantly, and said in sharp tones,-"yes! what is it? who called?" the doctor was at his side in an instant, and caught his hand. "harry, my lad," he said, "do you know me?" the boy stared at him strangely, but he had comprehended the question. "know you?" he said. "yes; why shouldn't i know you? what a ridiculous question! but--here, what is the matter with that lady? is it--is it--? my head aches, and i can't think," he added, after looking wonderingly about. "what has been the matter? doctor cameron, has some one been ill?" "yes, some one has been very ill," said the doctor, laying his cool hand upon the boy's forehead and pressing him back upon the pillow. "some one has been very ill! who is it? can't be father or mike. why am i here? i'm not ill. here, something hurts me, doctor--something on the wrist. just look; it hurts so that i can't lift it." the doctor took hold of the frightfully swollen arm, and made as if examining the injury, saying quietly,-"oh, it's only a bite; it will be better soon. i'll put a little olive oil to it. will you get some, my dear?" mrs. cameron rose from her knees quickly, and hurried out of the room, keeping her head averted so that harry should not see her face. he noticed this, and his eyes filled with a wondering look. "i don't understand it," he said. "i'm not at home." "no," said the doctor quietly. "you are here, at my house." "of course; and that was mrs. cameron who went out to get the oil, and--" he stopped short, and looked about him for some moments. then in a puzzled way:-"there's something i want to think about, but i can't." "don't worry about it, then. lie still till you can." "yes, that will be the best way. ah! here she is." mrs. cameron was back with the oil, and he made her lips quiver, and she had hard work to keep back her tears, as he said,-"that's good of you to fetch it. thank you, doctor. what was it bit me? one of those big mosquitoes? ah!" he uttered a wild cry, and his face grew convulsed with horror. "what is it, my dear boy?" said the doctor. "i know now," he said, in a low, passionate, agitated voice. "it has come back. the snake! i was bitten by that snake!" "yes, my boy, but the effect is all passing off," said the doctor soothingly. "no, no; you are saying that to keep me from thinking i shall die of the bite, and--" his voice sank to a whisper, as he murmured despairingly, "oh, father, father! what will you do?" "i am not cheating you, harry," said the doctor, leaning over him; "it is the simple truth. you were bitten by the virulent reptile; but fortunately we were close by, and the poison has yielded to the remedies." "ah! you gave me something?" "we did, of course," said the doctor gravely, giving his wife a glance. "you have been delirious and insensible, but the poison is mastered, and you have nothing to do now but get well. thank god!" the boy took the last words literally. he closed his eyes, and they saw his lips move in the silence which lasted for some minutes. then he opened his eyes, and spoke quite naturally. "i can recollect all about it now. but tell me, are you sure mrs. cameron was not hurt?" "hurt? no, harry," said that lady, taking his hand, to press it to her lips. "i have you to thank for saving my life." he imitated her action, and said with a smile,-"no, no. doctor cameron would have cured you as he did me. but ugh! what an arm!" he cried, hastily drawing the sleeve over the discoloured, swollen skin. "i say, doctor, it won't stop like that, will it?" "oh no, that will soon pass away." at that moment phra's piteous face appeared at the window, looking inquiringly in, for he had been puzzled by the voices he had heard; and as soon as he grasped the state of affairs, he uttered a wild cry,-"hal!" it was as he rushed in through the window and dashed across the floor, to pretty well fling himself upon his companion. then, with simulated anger, to choke down the burst of sobs striving for exit,-"oh, you wretch!" he cried, "to frighten us all like that! doctor, what doesn't he deserve!" "rest and quiet, phra, my lad. steady, please; he is a bit weak yet." "yes, i understand. but oh, hal, old chap, old chap! you have made me feel bad!" "so sorry," said the boy, "and so glad you all felt like that. but, phra, i want you to do something." "yes, what is it?" cried phra eagerly. "i want you to go up to our place and wait till father comes back. then tell him i'm better. i shouldn't like him to hear i had been bitten by a naga without knowing the whole truth." "yes, i'll go," cried the boy, pressing his friend's hand. "but tell me first, doctor: he is ever so much better?" "quite out of all danger now," was the reply, and phra started off, but only to find that he was too late, for before he had gone a hundred yards he met mr. kenyon and mike, running. "ah!" cried the merchant wildly, catching phra by the arm, "tell me quickly--the truth--the truth." "better; getting well fast," said phra quickly. mr. kenyon stopped short and laid his hand to his breast, and stood panting for a few minutes before speaking again. "mike told you as soon as you came ashore, then?" "no, he came down the river in a boat to fetch me, as soon as he heard the news. but come, quick, i must see for myself!" as mr. kenyon entered the room the doctor and his wife just said a word, and then went softly out, phra grasping the reason and following them into the garden. "yes, i see," he said softly; "to let them be alone." they all three turned down one of the paths amongst the thickly planted bushes, and then stopped short in wonder, for there just before them was mike, crying like a child, and wiping his eyes. he was aware of their presence, though, almost as soon as they were of his, and making a pretence of mopping his face with the handkerchief he held, he hurried up. "awful hot, sir," he said. "you want me?" "no, not yet," said the doctor, ignoring the tears; "but in two or three hours i think we can get your young master home. i think you had better see about a palanquin and bearers by-and-by. or perhaps you might as well go now, and tell the men to be here in two hours' time." "yes, sir; of course, sir, but--er--" "what is it?" said the doctor. "could i just go and say a word to the young master, sir?" "i think not now, mike. his father is with him, and we have left them so that they might be alone." "of course, sir, and quite right too," said mike. "i'll be off at once, sir; but it is amazing hot." mike hurried away, and as soon as he was out of hearing phra said quickly,-"see how he'd been crying, mr. cameron?" "yes, phra." "that's because he liked our hal so. every one likes hal." chapter xii sul the elephant "bother the old cobra! don't say any more about it; i hate to hear the thing mentioned. well, there, quite well, thank you; how do you do?" "but you might tell me, hal." "why, i am telling you. i'm quite well again." "don't you feel anything?" "oh yes, just a little; my arm feels pins-and-needlesy, just as if i had been to sleep on it in an awkward position; and it looks as if it was turning into a snake." "what, twists and twines about?" "no--o--o--o! what nonsense! how can a thing with stiff bones in it twist and twine about? i mean, the skin's all marked something like a snake's; but dr. cameron says i need not mind, for it will all go off in time. oh, i am so sick of it all! i wish i hadn't killed the snake." "what!" cried phra. "no, i don't quite mean that, because of course i'm glad to have killed the horrible, poisonous thing; only it's so tiresome. that's nearly a month ago, and everybody's watching me to see how i look, and asking me how i am, and you're about the worst of the lot." "it's quite natural, hal." "is it? then i wish it wasn't. i suppose it's quite natural for mrs. cameron to begin to cry as soon as she sees me." "it's because she feels grateful to you for saving her life." "there you go again," cried harry peevishly. "saving her life! oh, how i wish i hadn't! everybody will keep telling me of it, and one says it was so good of me, and another calls me a brave young hero; and just because i hit a snake a whack with an old bamboo stool. it's sickening." phra laughed heartily. "you're not sorry you saved her life." "will you be quiet?" cried harry angrily. "saved her life again. everybody's telling me of it. of course i don't mean i'm sorry, but i wish somebody else had done it. ah! you, for instance," cried the boy, with one of his old mirthful looks. "ha, ha, ha! poor old phra! how would he like it? every one calling him a brave young hero!" "i shouldn't mind it once or twice," said phra thoughtfully. "but after that i suppose it would be rather tiresome." "tiresome!" cried harry. "it sets your teeth on edge--it makes you squirm--it makes you want to throw things that will break--it makes you want to call names, and kick." phra roared. "ah, you may grin, my lad, but it does." "it would make me feel proud," said phra. "that it wouldn't. you're not such a silly, weak noodle. it would make you feel ashamed of yourself, for it's sickly and stupid to make such a fuss about nothing. no, don't say any more about it, or there'll be a fight." "i say, hal," cried phra. "i shall be glad when you are quite well again." "i am quite well again. look here, i'll race you along the terrace and back." "no, it makes one too hot. but you're not quite well yet." "i am, i tell you. do you want to quarrel?" "no, but that proves you are not." "how? what do you mean?" "you get cross so soon. it's just as if that snakebite--" "don't!" roared harry. "turned you sour and acid." harry did not resent this, but remained silent for a few moments. "i say," he said at last, "is that true?" "what?" "about me turning sour and acid?" "oh yes; you get out of temper about such little things. i'm almost afraid to speak to you sometimes." "hi! look at him! there he goes. one of those little monkeys. he heard me shout. how he can jump from tree to tree! i wish we were as active. there! he can't jump to that next tree. he'd fall down. well! look at that. why, it was a tremendous jump." "we were here just right," said phra; "he was coming after the fruit, and we scared him." harry was silent, and walked on by his companion's side in the beautiful gardens of the palace. then he began to whistle softly, as if he were thinking. at last he broke out with-"oh, what a lovely garden this is! i wish my father was a king, and i was a prince, and all this was ours." phra threw himself down on the grass beneath a clump of shrubs and began to laugh heartily. "what are you laughing at?" said harry angrily. "you. why, you wouldn't like it half so well as what you have now." "oh, shouldn't i! i know better than that." "no, you don't, hal. that is all my father's, and it will be all mine some day; but i like being at your place ever so much better than being here." "you don't. nonsense!" "i do, i tell you. your little garden's lovely, and the dear old landing-place is ten times nicer than our marble steps." "you've been out in the sun too much, phra, and it has turned your head." "that it hasn't. and as to your father being king, he'd soon be very tired of it, as my father is; for it's all worry and care." harry had thrown himself sprawling on the grass beside his companion, and the boys were both silent for a while, as if listening to the soft cooing of one of the beautiful little rose and green doves which frequented the garden. "it's very curious," said harry at last. "what is?" said phra wonderingly. "that the poison of that snake--such a wee, tiny drop as got into me--should have such a droll effect." "i don't see anything droll in it," replied phra. "i do," cried harry. "here, only a little time ago i was the jolliest, best-tempered fellow that ever lived." "ho, ho, ho!" laughed phra. "well, so i was," cried harry indignantly. "when you weren't cross." "oh, i say, i never was cross; but i'll own to it now. i've often thought about it lately. you're quite right, phra; the least thing does put me out now, and i feel as if i must grind my teeth together. think it is because of the poison?" "of course it is. but never mind. i don't, because i know why it is." "i have been very cross, then, sometimes, have i?" "horrid!" cried phra, laughing. "you've been ready to call the sun names for shining, and the wind for blowing. you can't think how cross you've been." "i can guess. it's what dr. cameron calls being a trifle irritable. hullo! here's one of your fellows coming. looks just as if he were going to spear us both for being in the king's garden." a handsome, bronze-skinned guard stalked up and bowed to phra. "what do you want?" asked phra. "the hunter, sree, asks to see the prince," replied the man. that was enough. there was neither irritability in harry, nor thought of the heat in phra, as they sprang up and made for the outer court, where they found sree sitting upon his heels, calmly meditative over his thoughts, but ready to spring up on seeing the two lads approach. he saluted them after the country fashion, and in reply to the question asked by both together,-"i came to see if the young sahib harry was well enough to go out, and the prince would go with him." "of course i'm well enough," cried harry. "i say, sree, have you seen any cobras since that one bit me?" phra turned sharply round, with his face full of the mirth he tried to hide. "yes, i know what you mean," cried harry sharply. "i shall talk about it myself, though, if i like. have you seen any, sree?" "just one hundred and seven, sahib," said the man. "a hundred and seven!" cried harry. "what, about here?" "about the different houses and landings, sahib," replied the old hunter. "they like to get near to where people live, because of the little animals that come too." "i shouldn't have thought that there were so many for miles and miles." "oh yes, sahib; there are many nagas about." "you must have seen the same ones over again," said harry. "no, sahib; it was not so, because i killed as many as i said." "killed them!" "yes, sahib; when i knew that you had been bitten, i felt that i must have been neglectful, and i set to work seeking for nagas with my two men, and we killed all those. you see, it is easy. when you find one, there is sure to be its husband or its wife somewhere near." "then you killed all those because i was bitten?" said harry. "yes, sahib, and we are going to kill more. they are dangerous things. would the sahib like to go out to-day?" "yes, we should; shouldn't we, phra?" "yes, if you--" phra got no farther, on account of the sharp look harry darted at him. "have you anything particular you have tracked down?" "i have done nothing but hunt nagas lately, sahib, because i did not know when the sahib would come again; but the jungle is full of wild creatures, and the river the same. would sahib harry like to go right up the river in a boat, or would he like a ride through the jungle with an elephant?" "what do you say, phra?" asked harry. "we had a boat out last time," said phra. "which you like, though." "but could you get an elephant? would your father--" "of course," said phra eagerly. "how soon shall we go?" "i should like to go directly." "then we will go directly. i'll order an elephant to be brought round at once." he went towards the palace, and harry followed him with his eyes. "it's nice," he thought, "to be able to order everything you want like that. to tell the people to bring round an elephant, just as i might give orders for a donkey. well, it's just the same, only one's bigger than the other, and costs more to keep. it is nice, after all, to be a king or a prince. phra says it isn't, though, and perhaps one might get as much fun out of a donkey, and if he kicked it wouldn't be so far to fall." he turned suddenly, to find that the old hunter's eyes were fixed sharply upon him. "does the young sahib feel any pain now from the snake-bite?" harry frowned at the allusion, but the question was so respectfully put that he replied quietly,-"a good deal sometimes, sree, but my arm is better." "be out in the sun all you can, sahib, and let the hot light shine upon it to bring life and strength back to the blood." harry nodded. "there is death in the serpent's poison, but life in the light of the sun, sahib. sree's heart was sore within him when he heard the bad tidings, for he feared it meant that the young sahib's days were at an end." "but you never came near me, sree, while i was bad." "but i knew, sahib, and i was busy--oh, so busy! one hundred and seven of the little wretches." "oh yes," said harry, "i had forgotten that. but come along; the prince is coming out again." by the time they reached the court phra was there, with men carrying out guns, belts, and flasks, with net-bags to hold anything they might shoot; and before this was quite done a peculiar scrunching sound was heard, and directly after the prominent fronted grey head of a huge elephant appeared, as the great quadruped came on, walking softly, and swaying its long trunk from side to side, while upon its neck sat a little ugly man not bigger than a boy, hook-speared goad in hand, and with his legs completely hidden by the creature's great, leathery, flap ears. "you've got the biggest one, phra," said harry. "yes, he takes longer strides, and i like him; don't i, sul?" said the lad, giving the _u_ in the animal's name the long, soft sound of double _o_. the elephant uttered a peculiar sound, and twining his truck round phra's waist, lifted him from the ground. "no, no, i am going up by the ladder," said phra, laughing, and at a word the huge beast set him down again, and raised his trunk to receive a petting from harry, who was an old friend. it seemed strange for the great beast with its gigantic power to be so obedient and docile to a couple of mere lads, and the insignificant mahout perched upon its neck. but so it was: at a word the elephant knelt, a short, bamboo ladder was placed against its side, and the boys climbed up; the guns and ammunition were handed in by sree, who was particular to a degree in seeing that everything was placed in the howdah that was necessary; and then he took his own place behind the lads. without being told, a couple of the men drew the ladder away, and the mahout grasped his silver-mounted goad, all attention for the word. phra gave this, and then it was like a boat mounting a wave and plunging down the other side, as the elephant rose, and without seeming to exert itself in the least, began to shuffle over the ground. "just like two pairs of stuffed trousers under a feather bed," as harry termed it. sree gave the mahout his directions, and very soon the river was left far behind, and they were following one of the elephant tracks through the wooded district which lay between the river and the jungle proper--the primitive wild, much of which had never been trodden by the foot of man. here the trees had gone on growing to their full age, and fallen to make way for others to take their places, the roots of the young literally devouring the crumbled-up touchwood over which they had spread their boughs, while creepers and the ever-present climbing and running palm, the rotan, bound the grand, forest monarchs together, and turned the place into an impenetrable wild, save where the wild elephants had formed their roads and traversed them even to taking the same steps, each planting its huge feet in the impressions made by those which had gone before. "are we going to begin shooting at once, sree?" asked harry. "no, sahib; not here. too many people have been about, and everything is shy and hides. wait till we get into some of the open places in the wild jungle." this was while they were in the more open woodland; but soon this was left behind, and they were in the twilight of the great forest, going through a tunnel arched over by big trees, and with very little more than room for their huge steed to pass without brushing the sides. every here and there the gloom was relieved by what looked like a golden shower of rain, where the sun managed to penetrate; but, as soon as this was passed, the darkness seemed deeper than before. the first part of this savage wild lay low, and the huge footprints made by the wild elephants were full of mud and water; but sul did not seem in the least troubled. according to the custom of his kind, he chose these holes in preference to the firm ground between, his feet sometimes descending with a loud splash a couple of feet or so, and being withdrawn with a peculiar _suck_, while the huge beast rolled and plunged like a boat in a rough sea. "do you mind this?" said phra, turning to his companion, as they were shaken together. "no; i like it," replied harry. "i say, what a place this must be for the big snakes, and how easily one might dart down half its body and twist round one of us. don't you feel a bit scared?" "no; but i heard of a hungry one doing that once. i daresay we should know if one was near." "how?" "the elephant seems to see and know whenever he is near anything dangerous." "oh, only when there is a tiger or buffalo, phra." "this one notices everything, doesn't he, sree?" "yes, prince; he is a wonderful beast," replied the hunter, who, in spite of the rolling about, had carefully charged the four guns that had been brought, and replaced them lying upon the hooks within the howdah, ready to be seized at a moment's notice. "we shan't see anything here," said phra. "too thick," replied the hunter; "but there are plenty of beasts on either side now. in an hour though we shall reach a part where the sun can shine through." "hist! something before us," whispered phra stretching out his hand for a gun, an act imitated by harry; for the elephant had suddenly stopped, thrown up its trunk, and as it gave vent to a rumbling sound which ended in the loud, highly-pitched cry which is called trumpeting, it shook its head from side to side, striking the branches with the ends of its long, sharp-pointed tusks, which were hooped in two places with bands of glistening silver. "you had better take a gun too, sree," said harry, in a low voice, and the old hunter eagerly availed himself of the permission. "mind not to hit the mahout," whispered phra, for the little turbanned man kept on anxiously looking back; "and you had better be looking out, hal, for sul may spin right round and run away." they sat watching and listening for some minutes, expecting moment by moment to see the cause of their stoppage approaching along the dusk tunnel, and at last, as the elephant ceased to make uneasy signs, sree handed the gun to harry. "what are you going to do?" asked the latter. "slip down, sahib, and go forward to see what startled the elephant." "is it safe?" "oh yes, sahib; i should run back if there was danger, and you would fire over my head." "but you had better have a gun." the old hunter smiled, and the next minute, he had lowered himself down by the ropes which held on the howdah, reached up for the gun, which was handed down to him, and they saw him go slowly forward, carefully examining the pathway, which fortunately was here fairly free from water, though the earth was soft enough to show the footprints of whatever had passed along. as if fully comprehending what all this meant, the great elephant made a muttering noise, lowered its trunk, and of its own choice continued its march, following close behind sree, till the latter began to move more cautiously; and now the elephant raised its head again, and curled its trunk up, throwing it back towards its forehead. "means a tiger," whispered harry. "yes; look at sree. be ready to fire." harry's heart beat fast, and he sat there with his gun-barrels resting on the front of the howdah, ready to fire if the great cat came into view. the elephant was shifting its weight from foot to foot, giving itself an awkward roll that would be rather bad for a marksman; but otherwise it made no further uneasy signs. "tiger," cried phra, and sree nodded sharply, before running some little distance on in a stooping position, displaying the activity of a boy, till he was nearly out of sight; but before he was quite so he turned sharply and ran back, stopping about a dozen yards in front of the elephant's head. "look, sahibs," he said, pointing down, "tiger. he came out of the low bush just on your left, and trotted along to here, and then crossed to yonder, twenty paces farther, where he went in among the trees on your right." "come back, then, and mount," said harry anxiously. "the brute may be crouching somewhere ready to spring on you." "no, sahib," said the man, smiling; "he has gone right away." "how can you tell that?" asked harry. "look at sul, sahib. he would not stand quietly like that if the tiger was near." "yes, that is right," said phra quietly, and he bade the mahout tell the elephant to kneel. "couldn't we follow and get a shot at it?" said harry excitedly. "no, no, of course not in a place like this," he hastened to add, for unless the path was followed it was next to impossible to move. the next minute the elephant had knelt, and sree had scrambled back to his place behind the howdah. "as there was one here, there may be his mate, sahib," he said; "so we will keep a good look-out." "yes, of course," said harry, as the elephant strode along quietly enough; "but i say, phra, we did not come out after tigers, did we?" "no, but by accident we are where we may get one. did you find the pugs as easily as this, when you were out with my father that day?" "no, sahib; it was all hard work, and very few footmarks to be found." "did you bring us this way hoping that we might shoot a tiger?" "no, sahib; i brought you along here so that you might shoot a deer for us to take back. i would not purposely take you where there are tigers; but if we have one tracking us, of course we must shoot, unless you would like to go back." "ask the prince if he would," said harry. "i mean to go on." "go on, of course," said phra. "i don't think we shall see any more signs of tigers." and, in fact, they went right on now along this winding tunnel through the jungle without seeing anything, and hearing nothing but the shrieking of parrots now and then, far above their heads, where the tops of the trees spread their flowers or fruit in the bright sunshine, but produced semi-darkness in the jungle beneath. at last, though, the path grew drier and drier and it was evident that they were ascending a slope, which being pursued for another quarter of an hour, they had the satisfaction of noting that the trees were of less growth, and every now and then there were rays of light streaming down, till all at once there was a patch of bright sunshine right in front, showing that comparatively open ground lay before them; while directly after harry had a glimpse of something dusky fifty yards away, there was the sound of a rush and the breaking of twigs, and then all was silent again. "buffalo, wasn't it?" said phra. "yes, sahib," replied the old hunter. "scared away; but they may return. there were four of them. be ready, for they might come back and charge at the elephant, big as he is." but no more was seen of the game they had disturbed, and a few minutes later they were out in full sunshine, the track before them being a wide expanse of park-like ground extended on either slope of a valley, through which a stream ran, half hidden by overhanging bushes and reeds. here and there the sun flashed from the running water, but for the most part the stream was invisible. when they broke out of the jungle they entered a dense patch of grass, which immediately found favour with the elephant, and it began tearing it up in bundles as large as its trunk would embrace; but this enjoyment was stopped at once, for at a word or two from sree, the mahout started the animal onward, uttering mild remonstrances the while. "we will keep along here on the slope, sahibs," said the hunter. "be quite ready to fire." it was an unnecessary order, for both boys were keenly on the look-out, while as soon as he had got over his disappointment at not being allowed to tuck small trusses of the succulent grass into his capacious maw, sul showed how well trained a hunting elephant he was, taking up the beating in the most matter-of-fact way, and as if thoroughly entering into the spirit of the chase. "what shall we get along here, sree?" asked harry, as they rode on, with the long grass and bushes rustling and snapping about the elephant's feet. "who knows, sahib? perhaps pig, which will make for the low ground yonder by the stream, or peacock, and they will rise and fly to our left for the shelter of the jungle. maybe it will be a buffalo, who will charge us, and then it will be better that i should fire too, for the great obstinate brute ought to be stopped before it reaches sul. he would take the buffalo on his tusks, but these beasts are so strong that he might be hurt, and that would be a pity; it makes an elephant unsteady." "i thought you said we might get a deer," said phra. "it is very likely, sahib," replied the man. "who knows what we may find in such a beautiful hunting-country, where no one disturbs the beasts? ah, look!" for at that moment sul uttered a warning sound which can best be represented by the word _phoomk_, and stopped short, but without curling up his trunk out of the way of some charging enemy. the boys raised their guns to their shoulders, and waited for a chance to fire, but there was nothing seen save the waving and undulating of the long grass to their left, as if something were making for the jungle--something long, like a gigantic serpent. "shall i fire?" said phra. "it is of no use, sahib," replied sree; "the cover is too deep." "what is it?" said harry hoarsely--"a boa?" "no, sahib; a little troop of small monkeys following an old one. they have been down to the water to drink, and they are running back to the jungle trees." "oh, we don't want to shoot them," said harry; "go on." the elephant obeyed a touch from the goad, and shambled along, making the long grass swish, while he muttered and grumbled as if dissatisfied at there being no firing. but before they had gone a hundred yards farther he gave warning again, and almost at the same moment there was a loud grunting, a rush to the right, and two reports rang out as both boys fired. this was followed by a sharp squeal, but the undulation of the grass did not cease, and from their position high up the two lads caught sight from time to time of the blackish-brown backs of three or four good-sized pigs. "we hit one," cried harry excitedly. "send sul on. it must be lying dead." "no, sahib," said sree. "you hit one, but they have all gone off." "how do you know? perhaps one is lying there in the long grass." "no, sahib," said the man; "you would have seen it struggling, and heard its shrieks. a pig makes much noise. but i saw the one hit, and it only gave a jump. you both fired the wrong barrels." "what!" cried phra, examining his gun, with harry following suit. "the right barrels are for shot, the left barrels for ball," said sree quietly. "those shot would kill a peacock, but only tickle the thick skin of a wild pig." "how stupid!" said harry. "i never thought of that. here, load again." he handed his gun to the hunter, and took up another from the hooks inside the howdah, while sul went on, muttering to himself, but there appeared from the sound to be more satisfaction in his remarks at the efforts made, though there had been no result. so comical was all this that the boys laughed heartily, and there was a grim smile on sree's countenance. "it seems so droll," said phra merrily. "it is just as if he knew all about it." "he does, sahib," said the hunter. "nonsense!" said harry. "the sahib has not seen so much of elephants as i have," said the man respectfully. "he believes that i have learned much about the wild creatures of the jungle?" "oh yes, you have, sree; but i can't believe elephants understand what we are doing." "the wild elephant is one of the wisest of beasts, sahib, and he would never be caught, he is so cunning, if it was not that we cheat him by sending elephants that we have trained to the herd to lead others into traps. and when they have got them there, do they not beat them and hold them till they are noosed and their spirit is conquered?" "oh yes, they do all that." "and many other things," said sree, "that i have seen with the sahibs in india, where they move and pile the trees that are cut down, and lift guns; and what beast will obey its master better than an elephant? old sul here is very wise, and knows a great deal." "yes," said harry, "but not to understand what we say." "but he knows what the order means, sahib; and see how he enjoys the hunting." "yes, sul really does like hunting, hal," said phra. "and it is not only elephants that like hunting," continued sree. "see how the horses and dogs love the hunting in india, and the horses the pig-sticking. i have seen them enjoy it as much as the sahibs. they never want the spur, but go wonderfully fast, as soon as they see a fierce, wild boar. ah, sahib, animals are wiser than we think, and love us back again if we love them. old sul here loves me better than he does his driver; but i am afraid of him. he loves me too well." "that sounds funny, sree," said harry. "what do you mean?" "he likes to show me how much he loves me by rubbing up against me; and if he tries to do that when he has me by a tree or one of the palace walls, i am obliged to be quick and get under him; he is so big and heavy. but here is your gun." meanwhile the object of these remarks had been forcing his way through the grass and bushes, winking his little red eyes as if enjoying the conversation, and flapping his great ears, his absurdly small tail whisking about and making dashes at troublesome flies, while his great trunk seemed to possess an independent existence, twining and waving, swaying this way and that, and never for a moment still. but all the while the great, sensible creature was intent upon the object in hand, pushing steadily forward through the dense growth, and starting numberless occupiers of the long grass--snakes, lizards, rats, and mice, scurrying away to avoid the pillar-like legs which invaded their home. "don't seem as if we are going to have much sport," said harry at last, "and it's precious hot out here." the words had hardly passed his lips when sul uttered a deep grunt and stood fast, for he had startled a small deer from its lair, the graceful creature making a sudden bound into sight close to the elephant's feet, and then going right forward in a succession of leaps, so that its course hindered the boys from firing until it had gone forty yards, when both guns rang out sharply, sul remaining firm as a rock. "hit!" cried sree, for the deer fell heavily, struggled in the thick growth for a few moments, then gained its feet and made another bound into sight--a bound which paralysed the arms of the two lads and made them hold their breath, for as the deer made what was veritably its death leap, something of a tawny yellow and brown mingled made a tremendous bound on to it, bringing it down among the bushes with a dull, crashing sound, and then all was still. chapter xiii their first tiger though the two boys seemed to be turned to stone, others were active enough. sree leaned over the back of the howdah and took the boys' guns from their hands. "quick, sahibs!" he cried; "take the other guns and be ready." the boys obeyed mechanically, while sree began to re-charge the empty barrels, calling to the mahout to turn the elephant and go back. but sul had ideas of his own in connection with elephant-hunting, and absolutely refused to obey that order even though it was emphasized with the sharp goad. understand or no, according to sree's theory, he had sense enough to decline doing what many of his kind would have done under the circumstances--to wit, turning tail. for sul seemed to know that though his insignificant tail with its tuft at the end was a formidable weapon to deal with teasing flies, that end of his person was absurdly useless for fighting tigers, whereas his other end, when his trunk was thrown up out of the way, with its two sharp-pointed clear lengths of ivory, was about the most formidable object the great, ferocious cat could encounter. consequently, as soon as in obedience to sree's orders the goad was applied, sul uttered a shrill remonstrance, curled up his trunk, threw his head from side to side, and then as if declaring that he didn't care a _sou_ for the biggest tiger that ever grew, he trumpeted out defiance and began a performance that was wonderfully like his idea of a war dance, which threatened to shake the occupants out of the howdah. "turn him back and get away," cried sree angrily, in the siamese tongue. "says he won't go and wants to fight," replied the mahout. sul uttered a fierce cry, and ceasing his dance opened his ears widely, and began to advance. "you must turn him back," cried sree excitedly, as he finished ramming down bullets in every barrel. "i can't," came back from the mahout, in a helpless tone. "never mind," cried harry; "let's go on," and he changed his gun for one that had been reloaded. "but it is too dangerous for you, sahibs," cried sree. "it is a big tiger. do you hear me? turn the elephant back." "no," said phra hoarsely, as he stood up in the howdah. "i say he shall go on." sul trumpeted again, while sree rammed down bullets in the other guns, and in answer to the elephant's challenge the hidden tiger uttered a deep, muttering roar. "we can't help ourselves, hal," said phra through his set teeth. "we must go on." "yes," replied harry, cocking both barrels of his gun; "i wouldn't have tried for it, but we must hunt this beast." there was only one way of avoiding the encounter, and that was by sliding off over the elephant's tail, which would have been a far wilder proceeding. but this neither of the boys had the slightest inclination to do, for the elephant was still moving cautiously forward, and fully realizing now that there was nothing to be done but to assume the offensive, sree became silent, contenting himself with cocking both the guns he held and standing ready either to hand them to the boys or fire himself. harry, too, set his teeth as he looked over the elephant's flapping ears towards the spot where he knew the tiger must be crouching upon the stricken deer, and while, step by step, as if to give his masters the opportunity of using their deadly weapons sul slowly advanced, the tiger raised its head from its prey and uttered a warning roar to frighten the elephant back. "oh, if he would only show himself!" thought harry. but the elephant did not respond to the threat by turning back, for he meant to fight, and was ready to impale his enemy should he get a chance; and to this end he still went on, till all at once, about a dozen yards from his head, the tiger leaped up into sight and stood lashing his sleek, glistening sides as if to add to the number of stripes with his tail. the words were on the old hunter's lips, "fire, fire!" but before they were uttered two reports rang out, there was a terrific, snarling yell, and the tiger leaped high in the air and then dropped back, crouching out of sight. "good, good!" whispered sree, and forgetting entirely now all about the objections to the boys joining in a tiger hunt, he was about to bid the mahout advance. but the order was unnecessary. sul was as eager as the boys, and he moved steadily on, while the latter leaned forward, seeking for the first sign of the striped skin, so as to fire again. they had not long to wait, for sul had advanced but very few yards before with a terrific roar the tiger rose and leaped forward. the sudden advance checked the elephant, which stopped short, giving the boys a steady shot each, but without the slightest effect upon the tiger, which made two or three bounds and then launched itself at the elephant's head. but sul was ready for it, and caught the savage brute on his tusks and threw it back as easily as a bull would toss an attacking dog. cat-like, the tiger fell upon its feet, and crouched to spring again, but before it could launch itself forward a couple more shots cooled its savage ardour, and it crouched down, turned its head, and bit angrily at one shoulder, from which the blood was starting. sul seized the opportunity and rushed forward to crush his enemy beneath his feet. but wounded though it was, the tiger was aware of the attack, and leaping aside let the great animal thunder by, and then, following quickly, made a tremendous leap and lighted on the elephant's hind quarter, holding on by tooth and nail. sul uttered a terrific blast and continued his course, shuffling along at a tremendous pace, forcing those who rode in the howdah to think of nothing but preserving their position and keeping the guns from being shaken out. but at the end of a few moments the peril in which sree stood came strongly to harry's attention, for the man could do nothing but hold on by the back of the howdah, after thrusting the gun he had been loading, forward by phra's side. it was a perilous task, and required plenty of nerve, but harry mastered his shrinking. he glanced over the back of the howdah, to find himself face to face with the tiger, whose wildly dilated eyes seemed to be blazing with rage, and for a moment or two he shrank away. but recovering himself a little he made sure of the gun he held being cocked, and catching tightly hold by the side of the howdah, he rested the gun-barrels on the back, holding the stock as if it were a pistol. but now he was so insecure that he felt as if at any moment he must be pitched over backward on the tiger, and firing seemed quite out of the question. still it had to be done, and he knew that he must do it, and at once. dropping on his knees, he shuffled himself close to the back, bringing himself so near to the tiger that as he reached over with the gun he could touch the savage brute with the muzzle. he knew that if he stopped to think he should not dare to do it, while as he leaned over he was saluted by a savage roar, and the tiger began to claw its way up to leap at him. but there was not time, for harry rested the muzzle of his piece between the creature's eyes, feeling it pressed back towards him. only for an instant, though, for he drew trigger, there was a roar mingled with the sharp report, and with one spasmodic movement the tiger gathered itself up almost into a ball and fell back among the long grass, where it lay writhing in agony. the effect on sul was immediate. he stopped short and swung round, nearly throwing his riders off as he ran back to where the tiger lay, and drove one tusk through the monster, pinning it to the ground, with the result that the beast writhed a little, and then stretched itself out, dead. "yes, he is dead enough, sahib; but sul has made a dreadful hole in his skin." this was after sree had slipped down from the back of the elephant, and walked close up. "make quite sure," said harry, who with phra was looking on. "there's no doubt about it, sahib. you made sure with that last shot in his head. feel if he's dead, sul," he said, in the siamese tongue. the elephant grunted and muttered, and seemed for a time unwilling to withdraw his tusk; but he evidently understood the order, and at last backed a little, the action dragging the tiger with him, till he gave his head a shake, and the body dropped off. after this the elephant cautiously walked over the prostrate foe, and kicked it to and fro from one foot to the other, before feeling it all over with his trunk, and then standing panting with exertion, and breathing hard. "get off and help see to his hurts," said sree to the mahout, who ordered the elephant to kneel, and then climbed along his back by holding on to the sides of the howdah, till he reached the places where the tiger's teeth and claws had been struck into the thick hard skin. some nasty places had been made, but there was nothing serious the matter. all that was necessary was to keep the ever-active flies away, and this was done by some very rough but effective surgery, consisting in filling up the wounds with mud, the elephant grumbling and muttering, but evidently appreciating the treatment, keeping perfectly still the while. "poor old chap!" said harry, who had dismounted to examine the dead tiger and pet the elephant by stroking his trunk. "but what about getting the game home?" "i shall begin skinning it at once, sahib," said sree quietly; "but i want you to get back into the howdah and keep a good watch. this fellow has very likely a companion somewhere near, and she may come and attack us." "think so?" said harry. "oh yes," interposed phra; "it is very likely. but i say, hal, we're not going to have our prize skinned yet." "no, that's what i thought. we must take it home for every one to see. sul would carry it home on his back." "i don't know; he has never been taught; but we'll try." he spoke to sree, who looked doubtful, and in turn consulted the mahout before saying more. "sul is such a big, noble animal, sahibs," he then said, "that he has never been set to carry dead game, that has always been done by a little pad elephant; but he is so wise that he may be proud of carrying back the great tiger he has killed. i am going to try him." the boys smiled at each other, and were amused to see the old hunter go with the mahout to the elephant and bring him up to the dead tiger, which he began to touch with his trunk, ending by taking a turn round the animal and drawing it along a little way. after this he stood quietly enough while the ropes were unlaced from the howdah ready for hoisting the tiger on to the elephant's back. "we shall not be strong enough to get it up, i'm afraid," said sree thoughtfully. "look here," said harry; "there is a great tree with strong branches yonder; make sul drag the tiger under one of the big boughs; then we can throw the rope over and make him stand underneath, haul the tiger up, and lower it down." sree smiled, for the knot which had puzzled him had been untied. the mahout was brought into requisition, and at the word of command, just as if he fully understood the business required of him, sul took a turn of his trunk round the tiger's neck and dragged it through the long grass right beneath the great tree, one of the many dotted about park-like on the slope. the rest was easy. the rope was fastened round the tiger's hind legs, the end thrown over a horizontal branch, and then the willing hands of all four drew the savage brute up some fifteen feet. here the crucial time came, for there was a doubt still whether sul would now submit to the huge cat being lowered down upon his back. but as it happened he placed himself quietly enough where his mahout directed, and the tiger was lowered down, after which sree climbed up and with the mahout's assistance they laid the body right across the back of the howdah. then the latter, which had been in a very tottering condition, was carefully secured by its rope, all mounted again in triumph, and the journey back was commenced, sree carefully seeing to the reloading of the guns and placing them ready, before settling down to his place in the howdah, for he had to sit on the dead tiger and keep it from shifting to right or left. they had not gone far on their return journey before the old hunter uttered a warning which made the boys catch up and cock their guns, in spite of the determination they had come to of not firing any more that day. "are you sure?" said phra. "sul has not made any sign." "no, sahib," replied sree; "he did not see her, because he has been walking nearly all the time with his eyes turned back to watch the tiger; for though he is very good, i am sure he does not like having the wicked wretch upon his back." five minutes later they drew near the spot where the old hunter had caught a glimpse of a striped side crossing the track they had made in coming, and proof of the keenness of sree's observation was given, the elephant throwing up his trunk and trumpeting uneasily. "it's this wretch's wife, sahibs," said sree. "she has been hunting, and is coming back." "will she attack us?" said harry, cocking his gun, and feeling quite ready now for another shot. "no, sahib, i think not. tigers are very cowardly till they are hurt; then they are blind and mad in their rage, and will rush at anything. no; perhaps she may understand that it is her mate that we have here, and follow us; but i do not think she will attack." "old sul does not think so," said phra. "look at him, how he keeps on turning his head from side to side, and how high he carries his trunk." it was plain enough that the great animal was growing more and more uneasy, necessitating constant talking to on the part of the mahout, who spoke sometimes caressingly, at others angrily, and using his goad afterward, as he threatened tremendous punishment and deprivation of all good if his charge did not behave. "he thinks old sul means to rush off home as hard as he can go," observed phra. "and if he does he'll soon waggle the tiger off his back, won't he, sree? the tiger must come off if sul rushes away?" "i fear so, sahib. ah, the tigress must be very near now. look at sul's ears." "she must be slinking along through the grass on this side," said harry. "yes, sahib; that is where she is, but i don't think she will attack us." "shall we send a shot or two in amongst the grass?" said phra. "no, sahib; that would make her come on, and one tiger is enough for to-day." "yes, quite," said phra. "let's go faster and see if the tiger will stop on." he said a word or two, and the mahout spoke to the elephant, who wanted no urging, but stretched out in that long, shuffling movement which seems nothing, but goes over enough ground to make a horse use plenty of speed to keep up with it. but it seemed as if the tigress must still be near, for sul's trunk formed a curve high in the air, and his ears stood out at a fierce cock, while it needed all the mahout's attention to keep the great creature to one pace, for without the check of the hooked goad he would have gone off at a frantic rate. for the first few hundred yards the attention of all in the howdah was directed to the tiger, their expectation being that it would slip off on one side or the other; but it was yet soft and yielding, and with sree's weight upon it the middle sank down lower and lower in the howdah till the head and legs on one side, the hind quarters and long, supple tail on the other, rose higher and higher in the air, and all chance of its causing further trouble was at an end. it was not until the edge of the jungle was reached, where the elephant path ended, that sul's trunk had descended to its customary pendent fashion, and his ears ceased to quiver and flap; but the narrow track in the gloom seemed to be far more suggestive of danger, and phra suggested that sree should change his position, kneel down, and keep watch over the elephant's tail, in case the tigress should be following still. "yes, sahib," said the man, and he at once did as was suggested; but he observed before turning that he did not think there was any fear of an attack in the rear. "sul's senses are sharper than mine," he said, "and he would know if we were being tracked." sree was right, for there was nothing to cause alarm all the way back. monkeys were plentiful in one place, and whenever the party came upon an opening, it was made beautiful by flower, bird, and gaily painted insect. these had no charms for the hunters, though, with such a trophy within touch, and at first all their conversation had a connection with the great, white, china-like fangs of the monster, the size of its claws, and the soft beauty and rich colour of its fur. but as they drew nearer to the end of their journey, with sul shuffling along at a sober but rapid pace, the conversation became one in which the old hunter was not asked to join. for now misgivings began to arise as to the reception that might await them when they reached their homes. "i know how it will be," said harry; "father will have heard that i have gone off with you on the elephant, and he will think that i have wilfully disobeyed his orders and been tiger-shooting." "why should he think that? you never do disobey his orders." "don't i?" said harry dubiously. "never," cried phra. "i don't know about that," said harry. "i'm afraid i've gone very near to it sometimes. but i will say i've always been very sorry afterwards." "and owned to it?" "oh yes," said harry stoutly; "i've always owned up at once. haven't you?" phra was silent. "why don't you say yes?" "because it wouldn't be true," said the boy, with a sigh. "i've always wanted to, but sometimes i've felt afraid. you see, my father isn't like yours." "he's a very nice old chap," said harry. "yes, of course; but he's a king, and kings can't do like other people." "_i_ don't see why they shouldn't," said harry; "but i say, suppose my father is up at the palace, what are we going to do? you are sure to catch it for taking the elephant." "that i'm not. father said i could have one whenever i liked. i could have three or four if i wanted them." "but not to go tiger-shooting. oh, phra, this has been wonderfully jolly and exciting." "splendid." "well, splendid; but i am afraid we shall be in a mess." "we can't be if we speak out. i'm sure i can say honestly that i hadn't the least thought of shooting a tiger when we set off; can't you?" "no," said harry bluntly. "i began to feel tigerish as soon as i got in the howdah, and i couldn't think of anything else all the time. i wasn't a bit surprised to see old sul begin to show signs. no, i can't say right out that i didn't think about tiger-hunting." "but we didn't go on purpose," said phra. "well, no," said harry, hesitating, "not quite on purpose, but i couldn't help wishing we might see one." "well, you had your wish; but i wish we weren't so late." "it was all an accident, though," said harry. "i say, sree, wasn't it all by accident that we came across a tiger to-day." "yes, sahib, quite an accident; but we have got one, and i feel very proud of the way in which you two young gentlemen behaved. no old tiger-hunter could have done better." "but i'm sure father won't like it." "he will know it was all as it happened, sahib. you were obliged to shoot the wicked beast. if any one is to blame, it is old sul, for forcing you to go on." "ah, to be sure," cried harry, laughing merrily. "it was all his fault, phra, and we'll say so." "yes, it's all very well to say so," said phra, rather gloomily; "but will they believe what we say?" "my father will believe what i say," said harry stoutly; "so will yours." "i hope so," said phra sadly, "but i don't feel sure." "i don't think the sahib kenyon can be angry," said sree respectfully, "because it is such a splendid tiger." "why, that's just why he will be angry," cried harry. "he'll be quite furious with me for going out and getting a grand tiger like this when he and the doctor went out as they did, and tried till quite late, and never had a chance." "well," said phra philosophically, "we are very nearly home now, and we shall see. but i wish we hadn't brought the tiger back." "i don't," said harry. "it really was an accident." very little more was said till they came in sight of the palace, where something important was evidently going on, for they caught sight of the glint of spears and a body of men. a minute later they saw a couple of elephants, and directly after they made out that mr. kenyon and doctor cameron were there. then there was quite a scene of excitement, for some of those present had seen them coming, and when the next moment some one caught sight of the tiger, there was a tremendous shout. "hal," whispered phra, "my father found that we had gone out on an elephant, with guns, and he has sent word to mr. kenyon and the doctor, and ordered them to get ready." "that's it," cried harry excitedly, "and they were coming in search of us." "the king will be dreadfully angry," said phra, "and say i disobeyed his orders." "and my father will be quite awful," said harry solemnly. then changing his tone and speaking with an assumption of lightness which he did not feel, "i don't care; it really was an accident, and we're in for it, and it can't be helped; but here, i say, sul, you ugly old double-tailed deceiver, do you know you've got us into an awful mess? sul, i say, do you hear!" and the elephant said,-_phoomk!_ chapter xiv a young savage the great elephant approached the group in the courtyard with slow and majestic step, as if proud of the load he bore, and of now being surrounded by a little crowd of spearmen, cheering and shouting loudly. as they drew near, the two elephants that had been prepared, as was rightly surmised, to go in search of the wanderers, challenged their big companion loudly, sul sounding his trumpet in reply, but without allowing the excitement around to increase his advance in the slightest degree. "the young rascals!" said the doctor to mr. kenyon. "it's a magnificent tiger, apparently." "yes, but harry ought not to have done this," said mr. kenyon. "i am disappointed in him." "are you going to give him a talking to now? rather awkward while he is being made a hero of by the people." "i am going to wait till i get him home." "well, i'm glad to see them safe back again," said the doctor. "i felt certain that they must have met with some mishap. but it is hard that we should be disappointed, and that they should have all the luck." "hush!" whispered mr. kenyon, for the great elephant had knelt down before the king, ladders had been placed by the attendants on either side, the boys had descended, and helped by some of the men, sree had slid the tiger off, to be half borne, half dragged, to the king's feet. but phra's father did not even glance at it. he gave harry an angry glance as he approached with his companion, and then fixed his eyes sternly upon his son, who bent down before him. "you know, sir," he said, in their own tongue, "that it is the duty of my people to obey my commands." "yes, father." "how can we expect them to do so when my own son sets my orders at defiance? i told you i wished you not to go in chase of tigers, did i not?" "yes, father." "who is to blame for this, you or your companion?" "neither of us, sir," broke in harry, in his blunt, english, outspoken way. "we only went deer-shooting, sir; but the tiger charged us, and of course we were obliged to shoot. old sul was most to blame." the king looked more stern that ever, all but his eyes, which refused to keep his other features in countenance. "what have you to say, sir?" said the king, turning again to his son. "the same as harry kenyon, father," replied the boy. "the elephant rushed at the tiger, which had struck down a deer we shot." "where is the deer you shot?" said the king. phra turned to harry, for the deer had been quite forgotten, and harry turned to the old hunter, who was kneeling by the tiger. "here, sree," he cried, "what became of that deer we shot?" the man made a gesture with his hands, and shook his head. "we forgot all about it, sir," said harry, laughing frankly. "we had so much to do with killing the tiger and getting it on old sul's back that we never remembered it any more, did we, phra?" "no," said the latter gravely. "it was all an accident, sir, indeed," said harry, who was speaking in english. "we were obliged to shoot, sir, really. i'm sure you would have done the same if you had been there." "that is enough," said the king quietly. "i am glad to hear it was so. it is a painful thing, harry kenyon, to feel that one's own son is not to be trusted. your father felt the same." "oh, but he doesn't now, sir. do you, father?" "no, hal; i am quite satisfied." "a very fine tiger," said the king, going close up to the dead beast; "a splendid specimen. let it be carefully skinned, and the skin properly dressed." sree bowed his lowest, so that his forehead would have touched the ground had not the tiger been there. as it was, he thumped his head against the animal's ribs. "who fired the first shot?" said the king, smiling. the boys looked at one another. "both fired together, father," replied phra. "then you will give way to your friend, my son," said the king. "harry kenyon, it is yours." harry was about to protest in his blunt way, but his father was at his elbow. "silence!" he said softly. "now your thanks." harry obeyed, and the king turned to where the little party of english people were standing. "i am glad it has turned out so well, kenyon," he said gravely, and with great dignity, as the eyes of all his people were upon him; "but it is disappointing for you and the doctor to see these two boys have such good fortune. you shall have another trial, and we must do away with our objections now. i think the boys deserve to be admitted to the ranks of tiger-hunters." "oh!" ejaculated harry, and the king turned to him. "you make a bad courtier, harry," he said, with a very faint smile upon his lip. "i feel that there is no one in my country less afraid of me than you are." he saluted them, and making a sign to his son to follow, passed into the palace, phra giving his friends a quick nod of the head and a smile, and then he was hidden from sight by the king's attendants. "then we may go back home now, i suppose," said mr. kenyon. "yes," replied the doctor, "and the sooner the better. as soon as the sun goes in we seem to be in the shade. all is bright and warm while the king is near, but when he goes every one seems to scowl." mr. kenyon gave his friend a meaning look as if saying, "no more now," and laid his hand upon harry's shoulder. "you have had quite an exciting time, then, hal?" he said quietly, as they walked away. "oh, wonderfully, father," cried the boy. "enjoyed yourself?" "well, i don't know that it was enjoying oneself, but i liked killing such a dangerous, mischievous beast." "and all the time the king and i were fidgeting ourselves and beginning to think, as it grew so late, that some terrible accident had happened to you." "it isn't so late as you and doctor cameron were that time." "getting on to be, sir." "don't you think that poor phra and i were just as anxious about you and the doctor, father?" said the boy mischievously. "no, indeed i don't," said mr. kenyon, laughing. "you are both too thoughtless. and look here, young gentleman, you forget yourself horribly. i never heard anything like it. you must not speak to the king in that free and easy way, just as if he were your equal, before all his people." "free and easy?" said harry, staring. "i thought i was speaking very nicely, father." the doctor laughed heartily, and harry's cheeks turned hot with annoyance. "why, what did i say that was wrong?" "it was not the words but the way, my boy," said mr. kenyon gravely. "of course one does not look upon the prince of a barbaric country like this as one would upon a european monarch; but in the presence of his followers we must not forget that he is a king." "i did," said harry frankly; "i felt as if i were speaking to phra's father and your friend." "humph!" ejaculated mr. kenyon, as he glanced at the doctor. "that's right enough, hal," said the latter; "but we must not presume on the king's kindness to us." "no, of course not," said harry thoughtfully. "i'll be more careful, especially as some of the people seem to be jealous of our being so much in favour." "that's right, hal; be more careful, for all our sakes." "do you think there is any danger, father?" said harry. "danger of what?" said mr. kenyon sharply. "of the people turning against us and the king." "hush! mind what you are saying, my boy. no; i do not think there is any real danger, and i feel that the best thing for every one is to completely ignore the unpleasant looks we are getting now and then. we are in the right, and i want for our conduct to be such as will gain the respect of the people for our just consideration and honest treatment of them." "but there is that second king--i say, father, it seems curious for there to be a second king." "it is the custom of the country, my boy, and in every land there are quaint fashions and i may say parties who are opposed to the ruling power." "and jealous of the king?" "yes, hal, and of the people he favours." "that's not pleasant, father," said hal sharply. "not at all," replied mr. kenyon. "but i don't think it need trouble us, for we are not arrogant to the people because we are in high favour. i'm sure we do our best, eh, cameron?" "that we do," said the doctor heartily. "as for me, i should be a rich man if i charged ordinary fees for what i do." "instead of getting disliked," said mr. kenyon. "oh, but, father," cried harry, "i know lots of people who almost worship dr. cameron for what he has done for them." "yes, hal, and so do i; but unfortunately he offends the native doctors through knowing so much better than they do, and curing patients whom they have condemned to death." "it's a pity that people will be jealous of those who are more clever." "it's a natural failing, hal, my boy," said the doctor, laughing. "but never mind; even those who dislike us are bound to pay us the respect we have earned." "but you remember what i told you about the people talking in the boat?" said harry. "perfectly." "you don't think that there will be a revolution, and an attack upon the king and the english people, do you?" "no, hal, my boy," said mr. kenyon; "i do not, so don't trouble yourself about it. let's change the conversation. i'm glad you are to have the tiger's skin." "yes; i don't think phra will mind." "it is a beauty. was he very hard to kill?" "horribly, father;" and with plenty of animation the boy related their adventure. "we're jealous now, hal," said the doctor smiling. "i don't mind that a bit," said the boy. "you must do better, and we two are to come next time you go." "well, i suppose so," said mr. kenyon gravely. "by the way, hal, you had the chest of bats and balls. how did you get on? you tried football in the field?" "oh, it's a horribly hot, stupid game," said harry. "stupid?" cried the doctor warmly. "yes; it's all one or the other. if phra gets the ball, one does nothing but run after him; and if i get the ball, he has to run after me. and oh! wasn't it hot!" "when did you play?" said the doctor. "oh, in the afternoon." "you are quite right, my lad," said the doctor drily. "a game at football between two boys with the thermometer standing at over a hundred in the shade, must be a very stupid game indeed." "did you ever play it?" said harry. "i think i've heard you say you did." "did i ever play it?" said the doctor scornfully. "i should think i did, and with a couple of good teams. but the thermometer was not at a hundred in the shade, but thirty-five or forty." "i wish you would play with us next time, doctor," said harry eagerly. "thank you, my lad, but i would rather be excused." "will you show us how to play cricket, then?" "yes, but you must get up your two sides. have you read up anything about it in any book of games and sports?" "oh yes, and it says you have eleven and an umpire on each side; but that's nonsense, of course." "kenyon," said the doctor with mock solemnity, "do you call this bringing up an english boy properly? it sounds to me quite dreadful. he talks like a young barbarian--as if he had never had any education at all. what did you say, sir?" he continued, turning to harry. "what about?" "there being eleven on a side, and that being nonsense, of course." "i said so," said harry, who felt half amused, half annoyed. "well, sir, i see that i shall have to take pity on you and young phra, and try to make up for your neglected education. we shall have to make a cricket club, and petition the king for a cricket ground; but i have my doubts about the game proving popular: the work will be too hard." "but you will help us, doctor?" "yes, my boy, and i shall prescribe an occasional game for your father. a little exercise will do him good." "a game of cricket?" said mr. kenyon, starting out of a fit of musing. "why, i haven't had a bat in my hand for twenty years! but i don't know--well, yes--i might. i used to be a very tidy bowler, cameron, and perhaps my hand may be cunning still at delivering twists. but under this tropical sun? phew! i'm rather doubtful." "never mind the doubts," said the doctor. "here, hullo, my boy! where are you going?" cried mr. kenyon. "only to try and see phra." "what! to-night? nonsense! i daresay he is with his father now, and the news will keep." harry looked disappointed, but he said no more, and directly after they had to say good-night to the doctor. chapter xv for the jungle, ho! in due time the skin of the tiger, beautifully dressed, and with the hole made by sul's tusk so carefully drawn together that the fur concealed the damage, was brought to the bungalow by sree, who was eager to go upon a fresh expedition; but another week passed away before matters shaped themselves for this to be made. matters had gone on as usual, and the insubordinate words used by the occupants of the boat were half forgotten in the excitement of religious fetes and illuminations with lanthorns along the river, kite-flying, and discharges of fireworks, in the making of some of which the people, who had learned the art of the chinese, were adepts. these fãªtes were wonderfully attractive to the two lads, who joined in the processions for the sake of seeing all they could, the royal boat in which they were rowed being one mass of coloured lanthorns swinging from bamboo frameworks, and the effect with the lights reflected in the glassy water was beautiful in the extreme. "i should enjoy it all so much more, though," harry said, "if the people would be contented with the bells and the music. they spoil it all with so much gong." but the siamese do not shine in music--at least to english taste. phra came down to the bungalow some time or other every day, and as often as not harry returned with him to the palace; but he rarely saw the king, who appeared to pass a great deal of his time in study. not a day passed without the cricket implements being examined in phra's room. the bats were handled, the balls taken out of their boxes, and sometimes a little throwing from one to the other, and catching was practised. at another time the pads which had come with the rest of the things were solemnly tried on, and the room promenaded. "they seem rather stupid things," said phra. "i think they'd be best for the football." "so as to save one's legs from kicks?" said harry. "yes, they wouldn't be bad for that, but i suppose they're all right." "we look rather ridiculous in them, though, hal." "yes, i expect we shall be laughed at; but i don't care. the worst thing about them is that they're so jolly hot. now let's try on the gloves." these were carefully put on, the boys' countenances being particularly solemn as the long indiarubber guarded fingers were examined. then a thought occurred to harry, and he struck an attitude. "what do you say to a fight?" he cried. "we can't hurt one another with our legs guarded and our hands in these gloves. hit me, and i'll hit you." "no," said phra shortly; "i don't like fighting in play. it always hurts, and then i get cross, and want to hit as hard as i can. i say, though, we shall be hot in these leggings and gloves." "look here," cried harry; "we haven't seen these before." "what are they?" "gloves, of course, all stuffed and soft. here, let's look at the book and see what it says about them." the book of games was examined, but they found no mention of the wicket-keeper's gloves, but plenty of other information which was puzzling. "it's all very well to call this thing a book of games," said harry at last, "but there doesn't seem to be much fun in it. it's as puzzling as old euclid with his circles and straight lines and angles. here, let's put all the things away. i can't understand. we'll make the doctor show us; that's the easiest way." and so it was time after time, nothing more being done, for it was decided that there should be no genuine commencement till the doctor was ready, and though he was reminded pretty well every day he always replied that he was not ready yet. "but there is no occasion to waste time," he said one day. "you boys have the book, so you cannot do better than well study it up, rules and all. then you will thoroughly know how to play cricket; all you will want is practice." "we shall have to study up the book, phra," said harry, after parting from the doctor, "and i know it's going to be a hard job. but never mind; when you've got to take physic, it's best to swallow it down at once. come along." phra nodded, set his teeth hard, and they went up to the palace through the hot sunshine, to enter its cool precincts and find phra's room refreshing in its semi-darkness after the glare without, where harry said it was hot enough to frizzle up the leaves into tea. the book was brought, cricket turned to, and they sat down side by side with the book on the table. "let's begin at the beginning, and go steadily through it," proposed phra. "no, no; we'll just skim it first." "very well. what's this--popping grease? why do they pop grease?" "'tisn't! it's popping crease. 'the popping crease must be four feet from the wicket, and exactly parallel with it.' bother! i shan't read any more of that. parallel! why, it's geometry. look at something else." "'the wickets must be pitched,'" read phra. "what for? to keep off the wet, i suppose. no! it means pitched into the ground, to make them stand up." "but i say, what a lot there is to learn here, hal. see what names they call the players by. here's wicket-keeper." "that's the one who attends to the gate, i suppose." "short slip." "what's he got to do?" "i don't know.--point." "oh, he's the man who keeps the stumps sharp." "no; he must be a good catcher," cried phra, and he went on, "'mid wicket--cover point--leg--long stop--long slip--long field off--long field on--changes of position--fielding.'" "bother! never mind about that," said harry. "look here; let's read that bit, 'how to defend your wicket!' that ought to be interesting. 'the bifold task of the batsman.'" bang went the book, as harry shut it up. "what did you do that for?" cried phra, staring. "because it makes me feel so hot and stupid. i want to learn how to play, and that's all puzzles and problems, and what do i care when i go to play a game about parallels and bifolds? it's too hot here to learn cricket from books. i say, what shall we do?" "let's go to sleep," said phra. "bah! it's too lazy." "i don't think so," said phra. "every one goes to sleep here in the middle of the day." "no, they don't. i never do." "oh! i've seen you more than once when it has been very hot." "well, it was an accident, then. it seems so stupid to go to sleep when it's light. here, come along out again, and let's try and find old sree." "who's to find him? why, he may be miles away in the jungle." "but i want him to arrange about going up a long way in a boat. let's go up that little river again, and see how far we can get. look here, i know what we'll do. we'll start as soon as it's light, and take plenty to eat with us, and have the next size larger boat out, with four men to paddle and four to rest, and then we can go right on." "you'd have sree?" "of course. he knows the way everywhere. he'd take us right up the little rivers that branch off--i mean, where no one goes. there's no knowing what we may find up there." "no. sree says there are plenty of wonders; i've often longed to go." "then we'll go now. we ought to have done so before. i should like to go for a week," said harry. "i don't think our people would like us to go for so long." "oh, i don't know. let's try. i tell you what; let's have a bigger boat, so that we can sleep on board, and a man to cook for us. then we can live comfortably for a few days. why, we should get a wonderful lot of things for the museum." "it would be very nice," said phra thoughtfully. "nice? it would be grand. here, i shall go home and speak to my father at once." "then i'll ask mine." "he'll say yes, because he'll think he can trust us. i say, phra, i wish we had thought of this before." the boys separated, and harry did not feel the heat as he hurried home to lay his plans before his father. "for a week?" said mr. kenyon, with a look of doubt. "that's a long time, hal." "not for getting a good lot of things, father. you know, whenever we've been up the river before, directly we have begun it has been time to come back." "yes," said mr kenyon thoughtfully, "and if you were up the jungle river at daybreak you would have far better chances for getting scarce birds, and it would be a most interesting experience for you." "then you'll let me go, father?" cried the boy excitedly. "i must talk the matter over with the king first." "if he feels that you do not object, father, he is sure to say yes." mr. kenyon was silent and thoughtful, looking so serious that harry began to lose heart. "what are you thinking, father?" he said at last. "that it's a long time since i had a change." "yes, father?" "that i have nothing particular to do." "father!" "and that the doctor has been saying that he would like to make an expedition up the country." "then you think--" "yes, hal, i do think that i should like for the doctor and me to join in your trip. it would only necessitate a larger boat." "oh," cried harry excitedly, "that would be splendid." "better than you two alone?" said mr. kenyon quietly. "a hundred times better, father. but think of that!" "think of what?" said mr. kenyon. "doctor cameron putting us off day after day because he had not time to teach us cricket, when he can find time to go up the country." mr. kenyon smiled. "my dear boy," he said, "i do not wonder at his putting you off. cricket is not a very attractive game at this time of year, in a country like this." "never mind the cricket," cried harry. "look here, father, will you go?" "i am very much tempted to say yes." "say it then, father. i say, you'd take mike, wouldn't you?" "certainly; he would be very useful." "here, i must go and tell phra." "there is no need; here he comes." for the lad was crossing the garden, and as harry met him with his face lit up with excitement, phra's countenance was dark and dejected. "it's all over, hal," he said. "my father says it is out of the question for us to go alone." "he said that?" cried harry. "yes, and that if your father and doctor cameron were going too it would be different." "they are going too, lad," cried harry, slapping him on the shoulder. "they--your father and mr. cameron?" "yes; isn't it splendid?" "here, i must go back at once," cried phra, and, regardless of the heat, he set off at a trot. harry returned to the museum, where his father was seated. "where's phra?" said the latter. "gone back to tell the king." "to tell him what?" "he said that it was out of the question for us two boys to go upon such an expedition alone." "i expected as much." "but if you and the doctor had been going, it would have been different." "indeed?" "yes, father. poor old chap! he did look disappointed, till i told him that you two were going, and he has gone to tell the king." "tut--tut--tut!" muttered mr. kenyon. "what a rash, harem-scarem fellow you are! you shouldn't have taken all i said for granted, sir. even if i fully make up my mind, we don't know that doctor cameron would be able to leave." "but you said, father--" "i said--you said--look here, sir, you are far too hasty. the doctor only said he thought he should go." "that's enough, father," said harry, laughing. "as soon as he hears that there is going to be such an expedition, do you think he will not manage to go with it?" "well, i must say i should be surprised if he did not come." "so should i, father. i say, it will be capital. the king is sure to say yes now, and we can have the pick of his boats, and which men we like. i say, i wonder whether we can get a man who will find old sree, because we ought to start to-morrow morning." "stuff! rubbish!" cried mr. kenyon, laughing. "if we get off in a week, we shall do well. but i think i will go. i should be very glad of a change. so you may go and see the doctor and chat the matter over with him--not telling him that we are going, but that we are thinking of such a trip. you can then hear what he says about it." "go now, father?" "if you like." harry did like, and was off at once, to find mrs. cameron under the tree, as he had seen her on that terrible day, but with the doctor seated back in another long cane-seated chair, fast asleep. "doctor not well?" said harry, after the customary salute. "not at all well, harry," said mrs. cameron, with a sigh. "he has been working too hard lately over his native patients, and he is quite done up. he must have a change." "that's what i've come about," said harry excitedly, and he told her what was proposed. "i should not like losing him for a week, but i think it would do him a great deal of good." "quite set me up, dear," said the doctor, opening his eyes. "did you hear what i was saying, doctor?" cried harry wonderingly. "pretty well every word, my boy. it will be the very thing for me, for i am completely fagged. a long ride day after day up the river will be rest and refreshment. but i can't take you, my dear." "i shall not mind, duncan," said his wife. "nothing could be better. yes, you must go." he sat up, and then sank back again, closing his eyes. "it is of no use to fight against it, mary," he said sadly. "i am doctor enough to thoroughly grasp all my symptoms. i really am overdone, and there is nothing for it but to try change--such a change as this. i wish it did not look like going for a thorough holiday and leaving you behind. it does not seem right." "you will make me unhappy if you talk like this," cried mrs. cameron. "how can you think i should be so selfish as to mind your doing what is for your health?" "it will do him good, mrs. cameron," said harry, who was not enjoying the scene. "of course," she cried. "you may go back and tell mr. kenyon that the doctor will be delighted to make one of the party, for he wants a change badly." "look here, harry; i don't think i ought to go," said the doctor. "he ought, harry, and he shall," cried his wife. "you take that message." "harry, lad, this is a horrible piece of tyranny. i am not very well, and my oppressor treats me like this. but there, it is of no use to protest, so i give in. i'll come." full of excitement, the boy hurried back to the bungalow to announce the result of his visit, his father hearing him silently to the end, and then looking so serious that harry asked anxiously what it meant. "this is very disappointing, my boy," said mr. kenyon. "after you had gone i began to be in hopes that the doctor would not go, and now he says he will." "yes, that he will, father." "then i suppose we shall have to go. i don't know, though: there is another chance, the king may refuse to sanction the journey, and of course you would not care to go without phra." "well, no," said harry, in a hesitating way; "it would not seem fair to go without him. ah, here he is.--well, what does he say?" "that he thinks it will be a very interesting trip, and that he wishes he could leave all the cares and worries of his affairs and come with us.--my father says, mr. kenyon, that you are to choose whichever boat will be best for the journey, and select as many men as you think necessary, and store the boat with everything you want." "then this means going," said mr. kenyon. "of course, father. shall we start to-morrow?" "can we be ready?" "can we be ready?" cried harry scornfully. "what do you say, phra?" "oh yes, we can be ready, only what about sree?" "i forgot old sree!" cried harry. "we must have him, and he's somewhere up the jungle." "yes," said his father, "we must have him with us; so i take it that we may make all our preparations, but do not start till sree returns." chapter xvi the house-boat the disappointment caused by the absence of the old hunter was modified by the interest in the preparations. these filled the two lads with excitement, for a journey into unknown parts in such a land as siam was full of the suggestions of wonders. the first thing seen to was the choice of a boat, the requirements being that it should be light, strong, drawing very little water, and well provided for the accommodation of fourteen or sixteen people, with a fair amount of room, night and day. then there would be boxes containing stores for a week, cooking apparatus, and cases for containing the specimens of all kinds that were to be saved. but in a country like siam, where house-boats are necessities of domestic daily life, there was little difficulty. one of the plainest of the king's light barges was found to answer all the requirements upon being provided with a few bamboo poles and an awning, so that the forward part of the boat could be sheltered at night and during storms, for the protection of the men. the central part was covered in, according to the regular custom, with a bamboo-supported roof, and matting curtains were so placed at the sides that the whole could be turned into a comfortable cabin at night, while the after-part had its matting cover that could be set up or removed at pleasure, this portion being intended for the after rowers and servants. boxes and chests were selected, filled, and placed on board. there were loops for the guns and spears to be taken, and lockers for the ammunition, and at last there seemed to be nothing more that could be done, for the crew were selected by phra, who had his favourites among the king's servants, these including men who had never evinced any dislike to the english and were always eager to attend to the wishes of their young prince. the time had passed so rapidly that it was hard to believe two days had slipped away before everything could be declared to be in readiness. but on the second evening nothing more seemed needed, and it was felt that they might start at daylight the next morning. for the crew was on board to protect the stores and other things; even the stone, barrel-shaped filter fitted in a basket cover--a clumsy, awkward thing which the doctor declared to be absolutely necessary--was on board. harry had exclaimed against its being taken, and the doctor heard him. "look here, young fellow," he said, "do you know what i am going up the river for?" "a holiday, of course," replied harry. "exactly. then do you suppose i want my holiday spoiled by being called upon to attend people who are ill through drinking unwholesome water?" "of course not, sir; but would any one be ill?" "every one would," said the doctor angrily. harry thought this was a sweeping assertion, but he said nothing, and the filter was placed astern. "i wish some one would knock it over," harry whispered to phra. "it would go to the bottom like a stone." "never mind the filter." "i don't," said harry; "but i do mind about old sree. oh, don't i wish i could have three wishes!" "what would they be? what's the first?" "i should have had that," said harry. "wishing to have three wishes." "well, then, what would the second be?" "that the third might for certain be had," said harry, laughing. "what would the third be?" "that old sree would come here to-night." "you've got your wish, then," cried phra excitedly, "for here he comes." "no! nonsense!" cried harry, who felt staggered and ready to turn superstitious. "he is here, i tell you. look, talking to that sentry by the gate." "i say," said harry, "isn't it rather queer?" "it's rather good fortune," replied phra. "but after what we said." phra laughed. "why, you're not going to believe in old fables, are you?" "no, of course not; but it did seem startling for him to turn up just as i had been wishing for him." "nonsense. why, i have been wishing for him to come every hour for the last two days. let's go and meet him. he's coming this way." in another minute they had leaped ashore, run up the stone steps of the landing-place in front of the palace, and encountered sree. "here, i say, where have you been?" cried harry. "i have been through the jungle and up towards the head of the little river, sahibs, so as to find out whether it is worth your going up too." "well, is it?" cried harry. "oh yes, well worthy," replied sree. "no one ever goes there to hunt or shoot, and the birds are very tame and beautiful, and the river full of fish." "fish!" cried harry excitedly. "there, i knew we had forgotten something, phra. fishing tackle." "yes, we must take some." "i was coming to advise you to get a boat and go up there for two or three days to shoot, fish, and collect." "then you are too late, old sree," cried harry. "too late, sahib?" said the man, whose countenance looked gloomy from disappointment. "yes; we're going for a week in that big boat." "i am sorry, sahib," said the man sadly. "i worked hard, and it took long to get through the jungle, and i had to sleep in trees. the sahib's servant was not neglectful of his master. he is grieved that he is too late." "don't tease him, hal; he doesn't like it. it hurts him. never mind, sree; we wanted you to help, but everything is ready now." "i am glad, sahib," said the man; "but i am sorry too, for i should have liked to go as hunter with the young sahibs." "does that mean you can't go?" said harry, laughing. "not unless the young sahib will take his servant," said the man sadly. "why, of course we shall take you," cried harry, "and we are as glad as glad that you have come. here, let's go to the boat, phra. i want sree to see everything, so as to say whether we ought to take anything else." the old hunter brightened up on the instant, and hurried with the boys to the boat, where for the next hour he was examining arrangements and suggesting fresh places for some of the articles, so that they might be stowed where they would be handier and yet more out of the way. he was able to suggest a few more things too, notably a stout net to hang by hooks from the roof of the cabin, ready to place specimens in to dry, or hold odds and ends for common use; more baskets, and a coil of rope, and a stout parang or two for cutting a way through creepers or cane-brakes. at last, with a smile full of content, sree announced himself as being satisfied, and having received permission from phra, took possession of one corner at the back of the cabin, while harry went to see the doctor respecting starting quite early the next morning, and then returned home. chapter xvii jungle sights and sounds the heavy dew lay thick on leaf and strand, and the sky in the east was still grey, as the little party met at the landing-place, where the men were on the look-out and ready for the start; while when they pushed off and four oars sent the boat well up against the stream, past the house-boats clustered against the farther shore, nothing could have looked more peaceful and still. the men eagerly worked at their oars in their peculiar venetian, thrusting fashion, standing to their work; and it was a satisfaction to see that, in spite of its size and load, the boat was wonderfully light, and rode over the water like a duck. the calmness and peace of everything was most striking as it grew lighter; and when the eastern sky began to glow, and the tips of the towers and spires of the different temples became gilded by the coming sun, both mr. kenyon and the doctor expressed their admiration, declaring the king's city to be after all, in spite of its lying in a flat plain, beautiful in the extreme. then the sun rose, shedding its glorious light around and giving everything a beauty it did not really possess. for sordid-looking boats, with nothing but a few mats hung from bamboo poles, looked as if they were made of refined gold; while the trees which fringed the water, and hung their pendent boughs from the banks, shed a wondrous lustre, as if flashing gems from every dewy leaf. the river too, in spite of its muddy waters, seemed more beautiful than ever, and the boys were revelling in the new delight of their journey up stream, when sundry preparations being made by mike in the extreme after part of the boat changed the bent of harry's thoughts to quite a different direction from that of admiring the beauty of the scene through which they were passing. it was just as his father exclaimed,-"are you noticing how beautiful all this is, hal?" "oh yes, father, i've been looking at it ever so long. but when are we going to have breakfast?" the doctor burst into a hearty fit of laughter, in which phra joined, and the boy seemed puzzled. "what is it?" he said, looking from one to the other. "have i said something queer?" "very, hal," said his father. "getting hungry?" "i was--terribly," replied harry uneasily; "but i don't feel so now. i don't like to be laughed at." "it will not hurt you, my boy. as to breakfast, you will have to wait an hour or so, till we turn out of the main stream. then we must land at the first opening, and have a fire made ashore." harry nodded, and wondered how he should get over the time. there proved to be so much to take his attention, however, that he was ready to wonder when the boat was run in between two magnificent clumps of trees soon after they had turned off into the lesser river and entered the jungle by one of its water highways. the men sprang out, and one made the prow fast by a rope, while others scattered, parang in hand, to collect and cut up dead or resinous wood, of which a heap was soon made and set alight, the air being so still that the blue smoke rose up quite straight, to filter, as it were, through the boughs overhead, the men feeding the flames carefully till a good mass of glowing embers was produced. over this sylvan fireplace mike, with a cloth tied about his waist, apron fashion, presided, and in a very short time had prepared the coffee and taken it aboard. there had been no preparations--no hunting for provisions, to add to the toothsomeness of the breakfast; but eaten out there in the open boat, under the shade of the majestic trees, with the river gliding by, the strange cries from the jungle heard from time to time, and the attention of the lads constantly attracted to bird, insect, or reptile, they were ready to declare that they had never enjoyed such a breakfast before. "how grand it would be to live always like this!" cried harry. "beautiful," said the doctor; "especially in the rainy seasons, when you could keep nothing dry and find no wood that would burn." "yes," said mr. kenyon; "rain does damp one's enthusiasm." "oh, of course it would not be so pleasant then," said harry; "but generally it would be glorious, wouldn't it, phra?" "i should get tired of it after a time, i think," was the reply. "pooh! i shouldn't. look how the men are enjoying it." harry nodded towards their people, who had all landed to take their meal on shore, leaving the boat free to their superiors, and certainly the party looked very happy, squatted round the fire, in spite of the heat; while the smoke curled up in great wreaths in company with the suffocating carbonic acid gas evolved by the burning wood. "yes, they look happy enough, hal," said the doctor. "they don't trouble themselves much about tablecloths or knives and forks." in fact, the party formed quite a picture, one that it seemed a pity to disturb. but it was disturbed, for at a word from mike, sree rose to dip some fresh, clear water to fill up the coffee-pot, and this done, mike took a piece of half-burned bamboo, stirred the embers and parted them so as to make a steady place for the big coffee-pot, when there was a whirl of flame, sparks, and smoke rushing up among the boughs in a spiral, for the fire was now at its hottest. there was no warning. sree had squatted down again, and mike had seated himself, supporting himself upon one hand, leaving the other to snatch off the coffee-pot directly the brown froth began to rise with the boiling up, when _bang--rush--scatter!_ something fell suddenly from high up among the boughs overhead right into the fire, and as the men turned and rolled themselves away in every direction, they were bombarded as it were, by showers of red-hot embers and half-burned sticks, which were driven after them by the object which had fallen from the tree, and was now writhing, twining, and beating the burning wood and ashes till the fire was scattered over a surface some yards across. the matter needed no explanation; it was all plain enough. after the manner of such reptiles, a good-sized boa had tied itself up in a bundle of curves, knots, and loops on a convenient bough, after a liberal meal probably of monkey, and had been fast asleep exactly over the spot where the fire was made. it had borne heat and smoke without moving until the last stir up of the embers delivered by mike, but this had sent so stifling a flame that the sleeping serpent had been aroused, started into wakefulness, and in the heat and suffocation fallen into the flames, to writhe in agony, turning over and over in knotty convolutions, in one spot a yard or two square. the doctor was the quickest to grasp the position. rising from his seat, he took down one of the ready-charged guns, and waited for a few moments till from out of the writhing knot the reptile's tail rose quivering and thrashing the ashy ground. directly after the head appeared, some feet above the folds, dimly seen through the smoke, as it was darted angrily in different directions, the jaws opening and the creature snapping at the horrible enemy which was causing it so much agony. it was for this the doctor had been waiting, and as the head rose a little higher and was nearly motionless for a moment, both barrels flashed out their contents; and as the concussion made the leaves overhead quiver violently, the serpent writhed and struggled frantically over and over in a knot that seemed to be always tying and untying itself, was hidden amongst the thick, reedy growth close to the river, splashed and wallowed a little in the shallow from which the reeds sprung, and then with a loud splash went clear of the growth into the dark, deep water overhung by the boughs of the trees. then there was an eddying and quivering where the stream glided along, and a few bubbles ascended to the surface, but though attentive watch was kept, no more was seen, the swift current having undoubtedly swept the reptile away. "i had a good sight of its head when i fired," said the doctor. "would you like to have snake for breakfast every morning when you lived out in the open, harry?" "ugh!" ejaculated the boys together. "well, i'm very glad we were having our breakfast on board," said mr. kenyon, laughing. "here, michael, you need not stand staring up into the tree; there are no more snakes up there." "wouldn't its mate be there, sir?" said the man. "oh no, it isn't likely. where is the coffee-pot?" "don't know, sir; but i don't want any more breakfast, thank you." "nonsense, man," said his master; "find the coffee-pot, and the men will rake the fire together again. there is nothing to mind now." mike looked anything but satisfied, going about his task unwillingly; but the men came back from where they had scattered, laughing with one another now that the scare was at an end. "he's making a poor beginning," said harry, on seeing their man go peering about slowly in different directions amongst the tall grass and bushes. "mike doesn't like snakes," replied phra, laughing. "well, who does?" cried harry. "i hate them; and it was enough to scare anybody. i know i should have jumped away fast enough. i say, look there." "what at?" "there's the pot, in amongst those young bamboos. no, no; there, half in the water.--found it?" "no, sir. it's gone," replied the man. "nonsense; here it is. you didn't look in the right place." mike came towards them, looking very sour and disgusted, as he picked up the tin vessel. "reg'lar spoiled," he said, examining the pot and holding it out to show that there was a big dent on one side. "won't hold water now." "how do you know till you try? dip it in and see." the pot was dipped, filled, and proved to be quite sound in spite of the hollow in its side, a fact which disappointed mike, who prepared to make some fresh coffee by getting into the boat again, while the men laughingly collected the scattered brands and restarted the fire. "i say, mike," said harry, as the man came back, "you shouldn't make a fuss about a little thing like this; it's nothing to what you will have to put up with." mike looked at him aghast, his face screwed up into such an aspect of dismay that the boys burst out laughing. "ah, it's all very well to laugh, master harry," grumbled the man; "but if there's going to be any more of this sort of thing, i know--" "know what?" "i'm going back home." "how?" said harry, laughing. "don't ask stupid questions," said phra, with a perfectly serious face. "he's either going to swim back with the stream, among the crocodiles, or to walk through the jungle. there are not so very many tigers there now." "what!" gasped mike. "make haste, michael, my lad," said mr. kenyon. "get the fresh coffee made and the men's breakfast over; we want to go on." "yes, sir; of course, sir--oh dear, oh dear!--ah, it's all very well to laugh, master harry." "laugh! well, it's enough to make any one laugh to see you make such a fuss over a baby snake. wait till we come to the hundred foot long ones." mike gave him another look, and then hurried back to the blazing fire. "you've spoiled his breakfast," said phra. "serve him right for being a great coward. i want him to get used to such things." phra laughed. "who's to get used to such things as that? i say, look; there's one of our old friends watching us." he pointed up to where a little grey-whiskered monkey was holding back the leaves, so as to peer wonderingly down at the party. "i believe one could soon coax these monkeys down to be fed." "if you put a few bananas on the top of the cabin there, they wouldn't want any coaxing; they'd come and take them." "yes, when we were not looking; but i mean, coax them into being tame enough to feed from one's hand." "might perhaps, but they're treacherous. they like to spring on any one's shoulders to bite the back of the neck. look, look! parrots!" a little flock of brightly coloured, long-tailed lories flew over the river, but before a gun could be seized they had disappeared. "not very good ones," said harry. "only green." "and sour," said the doctor. "sour?" cried harry wonderingly. "yes, sour grapes, hal. why, they were lovely specimens, my boy. look at those butterflies flitting about the flowers growing there in wreaths. now, if this were a hard road we might get a few of them." "we could get one of those sun-birds," said harry, pointing to some half-dozen fluttering about the cluster of flowers dependent from a bough overhanging the stream. "yes, but we must wait till we have got some dry sand to use instead of shot. mind we scrape some up from the first shallow place we reach." the fact of the boat being motionless there by the side of the river, and all on board sitting quietly watching the abundant beautiful objects around, made the various inhabitants of the jungle on either side come out of their hiding-places and take no further heed of their presence; consequently until the men had finished their breakfast there was ample opportunity for a quiet, observant natural history study, and mr. kenyon remarked,-"it is, after all, better to be content with watching nature in a place like this than shooting specimens and preserving them in a miserable imitation of the natural shape. for how poor and pitiful they are at the best." "that's true enough," said the doctor, smiling; "but you would not make a museum of our memories." "why not?" said mr. kenyon. "because memory is weak, and our description of what we have seen to other people who could never by any possibility see the beautiful creatures we have encountered, would come very far short. i think that the sight of the poorest skin that we have preserved would make ten times the impression on another's mind that a month's talking could." "yes," said mr. kenyon, "and nature is so abundant." by this time the men had resumed their oars, and the boat was gliding rapidly up the river, the boys being ready to point out where they had shot the birds they had taken back, and seen the monkey which had watched them on their way. so far they had met no crocodiles, but as they went higher it seemed as if, though they kept themselves out of sight, several were in the narrow river and were retiring before them, till the water growing more shallow they began to show from time to time. the boys seized their guns upon catching sight of the two prominences which contained the reptile's eyes appearing above the surface some thirty yards ahead, but mr. kenyon checked them. "don't shoot," he said, "it is of no use to kill a few among so many." "but suppose they attack us," said harry. "they will not unless driven to bay. steer in closer to the side, sree," continued mr. kenyon, "so as to give them room to retreat down the river." the order was obeyed, the boat being kept to the left, so close in that the oars touched the tips of the hanging boughs, with the consequence that every now and then there was a loud splashing and wallowing in the water close beneath the bank, the part hidden by the pendent boughs. "why, they swarm under there," said the doctor. "yes," said mr. kenyon, "and this shows how little the shooting of one or two has to do with thinning them down. by the way, boys, where was it that you had your adventure with the big crocodile and the monkey?" phra rose and pointed forward. "a little farther there, on the right," he said, "where those bigger trees are hanging over the water." the whole scene came vividly back to the pair as the boat glided on, and after a glance upward at the trees, harry's eyes fell to scanning the water, half expecting to see the ugly muzzle of one of the great crocodiles shoot out. this he did not see, but first one and then another made a tremendous eddy in the stream, their lurking-places being churned up by the men's oars. "the brutes are extremely thick up here," said the doctor: "a pretty good warning that we must not attempt any bathing." "they seem to swarm," replied mr. kenyon. "it is a pity they are of no use; but perhaps some day one will be found for them,--possibly their skins may be utilised." "skins of young ones, perhaps. these big fellows would be too horny." as he spoke, a huge reptile rushed from a mud bank into the river with a tremendous splash, sending a wave along the surface, which made the boat rise and fall. this time guns were seized by the boys' elders, upon the strength of the possibility of an attack; but the huge creature must have sunk at once to the bottom, for no further sign appeared. meantime the great, green bank of trees on either side seemed to grow more beautiful from the brilliancy of the flowers with which some of the trees were covered; while, wherever a flock of parroquets flew out, it was pretty well always a sign of fruit. here, too, at intervals, where there were breaks in the banks of the great timber trees, huge tufts of bamboo shot up spear-like, and showed their delicate foliage, looking at a distance so light and feathery that often enough the straight stems, which rose in places as much as sixty feet, seemed as if surrounded by a delicate haze. it was now decided that due attention should be given to collecting and providing for the meals of so large a party; and as nothing in the shape of deer or pig had been seen, and mid-day was long passed, it was suggested that, as soon as a suitable spot was reached, the boat should be moored to some overhanging bough and the boys should try their fortune at fishing. as soon as sree heard this he busied himself with the basket which contained the lines, and kept a look-out for a likely pitch. suddenly there was a rushing of wings, and a big bird appeared--a signal for two guns to be raised, but only to be laid down again. "ugh! vulture," said harry in disgust. "pity not to have shot it," said phra; "it would have done to cut up for bait." harry's lip curled up and his nostrils dilated. "do you know we mean to eat the fish we catch?" "oh, of course," said phra hurriedly; "i hadn't thought of that. but would it make any difference, doctor cameron?" he added. the doctor laughed. "no," he said, "i don't think we should have found the fish any the worse for it. all the same, though, i should prefer my fish not to have been fed upon the flesh of an unclean bird." "exactly so," said harry's father; "but perhaps it is just as well that we should not study the food of the fish we eat. they are not very particular as to their diet.--what about that quiet, still eddy yonder, sree?" "where the great tree-trunk lies in the water?" said the doctor. "no, that won't do. there must be scores of half-rotten boughs among which the fish would run and tangle up the lines." "it would be an excellent place, sahib," said sree humbly. "we could tie up the boat there, and fish below it, where the stream runs in." "to be sure," said mr. kenyon; "i had not noticed that little rivulet. you are wrong, doctor; it will be a capital place." "perhaps," said the gentleman addressed, "but i don't like the look of it. i feel pretty sure that we shall find a great crocodile has his lurking-place under that large tree-trunk." "yes, sahib; there is one there," said sree; "but he will go as soon as he sees the boat." he spoke to the man in the bows to be ready to make the line fast to one of the dead boughs, which stuck up dry and swept clear of bark, showing, like its fellows, how high the flood water had raised the level of the river, for above a certain height the bark was still clinging to the branches. it proved to be just as the old hunter had said, for as the boat was forced up to the great trunk lying in the water, there was a sudden rush, the surface was turned into a series of eddies, and a wave rolled along towards the other side of the river, indicating the direction in which the reptile disturbed had gone. all the same the boat was made fast, and floated down stream to the full length of the rope, the men's oars were laid in, and those astern joined their companions forward, to squat together talking in a low tone and chewing betel, while mr. kenyon and the doctor settled themselves comfortably in the open cabin. "won't you fish, father?" asked harry. "no, my boy," he replied; "you shall fish for me." "but you will fish, doctor cameron?" said phra politely. "no, i would rather see you," replied the doctor, and he started and caught up his gun, but laid it down once more, for the birds which had caught his eye were only crows, some half-dozen of which came up stream as if they had followed the boat, and now they had found it, settled down in one of the highest trees apparently to have a quiet chat about its object in coming up there. sree had been busy the while, preparing bait for the lines, which were to be used ledger fashion without rods. sree's bait was some very stiff paste, which he was working up out of a couple of handfuls of flour; and he made haste to explain that if the fish did not take this well, he should soon change the lure. "but we must catch one first." the lines were strong and the hooks tied on gimp, such as would have been used for pike-fishing at home, for the fish of the siamese rivers had not been tried for till they were as shy as ours at home, and before many minutes had elapsed the boys each had his baited hook thrown out from the opposite side of the boat six or eight yards away, the leads sinking some six feet in the fairly clear water, and with fingers just feeling the pierced lead, they waited. it was not the first by many times that the boys had fished together in the river, and they pretty well knew what they were likely to catch; but they were not prepared to sit beneath the hot sunshine for so long without a sign of there being fish about. "come, be sharp," cried the doctor banteringly. "i thought we were going to have a good fry for dinner. how soon shall i send the men ashore to make a fire?" "fishermen always have patience," said harry. "but people who want their dinner do not," said mr. kenyon, laughing. "i say, sree," whispered harry, "they will not bite at paste." "pull up your line, sahib," said the hunter. harry did as he was told, and sree smiled. "something has eaten the bait," he said. "didn't you feel a pull?" "no, not the slightest." the hook was rebaited and sent down stream again, and phra's hook proving to be in the same unattractive state, received the same treatment; but for fully half an hour nothing was done but rebaiting and throwing in. "we had better make a move," said mr. kenyon. "it is very beautiful here, but the crocodiles seem to have scared the fish away. let's go half a mile higher." "no, no, not yet, father," said harry. "it seems such a capital place, and--i've got him!" for as he spoke he felt a slight twitch at the line he held, and then all was still for a few moments. next there was a steady draw, and the line began to pass through his fingers, while upon checking it the drag became a heavy one, and he found that he was fast in a good fish. it was evident that a shoal had come up towards the boat, for hardly had harry begun to haul upon his line before phra felt the premonitory twitch, and directly after the draw upon his line. "now, father, had we better go higher?" cried harry. "oh, my word! it is a big one; the line regularly cuts my hands." there was nothing to see but the lines cutting the water in different directions, for it was evident that the baits had been seized by bottom-loving fish, which went on fighting to keep down as low as they could. by this time sree had taken up a short bamboo to which a large hook was firmly bound, and bidding harry now draw hard, he stood ready, while the lad raised the heavy, struggling fish to the surface, and, in spite of its efforts, brought it close up to the side of the boat, when with one well-aimed stroke the old hunter thrust the hook beneath it and lifted it over the side. the next moment, leaving the fish flapping and beating the bamboo bottom, sree stepped beside phra, where the same business was gone through, and the second fish dragged in. they proved to be very similar in appearance to a fish but little known in england, though lingering still in some few sluggish rivers--the burbot--a fish that is best described as being something like a short, thick eel. these were together over twenty pounds in weight, and welcome from their delicate quality as food. "enough is as good as a feast," said mr. kenyon, smiling; and the order being given, the boat was once more sent gliding up stream, look-out being kept for a suitable place for landing and making a fire. this was reached at last, and the fish, spitted on the ever-present, ever-useful bamboo, set down to roast, so that they might make a welcome addition to the next _al fresco_ meal. after another few miles a suitable mooring-place was found beneath an enormous tree, and a fire once more lit; this was to act as a scare to keep away noxious creatures, but, as harry said, for some things they might have been better without. for they soon found that the glare of the burning wood woke up and attracted the birds, which came circling round it in a strangely weird way, their dimly seen forms coming and going out of the darkness into the dome of light ribbed with the branches of the trees. moths and flies innumerable buzzed about through the glare, and, worst of all, the light and heat attracted the smaller reptiles, snakes and lizards creeping towards the flame for the sake of the warmth of what must have seemed to them like a new, strange sun, and many of them getting burned. "it's very horrid, father," said harry. "mike says that he saw hundreds of wriggling snakes and lizards creeping up when he helped the men make up the fire as you advised, for they would have set the forest ablaze if it had been done their way." "hundreds, eh?" said mr. kenyon. "then i suppose we may set it down as being about a dozen, hal?" "he is an awful fibster, father," said harry, laughing. "i don't think the man really means to lie wilfully," said mr. kenyon; "but his imagination and his tongue run wild." "perhaps it's his eyes," said the doctor, smiling; "a natural failing. the lenses are too round, and they magnify." "let's be charitable, and set it down as that," said mr. kenyon; "but it does not matter to us. it is not as if we were going to sleep ashore, and this is a novel experience." "novel, indeed. what a collection of moths and beetles we might make now!" "awkward work," replied mr. kenyon. "i think we might be content with enjoying the strange scene." both being tired with the day's exertions, the boys thought so too, and for long enough they watched the illuminated trees of the jungle, which were always changing their aspect as the fire rose and fell, emitting flashes of light, and sending up myriads of sparks or wreaths of smoke to form clouds overhead, which reflected back the light and turned the water into gold, while strange, dark shadows seemed to dance and waltz among the great trunks. it was all so wild and beautiful that even after the men had finally replenished the fire and settled themselves down for the night under their matting shelter, spread over the fore part of the boat, no one aft felt the slightest desire to lie down and sleep. "i couldn't sleep, could you?" said harry, in a low tone, to phra, as they sat in the half-closed-in cabin, now watching the surroundings of the fire, now, attracted by some sound, turning to look up or down the river. "sleep? no," replied phra; "it all seems so strange and different. we've heard all these noises of a night when we've been at home, but they were far off." "and now one is right amongst them," said harry. "i say, are you sure your gun's loaded?" "yes, quite; i looked at it just now." "so did i at mine. i don't think i'm at all afraid; are you?" "i don't think so; but after what we saw this morning i can't help fancying that there might be a great snake somewhere in the boughs overhead, coming down lower and lower till it thrust in its head here. i say, fancy it taking one of us out and up into the tree." "shan't," said harry. "i don't believe there are any in the jungle big enough to do such a thing." "oh, there are some monsters," said phra quietly. "yes, so people like our mike say. he told me once that some of your father's men said they had seen a croc fifty feet long. hark at that!" the sound was startling, and it came from off the water lower down the river. "it's your fifty feet crocodile slapping the water with his tail to stun the fish," said phra grimly. "i don't know about fifty, but it sounds as if the great wretch might be thirty feet long. ugh! what's to prevent a monster coming up close to the boat and helping himself to one of us? i couldn't go to sleep for thinking such a thing possible." "i don't think there's any fear of such a thing happening. you never heard of anything of the kind among the thousands of boats down the river and canals." "no, but one can't help thinking of such creepy notions. we never thought of them before we came." "are you boys going to sleep?" said mr. kenyon. "yes, father, directly," said harry; "i mean, going to try." "off with you, then, so as to be ready for a good day's work to-morrow. did you see how beautiful the fire-flies are, right away up and down the river?" "yes, sir," said phra. "i've been watching them; it looks sometimes as if the bushes and boughs were full of flying stars. hear that?" "yes; a tiger," said mr. kenyon quietly. "hear the king of stripes, doctor?" the gentleman addressed grunted, and then breathed hard. "the brute does not trouble him," said mr. kenyon; "and it need not trouble us." "no fear of its swimming out to the boat?" said phra. "not the slightest," replied mr. kenyon. "let down that mat to screen you from the night air and mists, and go to sleep." "let the mat down?" said harry, in a tone full of protest; "but if we do we can't see the fire-flies." "take another look, and then let it down and go to sleep." "but we don't feel as if we could go, father." "of course not, if you sit up talking. there, let down the matting, for our sake as well as yours. good-night, my boys." "good-night, sir." "good-night, father," said harry, as he let fall the mat, and thus completely closed in the cabin-like place.--"but there's no sleep for us, phra, i'm afraid." "let's try," said phra. "oh, i'll try," replied harry. it needed no trying, for in five minutes there was no one awake in the boat, though there were wild cries far away in the jungle, strange splashings, coughings and barkings from the river, and every now and then loud cracklings and sputterings from the fire, whose rays gleamed in through the matting hung round. but though every one slept, there was an advance about to be made upon the occupants of the boat, some forty or fifty fierce creatures making their way in through the matting to attack first one and then the other, the attack going on till the savage enemies were satiated with blood, their victims being all the while deeply plunged in sleep. chapter xviii elephants at home "eh? what? nonsense!" "that's what i said, master harry. it's 'most a thousand times darker than when we lay down. i mean, it would be if old sree hadn't raked the fire together and put on some more wood. he said it was time to get up, and i had to get up; but i feel horrid bad. i hope we're all alive." "did sree say it was to-morrow morning, mike?" "yes, sir; but i don't believe it." "here, phra, wake up. do you hear? mike says it's tomorrow morning." "no, sir; no, sir," protested the man, who could be dimly seen leaning over the boys by the faint rays of the fire ashore still streaming in. "i wouldn't have said such a thing these next two hours." "very well," said harry irritably; "sree said so, and he's sure to know. do you hear, phra? wake up." phra made use of a word he had learned of his companion. "bother!" and then, "do be quiet!" "shan't. wake up, or i'll scoop in some water over you." "you do if you dare," growled phra viciously. "oh, i dare," said harry, whose sleepy irritability was going off and making way for the spirit of mischief in him; "but i don't want to make everything wet. get up, you miserable old siamese prince! you're not going to sleep if i'm not." "bother!" cried phra sharply, in response to a shake. "wake up, then! here, phra, we're all alive oh! and nothing has touched us all through the night." "oh!" "what's the matter, mike?" said harry, whose attention was turned from the young prince to their man. "i'm so bad, sir. i've caught the jungle fever with sleeping in this damp place." "nonsense!" "oh, i have, sir, and i feel dreadful bad. i never was so ill before in my life." "i don't believe it, but i'll wake doctor cameron. i daresay he brought some quinine with him." "what! that horrid, bitter stuff, sir? no, no; don't, please." "bah! making a fuss about some physic. but you must have it. we're not going to have our trip spoiled by your turning ill. i say, doctor!" "no, no, master harry; don't say anything, please," whispered the man. "not till after breakfast. i couldn't eat a mossle if i had to take that horrid, bitter quinny." "oh, you must be bad!" said harry, with mock sympathy. "here, i know a little. how do you feel?--pain in your back?" "a little, sir, where it rested against a big bamboo in the night." "that sounds bad," said harry. "does it, sir? oh dear!" "what else? headache?" "no, sir; but i've got it, and i can feel my face all covered with spots." "it's the mosquitoes," cried phra, sitting up suddenly. "hullo! you awake?--that's it, mikey." "oh no, sir," groaned the man; "it's worse than that." "'tisn't. his royal highness prince phra mala krom praya says it's mosquitoes, and he's right. how many spots have you got on your face? a million?" "well, no, sir, i don't think there's as many as that; but my face is full, and they itch and sting horrid, and my eyes are swelled up and stiff. just you feel." "no, thankye, mike; but i'll have a look as soon as it is light. i say, though, i wonder you haven't got a million bites.--there, don't be such a baby. go and get the breakfast ready. i'll wake the others." "he ain't a bit o' feeling in him," sighed mike to himself; and he went out of the cabin. "what does it look like, phra?" said harry, for his companion had passed his head out beside the matting. "come and see; it's lovely." harry thrust his head out on the other side of the mat, to gaze up and down the river, to see overhead the stars growing pale and feeble, while the river bed was filled up by a soft, dark-grey flood which rose about ten or fifteen feet up the black wall of trees opposite to them. on the other side and overhead there was a warm glow which lit up the thin mist, giving it a roseate hue, while the cloud of smoke was gathering more and more and blotting out the faint stars half across the river, its under side ruddy too with the fire-reflected light. "i never saw the river look like this before," cried harry. "looks jolly, doesn't it?" "beautiful and calm, and just as if the earth was waking up," replied phra. "birds, you mean," said harry. "parrots are whistling, and--here, i say, hark at that _coo--ah--coo--ah_. hear that?" "yes. argus pheasant," said phra eagerly. "let's take the guns and go and see if we can't get a shot at it." "what! try and get through the jungle now it's all dripping with dew?" "never thought of that," said harry. "would be sloppy, wouldn't it?" "sloppy! why, we should be drenched before we'd gone ten yards." "and i don't suppose we could go ten yards. let's go and ask old sree if he can call the birds over, so that we can get a shot at them." they stepped carefully out into the forward part of the boat, and then harry thrust back his head to carry out his promise. "father! doctor!" he cried. "morning." "yes; thank you," said mr. kenyon, and the doctor grunted. phra had by this time reached the mooring rope and begun drawing the boat's prow close up to the prostrate tree-trunk to which it was moored, for prostrate trees were plentiful along the banks, and in one place two falling nearly opposite from either bank of the stream had almost formed a barricade to stop the way. "be careful, sahibs," said a voice out of the gloom, the old hunter having left the group of rowers gathered round the fire. "the tree-trunk is slippery with the dew." "oh, it's you, sree," said harry. "isn't that the coo--ah calling?" "yes, sahib; i have heard it many times." "could we get near and manage a shot at it?" "no, sahib; it would hear us before we were half way, and be silent. then we should not know which way to go. besides, you would find the grass and trees too wet." "would it come if you called to it?" "no, sahib, not unless we were in a deep, dark part of the jungle." "oh well, never mind," said harry. "it wouldn't be pleasant before breakfast. here, let's go ashore now we're so near, phra. anything burned in the fire last night?" "yes, sahib; i've found four dead birds under the trees, and some lizards and snakes that had been too close. some of them were only half dead. they had scorched themselves and then crawled away." the boys went up to the blazing fire, to find mike busy cooking the men's breakfast, the latter making way for the lads to come close up to the pleasant glow, which dissipated the chilly mist floating around. as they went round the fire sree pointed out the remains of several reptiles, one of which was still moving and writhing slightly. this--part of a long, thin snake--sree stooped to twitch into the hottest part of the glowing fire. "oh, i say, sree, how horrid!" said harry. "no, sir; better dead than living in such pain. it could never get well. this one might," he added, dragging another from among the low growth close by, with the result that it came to and bit at a bamboo staff the man held. "it's poisonous," cried phra. "mind!" "yes, sahib; i'll take care," said sree. "it is a good deal scorched, but it might live and do mischief. it is a very bad kind, almost as poisonous as the naga." as he spoke he gave his bamboo staff a whirl round his head, which threw the writhing reptile into a knot at the end, and then giving a final jerk the dangerous creature was dashed into the middle of the fire, where a loud sputtering, crackling, and hissing bespoke its fate. "was that it hissing in agony?" said harry, with a look of disgust. "oh no, sahib," said the old hunter, smiling. "it is only the flesh. the heat in there killed the snake directly. look! there is a dead bird; that will make the same noise. throw it in." "why, it's one of those beautiful rosy pigeons," said harry, "only half its feathers are burnt off. it's dead enough. i say, though, it's a pity to waste that. i'll make mike cook it for breakfast. what's that bird?" "a crow," said phra, turning the object over with his foot; and then, before harry could seize it, tossing it into the fire himself, for a precisely similar hissing to arise. "i'm glad of that," said harry; "it seems so horrible to burn anything alive. here, mike, how soon will our breakfast be ready?" "as soon as i can go on board to get it, sir. the gentlemen are not up yet." "not up!" said harry. "why, you talk as if they slept in bedrooms--look! there they are." for as he spoke the matting was drawn aside, just as the light was coming fast, the faint rays of the sun striking horizontally through the soft, grey mist, and lighting it up like a cloud at sunset. the effect was wonderful, for with the first rising of the sun there was a light breeze which lifted the mist, making it rise and float away in wreaths across the tops of the jungle trees, the coming of bright day once more bringing forth a wild chorus of shrieks, pipings, and strange cries from the hidden birds. mike quickly had a good meal spread, and as soon as the fire was no longer necessary, the men under sree's direction threw a few jars of water over it, and then took to their oars, the breakfast in the open cabin being finished as the party glided up the beautiful stream. they were now well beyond the parts ever reached by the most venturesome of the boating men of the town and villages around, and in consequence the various birds and quadrupeds displayed but little shyness, the former fluttering near the boat, or perching in little flocks to watch the visitors to this wild region, while the monkeys grew more and more venturesome, ceasing to depute the observations to the old greybeard of the troop, and crowding on the branches, to chatter and stare down, probably seeing human beings for the first time in their lives. "they don't seem to think much of us, phra," said harry, who was lying back so that he could look up in comfort at the comical little creatures. "well, it's quite fair," said phra; "we don't think much of them. i don't know, though; i envy their strength. look how easily they make those jumps." "yes, it would puzzle us. but isn't it ridiculous that they should be so careless, jumping from tree to tree just over the water, where they ought to know that the crocodiles are waiting for them? i daresay we shall see one come down with a splash directly." harry was quite right: five minutes had not passed before, in the midst of a loud chattering, a low, heavily laden bough snapped, and about a dozen of the little fellows fell scrambling down; but all saved themselves by catching at branches before reaching the water, save one, who went in with a loud splash, but caught at some twigs and leaves which dipped in the surface, and cleverly dragged itself out, to begin scrambling up again amidst a chorus of loud cries, just as the long muzzle of a crocodile was thrust out and snatched back again as rapidly, after receiving full in the side of the head the contents of the doctor's gun. "brute!" he exclaimed. "what a beautiful place this would be if it were not infested with these savage wretches!--killed, sree?" "no, sahib; i think not. i can see him swimming yonder. the water is clear here." they had another glimpse at the injured reptile, which shot up about fifty yards ahead, beat the water for a few moments, and then disappeared beneath the tangle. no more shooting was done, the voyagers contenting themselves with observing, and finding abundance to take their attention, for at every few yards some curious-looking water-fowl or wader rose from the river side. then it would be a lovely blue kingfisher or solemn-looking crimson-breasted trogon, while at times a glimpse was obtained of some animal coming down to drink, only to be startled away by the passing boat. once it was a strange-looking animal with trunk-like snout, which stared for a moment before wrenching itself round, giving just a momentary view of its piebald body, and then rushed through the undergrowth. "we're favoured," cried the doctor. "that was a specimen one ought to have shot." "what for?" said mr. kenyon. "it would have been too big and clumsy to preserve. if you shoot, let it be something for the table." the doctor took note of this, and he and the lads finding good opportunities, brought down several large water-fowl, which were plucked by the men not rowing for the evening meal, it having been decided that while on the trip up the river two good meals would be sufficient for each day. twice over phra's sharp eyes detected large serpents in the overhanging boughs, their presence being doubtless explicable by the numbers of monkeys travelling to and fro along the edges of the jungle where it was cut by the river. on the second occasion the doctor's gun was raised for a shot, but a sign from the old hunter stopped him. "what is it?" he said, for sree was pointing forward. "elephants, sahib," whispered the man; and then bidding the men to row gently, so as not to make a sound, the boat glided on towards what in the distance looked like the blunt end of the river, so completely did it seem cut off by the sudden way in which it doubled back upon itself, growing wider and shallower at the same time, while from some peculiarity of soil the trees had retired farther from the bank, leaving quite a wide, park-like stretch, through which the stream meandered. but the party in the boat had no eyes for the scenery; their attention was taken up fully, as they turned the bend of the river, by the sight of some ten or a dozen elephants of all sizes indulging in a bath in the now shallow water, wading, wallowing, or squirting it over their backs. it was evidently such a sanctuary that the great animals felt no fear of being disturbed, and the boat and its occupants remained unnoticed, sree having signed to the men to run it close in under the shore on the right. here, through the doubling back of the river, they were not above a couple of hundred yards across the intervening jungle from where they had come up and the old hunter had first heard the noise made by the herd. they sat for some time watching the actions of the strange, unwieldy-looking creatures, and would have been content to remain longer had not the largest of the animals, after syringeing himself to his heart's content, trumpeted loudly and begun to wade out of the river, taking a course which, if continued, would have brought him to the shore close to the boat. wild elephants can be very dangerous if roused; but here there was nothing to fear, for the men could with a few strokes have put the boat into deep water where an elephant was not likely to follow; so in obedience to mr. kenyon's order, the rowers rested on their oars and the elephant came on, nearer and nearer, his great head nodding and bowing from side to side, and his eyes fixed upon the surface, till suddenly taking the scent of the travellers, borne by the light air, he stopped short, caught sight of them as he raised his head, and stood as if turned to stone, staring at them for some seconds, before uttering a strange cry of alarm and dashing back, with ears flapping and extended trunk, towards his companions. the first cry of alarm was sufficient, every elephant churning up the water in the endeavour to be first on the farther shore. the party watched till the last beast had disappeared, the first making straight for the jungle and plunging right in through a hole it made apparently in the great wall of greenery, the others following in single line after it, and, according to custom using its footprints, till the biggest, who appeared to be as massive as old sul, passed through, and the elastic stems and vines seemed to spring back in their places. "why, phra," said harry, "i did not know that we had wild elephants so near. did you know, sree?" "yes, sahib; i have seen that herd many times, and could lead the king's elephant-catchers to their hiding-place if they were wanted; but they have not been wanted yet." "it is a curious country," said mr. kenyon; "we seem to know nothing of it a few miles from any of the rivers." the open part they were in looked so bright and attractive that, regardless of the near neighbourhood of the elephants, it was decided merely to go to the upper end of the shallows where the jungle closed in again, and where a sufficiently umbrageous tree could be found projecting over the river to add to their shelter, and then camp for the night. here a fire was once more lit, and while the preparations for the evening meal went on, the doctor and the two boys took their guns for a stroll back along the open stretch of grass they had passed. "don't be long," said mr. kenyon. "which means, don't go too far," replied the doctor. "we shall not. it is only to stretch our legs a bit, for the boat is rather cramping." the intention was good and wise, but the object intended soon proved to be almost an impossibility. the stretch of open land between the river and the jungle looked at a distance much like a fair meadow, and it struck harry from that point of view. "just the place for our cricket," he said to phra, as, shouldering their guns, they stepped off after the doctor. "mind how you come," said the latter, who was brought to a standstill. "the water has been all over here, and the place is full of cracks and holes. try back a little your way." "looks quite right here, sir," cried harry. "it's as solid as--oh--hi! phra, catch hold of my gun." the boy laid his own piece down, caught at the barrel of harry's, and pulling hard, his companion, who had sunk up to his knees and was steadily going lower, was able to struggle back. "oh, here's a mess!" he panted, stamping to get rid of the mud. "you didn't choose the right direction, hal," said the doctor, laughing. "no, sir," said harry meekly. "will you go first?" "yes, i think i can do better than that, my lad. let's strike right across here towards where the elephants went out of sight. the ground must be firmer there." the boys prepared to follow, as the doctor led off; but harry directed a malicious glance at his companion, which seemed to say plainly, "look out, and see if he doesn't go in." but harry felt disappointed and ill-used, as well as wet and muddy about the legs, for the doctor strode off steadily for about twenty yards, the boys following over perfectly firm ground. "you should pick your way in a place like this, my lads. it only needs--" _care,_ the doctor was about to say, but he did not; for all at once, to harry's intense delight, his leader uttered a sharp ejaculation, and, throwing himself flat on the ground, began to roll over and over, with his gun held upright against his breast, till he was close to the boys' feet, where he sat up, drew the stout hunting-knife he wore at his breast, and began to scrape the mud off one leg. "was it soft there, sir?" said harry, with mock seriousness. "soft!" cried the doctor. "oh, you're laughing at me, eh? well, i'm fair game, i must own. here, step back! quick! both of you. we're sinking." it was quite true, for there was a bubbling, hissing, and gurgling sound arising from among the grassy growth, and the black water began to ooze up among the stems, so that as the boys ran back it splashed up, and the doctor followed, none too soon. "why, the whole place is a marsh," he said, looking back as soon as the ground felt more solid. "it is just as if the water of the river spread right up to the jungle and this part had become covered with weeds and plants till they were matted together and looked like a meadow." "but," cried harry, "i want to know how the elephants managed." "there must be a sort of causeway of firm ground somewhere out in the middle there," replied the doctor. "i daresay we should find it so if we went back with the boat to where the great creatures came out of the water." "and we couldn't have the boat now, i suppose," said harry, glancing in the direction of camp. "no, but it does not matter. we should only find a muddy, elephant path, full of holes." "sorry i was so stupid, doctor," said harry. the doctor turned to him sharply and nodded. "yes, you have me on the hip there, hal. take it as a warning to yourself not to be in too great a hurry to condemn other people." phra smiled. "what are we going to do?" he said. "it's too soon to go back." "well, we can't walk on this floating green carpet," replied harry. "could we get along by the river?" "we could try," said the doctor. "or go up along the edge of the jungle. we ought to find something worth shooting there." "let's try the edge of the jungle," said the doctor. "the ground must be firmer there." striking up to their right, they managed to get about fifty yards nearer the edge of the forest; but then they had to turn back and make for a point nearer the little camp, where two or three huge trees stood out like sentinels in front of the vast army of vegetation packed closely as trees could stand. here the earth proved to be firm, and for a few dozen yards they managed to progress among the trees at the very edge of the jungle. after that the way was stopped by the interlacing creepers and thorny rotans, and after a few minutes' trial it became evident that without the help of stout men with their parangs to clear the way, further progress was impossible. "let's go back again," said harry. "one does get so hot and fagged." "better keep walking till your legs are dry," said the doctor. "i don't want you down with a feverish cold." "they're nearly dry now," said harry, "and they'll be quite dry by the time we get back." "yes," said phra; "it's farther off than we think for, and will take longer." "back again, then," said the doctor; "but i do not like to be beaten like this. i wanted to see more of the elephants and their ways." "come to the big stables, then, doctor, when we get back. phra will take you and let you see all there are at home; won't you, phra?" "of course, if the doctor wishes to see them." "much obliged," replied the doctor; "but it's the wild ones i want to study. what's that?" he stopped short, and brought his gun round ready to fire at any danger which might assail them from the jungle. the boys had heard what startled their companion, and cocked their guns. for suddenly there was the quick rush of something behind the dense screen of verdure--a something which seemed to have been watching them, and had darted off as soon as they came near. "wild pig?" asked harry. "no, i think it was more like a man," replied the doctor. "what do you say, phra?" "i think it was a man, but how could a man rush through the jungle like that? we must ask sree if there are any wild tribe people about here." "there would not be nearer than the mountain region," said the doctor; "but whatever it was has gone. look, they're making signals for us to come back." the boys looked in the direction of the camp, where a thin mat had been hoisted, flag fashion, at the end of one of the bamboo poles of the boat; and hurrying their steps a little they reached the great tree beneath which the cooking fire had been made, to find the boatmen finishing their rice, and a capitally cooked meal waiting for them in the boat. sree shook his head at the suggestion of any people being near. "plenty of wild beasts, sahib; and i have seen the tracks of a tiger that has been down to the water. there are plenty of monkeys, too, the greybeards and the big, black fellows; but i don't think we should find savage people here in the jungle. it would be a wild boar or a rhinoceros. no, not a rhinoceros; he would not have run away. it might have been a tapir." the evening changed very rapidly into night, and with the darkness came the wonderful chorus of strange sounds from the jungle and banks of the river, the splashings and coughing, barking utterances giving warning that the crocodiles were still plentiful. the fire-flies were even more beautiful there than in the denser portion where the river banks were hidden by great timber trees, for on both sides lower down the low, shrub-like growth was more abundant. the scene was very beautiful, with the star-studded, clear, dark, sky above, and the reflection as it were of another star-spangled heaven in the smooth, gliding water at their feet, while the myriads of fire-flies suggested the existence of another intermediate star sphere in constant motion, now scintillating, now dying out, and again as if floating along the opposite shore like a low cloud of tiny orbs, golden-green, golden, pale lambent, and occasionally ruddier than aldebaran or some kindred star. there was less disposition for sitting up talking that night, and soon after the fire was well replenished, and its necessity made plain. phra was the first to call attention to the distant cry, which was exactly that of some enormous cat far away in the jungle. "calling his mate," said mr. kenyon. "perhaps the tiger whose tracks sree saw in the soft mud this evening," said harry. "i suppose he will not come near our fire, or try to get on board. think we ought to keep watch, father?" "oh no, my boy. we are floating out here a good thirty feet from the land." "but suppose the boat drifts to the side in the night?" suggested phra. "it is not probable, for we are right where the stream sets off the shore. we are not likely to be disturbed, boys. there is the proof." mr. kenyon pointed to where the men had spread the mats over the horizontal bamboo, and were settling down to sleep. "yes, that is a pretty good sign," said the doctor; "the men would not take matters so coolly if there were any danger from tigers." "did the sahibs hear the big tiger calling?" said sree, thrusting his head out from beneath the men's awning. "yes, quite plainly," said harry. "think he'll come prowling about the fire, so as to give us a shot?" "no, no, sahib," replied the man, shaking his head; "he will be too careful." "that was a clever way of putting it, hal," said the doctor drily. "you did not say, is there any fear of the tiger's swimming out to us?" "no; why should i tell him that i was a bit nervous?" replied harry frankly; "even if one does feel a bit scared, i can't help it, can i, father?" "no, my boy; it is quite natural to feel a little nervous, and to make sure that one's gun is loaded and close at hand. but we must get used to these noises. we can't expect to come out here and live in such a wild place without being a bit startled sometimes. good-night, boys. but you have not fastened down that mat to shut out the night air." "just going to, father," replied harry. "i don't think, though, that we shall have so much mist here." the final good-nights were said just as the last murmurs of the men's conversation forward died out, and then all was still, the darkness being relieved by the rays from the fire, which crackled and burned merrily, the light coming quite brightly at times through the interstices of the mats, and then, as the smoke rolled up decreasing again; while after shifting his position to get into a more comfortable attitude, harry kenyon drew a long, deep breath, with a touch of a yawn in it, and then told himself that he did not mean to feel in the slightest degree nervous about the strangeness of their position, but was going to have a good, long night's rest. chapter xix a night alarm sleep comes and sleep goes, and always seems beyond our control. sometimes the weary one drops off soundly the moment his head has been comfortably settled upon the pillow; at other times, however tired he may have been before going to bed, the very fact of having undressed has so thoroughly wakened him up that the object for which he has come to bed has been completely banished. it was so with harry kenyon in some respects that night. he had not undressed, and he had not gone to bed, only made himself as comfortable as he could on a mat pillow two thwarts of the boat, using his hand as a pillow. as comfortable as he could! but it was not very comfortable, for the bottom of the boat was as hard as the one quill which the irishman put beneath him to try what sleeping on a feather-bed was like. there was too much light in the open cabin, and he could hear the _ping-wing_ of mosquitoes above him in the roof. he shut his eyes tightly, but every now and then he could see that his eyelids looked translucent. the water was making quite a loud, rushing noise against the sides of the boat, and the barkings, croakings, and indescribable noises from jungle and river-bank seemed to be increasing minute by minute. harry shifted his position a little, and then felt annoyed, for close at hand he could hear a steady, deep breathing which he knew was his father's, and from just beyond, another deep respiration with a faint buzz in it, which was evidently the doctor's breath coming and going through his big, thick, ruddy-brown moustache. "why can't i go to sleep like that?" muttered the lad. "i'm just as tired as they are, and yet i feel as if i were going to lie awake all night." harry uttered a sound very strongly resembling the grunt of one of the lower animals, and then resettled himself. "now i will go to sleep," he muttered. but a quarter of an hour must have passed, and he was as wakeful as ever, while he was quite sure that he had heard the low, mournful cry of the tiger very near. "asleep, phra?" no answer. "phra! the tiger's coming quite near." this in a whisper, but there was no response, for phra was sleeping soundly. "oh, how hot it is! i can't hardly breathe," muttered harry; "and there are those wretched old siamese snoring under the mat forward as if they were doing it on purpose to keep me awake.--wish i could get up and go for a walk.--how stupid! it's mad enough to go for a walk when it's broad daylight. i know it's impossible, and yet i get wishing such an idiotic thing as that.--might sit up and open the mat, though, and watch the fire-flies. "what stuff," he said to himself the next moment; "who's going to sit up all night watching fire-flies dancing about like sparks in tinder? besides, if i opened the matting it might give some of us cold and fever, and it would be all my fault. oh, why can't i go to sleep! there never was such an unlucky fellow as i am." he tried turning, but he could not get into a more comfortable position, and he turned back and listened to the splashings in the river coming nearer and going farther away. once more he began to think of a huge serpent up in the tree swinging itself down, and a faint rustling in the thatch he was sure must be the great reptile's head as it kept on touching the palm leaf matting; and in imagination he saw the forked tongue flicking in and out of the nick in the upper jaw, till a loud tap told him that it was only a beetle inside instead of outside, and it had lost its hold and fallen to the bottom of the boat. "that was all fancy," he said to himself; "but that rustling noise ashore is not. i believe it's some big animal searching about the camp." _crack!_ "there, i knew it. a buffalo, i believe, and it put its hoof on a dead stick." _crack, crick, crick, crackle, crackle._ harry sighed with relief and opened his eyes widely to see how much lighter the interior of the matting and bamboo cabin had become through the fire ashore falling in, and some of the piled-up wood catching and burning briskly. "now then," the listener said to himself, "what am i going to fancy next?--i dunno," he added, after a pause. "i'm so wakeful, i could fancy anything. i know what i'll do. i'll go and wake old sree, and get him to sit and talk to me." harry paused to think again. the old hunter was lying just outside the cabin, and the nearest to it of the men. then mike with his currant-dumpling-like face was beside him, and he would not want to wake him too. how was he to manage? if sree had been sleeping in the side of the boat, he could have stretched out his hand and touched him, as there was no awning there, nothing but some baskets. but the great difficulty was how to get past phra and his father and the doctor before he could reach the matting, pull it aside, and touch sree. it seemed impossible. it was very dark now, and there would be three pairs of legs to get over, and he felt sure that he would stumble over them and wake everybody up. how to manage--how to do it--how to get by--how to get by? how to get by? it was so easy. sree woke up at a touch, and they sat on the top of the cabin and watched the fire-flies--and the blazing fire. they listened to croakings and cries and the low howl of the tiger, which did not seem to be successful in finding his mate, and it was very calm and restful and pleasant out there in the night, only they dared not move for fear the thatch should give way, and let them both through on the top of those sleeping below. and so they sat and whispered and talked about the elephants bathing, and the big one scenting them at last and giving the alarm, and the whole herd disappearing after crossing that green marsh place which let them through when they were walking. there was that strange rush that they heard too, that which sree said was a wild boar, and then--_bump!_ what was that? it was to harry kenyon just as if a boat had thumped up against theirs, and some one with a voice like his own had asked that question. but there was no answer. all was perfectly still in the cabin, while the noises in the jungle and on the river banks were not so loud. it was all dark too, for the fire had burned down, and there was no glimmering light through the interstices of the mats. but he felt that he ought to see that fire, even if it were merely the glowing embers, seated as he was up there on the top of the cabin roof. absurd! how could he be sitting up there, and with sree too! they could not have got up there, and he was in his place in the cabin. all that was dreaming. "then i have been asleep," he said to himself. "i must have dropped off hours ago, and lain here till that woke me. some one said, 'what was that?' no; i said it to myself, and seemed to hear it." harry ceased his musings, feeling that he was certainly wide awake now, and as certain that he had been awakened by a bump on the side of the boat, for there was a faint grinding sound as of another boat rubbing up against the side. the boy turned hotter then in the darkness, for there was a low whispering plainly heard, and the first thought which came to him now was that some boat had come to attack them in the night, a boatload of the wild, piratical people who lived by robbing and bloodshed. he had from time to time heard of junks and trading boats being attacked and plundered, but only rarely in their neighbourhood. certainly, though, this was one, and his hand stole to his gun, which he grasped tightly as with a quick movement he rose to a sitting position so that he might alarm his father. just then there was a quick, rustling sound as the matting curtain which separated them from the men forward was drawn aside, and with a strange sensation of palpitation in his breast, instead of calling to his sleeping companions, the lad involuntarily cocked both barrels of his gun. the loud _click, click--click, click_ gave the alarm. "who's that?" cried mr. kenyon, springing up. "it is i, sahib--sree," came in the familiar voice. "yes! what is it?" said mr. kenyon, and as he spoke the clicking of gun-cocks, in company with a quick movement, told plainly enough that the other two occupants of the cabin were awake, and well on the alert for whatever danger there might be. "adong has come, sahib," said sree, whose voice trembled. "adong? what does this mean--is it some treachery?" "i fear so, sahib," said sree huskily. "and you have come to warn us?" "yes, sahib." "come in here, then. harry, hand this man a gun and ammunition. you, sree--there is a boat out there?" "yes, sahib; the one adong came in." "with a party of men?" "no, no, sahib; he came alone." "ah, and the men all side against us?" "yes, sahib; i suppose all." "very well; then we must fight. but who is adong?" "the sahib knows him: the young one of the two boys who help me hunt for wild things in the jungle." "oh, that young fellow!" "yes, sahib; he looks to me as to a father." "and yet goes against you?" "he go against me, sahib?" cried the man. "why, he would lay down his life for me. as soon as he knew, he seized the first boat he could swim to and followed us up the river." "but you said the men were all against us." "yes, sahib; as far as i can make out, all the fighting men have risen, and they are killing and burning; and when adong came after me, they were going in a great crowd with spear and kris against the king's house." "what!" cried phra wildly, and harry caught his arm. "hush!" he whispered; "it may not be so bad. that man may have taken fright." "you hear all this, cameron?" said mr. kenyon hoarsely. "hear it!" groaned the doctor. "it is what we have always dreaded. and i am here! oh, kenyon, my wife--my wife!" mr. kenyon drew a deep breath. "thanks, sree," he said calmly; "i thought you meant there was danger here. wake up the men at once." "they are all awake and listening to adong, sahib. he had to run for his life. what will the sahib do?" "go back at once." "no, no, sahib," cried the hunter wildly; "it would mean death to you all. they would seize the prince, and kill him. you must wait till day, and then we will go on right up into the jungle, where you must hide till there is peace again, and you can go back home. we can get food for you, and a hiding-place where the people who come to find and kill the young prince shall never find where you are." "mr. kenyon, you will not listen to this man?" cried phra wildly; but he received no answer, for just then the doctor gripped his friend tightly by the arm in the darkness which seemed to add to the horror of the terrible situation. "kenyon," he whispered, "i am weak and ill. i cannot think. this stroke has driven me mad. act for me, old friend--think for me. help me to save my wife." mr. kenyon's reply was a firm pressure of the hand, but some moments elapsed before he spoke. "sree," he said at last, "you are a brave, true servant, and your advice is good; but neither the doctor nor i can do as you say. what boat is this that has joined us? a small one, of course?" "yes, sahib; it is for two rowers, but it was the only one adong could get." "it will do. now listen, for i trust you." "yes, the sahib always trusted his servant," replied sree proudly. "you will take command of this boat that we are in, and i trust to you and your men to fight for and protect your young prince and my son." "as long as we can fight, sahib," said the man proudly. "we all love them, and would die for them." "i know it, sree. then i trust you to find some hiding-place where they will be safe till this rising is at an end." "yes, sahib; but what will the master and the doctor sahib do?" said sree excitedly, and without heeding the eager whispering going on close by. "we take the small boat now directly, and go down the river." "but it would be to meet boats coming up, sahib," said the man excitedly. "you would be running upon bad men's spears." "we have our guns, and shall be prepared," said mr. kenyon coldly. "but the little sampan--in the darkness, sahib. you would overset, and that means a horrible death too." "then you will ask two men to volunteer to take us." "adong and i would row you safely back, sahib," said the man earnestly. "no; i cannot spare you from watching over my son. you and your man, who know him so well, must stay." "sahib, we cannot spare you and the good doctor sahib. pray, pray do not try to go back. it would be only to lose your lives." "silence, man! we go to save the doctor sahib's wife." "ah, yes! the sweet, good lady," sighed sree. "and the king is our friend; we cannot leave him like this. no more words; obey my orders." "no!" shouted harry, out of the darkness. "stop where you are." "harry!" cried mr. kenyon. "yes, father, i hear; but if the king has been attacked, and--and--you know what i mean," said the boy, choking for a moment, "phra says he is king and master now, and that this shall not be. we say we won't be treated like children and be sent away to be taken care of while you go down the river to fight." "that is right," said phra firmly. "let me speak now, hal. you are going to save dear mrs. cameron from these wretches--these fools, who have risen against my father; we must go too. you are going to try and save your friend, my father, who has never done anything but good for his people." "yes, and--" "i have not spoken all, mr. kenyon," said the boy proudly. "you are going to try and save him. well, i am his son. not a man yet, but i can fight; and where should i be but helping to save him? what! do you want him, if he lives, to be ashamed of the boy who ran away to hide in the woods? do you want hal to let his father go alone? do you think we two could ever look dear mrs. cameron in the eyes again if we had been such a pair of cowards as that? no: hal and i are coming with you, but there are not enough of us to attack and fight with all those wretches. we must try cunning against them, and go to the doctor's bungalow and to the palace by night, and bring those who are waiting for us to the boat. then we can come back into the jungle to wait till my father goes back again to take his place. now, sree, clear away the mats and unfasten the boat; we must start back at once. cast off the other, it will be in the way." a heavy sigh rose from one occupant of the cabin, a deep groan from another, but not a word of opposition came from either of the elders; and the next minute the men forward were busy rolling up the mats and unmooring the boat, while two crept along outside the cabin to take their oars. it was still intensely dark, for the matting at the cabin sides had not been rolled up, and mr. kenyon sat trying to whisper a few words of comfort to the doctor, who seemed completely prostrated by the news, when the former felt a hand laid upon his arm, and he started slightly, for in the black darkness he had not noticed that some one had drawn near. "you are not very angry with me, father?" was whispered. "angry with you, my boy? no." "nor with me, mr. kenyon?" "nor yet with you, phra, my dear lad. no. you made me feel very, very proud; but i think that i ought not to let you run such risks." "god bless you both, boys, for what you have said," groaned the doctor. "boys? no; you spoke like men, while i sit here feeling weak and helpless as a child. but i shall be better soon--in a few minutes i shall be a man once more, and we must all talk, and plan, and scheme. for phra is right; it must be done with cunning, as we are so weak. now please leave me to myself for a few minutes. first tell me, though, are we going back?" "yes," said harry, after looking out between the mats; "the boat is steadily going with the stream. the other is floating yonder." the doctor drew a deep breath. "hah!" he said; "that has taken a weight from my breast. going back--going to the rescue. heaven help us! shall we be too late?" chapter xx a dreary return harry was correct: the boat was gliding steadily back with the stream, and sree was standing right forward in the prow, looking out and uttering warnings from time to time of dangers ahead, in the shape of fallen trees, while he kept on admonishing the men to be content with keeping the boat straight while the darkness lasted, and deferring all attempts at making speed till the day came. it was still very dark, the stars being nearly blotted out by the thin mist; but there were sundry significant hints that morning was approaching, for the scintillation of the fire-flies had ceased, and the chorus of reptile and wandering beast in the depths of the forest was dying away. leaving mr. kenyon and the doctor talking, the boys were standing together right astern beyond the two rowers there, who were too intent upon working their oars to pay any heed to them and their discourse, though as it was carried on in english, they could have made out nothing, had they listened. "i'm glad father wasn't cross," said harry after several awkward attempts at getting up a conversation, phra having replied to all he said in monosyllables, as in the present instance. "yes." "it seemed so queer to get up and contradict his orders, and say we would do as we liked." "yes," said phra, with a sigh, and then he added, "but it was quite right, for we both felt that it was like doing our duty." "ah!" cried harry eagerly. "so it was. look here, phra, old chap, don't you be down-hearted." "i am not going to be till i know the worst." "that's the way to take it; for look here, that adong would only know that there was gong-beating and spearing and setting places on fire--a regular riot. he would not know anything about how matters were at the palace." "no; he could not," said phra, with a sigh. "and your father has got plenty of fighting men, who could soon stop a mob." "if they were faithful to him," said phra, sighing. "oh well, they would be for certain." "i don't know," said phra. "i have always been afraid of this. you see, the second king has made friends with the bonzes, and they can talk and preach to the people, and make them believe almost anything about my father." "because he does all kinds of scientific things," said harry, "that they cannot understand." "yes," said phra; "it is the old story. they are too stupid to grasp the meaning of all he does, and because they cannot understand it, they teach the people to believe that it is all what you english people call 'witchcraft' and wickedness. oh, i have not patience with the silly babies--they are not men." "i hope we shall have a chance to knock some of their thick heads together. there, you are getting in better heart now about the news." phra turned upon him sadly. "are you getting in better heart about poor mrs. cameron?" he said. "oh, phra!" cried harry passionately. "don't." "you tell me to be of good heart about my father and you are in despair about mrs. cameron." "yes, that's right," cried harry passionately; "but i won't be so any longer, for i don't believe that any of your people, even the very worst of them, would be such wretches as to hurt her." phra uttered a low groan. "what!" cried harry. "you do believe they would?" "our people," said phra sadly, "are, as my father has said to me, quiet and good and gentle as can be. they always seem merry and happy; but deep down in their nature there is a something which can be stirred up, and then they are like the fierce savages from the mountains yonder. they will do anything terrible then, and these wretches who are trying to place the second king in my father's place know that and have driven them to rise. hal, we can't tell what may have happened till we get down home; but if they have killed my father, i am king, and i shall pray night and day that i may grow quickly into a man, so that i may kill and kill and kill till i feel that my dear father is avenged. it will be war until i have done my duty there." harry was silent, as he stood listening and gazing in his companion's face, which had suddenly seemed to start out of the darkness--the face alone; all else was pretty well invisible--and there it was, a strange, pale, ghastly-looking visage, distorted by the agony in the boy's breast, and the deadly determination the pangs had brought forth. harry shuddered, and for some time the only sounds heard were the murmur of voices in the cabin and the _swish_ of water as the men dipped their oars. "your father was right," said the english boy at last. "what about?" said phra hoarsely. "about the siamese people being so amiable and gentle until they are stirred." "yes, i see what you mean," replied phra, "and i suppose it is so, hal. i feel as if i can see my poor father lying dead and covered with bad wounds given by a set of cowards rushing upon him, and it makes me seem to see blood, and i want to punish them for killing one who has thought of nothing but doing the people good." "there, don't think such things any more," cried harry. "i won't. it can't be true. i'm going to believe that we shall find him and mrs. cameron quite well. yes; i know how it would be, for your father is such a thorough gentleman in his ways, and so thoughtful. as soon as he heard of there being any trouble, he would either go or send one of the people with a lot of spearmen to protect them, and bring mrs. cameron and all the english people into the palace. now then, what have you got to say to that?" "yes, i think he is sure to have done that," said phra, speaking very slowly and gravely. "he would--if he had time; but suppose the first he heard of the trouble was in the mad rush made by his murderers." "shan't!" cried harry. "i won't suppose anything of the kind. but i say, it's a pity that we didn't take more notice about what i heard said that day when we were lying in the boat place." "yes," said phra; "but i did not think we need mind a few bitter words. such things have been so often said by the discontented people." "discontented!" cried harry angrily; "and a deal they had to be discontented about! they always seemed, from the poorest to the richest, as comfortable and as happy as could be." the morning broke as bright and sunny as ever, but to those on board the boat all was changed. the excitement and delight of the trip, with its constant array of fresh objects, were gone. the birds which flashed out of the trees looked dull of colour; the troops of monkeys bounding through the branches on either side were unnoticed; and the gorgeous displays of flowers that here and there greeted the eyes of the travellers excited no attention. the crocodiles seemed to harry to be the only things in keeping with their situation, as in a gloomy, despondent way he went to the fore part of the boat to look out for them on a mud bank, or lying, with only their eyes visible on the surface of the water, in some eddy or pool. the constant presence of these loathsome reptiles suggested to him the troubles at the city and its outskirts. and he felt that there would be fighting, with people slain and tossed into the stream, where the crocodiles would gather in swarms; and there were moments when he almost wondered that some strange instinct did not lead the horrible creatures to follow the boat instead of hiding in the dark parts, where the trees hung their branches low down and touching the water. after a time he heard his name called, and he went back to the cabin, where he felt quite hurt and disgusted to see that mike had prepared a comfortable breakfast, and his friends were waiting for him before beginning. harry's face must have spoken plainly his wonder at seeing the doctor, so short a time before overcome with grief, looking perfectly calm and serious, and prepared to take his place. his father noticed it, and spoke at once. "yes, my boy," he said, "we must eat and drink, or the machinery will be useless when we want it most for thinking and acting. sit down and make a good breakfast." "oh, father," cried the boy passionately, "i feel as if i could not touch anything." "we all do, hal," said mr. kenyon; "but we may have to fight, and we shall require all our strength in our efforts to save mrs. cameron and the king." harry nodded, took his place, and--there is no other way of describing what followed--ate and drank savagely, acting as if every morsel or draught that passed his lips were to give him strength for what might come. the meal was soon ended, and mike received his orders to see that the men were refreshed, while the doctor and mr. kenyon commenced talking, with the result that the two boys now went right aft and sat together looking up stream. for some minutes neither spoke, and then harry broke out angrily:-"it makes me feel mad," he cried. "yes," said phra, "and one feels the worse at having to sit here and wait, without being able to do anything." "i didn't mean that," cried harry angrily; "i mean about sitting and eating and drinking there, just as if i was an animal without any feeling. it's horrible." "your father was quite right," said phra; "we do want to be strong." harry grunted, and turned away his face, to sit scowling at the river, while phra rested his head upon his hand. "oh," cried harry at last, "i should like to kill some one." phra smiled at him sadly. "perhaps we shall have to try before long," he said. "i hope so. i should like to help kill all the wretches who have made all this trouble." "should you?" said phra, with a faint smile. "but look here, hal, you will try and help me to save my father?" "will i?" cried the boy angrily. "why, you know i will. here, phra, let's try and think out some way of getting him out of the palace." "i'm afraid we shall find that he has shut himself up there, and that we cannot get near him." "well, so long as he is safe we need not mind." they sat on talking and planning together, more for the sake of keeping from dwelling on the great trouble than from any hope of thinking out something feasible, and the day wore on till the boat was drawn up to an opening in the apparently endless jungle. harry said to his companion that it was a shame, but it was a necessity. food had to be cooked for the men as well as for themselves, and it was no loss of time, for after a couple of hours' rest the men worked with renewed energy, the boat gliding swiftly down the stream till it became too dark to venture farther amidst the many dangers to navigation. in fact, they had kept on till, in spite of the native boatmen's skill, the light craft was run half over a huge tree-trunk lying out at right angles to the bank, and for a time a terrible capsize was imminent. for the bows were clean out of the river for some distance, and the water began to rush in over the stern, till several of the men crept forward, with the result that the bows went down so suddenly, as the craft balanced on the great trunk, that the water rushed in at the other end, and it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that they would sink. for with a rush and a plunge they cleared the obstacle, gliding over into the deep water, the boat filling to gunwale as she came to a level again, with every one preparing to swim for the nearest shore. but sree called upon the little crew to follow his example, and they all glided overboard, taking opposite sides, and supported themselves by holding on to the boat. then, in obedience to calls from sree, the boys handed the men various articles from mike's little kitchen arrangements. those left on board took crock and bucket, and from their united efforts in baling, all danger of sinking was soon at an end, while in a few minutes the men one by one crept back into the boat, where they could bale with more effect. finally the boat was entirely freed from water, and an opening, which happened to be near at hand, was reached, a fire made for drying clothes, and as wretched a night as could be imagined was spent. but they were all dry and able to start the moment it began to be light, and that day was a repetition of the preceding, and followed by another despondent night, this time, though, one which gave refreshment to all. that next day they knew they would reach the river town, and had to time themselves so as not to get there before dark, in spite of the eagerness for news. but it was hard to contrive everything to their wishes. it had been expected that they would get right back two hours before sunset, and this meant lying up in some creek for that space, while sree or adong went forward by land to reconnoitre and bring news of the state of affairs; but it so happened that the tide had not been counted upon, and instead of gliding down with the stream for the latter part of the way, they had to force the boat against an adverse current, so that it became hard work to get to their destination by dark. chapter xxi a hiding-place long before the more familiar parts of the river were reached, preparations had been made in the way of seeing that the guns were loaded, though their use would be only in some grave emergency, since it was fully grasped that force would in all probability be of no avail. clever scheming must be the weapon, though how to bring it to bear would depend upon circumstances. at last they were nearing the part of the river where it was lined with the walls of the great temples, and farther on with boats. in a very short time they would be abreast of the palace and of the little english quarter, mr. kenyon's home being farthest away. and now, to the surprise of all, sree spoke out earnestly, unasked. "if the place is in the hands of the rebels," he said, "the sahibs would lose their lives directly they landed." "i cannot help that," said the doctor. "i must land as soon as i am near home." "the doctor sahib will not be doing his best to save his wife," said sree sternly. "no, doctor, you must stay in the boat while i land," said phra. "to be killed at once," said sree. "no, we will not let our prince land now. sahibs, i am like the rest of the people, and i can go ashore without being stopped. you must trust to me to go first and bring news." "i cannot wait; it is impossible," said the doctor. "i must go and find what has happened to my father." cried phra. and all the time the boat was being urged steadily on by the rowers, nearer and nearer to the river town; but so far there was nothing to suggest danger, for the customary sounds arose like a low murmur from the distance, and a faint glow hung above the river--the reflection from the paper lanthorns hanging from the boats. "all seems to be unchanged," said mr. kenyon, breaking a long pause. "yes; it may be a false alarm," said the doctor. "tell your men to row faster, sree, and to stop at the first landing-place beyond the palace." "the sahib doctor does not see," replied the old hunter. "something must have happened. where are the lights?" "yonder," said the doctor, pointing to the reflection. "oh, sahib, those are as nothing," said the old man. "and we can hardly hear the city breathe. we are close there, and we see that faint light and hear that little buzz of voices. it's more like a few insects. when i have come out of the jungle far away, it has been more bright than that and twice as loud. will the sahib tell his friend the doctor he must stay and i must go and see?" "yes, cameron, sree is right," said mr. kenyon. "let him go first." "my wife!" said the doctor, in a hoarse whisper so full of despair that a choking sensation rose to harry's throat as he sat there in the dark. "it means death, sahib," said sree plaintively, and the boat glided on, till, rounding a bend, those on board could see that very few lit-up houseboats were visible, and that the light came from the open ground on either side of the palace. while hardly had they grasped that when there was a sudden increase of the faint glow, and the loud, jarring noise of gongs beaten, followed by a scattered firing, the reports sounding loud in the darkness around. a thrill ran through all present, and each drew a deep breath, for it was evident that the danger was very close, and in all probability watchers might be hidden among the bushes of the river bank, whose presence would be made known by the throwing of spears. "the sahib doctor hears," whispered the old hunter; "there is fighting going on by the palace. he will stay, and let his servant go and see?" "yes; go," said the doctor huskily. "it is right, cameron," whispered mr. kenyon.--"now, sree, what will you do?" "leave it to me, sahib," was the reply, and turning to the men he whispered his orders, and all but one of the rowers laid in their oars, while the last just sent the boat gently along under the farther bank of the river where the eddy made the task less difficult, and for the next few hundred yards they glided along under the walls and terraces of the principal wats or temples, till they drew near to the palace, and harry laid his hand upon that which came out of the darkness and gripped his arm. "look," whispered phra, in a hoarse whisper. "yes; i see," was the reply, and the two boys strained their eyes to make out what was going on near the palace, where paper lanthorns were gliding here and there, and a low buzz arose as of many voices; but the palace itself, as far as they could make out for the trees, was quite dark, and not a sound arose. the firing had ceased before they drew near, and save the lights moving among the trees, and the buzz of voices, there seemed to be nothing more that they could learn. the boat glided on silently and without challenge, while to all appearances, as far as they could make out in the darkness, there was not another vessel on the river, till they had passed the stone landing-place and reached the other side of the palace, where again a few paper lanthorns were seen moving here and there, and now and again came the faint sound of talking. and now lower down they could just make out the lights of a few boats moored on their side of the river, but only a few, where they should have been packed close together. they were now nearing the bank where the bungalows of the english residents had been erected, and it needed a few passionate, appealing words on the part of mr. kenyon to make the doctor refrain from landing. "for aught we know there may be hundreds watching the boat," whispered harry's father, "and your landing may mean the signal for a shower of spears. sree, go on with your plans." "then there must be silence, sahib." "yes, of course. where will you land?" "yonder, sahib, and as soon as i have leapt on the bank adong, who is rowing, will take the boat across again and tie it up." "yes, and then?" "you will wait. a boat can lie there without being noticed even in the daytime. when i pipe like one of the little herons that fish from the bank, the boat must come over and fetch me, for i shall have news." "yes, yes," said mr. kenyon hastily, while the rest eagerly drank in every word. "you will take one of the double guns?" "no, sahib; nothing but my kris in my padung. if i take a gun and am seen, i shall seem an enemy and be speared." "yes; right. and we are to wait until you come back?" "that is so," whispered sree. "now, silence. no one will speak. adong knows." the next moment the prow of the light boat touched the dark bank, and sree leaped right ashore. harry held his breath, expecting to hear the rush of feet; but all was still, and the boat went gliding back through the darkness to the other side, where the men made it fast, and then squatted down upon their heels in perfect silence, watching the faint lights across the river. it was a terrible silence, and harry wondered, as he sat there listening for anything which might give him a clue to the state of affairs, at the change which had taken place during their short absence. when they left, the place was bright with gaiety, and the river fringed with houseboats full of light-hearted people; now all was painfully still, save the murmur from the direction of the palace, while the river glided by, lapping the sides of the boat, and making the boy shudder as he thought of how much it could tell of the secrets hidden beneath its dark waters. all at once phra started violently, for a loud shouting and beating of gongs arose once more from the direction of the palace. they could see lights, too, moving, as if a party were on their way to make an attack; but the sound of firing recommenced and kept on till the gong-beating ceased, when the lights seemed for the most part to die out. "those mean attacks being made on the palace, phra," whispered harry, "and the firing is from our friends." "yes," said phra; "but it is so hard to bear. hal, i must go across and see." "no," said a voice close to his ear. "you must stay and bear it, phra, till we get news." "don't say that, mr. kenyon," whispered phra; "it is so terrible." "yes, my boy, i know it; but be a man. it is evident that your father and his friends have beaten the enemy off again." "or been killed," said phra bitterly. "oh no, my lad; if the enemy had won, there would have been a burst of shouting, and--" mr. kenyon paused, unwilling to proceed. "i know what you were going to say, mr. kenyon; they would have set fire to the palace." "yes; they would have tried to burn the place," said mr. kenyon hurriedly. "hist! a boat is coming." all crouched down lower in the bottom and waited, for there was the splash of oars and the murmur of many voices, suggesting that the boat must be large; and in a short time they could see that it was one of the biggest barges, propelled by many oars, while as the covered-in part loomed up before them in the darkness while passing, the rapid chatter told that it was crammed with men. there was little fear of their being noticed, as the boat lay close up under the bank, its occupants sitting so low that they were pretty well hidden by the side; but harry held his breath, for he felt assured that these were fighting men on their way to join in the attack upon the palace. but his anticipation of a shower of spears was not realized, and the great barge, probably one of the king's, passed by without noticing them. as soon as the vessel was out of hearing, harry whispered,-"is that full of friends or enemies, phra?" "enemies," said the lad bitterly. "if my father is shut up like that, and the palace being attacked, he will have no friends. oh, how long--how long must i wait before i go to help?" "patience, my boy, patience," said mr. kenyon softly; "we are all as anxious as you; but when we stir it must be to do good, not to increase your father's anxieties." "how could we?" said phra impatiently. "by placing the son he believes to be beyond the reach of his enemies in a position of danger." "that was just the right thing to say to him, poor fellow!" thought harry. "i wish i was as clever as my father. poor old phra! he can't say anything to that." harry was right. phra remained silent, but from time to time, as he sat with his hand resting upon his comrade's arm, the english boy could feel it quiver as if from the pain he suffered. suddenly there was a fresh burst of shouting from across the river in the direction of the palace, suggestive of the occupants of the boat having joined those they supposed to be the besiegers; and now the party sat anxiously listening for another attack, but they waited in vain. and how long the time seemed that sree had been away! it was impossible to make any calculation in such a position, but everything had for some time been silent in the direction of the palace, where the lights had gone out one by one, while lower down the river there was not one to be seen, only the twinkling of the fire-flies in the gardens on the other side. suddenly the silence was broken by the doctor saying aloud,-"is he playing us false--has he escaped to save himself?" "no," said mr. kenyon firmly, "but speak lower. sound travels along the river by night." "sree would not cheat us, mr. cameron," said harry bitterly. "i'll answer for him." "then why doesn't he return--why doesn't he return?" "because he has much to do." "but he must have been three hours away," said the doctor excitedly. "i cannot bear this inaction longer. kenyon, you must have me put ashore yonder." "no," said harry's father sternly; "i must take the lead here, for all our sakes. the man has his life to look to, and has no doubt had to thread his way among enemies." "he will not come back," said the doctor. "i will wait another half-hour, and then at all costs i will be set ashore." "be silent, please," said mr. kenyon sternly. "ah, there he is," whispered harry, for there was a low, hoarse, piping cry from the opposite bank. adong rose silently to his feet and raised his oar upright, while one of the men forward set the boat free and gave it a good thrust out into the current. adong lowered his oar silently into the water, not making the slightest splash; but to the astonishment of the little english party, instead of urging the boat across he gave a few vigorous thrusts and drove her back to the bank, squatting down again in his place. "what does this mean?" whispered mr. kenyon sternly. "hist! boat coming," whispered back the man, in his own tongue. those who heard him listened, but they could not hear a sound, and at the end of a few moments mr. kenyon turned angrily upon the man. "there is no boat," he said, in the man's language. "row across directly." "no," said the man; "boat coming. adong hear much farther than the master. boat coming." harry thought of the man's life in the jungle, passed in tracking the wild creatures with his teacher, sree, and felt that his senses would be keener than theirs, so that the boy was in nowise surprised when at the end of a minute the faint, far-off sound of paddling was borne to his ears, and a boat came nearer--a boat propelled by only one oar, and as far as he could make out with only two people in it besides the rower, for he could hear whispering as it passed like a shadow on the dark background in front of where he sat. adong made no movement till he was satisfied that the boat was out of hearing. then uttering one word, the men who had held their prow to the bank once more gave a firm thrust, sending it into the current, and adong sent the boat steadily across the river. "quicker! quicker!" whispered phra, for from lower down came the sound of oars being used with furious haste, and voices were heard speaking angrily, while having the tide in their favour the fresh boat came along at so rapid a rate that the one the english party were in had only just time to glide in among some overhanging bushes by the bank, when a good-sized barge passed by so near to them that harry felt that they must have been seen, though the next moment he knew that the passers-by would have looked upon their boat as one moored to the bank and empty. "sree!" "i am here, sahib," whispered the hunter, stepping down to them as soon as the barge was beyond hearing; "that is an enemy's boat, i think, in chase of one which went up before." "your news, man--your news!" whispered the doctor hoarsely. "i went to the doctor sahib's house." "yes! my wife?" "the doctor sahib's house is gone." "burned?" "yes, sahib, to ashes. there was no one there." "did you go to the bungalow, sree?" whispered harry. "burnt down to embers, sahib harry. every house belonging to the english masters has been burned down." "but man--man!" whispered the doctor wildly, "what are houses? our friends, the english people? have you found out nothing more?" "yes, sahib doctor; the ladies were saved by the king and his spearmen. there was a great fight, and they were all taken to the palace. not one was killed." "thank god!" groaned the doctor, and a deep silence reigned for a few minutes--a silence phra respected for the doctor's sake, though he was burning to hear more. at last the lad spoke. "how did you know this?" "from my boy, lahn. i sought for and found him, my prince. he saw everything: the fight, the english sahibs and their ladies taken to the palace, and the houses burned by the people. lahn is here with me now." "tell me about my father," said phra, with his voice trembling and an agonizing pain attacking him for fear lest he hoped too much. "he is safe?" "safe when lahn was with the crowd of men at sunset. he is in the part of the palace by the little court where the young prince's rooms are. the gates are shut, and there is much fighting by the second king's friends, who are trying to get in." "and my father has all his brave spearmen to defend him?" there was silence. "why do you not speak?" cried phra angrily. "it is hard to tell, sahib phra," said the old hunter sadly. "lahn tells me that the king's guards fought for him till he and the ladies and the sahibs were safe in the palace; then at a word from one of the bonzes they threw down their spears and krises in the courtyard, and joined the king's enemies outside the walls." "the traitors--the traitors!" groaned phra; "and we trusted them so. but tell me, sree: those lights, the cries, and the beating of gongs to-night, what did it all mean?" "fighting, sahib. the king's friends are very few, but some of his servants are with him still, and they beat the enemy off. spears cannot reach so far as guns. lahn says fighting like that has gone on all day." "hah!" ejaculated phra. "but tell me: you, did you do nothing?" "yes, sahib phra; that made me so long. i went up in the dark to where there are many hundreds of the enemy all about the palace." "but did you try to find a way by which we may get in tonight?" "no, sahib; the enemy are many, and they watch every place." "but the terrace?" said phra eagerly. "we could take the boat up there." "two of the king's barges are there, with many men guarding the landing-place, so that the king and his friends should not escape by the river." "but at the back there, by the elephant houses?" "a hundred men are there." "by the garden?" "it is full of spearmen." "oh, is there no place?" whispered phra--"nowhere that we could crawl up unseen?" "the sahib prince knows the place better than his servant, and that it is strong. his servant would have tried to climb over the wall, but there were many men everywhere, and he could not get near." "if we could only let my father know that we are near!" said phra excitedly. "if we could, sahib," said sree slowly, "he would command you to escape, and wait till the danger is at an end." "yes--yes--he would wish me to go, but i cannot. mr. kenyon--doctor--what shall we do?" "we must get help," said mr. kenyon promptly. "phra, my dear lad, we can do nothing alone." "but who would help us at a time like this? the priests and the whole city have risen against my father; who will help us now?" "we must go down to the mouth of the river as soon as it is day, and see if there are any english or french vessels there. they would help us." "lahn says the river is full of the second king's fighting boats, sahib, and you could not go down. the boat would be stopped, and you would all be slain." there was silence in the boat till sree spoke again. "the sahibs must hide." "hide?" cried phra; "where could we hide now? we should be seen, and to please the bonzes the people would give us up." "you must hide in the boat, sahib phra," said the old hunter quietly. "what, go up the river again, and get into the jungle?" "no, sahib; we must be here--close to the palace." "but with all the enemy's boats about, how can we?" said mr. kenyon. "by being bold, sahib," said sree. "his servant will make the boat look dirty and common with mats where the cabin is, and throw that into the river. the sahibs must hide beneath the mats; the men can hide their good padungs and sit in the boat and fish and chew." "yes, yes," said phra; "no one would notice them. that is good. we must not go away." "but help?" said mr. kenyon; "we must get help." "his servant will swim to some boat, sahib--he will find one, no doubt--and go down the river to try for help." "no," said mr. kenyon, "we want you here. i will write on a leaf of my pocket-book, and you must send one of your men." "yes, lahn would take it to an english ship if there is one," said sree, whose voice suggested that he was pleased that he was wanted in the boat. "lahn is here, sahib. may he come on board?" "of course." sree uttered a peculiar sound, and a dark figure rose from the ground where it had lain flat, and glided down the bank into the boat. "now across to the other shore where we can hide," said mr. kenyon. "no, sahib," said sree in a low, earnest whisper; "his servant has been thinking. we will go down to the landing-place at the bottom of the bungalow garden." "why there?" said phra excitedly. "because the sahib prince's servant thinks if the cabin is taken down and thrown into the river to float away, the boat can be pushed between the big posts of the landing-place, and will lie under the bamboo floor." "yes, when the tide's down," said harry; "but when the tide rises, what then?" "the boat will be pushed close up against the bottom of the floor, and the water will rise a little round it, sahib." "but we should be shut up like in a trap, sree, and regularly caught," said harry. "no, sahib; the bamboos are split, and only tied down with rotan cane. it would be easy to undo two or three, so that we could pass out, or to leave a little of the boat outside one end, so that there would be room to get out on to the floor." "well, you are a clever old fellow, sree," said harry eagerly. "and now the bungalow is burnt no one will come there." "no, sahib; they will keep away. does sahib kenyon feel that we should go there?" "yes, my man, yes. it will be less of a risk, for boats that pass will not think of meddling with the one lying there." that was enough. sree said one word, and adong rose from where he had crouched, plunged his oar into the water, and forced the boat downward against the tide, while sree and the boatmen set to work and cut loose the mats which hung from the cabin roof. these were carefully rolled up by one of the men, while the bamboo rafters were cut away. then four men stood on the sides of the boat, each by one of the stout uprights, and at the word of command raised the light matting and palm-thatch roof, and heaved it away, to fall edgewise with a splash into the dark river. ten minutes later the last of the four uprights was thrust overboard, and almost directly after the garden landing-place was reached, and sree's calculations were put to the test. they proved to be quite correct, for there was just room for the boat to glide in between the bamboo posts; and as to height, the occupants were able to keep upon their seats with a few inches above their heads between them and the joists which supported the bamboo floor. "ah!" said phra between his teeth; "we shall be in hiding here." "yes," whispered harry; "but i don't think we shall be safe." "i don't know," said his father; "an open hiding-place is often the most secure." chapter xxii daring plans the tide rose but a trifle higher, so that there was no imprisonment such as had been suggested, and the boatmen, after a modest meal of rice, calmly settled themselves down to sleep. but, like his employers, sree was wakeful, and sat near, ready to answer questions or offer advice. he said that he believed they might stay where they were, unquestioned, for days; and as for provisions, it would be easy for him or one of his men to go here or there about the place and buy food. these minor questions were soon disposed of. the main topic--how to rescue the king and their friends--then took up all their thought and kept them watching and waking hour after hour, a certain equality now seeming to reign, and the boys' suggestions being listened to eagerly by their elders. but everything proposed seemed to be full of difficulties. the first most natural and simplest was to get the besieged away in boats, for the rivers and canals were the highways, the roads through the jungle mere elephant tracks. but this was at once seen to be impossible in the face of the facts that the way to the river was watched, and the large boats in the hands of the enemy. then there was the plan of escaping by means of the elephants, the whole of which were, according to lahn, still in their great houses, close to the part of the palace defended by the king and his friends. but supposing it possible that the whole of the defenders could be mounted upon the huge, docile beasts, and could succeed in forcing their way through the crowd of assailants, where could they go? only into the jungle to starve, for there was no place to which they could flee. it was always the same: they were face to face with the fact that in such a self-dependent place the king, who was all-powerful one day, might be the next weaker and more helpless than the humblest of his subjects. plan after plan was discussed during the calm silence of that night, when all were in momentary expectation of hearing fresh alarms and attacks; but every idea seemed perfectly futile, and a dead silence fell. harry was the first to break the silence. "why don't you propose something, phra?" he said. "we've been talking all this time, and you've hardly said a word." "i've been listening," said the boy gravely, "and i have thought." "yes, what have you thought?" "that if we could think of some plan of escape, my father would help you to get all your friends away." "yes, of course," said harry, for phra had stopped. "well?" "but he would not leave the place himself. i know my father. he would say, 'i am the king here by right, and i will never leave. i would sooner die.'" "i fear so," said mr. kenyon. "i can only think of my father," continued phra; "you only of your friends, and so we think differently." "oh no," said harry. "your troubles are ours, just as our troubles are yours." "that is so," replied the boy; "but i can only think of joining my father to help him defend the palace till he has driven his enemies away." "phra is right," said the doctor. "we cannot bring our people away--it seems impossible. we must devote ourselves to joining the king and defending the palace against all enemies." "it is good advice," said mr. kenyon, "but how can we join them? it seems impossible, too." "we have not tried," said the doctor coldly. "sree has tried to find a way in," replied mr. kenyon, "and he says it cannot be done. do you not, sree?" "yes, sahib. if we go as we are, your servant and the men could perhaps make the second king and those with him believe that they were friends; but whether by night or by day, if the sahibs try to get there, they will all be speared. it is what the enemy would gladly do." "we could fight," said phra proudly. "we have guns." "yes, sahib phra, and some of the enemy would be killed, but what are we against so many?" "ah, what indeed?" sighed mr. kenyon. "a dozen or so against thousands upon thousands." "phra sahib is right," continued sree. "he is prince, and should take us to join his father the king." "yes, but how?" said the doctor. "it can only be by cunning, sahib," replied the man. "hist! one moment," said harry excitedly; "what about the men? the spear-bearers forsook the king; how can we trust these boatmen?" "because they love and believe in the sahibs," said sree. "i think we can trust them." "but your two men, sree?" "my two--adong and lahn--sahib harry?" said the old hunter with a little laugh. "i have always been like a father to them, and they would follow me, even if it were to be killed." "and you, sree?" the said doctor bitterly; "why should you be faithful to us?" "i don't know, sahib," said the man simply; "only that sahib kenyon has been like a father to me ever since he brought me back here to my people from among the indian sahibs, where i had lived for years. he has always been my good, kind master, who fed me when i was hungry, and gave me money to buy clothes. i don't know how it is, but i feel that i belong to him and the young sahib harry; and if they said to me, 'sree, you must die that we may escape and live,' well, it would only be what i should do, and i should be happy. yes, sahibs, i should die." "i know you would, sree," whispered harry, leaning over to grasp the man's hands. "he would, wouldn't he, father?" "yes, my boy, i believe he would. he has saved my life more than once." "oh, i believe in sree, too," said the doctor excitedly. "but those we love are perishing close by, and we are doing nothing." "i know what we might do," said harry eagerly. "yes, what?" said the doctor. "wait till to-morrow night." "wait till to-morrow night!" echoed the doctor bitterly. "wait while they perish!" "we don't know but what they can keep the enemy off till then," said harry, with spirit. "true," said his father quickly; "but what if we wait till to-morrow night?" "then it would be dark, and we might go and join with the enemy when they make one of their attacks. then, when they retire, we might fall down as if wounded, and wait close up to the gate." "yes," said phra eagerly, "and as soon as the enemy were far enough off we could call to those in the palace that we were friends, and they would open and let us in." "that sounds wild," said mr. kenyon, "but it is possible. what do you say, sree?" "no, sahib; it would do for me and the men. we could get into the palace that way, but the sahibs? no. the enemy would know them at once, however dark." "true," said mr. kenyon. "it is not possible," groaned the doctor. "we must try by force to break through." "that would mean death to all, sahib," said sree in a low, sad voice; "and there would be no help for your friends." "stop," said phra. "i think it might be done." "hist! sahib phra; a boat is coming." all listened, but the europeans once more felt that they had been deceived, till suddenly there was a faint splash, followed by the dull pattering of water against a prow, and this sound came nearer and nearer till a big, dark shadow propelled by quite a dozen oars was seen to glide up the river towards the palace landing-place. they waited till the boat passed out of hearing, and phra went on. "harry and i could darken our faces, hands and legs easily enough so as to pass for common people. we did once dress like that. you remember, hal, when we went right down among the house-boats and no one knew." "yes, i remember," said harry shortly. "it would be easy for us," said phra; "but--" the boy stopped. "would doctor cameron and i disguise ourselves for such a purpose as this? certainly we would." "yes, of course," said the doctor huskily. "what about the native clothes--the baju and padung?" "they would be easier to get, sahib--easier than spears." "spears?" said the doctor; "we have our guns." "but they would betray us, cameron," said mr. kenyon. "we should have spears for ourselves and men." "there are plenty of guns in the palace," said phra. "sree, could we get spears by then?" the old hunter was silent for a while, as if thinking deeply. "how long is it before morning?" he said. "it must be near day-break now," replied mr. kenyon. "no, sahib. not for two hours yet. there are many spears in the big boats that have gone up to the palace landing-place; and if the men on board are asleep, we might get what we want." "there are sheaves and sheaves in the guard-rooms, sree, if we could get them." "yes, sahib phra," replied the man; "but that we could not do. if the sahibs will get on to the floor above us and stay there with the men, it is very dark to-night, and adong and lahn might go with me in the boat. we could row up very quietly, and perhaps get enough from one of the barges." "try," said mr. kenyon laconically. "you could not hurt if you were careful." phra whispered a word to harry. "yes," he replied. "father, phra and i want to go with sree." "it would be better for him to go alone." "the young sahibs have been trained by me to be silent when seeking wild creatures in the jungle, sahib. they could help us by taking the spears, if we get any, and laying them in the bottom of the boat." "why not take two of the boatmen?" "his servant would rather trust the young sahibs," said sree. "there is no time to discuss the matter," said mr. kenyon firmly. "be careful, boys, and go." harry's heart gave a big throb, and he gripped phra's knee. "ah," whispered the latter; "this is what i wanted. it is doing something to help." "yes," whispered back harry. "it is horrible sitting here doing nothing but talk." even in those brief moments something had been done; the boat had been set in motion, and now glided with the stream from beneath the bamboo platform out at the upper end. then at a word the boatmen followed the two gentlemen and mike out on to the platform, and squatted down at once; adong and lahn seized oars, passing the cocoa-nut fibre loops over the posts which served as rowlocks, and, with the boys' hearts beating high with excitement, the boat began to glide rapidly and silently up stream with the tide. chapter xxiii the spear harvest the distance was short, and to favour the daring enterprise, the darkness seemed to grow more intense as morning drew near. the banks of the river were invisible as they glided silently along, and the boys were whispering together when sree suddenly stepped to where they sat amidships. "we speak not when near the tiger's lair," he said softly. "when we go alongside the boat i pick, i shall hold on, adong and lahn will go on board; you two will silently take the spears and lay them along the thwarts." "yes," said phra, and the old hunter passed on, bare-footed, forward to where adong was wielding his oar. the two comrades sat straining their eyes, for the barges, they felt certain, were not far ahead, and wondered whether the two boys, as they called them--though they were full-grown men--would succeed in the daring venture; and it was on harry's tongue to whisper,-"oh, i wish we had made sree send us instead." it was only a momentary thought, before he felt that the two dark, nearly-naked siamese, as strong, active and silent in their movements as leopards, from long training as hunters, were far better adapted for the task; and he had nearly come to this conclusion when a low muttering reached his ears, and looking to his left, he could just make out something dark which he knew to be one of the barges anchored almost in mid-stream. the next minute he caught sight of the dim glow of a paper lanthorn, and that was on the prow of another barge close in to the palace landing-place; but the boat still glided on, for the keen, owl-like eyes of adong had seen another of the barges a little ahead. all was wonderfully still, but there was a dull, indescribable murmur in the air which told of sleeping men being near at hand, and a faint, human odour reached harry's nostrils which endorsed the fact. but he had no time for thinking: the movements of the three siamese hunters were so rapid. the next minute they were close up to the last barge seen, and the boat quivered a little as sree made a movement which meant that he had reached over and caught the side. so to speak, the boys listened with all their might, and their ears, made more sensitive by excitement, seemed to magnify sound, and their eyes to have increased power; still the darkness was so intense that they could not see the actions of the men forward and astern. but their sense of feeling had grown so acute that they were conscious of the fore part of the boat rising a little, and then of the hinder portion lifting, each time there being a light quivering and lapping of the water against the sides. "they've got aboard her," thought harry, whose mouth and throat grew dry. "the next thing will be spears indeed, but a shower sent at adong and lahn. then they will leap overboard with a splash, sree will push off, and the two boys will swim to us." _"oh!"_ it was a mental ejaculation, and the boy's thoughts formed this question,-"will they think to swim with the tide, for we shall float up stream?" a faint click as of wood against wood interrupted his musings, and then he started, for phra pinched his leg, the compression of the flesh being painful from the excitement of the giver. harry responded with another pinch, which to his credit was of a much milder form, and then all was still, while the boys waited on the _qui vive_ for what seemed fully five minutes. all was perfectly still, and harry strained his eyes so as to make out sree holding the boat alongside in a position which enabled him to keep it steady, while at the same time he was ready to thrust it right away into comparative, though not perfect, safety, for a well thrown bamboo-hafted spear flies far and with deadly power. "there are none, or they can't find them," thought harry, but the next moment the bamboo shaft of a spear touched his shoulder, the man who handed it being careful to pass the butt end of the weapon first, and quick as lightning the boy received it and laid it down behind him, reaching up his hands again to feel for another, and becoming conscious at the same moment that phra was stooping to lay down one he had received. it was not easy to feel the weapons in the dark, but they felt for and received two each, and then there was a pause, while they listened to the _murmur, murmur_ from one of the other great boats, which sounded as if some one was relating a long story in a low tone. then two more spears were passed down, and two more, it being hard work to lay them alongside the thwarts without making them rattle; and again there was a pause for what seemed to the boys fully ten minutes, before they heard a low, rattling sound, as if several of the bamboo shafts had been laid together against the rail of the barge, and the murmur ceased. harry held up his hands for another spear, but he reached about in vain. there was no response till the murmur recommenced, when there was another rattle, louder than the first, and again the murmur ceased. but now the butts of two spears touched harry in the chest, and he seized and laid them down, finding two more waiting. these he grasped and laid down. then two more, which he also seized, thus taking possession of six in less than a minute; a dull rattling in front telling that phra was as busily employed, though how many he had obtained it was impossible to tell. the murmur of voices began again, but the two men did not make any sign of returning, and the boys waited with beating hearts, but waited in vain. they raised their hands and felt about overhead, but nothing more was handed to them, and the desire was strong upon harry to creep to where sree was holding the boat close against the barge's side, and ask him what he thought; but the feeling that the old hunter was in command, and that the two boys might be only obeying their master's orders, stayed him, and he waited. "here they are," he thought at last, for there was a movement high up on the side of the barge. he raised his hand again, and as he did so he felt a sharp jerk in the sleeve of his jacket and starting back he knew instinctively that the blade of a spear had been sharply thrust down instead of the butt, and had passed through his jacket, grazing his arm, while the jerk he gave held the blade entangled lightly between his arm and side. "what does he mean by that?" thought the boy as he was dragged forward and nearly off his feet, for he had seized the shaft with both hands. he knew the next moment, for there was a loud shout, the sound of a blow; the spear came free, and something heavy and soft drove him backwards, while a sudden jerking of the boat brought phra to his knees. the shouting increased, and was responded to from barge after barge, the alarm having spread; but the boat was rapidly gliding across the river, and, turning at the opposite side, began to descend again at a pretty good rate, while a couple of lanthorns could be seen moving about on the barge they had left, and others were being lit as fast as was possible--slowly enough--on the others. it was still too dark to make out what was taking place in their own boat, but it seemed to harry in the excitement and confusion that only one of the men had dropped in and was rowing forward, while sree was working the after oar, but with danger so near, he dared not even whisper to phra, who was close by. another thing was that he was trying to draw the spear from his left sleeve, in which it was strangely tangled, as if the man who thrust had given it a twist; and, worse still, he had become conscious that his arm and sleeve were wet, a peculiar smarting sensation telling him that he was bleeding freely. "at last!" he said to himself, as he tore out the spear; and then he started, for sree was leaning over him. "adong--lahn?" whispered harry. "both here, sahib. are you hurt?" "i don't know. yes--a little." "put your hand on the place," said sree. harry obeyed, and the next moment a broad band was tightening over it. "now slip your hand away," whispered sree. harry obeyed, and the band was drawn tighter and something wrapped round again and again before it was tied. "don't talk," whispered sree; "they will follow us, and i must row." he went aft, and put out another oar, helping to send the boat more rapidly along; and it was necessary, for before they had gone much farther, the boys could make out that many more lanthorns had been lit, and a couple of barges were beginning to move, one going up stream, the other coming down after them. but the boat was going very fast now, and not many minutes had elapsed before they were abreast of the garden, and sree was guiding the craft towards the landing-place. "are you hurt much?" whispered phra. "a nasty cut, that's all," was the reply. "some one stabbed at me with a spear, and i thought it was only one being handed down. never mind; we've got what we went for. here, what's the matter?" for phra had drawn his breath as if in pain. "nothing much, only that man adong fell down on me and hurt my back against the seat. doesn't matter; soon be better. but you--does it bleed much?" "oh no; it's only like having a big finger cut instead of a little one. i say, do you think they'll find us out here?" "no; they won't think we should hide so close. if they do, we must use the guns." "well, what success?" whispered mr. kenyon. "got the spears, father," said harry, with forced gaiety, "but they heard us at last, and one of the barges is coming after us." "hist!" whispered sree. "all get in now." long before the pursuing barge came abreast the party were all lying snugly beneath the landing-stage, and preparations for defence were made, the english and sree with their guns ready to repel and attack, and the boatmen provided with the keenly-pointed spears. there were breathless moments as the lanthorn-hung barge came steadily along, and every one expected that the crew would turn aside; but there was no check to the rowing, and the fugitives were able to breathe more freely as the lanthorns grew more faint, when the first words said were by phra,--words which sent a thrill of horror through mr. kenyon, for phra said in a hurried, excited manner: "here, doctor, you must see to harry: he is wounded." "only--a scratch," said the lad in a strange voice, and then he fell over sidewise. the shock had been greater than he himself believed, for he had fainted away. chapter xxiv the help seeker doctor cameron satisfied himself that the wound was not bleeding, and a little sprinkling with cold water soon brought the sufferer to, but nothing more could be done till daylight lit up their refuge. meanwhile they waited anxiously, and ready to sell their lives dearly should they be attacked by the returning barge, sree having given his opinion that their pursuers would not go very far. he was quite right, for before half an hour had passed the sound of oars came over the water with what seemed to be a regular throb, which grew more distinct as the minutes passed away. and now, to hide the clean, superior aspect of the boat, three or four of the mats, which had been taken down, were roughly torn and damaged, after which they were hung clumsily from the bamboos overhead, the lower part trailing in the water, so that, in addition to the damaged look they gave the boat, they formed a shelter behind which the party waited, weapon in hand. faint signs of the coming day were visible, and the notes of birds could be heard; but it was still dark enough to help their concealment, for the stars were shining faintly when the barge came in sight and swept by without its occupants noticing the boat in its tiny harbour. but no one stirred till the barge had passed quite out of sight, and then as the daylight rapidly broadened, doctor cameron helped his patient to the stern of the boat, and, with mr. kenyon and phra looking on, drew off the boy's jacket and proceeded to examine the wound. "only a slight, clean cut, hal, my boy," he said, as he tore up a handkerchief for a bandage, and bound the wound. "it bled freely, but the edges are well together, and it will rapidly heal. how was it?" harry explained, watching the doctor the while, as he drew out his pocket-book, took needle and silk from within, and neatly sewed up the end of the bandage. "lucky for you it did not strike you in the chest. there; to-morrow or next day i will put on a little strapping. you need not even carry your arm in a sling." mr. kenyon sighed with relief, and then proceeded with the others to examine the weapons adong and lahn had handed down from the barge before they were heard and had to make their escape. and now it was seen that the pair had done more than merely obtain the spears, for as they rose from the bottom of the boat and stood stooping in the light which streamed clearer and clearer through every opening, they proudly showed that their lingouties, or waistbands, were stuck full, back and front, of the krises or native daggers in their wooden sheaths. "capital!" cried mr. kenyon, and the two men's eyes flashed with pride at the words of praise bestowed upon them. even the doctor looked less sombre, and took eager interest in the process of arming their followers, the krises being handed round, and each man apportioned one of the spears, which were now laid neatly along the thwarts of the boat on either side, ready for use. fortunately there was a sufficiency of food left in the boat to last for a couple of days or more, for it had been well provisioned at starting, so that there was no need to attempt any search for more, and harry drew sree's attention to the fact that the fishing bamboos and lines were still untouched where they had been placed across the bamboo rafters. but it was a day of agony for those who had so much at stake. mr. kenyon refused to look at the ruins of his home, but harry could not resist the temptation to creep out on to the bamboo floor and then crawl a short distance up the garden, keeping well in shelter among the bushes till he could see all that was left of the charming, well-tended home. "and all the beautiful specimens gone!" he sighed. "yes, sir, and all my clothes and treasures in my pantry," said a familiar voice. "you here, mike!" said harry, starting. "yes, sir; the master said i might crawl after you to have a look. oh dear, dear! burnt to ashes! why didn't they build the place of stone instead of wood?" "i don't know, mike. i was too little to have any voice in the matter." "yes, sir, you was, and precious little too; but oh dear, oh dear! i'm a ruined man. think it would be safe to go to the tool shed and get a shovel? i see it ain't burnt." "no; we must not risk being seen. but what do you want to do?" "try and find something among the ashes where my pantry was, sir." "no, you must not go now. what is it you want to search for?" "honour bright, sir? you won't go along with mr. phra and dig for it yourself?" "dig for _it!_ is it likely? what is _it?_" "that little old chinee teapot o' mine as stood on the shelf." "what, that old bit of rubbish, mike! why, both the spout and handle were knocked off." "that's so, sir," said mike, with a queer look; "but the lid was all right." "pooh! i could buy you a better one for--" "no, you couldn't, master harry, because you see there's no chance for spending such money here, so i saved a bit." "saved a bit?" said harry. "yes, sir; there was just a hundred and one silver chinese dollars in that teapot. now do you understand?" "yes, mike, i understand," said the boy sadly. "but never mind; they'll be safe enough till we've got the mastery over these wretches." "don't think they'll all ha' melted away, do you, sir?" "they may have melted, mike, but not away. perhaps they'll have all run down into the shape of the bottom of the teapot; but if they have, the silver will be worth the money." "oh, come, sir; there's some comfort in that. i say, master harry, are we going to have to fight?" "i think we are sure to, mike." "well, i s'pose i am a coward now, sir. i used to be a bit of a dab with my fists when i was your age; not as i was over fond of it; but i've never killed anybody, and i'd rather clean the guns any day than shoot men with 'em. but after hearing all i have, and after seeing what they'll do with spears--for it wasn't that chap's fault that he didn't send that spear through you instead of your arm--and what with the business last night, and the doctor's trouble, and now seeing our house and my pantry turned into just a heap of ashes, it's a bit too much. it makes me want to fight, sir; and if there is any going on, i will." "that's right, mike. you will stand by us then?" "that i will, master harry," said the man, with the tears in his eyes. "i aren't been all i should ha' been as your father's servant, but i am a man, sir, and an englishman, and englishmen must stick together out in foreign parts like this." "they must indeed, mike." "then i'll be close at your back, master harry, wherever you go; and if i gets killed, well, i do, sir, and i leave you all the silver in that old pot." "_phee--ew!_" "quick! let's get back," whispered harry, giving the man a grateful look, and hiding a disposition to laugh; "that was sree whistled. some one must be coming along the river." the warning was repeated softly before they reached the landing-place. "quick, quick!" said mr. kenyon, in a loud whisper, and they had only just time to creep down into the shelter when half a dozen large boats were seen coming up the river, each filled with men, whose spear-points glittered in the sunshine; and once more all crouched in readiness to defend their little stronghold, should the boat attract the attention of the enemy as they passed by. but the boats passed on, following in each other's wake, the occupants being too much taken up by the sounds which suddenly arose from the direction of the palace; for just as the first boat was nearly abreast of the landing-stage the sharp reports of guns told that a fresh attack was being made upon it, the first discharges producing a strange excitement amongst the enemy, who began rowing with all their might, so that they soon passed, but without giving much relief to those who watched, for the firing increased, and it was evident that a desperate attack was going on. then the firing ceased as suddenly as it had begun, leaving the listeners in a frightful state of doubt. for the cessation might just as probably mean that the enemy had forced their way in as that they had been beaten off; and as the silence continued for quite an hour, harry and phra moved so as to be close to the doctor, and then gently take his hand. the sound of firing, when every shot may mean the death of a fellow creature, is a strange reviver of hope--a peculiar comforter; but when at the end of that weary hour the firing began again, both phra and the doctor started up with their faces flushed with eager excitement, and harry felt ready to shout. "they're not beaten," he said proudly. "the king's too strong, and he drives the wretches back every time. why, father, when we get to them to-night, they will all be in such good spirits that it will be dangerous for the enemy to show themselves again." "we must be thinking about our attack, sree," said mr. kenyon, without making any reply to his son's outburst. "i am going as soon as it grows dark, sahib. there is not much to do. a little brown earth to moisten and rub over your hands, arms, and faces." "yes, yes, that is easy enough; anything will do as it is night; even gunpowder could be used. but the garments? it is of them that i was thinking." "the sahibs will have to use those of the common people, and so many are away from their boats that it will not be long before i can get padungs enough. those are all that you will need, and be the best things to hide you; for no one would think that you could be sahibs, dressed like that." the rest of the day went sluggishly by, with total cessations of the firing filling the listeners with despair and hope returning whenever it was resumed. at last, after many alarms from passing boats, the sun sank low, and the question of sending off a message to some english vessel in the port had to be decided for mr. kenyon had pencilled a few lines containing an urgent appeal for help from any captain into whose hands it might fall, begging that he would at once set sail for the nearest port where a british man-of-war might be found--hong-kong or singapore--and lay before the authorities the critical position in which the tiny english colony was placed, and imploring that steps might be at once taken for their rescue. to deliver this note, a trusty messenger was needed, and a boat. and now there was a feeling of bitter regret that the sampan in which adong had followed them up the river had been abandoned from the hour the man came on board as being a useless appendage at such a time of peril. but sree declared that there would be no difficulty in finding one after dark, so part of the trouble was at an end. the question then arose as to who should be the messenger, and sree now proposed adong. he would soon find a boat, sree said, but he thought that some one should accompany him, and that the some one should be sahib harry. "i couldn't go," said harry hastily. "i must stay to help here." "but the young sahib is wounded; and if he took the letter with adong, he would be safe." "i don't want to be safe like that," said harry hastily. "i can't go, father; i must stay with you." "but it is most important that the letter should be placed in some englishman's hands," said mr. kenyon; "and sree is right, my boy; you would be safe." "oh no, father," cried the boy excitedly; "there would be as much risk in sending me there as in letting me stay. i may be of some help here; and, besides, i couldn't go and leave you." mr. kenyon gave way. the paper was rolled up small, a bamboo was cut, and into one of its hollows the paper was thrust, and then the place was plugged so that it was water-tight, in case the messenger had to swim. lastly, armed with a kris in his waist-band, and with one of the spears, adong, who fully appreciated the importance of his mission, proudly took his departure, going off through the garden; for, as sree said, no one was likely to interfere with such a man as he at a time like that. the little party breathed more freely when the man had gone, for it was like the first step towards a rescue; but in a few minutes there was a short, earnest conversation with sree as to how his man would manage. "he will journey down the river till he sees a boat that he can take, and then go on, lying up close to the shore when there is danger, and going on down again towards the sea." this decided, the perilous enterprise of joining with some portion of the attacking force was discussed in what was really a little council of war; and it was determined that sree should assume the character of leader, with phra as his lieutenant, the rest being followers. how and where they were to join the enemy must, it was agreed, depend upon circumstances. the men were eager to a degree, declaring themselves ready to die so that they might save the king; and as soon as it was quite dark the well-armed party quitted their cramping position in the boat to assemble in the forlorn and deserted garden, the boat being well secured, and left as a place of _rendezvous_ in case of fortune being against them, and as a means of escape in dire peril. then sree went away for an hour, and returned, declaring the time had come. in the few words which passed in whispers as they made for the gateway opening on the riverside track leading to the rest of the english bungalows, and beyond that to the palace, it was quite decided that they had nothing to fear in marching boldly onward through the darkness, for their appearance as so many well-armed men going to join in the attack would be quite natural, the second king's army consisting as it did merely of an armed rabble, with which some of the king's half-drilled guards were mixed after they had deserted him in his peril. of all this sree in his efforts to spy out the state of affairs had thoroughly convinced himself; the great danger was that phra or the gentlemen might excite suspicion; but the efforts to disguise them had been most successful, the simplicity of their garb and the coloured skins promising in the darkness and confusion to be enough. then a few words were addressed by the old hunter to the men, and the adventurers moved out of the gateway, and with beating hearts made for the lights whose reflections could be seen above and through the trees. chapter xxv a desperate venture it was an exciting tramp, but those most concerned in the success marched on with such a display of eagerness as sent a thrill of confidence through harry, who, for the first part of their little journey, walked beside phra, the boys talking in whispers about what would probably be done. "it seems very horrid," whispered harry. "why, when we go up to the attack, we shall be longing to stick our spears into the wretches who are about us, and all the time we shall have to seem like friends." "you will not be able to do anything but carry your spear over your shoulder," replied phra. "shan't i? you'll see. my arm doesn't hurt much now; and if we get fighting, i believe that i shall not feel it at all. oh, phra, how i do long to begin! it's the thinking about it all and the waiting that is the worst." "talk in a lower tone," said mr. kenyon in a whisper; "and as soon as we hear the enemy be silent." phra kept by his comrade's side, and twice over, when voices were heard in front, sree halted his party, a low, snake-like hiss being the agreed signal. to the great satisfaction of all, the voices came from a couple of parties, apparently, as far as could be made out in the darkness, similar in numbers to their own, and moving in the direction of the palace. encouraged by this, sree went on more boldly, and they soon found that the very daring of their enterprise would prove their safety, the attacking force being made up of groups all strange to one another, their only bond being that they were bent on the same errand--the destruction of the palace and overthrow of the king's power, with the massacre of the whites. in fact, as during one halt sree told mr. kenyon, it would be quite possible to join on to any party they liked, their presence showing to the strangers that they were on the same side, and consequently, for the time being, friends. "we can go where we like now, sahibs," said sree; "and all you have to do is to keep away from any of the lights." consequently the need for caution was at an end, and, after a short consultation with phra, sree determined to go right round to the back of the palace, where he proposed that they should scale the outer wall, cross the garden, and then make for the inner wall near the elephant house, where the great gates were with their sculptured figures. increasing their pace now, they passed through several groups numbering hundreds; the people, who were non-combatants, gathered in the hope of plunder, giving way at once at the bold advance of the little band of spearmen, and following at a distance for some hundreds of yards before halting, for there in front were the outer walls. before they reached these, as they loomed up in the darkness, the gloom was cut in many directions by flashes of light, and there was once more the loud, sputtering fire of the defenders, who were still safe and keeping their enemies at bay. the firing seemed to inspire the little party with renewed eagerness, and at a word from sree they broke into a trot, following an avenue of palms which led right up to the wall, where there was a little, strongly-made gate. before reaching it, sree called a halt, and there was a short debate. "the enemy must have broken open the gate," phra whispered; "and they are in the gardens." "never mind," said sree; "we must go on and try to get to the great elephant gates." the next minute they found that they were wrong, for the little doorway in the stone wall was fast, but directly after they found that a couple of roughly-made bamboo ladders had been tied and placed against the wall, up one of which sree crept, phra mounting the other, followed by harry, while mr. kenyon and the doctor followed sree. then the first check came. there was a sharp movement, the staves of spears rattled on the other side, and a voice challenged them with the question where they were going. "to help take the palace, of course," said sree sharply. there was a laugh. "over with you, then," said the man who challenged; "but you will not all come back." sree made a show of hesitating. "what, is it a hard fight?" he said. "yes; hundreds have been shot down as fast as they tried to climb the gates. what! are you afraid?" "afraid? no," said sree, seating himself on the top of the wall. the man laughed again, and his laugh was echoed by what sounded like a score of companions. "there, don't shirk it," said the man in command. "you must take your chance, and there'll be plenty of loot for those who are first in." "then why don't you go?" growled sree. "because we're ordered to stop here by our leader. come, over with you." sree hesitated for a moment or two. "they can't see to shoot in the dark," he said; and calling on his party to follow, he hurried down the ladder on the other side, followed by the rest, and receiving an encouraging cheer from the enemy. phra stepped to sree's side and guided the party by the most direct path towards the gates they sought. naturally it was familiar enough to harry, but it seemed strange and terrible as they approached the great bronze gates behind which a little party of their friends had evidently entrenched themselves and kept up a fire whenever a party of the enemy dashed up to thrust with their spears through the open work of the barrier. harry had instant warning of the danger of their position in the bullets which came whistling by, but a word of warning from sree made the new-comers strike off to the left, where they were out of the line of fire; while now the boy made out, more by the murmuring of voices than by the eye, that the rebels, in two strong bodies, had grouped themselves on either side of the opening for safety, and from one or the other of these a little party kept on dashing up to the front, shouting defiance and trying to alarm the defenders in the hope of driving them back, so that the gates might be climbed. this was evidently the principle upon which the attack had been carried on--a desultory, useless plan so long as the defenders stood firm. in fact, there was no discipline, no cohesion in the attacking force, no mutual dependence; merely the hand-to-hand fighting of a barbarous people, and the result could be heard in the many sighs and groans which came from where the wounded had been carried or had dragged themselves out of the line of fire. there was the humming crowd in the darkness just in front, and a few steps would have taken mr. kenyon's party right amongst them; but no one heeded the new-comers, and once more the leaders drew together to consult. "we can do nothing here," whispered phra. "if we were not shot down by our friends, we could not sham dead. look there, we should be seen." for now there was a flash of light, and a blazing mass of fire, somewhat after the fashion of a blue light, came flying over the gate, to fall twenty yards outside, and throw up the swarthy bodies of the enemy like so many dark silhouettes, while a rapid burst of shots told the reason for the light, several men having afforded good aim to the defenders, and half a dozen dropping amidst groans and howls of rage. "yes, it is impossible," whispered mr. kenyon in siamese. "is there no place where we could climb this wall?" there was no reply for some moments, during which the blue light began to burn out, and a man darted forward to trample upon it, but to his cost, for two shots were fired, and in the expiring, pallid glare the man was seen to stagger a few paces and then fall. a roar of rage followed this proof of the defenders' marksmanship, and another rush was made at the gate by the maddened enemy, not in obedience to any order, but every man acting upon his own impulse; and amidst the roar of voices, the clattering of spears against the bronze ornamentation, and the firing of the defenders, sree uttered his low hiss, and led the way with phra away to the left, the latter plunging directly after into a secluded walk close to the wall, where all was completely deserted, and harry felt that if they only had one of the bamboo ladders they had so lately used, it would be perfectly easy to climb up and drop within the palace courts. their evasion was either not heeded, or merely looked upon as part of an attempt to turn the defenders by means of a fresh attack; so the little party crept silently along through the bushes which acted as a blind to this part of the wall, above which a portion of the palace rose. a sudden thought struck harry, and, with his spear sloped back over his shoulder, he pressed on quickly to the front. "phra," he whispered, as he reached his friend, "the big tree." "hist! yes." in another minute they were all halted in the intense darkness close up to the trunk of a huge tree whose boughs spread horizontally in every direction, some overhanging the walls, a place familiar to harry; but as soon as he had realized phra's intent he felt convinced that the defenders would have taken steps to do away with so vulnerable a part of their defence. for here it was quite possible to climb up the dwarfed trunk, crawl along one of the enormous horizontal boughs, and drop down into the open space between the wall and the palace. phra had evidently the same idea; but upon searching round a little, the bushes beneath rustling as he and sree passed here and there, it was evident that no saw had been at work, and in a whisper sree announced that he was going first to show the way. "the bough will bend down at the far end," whispered phra, "and it will not be so far to drop. here, i will go first; i can climb." amidst the almost breathless silence beneath the tree, phra began to mount, and harry whispered that he would come next, just as a fresh burst of firing, which sounded distant, arose. "you cannot climb, sahib," whispered sree; "your arm." "i _will_ climb," whispered back harry. "hold my spear." he passed the weapon to the old hunter, and followed phra right up to the fork, level with the top of the wall; and by that time his comrade had nearly reached the wall, which was a couple of feet below the great bough, when there was a bright flash from a window, the crashing of a bullet through the branches of the tree, and almost simultaneously a loud report. "don't fire--don't fire! friends!" cried mr. kenyon; but before the words had passed his lips there was another report. "who is it?" came now. "kenyon, cameron, and men to help," cried the doctor. "how are we to know that? speak again." "up with you, and over!" cried mr. kenyon angrily. "we shall have the wretches round here directly. quick, boys; get on, and drop!" there was no further opposition; the english was unmistakable, and the two who had been at the window guarding the well-known weak spot, descended from the barricaded window to help the new-comers, welcoming each warmly as he descended. it was close work though, for, hearing the firing, a party of the watchful enemy was attracted to the spot before all were over, the last man and sree--who had stayed to see all in safety before he crossed the natural bridge--having to halt and engage in a sort of duel with spears in the darkness, when from their crippled position in the tree, matters would have gone ill with them but for the diversion made by the defenders, who fired a little volley from the window, which held the enemy in check till sree was safe. "what an escape!" whispered harry, as he caught the old hunter's arm when he dropped into the narrow court. "yes, sahib; they came very near to stopping me from joining you; but there, i'm used to such escapes. it is many times that i have been nearly killed. but now some of us must stop here to keep the enemies of the king away, for where we got over they will try to do the same." it was felt that no better way of defending the spot could be adopted than that already in practice, and the two colonists, after warm congratulations had passed between them and their friends, returned to their position at the window, while phra eagerly led his tiny reinforcement round to the little court by the elephant gates, where the small wing of the palace had been fortified as much as was possible, and was being held by the king. chapter xxvi for life it is needless to try and describe the meeting between doctor cameron and his wife and friends, or that between phra and his father, the king. they were brief enough, and at a time when any moment they might be called upon to take a final farewell, for the state of affairs was very desperate in the palace, whose defenders were getting worn out by the constantly recurring attacks. the coming then of the reinforcement, trifling as it seemed, was hailed with the most intense satisfaction, giving as it did fresh hope to the defenders when they were beginning to despair. for the palace, with its extended walls, was too big for so small a garrison to defend. in all there were not more than sixty people fit to bear arms, forty being the white colonists, the remaining twenty officers and nobles who had remained faithful to the king, and who had proved that they were ready to lay down their lives in his defence and that of the ladies who had been brought into the palace when the revolution first broke out. ten minutes after the reinforcements had reached the group of defenders another attack was made; and now from the interior the boys had a view of the way in which the enemy was made to suffer. for the king had cast aside all his quiet, studious ways, and was fighting side by side with his defenders. it was he who had prepared the light grenades by mixing up certain proportions of nitre, sulphur, and antimony, ramming the powder into small vases, which one or other of the gentlemen lit, and then hurled over the gate, throwing the enemy into confusion and giving the little party of marksmen behind a barricade that had been thrown up, a good opportunity for inflicting loss upon the enemy who were thus time after time kept at bay and disheartened, when a combined attack must have been fatal to the defenders of the palace. and now as the two boys watched the firing, they realized more fully how weak were the defences, and how easily the hundreds upon hundreds of rebels swarming outside might have carried them by a brave attack, when, unless they had been able to make a stand in the wing of the palace, the besieged must have been crushed by weight of numbers. harry had noticed this, inexperienced as he was; but it was further impressed upon him by a whisper from phra, who stood by him, double gun in hand. "if their leader were to make one bold attack, hal, we should be driven inside, and then i'm afraid it would be all over." "there are a good many of them," said harry evasively, "and it doesn't seem nice shooting at people as if they were tigers." "they are tigers," said phra fiercely. "they would kill us all." "then we must treat them as tigers," said harry coolly, "and shoot all we can. look here, the numbers are not so bad as they appear, because one englishman is as good as ten such fighting men as these, to put it modestly; and you and your father and some of these here are half english now; so we're stronger than we seem. i say, i don't feel as if i want to know, it's so horrible; but i feel as if i ought to." "to know what?" "when the wretches burned the bungalow, did they--" "look out!" panted phra; "they're coming on to break down the gates." phra was right, for by the light of the paper lanthorns, swinging on high at the tops of spears, a dense crowd of the enemy could be dimly seen surging up towards the opening with a dull, hoarse roar; and a sharp order or two was given by some one who seemed to be in command. there was an order too given on the defenders' side, and as the foe reached the gates and planted rough ladders there to climb up--this being the first time they had been so daring in their attack, those before having been confined to thrusting and throwing spears--a single shot rang out, and then another. these were followed by a volley from about a dozen pieces, but the assailants were not checked. several fell, but the others came on desperately, and in obedience to a word from sree the spearmen just brought in marched forward to stand close behind the people firing, and about a dozen more drawn up by the palace joined them. _crash!_ another volley, the bullets for the most part passing through the open work of the gates; but still the enemy swarmed on. just then a dark figure ran back to where the boys stood, gun in hand, ready to fire. "hal! phra!" was whispered hoarsely; "if they get through and we are driven back, don't wait to resist, but rush into one of the rooms at once and fire through the open windows. we are all going to retreat there." "where is my father?" whispered phra excitedly. "i don't know; i have not seen him for the last few minutes." "ah! here he comes," cried phra. "stand away, boy!" cried the king excitedly, as he ran down the steps from the palace entrance, bearing something in each hand spitting and sparkling like a firework. phra gave way at his father's command, but rushed after him to be ready to defend him from injury; and, as if from a natural instinct, harry followed to defend his comrade, till they saw the king stop in front of the gates, over which many of the enemy were climbing, some to reach the ground unhurt, others to fall, shot down. as the king stopped there seemed to be a sea of fire about his head, as he whirled one of the sparkling objects round; then it passed from his hand, formed a tiny arc as it flew over the gate, and fell amongst the crowd beyond. another volley was fired now; but hardly had the flashes of the pieces darted from the muzzles of the guns before the second fuze, sparkling brightly, flew from the king's hand, forming another arc of scintillating light as it cleared the gates and would have fallen twenty feet or so beyond, but ere it reached the ground there was a blinding flash, a tremendous concussion, which drove the boys back, and a terrific roar. for a few moments there was dead silence, and then from the spot where the first missile had fallen, apparently without effect, there was another roar, followed by a rush of feet, cries, and groans, while from within there were fierce yells and warlike shouts, mingled with the clashing of spears, as about twenty of the enemy, who had succeeded in getting over, made a rush. they were met, though, by the spearmen who had formed up to defend the firing party, and a desperate conflict ensued, not a man surviving the fierce defenders now freshly come upon the scene. a few groans, and the scuffling sound of men on the other side of the gate crawling or being helped away, was now all that could be heard save the peculiar murmur and tramp of the huge crowd of retiring men, startled and checked for the time being by the new weapons of defence which they had encountered for the first time. it was a respite, and after leaving a sufficient guard at the gate and others on the wall, to give warning of another advance, the defenders crowded up to the terrace steps, all talking together and congratulating the king on what he had done. "go in, half of you at a time, gentlemen, and eat and drink. this has only checked them for the present." "oh, they won't come back to-night, sir, surely?" cried a voice harry knew to be the doctor's, though it seemed strangely altered, so full was it of exultation now. "but what were they--shells?" "only a couple of canisters of powder," replied the king. "it was a thought i had. i made a hole in each, and thrust in a roll of touch-paper." "but, my dear sir, suppose they had exploded before they left your hands?" cried the doctor excitedly. "ah, then," said the king quietly, "then, doctor--yes, it would have been bad. i'm afraid i should have been beyond your power to cure. but you must be worn out, doctor," he added; "pray go in and get some refreshments. you will find the ladies have everything ready in the lower room." "thanks, sir, no," said the doctor abruptly; "my mind's at rest now, and i want to work. where are the wounded being placed?" "in my son's rooms, doctor. thank you. you are right; but make some one bring you coffee and whatever you require." "oh, yes, sir, i'll take care," cried the doctor, and he hurried in, while the king turned to mr. kenyon. "ah, now i can speak with you, my friend," he said. "no, no, my boys, you need not go," he added, as phra and harry were drawing back. "it is sad work for you, but it is forced upon me. now, kenyon, you are fresh, and i want your advice; you know how difficult a place this is to defend. what do you say? ought we not to retire into this part of the palace now and defend ourselves from there? i have had every window boarded up; we have plenty of ammunition, and the place is well provisioned. there is water too. what do you think?" "i am not a soldier, sir," said mr. kenyon gravely. "no, but you are my friend, and it is a relief to hear your voice. speak." "i may say things that you, sir, would not like." "they will be the words of the man i have known and trusted these many years," said the king--"the man i trust to be a second father to my boy here if i fall." "then for his sake, sir, i should say--i do not know that i am right, but i speak as i think at the moment--would it not be better to seize the opportunity of retreating now that the enemy have been checked for the present?" "no, kenyon," said the king firmly; "i have thought of that, but everything is against it. i dislike this bloodshed, though the men who fall are my cruel enemies who are thirsting for our blood; but i am king here, and when i die, my son must be king in my place. i have done nothing but good for my people, and because they have been raised against me by treacherous foes, i will not be coward enough to go." "your situation is desperate, sir, and there are all my friends here, who, trusting to my advice and to your promises, are now in terrible peril." "it is that, kenyon, which makes me firmer and more determined to stay. think, my friend; suppose i say we will retreat. there is the jungle, into which we must take the delicate women. there are elephants enough to bear them all. what about food, and how could we defend them there? we should all be killed." "yes," said mr. kenyon; "but the river?" "the enemy is master there, and has all the boats. but even if we had two, we should be at a terrible disadvantage, and could only try to reach some foreign ship. but they would beat us there. no, we want strong walls to fight behind." "you are right, sir," said mr. kenyon; "but i would not retreat inside after what has taken place to-night." "we are wearied out with fighting," said the king sadly. "but the enemy is dispirited to-night, and i venture to think that they will not attack again till morning. better let us who have come freshly try to strengthen the defences by the gate." "nothing can be done there; better strengthen this part of the palace. there are weak places yet." "very well, sir; we will do that; and to-night we will watch while you and the others rest. it seems to me too that the powder canisters produced more effect than the firing of all our friends. why should we not make a mine?" "a mine? i do not understand." "a hollow somewhere in front of the gate, say a dozen yards away; charge it with a small keg of powder, and i think i can contrive a plan for firing it by means of a wire laid underground. the keg, too, will be covered, and the enemy will not know. it would produce a terrible effect when they crowded up to the next attack. the idea is horrible, but it is in defence of all." "it would be ten times as horrible for us to fall, and the poor women to be brutally massacred by these mad wretches. can you do this, kenyon?" "i can, sir. i will do it in two places, so that if one fails the other will be sure." "hah!" ejaculated the king. "kenyon, old friend, you make me feel strong again, and as if you and the boys have brought me hope in my hour of despair." chapter xxvii the powder mine "had a good sleep, hal?" harry sat up with a sudden start from the cushioned seat upon which he had been lying in the open hall of the king's palace, to find the doctor grimly smiling down. his second glance was at a great, grotesque, bronze figure looming up over him, and his third at phra, who was lying on his back with his lips apart, sleeping heavily. "have--have i been asleep?" he stammered. "fast as a top, boy." "but--but i thought we were in the boat up in the jungle, and--" "we're here in the palace instead. how's your arm?" "my arm?" said harry wonderingly; "i don't know." "not very bad, then, old fellow." "oh, i recollect now. here, i'd no business to go to sleep. i ought to have been watching." "no, you ought not; the king told me that he had sent you boys to lie down." "yes, of course, he did," said the lad excitedly; "but oh, what a shame for us to be sleeping here at such a time! i say, has there been any more fighting?" "not a bit. the ruffians were sickened by those two boxes of powder they had." "oh, i am glad. but i say, doctor cameron, how is your wife?" "quite well, hal. she has gone to lie down for a good sleep." "what, has she been up all night?" "yes, helping me with the wounded." "oh, what a good woman she is!" cried harry enthusiastically. "right, hal," cried the doctor merrily. "bless her! she is." "and i do feel such a lazy pig! you two hard at work all night, and i've been snoring here like old phra." "so as to be ready to work hard to-day. it's all right, my boy." "i say, doctor, you do look well and jolly to-day; any one would think we were not in trouble," said harry gravely. "trouble, boy? i feel as if there was no trouble in the world." "yes, i understand," said harry slowly. "you must feel relieved to have got back to mrs. cameron and found her safe and well. but i say, do you think we can beat these wretches off?" "think? no. we are going to do it, my lad." "so we are," cried harry. "here, let's wake up old lazy-bones." boys will be boys, thanks to the grand elasticity of their nature. over night harry had felt like a serious man, but the night's rest and the doctor's hopeful words made him feel as full of light-heartedness as if there were not an enemy within a thousand miles. catching up the first thing near, a peacock's feather from a huge bunch in a massive bronze vase, he went behind phra's head and gently inserted the quill end between the sleeper's lips. there was no response, so the act was repeated, and phra's teeth closed with a snap on the quill, which harry released. then the boy's eyes opened, and he lay staring at the waving plume standing straight up above him, raised his hand, took hold of it, and gave it a tug, but it was fast. he gave it another tug, discovered that it was held in his teeth, and sat up facing the doctor. "did you do that?" he cried. "i? no." "then it was one of hal's childish games. oh, there you are! here: have i been asleep? yes, father told me to lie down. oh, tell me, has the enemy come on again?" "no, it's all right, old chap. i say, aren't you hungry?" "hungry? no. where is my father. doctor?" "i don't know; he was with me just now, looking at the wounded." the colour came a little in harry's cheeks, for the thought struck him that he had not asked after his own father. "how are the wounded, doctor?" said phra. "all doing well, my dear boy. now then, shall i prescribe for you two?" "no, no; we don't want anything," cried the boys in a breath. "yes, you do, both of you--washing. go and tidy yourselves up, and by that time there will be a regular comfortable breakfast ready. the ladies and mike have been busy this hour past. if we are to fight, we must eat." the doctor walked away, and phra turned to harry. "if we get over this trouble, hal," he said solemnly, "i'll punch your head for playing me that stupid trick." "do, old chap--if you can," cried the boy; "but i say, is my face dirty?" "horribly. is mine?" "well," said harry, frowning and looking very serious, "one could hardly call it dirty, but there's a black smudge across one cheek, and a dab on your forehead, and three black finger marks on your nose." "nonsense!" "quite true, old chap. you must have been painting your face with your gunpowdery fingers." "come to my bedroom then, and let's have a good wash." harry followed willingly, for he felt as if the operation would be delightful, and the next minute they were in the young prince's thoroughly english-looking bedroom, though it did not look at its best, for the curtains had been dragged aside, heavy boards nailed across the lower part of the window like a breastwork, and a couple of stout mattresses fixed up within the boards to make them less vulnerable to bullet or spear. but the rest of the room was as it should be, and a quarter of an hour was pleasantly spent with soap, water, towels, and brushes. "hah!" ejaculated harry at last; "that was a treat; but i should have liked a regular bath." "let's whip the rebels first," said phra, who looked bright and refreshed. "come and have breakfast." he led the way to the handsome saloon where the table was spread, and mike was busy arranging a few things and looking clean and smart--even to being fresh shaved--as if nothing were wrong. but the boys only glanced at him, and were directly after being warmly greeted by plenty of familiar friends. for about half the white defenders were gathered there, while the other half were on guard keeping careful watch. there was not a single enemy to be seen, though sree and two men who had been scouting at daybreak had returned to announce that there were a great many of the rebels in hiding among the bushes and trees just beyond the outer wall, especially outside the grounds, as if to take care that no one should escape from the palace, where they were hemmed in. a minute later the king came in with about half a dozen of the faithful officials, mr. kenyon, and the doctor. his majesty smilingly greeted all his white friends, and crossed then to the boys, with whom he shook hands warmly, after which the excellent breakfast was discussed, during which the king turned to mr. kenyon. "we could not fare like this, my friend," he said, "if we took to the jungle or a boat." "no, sir, no," replied mr. kenyon quickly. "i spoke last night on the impulse of the moment, but i have since thought that my idea was impracticable. i've been all about this wing of the palace too this morning, and i feel satisfied that we can hold it as long as we like if we do a little more to the defences. i'll talk with you, though, after breakfast." the change from the hopeless despair of the past night was strange, and before long the two boys began to long for an opportunity to leave the table, for the disposition among their friends whom they had rejoined seemed to be one of crediting them with completely altering the state of affairs and making them the heroes of the hour. at last the opportunity came, for the king rose, and those who had breakfasted hurried away to take the places of the guard. "let's slip out this way," said harry, "or we shall meet the others as they come in, and i'm sick of it. such rubbish! why, it was all father, sree, and you." "old sree deserves pretty well all the credit," agreed phra. "let's go and see where he is." they soon found him and lahn on their way back from the gate, and hurried them in to where mike had a second breakfast waiting, the old hunter smiling with content at the genuine eagerness the two lads displayed in regard to his comfort. but before they had been there long mike hurried in from attending on the second party at the king's table, to see that his native friends, as he called them, were all right. "of course we shall beat the enemy, master harry," he said; "but i had a look out from the top of the palace as soon as the sun rose, and you could see hundreds of thousands of them down by the river." "millions, mike," cried harry. "ah, you may laugh, sir, but there's an awful lot. seems too many for us to beat, but we've got to do it, i suppose." "yes," said sree, smiling, "we have got to beat them; but they will not come on all at once." "how many shots did you fire last night, mike?" said harry banteringly. "i didn't count, sir," said the man quietly; "you see, i got so excited. didn't feel half so scared as i thought i should. hands trembled a bit first time i pulled the trigger, but they didn't afterwards. i suppose i was too busy." "didn't you count your cartridges?" "no, sir. i took a belt full, and some in my pockets." "and how many did you bring back?" asked phra. "none at all, sir." "michael was between lahn and the sahibs," said sree quietly, "and i hope he will fight by our sides the next time the enemy come on. i like to be fighting with a brave englishman at my side." "yes, sir; coming, sir," cried mike, and he ran out of the room, with a very red face. "did any one call?" said phra. "no, it was his gammon, so as to get away," said harry. "i say, sree, no nonsense. old mike didn't fight like that, did he?" "oh, yes, sahib; no one could have been more brave and cool. i did not expect it. i always thought he was what you english people call a coward." "i say, phra, what a shame to laugh at him like that!" "yes, but you began it." "oh, that i didn't," cried harry. "never mind, we'll go halves; i'll take my share of the blame." "are you lads in there?" cried mr. kenyon. "yes, father," cried harry. "you may as well come with me. ah, sree, meet me in half an hour's time by the great gates; bring the men who came with us, and we shall want spears." "yes, sahib," said sree, rising. "no, no; finish your meal first, my man. there is plenty of time." the king, with several of his followers, was in the great hall; and after mr. kenyon had gone round with the party to the several windows to see what more could be done by way of strengthening them and making more loop-holes for firing from, they were led to the vault-like arrangement beneath, where, dimly lit by slits in the thick wall, the ammunition stored up lay ready to hand. everything was in good order, and in addition to chests of cartridges--an ample supply--there were two perfectly new stands of rifles, with bayonets attached, while the other end was stacked with provisions, barrels of flour, boxes of biscuits, chests of tea, and bags of coffee and sugar--an ample store, the water supply being furnished from a spigot fitted to a bamboo pipe connected with a reservoir right away in the higher part of the grounds. two small kegs of gunpowder were carried up into the hall, mr. kenyon taking up one and the king the other; but in an instant harry had relieved his father of his load, and phra had taken the king's. these being placed ready by the door opening on to the steps, the party, at mr. kenyon's request, ascended to the roof, where harry's father explained his wishes; namely, that an ample supply of food, water, and ammunition should be brought up there ready for use, if at the last they were driven from the ground floor to the rooms above, and from there to taking refuge on the top, each floor forming a stronghold. "and if it comes to the worst, kenyon," said the king gravely-"if it comes to the worst, sir," replied mr. kenyon solemnly, "we must not let ourselves and those we love fall into the hands of these wretches." "no," said the king, with his eyes flashing. "what would you do?" "i propose, sir," said mr. kenyon, "that a sufficiency of the powder be placed ready below, and with that i shall make an arrangement through which, on the firing of a gun by means of a wire brought up here, the place can be blown up, and our enemies perish with us." "yes," said the king. "good." harry and phra exchanged glances, and then they shuddered. sree was waiting with the men when they descended to the terrace, where, refreshed by their meal, the second party had assembled, ready for anything that might happen that day; eager also to see what mr. kenyon and the doctor would suggest. the first thing done was to send scouts once more to try and find out whether an advance was being prepared. while they were absent, mr. kenyon, after explaining to the king his plans, asked for the gates to be opened, so that he and his men could pass out with an advance guard of about twenty, to screen as well as protect them while the mine was prepared. the distance was so short that there was no scruple about the gates being unclosed, though both harry and phra looked upon the posting of the guard across the pathway outside the defences as being like a defiance and invitation to the enemy in one, and harry told his father their thoughts. "exactly what i thought myself, hal, but it must be done; and what i hope they will think is that we have become emboldened by the defeat we gave them last night, and have advanced to meet them in fair fight outside." "they will be watching, of course," said phra. "yes, and that is why i have placed the men to cover us. no more words. now to get the mines made as quickly as possible." there was this difficulty in making the mines: to be effective, it was necessary that they should be as near the gates as possible, for there the greater part of the enemy would crowd to the attack; but if they were too close, they might blow down the defences and inflict injury upon their friends; while if they were too far off, they would be ineffective from the attacking party being few. the only thing to be done was to choose the medium way, and the men were set to work to dig two small, deep holes, each capable of holding one of the powder kegs, and in each case the head was taken out before it was laid upon its side. but previously a narrow trench of about a foot in depth was dug, leading from the head of the cask right in through the gates. this finished, stout matting was laid over the keg and a loaded gun placed in the trench, already cocked, so that when the trigger was pulled by means of a wire, the flash from the gun would explode the powder. then the wire was run through a number of large bamboos such as were used--after boring through the divisions--for water, and these were laid along the trench and through the gateway. the result of this was that when the wire was pulled it would run easily and not be checked by the earth with which the trench was again to be filled, so that, the wire being attached to the trigger of the gun, the mine could be sprung in safety by those within the gates. the preparations took some time, the arrangement of the bamboos causing a good deal of trouble. but all this was satisfactorily overcome at last, the trenches filled and trampled down so as not to betray the danger; the kegs were covered in as well, the ground levelled, and dust and stones thrown over. nothing remained to be done but to attach the wires to the triggers, lay boards over the guns from beneath the matting which covered the powder to the bamboos, and then fill in and level over the boards. "who is going to do this, father?" said harry, who had stood by looking on all through. "do what?" "fasten the wires to the triggers." "i am, my boy," said mr. kenyon, through his teeth. "but suppose the guns went off?" "i am going to provide against that," said mr. kenyon firmly, and he ordered the men who formed the screen and guard to advance fifty paces towards the enemy and away from the mines. "but it will be very dangerous, father." "very, hal; and i want careful guard to be kept over the ends of the wires within the gates, so that they shall not be touched. you and phra had better take that duty." "no, don't send me to do that, father," said harry in rather a husky tone of voice. "i want to stay and help you." "no one can help me, hal; no one can do this but myself." "but, father," whispered the boy, in agonized tones, "suppose--" "i will suppose nothing, hal," said mr. kenyon sternly. "it is very dangerous work, and i dare trust no one but myself. now obey me, and remember that my life is in you boys' hands. no one must touch the end of those wires. phra, you hear?" "yes, mr. kenyon, but i feel like hal. we don't like to leave you." "i am going to help the sahib," said sree quietly from where he stood, spade in hand. "no, sree; the task is too dangerous. go with my son." "the sahib will want help to fill in the earth over the boards; there is much to do, and his servant begs that he may share the danger with the sahib." "you know the risk." "yes, sahib," said the man calmly. "then stay." "hah!" ejaculated the old hunter, in a sigh of satisfaction, and he smiled as mr. kenyon held out his hand and took his follower's in a strong grip. then turning to the men who had helped with the digging: "follow my son and the prince inside.--now, hal, you know your task." "yes, father," said harry, with his brow all in wrinkles and his teeth set; and, leading the way, his first act was to order every one back from the ends of the wires, which he made the men protect by building a ring of big stones around them--stones which had been used to form the breastwork from behind which the defenders had fired. as he looked up from this he saw that his father was waiting and watching; and now seeing that all was ready, he waved his hand to the boys and went down on one knee, sree standing close by with one foot resting upon his spade. "why is he left alone, phra?" asked a familiar voice, for the king had come up to the breastwork to see how matters were progressing. phra explained, but in the midst harry interrupted: "it is horribly dangerous, sir, and my father told us to keep every one back in case the powder exploded." "then why do you stand there with my son in such peril, boy?" "because i can't leave my father," said harry, in a choking voice. "then you, phra?" said the king. "i cannot leave my friend," said phra hoarsely. "i forgot," said the king quietly; "and you both have your duty to do in guarding the ends of those wires. hal, boy, your father is a brave man, and he is doing this to save my kingdom to me and our lives for us all. i too, phra, my son, feel that i cannot leave my friend." as he finished speaking he turned and walked slowly towards where mr. kenyon was still kneeling over his dangerous task; and as the king reached the place it was just as the wire had been successfully looped over the trigger and tied so that it could not slip, when mr. kenyon covered his work with a board whose sides rested on two ledges left for the purpose high above the gun. "fill in, sree," he said quietly.--"you here, sir? go back! go back! i cannot answer for this. the slightest touch, and the powder will explode." "you order me, kenyon, your friend. i, the king, command you. go on; finish the other now." "but the danger, sir," said mr. kenyon, upon whose brow the moisture stood in great drops. "i will share it with you," said the king calmly. "go on." mr. kenyon seized another spade, and helped in the covering in and levelling of the short piece of trench, while those who watched from the gate were in expectation moment by moment of seeing the earth rent asunder and the three standing before them torn to fragments by the explosion. they were horrible moments, and the two boys could hardly breathe, while their hearts kept up a painful throb, as if unable to fight against the heavy pressure which kept them down. the time seemed, too, so very long, as mr. kenyon once more went down upon his left knee and carefully passed the second wire loop over the trigger of the other gun, tied it there with fingers that did not tremble in the least, and then took the board, laid it carefully upon the ledges, and rose to help sree to throw in the earth and stones. the king had followed them there as well, and stood with his arms folded across his chest, looking proud and defiant--more like a king, harry thought, than he had ever appeared when upon state occasions he had mounted one of his elephants, a blaze of cloth of gold and jewels, to take his seat in a howdah which was a resplendent throne. "at last!" said harry, speaking unconsciously, for the heroic deed was done; but there was no triumph in the boy's tones, his voice sounded like a groan; and upon turning to glance at phra he was startled for the moment, his comrade's face and lips were so clayey looking and strange. sree had shouldered the tools, and at an order walked slowly back, the king and mr. kenyon coming next, the former with his hand resting upon his english friend's shoulder; and as they reached the gateway the boys were startled by the rush of feet behind them. the sounds brought them back to the duty they were set, and darting before the wires, they raised their guns to the "ready," and shouted, "back!" the sudden movement of the two lads had an instant effect upon the body of armed men, who for days past had been as it were under military rule. they stopped short, but only to raise gun, spear, or cap high above their heads and burst forth into a stentorian cheer, which was echoed by the little body of men fifty yards on the other side of the deadly mines. as his brave defenders cheered again the king bowed, and with a quick movement fell back behind mr. kenyon, seeming to thrust him forward to receive the acclamations which rent the air again and again. then as they passed in amongst the defenders, with mr. kenyon's face showing in its marble sternness the tremendous emotion through which he had passed, harry reached out one hand and touched his arm, to have it grasped and wrung before he went on with the king towards the terrace entrance. "oh, hal," panted phra half hysterically, "don't you feel proud?" "proud?" cried harry wildly. "oh, i wish we were not obliged to stay here. ah!" he half yelled; "there he is! i must do something. hi! everybody," he yelped, "three cheers for old sree." the cheers were given again and again, and when at a sign the guards outside marched back in two parties, single file, one on each side of the mines, the cheering burst forth again, and was kept up till the last man was within, a final roar being given when the gates were shut to and firmly secured. "beaten, phra?" cried harry excitedly, but with something in his throat; "who's going to be beaten? here, i say, if we were free, do you know what we'd do?" "i should like to go and shut myself in my room and cry," said phra simply. "cry?" said harry, turning angrily upon his comrade; "cry? what, like a great, silly goose of a girl?" "yes," said phra gravely; "that's how i feel." "cry?" said harry again. "bah! i feel as if i want to shout." "but your eyes look quite wet, and there's a cracked sound in your voice." "it's with shouting so, and the sun being in one's face." "yes," said phra, with a wistful look and a smile. "i know, hal. but what should we do if we were free?" "go and hoist the flags on the top of the palace." "yes," cried phra eagerly, "we will, and the british colours too." the boys were relieved in an hour's time, when mr. kenyon came out with the king to superintend a piece of strong breastwork being built up round the spot where the two wires lay; and when this was done, fresh guards were set. soon after, another cheer arose from the top of the palace, to be taken up by those in the court below and wherever the defenders were distributed, for the boys had kept their word and hoisted the king's gay, silken standard and the union jack side by side. "it seems as if we've frightened the enemy all away, phra," said harry, as he shaded his eyes and gazed from his point of vantage in every direction. "yes," said phra, who was following his example; "there isn't one to be seen." "hurrah!" shouted harry. "but it's a bad sign," said phra; "they mean to come on again quietly to-night." "then they'll never see where the ground has been dug," said harry, "and--oh, i say, phra, i hope they will not come; it seems so horrid, after all." "but if it's to save our fathers and our friends from a horrible death, i'll pull one of the wires." "yes," cried harry, flushing, and with sparkling eyes, "and so will i. but i hope they'll stay away." "amen," said a voice behind them. mr. kenyon had come up with the king, each telescope in hand, and unobserved. chapter xxviii saving the stores there was no sign to be made out of anything in the shape of immediate danger from the top of the palace, and the party soon descended to some of the more immediate trouble. for there were the wounded to visit and to try to cheer, encouraging them with hopeful words about the future, mr. kenyon laying a good deal of stress upon the possibilities of help coming ere long from outside as the result of his message sent by adong; and as harry went through the room turned into a hospital, he could not help noticing the effect of his father's words, and the way in which the sufferers' eyes brightened at the very mention of a british man-o'-war. then there was another matter to set right. there was an ample supply of provisions in the palace stores, so long as they were not forced by the enemy to keep merely to the one wing; and even if they were, the king had seen that there was a fortnight's provender for all; but there was another little party shut up with them for whom provision had been made, but whose proceedings were so wholesale that it was evident something must be done. a little council of war was held, the king being careful not to wound the susceptibilities of his english friends by taking any steps without consulting them. and as the matter in question was discussed he said,-"i took care to keep the elephants, thinking that possibly we might have to escape to the jungle, when they would be invaluable for the ladies; but on further consideration it seems that they are only a useless encumbrance to us. they eat enormously, and to-morrow we should have to let them commence upon the stores of grain which we may require for ourselves." "and you propose now, sir, to set them at liberty to shift for themselves?" said one of the gentlemen present. "yes, they would get their own living in the jungle, and in happier days to come, perhaps, they might be caught again." "it is a pity," said mr. kenyon. "let me see; there are ten, and all magnificent beasts." "eleven," said harry promptly. "yes--eleven," said the king; "and they are the finest that the wild droves supplied. i think we must let them go at once." "yes," said mr. kenyon, "and perhaps it is only hastening the loss, for if the enemy gain possession of the grounds and outer court, of course we lose them then." "yes, they had better go at once," said the king with a sigh, which was echoed by his son, while harry directed an angry look at his father. "what does that mean, hal?" said mr. kenyon. "i'd sooner go without half my food every day than the elephants should be given up," cried the boy impetuously, "and so would phra." "i believe you," said the king, smiling; "but even the whole of your daily food would not go far with one of the beasts. they might be turned into the grounds between the river and the outer wall, but it would only be for them to destroy and starve. they must be set at liberty at once while there is an opportunity. the great gate in the outer wall near the river must be opened. mr. kenyon, send men in advance to see if the enemy are away from that part too, and then, with a strong party to guard against surprise, we can have them led out, and the gates re-closed." scouts were sent at once, and a strong guard numbered off, while, as the mahouts had fled with the rest, the task of leading the elephants from their great stables was deputed to sree and his man, lahn, and in spite of their sorrow at the magnificent troop being sent off to resume their wild state, the two boys eagerly seized upon the event as a fresh diversion from the troubles by which they were surrounded. harry was all excitement directly. "never mind, old chap," he cried; "let the poor beggars go. it's bad enough to feel hungry for any one my size. as for an elephant who eats so much, it must be quite awful." "i don't like sul to go," said phra. "i don't either, but cheer up; we shall soon whop the enemy, and make prisoners of mr. number two and the leaders of the riot, and have a good day settling up this little trouble; and then we'll get old sree and his two boys, and have days and days of elephant catching. oh, the row will soon be over now." phra sighed, but he knew the necessities of the case, and joined in the business heart and soul. sree was as ready to perform this duty as to dig and charge mines, and as soon as the guard was ready, and the scouts had returned to announce that the coast was quite clear, a party went to the elephant stables, where sree and lahn went busily to work cutting off the shackles from the great beasts' hind legs, where they stood shaking their heads, waving their trunks, and trumpeting in an uneasy way which announced their desire for more food; while as soon as they were all free, sree and the boys went to sul's head, the great beast was ordered to kneel, a ladder brought, and the hunter climbed into the mahout's place. then at a word the great animal rose and started off, with the others following in a docile fashion, which seemed to suggest that they comprehended what was going on. harry had provided himself for the occasion, and when the little procession started, he and phra placed themselves on either side of the great leader's head feeding him with biscuits, his trunk being turned alternately from one lad to the other in search of their offerings as he shuffled away, blinking his eyes and uttering a low "chuntering" sound, as if talking all the time. "he's asking if we're going out after tigers," said harry, laughing. "not he," said phra; "he knows he's going off for a run in the forest, and the others know it too." "nonsense!" "i don't care: they do," said phra. "if they didn't they'd be rushing about here and there to begin breaking off and eating the green boughs." the first gate was passed, leading from the court into the outer grounds, and almost in silence the great beasts shuffled along in single file, treading with absurd exactness in each other's steps, while the guard on being overtaken, trotted on in advance till the outer wall was reached, with a couple of men perched on the top of the ponderous gates keeping a look-out. at a word from sree the great elephant he rode stopped and knelt, extending his trunk for a foothold, so that his temporary mahout could climb down. meanwhile four men of the guard had leaned their spears against the wall, raised and swung round the massive bars, and then after a great deal of tugging managed to drag open one of the double gates, beyond which lay open paddy fields, and on the other side the wild jungle, the river being away to their right. "good-bye, sul," cried harry, and the elephant turned his trunk for another biscuit. "there you are--the last, perhaps, that i shall ever give you." the elephant turned his trunk under and tucked the biscuit into his huge, wet mouth, then extended his flexible proboscis for more. but there were no more, and the silent, visible request to phra made in turn was just as unsuccessful. "there, sree," cried phra huskily, "tell them to go." sree took a step forward and repeated a few words in his native tongue, with the result that sul threw up his trunk and made a peculiar noise, which was responded to by one of the elephants behind, and then he went off with a rush, squealing, trumpeting, and setting up his comical little tail; and the troop followed suit, getting over the ground at a tremendous pace and making straight for the jungle. "well, it has made them happy," said harry, looking after the troop wistfully. "yes, they're glad enough to get away from the poor wretches doomed to be killed," said phra bitterly. "doomed to be smothered!" cried harry sharply. "what nonsense! look at them. just like a lot of children let out for a run." "we shall never see old sul again," sighed phra. "not if we stand here like this," replied harry. "do you see why the elephants rushed off so quickly just now?" "no. they are glad of their liberty, perhaps, and the chance of getting plenty to eat." "no; they smelt danger." "danger? where?" "out yonder to the left. i caught a glimpse of the tops of spears twinkling in the sun." "where? i can see nothing." "because you are not looking the right way. over there, where there must be a deep ditch between two of the rice fields. yes, there's a long line of twinkling spear tops. they've seen the place opened and the elephants let out, and they're trying to sneak up along that dyke and rush in before we can shut the gate." "yes, quick, quick!" cried sree; and setting the example, which half a dozen followed, amongst them the gate was being pushed to, harry getting a farewell glance at the troop of elephants as they disappeared through the edge of the jungle. those who closed the gate were none too soon, for, unseen, another party had crept up close to the now unwatched wall, the scouts having descended as soon as the guard arrived; and just as the distance between the two great leaves of the gates was being reduced to a mere slit, a spear was thrust through. then _crack, crack_, the edge of the gate caught it and snapped the bamboo shaft in two, the bright, sharp head falling inside. "more help!" shouted sree, for there was a rush of men to force the gate open again; but the defenders being reinforced, the leaves were held together till one of the huge bars was thrust into its place, and a savage yelling ensued, followed by a little shower of spears which had been darted nearly straight upward and fell amongst the defenders. the weapons of these latter were too valuable to be used in this manner; but while the final efforts were being made to secure the ponderous means of exit, two of the men pulled the quivering shafts out of the ground, and sent them flying back in the same way, repeating the act till a sharp cry from outside told that one of the attacking party had been hurt. "better run back, sahibs," said sree now, as the babble of voices outside increased suddenly, telling that the party which had been detected creeping along the dyke had now joined those who came by the wall. "yes, there's nothing to be gained by staying here," said phra. "we couldn't keep them back if they had ladders to climb over." just then there was a shot from the direction of the palace, and the puff of smoke showed where it had been fired. "fighting begun?" cried harry. "no," said phra; "a signal for us to run back. come on." phra was right, for their proceedings had been watched from the top of the palace by means of a glass, and hence as soon as the gate had been seen to be secure the signal was fired to call them back. they were met by mr. kenyon, glass in hand, as they ran up. "i was watching you from the top there," he said. "didn't you see the spears as the men came along the ditch?" asked phra. "no, or i should have sent help at once. of course i could not detect the men coming up under shelter of the wall. well, we have done two good things to-day: got rid of those devourers of our stores, and found out that the enemy are hiding about the country beyond the walls." "think they are on this side too, father?" asked harry. "i feel sure they are, my boy. they lie all along a loop whose two ends rest on the river's bank, while their boats guard the terrace and landing-place as well. this means fresh attacks as soon as they have recovered from the check they have just received." "but why don't they attack us from some other side--come over the walls?" said harry. "it does not seem to be their way. yonder is the main way into the palace, and they commenced by attacking there; but perhaps they will try fresh plans now. i am, with the king's permission, going to strengthen one weak part, though, before night comes." "which is that?" asked phra. "the one where we managed to get in," replied mr. kenyon. "here, sree, are you willing, if i have you well supported, to get up into that tree and cut off all the boughs which project over the wall?" "yes, sahib," said the old hunter quietly. "i have thought that it ought to be done." "yes, and the sooner the better; it will set two men free from keeping watch at the windows overlooking that part of the wall." "shall i begin now, sahib?" said sree. "no; not till dark, and i have not yet made my plans." "whenever the sahib pleases," said sree quietly, "his servant is ready. but why not burn the big tree down?" chapter xxix the doctor kept busy strict watch was kept on all sides, but no farther sign of the enemy was seen, and towards evening, permission being given, preparations were made for the destruction of the tree. sree's idea had found favour, but the question was how the task was to be done. once the fire was started it was felt that there could be no doubt about the tree's fate, it being of a resinous kind; but the task was to get it well alight, for a furnace built against the trunk would have had but little effect, and it was nearly decided that the best way would, after all, be to cut off some of the nearest limbs. an idea, however, struck harry, as he and phra came upon a stack of bamboo poles collected there to dry until required for various uses. harry's idea was that if the poles were passed over the wall and piled round the great trunk as close as possible, and with their thinner portions running up into the tree among the branches, the shape of the stack with the air passages between the tall poles would ensure a sharp draught of air, and a fire if lit would soon become fierce. mr. kenyon snatched at the plan, and men were set to work carrying the poles to the wall beneath the tree; then after a careful look round, it was deemed safe for sree to climb over in company with lahn, after which men were ready to hand over the poles so as to keep sree and his boy well employed, the one in the tree, the other at the foot, arranging the poles. just before sundown this was commenced, half a dozen well-armed men being ready at the window to cover the workers, and bamboo ladders having been placed for their convenience, while torches of resinous wood were lit, waiting to be used. then, for about an hour, the work went on till darkness set in, and the tree had grown into a strange, unsightly object, while the torches in the yard grew brighter and brighter, till they cast strange shadows of the workers in all directions. suddenly there was an alarm of the enemy's approach, and no more time was bestowed upon the task. the word was given, and the torches passed over the wall to sree, who had descended from the tree, and now thrust them in between the bamboos into a kind of chimney which the pile had formed. "make haste, sree," cried harry, who was seated beside phra on the top of the wall. "yes, sahib," said the man quietly. "but the wood does not burn." "no, sahib; the big bamboos are slow to catch fire, but when they do they will burn fast." "here, phra, i'm getting fidgety," whispered harry. "the rebels must have seen those torches flashing about, and perhaps they're crawling up in the darkness." "yes, i'm afraid they will be," replied phra. "how long he is!" "yes, and it makes my wound throb." "your wound?" "yes, i don't know why, but it does. i say, you up at the windows, be on the look out, please, and ready to fire." "all ready," said a voice; "but you'd better make haste with the work, in case the enemy should be coming up." "yes, yes. hi! sree, can't you get that wood to burn?" "not yet, sahib; but it soon will." "where's lahn?" cried harry. "i'm here, sahib." "sree does not want you now; come up the ladder, and get inside." the man obeyed, scrambling quickly up the rough bamboo steps and passing over the wall, when phra stopped him. "wo!" he said. "stop there, and hold the top of the ladder fast." "pass up two loaded guns," said harry, looking down inside. this was done, and phra and harry each took and cocked his piece as they sat astride of the wall, facing each other, but with lahn between them holding the top of the ladder, his keen eyes peering first in one direction, then in the other, where the view was not obstructed by the tree. "oh, i say, i say!" cried harry, as the darkness increased, and nothing but a feeble glow appeared through the pile of great grasses. "you have not gone to sleep, have you, sree?" "no, sahib," came from below, with a soft chuckle. "i ought to have had some small, dry wood to burn first. it is very slow." "slow? oh, it's horrible!" "the sahib hurries." "hurries? yes. do you suppose i want to sit here till the enemy comes, so as to see you speared?" "it is too dark, sahib," said the man softly; "they could not see me." "nonsense! i can see you from up here--your hands and face: the fire shines upon them." "yes, sahib; it is beginning now." at that moment lahn laid his hand upon harry's breast, while he pointed away to the left with the other, and uttered a low, snake-like hiss. "men coming?" asked sree. "well, i must get the fire to burn now." "can you see them?" whispered harry, as he strained his eyesight in the pointed-out direction without result, and then looked down at a little writhing tongue of flame beginning to run up inside the sloping pile of bamboo. "yes, many men," whispered lahn, and he hissed sharply twice. "look out up there," said harry loudly. "the enemy. now, sree, up at once." but at that moment the rough ladder held by lahn was snatched away, and seemed to fall over against the bamboo pile from the noise that was made, while at the same moment there was a faint, rustling sound, sharp clicks against the side of the palace, and the rattling down of at least a dozen spears, which had been hurled up at the speaker, and passed over the wall. "down with you from off there," shouted mr. kenyon at the window. "we can't fire with you there." accustomed to obey, the boys threw their legs over the inner side, felt for the ladders, and then crouched down, lahn following their example. "no, no," he cried, "don't fire; sree is on the other side." "oh!" cried mr. kenyon. there was a momentary silence, and more spears flew over, evidently directed at the window, a sharp exclamation telling that one had taken effect, the others clattering down again into the narrow court between the walls. "can't he reach the ladder?" cried mr. kenyon. "it is gone," replied harry; but before he spoke he had laid his gun on the top of the wall, set free the ladder upon which he stood, and was helping lahn to raise it up so as to pass it over and lower it on the other side, meaning to call to sree to take advantage of this to escape. but before it was half up they paused, and lowered it quickly down again, for suddenly the result of sree's long and careful preparation manifested itself. there was a bright flash of flame seen running up the bamboo pile, and by the light it shed the space beyond the wall displayed scores of bright spear points, and double that number of flashing eyes. it was almost instantaneous, for the light died out again, hidden by a dense cloud of smoke; but it had been long enough to show no sign of sree, and that to lower a ladder down meant to make a way for scores of the enemy to come running up and over the wall. "the other ladder--where is it?" whispered harry wildly to lahn. "on the fire," said the man. "but sree--did you see poor sree?" "no," said the man, with all the stolid manner of an eastern. "said _ciss_, but he did not come." there was another flash, and a fresh shower of spears, followed by a dull red glow through the smoke. then flash after flash in quick succession, accompanied by what might have been taken at a distance for a confused volley of pistol shots; for now, with a roar, the fire blazed up, rushing rapidly through the bamboos and into the body of the tree, whose green leaves hissed and crackled, and began to blaze brightly, lighting up the gardens beyond the wall, and compelling the defenders at the window to crouch behind their breastwork, beginning to fire sharply now, and driving back the crowding enemy, some of the boldest of whom had run forward to begin pulling down the bamboos where they had not yet caught. in another minute all such attempts would have been in vain, for the fire rapidly swept round in a spiral, the poles cracking with loud reports. showers of sparks flew up on what appeared to be a whirl of ruddy smoke, while, as the flames roared up as from a furnace, the boughs began to yield to its fiery tongues, which licked up all the moisture, and in an incredibly short space of time the whole tree was one hissing, seething pile of fiercely writhing flames. the heat soon forced the boys to slide down the ladders, and the defenders to shrink from the window, whose breastwork and outer shutters began to blister and crack in so alarming a way that the occupants of the room fetched water to be ready to extinguish the first part that caught. the light was reflected down upon the boys as they laid the ladders close up against the wall, and then turned to look anxiously at the pyramid of flame in such close proximity to the palace, wondering whether sree's work had not been too well done. but far away and above all other thoughts, was that which struck home in their breasts--had poor sree fallen a victim to his fidelity and his determination to get the fire well alight before he sought his own safety? the boys hurriedly discussed this in whispers, and then they turned to question lahn as to the plucking away of the ladder. "could you see anything?" harry asked. "yes, two enemies got to the ladder," said the man in siamese. "sree pulled it over into the fire." "and what then?--where was sree?" the man shook his head. "don't know," he said. "a big smoke came, and all turned dark." "do you think sree was killed?" "no. sree too clever. kill the men." they asked no more, for, surrounded as he would be by foes, they could see no chance of the poor fellow escaping; so with their hearts sinking in despair, they remained gazing up at the floating flakes of fire and the spangled wreaths of smoke which whirled up over the palace, while the heat was reflected back upon them with such power that in spite of the rush of comparatively cool air caused by the rising fire and steam, they had to retreat and pass along to the corner where, some twenty yards away, they could stand and watch the burning tree. they could hear nothing of the enemy, and were ready to go round to the terrace entrance; but something seemed to hold them there--a strange, undefined something in the form of hope that sree might somehow have escaped, and that they might at any moment see his head rise up in the light where the dark top of the wall ran in a hard line. then, too, there was the excitement about the palace, as the fire waved to and fro and roared louder than ever, while the bigger boughs, as they grew super-heated, burst with loud reports to let out the compressed steam. a dozen times over it seemed certain that the palace must go, for the wooden jalousies and exposed elaborate carvings, kept catching; but a few buckets of water, carefully distributed, extinguished the flames, and it became plain that the enemy had retired to a safe distance, hiding among the trees, for no more spears were thrown and no shots were fired. at last it was evident that the fire had passed its culminating point, and the spectators gazed at a glowing skeleton whose framework kept on falling into the main body of the fire below. at first they were small branches which hardly reached the bottom, but were borne up again to pass away in fresh clouds of what looked like golden snow. then heavier boughs were burned through and dropped, carrying down with them those below, and so on and on till the trunk, alone stood, with the stumps of branches rising high above the wall, one glowing tower of dazzling light doomed to burn on and on probably for hours, and then, fanned by the wind, slowly smoulder away into so much golden ash. but before this could be achieved, and when it was certain that no danger could accrue to that part of the palace, phra laid his hand upon his companion's shoulder. "come," he said abruptly, and he made a sign to lahn for him to follow. five minutes later they were at the back of the line of defence, in front of the great, open-work bronze gates; but all was quiet there; no sign of the enemy had been seen, and with the palace between them and the burning tree the boys looked up at it as it stood out against the glow shed by the fire, which lit up the two flags floating side by side, blown out by the soft breeze caused by the rush of hot air rising from the fire. "let's go in and tell them, hal," said phra. "they will be waiting to know." harry nodded shortly, but said no word, walking slowly into the great hall, where two of the first persons they encountered were mr. kenyon and the king. under the pressure of questions the boys related in simple words all that had occurred, the king listening till they had done, and then standing with wrinkled brow and compressed lip. mr. kenyon was the first to utter what sounded like a confirmation of his thoughts in harry's ear. "poor sree!" he said sadly; "as brave a man as ever stepped. i looked upon him as a friend." "everything a man should be," said the king, endorsing this utterance of the poor fellow's fate: "simple, modest, devoted and true. kenyon, my friend, we have lost one of our best supporters. he died trying to shield us from the perils which hem us in." "yes," said mr. kenyon, sharply now, as if making an effort to thrust the inevitable behind him. "you are neither of you hurt, boys?" "my arm aches a great deal," said harry, speaking in a dull, apathetic way. "ah! your wound. let dr. cameron see it at once." "oh, not to-night, father." "to-night, hal--directly. you have been using it a great deal, and the bandages need loosening because the cut is swollen and inflamed." "and you, phra?" said the king quietly. "a mere nothing, father." "what, wounded?" cried the king, with a quick change from his calm, grave manner to eager excitement, as he caught his son's arm. "not a wound, father. a spear whistled by my ear when we were on the top of the wall. i had forgotten it. my ear is a little cut, but it soon stopped bleeding." hie king uttered a sigh of relief as he thought of what a few inches' difference in the direction would have meant. "go in with hal, and ask doctor cameron to look to it." "oh, but father, it is--" "my wish, sir," said the king firmly. "you had both better rest then, for you have done your share of the work." phra looked a protest, and the king went on: "unless the enemy attack us in force to-night; then of course you will both come and help. now, kenyon, let us go our rounds. this quietness is more startling than an attack. i fear they are planning something fresh." "very likely, sir," said mr. kenyon cheerfully; "but we must scheme in return." they went on down to the barricade by the gate, and the boys sighed wearily as they walked towards doctor cameron's hospital room; for the spirit seemed to have sunk down in them just as the fire had fallen after it had reached its height. "what a capital english gentleman your father would make if he dressed like us," said harry, for the sake of saying something. "yes, and what a good siamese noble your father would make if he dressed like some of ours," said phra, with a faint smile. "all right," said harry; "that's one each. but i say, it seems very stupid to go to the doctor for such hurts as these." "yes, we must say the king sent us, or he will laugh." but doctor cameron did not laugh: he frowned as he examined phra's left ear. "a narrow escape, my dear boy; but as we people say, a miss is as good as a mile. only this is not a miss: the spear blade has cut the lobe of your ear in two. i must put in a stitch or two and draw it together before strapping it up. i'll bathe it directly. all, here's my wife. bathe this injury, my dear." phra shrank, but resigned himself directly to mrs. cameron's hands, while her husband turned to harry. "oh, it's nothing," said the boy. "we shouldn't have come, only father and the king ordered us to show you our awful injuries." "this is worse than you think, my dear hal," said the doctor sternly. "your arm is much swollen and inflamed. it would have been seriously bad if you had waited till to-morrow." "oh," cried harry passionately; "what do i care? it's horrible; it's too hard to bear!" "what, this?" said the doctor sharply. "this?" cried harry. "pish! _no!_--no! but you don't know. poor old sree--poor old sree, mrs. cameron: he's dead--he's dead!" chapter xxx like a bad shilling when they quitted the hospital room, harry and phra threw themselves down on one of the long bamboo seats in the hall where they had left their guns, and sat talking dejectedly in a low tone, leaving oft from time to time for a walk out into the still night air to listen whether there were any tokens of an approaching attack; but the place was perfectly still; the glow from the burning tree had nearly died out, and everything was calm and peaceful. after a time the king and mr. kenyon returned from their rounds and stopped to speak to the boys for a few minutes, telling them that they had better get a good sleep while they could, and that they had been examining the windows at the other side of the palace, where they had been a good deal burned. "i'm afraid, sir, that was a mistake," said mr. kenyon. "it may have suggested to the enemy a means of attacking and destroying us without risk to themselves." "by firing the palace," said the king gravely. "yes. i thought of that. it is possible, and we must be prepared. fire is easily mastered when it is small--a jar of water is sufficient; when it grows large, it takes a river." they passed on, talking together, and the boys began and continued recalling the many expeditions they had made with sree. what a brave man he was! how full of knowledge of animal life in the jungle, and how devoted to them in his simple, unostentatious manner! "yes, poor old sree!" sighed harry; "and now he's gone, and adong too." "think so?" said phra, looking up sharply. "oh, yes, or he would have been back with help," replied harry. "phra, old chap, i never felt so unhappy before in my life. it seems as if it was all over now." "but it isn't," said phra. "there is so much for us to do." "to help our fathers?" "yes." harry sat back in his seat and began to think seriously, for his comrade's words had impressed him deeply, and as he sat there in the darkness of the night it dawned upon him more and more that in life one has to give up self for the sake of others, and that even at the very worst, when there is a disposition to think that one's own sorrows are everything, others have troubles and sorrows too that it is our duty to help and combat. they were vague, disconnected thoughts, which he could not quite put together, but they served to make him feel less miserable, even contented; and then he began to think of the king's words in connection with his father's, and the possibility of the palace being fired by the enemy. what had the king said?--that at the beginning a fire could be extinguished with a jar of water? consequently harry sat back making up his mind that as soon as it was light he and phra would get the boatmen together and plant big jars and bamboo buckets of water in the parts of the palace nearest to the wall--in fact, wherever it seemed possible that firebrands would be thrown in. the natural consequence was that, being fagged out and sitting in an uncomfortable position upon a hard-backed seat, he dropped off to sleep and began dreaming of fire and putting it out with wooden buckets of water which always seemed to be empty when he was about to pour them on the flames. and so the night wore on, without any alarm of attack, and harry dreaming wearily, starting into wakefulness, and dropping off again to dream of those bottomless buckets which were always empty when they ought to have been full. that constantly repeated dream irritated him, for even while he dreamed he was conscious that it was all imaginative, and that before long he would wake up and find he was dreaming, as he did over and over again, stiff, weary, and ready to make up his mind that he would sleep no more. but the next minute he was off again fast, and the last time in so deep a slumber that the sun was shining brightly when at last he opened his eyes upon phra seated fast asleep at the other corner of the settee; and then turning his eyes a little to the right as he prepared his lower jaw for a good long yawn, he sat as if turned to stone, his mouth partly open, his eyes staring, and a horrible feeling as of cold water running down his back. for there, so near that he had only to sit up and stretch out his hand to touch him, sree was squatted upon his heels in the middle of a mat, calmly chewing his roll of betel-nut, lime and pepper leaf, his homely, dark face expanding into a broad smile as he saw that he was noticed. "sree! alive!" cried harry, springing from his seat, his cry rousing phra, to sit up staring. "yes, sahib harry," said the old hunter quietly. "i ran round to the back of the fire when i had pulled the ladder over and laid it with the bamboos, and then crept in among the bushes, to lie there, for i was nearly dead with the smoke. then i crawled right away." "but weren't you hurt?" "my face scorched, and my hair burned a little, sahib; that is all." "oh, i am so glad, sree," cried harry. "you don't--don't--know what we felt last night." there was a slight impediment in harry's speech as he caught the old hunter's right hand in both his own, an act imitated by phra on the instant with the left, while the old man stood now looking proud and happy as he glanced from one to the other. "yes, we thought you were dead," said phra. "here, let me go and tell father and the doctor," said harry. "no, no, sahib," said sree. "i saw sahib kenyon an hour ago, and he sent me to you. i have been sitting here till you woke up. he said you would be pleased." "pleased!" cried harry. "there's a stupid word! that doesn't half mean what i feel. but i say, sree, have you had any breakfast." "oh, yes, sahib; the master gave me plenty." "tell us more, then. how did you manage to get here?" "oh, i crawled along like a snake, sahib," said sree, smiling. "there are many of the enemy about, but i managed to get by without being seen while it was dark; and when the sun rose, i got up and walked along boldly with a spear over my shoulder, just as if i was one of the enemy, till i was opposite to the great gates where the powder is buried. then i came straight up to the gate, and the sahibs were going to shoot me, for my face was so blackened by the fire and smoke that they did not know me till i spoke. then i gave them my spear, and climbed over. what does sahib harry want me to do next?" "fill water pots and bamboo buckets with water, to put in the rooms at the other side." "ah, yes; that is wise," said sree. "i thought of that last night, when i saw the windows begin to burn. a little fire can be mastered with a jar of water." "hullo!" cried harry. "did you hear the king say that?" "oh, no, sahib; we all say so, because we know how easily our boats catch alight; and if the fire is not put out, it may mean hundreds all along the river." "then we'll do that at once," said phra; "only you must get lahn and the boatmen to help." "but that's my idea, phra," cried harry; "i say, sree, have you seen lahn?" "oh, yes, sahib; he came running up, and then threw himself down to kiss and cry over my feet." "what did he do that for?" said harry. "because he was so glad, for he thinks of me as his father." "now, hal!" cried phra; "come on; let's get the water pots put all about at once." "shan't," said hal, laughing. "i'm not going to begin till i've had my breakfast. i'm so hungry i could eat old sree." chapter xxxi coming home to roost that day passed away quietly enough, the enemy making no sign; but scouts reported that they were in hiding in all directions. "they mean to starve us out, boys," said mr. kenyon. "oh," said harry, "then they'll have to take care that they don't get starved first, for now the elephants are gone i suppose we could live for a month on the grain." it was as if the very mention of the word elephants had been the introduction to what was to come, for just then the peculiar noise known as trumpeting--which is really an agreeable blend in the way of noises, of pig in a gate, the final _haw_, prolonged and intense, of a donkey's bray, and the hoarse crow of a cochin china cock--came faintly in through the open windows of the hall. harry ran and looked out to where sree and lahn sat waiting and listening. "what was that, sree?" he cried, as phra followed him and looked out too. "it was an elephant, sahib," said the hunter. "yes, it was old sul," cried phra excitedly. "i know," cried harry, laughing. "they've been and had a tremendous good feed out in the jungle, and now they've all come back." harry was quite right, as examination proved, for the elephants had been thoroughly well trained, and treated in a way which made them prefer their civilized home to the jungle. so after a few words with mr. kenyon the king gave orders that a strong party should go across to the gate and guard it while the animals were admitted. the two boys hastened to join the party, taking sree with them, when, having learned wisdom from the last time the gates were opened, ladders were placed against the wall, and a good look-out kept, so that no advance could be made along the side ditch or by the wall unnoticed. all being declared clear, and the guard stationed ready on either side, the gate was unfastened, the elephants standing patiently waiting, the trumpeting having ceased as soon as the first man's head appeared above the wall, while directly the gate was being dragged open, sul thrust his head against it and pushed, making the task particularly easy. but as soon as there was ample room he uttered a peculiar squeak, and shuffled off across the park-like grounds, followed by the troop of ten, all evidently eager to get back to their old quarters, to which they made their way. "they'll want to go off again," said harry, laughing. "aren't you glad to see them back, phra?" "glad? of course; it seemed horrible to lose them all. i never expected to see either of them again." "what are you shaking your head at, sree?" cried harry, as they waited till the gates were once more secure. "i was listening to what the sahib said," replied the old hunter. "i am not surprised to see the elephants come back. once they get used to man, and find he is a friend who feeds them, and treats them well, they do not want to leave him. some of the mahouts are cruel, and make their heads sore with the goads, but i think kindness is best. i have made friends with the great beasts, often with big ones that the mahouts said were savage-tempered and dangerous. i never found them so." "not when they were mad?" said phra. "oh, yes, then," replied the man. "they are dangerous at times, and it does not do to trust them much. better let them loose in the jungle." "we might as well have made old sul stop and carry us back," said harry. "i say; there were no fighting men anywhere outside; do you think they will come to-night?" "who knows, sahib? perhaps not to-night, but they will come and try to take the place, or they would not be waiting as i saw them this morning. they have some plan in their minds, but we are ready, and must meet them when they come." but there was no sign of the enemy that night, nor the next, and such a state of calm that it was hard to imagine that the palace was still beleaguered. there was no doubt of this, though, for it was only necessary to send out a scout in any direction for him to find bodies of the enemy watching the palace, and ready to check any attempt at escape, if such had been the intention of the besieged. this state of quietude enabled mr. kenyon and his english friends to finish several little arrangements for the defence, and the risk of fire was reduced by the amount of water provided for checking the first attempt to destroy the place, if such should prove to be the enemy's design. the earthwork at the great gates, too, was strengthened; for though there was the possibility of the attack being made in another portion of the defences, it seemed probable that it would be made as before. "they're like elephants, hal," phra said contemptuously; "they keep to the old track." the halt on the part of the enemy gave the doctor's patients a better chance of amendment, and the spirit that was within made several ready to return to the duties of the defence, each declaring that he would get better more quickly busy with his friends than lying as an invalid in bed, in spite of the gentle ministrations of the ladies, who did everything possible to help the doctor with his charge. generally speaking, everything now had settled down in the palace to a complete state of routine. watches were regularly set, including one on the roof, by the flagstaff, whence portions of the river could be seen; and longing looks were constantly cast, in the vain hope of seeing help in the shape of the well-manned boats of some british man-o'-war. plans too were made as to the provisioning of the little garrison, and arranging that the stores should last as long as possible. this duty, with the care for the health of the place, devolved upon the doctor who proved to be most stern in his insistence upon every one obeying his rules. harry and phra took their turns in going on duty, and it fell to their lot to superintend the guard when the elephants were let out and returned from the jungle, the sagacious beasts marching off regularly every morning, and forming a regular path across the grounds to the distant gates, while, strange to state, a whole week elapsed without the enemy again interfering and attempting to gain an entrance at such times. "there is a meaning in it all, father says. they have lost so many men that they have determined to starve us out," phra said one morning to his companion. "yes; so my father thinks," replied harry; "or else it is that they are waiting for reinforcements." "i don't think they would have to wait," replied phra. "no; depend upon it, they think we shall give up soon, and lay down our arms." "so that they may march in and jump upon us, and then cut off our heads?" phra's face looked quite old with wrinkles as he gave his companion a sombre look, and then nodded. "perhaps they would be content, and let you english people off, if you gave up my father and his faithful friends." "and you with them?" said harry gravely. "of course." "can't spare you, old chap. bah! what are you talking about? if they think anything of that sort, they are more stupid than i thought for. give up? they don't know what english people are yet. why, phra, we shall go on fighting till all the provisions are done, and then we shall make a fresh start." "how?" "by killing one of the elephants and eating him. let's see; eleven of them. how long would they last?" "nonsense!" "'tisn't. old mike would cook them so as to make something good, and so that they wouldn't be tough." "don't make fun out of our troubles," said phra bitterly. "why not? they're bad enough, so one needn't try to make them worse." "what i dread is--" began phra, but harry interrupted him. "i know; that the enemy won't come and be well thrashed." "no; that the water supply will be stopped. father wondered that they had not dug up the bamboo pipes and cut that off." "pooh! let them. father and doctor cameron talked that over the other night, and they said that near as we are to the river they would find water before we had dug down ten feet, and there would be abundance. look here, phra; i've thought over it all, and now the place is so strong we can laugh at the enemy and starve them out. give up? why, if it came to the worst, we should shut ourselves up in that wing, and blow away the big passage which joins it to the rest of the palace. then we should defend it step by step till we were on the roof, and fight there till the last of us was killed. english people would rather die fighting than give up to be murdered by a set of savages like the enemy." phra was silent. "well, wouldn't you?" said harry. "yes," said phra gravely. "i suppose i should be horribly frightened, but i should know that it was my duty to fight for my father to the last, and i should fight." "of course you would, and so should i," cried harry, flushing. "as to being frightened, well, i don't think we should be a bit. we should feel that shrinky-shanky sensation which makes you shiver and feel hot and cold and wish you were somewhere else, and want to run away, only you wouldn't for the world. i believe everyone feels that at such times--say if any one's drowning, and you don't want to jump in after him, or when there's a tiger or a big snake; but i don't think that's being frightened; that's only natural, because one would jump into the water to save any fellow drowning, or go and do anything. it's only a sort of hanging back before one begins. it can't be regular fright, old chap, because, if it was, we should run, and that we couldn't do. now, that's real fright: we should be afraid to do that." "you're a queer fellow, hal," said phra, smiling. "am i? well, so are other english boys, for i suppose i'm like most of them. i don't want to fight. i hate it. it's horrible, but i think i shall not be afraid to fight; but i'm sure i should be afraid to run away." "i hope i should," said phra thoughtfully, "and i don't want the fighting to begin again; but this miserable waiting day after day for aid to come is terrible. i say, do you think adong will bring help?" "not now, i don't. i'm afraid the poor chap has been killed, or he would have come back. he'd have made his way to us, the same as sree did. i say, i begin to feel as you do--wish it would all come to an end." chapter xxxii in the nick of time sunset had come. the elephants had returned to the gate, and, being admitted without the sign of an enemy, had tramped quietly to their stables after their hearty banquet upon the succulent, jungle leaves. then the darkness fell, the evening meal was eaten, the guard set, and after a chat with sree, the boys went to their beds, to lie down dressed--ready for anything, and dropped off soundly to sleep. in what seemed like ten minutes harry was awake again, to be conscious of a busy stir in the palace and sree leaning over him with a hand upon his shoulder. "what's the matter?" cried the boy; "are they attacking?" "yes, sahib; there is going to be a big fight, and they are coming on with lights." "ah!" cried harry, "at last! here, phra!" "i'm ready," was the reply, and a minute later, gun in hand, the boys were out on the terrace, learning that the enemy was coming on in two bodies, their presence having been detected by sree and lahn, who were on guard, and whose keen ears had caught the low, rustling sound of their approach. there was no excitement among the defenders, for in obedience to several orders made for acting upon in case of such an emergency, every one had gone quietly to his place, the ammunition chests were thrown open, and arrangements made for keeping all well supplied, while the ladies had hurriedly dressed and gone to their post in the hospital room to wait till the doctor, who was with those who were in consultation on the terrace, should need their services. "where are the boys?" said mr. kenyon suddenly. the answer came from close behind him. "here, quick!" he said; "take the night glass and go up on the roof. you may be able to make out something of the movements of the enemy. be back here in ten minutes." harry and phra ran off, the glass was obtained, and they made their way to the flagstaffs. it was wonderfully still, not a breath of air perceptible, and the darkness was intense low down, though above the sky was one glorious encrustation of stars. for a few moments nothing could be seen, and they stood listening to a peculiar, murmurous sound from away over the great gates, evidently caused by the movement of a large body of men. the telescope was brought to bear in that direction, but still nothing could be seen, and harry, who held it, swept it round to the back, where all seemed black too; but suddenly a bright spark darted into the field of vision, then another, and another, and the boy handed the glass to his companion. "look right over the corner yonder," he whispered. phra adjusted the glass, but before he had time to make out that which had met harry's eye the latter uttered a sharp ejaculation. "what is it?" cried phra. "the river is alive with boats. they're just coming round the bend where the trees are. they all have lanthorns, and it would be a beautiful sight if they weren't coming to destroy this place." "yes, beautiful," said phra. "we've seen enough. there's a party coming on with torches behind; the enemy are in the front, and they are coming up to land on the water terrace to attack us at the side." "come on down," said harry, drawing a deep breath. "it's going to be a big fight to-night, and we shall have to retreat in here." their information was carried to mr. kenyon, with whom was the king, and, as harry had said, instructions were given for the defence by the gate to be held as long as possible before a retreat was made to the palace wing; a party was sent round to strengthen the guard in the rooms, the instructions being to think of nothing but extinguishing the fire if it should catch hold, for it was not judged likely that any attempts to scale the wall would be made there. and then as strong a party as could be spared was sent in the direction of the great, stone landing-place in case of an attack being made there, with orders to quickly retire if they were much pressed, so that the strength might be concentrated at and about the palace. the darkness did not seem to interfere with the movements in the least, for every man was familiar now with the dark paths beyond the court, and knew what he had to do, moving with the stern determination to perform that duty even at the cost of his life. the silence now grew more and more painful, and the defenders, who knew but little of what was going on at the back of the palace, their attention being concentrated upon the front or water side, were longing for the suspense of waiting to be brought to an end, so that they might find relief in action, when suddenly there arose a burst of shouting, and a faint glow rose over the roof of the principal building. the great danger foreseen had come, for a body of the enemy bearing burning brands had advanced boldly up to a short distance from the wall, close to the ashes of the burned tree, and begun hurling the blazing wood against the windows within reach. it was so quickly done that it seemed as if a splash of light suddenly darted out of the darkness beneath the wall, quivered for a moment in the air, and then described a curve, passing over the wall, striking against the barricaded window, rebounding, and falling down into the narrow court below. this continued rapidly; and though a glimpse was now and then caught of a dark face with flashing eyes, as the burning brand was thrown, it was so momentary that it was considered waste of ammunition to fire. harry and phra had hurried there directly they had given warning, and one of the first orders given was for two of the faithful siamese to go down into the court and provide themselves with a bamboo bucket of water. then as fast as the brands flew over the wall, struck the palace, and dropped down, they were seized, and their burning ends quenched. they came fast, striking above, below, and on either side. some came with a loud rap against the boards nailed up for a breastwork, but few came right in at the open window. still now and then one better aimed than usual rushed in like a rocket, and the value of the preparation made was evident. if there had been no defenders there, without doubt that portion of the palace would soon have been in a blaze, for the torches thrown had been prepared with some violently inflammable resin, and filled the place with a pungent smoke as they fell. but their time for burning was short. quickly as they came, there was always some one ready to dart upon them, plunge them into a jar of water, and drop them down into the court. still, in spite of the ill success of the movement, the brands were thrown in by the men, who darted from the shelter of the wall and back as soon as they had thrown the missile, while the bright glow which rose showed that a party must be busy there getting the torches well alight while others were being thrown. this had been going on for quite a quarter of an hour, the enemy working away with impunity, not one being hurt; and it seemed as if they meant to keep on till the room began to blaze. "this won't do, phra," said harry at last; "it's sickening, we ought to fire at the next who runs out." "it would be impossible to hit," said phra bitterly. "i know," cried harry. "back directly." he ran round to the far wing, to find his father, the king, and several more anxiously waiting for the attack to commence upon the gate; for it was evident that a mass of the enemy were waiting, probably for the place to be on fire, before they began their advance, feeling that the blaze would confuse and dishearten the defenders, and make the task comparatively easy. harry was supplied with that for which he had come, and hurried back to the room, into which two brands came hissing, entering by the window as he ran in by the door. "no, no, sree," he cried; "don't touch that one," and the hunter rose again while the boy stooped, those who looked on catching a glimpse of a canister as the boy held a fuse to the flame, waited till it began to fizz and spit tiny sparks, and then rushed with it to the window, leaned out, making himself a mark for the next thrower whose torch whizzed by his ear, and then, well calculating his distance, the boy pitched the canister so that it, too, made a curve in the air, emitting scintillations as it flew, and dropped down on the far side of the wall just where the glow arose and formed a halo of light. "there," he cried, "if you're so fond of fireworks, how do you like that?" the words had hardly passed his lips before there was a tremendous concussion, a deafening roar, and the light which arose went out as suddenly as it had come; the glow had gone, and the throwing of the torches was at an end. "any one hurt?" cried harry. "no; are you, hal?" "no, i don't think so. but has that stopped them?" he continued, as he looked out. "yes, you can hear them running." "they're gone. but oh! i say! there's a big gap blown through the wall." sree had picked up the still burning torch and now handed it to harry, who threw it down into the court to make sure; and there plainly enough he could see an opening about four feet wide, offering an easy entrance for the enemy if they came on again. "here," cried harry, "all of you follow us; we must go round and be ready to beat them back. we must have some spears as well." the lad's promptness in proposing the right thing at the right moment naturally made him leader, and as he rushed out of the door all followed along the passage and downstairs to the terrace, so that they might run round. but as they ran they became conscious of a sudden roar of voices, coming, though they knew it not, from two directions, and the rattle of musketry began. for the enemy had taken the explosion at the back of the palace and the flash of light as the signal for them to advance; and with a wild burst of cries they came rushing towards the gate and the walls at the sides, provided with ladders, while from the landing-place by the river another column landed from the boats came on with a roar. the noise increased, and volley after volley was fired; but it soon grew desultory and weaker, for, unchecked by their losses, the enemy came on in their determined attack, driving the defenders along the paths leading to the river, and swarming over the gate and walls in a way that the weak force behind the barricade could not resist. shot, hoarse yell, roar of defiance, and the clattering and ringing of spears, were mingled in wild confusion; and just as harry and his little party reached the terrace, ready to rush round by the back, it was to awaken to the fact that the little reserve gathered there when he fetched the impromptu shell had rushed forward to assist those by the gate who were being driven back by sheer weight of numbers. "stand fast!" cried phra. "spears, spears!" he set the example of seizing one from a sheaf placed ready by the door; the others followed, and they were able to plant themselves, a little compact body of ten, ready to try and cover their friends, who from the dark paths leading to the water and from the barrier were retreating, fighting hand to hand, their emptied pieces being only of use now as spears, thanks to the bayonets they had fixed. it was all over in the space of a minute. the defenders faced their enemies to the last; for the final retreat up the steps to the terrace was made backwards, as they came closer together till they were shoulder to shoulder, presenting a _chevaux de frise_ of bayonets to the stabbing spears of their enemies, till those first to reach the great doorway were crowded through, carrying those who had tried to cover them in first in spite of their efforts. but harry in the wild excitement had a clear head. he and his companions, though so few in number, still retained their muskets, and these were loaded. quick as the thought which occurred to him, he called upon his party to follow, and led the way to the window at the side, one that he had seen carefully provided with a breastwork ready for defenders, though he little thought he was to be one of those who would first prove its value. he saw it now, though; and as the great door was being held by those at bay, all inside now, and the enemy were pressing forward to follow them in, he got his own party crowded at the window. "at the word," he cried, as every musket was brought to bear on the dense crowd not five yards away. there was a momentary pause. "present--fire!" he roared, and the ten muskets were discharged like one, literally tearing a little alley through the crowd. the effect was so sudden and startling to the attacking party that they fell back with one accord; but only for a few moments. moments were vital then; and brief as the time was, it had given enough for some of those first driven in to get to and man the window on the other side of the door. recovering from their surprise, the enemy yelled and rebounded, to come on again, when the sharp word of command was given, and a volley rattled from that side. it was another check, and the two together gave time for the defenders in the great doorway to bang it to, thrust in the bolts, and clang the bars across. "twenty of you follow me to the upper windows," cried mr. kenyon. "you sir, hold those two windows. fire in turn from each side. volleys, mind; they have ten times the effect." by this time harry's party had reloaded, and as with a savage yell the disappointed enemy divided to make for the windows, another volley tore through them. the king had obeyed his friend, and his first step had been to get twenty of his panting followers in a line and order them to load. then he divided them into two firing parties, ten on either side, to support those at the windows. the fighting already gone through had been magnificent as a discipline, and in an incredibly short time the reserves were ready; and at a word harry's party, who had been holding the window with bayonets, dropped back to reload, while the fresh ten stepped up and delivered their fire, holding the place in turn with their bayonets till harry's party had reloaded. the same thing was going on at the other window, while now from the floor above, crash after crash, volley after volley, mr. kenyon's party joined in their fire. "here, sree," whispered harry, "my arm has gone bad; you must load for me." there was no reply. "where's sree?" cried harry again. no one had seen him since they fired the first volley, and harry uttered a groan as he felt sure that the poor fellow must have gone down from a spear thrust. but there was no time to think in the darkness where they were pent up. it was every man's duty to make his ammunition tell upon the seething, savage crowd athirst for their blood, and the volley firing was kept up steadily, the ammunition chests in the middle of the hall being amply supplied in readiness for such an emergency, and every window attacked had its defenders directly. all at once mr. kenyon's voice was heard from above. "where is the king?" he cried. "here. are you losing ground up there?" "no, sir, no. my men can keep up their fire there. i came to speak to you," he said in a low voice, but it was close to where the two boys were standing, and they heard every word. "we must do our best," he said, "for the whole country seems up against us. they have cast off all concealment now, and are coming up to the gate in thousands, many of them with lanthorns at the end of their spears. where are the home-made shells?" "there, in a chest by themselves beneath the great table." "yes, i know," said mr. kenyon. "i am going to throw a few down from one of the upper windows. oh, if we could have fired those mines!" "the attack was too sudden," said the king. "the poor fellows had not a chance." "i ought to have gone there sooner," groaned mr. kenyon. the words had hardly passed his lips when the great hall became light as day for a moment, and then there was a roar like a peal of thunder, making the bamboo sun-blinds rattle and the whole place quiver. "hurrah!" shouted harry. "i know. that's sree!" he did not pause to think how sree could have been by him so short a time before and down at the barrier then. even if he had felt disposed to wonder, the thought would have been driven out of his head, for in the midst of the sudden silence which had succeeded the tremendous roar it was repeated--the other mine had been fired, with a report which seemed louder than the first. the silence, both inside and out, was now appalling, and those within ceased reloading, as they waited, wondering what the effect had been upon the enemy, and whether such a catastrophe as that which must have befallen them would be followed by a retreat. but it was the turn of the besieged now to receive a shock, for all at once the faces of those who thronged the court began to be visible in the darkness. in another minute there came flash after flash, showing thousands of gleaming eyes, and a spontaneous yell of savage delight rose up from all around as the light grew brighter. "the palace--at the back!" cried harry wildly. "oh, phra, we oughtn't to have left our posts." "they have come in through the wall and fired the place," said phra with a groan. "yes," said mr. kenyon coolly; "but half a keg of powder will tear down our connection with the main building, and we can still hold this wing to the bitter end." "what's that? are they bringing big guns against us?" cried the king. no one replied, but stood listening, as _thud, thud, thud_, at regular intervals there came the reports of heavy pieces, followed by a fresh surprise. all at once there was a bright light from the direction of the river. then another, which began to light up the trees in that direction, while, with a strange rapidity as the heavy firing went on, blaze after blaze sprang up, and it was now mr. kenyon's turn to be wildly excited. "hark!" he shouted. "do you hear that?" his answer was a wild burst of cheering from all the defenders present, as if in echo to the faint shouting which came off the river. "hurrah!" cried harry again. "shout, phra, shout! it's the help at last. it must be men-o'-war boats, and they're firing the enemy's barges as they come." "yes, sahib harry," said a familiar voice. "english sailors with guns in boats, but the place is on fire and burning fast." at least a dozen of the light barges on the river were burning fiercely now, and drifting amongst and setting fire to others; but the firing from that direction had ceased. then all at once there was a hearty cheer and a volley of musketry, while by the bright light which illumined the courtyard a movement began to be visible amongst the besiegers. in an instant mr. kenyon called upon those present, and volley after volley was sent tearing through the crowd moving now towards the gate. in another minute there was a rush from the now lit-up walks leading to the landing, and a strong body of sailors dashed out into the open, formed up in line, fired a fresh volley, and then charged across at the retiring enemy. that was enough. this charge from disciplined men, who came on with a tremendous cheer, broke the neck of the attack, and the crowd scattered and fled, seeking who could be first outside, for the way was clear, the great gates and twenty feet of the wall being completely swept away. a volley or two from the sailors hastened the flight, but no pursuit was attempted, and the men were wheeled round and halted in front of the terrace, their officers advancing to congratulate those whom they had so opportunely relieved; while as soon as a strong party had been stationed at the ruined gates the efforts of every one were directed to the burning palace, the far end of which was blazing furiously. "look here," said the lieutenant in command of the sailors, "it seems a pity; but if it is not done, the whole place must burn down." "what would you do?" said the king. "blow up the burning rooms--the farther end," said mr. kenyon promptly. "that's it," said the lieutenant. "if you've half a keg of powder, we'll soon manage that, and a few hundred buckets of water will do the rest." it was a pity, but it was like lopping off a diseased limb, and half an hour after another explosion had suddenly shaken down that end of the lightly built palace not a spark was visible. the next morning there was a ghastly array of sufferers lying about the precincts of the palace, but not an enemy to be seen. the great force gathered against the little knot of defenders had melted away. weapons were hidden, and the spirit of the rebellion seemed to have quite evaporated, so that thousands of those who had been ready to fight desperately in the second king's cause eagerly returned to their daily avocations as soon as the news spread after the defeat that their leader and those who had headed the conspiracy had fled up the country to try and escape to safety in another land. it was while the naval officer in command of the sailors was collecting all the men he could--most of them members of the inimical force, but peaceful enough now--to set to work and remove all the ghastly traces of the late fight, that harry and phra came suddenly upon the old hunter and his two men superintending a gang of about twenty siamese laden with spears and krises, which were being carried into one of the great sheds by the elephant stables. "why, there's adong!" cried harry. "here, how did you get back?" "he came with the sailors in one of the boats, sahib," said sree, answering for his man, who nudged him to reply. "then it was he who found an english ship to send help?" "oh, yes, sahib phra; but it took him a long time, and he began to fear that he would not find one at last." "where did he find it?" "sailing on the sea, and coming to our river, sahib. he says he could not help being so long." "but how about the firing of those mines, sree?" cried harry. "you did that?" "yes, sahib." "how did you manage it? you were with us." "i went to a window where there were no fighting men, sahib, and dropped out to go down to the gate, where hundreds of men were crowding in." "but didn't they stop you?" "no, sahib; i was not an englishman, and i played with them." "played with them?" "yes, sahib; i held my arm, and i walked lame, and they said to themselves, 'here is a brave man who has been wounded,' and they let me go. i knew that the sahib wanted the powder to go off at a time like that, and i crept to the places where the wires were hidden among the stones. i pulled first one and then the other. it was very horrible, sahibs, but they were enemies seeking to kill the king and his friends, so it was right that i should fire the mines." chapter xxxiii what followed sree's daring act with the mines, and the coming of the sailors who had burned the enemy's fleet of warboats, combined to completely dishearten the rebels, who fled, to a man; and the next day the people were poling back their houseboats to their old places about the banks of the river, trade was going on, and scores of the king's servants and retainers came flocking in, many of whom had no doubt taken part in the attack upon the palace, but the majority had fled through fear. the wounded were for the most part helped and fetched away, saving the bad cases, which were attended by dr. cameron and the surgeon from the ship; and excepting that strong guards were stationed at the levelled gates and the broken wall there was no sign of the effects of the siege twenty-four hours after the enemy had taken flight. the presence of the british war-ship in the river, with her guns and the naval detachment, helped to awe the people; but with the flight of the second king and his party the rebellion died, the hatred of the english colony was forgotten, and harry felt half angry, half amused, to see the competition which ensued in the course of a few hours among the work-people of the city, who nearly fought for the right to rebuild the bungalows which had been destroyed. to be brief, in a few days the king was more firmly seated upon the throne than ever, for the inimical party had been swept away, and his people vied among themselves to prove who were the most devoted servants he possessed. it was about three months later, and after the departure of the man-of-war, that harry and phra were going round the english quarter, where the rebuilding was well in progress, mr. kenyon's bungalow most forward of all. "they have worked, phra," cried harry triumphantly. "why, in another fortnight we shall be able to begin housekeeping again. mike has bought boat-loads of things ready to come in as soon as the place is dry." "yes," said phra; "they are getting on fast. these light bamboo-built places are soon raised; but i don't see why you should be in such a hurry. aren't you comfortable up at the palace?" "comfortable?" cried harry. "it would be a shame if we weren't. no one could be nicer than the king." "to his friends," said phra gravely. "his enemies think differently." "he has no enemies now," said harry. "no, not now, for the last of those who headed the rising have left the country." "all those who could," said harry, with a meaning look. "don't talk about it," said phra, with a spasm of pain in his face. "we were talking about you coming back here to live. aren't you afraid of another volcanic eruption?" "n--no," said harry. "we should be more on our guard if one were threatening." "there will not be another for many years," said phra gravely. "my father has shown the people what he can do when roused, and he means to be more severe with any who stir up the people against what he does and his favouring of the english. i am sure we shall all be safe for many years to come. don't hurry to get away from the palace; father wants you to stay--so do i." "yes, that's very nice, but it isn't home, phra, old chap, and we english people like to be independent and have our own nests. but i was thinking that if there was another rising in a few years, we should be grown men and able to do better." "you couldn't. could they, cameron?" said a voice behind them. "you there, father?" cried harry, flushing. "where should i be but in my own home, sir? the doctor and i have just come for a look round. but the museum looks bad, boys." "yes, father. phra and i were talking last night about having a turn in the jungle with sree to begin collecting." "and also about a rebellion in the future, and fighting better when you are men. the doctor and i hope and believe that if there is war again it will be against a foreign enemy, and the people will be joining their wise and progressive king in defending themselves. eh, cameron?" "we shall have no more risings," said the doctor decisively, "for the people will never forget the way in which the last was put down. we are like your father, phra, stronger than ever now." "let's end here," said mr. kenyon. "one such incident as that trouble at the palace is enough in any boy's life." the two elders walked away to meet mrs. cameron, who had come down to join her husband; and the boys stood looking at one another. "no more fighting, phra," said harry; "but we've got the museum to fill." "yes; when shall we begin?" "at once," said harry. "so let's go and find old sree." [illustration: book cover] [illustration] the boy travellers in the far east _part second_ * * * * * adventures of two youths in a journey to siam and java with descriptions of cochin-china, cambodia, sumatra and the malay archipelago by thomas w. knox author of "camp-fire and cotton-field" "overland through asia" "underground" "john" etc. illustrated new york harper & brothers, franklin square 1882 entered according to act of congress, in the year 1880, by harper & brothers, in the office of the librarian of congress, at washington. preface the favorable reception accorded to "the boy travellers in japan and china" has led to the preparation of the present book. frank and fred have continued their journey under the guidance of doctor bronson, and the plan of their travels and observation is identical with the one they followed through the celestial empire and the land of the mikado. the incidents in the narrative were mainly the experiences of the author at a recent date; and the descriptions of countries, cities, temples, people, manners, and customs are nearly all from his personal observations and notes. he has endeavored to give a faithful account of siam, java, and the adjacent countries as they appear to-day, and trusts that the only fiction of the book is in the names of the individuals who tell the story. in a few instances the narrative has been slightly interrupted, in order to introduce matters of general interest to young readers. the details of the progress of naval architecture and the accounts of submarine operations, together with the wonderful adventures of marco polo, may be classed as digressions. it is hoped they will meet the same welcome that was accorded to the episode of a whaling voyage in the first record of the travels of frank and fred. the publishers have kindly allowed the use of some illustrations that have already appeared in their publications relative to the far east, in addition to those specially prepared for this volume. the author has consulted the works of previous travellers in the east to supplement his own information, and to some of them he is under obligations. especially is he indebted to mr. frank vincent, jr., author of that excellent and well-known book, "the land of the white elephant," not only for details respecting cambodia and adjacent regions, but for some of the admirable engravings that adorn his volume. other authorities are credited with the text of their work or in foot-notes to the pages where quotations are made. the author is not aware that any book describing siam, java, cochin china, cambodia, and the malay archipelago, and especially addressed to the young, has yet appeared. consequently he hopes that this volume will meet with as warm a welcome as was given to "the boy travellers in japan and china," by adult as well as juvenile members of many families throughout the united states. t. w. k. contents. chapter i. page departure from hong-kong. 13 chapter ii. voyage to saigon.--arrival in cochin china. 23 chapter iii. historical and descriptive.--first sights and scenes in anam. 34 chapter iv. a wonderful temple.--ruins of nagkon wat and angkor. 47 chapter v. cambodia.--its capital and king. 61 chapter vi. departure from saigon.--visiting a chinese junk. 73 chapter vii. the wonderful story of marco polo. 86 chapter viii. arrival in siam.--first day in bangkok. 106 chapter ix. temples at bangkok.--the founder of buddhism. 119 chapter x. ascending the menam, from bangkok to ayuthia. 131 chapter xi. visiting the prince of the elephants.--ayuthia.--something about crocodiles. 143 chapter xii. stories of elephant-hunting.--scenes of the chase. 161 chapter xiii. bang-pa-in to bangkok.--studies in natural history and botany. 177 chapter xiv. the king in his state barge.--betel and tobacco. 190 chapter xv. women, hair-cutting, and slavery. 202 chapter xvi. cremation in siam.--trade, taxes, and birds. 215 chapter xvii. presentation to the king.--dinner at the palace. 228 chapter xviii. the white elephant.--visit to the second king of siam. 237 chapter xix. leaving siam.--life under the ocean wave. 249 chapter xx. light under water.--pearl-fishing and turtle-hunting. 262 chapter xxi. incidents of a sea-voyage.--singapore. 280 chapter xxii. sights and scenes in singapore. 294 chapter xxiii. crossing the equator.--adventure with malay pirates. 311 chapter xxiv. sumatra and its peculiarities.--snakes and orang-outangs. 326 chapter xxv. arrival in java.--sights and scenes in batavia. 343 chapter xxvi. batavia to buitenzorg.--tropical scenes.--birds of paradise. 358 chapter xxvii. a chapter on political economy.--the dutch culture system in java. 374 chapter xxviii. rice culture in java.--military and social matters. 387 chapter xxix. a post ride in java.--from buitenzorg to bandong. 400 chapter xxx. visiting a tea plantation.--preparation of tea. 411 chapter xxxi. eastern java, lombock, timor, and the aru islands. 422 chapter xxxii. wanderings in the malay archipelago.--good-bye. 435 illustrations scene on the headwaters of the menam river _frontispiece_ map _to face page_ 13 page hong kong, from kellet's island 13 mary and effie reading frank's letter 15 arrival of the french mail steamer 18 private parlor of the "yuen fat hong" 20 a chinese boatwoman 21 frank's dream 22 hurricane during the change of the monsoon 23 a favoring monsoon 24 running before the trade-wind 25 rice-fields on the mekong 28 a native woman 30 street in the chinese quarter 31 plants in the botanical garden 32 a new acquaintance 33 a mosquito of saigon 33 native gentleman at saigon 35 view of the french quarter of saigon 37 native soldiers at saigon 39 the king of the beggars 41 view of cholon 43 a chinese family at cholon 44 a cab for two 45 cambodian female head-dress. ancient sculpture 47 plan of the temple at nagkon 49 unfinished pillars 50 columns in the temple 51 sculptures on the walls of nagkon wat 52 view from the central tower of the temple 54 gallery of sculptures 56 ancient tower overgrown with poh-trees 58 huts of the priests 59 stone with ancient sculptures 60 a cambodian idol 61 fishing-village on lake thalysap 62 panompin, the capital of cambodia 64 specimen of cambodian gold-work 66 the king of cambodia 67 queen of cambodia and royal children 69 the harbor of oodong, cambodia 70 a girl of oodong 71 house in the suburbs 72 a chinese junk 74 outline of modern ship, showing compartments 76 a junk sailor at breakfast 77 chinese river boat 78 ship of the fourteenth century 79 "the great harry" 80 the "tennessee" 81 the public highway of the future 82 the bomb ferry 83 moonlight at sea in the tropics 84 a story of the sea 85 marco polo 87 the great khan delivering a tablet to the elder polo brothers. from a miniature of the fourteenth century 88 arms of the polo family 88 nicolo polo. father of marco 89 portrait of kublai-khan. from a chinese engraving 91 marco polo's galley in battle 93 alan shuts up the caliph of baudas in his treasure-tower 96 dog-headed men of angamanain 97 mediæval tartar huts and wagons 99 the roc, from a persian drawing 100 roc's egg, now in the british museum. 100 chinese bank-note of the ming dynasty 101 chinese conjuring extraordinary 103 captain clanchy at work 104 come to dinner! 105 a natural shower-bath 106 flying-fish 107 view near paknam 108 native hut on the menam river 110 a village pathway in siam 111 chinese field-laborers 112 general view of bangkok 114 house in the foreign part of bangkok 115 a siamese priest 118 bird's-eye view of bangkok 120 temple of wat chang 121 temple of the sleeping idol 123 brass idol in a temple 124 priests playing chess 126 gate-way of a temple at bangkok 128 temple of the emerald idol 129 private garden near bangkok 133 a siamese forest scene 135 parasite and palm 138 the bamboo-tree 139 the boat they narrowly missed 140 scene at bang-pa-in 141 a river scene 142 the young prince 144 portrait of "chang" 145 macedonian coin, with ancient goad 146 modern goad 146 a war elephant 147 near the palace 149 in the ruined city 150 crocodiles at home 152 taking a bite 153 the doctor's crack shot 154 the trochilus 155 alligator and crane 155 trochilus and crocodile 156 the alligator and the bear 158 just hatched 159 coming out to sun himself 160 an elephant fence 161 form of a corral 161 beginning the drive 162 driving into the corral 163 securing the captives 165 siribeddi's prize 166 the prisoners tied up 168 a little head work 169 in a heap of trouble 170 refusing to move on 171 sliding down hill 173 elephant-hunting on foot 174 the hunter hunted 175 taking a nap 176 cocoa-nuts full grown and just forming 178 the bread-fruit 179 pineapple 180 star-apple 180 a new kind of fruit 181 tailor-bird and nest 182 a climbing-fish 183 the snake and the squirrel 185 monkeys at home 187 monkeys 188 eagle capturing a monkey 189 state barge of the king of siam 191 a body of the royal guards 192 the king visiting a temple 194 the front of the temple 195 the tobacco-plant 197 sir walter raleigh and his pipe 197 pipes of all nations 199 young america 200 the east 201 the west 201 siamese gentleman and lady 203 a young prince of the royal house, with his attendant 205 female head-dress and costume 206 minister of foreign affairs 207 lakon girls 209 a native band of music 210 a siamese theatrical performance 211 scene on a small canal near bangkok 216 burial-mounds 217 urn containing ashes 217 jessamine flowers 218 buddhist priest 219 characters in the procession 220 haunts of sea-birds on the coast 223 edible swallows' nests 224 siamese water birds 225 pheasant and young 227 court-yard of the royal palace at bangkok 229 chulalonkorn i., supreme king of siam 231 prime-minister of siam 233 the king of siam in his state robes 234 a younger brother of the king 235 the hour-glass 236 a white elephant worshipping the sun and moon. from a chinese drawing 237 white monkey in elephant stables 240 how an elephant feeds 241 elephants' trunks 242 elephants drinking 243 fred's tormentor 244 the second king of siam, in state robes 247 the doctor getting ready 249 coast of siam, near the mouth of the river 251 water-fowl of siam 252 a wreck among the breakers 253 pearl fisher attacked by a shark 253 nests of the water-spider 254 divers in their armor 255 divers at work 256 diving over the side of a steamer 257 coral-fishing in the mediterranean 259 the coral-worm 260 cup-coral and brain-coral 260 an atoll in the pacific ocean 261 submarine observations 263 the bellows-fish, or angler 264 a curious home 265 crabs in a quarrel 266 sea-anemones 267 the sponge at home 268 how sponges are speared 269 cleopatra dissolving the pearl 270 pearl-bearing shells 271 sizes of pearls 272 pearl-fishery at bahrein 273 persian gulf diver 274 m. jaquin's experiment 275 the bleak 276 the doctor's discovery 276 the turtle at home 278 turtle-hunting 279 on a frail raft 282 the rescue 283 gulf-weed 284 haunts of the sea-birds 285 in the harbor 286 boatmen at singapore 287 a chinese contractor 289 chinese tailors at singapore 290 a group of jacoons 291 garri with a load of sailors 292 full dress at the straits 293 chinese garden at singapore 296 maternal care 297 rural scene in singapore 298 fruit-sellers at singapore 299 a bungalow 300 chinese gentleman's garden 301 the god of gamblers 302 malay boy in the bird-market 303 head of black cockatoo 304 ejecting an intruder 306 a new type of mankind 308 klings and chinese 312 native nurses and children 313 coaling at the dock 314 carrying coal on board 315 servants on duty 316 scene on the sumatra coast 317 crossing the line on a man-of-war 319 chief's house in a pirate village 322 harbor of pirates 323 the pirates' victim 324 sinews of war 325 a trading-station on the coast 327 a bayou on the palembang river 328 arab houses at palembang 329 lounging under a mango-tree 330 alligators taking sun and air 331 view in a sumatran village 332 chased by a tiger 333 treed by a bear 334 shooting a boa-constrictor 335 a snaky creek 336 monkey examining a tortoise 337 female orang-outang. from a photograph 338 natives of borneo fighting with an orang-outang 339 a flying-frog 341 a sumatran butterfly 342 arrival in port 344 the carriage at the custom-house 345 the national taste 346 their servant 347 the mango 348 a trifle too peppery 349 after breakfast 349 an early call 350 native house on the river that feeds the canal 352 family party in batavia 354 fan-palm in the botanical garden 355 chinese porters 356 goddess of sailors and her assistants 357 some of the third-class passengers 359 view in a private garden 360 native village near the railway 361 tropical growths along the line 362 "mangosteens!" 363 veranda of the hotel bellevue 365 view from the veranda at buitenzorg 366 a bad road 367 the vanda lowii 368 a tree growing in mid-air 369 group of birds in the malay archipelago 371 magnificent bird of paradise 372 superb bird of paradise 372 six-shafted bird of paradise 373 long-tailed bird of paradise 373 the yankee elephant 375 the chinese elephant 375 the operatic elephant 375 the elephant in love 376 ancient bas-relief--java 376 a monster volcano 377 peasant farm-houses 379 home of a prosperous contractor 380 coffee-plantation in the mountains 381 "old government java" 382 a javanese chief 383 an improved sugar estate 384 retainers of a javanese regent 385 "good-night" 386 the house at the spring 388 pounding coffee 389 dutch overseers 390 foot-bridge over a mountain stream 392 rewards for good conduct 394 pirate prisoners on a colonial gun-boat 395 passport office 396 ordered out of the country 398 no admittance 399 starling on the journey. 401 by the roadside 402 lodgings of the stable-men 403 just imported 404 the waiter at sindinglaya 406 sleeping-room in the sanitarium 407 a mountain cascade 409 javanese boys 410 train of coffee-carts 412 seed-pods of the tea-plant 413 gathering tea-leaves 415 drying tea in the sun 416 drying over charcoal 416 roasting tea 417 handy with his feet 418 roasting green tea 419 tea regions of the united states 420 roasting-basket 421 volcano in eastern java 423 ruins near sourabaya 424 an island port 425 wild fig-tree 425 a village in lombock 426 view near mataram 427 where the great spirit and the rajah met 428 gun-boring in lombock 430 natives of timor 431 delli, portuguese timor 432 natives of aru shooting the great bird of paradise 433 a native anchor 434 great street of dobbo in the trading-season 436 wearing the cangue 437 a native of aru 438 sea-cucumber 439 a papuan pipe 439 a bird of amboyna 440 sago club 440 preparing sago 441 sago oven 442 sugar-palm of macassar 442 climbing the mountain 443 coming down the mountain 445 "good-bye!" 446 [illustration: _map to accompany "the boy travellers of the far east"_] the boy travellers in the far east. chapter i. departure from hong-kong. "there she comes!" shouted frank bassett, as he pointed away to the eastward. doctor bronson and his nephew fred were standing close beside frank, and their eyes eagerly followed the direction of his hand. "yes, there she is!" fred responded; "what a splendid sight!" they were on the lookout platform on victoria peak, 1800 feet above the harbor of hong-kong. the city, the island, the surrounding waters, and the neighboring coast of china all lay before them like a map. they had been studying the scene, and the doctor had explained to the boys its remarkable resemblance to the view from the summit of the rock of gibraltar. [illustration: hong-kong, from kellet's island.] their geographical observations were interrupted by the announcement of the sergeant in charge of the signal-station that the pacific mail steamer _city of peking_ was just outside the harbor, and would shortly enter through the ly-ee-moon pass. hong-kong harbor has two entrances; the one to the eastward is known as the ly-ee-moon, while that to the west is called the lama passage. both are easy of navigation, and admit ships of the largest class to one of the finest harbors in the world. the great steamer ploughed steadily forward; and as she passed kellet's island, which is a fortified rock near the ly-ee-moon, she turned gracefully, and headed straight for her anchorage. our friends watched her till she came to her resting-place, and her engines had ceased working; then they said good-bye to the signal-station, and proceeded to the sedan-chairs which were waiting for them. the chair-coolies had also seen the steamer, and, as they were anxious to reach the city before the passengers could come ashore, they made the best possible time on their way down the mountain. they ran rather than walked, and two or three times the boys narrowly escaped a fall in the sudden bends of the zigzag road. the adventures of doctor bronson, frank bassett, and fred bronson, and their reasons for being in hong-kong, have been narrated in a previous volume.[1] [1] "the boy travellers in the far east. adventures of two youths in a journey to japan and china." by thomas w. knox. published by harper & brothers, new york, 1880. they expected the _city of peking_ to bring letters that would determine their future movements. is it any wonder they were in a hurry to have her mails landed, and the precious letters delivered? their letters were addressed in care of the banking-house on which their credits were drawn, and very naturally the boys were eager to go at once to that establishment. the doctor suggested that it would be quite time enough to go there after lunch; and, as the appetites of the trio had been sharpened by the excursion up the mountain, the proposal met no opposition whatever. the meal was served in the dining-room of the hotel, and as soon as it was ended the party walked leisurely to the banking-house. in a little while their letters were handed to them, and greatly rejoiced were the boys at the arrival of these precious missives from home. the return to the hotel was a rapid one on the part of the youths, who left the good doctor far behind, in their eagerness to be once more in their rooms, where they could be safe from interruption while they read the messages from their friends. the letters were full of good news. [illustration: mary and effie reading frank's letter.] the parents of both the boys expressed their delight at the good use which frank and fred had made of their time, and the interesting accounts they had given of their experiences in japan and china, and their voyage over the pacific ocean. mary and miss effie had received the presents which frank bought for them in japan, and mary confessed in her letter that since the arrival of the precious box they had thought and talked of nothing else. they had dressed themselves in japanese garments, and miss effie was sure that, if their eyes were properly sloped at the corners, they could readily pass for residents of tokio or kioto. the doctor reached the hotel while they were in the midst of their reading. his package of letters was quite as large as that of either of the boys, and among them there was a very portly letter, which had required a liberal amount of stamps to pay for its transportation. this he opened first, and, after perusing it carefully, he smiled, and laid it aside. evidently the contents were pleasing. frank and fred were through with their letters about the same time, and as soon as they were at liberty they began comparing notes. both were a good deal disappointed, as they had received no indication of their future course. would they go directly back across the pacific ocean, or would they proceed on a journey around the world? perhaps the doctor could tell them; but just then he was occupied, and they did not wish to disturb him. there was a rap at the door, followed by the entrance of a servant bringing a letter, which had been overlooked at the banker's. it was for mr. frank bassett; and that young gentleman was not long in breaking the seal and possessing himself of its contents. his air of melancholy changed to one of delight. he threw his arms around fred, and made a start in the direction of the doctor, as if intending to favor him with an embrace, but speedily checked himself, and confined his demonstrations to a quiet leap over a chair that stood in the middle of the room; then he held out the letter for fred to read. fred's delight at the intelligence conveyed in the document was quite equal to frank's. the question was settled; they were to continue on their journey around the world. the necessary letters of credit would be sent in care of doctor bronson, and should be in the mail brought by the _city of peking_. frank saw the large letter on the table in front of the doctor, and at once divined that it was the important missive containing papers similar to the one with which he was provided before he left home. there was yet a goodly amount remaining on his letter of credit, but not enough to carry him to america by way of europe. fred was in a similar predicament, and therefore a permission to go forward would be of no great use if unaccompanied by the necessary cash or its equivalent. doctor bronson relieved their doubt by handing them the letters of credit which had come in the bulky parcel in question. they were considered too valuable to be intrusted to the ordinary mail, and therefore they had been "registered." and from their experience with the post-office in china and other eastern countries, our three friends were unanimously of the opinion that all valuable letters going there should be sent by registered post. the japanese postal service was the most perfect one they found in their travels, and the doctor declared that some of our officials at home might learn what would be to their advantage if they would visit the post-office at yokohama and see how admirably it was conducted. "well, boys," said dr. bronson, "it's all settled." the boys had a moment of standing on tiptoe in their exuberant delight, and then frank asked, "where are we to go, doctor, and when are we to start?" "that is what we must determine now," was the reply. "we have several routes open to us, and each has its advantages." "i think," answered frank, "that we could not do better than leave the selection of the route to doctor bronson. he has proved such an excellent guide and friend thus far, that we have the most implicit confidence in his judgment, and are quite willing to adopt his suggestions without question." this was said as if frank had been addressing himself to his cousin rather than the doctor. fred instantly accepted the proposal, and it was promptly agreed that the whole matter should be left in doctor bronson's hands to arrange. the latter thanked the youths for the expression of their confidence in him, and then proceeded to designate on the map the routes leading westward from hong-kong. "the regular mail steamers," said he, "go from here to singapore, which you see is down close to the equator, and at the entrance of the straits of malacca. the english steamers go directly there without stopping; but the french ones touch at saigon, in cochin china, which is a colony of the french government." "i have thought out a plan," he continued, "while we have been waiting, and what i propose is this: "we will go from here to saigon by one of the french ships, and then make a stay in cochin china long enough to see what we wish of the country. then we can find a trading-ship of some kind to take us to siam, and once there, we shall have no trouble in getting to singapore, as there is a regular line between that city and bangkok, the capital of siam. there is much to be seen in siam, as well as in cochin china; and i think this route will be far preferable to the direct one by the mail steamers, though it will not be so comfortable. we must be prepared to "rough it" a little both on shore and at sea, but our privations will be more than compensated by the abundance of interesting sights on the way." the boys agreed at once to the proposal, and the conversation came to an end. the doctor went to arrange for the proposed journey, and the youths brought out their writing materials, and devoted the rest of the afternoon to the preparation of letters in answer to those they had just received. [illustration: arrival of the french mail steamer.] the french steamer arrived from shanghai in the evening, and her great hull loomed majestically in the light of the full-moon as she came to anchor. it is a condition of the contracts for the transportation of the mails, that a steamer is not to lie more than twenty-four hours at any of the stopping-places along the route unless detained by unforeseen accidents. consequently, when one of these ships arrives, it is pretty certain that her departure will occur within the time above specified; and it was shortly announced that the ship in question would leave at noon the next day. the mail service between europe and the far east is performed almost as regularly as that across the atlantic, and the arrivals at the various points can be guessed with tolerable accuracy. the english and french steamers perform each a fortnightly service both ways, and, as they run alternately, the residents of china and japan have weekly mail-days for sending and receiving their letters. doctor bronson engaged passage for the party by the french steamer as far as saigon, and then went to the office of the "yuen fat hong" to ascertain if there was a vessel for bangkok by way of cochin china. in the last few years the chinese merchants have gone somewhat extensively into the business of running steamships. there is a company with a capital of two million dollars that owns several lines of steamers along the coast and on the great river of china, the yang-tse-kiang, and its officers and stockholders are all of them chinese. there are several smaller companies, and there are chinese commission-houses that act as agents for english and other steamers in the eastern trade. the yuen fat hong was one of these commission-houses, and it managed the business of a line of english ships running between hong-kong and bangkok, with an occasional call at saigon. [illustration: private parlor of the "yuen fat hong."] doctor bronson found the office without any difficulty, and was shown into a neatly-arranged parlor, where four well-dressed chinese were sitting. three of them were holding fans in their hands, while the fourth was indulging in the luxury of a pipe. plants in pots stood near the walls, and there was a table in the centre of the room, where the oldest and most serious of the oriental gentlemen was seated. evidently it was a time of relief from labor, and so there was no delay in attending to the inquiries of the doctor. the information he obtained was entirely satisfactory. the house was to send a ship in a week or ten days to bangkok by way of saigon; it would stop two or three days in the latter port, and if the party would be satisfied with the limited accommodations, they could secure passage from there to siam. it was secured at once, and then the doctor returned to the hotel. [illustration: a chinese boatwoman.] the next morning the boys were up early; and long before the hour fixed for their departure from the hotel they had all their baggage in readiness. the trunks and valises were delivered to the porters and carried to the landing-place, whence they were to be transported in a small boat to the great steamer that lay smoking in the harbor. the boat that the party engaged was a reminder of canton, as it was occupied by an entire family; two or three children were quietly seated in a sort of box at the stern, and the crew consisted of two women and a man. one of the women was evidently captain; at least frank thought so, when he observed her air of authority in giving directions for the movement of the boat. the harbor service of hong-kong is nearly all performed by chinese from the famous boat-population of canton; they are not forbidden to live on shore as they are at canton, but from long habit, and also from motives of economy, they continue to make their homes on the boats. while on the way to the ship, fred made a sketch of the younger of the two women, and declared his intention was rather light in complexion for an inhabitant of southern china; her hair was covered by a thick kerchief, tied in a knot under her chin, and her jacket or blouse was buttoned in front, and hung loosely down like a silk wrapper. as soon as she discovered that she was the subject of a sketch she put on her sweetest smile, and was evidently proud of the honor that fred was showing her. less than an hour after they reached the ship they were under way for saigon. our friends spent the afternoon on deck, where they had plenty of occupation watching the irregular line of the coast, and observing the play of light and shade on the water. there were but few passengers, so that they had an abundance of room; the weather was delightful, and both frank and fred declared that none of their travel by sea up to that time had been more agreeable. they abandoned all ideas of being sea-sick; and when the bell called them to dinner they were promptly in their places at table. suddenly fred turned to his cousin and asked if he was aware that china was the worst country in the world for wheeled vehicles. frank said he knew the celestial empire was very badly off for means of locomotion, but he was not certain that it was the most unfortunate in this respect. "it is a great country," said fred, "and has an enormous population: we are going to saigon, which is the capital of cochin china." "well," replied frank, "what has that to do with the matter of wheeled vehicles?" "don't you see?" responded fred, "there is only one coach in china!" "that is a very good conundrum," remarked the doctor, who had been listening to the dialogue between the boys; "but it is as old as it is good. i heard it when i first came to china, years ago." fred confessed that he found the conundrum in question in a book on china which he had picked up in hong-kong, and thereupon it was agreed that no more jokes should be made until they were again on shore. at an early hour the boys retired to their rooms, and it did not require a long time for them to fall asleep. fred made no report of any unusual occurrence during his sleeping hours, but it was otherwise with frank. in the morning he intimated that the letters from home had set him to dreaming, and that all his relatives and friends had congratulated him on his pleasant and prosperous journey. fred asked if any one had been more profuse in congratulations than any one else, and the young dreamer admitted that such was the case. he mentioned no names, but the doctor and fred had no difficulty in determining who that one was. [illustration: frank's dream.] chapter ii. voyage to saigon.--arrival in cochin china. the voyage from hong-kong to saigon was neither long nor unpleasant. the weather was fine, and the wind favored the progress of the steamer. the doctor explained that the north-east monsoon was blowing at that season of the year, and it was to be relied on with such certainty that the steamship companies arranged their time-tables with reference to it. the boys had heard something about the monsoons before this, and fred determined that he would study the subject sufficiently to have a clear understanding of it. so he questioned the doctor, and examined all the books he could find that had anything to say about the monsoons, and when he thought his information was complete he proceeded to put it on paper. [illustration: hurricane during the change of the monsoon.] here is fred's essay on the winds of the eastern seas: "the word 'monsoon' comes from the arabic _musim_, which means 'season,' and the winds are so called because they blow in alternate seasons, first in one direction and then in the other. on the coast of china the wind is from the south-west from april to october, and is then called the south-west monsoon; for the other half of the year it blows from the north-east, and is then called the north-east monsoon. there is generally a period of about two weeks when the winds are irregular at each change from one monsoon to the other, and at this time the ship-masters are very fearful of severe storms, with heavy rain and much thunder and lightning. [illustration: a favoring monsoon.] "the monsoon winds are known all over the eastern seas, from the coast of china to the shores of arabia. their periods of blowing are so well understood that the steamship captains know exactly when they may be expected, and their voyages are arranged accordingly. on the printed time-tables of all the steamship companies you will find 'monsoon allowances;' and on the coast of india there are certain ports where the ships cannot touch at all when the monsoon is unfavorable. the peninsular and oriental steam navigation company allows four days for its ships between suez and shanghai when the monsoon is against them, and one day on the voyage between hong-kong and yokohama. the french mail steamers have the same allowances. in august, when the south-west wind is blowing, a steamer goes from hong-kong to yokohama in seven days; but in april, when the wind is the other way, she is allowed eight days for the voyage. "the monsoons are caused just like all other winds--by the heated air rising and cold air rushing in to fill its place. in summer, when the sun is over asia and the ground becomes heated to a high degree, the air rises, and the cooler air from the south comes to fill up the space. this makes the south-west monsoon; and when the seasons change, and it becomes summer in the southern hemisphere and winter in the northern, then the air goes the other way, and the wind blows from the north-east. this is the north-east monsoon. [illustration: running before the trade-wind.] "the monsoons should not be mistaken for the trade-winds which blow in the atlantic and pacific oceans, and also in the southern part of the indian ocean. the monsoons change every half year, as i have explained, but the trade-winds blow regularly all the year round in the same direction. they are caused by the warm air rising from the vicinity of the equator, owing to the great heat, and the cool air rushing in from the south and from the north. the trade-winds have been so named because they have been of great assistance to commerce; sailing-ships can calculate their voyages with great accuracy by means of these winds, and i have read and heard of ships in the trade-winds that sailed for twenty or thirty days without moving a rope or altering the position of a sail. they went along ten or twelve miles an hour, and the sailors had nothing to do but lie around the deck or in the forecastle, and amuse themselves in any way they liked." fred read his production to the doctor and frank as they sat on deck, the second day of the voyage from hong-kong. frank wanted a copy, but took the precaution to ask the doctor if it was all correct. the latter said it was entirely, so far as he knew, but it did not tell the whole story. thereupon frank set at work to find something additional, and in the course of an hour or so he offered the following post-script to the essay of his cousin: "in studying about the trade-winds and the monsoons, i find that they do not blow directly north or directly south, as we might suppose they would if they came in to fill up the vacancy caused by the rising of the heated air. north of the equator the trade-winds blow from the north-east, and south of it they are from the south-east. the inclination to the east is caused by the rotary motion of the earth from east to west. the earth slips from under the wind while turning on its axis, and it is really the earth that makes the slope of the wind, and not the wind itself. something like it may be seen when a boat crosses a river. the boatman may try to pull straight across, but if he does so the current carries him down, and he is unable to land opposite his starting-point. the only way he can do so is by going obliquely against the stream. "the monsoons get their direction in the same way as the trade-winds get theirs; with this difference, that the south-west monsoon starts near the equator, and not in the southern hemisphere, like the south-east trade-wind. the rotary motion of the earth is greater at the equator than it is in the northern latitudes, and so the wind gets a westerly inclination instead of an easterly one, as in the case of the trade-wind. some of the scientific men say that the north-east monsoon is not a monsoon at all, but only the north-east trade-wind taking its regular course, which has been disturbed by the more powerful wind from the south-west." "very good," remarked the doctor, when frank read what he had written. "i am a little fearful, however, that it will not be understood by everybody, and so we will drop the dry subject and think of something easier." the boys admitted that the topic was a dry one, but nevertheless it was interesting; and they thought they would not be doing their duty in their journey if they failed to comprehend the great winds that so materially help or hinder the movements of ships in asiatic waters. on their third day from hong-kong the boys heard with delight that land was visible. at first it was like a dark cloud on the horizon; but, as they approached it, the scene changed, and the cloud was resolved into a tropical shore, backed by a line of hills in the distance. the steamer headed for a little promontory, and by-and-by a light-house was revealed that marked the entrance of the river which they were to ascend. a boat came out from the mouth of the river, and a pilot boarded the steamer. he was a weather-beaten frenchman, who had lived more than twenty years in cochin china, and was thoroughly familiar with the channel of the river, or rather of its various channels. the mekong empties into the china sea, very much as the mississippi discharges into the gulf of mexico; it has several mouths, and the whole lower part of its course is divided into canals and bayous, that are very convenient for the natives in the matter of local navigation. saigon, the destination of the steamer and of our friends, is on one of these lower branches of the mekong, about thirty miles from the sea. the river is not more than five or six hundred feet wide, and the channel is very crooked. the boys were reminded of their trip up the peiho, from taku to tien-tsin, when they were on their way to peking, but they voted that the present voyage was the more agreeable of the two, inasmuch as the steamer did not follow the example of their ship on the peiho, by occasionally running her nose into the bank. their progress was steady but slow, and they had plenty of time to study the scenery of the new country they were entering. [illustration: rice-fields on the mekong.] on both banks of the river the land is quite flat, and they were told that, in times of unusual freshets, it was overflowed for long distances. for this reason, it is not very thickly populated, although the soil is rich, and could be made to produce abundantly. all along the banks there was a thick fringe of mangrove-trees, and sometimes they appeared to extend over many square miles of land. here and there were rice-fields that appeared to have the most careful cultivation; and sometimes a village, with its temple rising above the modest dwellings of the inhabitants, was revealed to the eyes of the young wanderers. the number of the villages increased; and by-and-by a larger collection of houses than they had yet seen was visible. this was the last village before saigon, and finally the city itself came into view. the steamer stopped in front of it, and hardly was her anchor down before she was surrounded by a crowd of native boats. some of them were exactly of the model of those at hong-kong and canton, and others were new to the eyes of our friends. a great many chinese have come here from canton, and brought their manners and customs with them; and they have also brought their boats, or caused the construction of some exactly similar to those they left behind. as soon as convenient the doctor engaged a boat for the party, and the three travellers went on shore. there are several hotels at saigon not far from the landing-place, and it was not long before the strangers were comfortably quartered--at least comfortably for cochin china. after their experiences at peking and other places, they were not inclined to be fastidious about their lodgings. [illustration: a native woman.] as soon as they had arranged matters at the hotel, the party went out for a stroll. they found saigon was well laid out, with broad streets that ran straight as sunbeams for long distances. most of them were macadamized, and shaded with double rows of trees, and they had deep gutters to carry off the heavy rains that fall in this latitude. the boys were greatly interested in observing the hats worn by the natives; those of the men were conical in shape, and came down over the shoulders like an extinguisher over a candle. the women wore hats that resembled baskets, about six inches deep by not less than two feet across. the hats for both men and women are made of leaves, closely plaited together, and serve to keep off the rain as well as the sun. the hat of the man is particularly useful as an umbrella, as the wearer need only bring it down over his head to make his shelter very nearly complete. when walking on the road, he must keep it well tilted up in front in order to enable him to see his way. as they walked along, the doctor explained that the most of the people they met were not the original inhabitants of the country. saigon was a small fishing-village in 1861, when it was captured by the french and occupied as a military post. the captors determined to make it a city of consequence, and the french government has expended a great deal of money in this endeavor. they have constructed roads and streets on the same scale that the english have adopted at shanghai, and they have built dock-yards where ships can be repaired. they have maintained a large garrison of soldiers, and several times have been called on to suppress insurrections that cost a great deal of money and blood. "now," said the doctor, "when the french established themselves here, they opened the port for anybody to come and live in saigon, as they wanted to build up its trade as fast as possible. a great many chinese came here from canton and singapore, and the result was that the place grew very rapidly. the chinese came much faster than the emigrants from france and other european countries, and also faster than the natives of cochin china from other parts of the conquered provinces. consequently, here is a french city with a foreign population greater than the native one, and greater than that from france itself. "nearly all the business of saigon is in the hands of the chinese," the doctor continued, "and they have managed to drive out most of the foreigners who were established here. they can live so much more cheaply, and transact business for a smaller profit, that the foreigner cannot compete with them. the number of foreign houses in saigon is diminishing every year, and it looks as though the chinese would have it pretty nearly all to themselves by the end of another ten years." [illustration: street in the chinese quarter.] they found some parts of saigon so much chinese in character that they seemed to be carried back to canton or shanghai. chinese signs abounded; chinese shops were open, and the men doing business both behind and before the counters were chinese. chinese eyes were upon them, and frequently chinese peddlers approached them with articles for sale. chinese were at worship in the temples, walking, talking, trading, and pursuing their ordinary avocations, and for every foreigner the boys encountered they met a hundred inhabitants of the flowery kingdom. the roads were dry and dusty, and after a walk of a couple of hours our friends returned to the hotel. late in the afternoon they went out again to hear one of the military bands play, and to see the people on their daily promenade. the band plays at a stand on the street parallel to the river, and everybody who can come out to see and be seen is sure to be there. frank found the crowd so variegated that he suggested to fred that it was like looking through a kaleidoscope. there were frenchmen, germans, englishmen, spaniards, and portuguese among the foreigners; while the asiatics included chinese, anamese, cambodians, malays, siamese, and a variety of other nationalities the boys were unable to determine. in fact, they would not have been able to recognize all the people mentioned above if it had not been for the assistance of the doctor, who was skilled in the study of faces and the sound of languages. fred thought that the confusion of tongues was enough to give one a faint idea of what the tower of babel must have been at the time the builders suspended work. [illustration: plants in the botanical garden.] they finished their explorations of the day with a visit to the botanical garden, just as the sun was sinking in the west. the garden contains a good variety of the tropical plants peculiar to the country, and also some that the french have imported, with a view to distributing them through the province in case the cultivation should prove advantageous. there are also some wild animals carefully kept in cages, with the exception of the elephants, which have no greater restriction than being fastened with chains. the most interesting of these animals, in the eyes of the boys, were some tigers which came from the upper regions of the mekong river, and were larger than any they had ever seen in america. [illustration: a new acquaintance.] the evening was devoted to a study of the geography and history of the country they were in, and before the boys went to bed they had a pretty clear idea of cochin china and the regions that surround it. in the morning they complained of numerous visits from the mosquitoes that abound in saigon the entire year, and are as attentive as the mosquitoes of the united states or any other country. [illustration: a mosquito of saigon.] chapter iii. historical and descriptive.--first sights and scenes in anam. the boys made a division of labor in looking up information about the country. frank was to find what he could concerning its natural features and extent, while fred undertook to learn something about the french occupation, and the reasons that led to it. when they were ready, the essays were read to the doctor for his approval or rejection; and there was a brief discussion to determine who should be first to read, or rather last, as each preferred not to be the beginner. the doctor settled the question by deciding that the natural features of the country existed before the french came there, and, therefore, it was the duty of frank to open the subject. thus assured, frank produced his note-book, and read: "the countries of birmah, siam, and anam are known to geographers as 'indo-china,' for the reason that they lie between india and china, and have some of the characteristics of both. the empire of anam is the one we are now considering, and we will leave the others until we get to them in the course of our travels. it is erroneously called cochin china, from a province of that name which is included in the empire. the proper divisions of anam are cambodia, tonquin, tsiampa, and cochin china, and more than three-fourths of its boundaries are washed by the sea. it is about nine hundred miles long, and its width varies a great deal, owing to the indentations of the coast. cochin china proper is only some ninety miles long by twenty broad, and it is really the smallest of the provinces. cambodia is the largest and most populous, and the soil is said to be more productive than that of the other parts of the empire. the number of inhabitants is not known, but it is generally thought to be from twelve to fifteen millions. [illustration: native gentleman at saigon.] "the people resemble the malays and chinese, and are sometimes called the connecting link between the two. they are smaller than the chinese, but not so dark as the malays; their dress resembles the chinese, but they do not shave their heads as the latter do. they are not very ingenious, and have comparatively few manufactures; their chief employments are in agriculture, and they raise a great deal of rice, which is exported to china and other countries. they also export sugar, raw silk, cinnamon, dye-stuff, elephants' hides and bones, together with a good many gums and spices. the dye known as gamboge comes from cambodia, and the name of the country is said to be derived from this article. on the coast the people engage in fishing, and all through the country the food of the people consists of fish and rice. the natives will eat a great deal when they have the opportunity, but they are able to live on a very small allowance of food when necessity compels them. buddhism is the prevailing religion, but they are not very earnest in it; they have great respect for the dead, and resemble the chinese in their veneration for their ancestors. "the country near the coast is generally flat, but farther inland it becomes mountainous. there are tribes in the interior that are more than half savage in their character; they live mostly on wild fruits, and are widely scattered. some sleep in the trees, and some build small huts, but they rarely have permanent villages, and never get together in great numbers. sometimes the cambodians make war on these hill-tribes, and those that they capture are sold as slaves. "the principal river is the mekong, and it is one of the largest streams in south-eastern asia. it rises in china, and has a general course of about one thousand seven hundred miles to the south, and it falls into the sea by several mouths between the ninth and tenth degrees of north latitude. there are many villages and towns along its banks, and in its lower course the river is navigable for the largest ships." frank paused, and said that was all he had been able to obtain about anam, but he hoped to have more by-and-by. the doctor pronounced his essay an excellent one, as it gave a good general description of the country, and contained the information that every traveller and reader ought to have. now it was fred's turn to read. he had been uneasily twisting his note-book between his fingers, evidently dreading the ordeal of delivery; but as soon as he was through with the first line, his embarrassment vanished, and his voice was as firm as ever. "nearly a hundred years ago," said fred, "france opened relations with anam, and arranged to give the latter country certain assistance against its enemies in return for commercial and missionary privileges. it was about the time of the famous french revolution. only a small part of the promised assistance was given by france, and she was too busy with affairs at home to demand all that had been agreed upon on the part of anam. the french missionaries were protected in the exercise of their religious duties, and a small trade was carried on until about the year 1831. the old king died, and a new one went on the throne; he was opposed to the french and spanish missionaries, and endeavored to drive them out of the country. many of them were killed, and the native christians were persecuted, so that christianity threatened to disappear. "things went on in this way for twenty years. in 1851 the french determined to interfere, both for the protection of the missionaries and to demand the concessions that were promised when relations were first opened with anam. shortly before they came, an order had been issued that all missionaries should be drowned in the river, and any native who concealed, or in any way assisted a missionary, was to be cut in two. the war was a slow one, and the invaders were several times held back by fortifications that had been built by the french engineers who came here in 1795. the persecutions were partially stopped, and in 1857 the french went away. "new orders against the missionaries were then issued, and more of them were killed. in august, 1858, there was a combined french and spanish expedition against anam, which captured the chief seaport and several important places. the war was kept up till 1862, when there was a treaty of peace. this treaty compelled anam to pay five million dollars to france as compensation for the war, and to promise that every native should be free to adopt any religion that he liked. the missionaries were not to be disturbed, and the principal cities were to be open to french merchants to trade in whatever they chose to buy and sell. a french protectorate was established over the province of cochin china, and afterwards over other provinces, and--" [illustration: view of the french quarter of saigon.] "stop a moment," said the doctor; "you had better explain what a protectorate is." fred was evidently prepared for the question, as he answered promptly, "a protector is one who defends or shields from injury. in government matters a protector is a person who has the care of a kingdom during the minority or illness of the king; or it may mean a cardinal or other high official who looks after the interests of a religious body. a protectorate is a government by a protector, or it may be the authority assumed by a superior power over a weaker or a dependent one. "the case of france and anam is that the treaty provided that the french should take the management of the affairs of the conquered country, and that the governor-general they sent here should be really the highest officer in the land. the anamese can do nothing in the way of making and enforcing laws without the consent of the french; in fact, they are exactly in the condition of a colony, and the country where we now are is called the french colony of eastern asia." "quite right," said the doctor, when fred had concluded. "now we will hear what the french have done in the way of colonization." "they have followed their old policy of making no interference with the local laws, except with such as had a character of oppression or cruelty. they required the native authorities to swear to be loyal to france, and when they did so they sustained them until there were complaints that they did not manage affairs properly. in such cases they have investigated the complaints, and done what they thought right in the matter, either by removing or sustaining the official. they have lowered the taxes and established regulations regarding civil marriages, and, on the whole, their presence has been a benefit to the people of anam. in the matter of marriages they have followed the rule that they long ago adopted in algeria; a native may be married under the native laws if he likes, and can divorce his wife at a moment's notice, and without giving any reason; but if he marries her in a french court, he is under french laws, and must abide by them. a great many of the natives of the better class insist upon having their daughters married in the french courts, as they know they will be better treated than under the old system. "several times there have been insurrections against the french, and some of them have cost a great deal of money and fighting. but they have always resulted in victories for the french, and in the addition of new provinces to the territory under their control. at present they have a protectorate over more than half of the peninsula; some of the smaller provinces in the north are nominally independent, while in some portions of the country held by the french the natives do very little more for the foreign government than pay a small tax to it every year. "the population of the country under the french protectorate is said to be not far from four millions. there is an army of ten or twelve thousand men, of whom nearly if not quite half are natives. the natives are said to make good soldiers, particularly in the artillery. a great part of the garrison duty in the forts on the coast and in the interior is performed by the native troops, and they are said to get along very well with the french. in cambodia many of the soldiers are from manilla, as they are considered more warlike, and besides the king says it is cheaper to hire them from other countries than to use his own people. the army of cambodia is smaller in proportion than that of the other parts of the country, and the french allow the king to do pretty much as he likes." fred had reached the end of his chapter, and consequently came to a pause. the doctor complimented him on his excellent account of the invasion and occupation of anam, and after a little general talk on the subject, the party broke up. [illustration: native soldiers at saigon.] as they were naturally interested in the subject of native troops in the french service, frank took the first opportunity to make a sketch of a couple of them that he saw on duty. he found that they wore a blue blouse with white trousers--or, rather, that the trousers had been white at some former date--and their heads were protected from the heat of the sun by flat hats made of pith or cork, while their feet were bare. the men that he saw were armed with breech-loading rifles of french manufacture, and they carried their cartridges at the waist-belt, after the european fashion. strolling by the river-bank, the boys saw three or four light gun-boats at anchor in the stream. they learned that the government had about twenty of these boats, which were used for transporting troops wherever they were needed, and also for the purpose of protecting the natives against pirates, and to enforce the laws generally. they observed that the police were not of the same nationality as the soldiers, and found, on inquiry, that the policemen were all malays from singapore, under the supervision of french chiefs. they are said to be very efficient, and one great advantage of employing them is that they are not likely to be involved in any of the native conspiracies. by the end of their second day in saigon, it occurred to the boys that it was about time to begin a letter to friends at home. "we will write it as we did the letters from kioto and hong kong," said frank; "that is, provided you are willing." fred assented to the proposal, and so it was agreed that they would make up a single letter, in which each should describe some of the things they had seen, and they would so arrange it that nothing should be described twice. they devoted all the time they could spare from sight-seeing to the production of this letter, and here is the result: "we have been walking and riding around saigon, and have seen a great many things that are new to us. this morning we started early for a walk to cholon, about three miles away, and had a very pleasant time on the road. we met crowds of people coming to town with basketsful of fresh vegetables for the market; they were nearly all women, and their dress was much like that of the women we saw in canton, except that they had great hats like circular trays. part of the way the road follows the bank of a ditch, which the french call 'the grand canal;' but there is not much grandeur about it, as it is half-choked with weeds, and when the tide is out there is not water enough to float a boat of any size. there has been no rain for weeks, and the dust was so thick that sometimes we could hardly see across the road, and were in danger of being run over. [illustration: the king of the beggars.] "near the door of a house, in the edge of the city, we saw three beggars standing, while a man with his finger raised was talking to them. doctor bronson says the man who talked was their chief; and he was telling them what to do and where to go for the day. begging is a regular business in china, and the beggars have their associations, like other trades. "we met a long line of carts just after we got outside the city; each cart was drawn by a pair of bullocks, and they had ropes through their noses, just as we put them through the noses of bulls at home. the foremost pair was led by a boy, and all the other bullocks were fastened to the carts immediately in front of them. how they get on without pulling some of their noses out, when a cart in the middle of the line breaks down, we cannot imagine. perhaps the cord gives way before the nose does. "there were lots of half-wild dogs that seemed to belong to nobody; they barked at us, and some of them threatened to bite; but we showed tight, and they concluded to leave us. these brutes are known as 'pariah' dogs all through the east: 'pariah,' as applied to a man, means an outcast; and a pariah dog is a dog that has no master and no home. they are not so abundant here as at constantinople or damascus, but doctor bronson says there are quite enough of them to go around, and they go around all night and all day. "such a noise as the cart-wheels made you never heard in all your lives. grease must be scarce in cochin china, or the people must be fond of music; at all events, they do not try to stop the squeaking, and a native will go to sleep in one of these carts when it is moving along the road, just as calmly as he would in a pullman car. doctor bronson says that these carts are loaded with gamboge and other dye-stuffs, and also with hides and horns of cattle, and perhaps with the tusks of elephants that have been killed for the sake of their ivory. "about half-way along the road, we came to what the french call '_la plaine des tombeaux_,' which is nothing more nor less than an enormous cemetery. it is said to cover several square miles of ground; whether it does so or not we cannot say, but certainly it is very large, and, as the doctor remarked, very densely inhabited. there is nothing very remarkable about the tombs, as they are nothing but square enclosures, with little spires like those of the temples. in one part of the cemetery some priests were at work laying out a place for a grave; doctor bronson says that they perform a lot of ceremonies to determine where a grave shall be made, and are very particular to bring it under good influences, and shield it from bad ones. the same superstitions that prevail in china are to be found here; and even the most intelligent of the native or chinese merchants in saigon would not think of undertaking any important enterprise without first consulting the gods, and ascertaining that the 'fung shuey' was in their favor. "it was an odd sight to see the telegraph-poles along the road, and skirting the edge of this ancient cemetery. it was bringing the past and the present close together, and from all we can see the present is having the best of it. [illustration: view of cholon.] "well, we reached cholon after a leisurely walk, and went down to the bank of the river, where great numbers of boats were moored. there were hundreds, and perhaps thousands of these boats, and at the place where they are moored they are tied very close together. they are rather long and narrow, and the best of them have a roof over the centre to protect the occupants from the sun and rain. some of them are hewn out of single logs, and others are built of planks, as in other countries. many are permanently fastened to the bank and are occupied as houses, like some of the boats in canton; and altogether there is a pretty large water population. near the water's edge there are huts built on platforms, and so arranged that the refuse of the kitchen falls into the river. the owner is under no expense for drainage, and the whole cost of his building does not exceed five dollars. living is cheap in cholon, if you are willing to occupy a grass-roofed hut, six feet square, on the bank of the river, and eat nothing more costly than boiled rice and fish. we saw two or three huts of the kind we describe, occupied by half a dozen persons each. they must have found the quarters rather close at times, but probably did not mind a trifle like that. a single plank served as the roadway to the shore, and in some instances it was so shaky that it required a steady head and careful stepping to avoid being thrown into the water. [illustration: a chinese family at cholon.] "more than half the people we saw were chinese, and not the natives of the country, and nearly all the business in the shops appeared to be done by the former. we peeped into some of the houses where the chinese live, and they did not seem to care how much we looked at them. we saw one group that was quite interesting, in spite of the poverty of the habitation and the scarcity of furniture; there were five persons in all, or perhaps we should say eight, as there were three cats under the table that acted as though they were as good as anybody else. two men and two children were at a table, and a woman was standing up behind them to see that everything was all right. on the table there was a small tub that contained stewed fish and some kind of vegetables, and there was a bowl for each one to eat from. they were better off than some other parties we saw at breakfast, who had only one bowl for the whole lot, and everybody helped himself with his chop-sticks. [illustration: a cab for two.] "we saw something that reminded us of shanghai; it was nothing more nor less than a wheelbarrow, but, unlike the shanghai one, it had no passengers. wouldn't it be funny to see a wheelbarrow in america for carrying passengers, just as we have cabs and coaches? you must come to china for a sight like that, and also for a regular ride in a wheelbarrow, and you can have the consolation of knowing that it is very cheap and also very uncomfortable. the wheelbarrow has no springs, and so you get the benefit of every jolt, however small; and as the vehicle is somewhat weak in the joints, and the man who pushes it is far from powerful, you feel all the time as though you were liable to be spilled out. the wheel is large and clumsy, and the frame has a sort of rest in the centre, where you can put your arms. two men can occupy one of these coaches, and they are very popular among the natives, but less so among the foreigners. "on our way back we wandered off into the forest of tropical plants that stood on each side of the road in many places, and suddenly came on a little village which was entirely concealed until we were within twenty yards of it. the natives like to hide their residences as much as they can, on account of the shade they get from the surrounding trees, and also to be undisturbed by too many visitors. the dogs barked at us, and if it had not been for some of the natives that called them off it is quite possible we should have been bitten. there were half a dozen children lying around in the dust, and as they were entirely naked, they did not seem to be afraid of soiling their clothes. the men and women were not heavily clothed, as the weather is hot, and they want to be as comfortable as possible. in one house a man was lying on a bench just inside the wide door-way, and a little girl was fanning him; the doctor says the girl was undoubtedly a slave, and that she cost her owner not far from thirty dollars. "children are bought and sold here the same as in china, and a good many of the foreigners are said to own slaves while they live in the country, but they do not try to carry them away. slaves prefer foreign masters to native ones, as they are more likely to be kindly treated, and to receive their freedom in a few years. "some of the houses in the village were well built, and raised a yard or so from the ground upon pillars of brick. the interior consists of three or four rooms, and the general appearance of the house is like a chinese one. there is an ornamental framework carved in wood to support the roof, which is covered with thick tiles, and there is generally a veranda on each side of the door, where the master sleeps in the afternoon and lounges away a great deal of his time. we should call the people lazy if they were in america; but it is the custom of the country to be indolent, and perhaps they are not to blame. very little will support a man, as he can gather fruit from the trees, and an acre of ground is all that he needs for maintaining a large family. the heat that prevails all the year round does not encourage activity, and a good many foreigners, who are very enterprising when they first come here, become as idle as the natives by the end of their second year in the country." chapter iv. a wonderful temple.--ruins of nagkon wat and angkor. what with sight-seeing, writing letters to friends at home, and filling their note-books with information for future use, the boys had enough to occupy their time during their stay in saigon. in the course of their studies of the country and its characteristics, they became interested in its ancient history, and were desirous of seeing some of the ruins that remain from the early days of anam and cambodia. but as the time at their disposal was too short, and the expense and difficulties of a journey to the interior would be very great, they were obliged to forego the pleasure they would derive from an actual visit to some of the most stupendous ruins in the world. [illustration: cambodian female head-dress. ancient sculpture.] but the doctor came to their relief in a great measure by giving them a full account of the wonders they were unable to contemplate. "it is not generally known," said he, "that cambodia contains the ruins of a temple that was greater in its time than the very famous one of thebes in egypt." frank and fred opened their eyes in astonishment, as they had always believed there was nothing in the world that could surpass the egyptian temples of old. "i will describe them to you," he continued, "and make comparison between the work of the egyptian builders and those of cambodia. when i have finished, you will be able to judge which is the more magnificent. "the great temple i refer to in cambodia is known as the nagkon wat. wat, in the malay language, means temple, and the place in question is designated by the name 'nagkon.' the province where it is situated is really in the territory of siam--as it was taken from cambodia near the end of the last century and annexed to the rival kingdom. if you want to find the ruins on the map, you must look in about latitude 13° 30' north, and longitude 104° east. it is not known who built the temple, as the inscriptions on the stones are in a language that is not understood at the present day. the general belief is that it was erected twelve or fifteen hundred years ago, but the estimates of its age vary all the way from five hundred to two thousand years. "it is far more modern than the temples of ancient egypt, and probably not nearly as ancient as some of the famous edifices of syria. in course of time some one will be able to read the inscriptions, and then we will learn all about its age and the reasons for its erection." [illustration: fig. 1. plan of inner temple at nagkon. fig. 2. plan of area enclosed by outer wall of nagkon wat.] "here is a map of the ruins as they exist to-day," said the doctor. "you perceive that the general shape of the work is a square, and that there are altogether three squares, the smaller inside the greater." the boys looked at the map, and indicated that they observed the outline of the temple. "well," continued doctor bronson, "the outer wall, which is not shown in the plan, is more than half a mile square; if you should undertake to walk around it you would have a promenade of nearly three miles. "outside the wall there is a wide ditch that was evidently of considerable depth when first made, but it is filled in many places with weeds and trees, and there is a forest of palm-trees between the outer wall and the body of the temple. "the main entrance is by a causeway, which you see extending upward from the foot of the map. the whole length of this causeway, from its beginning beyond the outer wall to the entrance of the temple, is nearly two thousand feet, and more than half this distance is within the wall. the building itself, as you see it on the map, is oblong in shape, being eight hundred feet long by five hundred and ninety wide; it rises in three terraces to a central tower two hundred and fifty feet high, and there are four other towers at the corners of the inner temple that are each one hundred and fifty feet from the ground. [illustration: unfinished pillars.] "the causeway was paved with blocks of sandstone, and the edifice throughout is of the same material. all the stone for the work was brought from a quarry thirty miles away, and the transportation alone was an enormous affair. the blocks were brought in a rough state, and were not finished until they had been put in the positions where they were to remain. the temple was never completely finished, as there are several columns that remain just as they came from the quarry, and a careful observer can indicate the exact spot where the workman turned away from his labor. it is supposed that the stone was brought on boats in a canal, as there is no road that could have served for purposes of transit. [illustration: columns in the temple.] "it is impossible to describe in detail all the halls, and corridors, and sculptured walls of this wonderful temple. there are several halls composed of rows of solid columns, like the great hall of the temple at thebes. i remember standing astonished at thebes as i looked at the great hall, with its one hundred and thirty-four columns, and learned that, originally, the temple contained nearly three hundred columns of different sizes. in the cambodian temple of nagkon wat, one thousand five hundred and thirty two solid columns have been counted; and it is estimated that there are not less than six thousand columns in the entire mass of ruins in and around the temple. most of these columns are made from single blocks of stone, and all of them are beautifully carved, just as the egyptian ones are beautifully painted. [illustration: sculptures on the walls of wagkon wat.] "it would not be at all difficult for a stranger to lose his way in nagkon wat, and wander for hours, unable to find an exit. he might spend days and days in the study of the beautiful sculptures that adorn the place; and when i tell you that the walls are covered with sculptures from one end of the temple to the other, and you remember the enormous size of the building, you can understand what a gigantic picture-gallery it is. the scenes represented are mostly from the hindoo mythology; they illustrate battles and triumphal processions, sacrifices and festivals, and also the contests of some of the hindoo deities with each other, and with mortals. there is one gallery alone that has half a mile of pictures cut in stone, and it is estimated that at least one hundred thousand human figures are engraved there. here is a picture of some of them, and you may judge by it of the general excellence of the work throughout." the boys devoted several minutes to the contemplation of the photograph which the doctor showed them. frank remarked that the lightness of the wheels of the chariot would seem to indicate that it was made of metal, and consequently the ancient cambodians must have been familiar with the use of iron or brass, perhaps both. the soldiers at the bottom of the picture were marching in a manner that denoted military discipline, but he could not make out the nature of their weapons. certainly they were not rifles, as fire-arms were unknown in those days, and they did not seem to be spears or bows and arrows. the men were provided with shields, and in this respect their customs resembled those of many people of the present day. the doctor explained that the ancient cambodians made use of spears; but the principal weapons they employed were clubs, not altogether unlike those of the south sea islanders. sometimes the club was made straight, and at others it was curved at the end farthest from the hand of its owner. it was wielded with the right hand, and the shield was carried in the left. fred called attention to the fact that there was an elephant in the picture, and the man on his back was in the act of discharging an arrow from a bow. therefore they must have employed bowmen, and evidently they were an important part of the service, as they were mounted on elephants. "you are quite right in your conclusions," doctor bronson responded; "the bowmen were considered of the highest importance, and their arrows often did great execution. the elephant had a prominent place in all the armies of the east, as you know from history, and the cambodians were no exception to the rule. no eastern king would consider his retinue complete without a large number of war-elephants in his stables." "there is a tradition," he continued, "that the king of ancient cambodia had an army of half a million of men, with a hundred thousand elephants, which he could lead to war at a few days' notice. this is undoubtedly an exaggeration; but he probably had a good supply of these very useful animals, and his army presented a fine appearance when it was called to the field." frank observed that the men did not wear armor, and, in fact, had very little clothing anyway. he wondered that this was the case, as the king was evidently very rich and powerful, and ought to have had his army equipped and dressed in the best possible style. fred replied that armor, in a hot country like cambodia, would be a very inconvenient thing for a soldier, and render him practically useless. frank had not thought of that, and as soon as his attention was called to it he quite agreed with fred. "a gentleman who visited the temple of nagkon wat," the doctor remarked, "has given a very good account of the general character of the sculptures on the walls. i refer to mr. thomson, and cannot do better than quote a few lines from him. [illustration: view from the central tower of the temple.] "the bass-reliefs," says mr. thomson, "which are sculptured on the walls of the galleries of nagkon wat are extremely interesting. they are contained in eight compartments, measuring each from two hundred and fifty to three hundred feet in length, with a height of six and a half feet, and in a square space of six and a half feet the average number of men and animals depicted is sixty. the majority of these representations are executed with such care and skill, and are so well drawn, as to indicate that art was fostered, and reached a high state of perfection among the 'khamen-te-buran,' or ancient cambodians. "the chief subjects represented are battle scenes, taken from the epic poems, ramayana and mahabarata--which the siamese are said to have received from india about the fourth or fifth century. disciplined forces are depicted marching to the field, and possessing distinct characteristics soon lost in the confusion of battle. in the eager faces and attitudes of the warriors, as they press forward past bands of musicians, we see that music then, as now, had its spirit-stirring influence. we also find humane actions represented--a group bending over a wounded comrade to extract an arrow, or remove him from the field. there are also the most animated scenes of bravery--soldiers saving the lives of their chiefs; chiefs bending over their plunging steeds, and measuring their prowess in single combat; and, finally, the victorious army quitting the field laden with spoil, and guarding the numerous captives with cavalry in front and rear. "perhaps the most wonderful subject of all the bass reliefs is what the siamese call the battle of 'ramakean.' this is one of the leading incidents of the ramayama, of which coleman says, 'the grecians had their homer, to render imperishable the fame acquired by their glorious combats in the trojan war; the latins had virgil, to sing the prowess of æneas; and the hindoos have their valmac, to immortalize the deeds of rama and his army of monkeys.' the ramayama--one of the finest poems extant--describes the scenes of rama's life, and the exploits of the contending foes. [illustration: gallery of sculptures.] "in the sculptures of nagkon wat, many of the incidents of the life of rama are depicted; such as his final triumph over the god ravana, and the recovery of his wife sita. the chief illustration of the poem, however, is the battle scene which ensues after the ape-god hanuman had performed several of the feats which formed the every-day incidents of his life, such as the construction of what is now known as adam's bridge, between ceylon and india. this he accomplished by a judicious selection of ten mountains, each measuring sixty-four miles in circumference; and being short of arms, but never of expedients, when conveying them to ceylon, he poised one of them on the tip of his tail, another on his head, and with these formed his celebrated bridge, over which his army of apes passed to lanka. "in another compartment the subject appears to be the second avatar of vishnu, where that god is represented as a tortoise supporting the earth, which is submerged in the waters. the four-armed brama is seated above. a seven-headed snake is shown above the water, coiled around the earth, and extending over the entire length of the bass-relief. the gods on the right and the _dinytas_ on the left are seen contending for the serpent. hanuman is pulling at the tail, while above a flight of angels are bearing a cable to bind the reptile after the conflict is over. "in another compartment we find various mechanical appliances that are in use to-day. there are double-handled saws; and there are knives, levers, wedges, pestles and mortars, and a number of other contrivances that are more or less familiar to us." the boys listened with much interest to the reading of the preceding account. when the doctor concluded, frank ventured to ask if the temple was in a good state of preservation, and whether it was in use at the present time. [illustration: ancient tower overgrown with poh-trees.] "it has greatly decayed," replied doctor bronson; "but there are so many of its walls and galleries standing, that the most careless visitor cannot fail to be impressed with its grandeur, and be able to trace out every part of the original plan. in many places the weeds and grass and other vegetation are so luxuriant that the work of the architects is concealed, and can only be found by searching. there is one tree, called the 'poh,' that is a great destroyer of walls and stone floorings. the whole temple was constructed without the use of cement, and in many instances the junction of the stones is so perfect that only a slender line can be perceived. the roots of the poh-tree insinuate themselves into the smallest crevice; then they grow and expand, and by so doing they gradually force the stones apart. this tree has been of great injury to the temple we have been considering, and to many other edifices in these tropical countries of the east. [illustration: huts of the priests.] "in reply to your second question, i can say that the temple is still used, though not to the extent it was in its early days. a few priests live there, and perform services at regular periods; they are supported by the contributions of the followers of buddha, who visit the place, and by donations from the inhabitants of the country round there. they do not live in the temple itself, but in small huts erected inside the enclosure that surrounds the great building. these huts are of thatched grass, and stand on posts as a security against the snakes that abound in the neighborhood. they are shaded by the palm-trees that have grown up in what was once a clear space around the temple, and in hot afternoons their protection is very grateful." fred inquired about the other ruins in cambodia, and wished to know how extensive they were. "as to that," the doctor explained, "i cannot speak positively, and i doubt if there is any one who can. about three miles from nagkon wat there are the ruins of a city which was known as angkor, which was evidently a very important city in its day. it was the capital of cambodia, and, according to the description of a chinese official, who visited it in the year 1295, it was something remarkable. it was then in the height of its glory; but three hundred years later, when it was visited by a portuguese missionary, it was almost in ruins, and had ceased to be of any consequence. then there was another period of nearly three hundred years in which nothing was heard of or from angkor; it was not till the year 1855 that any writer seems to have gone there, and as for the cambodians themselves, they are sublimely ignorant of the history of this once great city. "in the year i last mentioned, m. mouhot, a french explorer, passed through cambodia and made a careful survey and description of the ruins. he subsequently died in the northern part of siam, and it was feared that the result of his labors would be lost, but fortunately his journal was saved and has since been published. since mouhot's time several persons have written about the ruins, so that a fair amount of knowledge concerning them is accessible. but every year new remains are discovered among the trees of the thick forest, and it is difficult to say when all of the ancient walls and statues and temples will be brought to light." at the conclusion of the doctor's remarks, a servant entered with the announcement that dinner was on the table. thereupon the mental feast on the antiquities of eastern asia was abandoned for the more practical feast on the edible productions of the country. frank thought that the dinner would receive a high compliment if it proved as enjoyable as their talk about nagkon wat and the ruins of angkor--an opinion which fred lost no time in sharing. [illustration: stone with ancient sculptures.] chapter v. cambodia.--its capital and king. having studied ancient cambodia, frank and fred were desirous of learning something of the modern country of that name. at the hotel where they were stopping they found a gentleman who had recently been at panompin, the cambodian capital, and had spent sufficient time there to be able to give a good account of it. as soon as he found that his young acquaintances were anxious to hear about cambodia, he promptly consented to enlighten them. he was at leisure one evening after dinner, and, by mutual consent, the party gathered on the veranda in front of the hotel, and an hour was pleasantly passed in conversation regarding the little-known country. [illustration: a cambodian idol.] "if you think," said the gentleman, "that panompin is a large city, as one naturally thinks of the capital of a country, you would be greatly disappointed if you went there. "its population is not more than twenty or twenty-five thousand, and is made up of several nationalities. there are siamese, chinese, anamese, and manilla men among the inhabitants, as well as the native cambodians, and there are no long streets of fine buildings, such as you would expect a capital to contain. it is situated on the banks of the mesap, a small river of cambodia that empties into the mekong: the greater part of panompin is on the right bank of the stream, but there is a small portion of it on the opposite shore, and another on an island near the junction of the mesap with the mekong. to locate it on the map, you must put your finger at about latitude 11° 30' north, and longitude 105° east, and if your map is a good one, you will find a large lake not far off. [illustration: fishing-village on lake thalysap.] "this is lake thalysap, and it is a body of water of no small importance. it is about ninety miles long, and varies from eight to twenty-five miles in width. it is very shallow except in a few places, and in the wet season the country around it is so flooded with water that the lake is then a hundred miles and more in length. there are many villages along the shores of the lake, and at all seasons of the year you can see whole fleets of boats going to and fro over the water. great quantities of fish are caught in the lake, and those not intended to be eaten in the vicinity are dried or salted for export to other parts of asia. there are also many fish caught for their oil; the villages along the lake make a considerable business by preparing this oil, and the stench is often so great that your nose will tell you the location of a village before your eyes do. "in the lower part the lake narrows steadily until it forms a river, and this river is the mesap, which i have mentioned to you; consequently you have only to follow the current to come to panompin. it has only been the capital within the last ten years; until that time the seat of government was at oodong, and the change was made on account of the supposed unhealthiness of the latter place. the real fact is that panompin is better situated for commercial and political purposes, as it is at the end of the great lake, and close by the river mekong. if you could see the two places you would understand it at once. "you can have little idea of the quantity of fish caught in the lake and river till you see them. lots of towns and villages are entirely occupied with the fish business, and some of these towns contain as many as four hundred houses, though the most of them are smaller. some of the fish are eight or ten feet long and three feet thick, and their bodies are so full of oil that one of them is a good prize to his captor. it is very funny to see a native struggling with one of these large fish; and sometimes it requires a hard fight to bring him in. i have seen a man dragged into the water and nearly drowned; and though i enjoyed the performance, i presume it was no fun at all to the man. [illustration: panompin, the capital of cambodia.] "panompin consists, for the most part, of bamboo huts, without much pretence of architecture, and the streets are so bad that though the king has several carriages he rarely rides out. the principal street is about three miles in length, and somewhat irregular in its course, as though the instruments of the surveyor who laid it out were not in the best order. there are a few stores and shops of brick, and there are some temples whose spires rise above the buildings that surround them. the palace of the king is the finest edifice in the place; it was designed by a french architect, and the construction was supervised by him, but all the actual work was performed by natives. it is like a fine dwelling-house in the neighborhood of new york or london, and the internal arrangement of the rooms is entirely european in character. the palace has some large halls for receptions, and it has dining-rooms, sleeping-rooms, and all the usual apartments that a dwelling should contain. the king lives there; and, as he rarely goes out, he determined to have a residence as comfortable as could be made. he is very proud of it; and if you should visit him he would consider it a great politeness if you admired it all you possibly could--and a little more. "not far from the king's palace is the barrack, where the french troops are quartered for the preservation of order, and to see that the king does nothing that would be against the interest of his protectors. there is generally a french gun-boat or two lying in the river opposite the barracks, and in the river farther down there are two or three small gun-boats and steamers that belong to the king, and are kept near his palace. "as the city has so much dependence on the river for its support, there is a tendency on the part of the inhabitants to crowd near the stream; consequently panompin stretches about three miles along the bank, and less than half a mile away from it. this is where you find the street i have mentioned; it is not more than thirty feet wide, and paved with a concrete mass of broken brick mixed with sand. you find a straggling line of low huts of bamboo or other light material along the whole length of this street, and in the busy hours of the day the assemblage of people is pretty dense. the chinese are great gamblers, and a goodly portion of these huts are gambling-shops, whose proprietors pay a license for the privilege of running the business. in several of these eastern countries the money received from gambling forms an important item in the public revenue; and if it should be stopped, the treasury would suffer in consequence." "what an outrageous piece of business!" said frank. "to think that a government would derive any part of its revenue from gambling!" "but remember we are in asia," fred remarked; "and we can't expect these people to be civilized." the doctor smiled at this outburst of indignation, and when it was ended he reminded the boys that several governments of europe did exactly what they thought so reprehensible when done by asiatics. "not governments of any consequence," said frank. "well," answered the doctor, "i hardly think we could say that. italy, spain, and austria are certainly of some consequence, and in all of them the lottery, which is a form of gambling, is a government institution. it is only a few years ago that the gambling-tables at baden-baden, in germany, were stopped, and there was serious talk, at the time, of allowing the gamblers that were suppressed in germany to open their business at geneva, in switzerland. "and furthermore," doctor bronson continued, "we cannot throw many stones at the chinese and other eastern people for gambling when we have so much of it in america. in all our large cities the vice exists in defiance of the law; and in some of the states, particularly in kentucky and louisiana, the lottery is a recognized institution, and the drawings are supervised by officers appointed by the governor." frank and fred both declared that this information was new to them, and hereafter they would not be too hasty to condemn other countries, lest they might find that the thing they objected to prevailed in their own. the description of panompin was resumed: "there are some manufactures in the cambodian capital," their informant continued, "but they are not numerous. the people are famous for their manufactures of silk, which is an important article of export, both in its raw and in its finished state. they are skilful workers of gold and silver, and i could show you some exquisite specimens of their production. wait a moment and i will bring one." [illustration: specimen of cambodian gold-work.] he went to his room, which was situated just off the veranda, and returned in a few moments with a small box resembling a flattened orange, or, more properly, a melon. the boys took it to the light, and examined it with care. the gold, as well as the workmanship, was cambodian; some of it was the natural color of the metal, and other parts were stained to various degrees of redness. on the top there was a cluster of leaves, and the end of the stem contained a topaz, which had been purposely left unfinished. the leaves were in fine filigree, and some of the wires were so delicate that they resembled golden hairs. the whole surface of the box was covered with flowers and leaves in the most tasteful designs; and both the boys were of opinion that the jewellers of new york would not find it easy to imitate this production of the asiatic barbarians. "the king has a fine collection of these things," the gentleman continued, "and he generally gives one of them to any stranger of importance who visits him. it is lucky for his treasury that it is not easy to go to panompin, as otherwise he might find these presents a serious expense. [illustration: the king of cambodia.] "and if you wish to know about the king, here is his photograph. you perceive that it is taken in european dress, which he wears on grand occasions, and has adopted since the french protectorate was established in cambodia. he is an amiable gentleman of pleasing manners, and makes an agreeable impression on those who come in contact with him. he has quite a collection of english and french books, maps, and albums, and is fond of showing them; and he has a fine lot of japanese and chinese vases--enough to stock a fair-sized museum. then he has european clocks, music-boxes, and the like; and he has a billiard-table, on which he plays very well. he also has a piano, but those who have heard him perform on it say that he is better at billiards than at music. "the carpets, furniture, and other adornments of his palace are mostly from europe, but he has some fine specimens of native embroidery that are fully equal to any of his foreign importations. he sleeps in a bed of european manufacture, and the netting that protects him from mosquitoes is from an english or french loom. he has travelled to hong-kong and shanghai, where he spent much time in learning all he could about the productions of the western part of the world, and, on his return, he endeavored to give his people the benefit of his knowledge. he is much liked by his people; and, on the whole, they could hardly hope for a better ruler. [illustration: queen of cambodia and royal children.] "the queen of cambodia, like most of the asiatic queens, is rarely seen in public. she has not adopted the foreign dress, but adheres to the _panoung_, a sort of loose wrapper falling a little below the knees, and gathered at the centre. here is her portrait, with two of the royal children; and you will observe that she wears heavy anklets of gold, and does not think it necessary to cover her feet with shoes. her hair is cut in the national way, and sticks up in the centre like a shoe-brush. great importance is attached to the ceremony of hair-cutting when a royal child reaches the age of seven years, and it is generally performed by the king himself in the presence of all the dignitaries of the land." "what a funny idea!" said fred, "that the king shall act as a barber, and handle the shears over the head of one of his children. i wonder if he is as skilful as a regular professional?" "as to that," was the reply, "i presume it does not make much difference. he only takes off a lock or two, and the hair-dresser of the palace does the rest. you will hear more of this curious ceremony when you get to siam, as the custom prevails there no less than in cambodia. "in panompin there is an artificial mound, which is called for politeness' sake a mountain, where the hair-cutting ceremony is performed. it stands near the palace, and is as high as the building itself. it is built partly of earth and partly of bamboo, and the sides are colored so as to represent stone, silver, and gold, the last color being near the top. a winding path leads up to a platform on the summit, and here the king stands while he goes through the solemnities of the occasion. the path goes through tunnels and arches, and occasional grottoes and valleys, and the whole structure is intended to represent a mountain in miniature. the platform is a favorite resort of the king in the evening, as the air is generally cooler there than on the ground below, and not infrequently he meets his ministers on the top of the mountain to discuss matters of public importance. "but it is getting late, and i think i have told you as much about panompin and the king of cambodia as you will be likely to remember. so i will say good-night." the boys thanked the gentleman for his kindness, and the doctor added his acknowledgments to theirs. then the party separated. frank and fred sat up till their eyelids were heavy to take down in writing a summary of what they had heard. they realized the necessity of making their notes at once, through fear that if they waited till the next day something would be forgotten. frank wrote the description of panompin and the country generally; and fred devoted himself to the royal family, the scenes in the palace, and the curious story of cutting the youthful hair. thus the labor was divided to the satisfaction of both. in the morning the doctor informed them that they were to depart that day for siam. the steamer _danube_ had arrived, and her captain had been early on shore to arrange for the delivery of what cargo was to be landed, and to receive what he should take away. he did not expect to be long in port, and they must be prepared to leave at a few hours' notice. their baggage was put in readiness, and the rest of the time on shore was devoted to the preparation of letters for america. the french mail steamer from singapore was due that day on her way to hong-kong and shanghai, and when she left she carried a goodly budget from the boys. in due time the letters were safely delivered; and for a fortnight there was little else talked of in the bassett and bronson households than the adventures of frank and fred, in cochin china. [illustration: the harbor of oodong, cambodia.] the boys made good use of their time up to the last moment. fred found a copy of the book of m. mouhot, who has been mentioned heretofore, and the last hour of his stay in saigon was devoted to writing out the description which that gentleman gives of oodong, the former capital of cambodia. the visit of m. mouhot was made in 1860, and is thus described: "on approaching the capital the prospect becomes more diversified; we passed fields of rice, cottages encircled by fruit-gardens, and country-houses belonging to the cambodian aristocracy, who come here in the evening for the sake of breathing a purer air than they can find in the city. as we drew closer to the gates, i found the place to be protected by a palisade three metres high--about ten feet. the houses are built of bamboo or planks, and the market-place occupied by the chinese is as dirty as all the others of which i have made mention. the largest street, or, rather, the only one, is about a mile in length; and in the environs reside the agriculturists, as well as the mandarins and other government officers. the entire population numbers about twelve thousand. [illustration: a girl of oodong.] "the many cambodians living in the immediate vicinity, and still more the number of chiefs who resort to oodong for business or pleasure, or are passing through it on their way from one province to another, contribute to give animation to the capital. every moment i met mandarins, either borne in litters or on foot, followed by a crowd of slaves carrying various articles; some yellow or scarlet parasols, more or less according to the rank of the person; others, boxes with betel. i also encountered horsemen mounted on pretty, spirited animals, richly caparisoned and covered with bells, ambling along, while a troop of attendants, covered with dust and sweltering with heat, ran after them. light carts, drawn by a couple of small oxen, trotting along rapidly and noiselessly, were here and there to be seen. occasionally a large elephant passed majestically by. on this side were numerous processions to the pagoda, marching to the sound of music; there, again, was a band of ecclesiastics in single file, seeking alms, draped in their yellow cloaks, and with the holy vessels on their backs." [illustration: house in the suburbs.] chapter vi. departure from saigon.--visiting a chinese junk. when the party went on board the _danube_, the boys found that they were not to have the comforts of the great steamers that had brought them from shanghai and hong-kong. the _danube_ was a small ship, and her builders did not design her for carrying passengers; she was constructed in england, and, after she arrived in china, a little cabin was built on her deck, so that a couple of passengers might have a room to share between them. the dining-saloon was about six feet long, and as many wide, and its cushioned sofas could be used as beds. consequently, she could carry four passengers with comparative comfort, and, in emergencies, another could sleep on the table when the sea was smooth, or under it in rough weather. the captain was a jolly englishman, who gave a hearty greeting to the american strangers, and before they had been ten minutes on board they felt quite at home. their heavy baggage was sent below, and there was plenty of room under the bunks in the cabin for stowing all the articles they needed on the voyage. the _danube_ moved from her anchorage and turned her prow down the river. "hurrah!" shouted frank, "now we are off for siam." fred joined his cousin in raising a cheer. "don't be in too great a hurry," said captain clanchy, "we are not off yet. we are to go along-side that chinese junk you see just at the bend of the river, and will take some cargo from her. we shall probably be two or three hours about it, and then we will be off for siam." frank's face fell at this intelligence, but only for a moment. "we shall have an opportunity of seeing a junk and going on board of it," he remarked, "and that will repay us a dozen times over for the delay." fred was equally happy at the prospect, and both the boys were impatient to be on the deck of the strange craft. [illustration: a chinese junk.] in a little while their wishes were gratified, and they were able to step from the _danube_ to the great junk. before they did so fred suggested that he had just thought why these chinese ships were called junks. "why is it?" frank asked. "because," was the reply, "you can see from the shape of them how they are built. the chinese make a ship a mile or two long, and when they want one they cut off a junk, or chunk, just as you like to spell it. then they stick masts into it, and it is ready to sail away. it is square at both ends, and resembles a chunk out of a log more than anything else." there was a laugh all around at fred's humorous description of the chinese process of shipbuilding, and by the time the joke had ceased to amuse they were ready to go over the side. captain clanchy accompanied them, and pointed out several objects of interest that otherwise might have escaped their attention. "you observe," said the captain, "that the deck of the junk is lumbered up with all sorts of stuff. how the men manage to get around is a mystery, and it is a wonder that they can keep the craft on her course with everything in such confusion." the boys were equally puzzled, and thought there must be a good many junks lost every year. the captain said such was the case; but, on the other hand, there was such a great number of these craft that a few more or less made no perceptible difference. "except to the owners and the men that are lost with the junks," remarked the doctor. "it must be a very serious affair to them." "sometimes these junks last to a great age," the captain continued. "there are junks now navigating the china seas that are more than a hundred years old; at least so i am informed." "how long have the chinese had this model for their ships?" frank asked of the captain. "nobody knows how long," was the reply. "we are ignorant of the early history of china, and can only guess at many things. but we have reason to believe that the chinese were the first people that ever built ships to be propelled by the force of the wind alone. they began with the model they now have, and have stuck to it ever since." "where is the captain of this junk?" fred asked. "i would like to see him." "she has probably half a dozen captains," clanchy replied; "perhaps a dozen." "a dozen captains! how can that be?" "they build these junks in compartments," said the doctor, in response to fred's inquiry, "and each compartment has a captain." [illustration: outline of modern ship, showing compartments.] "i thought the plan of building ships in compartments was of modern invention, and had only been applied to ocean steamers in the last thirty years. seems to me i heard so," frank remarked. "in one sense you are right," the doctor answered; "it is only about thirty years ago that the english and american ship-builders began the adoption of this principle. nearly all the great steamers now navigating the atlantic ocean are divided into compartments--generally five or six; and even should two of these spaces become filled with water from any accident, the ship will continue to float. several steamers have been saved after collision with icebergs, or with other ships, by reason of being thus constructed. had they been of the old model, they would have infallibly gone to the bottom. "but the chinese are ahead of us, as they have built their ships in this way for centuries. six hundred years ago marco polo visited the east, and on his return wrote a book about the country and people. he describes the compartment ships that the chinese built at that time, and explains their advantages. the wonder is that it took the european builders so long to copy the idea. not till well into this century was it adopted." "but how about the half-dozen captains?" fred asked. "why should a ship like this have so many, when the _great eastern_ or the _city of chester_ can get along with one?" "the way of it is," said captain clanchy, "that the junk has a lot of compartments--anyway from six to a dozen--and each compartment is let out to a merchant. he is captain of that compartment and all it contains; and if there are ten compartments, he is one-tenth captain of the whole. the crew is under a chief who gets his orders from the merchants, and they have a great deal to say as to how the junk shall sail. sometimes they want her to go to half a dozen places at once, and in as many directions, and not infrequently they get into frightful rows about it. don't understand me to say that this is always the case, or anything like it, as a good many of their junks are managed pretty much as an english ship would be. we will see how the matter stands on this one." a little inquiry revealed the fact that there were two men on board equally interested in the cargo, and with equal authority over the movements of the junk. but they were evidently working in perfect harmony, and so there was no chance that the strangers would be compelled to witness a row among the commanders. [illustration: a junk sailor at breakfast.] the boys found the deck of the junk covered with a very complex arrangement of ropes, windlasses, tubs, and baskets. some of the crew were sitting around waiting for orders, and others were at breakfast. as soon as the _danube_ was made fast along-side, they were set at work to remove the cargo from one of the compartments and transfer it to the steamer. the steamer's crew assisted in the work, and in a little while it was accomplished. during this time the great sail of matting was flapping against the mast, and the ropes were swinging as though they would become hopelessly entangled. but no accident happened; and when the _danube_ had moved away, the sails were run up and the junk began to push slowly through the water. this gave the boys an opportunity to see her general shape and mode of construction. they found that she was built of heavy planking, and that many of the planks retained the shape of the tree from which they were taken. these planks, as they were told, were fastened together by wooden tree-nails; in fact, there was very little metal about the fastenings; and, as a further security, there were a good many lashings of ropes to hold the outside timbers to the frame. the stern rose high out of water, and was cut off square, and the same was the case with the bow. the funniest thing was a pair of great staring eyes, to enable the ship to see her way, and to frighten off the demons that infest the waters and have a particular hostility to sailors. every boat and ship of chinese construction is provided with eyes, and the larger the eye the better the craft can take care of herself. [illustration: chinese river boat.] the junk in question had three masts, and there was a gay assortment of flags and streamers flying from them. the mat sails were held up by a great many ropes--there being a rope to each section where the bamboo poles ran across. there was a great advantage in this arrangement, as it enabled the sailors to shorten sail in case of an increasing wind by simply lowering it till one of the sections could be taken in. and when they wish to furl the sail altogether, they have only to let go and the whole thing comes "down with a run." the construction of the sails can be better understood by reference to the picture here presented of a boat such as the chinese use for river navigation. as the _danube_ steamed on down the river and out to sea the conversation between the boys and doctor bronson turned very naturally upon ships and their peculiarities. [illustration: ship of the fourteenth century.] "the difference between us and the chinese in the matter of ships is that we have progressed, while they have remained stationary. their junks are of the same pattern as they were a thousand years ago, while we are making changes every year. look at a picture of a european ship of the fourteenth century, and see how closely it resembles a chinese junk. both the bow and stern are very far out of water, and the arrangement of the sails is quite chinese in its character. about the year 1520 the english built a war ship which they called the _the great harry_, and it was considered a wonderful specimen of naval architecture. who would venture to sail in her now, and how long would it take a war steamer of 1880 to send her to the bottom? compare _the great harry_ with the _tennessee_, which is one of the recent american ships, and observe the progress that has been made in three centuries and a half. the bow and stern have been brought to a level, and the shape of the hull is such that the ship glides through the water instead of ploughing over it. navigators have found that the ship that makes the least 'fuss' while in motion is the best, and they have devoted a great deal of study to finding the proper shape for the least resistance." [illustration: "the great harry."] "yes," remarked captain clanchy, who was standing near, "and it took them a long time to find that the shape of the stern of a ship was almost as important as that of her bow, in regulating her speed. a square stern makes a great boiling and depression in the water, while a long tapering stern allows the water to close silently and with the least possible resistance. you can easily illustrate what i mean by taking a stick of wood that is square at both ends, and tying a string to it so as to drag it endwise in the water. you find that it moves easier when the forward end is sharpened than when both ends are blunt, and then if you sharpen both of them you find it moves still more easily. this is what the naval architects were a long time discovering, and the most of them are wondering why they did not think of it before." [illustration: the "tennessee."] "then, too," said doctor bronson, "it was found that by lengthening a ship of the old model a great deal was gained. this has been done in the last ten or fifteen years, and many of the steamers now running between new york and england have been lengthened in this way. they have not been built on at either end, but have been cut in two in the centre, and had a new section built in. a ship to be lengthened would be placed on the ways, and then cut open in the middle. if she was to be extended a hundred feet, the two ends would be drawn apart for that distance, and then the space would be filled up. she might be two hundred feet long when taken on the ways, and without any change of bow or stern her length would be increased to three hundred feet. with this addition to her tonnage she is much more valuable than before, and her original speed can be maintained with only a small addition to her power. then there have recently been great improvements in the construction of engines; and i think it safe to say that what with changes in length, engines, and some other things, a ship of a given number of tons can be run for half the expense that was required twenty years ago. steam navigation is now so economical that it is rapidly driving sailing vessels from the ocean. the number of sailing ships on long voyages is diminishing every year, and that of steamers is increasing." "what is the greatest speed that steamers can make nowadays, with all these improvements?" frank asked. "there is much dispute," doctor bronson replied, "over the performances of ships at sea, and it is not at all easy to get at the actual facts. take the great steam lines between new york and liverpool, and there are two or three of them that claim to have done better than any of their rivals. the managers of the white star line can show that their ships have made the voyage quicker than the inman steamers, and the inman managers can as readily prove that their ships have surpassed all others. there are several steamers afloat that have made more than four hundred miles in twenty-four hours, but they can only do it when all the circumstances are favorable. there are many men who believe that steamers will be built before the end of this century that will make five hundred miles in a day, and if we judge of the future by the past, i see no reason to doubt that the feat will be accomplished. we may yet come to the speed of a railway train on the water, and more than one inventor believes that he can do so. the prediction that we will yet cross the atlantic in three days is no wilder than would have been the prediction, at the beginning of this century, that we could travel on land or sea at our present rate, and that intelligence could be flashed along a wire in a few seconds of time from one end of the world to the other. the railway, the ocean steamer, the telegraph, the telephone, and many other things that seem almost commonplace to us, would have been regarded as the emanations of a crazy brain a hundred years ago." "perhaps," said fred, "the year 3000 may find us travelling in the air as freely as we now travel on land." [illustration: the public highway of the future.] "not at all impossible," the doctor answered. "we, or our descendants, may be able to go through the air at will, and show the birds that we can do as much as they can. not long ago i was reading a sketch which was supposed to be written a thousand years hence. the writer describes his travels, and gives a picture of the public highway. an omnibus supported by balloons, and drawn by a pair of them--harnessed as we would harness horses--is represented on its way through the air. the driver is on his box and the conductor at the door, while the passengers are looking out of the windows. a bird, who has doubtless become thoroughly familiar with the aërial craft, has seized the hat of a passenger and flies away with it, and the victim of the theft is vainly stretching his hands towards his property. balloons are sailing through the air, and in one a man is seated, who is evidently out for a day's sport. he has a rod and line, and is industriously occupied in birding, just as one might engage in fishing from the side of a boat. a string of birds hangs from the seat of his conveyance, and he is in the act of taking a fresh prize at the end of his line. [illustration: the bomb ferry.] "there is another picture representing the ferry of the future. it consists of an enormous mortar, from which a couple of bombs have been fired; they are connected by a chain, and each bomb is large enough to contain several persons. the passengers are supposed to be quite comfortable, and to be whizzed through the air at the speed of a cannon-shot." "but, of course, such a thing is impossible," said fred; "nobody could stand it to be shot through a tube at that rate." "but something very much like it has been proposed in all seriousness; a few years ago an inventor in new york had a scheme for a line of tube four or five feet in diameter, and extending to the principal cities of the land. his cars were to consist of hollow globes or spheres, and they were to be propelled at a very rapid rate by exhausting the air in front of them. his plan was regarded as quite visionary, but it is not at all impossible that it may yet come into use. small pneumatic tubes are in successful operation for the transmission of letters and little parcels; and in london there is a tube four feet in diameter from the general post-office to a railway station more than two miles away. the mail-bags are transported through this tube, and on several occasions men have taken their places in the carriages and enjoyed the sensation of this novel mode of travel." [illustration: moonlight at sea in the tropics.] the steamer held her tortuous way down the mekong, and at length she passed the light-house and went out to sea. the weather was delightful, though a trifle warm, and the three passengers found the cabin oppressive at times on account of the closeness of the atmosphere. a good deal of their time was passed on deck both by day and by night, and, as the moon was then at the full, the night on deck was thoroughly enjoyable. occasionally they were joined by the captain, and, as he possessed a good fund of marine stories, the boys picked up a great deal of information of a varied character. as they were bound for siam, they overhauled their trunks for all the books they possessed on that country, and happily they found several volumes in the captain's library that were of use to them. among them was the account of marco polo and his travels in the east. what our friends found in the work in question we will reserve for the next chapter. [illustration: a story of the sea.] chapter vii. the wonderful story of marco polo. [illustration: marco polo.] "what do you make out of marco polo's book?" said the doctor to the boys, after they had devoted a sufficient time to its perusal. "we find it very interesting," frank replied. "the style is quaint, and the information it contains is curious. evidently it is a true story, and the man must have actually gone over the ground he describes, or it would never be so accurate." "it is some time since i read it," responded doctor bronson, "and perhaps you had best tell me about it. by so doing you will refresh my memory, and at the same time fix the information in your own minds." thus encouraged, the boys proceeded to tell the story of marco polo to doctor bronson, just as though he had never heard it. the doctor was a patient listener, and both frank and fred showed, by the completeness of their account, that they had thoroughly read the book. "to begin with," said frank, "marco polo was a venetian adventurer. his father was named nicolo polo, and he--marco--had an uncle named maffeo. marco was born in the year 1254, and six years later his father and uncle started on a journey to constantinople and the southern part of russia. they were merchants, and their business carried them into central asia, and then to cathay, where they spent some time with the khan, or emperor, of that country." "and what is cathay?" said dr. bronson, with a smile. "cathay is the ancient name for china," fred answered, "and even to-day it is sometimes called so. do you remember how tennyson, in one of his poems, says, "'better fifty years of europe than a cycle of cathay;' "and i am sure you once told me that the russian name of china is 'kitie,' with the accent on the last syllable. that is pretty near the sound of cathay, and undoubtedly came from it." "quite correct," the doctor responded; "you have a good memory both for facts and poetry." "kublai-khan, the emperor of cathay," frank continued, "had never before seen a gentleman from europe. he was delighted with the venetians, and greatly interested in the stories they told him about europe and its countries and customs. how long they remained there we do not know, but it is certain that the emperor, kublai-khan, determined to send them as ambassadors to the pope, who was then the greatest monarch of europe. accordingly, he wrote letters to the pope asking him to send a large number of educated missionaries to cathay to convert the people to christianity. these he intrusted to the two polos, and sent with them an officer of his own court. [illustration: the great khan delivering a tablet to the elder polo brothers. (from a miniature of the fourteenth century.)] "before they started on their mission he gave them a golden tablet, upon which there was inscribed an order for them to receive everything they might desire for their comfort and convenience in the countries through which they might pass; and his last order to them was 'to bring back to him some oil of the lamp which burns on the sepulchre of our lord at jerusalem.' on the road the tartar prince who accompanied them fell sick, and they were obliged to leave him behind. if the truth were known, it is quite probable he did not wish to make the journey, and was glad of an excuse for avoiding it. [illustration: arms of the polo family.] "in 1269 the brothel's arrived at acre, in palestine, and found that the pope, clement iv., had died the year before, and no new one had been chosen. so they went to venice to see how matters stood in that city, and to get some news of their families. nicolo found that his wife had died during his absence, and his son marco was a fine youth of fifteen years. "they waited at venice for two years; but the college of cardinals could not agree on a new pope, and consequently the church was without any head to whom they could deliver their letters. fearing that the great khan would be displeased at their long absence, and believe them faithless to their trust, they determined to return to him and explain the state of affairs. accordingly, they started in 1271, taking young marco with them, and in due time were once more at acre. before they left the coast for the interior, they learned that a new pope had been chosen. the man on whom the choice fell was then in syria, and so they were able to carry out the khan's commission, and get a reply. but he was only able to give them two priests to accompany them to cathay, and these soon found a reason for declining to go to the strange land. so the three polos set out alone for the dominions of the great khan. [illustration: nicolo polo, father of marco.] "with the letters, presents from the pope to the khan, and the holy oil from jerusalem, they took the route by sivas, mosul, and bagdad to hormuz, where they turned north and went through bokhara, persia, and by way of kashgar, yarkand, and khoten. then they went to the desert of gobi, and, after crossing it, reached the territories of the khan near the great wall of china. they had been three years and a half on the journey, and the date of their arrival at the khan's court is supposed to be 1275. "the khan was greatly pleased to see them, and he was especially delighted with young marco, to whom he seemed to take very kindly. marco, in his turn, sought to win the favor of the emperor by making himself as useful as possible; he studied the oriental languages, and in a little while he could speak and write no less than four of them. "the emperor soon began to employ him in the public service, and he acquitted himself so well that he was sent in charge of missions to distant countries. his first mission was to the province of yunnan, and in going there he was obliged to pass through several other provinces. he had noticed, during his stay at court, that the emperor was very fond of hearing about strange countries and their manners and customs, and so he took good care to bring back as much information as possible. the khan complimented him for his learning, and found him a great contrast to the commissioners, who could never tell anything except the business on which they had gone. "we don't know much about the details of his employment while he was at the court of the emperor," said frank, "but we are told that he was for three years governor of the great city of yangtchoo; and we also learn that he was in tangut for a year or more, and that he went on missions to mongolia, to cochin china, and other regions, and commanded expeditions to the indian seas. what his father and uncle were doing all this time we do not know, except that the evidence shows they were making themselves rich. perhaps they were able to obtain good contracts through the influence of marco; and if they could get a monopoly of government contracts for a few years, they would have no difficulty in piling up a large fortune. "thus they remained at the court of the khan for eleven years, and by-and-by they wanted to go home and enjoy their wealth. but the khan would not listen to it, and perhaps they would never have been heard of again if it had not been for an accident. "arghun-khan of persia, a great-nephew of kublai-khan, had lost his wife, and her dying injunction was that her place should be filled by a lady of her own kin--the mongol tribe of bayaut. an embassy came to kublai's court with the request, and the choice fell on lady kukachin, who is described as a most beautiful woman. the overland road to persia was considered dangerous, and it was determined to send her by sea. accordingly, the khan fitted out an expedition in fine style, and, as the venetians were well acquainted with navigation, while the tartars were ignorant of it, the khan concluded to send the polos with the fleet. he was reluctant to let them go; but having once determined to do so, he gave them a great many fine presents, and intrusted them with messages to the various sovereigns of europe, including the king of england. they appear to have sailed from the port of zayton in the early part of 1292. the voyage was long and unfortunate, and the greater part of the embassy and suite perished on the way. the lady and the three venetians arrived safely in persia, where it was found that her intended husband had died, and so she was compelled to marry his son. [illustration: portrait of kublai-khan. (from a chinese engraving.)] "as soon as their mission had ended, the polos proceeded to venice, which they reached in the year 1295. their long absence had caused them to be well-nigh forgotten, and very few people could be found who remembered anything about the polos. they had changed much in their complexions, had almost forgotten their own language; all their utterances had a decidedly tartar accent; and they were so travel-stained and shabby that they had difficulty in being received in their own house, which was now occupied by relatives. "in order to establish their identity, the wanderers invited their relatives to a grand banquet. when the time came for sitting down at table, the three appeared in robes of crimson satin; a little later they exchanged these for robes of crimson damask, and these again for the richest velvet of the same color. afterwards they dressed in clothing like that of the rest of the company, and each of the crimson robes, as soon as it was laid aside, was cut up and given to the servants. "just as the dinner was breaking up, marco rose from the table and retired for a moment. when he returned, he brought the shabby dresses they had worn on their arrival, and the three polos then went to work with knives to rip open these apparently worthless garments. as they cut away the seams, showers of great diamonds of the purest water, and also emeralds, pearls, rubies, sapphires, and carbuncles, fell on the table. "there could be no further doubt about the relationship; everybody at table was ready to swear that he was father, son, and brother all at once to any of the trio. relatives poured in on them in great numbers, and all venice rushed to do them honor. they were appointed to offices of high trust, and the young men of venice came to hear marco tell of the wonders he had seen in his long absence. they were the most popular men in the city, and received more invitations to dinner than they could accept. "there is a tradition that the wife of one of the polos one day gave a beggar an old coat belonging to her husband, as she considered it too shabby for him to wear any longer. when he asked for it the next day, in order to put away the jewels it contained, she told him she had given it to a poor man whom she did not know. the tradition says, 'he went to the bridge of rialto, and stood there turning a wheel, to no apparent purpose, but as if he were a madman; and to all who crowded around to see what prank was this, and asked him why he did it, he answered, "he'll come, if god pleases." so, after two or three days, he recognized his old coat on the back of one of those who came to stare at his mad proceeding, and got it back again. [illustration: marco polo's galley in battle.] "soon after his return, an expedition was sent from venice against genoa, and marco was placed in command of one of the ships or galleys. a great battle was fought; the venetians were defeated; marco was captured, placed in irons, and lodged in a prison at genoa. while in captivity, he told the story of his travels to a fellow-prisoner named rusticiano or rustichello, of pisa, and the latter committed it to writing. it was fortunate for us, though not so for him, that marco polo was in prison, as otherwise we might never have had an account of his travels. after his release, he led a quiet life at venice, and seems to have died not far from the year 1325. he was buried in the church of san lorenzo; but all trace of his tomb was lost when that edifice was rebuilt. "now it is fred's turn," said frank; "i have told the history of marco polo, and shown why and how he went to the east; fred will give you an account of what the great traveller saw in his absence from europe of nearly twenty years." fred drew his note-book from his pocket and proceeded to his share of the entertainment. "marco polo's work," said fred, "consists of four divisions or books and a prologue. the prologue opens as follows: "'great princes, emperors, and kings, dukes and marquises, counts, knights, and burgesses, and people of all degrees, who desire to get knowledge of the various races of mankind, and of the diversities of the sundry regions of the world, take this book and cause it to be read to you. for ye shall find therein all kinds of wonderful things, and the divers histories of the great hermenia, and of persia, and of the land of the tartars, and of india, and of many another country of which our book doth speak particularly, and in regular succession, according to the description of messer marco polo, a wise and noble citizen of venice, as he saw them with his own eyes. some things, indeed, there be therein which he beheld not; but these he heard from men of credit and veracity. and we shall set down things seen as seen, and things heard as heard only, so that no jot of falsehood may mar the truth of our book; and that all who read it or hear it read may put full faith in the truth of all its contents.' "it is hardly worth while to read the whole prologue to you," fred remarked, "as it is long, and we can only give a general glance at the contents of the whole work. a great many editions of the travels of marco polo have been published; the most valuable of all is the latest, which is by colonel yule, an english officer who spent a long time in india. he has made a careful study of the subject, and his work, with explanatory notes, is as complete as years of labor could make it. indeed, there are more pages taken up with the explanatory notes than with the original text of marco polo. "the four divisions or books give an account of the various countries he visited in his years of wandering, and of the wonderful sights he beheld. the route he followed can be traced by geographers without difficulty, and the cities he visited have most of them been identified. many have had their names changed, and some have disappeared altogether, so that in a few instances the localities are in dispute. but, taken as a whole, the story is a truthful one, and shows marco polo to have been the greatest traveller of his time. "some of the stories that seem at first to be the wildest fiction are known to be founded in fact, if not literally correct. in speaking of syria, he says: 'there is a great lake at the foot of a mountain, and in this lake are found no fish, great or small, throughout the whole year till lent comes. on the first day of lent they find in it the finest fish in the world, and great store, too, thereof; and these continue to be found till easter-eve. after that they are found no more till lent comes round again; and so 'tis every year.' "colonel yule is unable to locate the particular lake mentioned, but says there are several lakes in different parts of the east that are deserted by the fish for certain periods of the year. it would not be at all strange if such were the case, and a very little exaggeration of the story would make the fish appear in lent, and go away at other times. [illustration: alau shuts up the caliph of baudas in his treasure-tower.] "while describing baudas--the modern bagdad--he tells how an army, under prince alau, captured the city, and found the greatest accumulation of treasure that ever was known. the prince was enraged at seeing so much wealth, and asked the caliph why he did not take the money to hire soldiers to defend the city. 'the caliph,' says marco, 'wist not what to answer, and said never a word. so the prince continued, "now then, caliph, since i see what a love thou hast borne thy treasure, i will e'en give it thee to eat." so he shut the caliph up in the treasure-tower, and bade that neither meat nor drink should be given him, saying, "now, caliph, eat of thy treasure as much as thou wilt, since thou art so fond of it, for never shalt thou have aught else to eat!"' "so the caliph lingered four days in the tower, and then died. the story has been used by several poets both in england and america, and it has been made the basis of an eastern romance. "some of the more fanciful stories he tells are about the men of lambri, and of angamanain. here is what he says of the former: "'now you must know that in this kingdom of lambri there are men with tails; these tails are of a palm in length, and have no hair on them. these people live in the mountains, and are a kind of wild men. their tails are about the thickness of a dog's. there are also plenty of unicorns in the country, and abundance of game in birds and beasts.' "the story is not very definite," frank suggested, "as there is a great difference in the size of dogs' tails. the range from a terrier or pug to a mastiff or a siberian blood-hound is pretty wide. it reminds me of the stone thrown at a man, that was described by a witness as about the size of a piece of chalk." "by the island of angamanain," fred continued, "polo probably meant the andaman islands. here is what he says of them: [illustration: dog-headed men of angamanain.] "'the people are without a king, and are idolaters, and no better than wild beasts. and i assure you that all the men of this island of angamanain have heads like dogs, and teeth and eyes likewise! in fact, in the face they are just like big mastiff dogs! they have a quantity of spices; but they are a most cruel generation, and eat everybody they can catch, if not of their own race. they live on flesh and rice and milk, and have fruits different from ours.' "now, the fact is," fred explained, "that the natives of the andaman islands have a bad reputation. down to the present time they have been repeatedly charged with murdering the crews of ships that were wrecked there; and it is only recently that their cannibalism has been denied. they are very black, and not at all handsome in face or figure; and out of these facts i suppose the story came that they had heads like dogs. "he describes a fountain in the kingdom of mosul, 'from which oil springs in great abundance, insomuch that a hundred ship loads might be taken from it at one time. this oil is not good to use with food, but 'tis good to burn, and is also used to anoint camels that have the mange.' evidently they had petroleum in asia six hundred years ago, as we have it in america to-day, and thought we had made a new discovery. "he speaks of oxen 'that are all over white as snow, and very large and handsome. when they are to be loaded they kneel like the camel; once the load is adjusted, they rise. then there are sheep as big as asses; and their tails are so large and fat that one tail shall weigh more than thirty pounds. they are fine fat beasts, and afford capital mutton.' these fat-tailed sheep are known in asia and africa, and the weight he gives is said not to be excessive. "in one place there is an account of the posting system of the great khan of tartary, which seems to have been more perfect than the posting system of europe at the same date. from kambaluc, the capital--now known as peking--the roads branched in all directions, and 'each road,' says marco, 'is known by the name of the province to which it leads. and the messengers of the emperor, in travelling from kambaluc, be the road whichsoever they will, find at every twenty-five miles of the journey a station which they call _yamb_, or, as we would say, the post-horse-house. and at each of those stations used by the messengers there is a large and handsome building for them to put up at, in which they find all the rooms furnished with fine beds, and all other necessary articles in rich silk, and where they are provided with everything they can want. if even a king were to arrive at one of these, he would find himself well lodged. at some of these stations there shall be posted more than 400 horses, standing ready for the use of messengers; and at some 200, according to the requirements.... there are more than 300,000 kept at all these posts, and more than 10,000 great buildings for the use of messengers.'" "how much china has declined since the days of marco polo," frank remarked. "the great buildings and the silk beds do not exist; and as for the horses, we were unable to find them at the posting-stations, or even to find any stations where they might be kept." fred took breath during this interruption, and then went on with the story of what marco polo claimed to have seen. [illustration: mediæval tartar huts and wagons.] "'the houses of the tartars,' says marco, 'are made of wands covered with felt. these are carried along with them whithersoever they go. they also have wagons covered with black felt so efficaciously that no rain can get in. these are drawn by oxen and camels, and the women and children travel in them. they eat all kinds of flesh, including horses and dogs and pharaoh's rats. their drink is mares' milk.' this account is confirmed by other writers; and the houses of the tartars are made to-day as polo describes, though they are not drawn about on wheels. one ancient writer says that he measured one of the tartar wagons, and found that the wheels were twenty feet apart, and it was drawn by twenty-two oxen, eleven abreast. [illustration: the roc, from a persian drawing.] "he has a good deal to say," fred continued, "about the famous bird known as the roc, or rukh. he does not claim to have seen one of these birds, but was informed by persons who had done so. according to his account, 'it was for all the world like an eagle, but one, indeed, of enormous size; so big, in fact, that its wings covered an extent of thirty paces, and its quills were twelve paces long, and thick in proportion; and it is so strong that it will seize an elephant in its talons and carry him up in the air and drop him, so that he is smashed to pieces; having so killed him, the bird swoops down on him and eats him at leisure.' [illustration: roc's egg, now in the british museum.] "in a note explaining this story, colonel yule says there was once a bird in madagascar, where polo places the roc, that was much larger than any known bird of the present day. its eggs have been found in a fossil state, and one of them is preserved in the british museum. it measures thirteen and a quarter by six and a half inches (length and width), and the capacity of the shell is nearly three and a half gallons. it was undoubtedly from this bird that the fable of the roc arose." frank ventured to ask fred if he had found from marco polo's book what kind of money was used in china at the time he visited that country. [illustration: chinese bank-note of the ming dynasty.] "i am just coming to that," fred answered. "polo says that the great emperor, kublai-khan, was a wonderful man. 'he transformed the bark of the mulberry-tree into something resembling sheets of paper, and these into money, which cost him nothing at all, so that you might say he had the secret of alchemy to perfection. and these pieces of paper he made to pass current universally, over all his kingdoms and provinces and territories, and whithersoever his sovereignty extended; and nobody, however important he thought himself, dared to refuse them on pain of death." "history repeats itself," said doctor bronson; "for many a modern government has made the same laws in order to compel the circulation of its promises to pay." "and with the same result," fred responded; "for we learn farther on from marco polo that, in spite of the death penalty, the legal-tender issue of the great khan was only worth half its nominal value in silver; and the more money he issued, the greater was the depreciation. but the khan was not the inventor of paper-money, for it was known at least four centuries before his time. its origin is disputed, but the probabilities are that it came from the east. "some of the stories that are told about supernatural appearances are very interesting," continued fred. "in the desert of gobi, polo says that the traveller who lags behind his party at night will hear spirits talking, and will suppose them to be his comrades. sometimes the spirits will call him by name, and thus shall a traveller oft-times be led astray, so that he never finds his party; and in this way many have perished. and sometimes you shall hear the sound of a variety of musical instruments, and still more commonly the sound of drums. "he says, in another place, 'when the great khan, seated on a platform some eight cubits above the pavement, desires to drink, cups filled with wine are moved from a buffet in the centre of the hall, a distance of ten paces, and present themselves to the emperor without being touched by anybody.' [illustration: chinese conjuring extraordinary.] "polo describes other magical performances, some of which are partially explained by colonel yule. another traveller relates that a juggler performed some remarkable tricks in his presence; and among them is the following: 'he took a wooden ball with several holes in it, through which loose thongs were passed, and, laying hold of one of these, slung it into the air. it went so high that we lost sight of it altogether. there now remained only a little of the end of a thong in the conjurer's hand, and he desired one of the boys who assisted him to lay hold of it and mount. he did so, climbing by the thong, and we lost sight of him! the conjurer then called to him three times; but getting no answer, he snatched up a knife as if in a great rage, laid hold of the thong, and disappeared also. by-and-by he threw down one of the boy's hands; then a foot; then the other hand, and then the other foot; then the trunk; and, last of all, the head. then he came down himself, all puffing and panting, and, with his clothes all bloody, kissed the ground, and said something in chinese. then he took the lad's limbs, laid them together, gave a kick, when, presto! there was the boy, who got up and stood before us.'" "the indian jugglers are said to do the same trick, or one very much like it," said doctor bronson. "i have read a description of one of their performances, in which they took a long chain and threw one end of it in the air, where it remained as if fastened to something. a dog was then brought forward, and ran up the chain and disappeared in the air. in the same way a hog, a panther, a lion, and a tiger were sent up the chain one after the other, and all disappeared at its upper end. finally they took down the chain, rolled it up and put it in a bag, no one being able to discover how the trick was performed." "we must come to a stop now," said fred, "though we haven't heard a tenth part of the strange things in marco polo's story of his travels. his account of the court of kublai-khan would take a long time to tell, and perhaps you would get tired of it before i came to the end. so, if you want to know more, you must do as i have done--read for yourself." the interesting session of the party over the travels of the famous venetian were brought to a close. the doctor complimented the boys on the excellent work they had done in making a condensed account of the book, and said he was so pleased with them that he would give them a similar piece of employment whenever the opportunity occurred. "it is a capital way," said fred, "to fix in mind what we have read. i find that i read with greater care when i know i must make a summary of a book than if i am to throw it down when through and think no more of it. i'm very glad we had to go through marco polo's history in this way." "and i too," frank added. "but it is what we used to dislike so much at school." "what was that?" fred asked. "why, writing compositions, to be sure," frank responded. "don't you remember how we used to detest it?" "of course i do," was the answer; "but we always did it without an object. the teacher told us to write something about 'spring,' or 'the beauties of nature,' or some other subject that was not at all definite. now if he had given us an interesting book to read, and said he wanted us to do with it as we have done with this, we should have 'written a composition' with some relish." "it will be eight bells soon," the captain interrupted, "and if you want to see me take the sun you had better come forward." [illustration: captain clanchy at work.] the boys had familiarized themselves with the process of finding a ship's position; but anything at sea that varies the monotony is always welcome. so they went forward with captain clanchy, and stood by the rail till that brief performance was ended. then they retired to the cabin, and watched the operation of working up the steamer's position; and by the time this was over, the steward announced that dinner was ready. [illustration: come to dinner!] chapter viii. arrival in siam.--first day in bangkok. the boys found a novel way of taking fresh-water baths during their voyage from saigon to bangkok. nearly every day there was a heavy shower of rain, and sometimes two or three showers in the course of twenty-four hours. the rain came literally in torrents; it poured as though great gates had been suddenly opened in the sky, to allow the passage of the water by dozens of barrels at a time. neither frank nor fred had ever seen the rain fall so fast; the doctor assured them that showers of this kind were very common in the tropics, especially during the change of the monsoons. [illustration: a natural shower-bath.] whenever the clouds indicated a coming shower, the boys generally went to the cabin and soon appeared in their bathing-suits. covering their heads with straw hats, to protect them from the pelting of the great drops, they would sit in the rain and enjoy the luxury of the earliest form of shower-bath ever known. one night, when they were sleeping on deck, they were suddenly awakened by the pouring of the rain in their faces, and, before they could gather their clothing and escape to shelter, they were treated to a bath they had not bargained for. it is one of the inconveniences of sleeping on deck in the tropics that you are liable to have your slumbers disturbed in this way, just as you are dreaming of pleasant things, and in no mood for waking. though they were not in sight of land, our friends realized that they were in a comparatively small body of water, and not in the open ocean. the swell and heaving of the atlantic and pacific waves were altogether absent; though the steamer was a diminutive one in comparison with the great ships on which they had travelled hitherto, she rolled and pitched very little, and sometimes her motion was as steady as though she was navigating a river. the gulf of siam does not occupy a large place on the map, and for a great part of the year it is as peaceful as a lake. the captain told them that it was rarely disturbed by typhoons or severe gales, and was about five hundred miles long by two hundred and fifty in width. [illustration: flying-fish.] porpoises and flying-fish appeared occasionally, and their lively leaps from the water were a source of much amusement to the youths. the first indication of their approach to the coast of siam was the appearance of a dark line on the northern horizon. as they steamed on, this line developed into a fringe of tropical trees; but before they could make anything more of it than the merest fringe, the steamer came to anchor. as they were still a long way from land, the boys could not understand the reason for stopping, and fred ventured to ask the captain why they did not go on. "the principal reason," the captain answered, "is because we can't. the approach to the river is very shallow, and our steamer cannot cross the bar till high-tide. we must wait here till the tide serves, and we have a pilot to take us in." the pilot came to the ship soon after they anchored, and in a few hours he announced that it was time to move on. the anchor was lifted, and the _danube_ steamed slowly onward towards the shore. very soon it was apparent to the boys that the waters along this part of the coast were very shallow, as the steamer stirred the mud from the bottom and left a dirty streak behind her. the bar at the mouth of the menam prevents the passage of large ships, and there was a fleet of half a dozen or more lying outside and receiving their cargo from lighters. vessels drawing less than fifteen feet can go up without difficulty; and once they have passed the bar, there is no trouble in proceeding on to bangkok. "i wonder if that is bangkok?" said fred, as he pointed to a conical tower that rose just ahead of them, and apparently a short distance above the mouth of the river. "oh no," the captain replied, "that is not bangkok at all. the city is thirty miles up the river, and what you see now is paknam. we shall stop in front of it to get the permit from the custom-house to allow us to proceed up the river. [illustration: view near paknam.] "the tower that you see is a temple on a small island opposite paknam. it is used on festival days, and once in awhile the king comes down here to worship. on such occasions they have boat-races, and a good time generally; some of the boats are rowed entirely by girls, and the sport is very exciting." a boat came from the custom-house, and an officer mounted to the deck of the steamer. his visit was a brief one, as the _danube_ was a regular visitor at the port, and did not require any unusual formalities. after a short delay, the steamer moved on under charge of the pilot, though the captain remained on the bridge and kept a sharp watch over the movements of his vessel. it is a curious feature of maritime law that when a ship is in charge of a pilot her captain's authority ceases; but in case of accident he comes in for a liberal share of censure. the boys found that the menam was as crooked as the mekong, and not unlike the latter in its general features. the channel appeared to be free of sand-bars or other impediments to navigation, though some of the bends of the stream were rather short for a large ship to turn in with ease. at one place there was a channel or canal that saved a great distance for small boats; but it was impracticable for the _danube_, which was obliged to follow the winding of the river. a little tow-boat entered this canal just as they passed the entrance; she steamed leisurely through, and as the _danube_ rounded the bend frank discovered that the tow-boat was several miles ahead of them. [illustration: native hut on the menam river.] the river was full of native boats, some going in one direction and some in another. now and then a house was visible in the dense foliage, and there was an occasional cluster of dwellings large enough to be called a village. many of the houses were built so that a platform in front overhung the water; and the whole structure was on piles, in order to form a refuge against snakes and wild beasts, and also to secure the inhabitants against being suddenly driven out by an inundation. but what impressed the young travellers more than anything else was the richness of the tropical vegetation along the banks of the river. here were palms in great variety, and many huge trees whose names were unknown to them; and there was a dense growth of underbrush, through which it would be very difficult for a man to penetrate unless armed with a hatchet, and not at all easy even then. many of the trees were covered with creeping and climbing plants, so that not a particle of the surface or foliage of the original tree could be seen, and very often the burden of parasites was so great that the trees had fallen beneath it. "i have read," said frank, "about the vines that destroyed a tree, but have never fairly seen an instance of it till now." "nor i either," fred responded. "look at that fine tree that has been quite broken down by the weight of the plants that cling to it. and observe, too, the bright blossoms that the vine has spread out, as if it was exulting over the destruction it had caused." some of the creeping vines had a scarlet flower of a very gaudy pattern, and it seemed as if it was their season for blooming, as the vines in several instances were completely covered with blossoms. [illustration: a village pathway in siam.] now and then there were little openings in the forest that looked like pathways. the doctor told his young companions that these paths undoubtedly led to villages or single houses that were hid away in the dense foliage. the doctor's belief was confirmed by the glimpse of an occasional figure among the trees, and by dusky faces that contemplated the steadily moving steamer. but it was not all a tropical forest with occasional villages. there were sugar plantations, some of them of considerable extent; and there were rice-fields where dozens and dozens of men were at work. frank contemplated a lot of these laborers with the captain's glass, and remarked that the siamese resembled the chinese so much that it was impossible to distinguish between them. the doctor laughed, and then gave this explanation: "the men that you see are chinese, and not the people of siam. nearly all these rice and sugar plantations employ chinese laborers; and of the five millions of people in siam not less than two millions are chinese. they come here, just as they go to america or to australia, in search of employment; and, though the wages are low, they are quite content. if you could go to every part of siam you would hardly ever be out of sight of the chinese, as they are scattered everywhere through the kingdom. there, now, we will have a good view of some of these laborers." [illustration: chinese field-laborers.] as he spoke, the steamer swung quite close to the bank, where there was a group of laborers evidently just ready to depart for the rice-field. some were squatted, and some were standing; some were fully and some only partially clothed; and all appeared as though they had the good digestion that comes from hard work. it did not need a long study of the assemblage to convince our friends that the men were exactly like those they had seen in canton and hong-kong, and the captain told them that probably every one of the crowd was from the quang-tung province of china. [illustration: general view of bangkok.] they were still in the midst of cocoa and other tropical trees, when the captain told them they were at bangkok. there was a saw-mill and a dock-yard among the trees on one side of the river, and farther on was a large house, with an open space of an acre or more between it and the river. they had reached what may be called the foreign portion of the city; the native part is nearly three miles farther on, and quite concealed by a bend in the stream. we will see what the boys had to say of bangkok in their letters to friends at home. here is what frank wrote: "my dear mother,--we had a charming voyage from saigon to this port. the weather was fine, and we amused ourselves in various ways; one thing we did was to read up the story of marco polo's travels six hundred years ago, and then tell it over to the doctor. sometimes it was so hot that we slept on deck, and when it was raining hard we used to go out in our bathing-suits and have a shower-bath that was simply perfect. we had a picturesque ride up the menam to this city; and we have seen lots of curious things since we landed. "we came ashore with the captain, and he took us at once to the only hotel in the place. it is a funny sort of a hotel, as you have to go out-of-doors to pass from the dining-room to the sleeping-rooms and the parlor, where we sit when we want to rest. the rooms are not more than ten feet square, and i don't think fred's will measure as much as that. i made the remark that you couldn't swing a cat around there; and the landlord said he had no cat, and even if he had one he didn't want to swing her anyway. you ought to see the landlord; he is a german, and as jolly as you could wish. he was formerly a sea-captain, and everybody calls him 'captain salje.' he must weigh pretty nearly three hundred pounds, and when he laughs he shakes all over. he speaks english as well as german, and he also speaks the language of the country and that of java, where he lived a long time. when things don't get along well in the kitchen, he goes in among his servants, and you hear his voice ringing out all over the house. he is a capital landlord, and we like his table better than that of any hotel we have seen since we left san francisco. [illustration: in the foreign part of bangkok.] "the hotel stands on the bank of the river, and you can step from a boat directly to the veranda of the house. the river is the broadway of bangkok, and all the travelling to and fro, or the greater part of it, is done on the water. in this part of bangkok is where the foreigners live, and their houses are scattered along the banks for at least a mile. nobody wants to live where he would be without a front on the river, as it would be just like living off from the street in an american city. the merchants have their warehouses so that goods can be rolled from boats directly inside the doors; but the houses where people live are set back a little, and have a good large yard in front and all around them. they have plenty of trees in the yards, and the houses look very pretty; and as the verandas are wide, there is an abundance of shade. most of the houses are of two stories, and built of stuccoed brick; and a good many of the floors are of brick or stone. wood is not very durable in this climate, as the air is moist and rots it; and, besides, they have certain kinds of insects that eat it full of holes, and make it turn to powder. some woods decay much faster than others, and they have one kind called teak, that the insects never attack. "as i look from the veranda where i am writing i can see half a dozen ships anchored in the river below here, and as many more up above. most of them belong to siam, as we can see by the flag; and there are two or three german ships, one english, and one american. the siamese flag is red, and has a white elephant on it; we are in the country of the white elephant, and don't intend leaving until we have seen the sacred beast. i am told that the white elephants at the king's palace have fine stables and lots of attendants, and that they are worshipped and petted till they are quite spoiled in their dispositions. "we have hired a boat by the day, and it is to be kept for our use as long as we stay here; just as we might keep a carriage in another country. there is a little cabin where you have to stoop as you go in; and there are cushioned seats for four persons, and windows with sliding lattices all around. it takes four men to row it--two on the bow, and two on the stern--and they all row with their faces the way the boat is going. the boat is quite comfortable, and we enjoy it very much. "the people make use of the river for all sorts of business. it is the great highway for transporting merchandise, and for promenading on the water; and it is the place where people go on shopping excursions. a great many of the houses are built on rafts of bamboo-poles, and they rise and fall with the tide. the raft is somewhat larger than the house, and forms a platform all around it; and when you want to go in at the front of a house, you have only to bring your boat along-side the raft and step off. the bamboo seems almost to have been designed by nature for the purpose of making these rafts. you know it is hollow, and very light, and that it has joints at regular intervals. now each joint forms a water-tight compartment, and the wood will resist the water for a very long time, so that a bamboo raft has no chance of sinking. perhaps it was the bamboo that gave the chinese the idea of building ships in water-tight compartments, as marco polo says they did six hundred years ago. who knows? "as you go along the river you see the fronts of the houses open towards the water, and if they have anything to sell it is put where it can be seen, exactly as it would be in a shop on broadway. the houses are divided generally into only two rooms--the men occupying one, and the women the other; and the siamese rarely make houses of more than one story. the reason is that they wish to avoid having anybody walking over their heads, which is considered an indignity. it is said that when the city was first built along the banks of the river there was a great deal of cholera, on account of the bad drainage, and many people died. the king then gave orders for the people to build on the river itself, which would make the drainage perfect, and thus improve the public health. the order was obeyed, and from it we find the floating houses that seem so curious to us. there are not far from fifteen thousand of these houses and shops, and they are strung along on both sides of the river for several miles, altogether. then there are many houses built on piles, to overhang the water, just like those we described at saigon. "one of the books we have with us tells us that bangkok is called 'the venice of the east,' and i can easily understand why. venice is full of canals, as you know, and so is bangkok. they run off from the river in all directions, and you can go almost anywhere by them when the tide is up. this is why nearly everybody has a boat, as it would be difficult to go about without one. you see boats of all sizes, from a little dug-out, just large enough for one person--and a small one at that--up to the great house-boat, or barge, that will hold twenty or more. the people spend a good deal of their time on the water, and very often in it; for they swim like otters, and are not at all disturbed when one of their boats overturns with them. this afternoon, when we were out on the river, a steamboat passed us. it did us no harm, though we tossed around for a moment; but there was a small skiff close by that was filled with water by the swell from the steamer. two boys were in it, and as the skiff went down under them, they took hold of it with their hands and swam to the shore. they soon had the water out of it, and paddled off as merrily as ever. "where the largest of the canals branches off there is a pretty dense collection of houses, and this continues for quite a distance. the streets are irregular, and not very wide or clean; perhaps the most of the people living in this quarter are chinese, and they are not very particular about dirt. most of the shops are kept by chinese, and they have a great number of gambling-houses, for which they pay a fixed sum to the government. gambling is a monopoly, and so is the sale of intoxicating spirits; the licenses are sold by the government, just as an american city gives a man a license to sell liquor when he pays the sum agreed on. the chinese that come here are just as great gamblers as they are at home, and they are just as fond of smoking opium. "the city is said to contain half a million inhabitants, and it is little more than a hundred years old. it was founded in 1769, when the siamese capital (ayuthia) was captured and plundered by the burmese. the king lives here, and the royal palace is well worth seeing. we are going there to-morrow, or perhaps next day, and we are going to see some curious temples. there are lots of temples in bangkok, and the city contains not less than twenty thousand priests of the buddhist religion. we will tell you more about the priests and the temples in another letter." [illustration: a siamese priest.] chapter ix. temples at bangkok.--the founder of buddhism. a letter from fred was in the same mail with frank's. the dutiful boy remembered his mother, and wrote as follows: "frank has told all about our arrival in bangkok, and what we saw on our first day in the city. i know you will hand our letters around for both families to read, and so i will try to avoid repeating what he has said. "one of the first things we wanted to see was the temples, for which bangkok is famous. you must know that siam is a country where the buddhist religion has a very strong hold; and the king is supposed to be the defender of the ancient faith. a large part of the annual revenue of the country is expended in the repair of the temples now in existence, or the construction of new ones; and also in processions and other religious ceremonies. we are fortunate in coming here at the season of the year when the king goes to make his visits to all the temples; and, as there are many of them in the city, he has enough to do for two or three weeks. we have seen one of these processions, and expect to see more: as the one we have seen is not the grandest of them, i will keep the description of this part of our sights in bangkok for another letter. [illustration: birds-eye view of bangkok.] "the first temple we went to was the one known as _wat seh kate_. it has the general appearance of a pyramid, and is about two hundred and fifty feet high, with a winding pathway that leads to the top. from the platform, on the summit, there is a fine view of bangkok, or rather the form of the city can be seen, though the most of the houses are concealed by the trees. it is a curious sight, as the trees are nearly all tropical ones, and wherever you look you see palms in some form or other, with their long leaves bending in the wind, and their stems rising, often as straight as arrows, for fifty or a hundred feet. off in the distance there are rice-fields, some of them of great extent; and close below you is a bewildering mass of temples, and palaces, and pagodas, with the river shining here and there, and forming a sharp contrast to the dark green of the foliage. some of the spires of the temples look as pointed as needles; and though you might think they would fall down with the first high wind, i am told they have stood for a long time, and are apparently as firm as ever. "i enclose a picture representing a view from one of the temples, so that you can see what bangkok is like. "some foreigners have been talking of proposing to the government to convert this temple into a reservoir for water, which would be brought into the city by an aqueduct, just as water is supplied to new york and other american cities. wouldn't that be a novel idea? the city has no aqueduct whatever, but all the water that the people use must be taken from the river or caught in cisterns during the rainy season. [illustration: temple of wat chang.] "the temple is not yet finished, and therefore the view from the top is the most interesting thing about it. on the other side of the river is another remarkable temple known as _wat chang_; it stands in a large enclosure, perhaps fifteen or twenty acres in extent, and this enclosure contains small gardens, the houses of the priests, and a great quantity of stone statues, some of them very grotesque in character. there are some nice fish-ponds full of fish; and in two or three places we saw grottoes of stone and brick that were very pretty. i should think that the priests had considerable taste, and were not the lazy fellows one often finds around these temples. perhaps they did not do the work themselves, but only laid it out for others; even if that is the case, they deserve some credit for their good taste. "the general shape of _wat chang_ is that of a bell; and there is a spire at the top that would make a very good handle, if some one could be found large and strong enough to take it up and ring it. doctor bronson guessed that the building was two hundred and fifty feet high, and about the same in diameter; it is built of brick, and the outside is covered with plaster, which was stuck full, while it was moist, with all sorts of curious things. these include plates, and cups and saucers, and all manner of dishes with as many colors as the rainbow, and arranged into a mosaic that forms figures of animals, fruits, flowers, and other things, some of them hideous and unnatural. as you might suppose would be the case in the land of the white elephant, the largest animal that we know of is frequently represented. sometimes he has only one head, as he has in actual life; but occasionally they give him three heads, which the doctor says is to symbolize the buddhistic trinity. besides these mosaics, there are other elephants in the form of statues, which are set in niches half-way to the summit. the sun was shining brightly when we visited this temple, and at every step the rays were flashed into our eyes till they almost ached with pain. [illustration: temple of the sleeping idol.] "we went to the 'temple of the sleeping idol,' which is one of the wonders of bangkok. it is not a great ways from the royal palace, and gets its name from the fact that there is a statue of buddha in a horizontal position that fills the most of the interior of the building. the figure is one hundred and sixty feet long, and lies on its side; the soles of the feet are sixteen feet long, and each of them is inlaid with mother-of-pearl as delicately as though it was a finger-ring. the figures represented by this inlaid work are entirely fruits and flowers; doctor bronson says the fable is that fruits and flowers sprung from the earth wherever buddha planted his footsteps. the figure of buddha is built of brick, and then heavily gilded, so that you might easily suppose it was of gold. when i tell you that the arm at the elbow is six feet in diameter, you will get an idea of the greatness of the work. "the sleeping idol is not the only wonder of this temple. there are nearly a thousand other idols there, most of them of life size, and they are so thickly packed as to make you think they would be liable to get in each other's way. the temple itself is about two hundred feet long, and has a high roof with sharp peaks at the ends, and three stages rising one above another. the eaves are supported by tall columns, and thus quite a veranda is formed between them and the doors of the building; and there is a high wall around the temple, so that it would not be easy to get in without permission. the enclosure contains the houses of the priests, and some small pagodas and temples; and the priests evidently have an eye to business, as they would not open the doors till we had paid a tical for each person of our party. the tical is the siamese coin in which everything is reckoned; it is worth about sixty cents of our money, and consequently the price of admission to the temple seemed rather dear to us. [illustration: brass idol in a temple.] "there is another temple that has a statue of brass nearly fifty feet high, and, like most of the statues, it is intended to represent the divine buddha. it is in a sitting posture, with the legs crossed, and the pedestal on which it sits is of the same material, and delicately ornamented. in front of the altar there are cups and flower-vases in great variety--some of brass, others of copper, and others again of bronze thickly covered with gold. offerings of fruit and flowers were lying on the altar, and on each side of the figure of buddha there was the statue of a priest, standing erect, and with his hands folded in the attitude of prayer. we could not help admiring the beauty of the work, and regretting that so much money and labor had been devoted to the worship of a heathen god. the temple of the sleeping idol is said to have cost not less than a million of dollars, and probably ten millions would not cover the expense of the temples within half a mile of the royal palace, to say nothing of the others in the city. "the chinese that live in bangkok have a great many temples of their own, but none of them are as fine as the siamese ones. the temples that the chinese build must be paid for out of their own contributions; while those of the siamese are erected by the government, and the priests that take care of them have an official character. there were formerly thirty or forty thousand priests in bangkok: they were so numerous that the father of the present king determined to compel them to work for a living, and so he took away the government support and turned them out. for a few years after he did so they were not very numerous; but they have gradually increased, until their number is now reckoned at twenty thousand. they can be recognized by their yellow robes, and they have their heads shaved as smooth as door-knobs. they live about the temples, and every morning they go around begging. "this morning we started out early, in order to see the priests on their begging missions; and it was a curious sight, you may believe. "each begging priest has a boat, and generally a boy to paddle it. in front of the priest there is a basket with a cover, and as the boat is rowed up to a house the priest says not a word, but raises the cover of the basket. on the platform in front of the door there is a kettle of freshly boiled rice, and somebody, generally a woman, lifts out a quart or so of the rice with a ladle and pours it into the basket. when the operation is completed, the priest moves on; he never says 'thank you,' and the giver never speaks. if another priest comes a moment after, he gets the same quantity, and the same silence is preserved. charity is enjoined by the buddhist religion, and what is given is given from a sense of religious duty. captain salje says that nobody need starve in bangkok, as it is the privilege of every one to go to the temples and be fed. the priests receive from the people, and are expected in turn to give to those that need. but if you went to the temples you would get nothing more than boiled rice, with an occasional fish; and, as i should tire of those things in a short time, i don't think either frank or myself will become a mendicant in the capital of siam. [illustration: priests playing chess.] "the priests have a very lazy life of it. they lie around the temples and spend much of their time in sleep; some of them study the sacred books of their religion, and for those who are inclined to read there is a library attached to each of the principal temples. they are fond of games like chess, and several times we have found groups of them seated around tables and completely absorbed in their sport. their chessmen are like buttons, and they hold them in little baskets, which are kept under the hands of the players. many of them are great smokers, and when a party is at chess they usually have their pipes where they can be ready for use at a moment's notice. "talking about the priests naturally leads up to the religion of the country. doctor bronson says it is buddhism of the purest character, and was brought to siam from ceylon hundreds of years ago. there is considerable difference in the authorities about the origin of the religion, but the statement most generally received is that it began about two thousand three hundred years ago in india. prince gautama, who afterward became buddha, was famous for the goodness of his disposition and his care for the happiness of his fellow-men. the religion of his time was mixed up with a great deal of cruelty, and he determined to reform it. with his title of prince, he belonged to a very rich family near benares, which was then considered one of the most sacred cities in india; and it remains so to this day in the eyes of the native people. he became a wanderer, and for five years he travelled over the country, living on charity, and doing all the good that he could. "at the end of five years he came back to benares to establish a new religion, and dispute with the teachers of the old. the people were ready to listen to him, and in a short time, under his new name of buddha, he had many converts. among them were his father and brothers, and other members of his family; and in a few years he was able to send out apostles to all parts of india and to ceylon, and other countries. conversions were made very fast, and the histories say that in less than two hundred years from the time buddha began his work five hundred millions of people in asia had embraced the new doctrines. temples were erected everywhere, and priests became numerous; but the new religion led to a bitter war with the old, which lasted for centuries. buddhism was finally driven out of the most of india, and the only places where it now exists are the countries to which it was carried by the missionaries. "an english author and journalist, edwin arnold, who lived some time in india, has written a poem, entitled 'the light of asia,' in which he endeavors to portray the life and character of prince gautama of india, the founder of buddhism. in the preface to his interesting and highly instructive production, mr. arnold says: "'a generation ago little or nothing was known in europe of this great faith of asia, which had nevertheless existed during twenty-four centuries, and at this day surpasses, in the number of its followers and the area of its prevalence, any other form of creed. four hundred and seventy millions of our race live and die in the tenets of gautama; and the spiritual dominions of this ancient teacher extend, at the present time, from nepaul and ceylon over the whole eastern peninsula to china, japan, thibet, central asia, siberia, and even swedish lapland. india itself might fairly be included in this magnificent empire of belief; for, though the profession of buddhism has for the most part passed away from the land of its birth, the mark of gautama's sublime teaching is stamped ineffaceably upon modern brahminism, and the most characteristic habits and convictions of the hindoos are clearly due to the benign influence of buddha's precepts. more than a third of mankind, therefore, owe their moral and religions ideas to this illustrious prince, whose personality, though imperfectly revealed in the existing sources of information, cannot but appear the highest, gentlest, holiest, and most beneficent, with one exception, in the history of thought.' "another authority says that the real name of buddha was sakya muni, and he was the son of the rajah of kapila, a small territory north of benares. according to some of the accounts, he acquired his divine character by silent meditation; and it is one of the principles of his creed that any one can, by meditation and good works, become equal to divinity. he was said to be thirty-five years old when he attained these powers, and it required seven years of meditation to reach this condition. he lived to be nearly eighty years old, and was actively engaged in pushing his new doctrines until the time of his death. [illustration: gate-way of a temple at bangkok.] "there are two reasons why i shall not write much about the religion of this wonderful man. one is that i am afraid you would not be greatly interested in what we call paganism, and the other is that i don't feel able to describe it so that you would understand it. people who have lived here for years say it is full of mysteries, and they are not able to comprehend it. if that is the case, you could hardly expect a traveller who is only a few months in the east to tell you all about the beliefs of the natives, and their modes of worship. i am told that the creed of buddha is a very simple one, and is founded on kindness and benevolence. it is enjoined on all believers to be charitable, and never to inflict pain on anything that lives. this part of the doctrine is not closely observed by the ordinary followers, and its strict observation is specially appropriate for the priests. they are not allowed to kill any animal for the sake of food, but they may eat what others have killed, though they are not expected to do so if vegetable food is to be obtained. they are expected to remain poor, like the monks of the catholic church, and whatever is given to them belongs to the temple they are attached to. the temples are sometimes very rich, but the priests have nothing they can call their own property. "children are instructed in the temples, and one of the duties of the priests is to give instruction when it is required. some of the temples have schools attached to them; and there are buddhist colleges that have acquired considerable reputation for the learning of the men attached to them. "attempts have been made to convert the siamese from their present religion to christianity, and a good many missions have been established here. the roman catholics came to siam three hundred years ago, and began to preach their religion; and in the early part of this century the protestant missions were established. the government allows the missionaries full liberty to preach and teach among the people, and makes them gifts of land when any is wanted for the erection of a church or school-house. some of the missionaries have exercised considerable influence over the high authorities, and it is largely due to their efforts that many reforms have been adopted. [illustration: temple of the emerald idol.] "i will close this letter by telling you something about the last of the temples we visited. it is the _wat p'hza keau_, or the temple of the emerald idol, and is so called on account of an idol of emerald a foot high and eight inches wide. it stands on an altar about fifty feet high, and all over the surface of the altar there are images representing idols, human figures, and animals, the latter including some forms that are very grotesque. the emerald idol stands in a niche which is beautifully ornamented, and the altar terminates in a long spire above the idol's head. there are paintings on the walls superior to anything we saw in the other temples, and we found that the bricks on the floor were of polished brass instead of baked clay. the hair and collar of the idol are of pure gold, and from the way the light fell upon them it looked as though they were thickly set with precious stones. some one who has seen it more closely than we did, says that while the gold was in a melted state a handful of diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and other precious stones were stirred into it; perhaps this was so, but i should think it would be injurious to the diamonds to be thrown into melted gold, which must be of a very great heat. "this is the temple where the king comes most frequently to say his prayers. we had hoped to see him there, but were disappointed." chapter x. ascending the menam, from bangkok to ayuthia. doctor bronson had a letter of introduction to the american consul at bangkok, which a friend in new york had given him before his departure. a few mornings after his arrival in siam, he called at the consulate to deliver the letter and make the acquaintance of his country's representative. he found the consul seated in a large arm-chair on the veranda of a spacious building on the east bank of the river, in the foreign portion of the city. a yard with shade-trees and gravelled walks surrounded the building, and near the landing-place there was a tall staff from which the flag of the united states waved in the breeze. the consul was a man of pleasing manners, and he was heartily glad to meet a compatriot, as the visits of americans to bangkok are not at all numerous. "until you arrived," said he to the doctor, "there had not been an american tourist here for nearly eight months. i wish more would come, as we lead rather a lonely life in siam, and are very glad of anything to break the monotony." in a frank, open-hearted way, the consul offered his services to doctor bronson and his young friends, in case there was anything he could do for them. the doctor thanked him for the proffered courtesy, and said they hoped to be able to see his majesty, the king of siam, before their departure. "i think that can be arranged without much difficulty," the consul answered. "the king likes to see strangers who are enough interested in siam to come here out of the beaten track. he is a polite, intelligent, and most agreeable gentleman, and i feel confident that i can promise to present you to him. "just now he is absent from the city, and will not be back here for three or four days. on his return, i will endeavor to arrange what you wish. meantime there is an excursion going up the river to ayuthia, the ancient capital of siam, and i advise you to join it. a party is going to see some elephants driven in from the forest, and the sight will be interesting to you. it can easily be arranged for you to join the excursion, which will start to-morrow morning." doctor bronson assented at once to the proposal, and, after exchanging a few general observations, he departed, promising to come again in the afternoon to learn more fully about the excursion, and to bring the boys with him to introduce to the consul. he had left them at the hotel, busy with their first letters to friends at home. frank and fred were delighted at the plan for going to ayuthia, especially as they would have an opportunity to see with their own eyes the way the siamese catch elephants. they were impatient to be off, and could hardly keep their minds on their letters, as they were filled with thoughts of the novelties in store for them. when they called at the consulate in the afternoon, they found that the whole business had been settled. they were to have a house-boat or barge, large enough for half a dozen persons, and it was to be towed by a steam-launch which had been procured from one of the foreign merchants at bangkok. to economize time, it had been determined to start an hour or two before sunset, and travel during the night; by this means they would reach ayuthia early the next forenoon, and thus have the greater part of the day for sight-seeing. the consul decided to accompany them, as the cares of the consulate were not very heavy at that particular time, and, besides, the vice-consul was there to see that nothing went wrong. a sufficient supply of cooked and canned provisions was procured, and the necessary amount of blankets, overcoats, and other comforts was made ready. the barge came to the front of the hotel at the appointed time, and in a few moments they were steaming up the river. [illustration: private garden near bangkok.] frank and fred thought the sight was one of the strangest they had ever seen. here was a broad river, its surface covered with small boats of a character new to them, and its banks lined with floating houses, such as have been described. junks, and ships, and sloops, and steamers were anchored in the stream; and occasionally a great barge, rowed by twenty or thirty men, and belonging to some member of a noble family, shot past them, or turned into some of the many canals that open out from the menam. houses were just visible through the dense mass of palms and other tropical trees that lined the banks, and the spires of the pagodas rose above like great watch-towers, whose line of vision extended many miles. at a bend in the river the white walls of the royal palace came into view, and as they passed beyond the palace and proceeded up the river their eyes rested upon extensive fields and gardens, and on another fringe of floating houses along the bank. suddenly a practical question occurred to frank, and he asked the consul-"does the river ever freeze over?" "not by any means," was the reply. "the average temperature here is about 82°. april is the hottest month, and the thermometer then goes to 97°, and sometimes above 100°. it rarely falls below 65°, and the lowest ever known is 54°. there are only two seasons--the hot, or wet; and the dry, or cool. the south-west monsoon blows from april till october, and brings heat and rain with it; while from october till april we have the north-east monsoon, which is cool and comfortable. most of the time during the north-east monsoon we have fine weather; there is now and then a shower, but it rarely lasts long. "there is a very good story about the absence of cold in this part of siam. forty or fifty years ago, when the protestant missionaries first came here, some of them were taken before the king, who wanted to see what manner of men they were. up to that time siam had had very little intercourse with foreign countries, and the old king was not very well versed in the geography of other lands, and their climate and productions. so he asked the missionaries, who were from boston, what their country was, and what it produced. "they told him many things about america, described the falls of niagara, the rocky mountains, the mississippi, the fields of cotton and wheat, and other things that the soil produced, the great steamboats on the rivers, and talked of many other matters that they thought would interest him. finally, one of them told him that where they came from the rivers were frozen over two or three months in the year. "'what do you mean by that?' the king asked, through his interpreter. "'why, i mean,' said the missionary, 'that if this palace and the river menam were at boston, your majesty could walk across the water during three months of the year as he could walk on this floor. the water becomes solid, and men cut holes in it with axes and saws.' "'now i _know_ you are lying,' the king replied, as he rose from his seat in great anger. 'i have thought so for some minutes, and now i am certain of it.' and he ordered the reception to end at once, as he wished no further communication with men who talked about a river getting hard enough for a king to walk on." the scenery along the river was much like that below the city. there was the same luxuriance of vegetation that had astonished the boys when they entered the menam, the same trees, and the same creeping and climbing plants. here and there were great fields of rice; and our friends were not surprised to learn that rice was the chief product of the country, and its only export of consequence. there were also fields of sugar, which was extensively cultivated and exported; and the consul told them that there were exports of hemp, pepper, and cotton that sometimes reached a respectable figure. there was little manufacturing industry in siam, and what the people wanted in the way of manufactured goods was brought from europe or america. [illustration: a siamese forest scene.] the consul pointed out various objects of interest as the boat moved along the river, and explained many things that otherwise might have been misunderstood by the boys, or not comprehended at all. frank had a commercial turn of mind, and asked many questions about the trade of siam; and he was much pleased to find that the consul had the whole subject at his command, and was able to give all the desired information. when their dialogue ended, frank had the following facts recorded in his note-book: "in 1876 the exports of siam amounted to $8,350,000, and the imports to $7,070,000--an increase in the volume of trade over the previous year of $686,000. the chief export is rice, and in the year mentioned 4,101,000 piculs of rice were exported. the picul is a chinese weight of 133 pounds. the direct exportation to the united states was 8800 piculs; but there is a large amount that is reshipped from hong-kong, and does not appear on the records of the siamese custom-house as going to america. "in 1857 six foreign ships visited bangkok; twenty years later, the number of foreign ships coming there in a single twelvemonth was more than two hundred. in 1840 there was only one trading-ship flying the siamese flag; while in 1874 there were one hundred and twenty-nine native ships entered at the custom-house of bangkok, and one hundred and seventy seven cleared from the port. these ships are nearly all native built and manned, and they go to singapore, hong-kong, and the ports of java. they have not yet ventured on voyages to europe and america, and are not likely to do so for a long time to come." fred wished to know what american articles were used in siam, and frank said he was coming to that as soon as he had written down the notes about the shipping. the consul told them it would take a long time to name over all the foreign articles that could be sold in the country; but he would certainly not advise anybody to bring a cargo of heavy woollen blankets and overcoats, as they would not be in demand. "i should say so," answered fred. "with the thermometer as we have seen it since we came here, a heavy blanket or anything of the kind is quite superfluous. we rather want something for keeping cool, and if somebody will invent an ice-machine that you can carry in your pocket or even in your trunk he will make a fortune." "yes," the consul answered, "a thing much needed in the east is a cheap, easily handled, and light ice-machine. ice is worth from three to six cents a pound here, and sometimes it can't be had at any price. there is a machine made by a french company that is somewhat used here, but it gets out of order easily, and has to be sent to paris to be repaired. where is the yankee that will make something to go ahead of it? "but to return to the subject of the things that are made in america and sent here to sell. we have cotton cloths of various kinds; canvas, iron, steel, and lead; glassware in several varieties; lamps, kitchen machinery and utensils; canned fruits and vegetables, together with canned fish and preserves. by-the-way," he continued, "we had a dinner at the consulate last year at christmas-time, when everything edible on the table was of american origin, and brought to siam in cans. the dinner-party was also made up of americans, and you may be sure we had a good time, and could easily imagine we were at home. "some american machinery is used here, but not much, for the very simple reason that there is very little machinery of any kind used in siam. all the weighing apparatus in the custom-house and other government offices is from america, as you will find on going through them." "we passed the custom-house the other day," said frank, "and i remember seeing some scales there which seemed like american ones. i looked for the maker's name, and saw the word which everybody knows at home, 'fairbanks.' i was told that the king had some of these scales in his royal museum, and the only weighing-machines used in siam, at least by the government, were made by fairbanks." "the native merchants are learning the advantages of the american system of weighing, in preference to their primitive one, as they can get along so much faster with the new than with the old," the consul answered. "but the east is conservative, and cannot be expected to adopt anything new very hastily. "there is a good deal of american petroleum burnt here," he continued, "but it comes to siam from singapore, and not directly from america. in fact, about seventy per cent. of all the import and export trade of siam is through singapore, and so the merchants of siam pay more for their goods than if they were brought here direct from the countries where they are produced. the king is desirous of having direct trade with the united states, and so are many private individuals, and it is to be hoped that some of the merchants will yet bring it about. it is a pity that the pacific mail steamship company, or the occidental and oriental, does not see its way clear to a branch line between hong-kong and bangkok, to connect with the regular steamers between hong-kong and san francisco. two small steamers would perform the service, and i am confident it would pay." there were occasional interruptions to this conversation. now and then the boys saw a curious tree or something else that they wished to study, and they were never tired of looking at the native boats that paddled, or sailed, or floated down the river. [illustration: parasite and palm.] one of the trees that attracted their attention as they went along near the shore belonged to the family of parasites, and was not unlike some they had seen as they ascended the river from paknam to bangkok. the doctor explained that in this case the parasite was not a vine, but a distinct tree that grew from a seed deposited by the wind or by the birds on the trunk or among the leaves of a palm. it grows much faster than the palm, and in a few years the palm dies and the parasite lives. it is held in the air by the decaying stem of the parent tree until the latter altogether rots away and falls. when once the parasite has obtained a hold, the destruction of the palm is only a question of time. frank made a sketch of one of these trees while the boat was stopped a few moments to enable the engineer of the steam-launch to arrange something that had got out of order. [illustration: the bamboo-tree.] the bamboo-tree seemed to abound along the menam, as it does everywhere in the east. in some places the stalks stood singly, and shot up straight as arrows; while in others they were in clusters so dense that the stems could not be distinguished one from another. while frank was busy over his sketch of the parasite, fred managed to secure a good picture of one of the most useful trees in the world. it is said that there are more than a hundred uses for the bamboo among the chinese, and it is possible that a few others might be added in siam and java. [illustration: the boat they narrowly missed.] several times they had narrow escapes from collisions with the native boats, as the men who managed the latter were not very skilful in handling the rudder. one that passed so close to them as almost to scrape her sides against the boat of our friends, was a chinese craft not unlike what they had seen between hong-kong and canton. it was running before the wind, and had a great sail of matting that was kept in place by a dozen or more cords gathered in a single line at the stern. she had a high cabin, that seemed rather top-heavy with the wind on the beam, but was all right before it; and there was a little deck forward of the mast, where a couple of men were seated. the narrowness of the escape did not appear to disturb these natives in the least, and they kept their places as though nothing had happened. [illustration: scene at bang-pa-in.] night came upon them, but there was a good moon, and they kept steadily on their way. they were going against the current, and as the boat was considerably larger than the steam-launch, the progress was not rapid. at nine o'clock in the morning they passed bang-pa-in, where the king has a summer palace on a very pretty island in the most picturesque part of the river. the palace is built in european style, and was completed only a few years ago; the grounds are handsomely laid out, and there is an abundance of shade-trees, in irregular groves, from one end of the island to the other. ayuthia is ten miles above bang-pa-in; and soon after passing the picturesque island frank discovered some ruins of a temple close to the river's bank. the consul told him they would soon see an abundance of ruins, and sure enough at the next turn of the river they came in sight of what seemed to be a deserted village. then they saw a number of floating houses tied to the shore, and farther on the towers and domes of ayuthia were visible. the boat was stopped in front of a rude wharf, and the party stepped ashore in the ancient capital of siam. [illustration: a river scene.] chapter xi. visiting the prince of the elephants.--ayuthia.--something about crocodiles. the party went ashore as soon as the boat was made fast. frank was first to scramble up the bank, closely followed by fred; then came the doctor and the consul together, and behind them the interpreter of the consulate. at the consulates generally throughout the east it is the custom to have an interpreter, to facilitate dealings with the native officials and others; he is usually a native who has been taught english in some of the mission-schools, or he may be of american or european parentage, and familiar from his youth with the language of the country where he lives. in the present instance the interpreter was an intelligent young siamese, who was educated by the missionaries, and spoke english with great fluency. he was of much service to the doctor and his young companions, as he could tell them many things of interest concerning siam and what it contained. "we will first go," said the consul, "to call on the prince of the elephants. he lives in that house you see up there," he continued, as he pointed to a light structure of poles and matting, a hundred yards or so from the bank. the interpreter was sent on ahead to herald the arrival of the strangers, and returned in a few minutes with the announcement that the prince was ready to receive them. the consul and doctor bronson went forward, while frank and fred brought up the rear. frank thought the house was not a very sumptuous palace for a prince, especially one who had the title of the prince of the elephants. fred was of the same opinion, but said they might as well reserve their judgment until they had seen what was within. externally, the house was like a rough shed of poles for a framework, with its sides covered with matting, to allow a free circulation of air. some of the mats were rolled up, while others were closed; and it was certainly a very convenient house for a climate as hot as that of siam. they were received in the upper story, to which they ascended by a rough stairway, which could be removed as readily as a ladder. what the lower floor contained they did not know, as all the mats around it were closed. they found the prince just inside the door-way, and seated, or rather squatted, on a bench about two feet high. chairs had been placed for the strangers, and they were invited to be seated. the interpreter remained standing, and, after a moment's pause, the prince asked who the visitors were. the interpreter explained; and while he did so, frank made good use of his eyes to see what the prince was like and how he lived. [illustration: the young prince.] his royal highness appeared to be about fifty years old, or perhaps fifty-five. he was dressed in the native costume, without any gold-lace or other ornament to designate his high rank; the boys were somewhat disappointed at this, as they had expected to see a great personage covered with fine clothes, and ornamented with an abundance of diamonds and other precious stones. a youth, whom they supposed to be his son, stood near him, and occasionally leaned against the bench in a familiar way. servants were creeping about the floor, and it made a strange impression on the youths to see the humble attitudes of half a dozen or more of the attendants as they waited for orders in a corner of the room. this is the position of respect in siam, and, until the present king was crowned, it would have been as much as one's life was worth to venture into the presence of any member of the royal family in the european manner. when he ascended the throne, he commanded that the old custom of creeping, and bowing the head to the floor in the presence of the king, should cease; it was a great innovation, but, as it was by royal command, it could not be opposed. the rule is enforced at the king's palace, but not at the palaces of the subordinate princes; and thus it happened that frank and fred were witnesses of what to them was a curious custom, and by no means an agreeable one. the prince in whose presence they were was the uncle of the king. his name was chow phan alah, and the boys learned from the consul that he was a man of marked ability, who had been prominent in public affairs for a long time. socially, he adhered to the old customs of the country, as was evident in the creeping and crouching of those around him; but in politics he was progressive, and a good deal of the advancement that siam had made in the past twenty years was due to his energy and shrewdness. the interview lasted about a quarter of an hour. while the party was in the reception-hall, the prince ordered cigars and fruit to be served, and when they retired he sent a basket of fruit after them as a present. the consul had suggested that doctor bronson and the youths would like to see the stables of the elephants, and also wished to attend the elephant-hunt that was to come off about that time. the first request was granted at once; and the prince sent one of his officers to show the stables and their occupants, and also the corral close by, where the wild elephants were caught. he regretted to say that the hunt had been postponed a few days on account of the swollen condition of some of the rivers, which made it difficult to drive the animals through the forest. the boys were disappointed to hear this, but they were consoled with the reflection that they could see the spot where the hunt would take place, and the doctor promised to explain to them how it was conducted. [illustration: portrait of "chang."] the elephant-stable was only a huge shed, with the earth for a floor. it contained three or four elephants, all the others being out in the forest with the hunting-party. the largest of the elephants was brought out for their inspection; he was named "chang," and was thought to be not far from seventy years old. as the elephant lives to the age of one hundred and fifty years and upwards, old chang was just in the prime of life when the boys saw him, and his step was as elastic as that of a youth of twenty. he was not overjoyed to meet the strangers, and flourished his trunk in a menacing way; but at a sign from his keeper he ceased his demonstrations, and became thoroughly obedient. [illustration: macedonian coin, with ancient goad.] chang had been at work hauling timber during the cool hours of the morning, and his harness was still on his back. it consisted of a stout breastplate of ropes and leather, which was held in place by a pad on his back. just below his shoulder a stout ring was inserted in the breastplate, and to this the ropes by which the timber was drawn were attached. the driver sat on his neck, and directed him by means of an iron goad that had a hook near the end. frank could not at first understand the use of this iron, but he soon found out. the officer asked the boys if they would like to take a ride on the beast, and we may be sure they assented at once. chang was directed to a place at the side of a high wall, to which a sloping path led. the boys mounted to the top of the wall, and were thus enabled to take their places on the elephant's back. [illustration: modern goad.] the driver said something in siamese, and the elephant at once moved off. he did not go fast enough to suit the driver, and then the goad came into play. his neck was prodded with it, and the hook was inserted into his ear in a way that made him understand and obey. the goad has been in use without any modification of shape for two thousand years or more, as is shown by ancient coins of a date prior to the christian era. as soon as chang found that the driver was determined to use the goad he made no further opposition, and went along as peaceably as an obedient horse. the elephant generally obeys through affection for his driver; and instances have been known where one of these huge beasts has shown great grief at the loss of his favorite keeper, and refused all food until he literally starved to death. very often the driver talks to the elephant, and the beast seems to understand perfectly what is said to him. chang's driver did so, and hardly had he begun speaking before the elephant swung his trunk from side to side, and gave little grunts of satisfaction. the boys could not understand the language; but the interpreter told them that the driver was praising chang for his good conduct, and asking him why he behaved so badly when the strangers came so far to see him. and with an eye to his own pocket, he said, "they are very nice gentlemen, and will certainly give some ticals to buy bananas for good old chang." of course the interpreter told what had been said, and the boys, when the ride was over, fulfilled the promise that had been made on their behalf. [illustration: a war elephant.] one of chang's companions was led out from the stable, and assigned to doctor bronson and the consul. the interpreter had mounted with the boys, and so the officer who came by the command of the prince took a place with the others. he told the consul that the animal they were riding was trained for war purposes; and though he was occasionally put at work, like chang, whenever timber was to be hauled, he ordinarily had nothing to do. each of his tusks had three rings of silver encircling it, and he was evidently proud of his ornaments. the famous white elephants in the royal stables at bangkok have rings of pure gold on their tusks; they are not always sensible of the honor that is shown them, and when the rings are being put in place they manifest their displeasure in the most emphatic ways. on one occasion two of the court jewellers were killed by an elephant that objected to be ornamented after the customary manner of the country, and it was only after a long time that he submitted to the operation. when used for war, these elephants are equipped with a howdah, or basket, on their backs, and two or three soldiers are seated in it. they have a plentiful supply of weapons, and frequently so many as to encumber them greatly when they come to close quarters with the enemy. elephants are not used in battle as much as in ancient times; the great body of the beast makes a magnificent mark for a rifle, and when wounded an elephant is more dangerous to his friends than to the enemy. formerly a great number of elephants was kept for fighting purposes, but since the introduction of fire-arms the value of this huge beast for anything in war beyond the transportation of supplies has ceased to be apparent. consequently, they are not at all numerous; and probably, if the siamese were to indulge in war at the present time, they would not bring a single elephant into the battle-field. thus mounted, our friends went through the ruins of the ancient capital of siam. it was a novel promenade, and one that the boys were not likely to forget in a hurry. "the funniest thing yet," said frank. "we went through tokio and kioto in jinrikishas; we rode on a wheelbarrow in shanghai; we were carried in sedan-chairs in canton and hong-kong; and here we are seeing the ruins of ayuthia from the back of an elephant. wonder what we shall do next in the way of novel travelling!" but though greatly enjoying their ride, they did not forget that they were out for an excursion through a city, or rather through what was once a city. and the magnitude and extent of the ruins impressed them greatly, and showed what a magnificent place ayuthia must have been in the days of its glory. [illustration: near the palace.] the streets and yards, and even the houses, were overgrown with tropical trees that had been undisturbed for a hundred years and more; that they had made good use of their time, was everywhere apparent in the crumbling walls and the fallen towers that rose before the eyes of the visitors wherever they were turned. in several instances the bushes and climbing plants had completely covered the towers of the temples, and made them appear more like a great mass of verdure than a structure of brick and mortar. [illustration: in the ruined city.] at one place the party descended from their elephants and went to the top of a wing of the former palace of ayuthia. from the summit the view was extensive, and of a character not easy to describe. frank thought it was not greatly unlike the view from the tower of wat seh kate at bangkok, as the abundance of trees made it difficult to see much more than the spires of the pagodas; and this was the most that could be seen in ayuthia. but as he looked directly below him, he saw that the streets and court-yards were desolate, and he missed the throng of people that made the streets of bangkok alive. many parts of the palace were in a good state of preservation, and it seemed a pity that the city could not be repaired and peopled as it was of old. it is said that when the burmese overran siam and captured her capital in 1769, the walls were so massive, and the buildings so excellent in construction, that the destruction of ayuthia occupied nearly two months. many parts of the walls are still in existence, and it is not at all difficult to trace the boundaries of the city. the distance it is necessary to travel to pass around the city by following its walls, is variously stated at from five to ten miles; and as our friends did not make the journey, they have left the question undecided. a ruined city is a melancholy spectacle in any land and under any sky, and the boys were not at all sorry when the excursion through ayuthia was over. they had more reasons than sentimental ones, as they found the motion of the elephant was not particularly agreeable when continued for a long time, and it required a good deal of attention to keep from falling off the back of their new-fashioned steed. when they dismounted at the stables, they were obliged to stretch themselves two or three times to make sure that their backbones were in the proper place, and both were positive that they had all the elephant-riding they cared for--for that day at least. "it is nothing when you get used to it," said the consul. "if you had a journey of several days or weeks to make on an elephant, you would become accustomed to the motion in a short time, and could then endure it indefinitely." the doctor confirmed this view of the matter, and said the motion of the elephant was not nearly as hard as that of the camel for a beginner, and much easier to endure. "a camel," said he, "shakes you violently forward and back without cessation, while the motion of the elephant is not unlike that of a horse at a walk. if you have not mounted a horse for a long time, you will find yourself very sore and stiff after your first day's travel on the gentlest steed that was ever used, and this feeling will continue for two or three days. by degrees you get accustomed to it, and then you pay no farther attention to aches or pains, for the reason that you do not have them. it is just the same with an elephant or a camel, only the camel is much the worse. "in some respects the elephant is a most remarkable animal. he possesses great intelligence, and can be taught to do many things that border upon reason. books of natural history are full of incidents of the elephant's high order of intellect; the stories may sometimes be exaggerated, but there is no question that the majority of them are correct. in nothing is this more apparent than in the capture of his wild kindred; and it is a curious fact that the elephant, after being thoroughly domesticated, manifests no desire to return to his forest-life, and seems to take pleasure in assisting at the capture of others. we will talk about this business by-and-by, and meantime will complete our study of ayuthia." so far as the actual inspection of the ruined city was concerned, the study to which the doctor referred was already completed, and the party returned to the boat. frank asked if it was not possible to go farther up the river, and make a general exploration of siam. fred seconded him in the question, which was anxiously propounded to the consul and doctor bronson. "there are several reasons why we cannot do it," the former answered. "in the first place, we are limited for time of using the steam-launch and barge; secondly, i cannot spare the time to go farther; thirdly, we have not the necessary provisions and equipments for a wild journey; and, fourthly--" "never mind the other reasons," said the doctor; "those you have given are quite sufficient. we will go back, and be thankful that we have seen so much. only a few visitors to siam ever have the opportunity of coming to ayuthia and seeing its wonderful ruins." as the boat moved off, on her return to bangkok, the consul explained to the boys that the menam was about nine hundred miles in length, and had a general course from north to south. it flows through an exceedingly fertile country, and the siamese are very proud of it. its name in siamese means "mother of waters;" and though it is not to the country what the nile is to egypt, it is certainly of great importance. from the source of the river to its mouth, the forest is dense and luxurious, except where clearings have been made for purposes of agriculture. teak, sapan, and other tropical trees grow to a great size, and the underbrush is so thick that it is next to impossible to walk about until a path has been opened. fred thought it would be nice to have a bath in the menam; and proposed that they should try a swim in its waters the first time they had an opportunity. [illustration: crocodiles at home.] "i would advise you not to try it," the consul answered. "it is safe enough at bangkok, where there is so much movement of boats, and you might bathe there without danger. but in this part of the river there are plenty of crocodiles, and the higher up you go the more of them do you find. m. mouhot, who explored the upper menam in 1861, and died at the village of louang prebang in that year, says that in some instances he found the banks covered with crocodiles basking in the sun, and they were so unused to attacks that they were not at all disturbed by the presence of his boat. they frequently swallow incautious swimmers who venture into the parts of the river where they abound; and sometimes cattle going to the river to drink are seized by them. in such fights the crocodile is generally the victor, as he is thoroughly at home in the water, and his jaws have an enormous amount of strength." [illustration: taking a bite.] "what is the difference between the alligator and the crocodile?" one of the boys asked. "there is no material difference," the doctor answered, "between the two. the alligator is american, and the crocodile asiatic; and there is a slight difference in the formation of the head, and in the number and arrangement of the scales. the habits of the two are similar; they live in the water for the greater part of the time, but do not suffer any inconvenience when removed from it. they live mainly on fish, but have no prejudice against swallowing other game. hence their fondness for men, and also for pigs, sheep, dogs, cattle, and anything else that comes in their way. the tastes of both are identical; and i presume that if you brought a crocodile and an alligator together, and put them to live in the same tank, they would acknowledge their relationship, and dwell in peace and quietness. on the other hand, they might indulge in a deadly combat; and in this, again, their similarity would be shown, as they are not always of an amiable disposition, and often indulge in fierce battles." fred asked if it was possible for them to stop on the way down the river and have a hunt for crocodiles. frank retorted that they had no fire-arms for shooting this kind of game or any other; and it was his opinion that their captures would not be numerous under the present circumstances. [illustration: the doctor's crack shot.] "to shoot a crocodile," said the doctor, "you must first have him where you can shoot, and then you must have the weapon ready. it must be a powerful rifle, carrying a large ball; and there are very few places on the reptile's body where your shot will have any effect. if you are an expert with the rifle, you may hit him in the eye when he is swimming across a stream; the bullet penetrates the brain, and causes speedy death; but if you strike him an inch away from the eye, your shot is wasted. i once killed a large alligator in this way; it was the first i had ever shot, and i was very proud of my achievement. the next day and the next i tried to repeat the performance, and i kept it up for a week without result. i was unable to get a similar chance, as not one of the reptiles made his appearance, though the bayou was full of them. [illustration: alligator and crane.] "the alligator makes great use of his tail in fighting, and in sweeping his game into his mouth. a blow of the tail from even a small alligator will break a man's leg, and i have known it to cut off a tree two inches in diameter. when the fellow wishes to capture anything, he tries to creep along-side, and when within reach he opens his mouth and sweeps his great tail around at the same instant, and the prize disappears down his capacious throat. once i saw an alligator lying on a bank where some cranes were feeding not far away. he was motionless as a log--which he much resembled--but i could see that he had his eye open, and was on the lookout for a breakfast. by-and-by one of the cranes wandered near him, and like a flash his tail swept the bird into his mouth. then he stretched out and 'set himself again,' as my guide said, for another crane. [illustration: the trochilus.] "it is a curious circumstance, mentioned by herodotus, and greatly discussed since his time, that there is a small bird called the _trochilus_ that fearlessly enters the mouth of the crocodile, and relieves it of the leeches and flies that disturb it. the bird and the crocodile seem to be on the most friendly terms; and it is thought by some writers that the bird performs the additional service of sentinel to its huge friend, and warns him of the approach of danger." [illustration: trochilus and crocodile.] fred suggested that it was just possible that the bird was only an inquisitive fellow, and finding the crocodile's mouth open, he looked in to see what sort of a house it would make. and the crocodile, on his part, did not think the little bird was large enough to pay him for shutting his jaws on it; and so the intruder escaped solely on account of his diminutive size. "when you see a crocodile or an alligator asleep on a bank," the doctor continued, "you can, perhaps, get a good shot by creeping near enough to send a bullet under his fore-leg. the skin there is not protected by scales, and a bullet will penetrate it. especially if you have explosive balls that burst on the moment of concussion, you can tear a great hole inside your game, and seriously interfere with his digestion. i shot one once in this way on a sand-bar in the nile, a few miles above the first cataract; he was nearly twenty feet long, and it took my men a whole day to remove his skin. i was within thirty paces of him when i fired, and, as i had good aim, i sent the bullet exactly where i wished, he gave a few convulsive movements with his tail, and then stretched out stiff and dead." the doctor paused; and the consul took up the conversation with an account a friend had given him of a fight between a bear and an alligator in western louisiana. "my friend was out hunting one day," said the consul, "and was suddenly startled by a loud roaring in the bushes not far off. he cautiously crept near, expecting to see a couple of bulls preparing for combat; what was his astonishment to see a large bear and a full-grown alligator eying each other, and poising themselves for an encounter. "bruin was on his hind legs, his mouth was covered with foam, and there were several streams of blood on his black coat. the alligator was on the tiptoes of all his legs, and he lashed his tail furiously, and kept his great jaws moving as if trying their ability to close on the bear at the proper moment. [illustration: the alligator and the bear.] "the bear growled, and the alligator roared like a bull; and it was his roaring that had attracted my friend's attention. they had evidently indulged in a clinch before he saw them, and were making ready for a second round. for fully a minute they remained in the attitudes in which he first beheld them, and neither could make up his mind how to take the best hold. finally bruin dropped on all fours, and ran at the alligator; the latter met him by throwing his head and body to one side, and delivering a blow with his tail that knocked the bear over on the ground, and rolled him several yards away. the blow sounded as though it had been given with a club with the force of half a dozen men, and it is safe to say that the strongest man would have been killed by it. "the bear was not discouraged, for he picked himself up and ran once more at the alligator. he did it three times in succession, and with the same result; the alligator knocking him over each time. "bruin now saw that he must change his tactics. he made his next run in such a way as to avoid the tail, and he was fairly on the alligator's body before the blow could be given. the great tail was lashed furiously from side to side, but to no purpose, as it could not hit the bear either way. the force of the charge upset the alligator, and turned him completely over; the bear's jaws closed on one of his fore-legs, while the shaggy paws were clasped around the scaly body. the reptile was in a bad way, as his great weapon of warfare, the tail, was useless; and his neck was not flexible enough to enable him to bite. he roared in despair, and then bethought himself of a new trick. "his tail, as he lashed it around, happened to hit a small tree; he pushed against this tree as with a lever, and by using it as a fulcrum he managed to wriggle along to the bank. then another convulsive movement threw him and his antagonist into the water. "the bank from which they fell was about four feet high, and they tumbled in with a loud splash. they disappeared below the surface, and were out of sight for nearly two minutes. the bear came up, and, after scrambling to the shore, he gave a brief glance at the stream, to make sure that there was no chance of renewing the combat; then, shaking the water from his skin, he hurried off into the forest. my friend could have shot the bear with the utmost ease, but in consideration for the courage and determination he had shown he did not do so." "he was right," said frank; "such bravery should command respect." "but how about the alligator's part of the fight?" the doctor asked. "as to that," responded the youth, "the alligator deserves no credit. when he found he could not conquer the bear on equal terms, he sneaked into the river. he could live in the air or in the water, while the bear could not fight below the surface of the stream, and could not even live there. all the alligator had to do was to sink in the water, and the bear must drown or let go his hold. i like the bear's bravery, but don't think much of the other fellow." "no more do i," fred chimed in; "and it is a pity that the alligator could not have been shot before he rolled from the bank. all the race of crocodiles is a cruel one, and ought to be exterminated." "they are fast being driven from existence," said the doctor. "twenty-five years ago they were numerous in the nile below luxor; while to-day they are rarely seen below the first cataract, which is more than a hundred miles above luxor. they are also becoming scarce in the rivers of india; and the alligators in the southern parts of the united states are not nearly as numerous as they were. still, there are enough for all the demand that is likely to be made for them, and anybody who will invent a way of killing them rapidly will confer a benefit upon the human race." [illustration: just hatched.] "in regions where these reptiles abound, the natives have adopted the sensible plan of destroying the eggs whenever they find a nest. the nests are made in the sand or on a bank of earth, and the female alligator usually lays from twenty to forty--rarely more than the latter number. they are hatched by the heat of the sun: the mother does not sit on the nest like a hen, but she stays in the neighborhood and fights for their protection. when the chicks emerge from the shell they hurry off to the water, or to a hiding-place in the mud; and they seem to understand that they will be subject to many dangers until they get large enough to defend themselves. cranes and fish are fond of them in their tender youth, and even the fathers of the alligator family seem to mistake them for frogs, and eat them with apparent delight. "in some parts of india the natives dig a circular pit, and cover it with sticks and leaves. the pit surrounds a little island or mound of earth, and is close to a stream where crocodiles abound. on the mound they fasten a young goat, and his bleatings during the night attract the crocodiles, who break the slight floor of sticks with their heavy bodies, and fall into the pit prepared for them. heavy stakes are set in the bottom of the pit, and as the reptile falls he is generally impaled on one or more of them. "i have read of a famous old crocodile who defied all the ordinary modes of capture, in one of the rivers of india. finally an english officer hit upon a trick that was successful. he put a pound of powder in a can, and attached it to an electric wire, so that he could explode it at pleasure; then he placed this can inside the carcass of a sheep, and by means of a rope floated it over where the crocodile lay. the crocodile rose and swallowed the bait; the officer, who was standing ready with his electric battery on the shore, completed the connection of the wires, and an instant afterwards the reptile that had been a terror to the neighborhood had ceased to exist. the can of powder exploded in his stomach, and his body, when it came to the surface, was so torn and distorted that it could hardly be recognized as the remains of a crocodile." [illustration: coming out to sun himself.] chapter xii. stories of elephant-hunting.--scenes of the chase. when the topic of crocodiles and their relatives had been exhausted, fred reminded the doctor of his promise to tell them something of the ways of hunting elephants. "i was just coming to that," said doctor bronson, "and have been trying to refresh my memory on the subject. i do not know how they hunt elephants in siam, but from the appearance of the corral near the elephants' stables, i infer that the process is pretty nearly the same in all countries where the elephant is found in a wild state. [illustration: an elephant fence.] "you observed that the corral, or yard, at ayuthia was constructed of upright logs set into the earth in the form of a palisade. in ceylon it is made of heavy posts, with strong timbers placed horizontally, the whole interlaced and bound with withes, and braced with slanting posts on the outside. the fence is generally about fifteen feet high, and the openings in it will easily allow a man to pass through. at ayuthia you saw that the posts of the corral permit the same thing; the fence is like a sieve, that strains men through without difficulty, but catches the elephants. [illustration: form of a corral.] "here is the general appearance of the fence," said the doctor, as he took his pencil and drew on a sheet of paper, "and here is the shape of the corral. the corral is a pen, and the word is derived from the spanish, and means a ring or enclosure. the space enclosed is generally about five hundred feet long by half that width, and at one end there is a gate that can be opened and shut very quickly, and is large enough to permit the passage of but one elephant at a time. there is an avenue, shaped like the letter v, which leads up to the corral, and converges on the side where the gate is placed. it is concealed as much as possible by brushwood, and where it begins it is so slight as to be hardly perceptible. it extends a long distance into the forest, and a great deal of skill is required to construct it successfully. [illustration: beginning the drive.] "when the corral has been arranged, and is ready for occupation, the herd is supposed to be in its vicinity. eight or ten weeks have been spent in driving in the elephants; the forest where they roam has been surrounded very cautiously, and several herds have been driven together so slowly and quietly, that none of the sagacious beasts has any suspicion that he is being entrapped. sometimes hundreds of men are employed in driving in the herds, and an area is surrounded equal to several counties of an american state. day by day the circle grows narrower, and finally the men composing it are able to build fires ten or twelve feet from each other. not till then do they consider the game fairly bagged, and now they throw off all deception and adopt new tactics. where before all was still, is now a scene of wild confusion; the men make a loud noise, with musical and unmusical instruments, and each of them carries a torch, which he waves wildly in the air. they do this on three sides of the herd, while the fourth side, in the direction of the corral, is left conveniently open. [illustration: driving into the corral.] "the elephants are frightened, and rush in the desired direction; they now begin to suspect a snare, and frequently try to break through the line of men and rush back to their forest home. the men pelt them with the torches, and strike them with the burning sticks, till they turn around again and go where they are wanted; gradually they near the end of the corral, and finally a few of them make their way through the gate and are securely trapped. the natives rush forward and close the bars of the gate, and the rest of the herd is permitted to stray a little way back into the woods, but it is carefully kept from going too far. "when they find they are caught, the elephants rush wildly round the corral, trying first one part of the fence and then another, in the hope of escaping. wherever they go, they are met at the fence by men with flaming torches; and they are further terrified by discharges of musketry, and the sound of horns and trumpets. this performance is kept up for several hours of the day, and generally through the night; and at daybreak they make ready to secure the captives, and prepare the corral for a second lot of elephants. "it is in this work that the elephant shows the peculiarity of his nature, in using all his sagacity to assist in the capture of his kindred. he seems to know what is wanted of him, and invariably appears to take great delight in doing it." "elephant nature is not altogether unlike human nature," remarked the consul, with a smile. "not a few of our fellow-men, whenever they fall upon misfortune, are desirous of having others to share it with them." "it is an old adage that misery loves company," said fred. "but i hope it is not a true one," frank responded. "perhaps we had better give the human race the benefit of any doubt on the subject, and say that the quality we have been talking about is elephant nature, and does not belong to us." his proposal was accepted, and the account of elephant-hunting was resumed. "the removal of the captives requires a good deal of skill and caution, both on the part of the tame elephants and on that of the attendants. here is an excellent account of this operation: "the bars which secured the entrance to the corral were cautiously withdrawn, and two trained elephants passed stealthily in, each ridden by his _mahout_--or _ponnekella_, as he is called in ceylon--and one attendant, and carrying a strong collar, formed by coils of rope made from cocoa-nut fibre, from which hung on each side cords of elk's hide, prepared with a ready noose. along with them, and concealed behind them, the head-men of the _cooroowe_, or noosers, crept in, eager to secure the honor of taking the first elephant--a distinction which this class jealously contests with the mahouts of the chiefs and the temples. he was a wiry little man, nearly seventy years old, who had served in the same capacity under the kandyan king, and wore two silver bangles, which had been conferred on him in testimony of his prowess. he was accompanied by his son, named ranghanie, equally renowned for his courage and dexterity. "on this occasion ten tame elephants were in attendance; one of which had been caught only the year before, but was now ready to assist in capturing others. one was of prodigious age, having been in the service of the dutch and english governments in succession, for upwards of a century. the other, called by her keeper 'siribeddi,' was about fifty years old, and distinguished for her gentleness and docility. she was a most accomplished decoy, and evinced the utmost relish for the sport. having entered the corral noiselessly, she moved slowly along with a sly composure and an assumed air of easy indifference; sauntering leisurely in the direction of the captives, and halting now and then to pluck a bunch of grass or a few leaves, as she passed. as she approached the herd, they put themselves in motion to meet her, and the leader, having advanced in front and passed his trunk gently over her head, turned and paced slowly back to his dejected companions. siribeddi followed with the same listless step, and drew herself up close behind him, thus affording the nooser an opportunity to stoop under her and slip the noose over the hind foot of the wild one. the elephant instantly perceived his danger, shook off the rope, and turned to attack the man. the latter would have suffered for his temerity, had not siribeddi protected him by raising her trunk and driving the assailant into the middle of the herd, when the old man, being slightly wounded, was helped out of the corral, and his son, ranghanie, took his place. "the herd again collected in a circle, with their heads towards the centre. the largest male was singled out, and two tame ones pushed boldly in, one on each side of him, till the three stood nearly abreast. he made no resistance, but betrayed his uneasiness by shifting restlessly from foot to foot. ranghanie now crept up; holding the rope open with both hands, its other extremity being made fast to siribeddi's collar, and watching the instant when the wild elephant lifted its hind foot, he succeeded in passing the noose over its leg, drew it close, and fled to the rear. the two tame elephants now fell back; siribeddi stretched the rope to its full length, and while she dragged out the captive, her companion placed himself between her and the herd to prevent any interference. [illustration: securing the captives.] "in order to secure him to a tree, he had to be dragged back some twenty or thirty yards, making furious resistance, bellowing in terror, plunging on all sides, and crushing the smaller timber, which bent like reeds beneath his clumsy struggles. siribeddi drew him steadily after her, and wound the rope round the proper tree, holding it all the time at its fullest tension, and stepping cautiously across it when, in order to give it a second turn, it was necessary to pass between the tree and the elephant. [illustration: siribeddi's prize.] "one after the other the herd was secured, in spite of their resistance; and the whole time consumed in disposing of an elephant, from the moment the decoys approached him till he was secured to a tree, was about three-quarters of an hour. the captives tried all possible ways to escape, but it was of no use; they were fastened to the trees, and the cords were so strong and so well tied that the greatest exertions of the prisoners were of no effect whatever. some of the tricks they practised in endeavoring to escape were very ingenious, and showed that the elephant in his wild state has the full development of the sagacity which he displays in captivity. their strength is enormous, and sometimes they pull down trees in their struggles. [illustration: the prisoners tied up.] "it is a curious circumstance," the doctor continued, "that the tame elephant who is assisting at the capture of his kindred never displays the least sympathy for them; while they, on the other hand, show a great deal of it for each other. when a captive, who is being dragged to a tree, passes one that is already tied up, he will stop and twine his trunk around the other's legs and neck, and manifest in all the ways that he can a deep sorrow for what has happened. [illustration: a little head work.] "when the animals are secured the corral presents a curious spectacle. the great beasts are stretched out in various attitudes, their feet fastened to the trees, and sometimes spread far apart. they moan and bellow for hours together; they seize hold of the trees with their trunks, and exhaust all their ingenuity in endeavoring to get free. when all other means have failed, they will often try to escape by turning somersaults; and it is interesting to see an elephant balancing himself on his head, and endeavoring to throw his heels in the air. for awhile they refuse to eat or drink, and sometimes they literally starve themselves to death. i have heard of several instances where they have refused to move or eat, and remain motionless for days, till they die. it is generally the finest elephant of a herd that kills himself in this way; the natives say he dies of a broken heart, and i am quite inclined to believe that such is the case. and it sometimes happens that after an elephant has been tamed, and is thoroughly obedient to his keeper, he will lie down and die on the very first attempt to harness him. [illustration: in a heap of trouble.] "there is a story of an elephant in ceylon, which was one of the finest that had been taken in a long while. he resisted a good deal when first captured; and when they were removing him from the corral to the stables, a distance of about six miles, he was so obstinate that the journey occupied several hours. he escaped once, but was afterwards recaptured and became very docile; but when he was taken to colombo, he stopped in front of the gate of the fort, and would not enter. while they were trying to persuade him to go inside, he lay down on the ground and died, without the least struggle." frank asked in what way the elephants are tamed, after they have been captured and tied up as the doctor described. "they are subdued," said the doctor, "partly by starvation, and partly by kind treatment. hunger is the great force used, as the elephant is not allowed to have any food until he shows signs of becoming tractable. sometimes he is starved for a week or more; but he is allowed to satisfy his thirst to a limited extent. when he indicates that he has become docile, and is accustomed to the presence of his keeper, he is released and taken to the stables, where he is well fed. no attempt is made to harness him for some time, but he is exercised with the other elephants, and gradually reconciles himself to a captive state. in nine cases out of ten he never shows the least inclination to rebel, but accepts his new condition of life with perfect resignation; and, as i have before told you, he is quite ready and willing to assist in the capture of his former comrades. "in some parts of asia the natives capture elephants by digging deep pits, and covering them with bushes and leaves, so that the trap is quite concealed. the herd is then driven in the direction of the pit, and some of the animals fall into it. a guard is placed over them, and they are kept without food for seven or eight days, and even for a longer period if they do not submit. when they are conquered, the sides of the pit are dug down, and they are led out of the place of their imprisonment. there is a very good story connected with this mode of capture; it is an old one, and evidently the eastern version of the fable of the mouse and the lion, which is in all the story-books." "tell it, please," said fred; and the request was echoed by his cousin. "i will tell it," said the doctor, "though i fear you may consider it too juvenile for you. "hundreds of years ago an elephant was taken in a pit in a forest in india. he bemoaned his fate, and wept aloud. the guard that had been left over him was asleep under a tree, and a priest who was passing heard his lamentations and tried to console him. "'alas!' said the elephant, 'there can be no consolation for me. i must stay in this pit till i am subdued, and then i shall be the slave of man. no one can save me.' "'don't be so sure of that,' replied the priest. 'if you have ever done a good action to anybody, you can call him to your aid, and he will assist you. think of some service you have given, and perhaps it will now be of use to you.' "'i have done services on several occasions,' the elephant answered; 'but those who were favored were so small that they can now do nothing for a great body like me.' "'tell me one of them,' said the priest. "'last year,' said the elephant, 'the prince of this province had captured the king of the rats, and a great many of his subjects. he had them in earthen jars, and was about to drown them; but i came along in the night and broke all the jars, so that the rats ran away and were free. [illustration: refusing to move on.] "'and another time a man had the queen of the tribe of the parrots in a cage, and hung it on a tree where nobody could reach it. i pulled the tree down and broke the cage, so that the queen flew away to her companions.' "just then the scream of a parrot was heard from a neighboring tree, and the priest said to the elephant, "'call that parrot, and ask him to go and tell his queen to come and see her benefactor, who is now in trouble? "the elephant protested that it would be of no use, as the parrot could not help him in any way, no matter how willing she was to do so. but the priest insisted, and the elephant obeyed. "in a little while the queen came, and then the priest told the elephant to send her with a message to the king of the rats. away she flew, and told the rat king how their old benefactor had fallen into a pit. "the king sent out his messengers to all parts of his dominions, and by the next morning they were assembled to the number of several millions. the king ordered them to follow him, and they went to where the elephant was entrapped. the parrot queen was there ahead of them, and she had brought millions of her subjects. the guards were now awake, but the parrot queen talked to them and amused them, and she kept flying off a little way at a time, till she drew them out of sight of the pit. then the rats began scratching at the edge of the pit; and though each of them only threw down a very little earth at a time, there was soon a large path sloping to where the elephant stood. at the same time the millions of parrots began breaking little twigs from the trees, and dropping them into the pit; the elephant piled these twigs and the earth beneath him, and in a few hours he walked out of the pit, and away into the forest, where he joined his companions and told them what had happened. "'who would have thought,' he said to his fellow-elephants, 'that the largest animal in the world could be saved by such insignificant creatures as the parrot and the rat. hereafter i will never despise small things, or despair of being brought out of trouble. good actions will be rewarded, no matter how insignificant may be their recipient.'" "a very pretty story!" exclaimed both the boys in a breath. "it is a story with a moral," doctor bronson answered; "and i leave you to apply it while we have a little more talk about the elephant." "a baby elephant is about the most amusing beast in the world; he is affectionate and playful to a high degree, and there is little difficulty in taming him. very often the young elephants are taken in the corrals with their mothers, whom they follow to the tying-down place, and thence to the stables when the captives are released from their bonds. a gentleman at colombo had one that was sent down to his house from the corral where he was taken, and he very soon became a favorite with everybody about the place. he stayed generally near the kitchen, where he picked up a good many things of which he was fond; and sometimes, when the gentleman was walking in the grounds, the young giant would come to him and twine his trunk around his arm, to indicate that he wanted to be taken to the fruit-trees. he used to be admitted to the dining-room, and helped to fruit at dessert, and he finally got to coming in at odd times when not invited. on two or three occasions he managed to break all the glasses on a sideboard, while reaching for some oranges in a basket, and finally he became so mischievous that he had to be sent away. while he was at the house the grass-cutters occasionally placed their loads of grass on his back, and whenever this was done he strutted off with an air of the greatest pride at the confidence that was shown in him. after he was sent to the government stables he became very docile; and when his turn came for work, he performed it to the satisfaction of everybody. [illustration: sliding down hill.] "it is said that elephants amuse themselves by sliding downhill; but they do not use sleds, like boys in america. natives who claim to have witnessed these performances say that the huge beasts enter into the sport with great enthusiasm, and keep it up for hours. [illustration: elephant-hunting on foot.] "elephants are hunted with the rifle by english and other sportsmen; and thousands of them have been killed in this way for the sake of their tusks, or for mere amusement. their number has been so much diminished by this means, that in india and ceylon the government has taken the elephant under its protection, and it can only be pursued and slaughtered by the express permission of the officials. at present the paradise of elephant-hunters is in africa. the african elephant is much like his asiatic brother; but his ear is nearly three times as large as that of the latter, and his skin has fewer hairs upon it. "he is a vicious brute, and often turns on his hunter and puts him to a rapid flight. i have read of an englishman who was one day chasing an african elephant, and, after a great deal of manoeuvring, got near enough to give him a shot. it was fortunate for the hunter that he was well-mounted and had a firm seat in his saddle, as the wounded elephant turned after the shot was fired and crashed through the bushes in the direction of his assailant. horse and rider had a narrow escape, and the two dogs that accompanied the sportsman came in for a share of the fright. the hunter concluded that he would let the elephant go his way unmolested; and when the enraged animal turned back into the forest he was not followed." "it reminds me," said the consul, "of the story of the army officer in india who was asked if he found tiger-hunting a pleasant amusement. 'hunting the tiger,' said he, 'is very pleasant as long as the tiger is hunted; but when he turns and hunts you, the pleasure ceases altogether.'" [illustration: the hunter hunted.] "it is about the same with the chase of the wild elephant," the doctor remarked. as he said it, the servant announced the readiness of something to eat in the cabin, and the conversation was suspended until the party was seated at table. "in some parts of the east," doctor bronson continued, "it is the custom for princes and kings to give grand entertainments in the shape of elephant fights. sometimes two elephants are matched together; but quite as often they are pitted against some other beast. formerly these fights were carried on till one of the combatants was dead or severely hurt; but at present an effort is made to keep them from injuring each other, and the fight is little more than a series of rather violent pushes from one side of the ring to the other. "mr. crawfurd, who was sent at the head of an embassy from the governor-general of india to siam and cochin china in 1821, was present at a tiger and elephant fight in saigon. his account is interesting in two ways; it shows the manner of conducting one of these fights, and gives us a glimpse at the manners of the far east sixty years ago. after detailing his reception by the governor, he says: "we were invited to be present at an elephant and tiger fight, and for this purpose we mounted our elephants and repaired to the glacis of the fort, where the combat was to take place. a great concourse of people had assembled to witness the exhibition. the tiger was secured to a stake by a rope tied round his loins, and about thirty yards long. the mouth of the unfortunate animal was sewn up, and his nails drawn out; he was of large size, and extremely active. no less than forty-six elephants, all males and of great size, were seen drawn out in line. one at a time was brought to attack the tiger. "the first elephant advanced, to all appearance, with a great show of courage, and we thought, from his determined look, that he would certainly have despatched his antagonist in an instant. at the first effort he raised the tiger on his tusks to a considerable height, and threw him to the distance of at least twenty feet. notwithstanding this, the tiger rallied and sprung upon the elephant's trunk and head, up to the very keeper, who was upon his neck. the elephant took alarm, wheeled about, and ran off, pursued by the tiger as far as the rope would allow him. the fugitive, although not hurt, roared most piteously, and no effort could bring him back to the charge. a little after this, we saw a man brought up to the governor, bound with cords, and dragged into his presence by two officers. "'this was the conductor of the recreant elephant. a hundred strokes of the bamboo were ordered to be inflicted upon him on the spot. for this purpose he was thrown on his face on the ground, and secured by one man sitting astride upon his neck and shoulders, and by another sitting upon his feet, a succession of executioners inflicting the punishment. when it was over, two men carried off the sufferer by the head and heels, apparently quite insensible. "'while this outrage was perpetrating, the governor coolly viewed the combat of the tiger and elephant, as if nothing else particular had been going forward. ten or twelve elephants were brought up in succession to attack the tiger, which was killed at last, merely by the astonishing falls he received when tossed off the tusks of the elephants. the prodigious strength of these animals was far beyond anything i could have supposed. some of them tossed the tiger to a distance of at least thirty feet, after he was nearly lifeless, and could offer no resistance. we could not reflect without horror that these very individual animals were the same that have for years executed the sentence of the law upon the many malefactors condemned to death. upon these occasions, a single toss, such as i have described, is always, i am told, sufficient to destroy life.'" [illustration: taking a nap.] chapter xiii. bang-pa-in to bangkok.--studies in natural history and botany. as they returned down the river the boat stopped at bang-pa-in, to enable the young tourists to have a view of the place. the name means, "city on an island," and is a literal description of the situation. the island is not very wide in proportion to its length, and the boys found that the beauties of the spot were quite up to the expectation they had formed during their journey up the river. they walked through the gardens, which were laid out with exquisite taste, and sat beneath the trees, whose dense foliage afforded a grateful shade; they were shown through the palace, found it furnished in european style, and their sharp eyes caught sight of a piano, which gave a hint of the musical taste of the king. the officer in charge of the place showed an album of monograms which his majesty had arranged, and some pencil sketches that were the work of the royal hands. the boys were consoled for the absence of the king by the reflection that if he had been present the palace would not have been open to visitors, and some of the interesting sights of bang-pa-in would have escaped them. when they reached the landing to continue their journey, they found a native boat along-side their own with fruits and other things to sell. by direction of doctor bronson, the interpreter bought a selection of what was in the market; and, as soon as they were again in motion, the boys employed their eyes and palates in a scientific investigation of the good things before them. the first article that they discussed was a green cocoa-nut. frank wondered what use they could make of it, and fred suggested that they might keep it till it was ripe. one of the servants speedily put an end to their suspense. with a dexterity that was evidently the result of long practice, he cut away the husk, and then made a hole in the shell of the nut large enough for the easy insertion of one's thumb. the opening revealed the interior of the nut, with a slight accumulation of white pulp close to the shell, while all the rest of the enclosed space was filled with milk. when it was thus prepared he handed the nut to frank, and immediately opened another, which he gave to fred. frank laughed, and said, "what shall we do with it?" "drink the milk, and throw away the shell," replied the doctor, as he took one from the hands of the servant, and suited his action to his words. the boys did as they were directed, and the drink was followed by an exclamation of delight. [illustration: cocoa-nuts full grown and just forming.] they found the milk of the cocoa-nut a cool and refreshing beverage; and, on the assurance of the consul that they might take all they wished without fear of injury to their digestion, they proceeded with the demolition of more and more nuts, until the basket was emptied. the consul told them that the juice of the green cocoa-nut was a favorite beverage throughout siam, and was considered by some people as far safer to drink than the water of the river. "there is a good deal of vegetable matter in the river water," said he, "and it is undoubtedly the cause of derangements of the stomach when freely used. but the juice of the nut is pure and healthy, and its slightly acid taste makes it welcome to the palate. it is cool, as you have seen, and the acidity doubtless causes it to seem to be of a lower temperature than the surrounding atmosphere." [illustration: the bread-fruit.] fred asked if the famous bread-fruit was in the lot they had bought, and was rather disappointed at its absence. but a bread-fruit tree was pointed out to him as they floated down the river, and he made note of the fact that it was about forty feet high, and had a leaf nearly two feet long. the fruit resembled a large, very large apple, or perhaps a small melon; and the doctor told him that the outer husk furnished a fibre like that of the cocoa-nut, which could be made into a sort of coarse cloth. the doctor further explained that the bread-fruit was baked in the shell, the same as an oyster is roasted, and that the inner pulp, when thus cooked, resembled a sweet-potato in taste, and was very nutritious. to the touch it was not unlike the soft part of a loaf of bread, and its name was due to this latter quality rather than to its taste. "it forms," said he, "the chief sustenance of the inhabitants of many of the islands of the south pacific ocean, and is to be found nearly everywhere in the tropics. it was introduced into the west indies about a century ago, and its cultivation has been very successful in that region; later it was planted in central america, and has become so well known and used that the natives rely largely upon it for their food. the product of three trees in some of the pacific islands will support a man for a year; and it is no wonder that he becomes lazy when he has nothing to do but pluck his food from a tree." [illustration: pineapple.] when they had finished with the cocoa-nuts, they had a fine pineapple; and they remarked that its freshness made it sweeter and better than any pineapple they had ever eaten at home. frank made a sketch of this fruit, with its long and sharp-pointed leaves, and then he drew the inside of a fruit which, for want of a better name, he called a star-apple. it had a purple skin, and resembled an orange in shape and size; the pulp was white, and, when it was cut across, the cells for the seeds showed the exact form of a star. fruit after fruit was cut, in the hope that one would be found without the star; but the effort was a complete failure. [illustration: star-apple.] of course they had oranges in abundance; and they had half a dozen fruits whose names were quite unknown to them, but which were all delicious. fred lamented that the attempt to tell about the flavor of a strange fruit was like trying to describe the song of a bird, or the perfume of a flower. so they concluded that the best thing for them to do was to eat the fruit and admire it; and if anybody wanted to know what it was like, he would refer him to the article itself, and let him judge of the quality. [illustration: a new kind of fruit.] while seated on the deck of the boat, and engaged in testing the peculiarities of an orange, frank espied something on a tree that grew close to the water. thinking it might be a new kind of fruit, he called the doctor's attention to his discovery; the latter said the strange thing was nothing more nor less than the nest of a bird, and would hardly prove edible. frank's illusion was broken, as the doctor spoke, by a small bird that hopped on a limb in front of the supposed fruit, and at the same instant the head of another bird appeared from a hole in the nest. evidently the nest was constructed of cotton, or something of the sort, as it was nearly snow-white in color; it hung from the limb, so that it swayed in the wind, and it was not at all surprising that frank had mistaken it for a variety of fruit hitherto unknown to him. [illustration: tailor-bird and nest.] "that nest is not so remarkable," said the doctor, "as the one made by the tailor-bird, an inhabitant of siam and the tropical parts of india and malacca. it chooses a leaf on a small twig, and then proceeds to puncture a row of holes along the edge with its beak, just as a shoemaker uses an awl for making holes in a piece of leather. when it has thus perforated the leaf, it takes a long fibre from a plant, and passes it through the holes. the operation of sewing is imitated with great exactness, and the fibre is pulled, like a thread, until the edges of the leaf are drawn towards each other and form a hollow cone. if the bird cannot find a single leaf large enough for its purpose, it sews two leaves together; and instances have been known where three leaves were used. when the framework of the nest is completed, the bird fills the interior with the softest down it can gather from plants, and it thus has a home which it is next to impossible to discover among the leaves. there is another bird that lives near watercourses and marshes, and constructs a nest by sewing the reeds and rushes together; but its work is not so perfect as that of the tailor-bird, and does not entitle him to equal credit." frank was anxious to obtain one of these nests as a curiosity, and was gratified, on his return to bangkok, to find one for sale in the hands of a native. he bought it, and had it carefully packed, so that he could send it home without fear of injury in the next box of curiosities they should despatch to america. from birds the conversation wandered to fishes, and the boys learned something that caused their eyes to open with astonishment. lest it should be forgotten, it was entered in both their note-books, and read as follows: "there is a fish in siam, and other parts of the east, that has the remarkable peculiarity of going overland from one pond to another. when the water where they are dries up, the fishes start for the nearest pond, though it may be several miles away; and they propel themselves by means of their fins, very much as a turtle drags himself with his feet. their instinct is unerring, and they have never been known to make a mistake about heading for the water that is nearest. it is said that you may take one of them up and turn him around half a dozen times, till he is dizzy, but he will not lose his points of compass. when he is put down again he takes the proper direction, and though you put him off the track ever so many times, he always returns to it." "we shall next hear, i suppose, that there are fishes that climb trees," fred remarked, as he finished his note on the fishes that go overland. "quite possibly," frank replied; "let us ask the doctor." they asked the question, and were taken somewhat aback when doctor bronson answered in the affirmative. [illustration: a climbing-fish.] "i don't know," said he, "if there are any fish in siam that climb trees, but there is one in brazil that can perform this feat. he does not ascend a perpendicular tree, but when he finds one that slopes at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and has its roots in the water, he will venture on an excursion in the air. his scales are very large, and he works himself forward by a motion of the lower ones as they press against the bark of the tree. he hugs the tree with his fins in order to maintain his balance; his movements in climbing are very slow, and he certainly appears to better advantage in the water, where he is a rapid and graceful swimmer. you see that a fish out of water is not always the unhappy creature he has been supposed to be by most persons." "i heard somebody say one day," said fred, "that oysters grow on trees in some parts of the world. is that really so?" "certainly," was the doctor's answer; "they do grow on trees, but not in the way you are naturally led to suppose." "how is it, then, doctor?" queried frank. "it is quite simple when you understand it," was the response. "the spawn of the oyster floats in the water, and attaches itself to the first thing with which it comes in contact. it frequently happens that, at high-tide, the water comes up a little way on the trunk of a tree, or it may be that a limb of a tree hangs in the water. the oyster-spawn is attached to the trunk or limb, as the case may be, and when the tide goes away it remains there. it has enough vitality to live until the tide comes again; it retains its hold, and in course of time becomes an oyster growing on a tree. he could not live altogether without water, but he can easily get along during the intervals of the tides. he does not grow on a tree like an apple or an orange, but he certainly makes the tree his home." "do they have oysters in siam?" one of the boys asked. "oysters grow in the gulf of siam," was the reply; "but they are not equal to those of the atlantic coast of the united states. as for that matter, no oysters in any part of the world can or do equal ours; at least in the opinion of residents of the united states. here in the east indies they have some very large oysters; there is one variety that often attains a weight of three hundred pounds; it is not good for anything, however, and you never hear a man in a restaurant calling for a dozen of this variety on the half-shell. "naturalists have described about sixty varieties of oysters in different parts of the world, and it is said that more than two hundred species of fossil oysters have been found by geologists. most of these forms are now extinct, and, therefore, we have no way of determining whether all of them have been good to eat or otherwise. it is often remarked that the first man who ate an oyster must have been very brave, and it is a pity that his name has not come down to us. one version of the story is that he thrust his fingers into an open shell which he saw lying on the sea-shore; the oyster was angry at this intrusion, and immediately closed on the fingers, very much to the man's astonishment. it required a great deal of wrenching to liberate them from the shell, and they were somewhat injured in the operation; the man naturally put his fingers in his mouth to relieve the pain, and in so doing he learned the taste of the oyster. having learned it, he immediately smashed the shell with a stone and devoured the contents, and he continued to eat oysters till he had made a hearty meal. always after that, when he was hungry, he went to the oyster-bank and satisfied his appetite, and from being thin as a skeleton he grew fat and rosy. his neighbors noted the change, and one day when he was proceeding stealthily to his favorite retreat they watched him and found his secret. when it was once out, the news spread with great rapidity, and thus was inaugurated the habit of eating the oyster. when this occurred no one knows; but the fact is that the ancient romans and greeks were fond of the oyster, and esteemed it greatly as an article of food. "another remarkable fact is--" before the doctor could finish the sentence, frank sprung to his feet in an excited manner, and pointed to a tree that stood not twenty feet from the bank of the river. "see that great snake!" he shouted; "and see that squirrel in front of him!" [illustration: the snake and the squirrel.] a snake was coiled around the limb of the tree with his neck bent, and his head slowly waving in the air. his body glistened in the sunlight as it played on his scales, and frank fancied he could see the fire darting from his eyes. a foot or so in front of him was a squirrel, sitting on his haunches, and with his tail erect; his eyes were fixed on the serpent, and he was chattering wildly, and as if greatly alarmed. while they looked at the strange spectacle, the head of the snake was darted forward, and in an instant the poor little squirrel was transfixed by the deadly fangs. frank wished they had been able to save the squirrel by killing the snake, but his wishing was of no avail, as they were moving down the stream; and, besides, they had no fire-arms with which the serpent could have been disturbed in his retreat up the tree. "i suppose the squirrel was charmed by the snake," said fred, as soon as they had passed out of sight of the tree. "as to that," replied doctor bronson, "there is much dispute. many persons who have studied the subject are positive that snakes have the power of charming or fascinating small birds and animals; and others, who have studied it quite as much, deny that any such power exists. i have heard so much on both sides, that i am not able to form a positive opinion. i am inclined, however, to believe that the power is possessed by certain snakes, as i have seen manifestations of it, or something very like it. when i was a boy in the country, i one day saw a large black snake in an apple-tree on my uncle's farm. a bird was hopping around on the limbs in great alarm, as i judged by his twitterings; he seemed to be terribly afraid of the snake, and at the same time unable to get away from him. i watched his movements for nearly half an hour, and observed that each time the bird moved he came nearer to the snake; and the performance ended by his lighting on a branch within a foot of where the latter was coiled. then the snake darted his head forward and seized the bird, precisely as you saw that scaly fellow, a few moments ago, seize the squirrel. "exactly what the process of charming is, if it really exists, it is difficult to say. probably the victim is paralyzed, to some extent, by the horrible appearance of the serpent, and deprived of the use of his limbs. if you suddenly come in contact with a ferocious wild beast, or some terrible danger is presented to you, it is not at all improbable that you will be unable to move from sheer fright. i am inclined to believe that the fascination of birds and small mammals by serpents is something of this sort, but i confess my inability to explain why the victim, in moving around, comes every moment nearer to his destroyer, as though he could not remove his eyes, however much he might wish to do so." "if you travel around much in siam," the consul remarked, "you will find all the snakes you care to see. it is not unusual to see them swimming in the river; and in the rainy season they frequently get into the houses, particularly those that float on the water. most of them are harmless, but there are some poisonous ones, including the famous _cobra di capella_." frank thought he would prefer not to live in a floating house, for the present at least; and his opinion was shared by fred. they were not at all enamored of the idea of having an intimate association with the wandering snakes of siam. [illustration: monkeys at home.] "i think," said the doctor, "that if you were compelled to select some of the inhabitants of the siamese forests as your companions, you would prefer monkeys to snakes. in the region north of here you could find an abundance of them, and of all sizes; they run wild in the forests, and sometimes are found in large droves. they are sociable beings, and very fond of each other's society; and if one of them gets into trouble, his companions are quite likely to come to his relief. a friend of mine was out hunting one day, and saw a monkey on a tree where a fair chance for a shot was presented. he fired and wounded the monkey, who immediately set up a piteous howl; in a few minutes dozens of monkeys were around him, and they seemed to understand that my friend was the cause of the trouble. he fled, and they pursued him; he fired his gun to frighten them, and, after knocking several of them over, he reached an open space of country, and was allowed to go on undisturbed. if he had been without his gun he would not have escaped so easily. [illustration] "monkeys have a good many enemies besides man. wild beasts devour them, and occasionally snakes manage to take them in; the fellows are so active that they can only be captured by strategy, or their own carelessness and curiosity; and they often fall victims to the last-named quality. a tiger will lie down and pretend to be dead; the monkeys see him, and draw near to investigate. they approach cautiously, stop frequently, and do a deal of chattering. if the tiger stirs a muscle, they take the alarm at once and are off; but if he lies perfectly still, they are sure, in a little while, to come so close that one of the boldest will venture to pluck at his hide. as he does so he jumps several feet to one side, and if the tiger should rouse himself he would be baffled of his prey. he continues to lie as if dead; and finally the monkeys, believing he is really nothing but a carcass, proceed to sit on him and hold a coroner's inquest. now is the tiger's chance; and with a sudden spring he has one of the fattest in his jaws, while the rest scamper away to the forest. [illustration] "another enemy of the monkey is the eagle. when the monkeys are playing in the branches of a tree the eagle swoops down with great rapidity, and carries one of the party off in his powerful claws. often there is a fearful struggle in the air, as the monkey is not inclined to die without a protest; and as he has a great deal of strength, and is full of activity, he occasionally comes off victorious and escapes, though he may be killed by the fall from the height where the eagle drops him. a gentleman of my acquaintance once witnessed the capture of a monkey by an eagle; the eagle fastened his claws in the back of the monkey, and, though the latter struggled violently, his hold was not once broken. the eagle flew to the top of a distant tree, where he undoubtedly devoured his victim at his leisure. [illustration: eagle capturing a monkey.] "in seizing a monkey, the eagle always endeavors to grasp him by the back and neck, one claw being in the neck, and the other farther down. the reason of this is that, unless the monkey is firmly held by the neck, he will turn his head and inflict a terrible bite on his assailant; but as long as the neck is thus held he is powerless. it is said that the first thing the eagle does, after taking a monkey, is to put out his eyes with his powerful beak; but in so doing he is in danger of having his head seized by the monkey's paws." "on the whole," said frank, "i don't think i care about forming an intimate acquaintance with the monkey." fred was of the same opinion, and the subject of conversation was changed. chapter xiv. the king in his state barge.--betel and tobacco. on their arrival at bangkok, our friends found that the king had returned, and was to begin on the following day his annual visits to the temples of the city. once a year he goes in state to the temples, and about two weeks are consumed in making the rounds of all of them. the siamese attach much importance to this ceremony, as their country is considered the principal seat of the buddhist religion, and the king is its first defender. therefore it is considered necessary that he should worship officially at the shrines of the leading temples of the capital, in addition to his daily worship in the temples attached to the grand palace. the consul arranged to accompany doctor bronson and the youths to one of the temples the king was to visit, so that they might see the procession, and have a glimpse of the ruler of siam. about ten o'clock in the forenoon they left the hotel in their boat, and a half-hour's pull up and across the river brought them to the spot. they spent a little while in the inspection of the temple and its surroundings: they had visited the same temple in the first days of their stay in bangkok, and therefore many things were familiar to their eyes. but where it had been quiet before all was now activity, and there was a considerable assemblage of people, who had come, like themselves, to witness the ceremony. after a time there was a stir, and the announcement was made that the king was coming. the boys looked up the river in the direction of the palace, and, sure enough, there was the royal procession; and it was a sight that almost took away the breath of both frank and fred. [illustration: state barge of the king of siam.] there was a flotilla of a dozen or more boats and barges of the most gorgeous description our friends had ever seen. the largest of them was occupied by the king, and had a hundred and twenty men to row, or rather to paddle it. the boat was said to be fifty yards in length, but nobody was able to say positively what were its exact dimensions; at any rate, it was long enough and handsome enough to satisfy the most fastidious spectator. the rowers were in a double line, and in scarlet uniforms; at each stroke they raised their paddles high in air, and their movements were so timed that the paddles on both sides were dipped at exactly the same moment. the boat sat quite low in the water, and its stern had a sharp and high curve to it that doubtless made the middle of the craft appear lower than it really was. the bow was bent upwards as high as the stern, and frank thought it could not be less than ten or twelve feet out of the water. it appeared to be much heavier than the stern, and was fantastically carved; the doctor told the boys that the carving was intended to represent the _nagha mustakha sapta_, or seven-headed serpent, which is one of the mythological deities of siam. considerably nearer to the stern than the bow there was a sort of throne elevated on four pillars, and having a gorgeous canopy above it. on this throne the king was seated; the canopy had a spire like that of some of the temples, and consequently the seat in the barge possessed a certain religious character. near him were attendants holding canopies not altogether unlike umbrellas, and at a distance these canopies suggested the appearance of golden cones. the boat was driven rapidly through the water by the powerful arms of its rowers, and their movements were timed by a man waving a huge baton, after the manner of the drum-major of a brass band. the other boats moved at the same speed; they were smaller than that of the king, some of them having no more than thirty or forty rowers; and they belonged to the siamese nobles and ministers of state, who were required to accompany the king on his official visits to the temples. the gilding and bright colors on the boats were fairly dazzling to the eyes of the young travellers. in all their travels hitherto, they had seen nothing half as gorgeous as this spectacle, and frank was inclined to pinch himself to make sure he was not dreaming. he was destined to be still more astonished when told that the king's boat was inlaid with mother-of-pearl and crystal, and with sparkling shells and bright stones, so that it resembled a piece of jewellery for the use of a giant such as the world never saw. he wondered what must have been the cost of such a boat, but there was no one who could tell him. [illustration: a body of the royal guards.] soon the boat was at the little platform which served as a landing-place in front of the temple. a file of soldiers, uniformed somewhat after the european manner, and carrying rifles of foreign manufacture, was drawn up near the path where his majesty would pass on his way to the temple door; they were commanded by an officer whose complexion was of the siamese tint, and who spoke english so fluently that the boys thought he must have had a most excellent teacher, and been a very apt pupil. they were undeceived when they learned that he was a native of philadelphia, and formerly served in the army of the united states. doctor bronson observed that the soldiers were well drilled, as they went through the manual of arms with the precision of a regiment of english or american infantry. the siamese army is drilled after the european manner, and has had drill-masters from the united states and half the countries of europe in the last thirty years. the navy is also under foreign management, and the harbor-master of the port of bangkok is an englishman, who has lived there a long time. several foreigners are in the custom-house and other official service, and the steamers of the navy have european engineers. the foreigners in the siamese service are well paid, and generally get along easily with the natives. some of them are greatly trusted by the king, and have shown themselves fully worthy of the royal confidence. in time of war the entire male population of the country capable of bearing arms is liable to be called out, and every man is bound to serve as a defender of his nation. whenever soldiers are wanted, the king sends a command to the governors of the various provinces, and tells them what their quota will be, and they are expected to comply immediately with the demand. the troops thus levied are fed and clothed and armed at the expense of the government, but they do not receive any pay in money; and when the emergency for which they were wanted is passed they are dismissed and sent home. the standing army in time of peace is quite small, and the soldiers are fed and clothed, and their pay in money is about six dollars a month. the siamese navy contained, at the time our friends were at bangkok, about a dozen steam gun-boats, carrying from two to ten guns each, and several new vessels were on the stocks in the royal dock-yards. a large naval force is not needed in siam, and the king wisely refrains from expending a great deal of money on useless ships of war. [illustration: the king visiting a temple.] the king stepped ashore on the little platform previously mentioned, and mounted a sedan-chair, on which he was to be carried to the temple. his head was protected from the sun by a canopy like a large umbrella; and both the seat and canopy were gayly decorated, and shone with gilding. as the bearers proceeded with their royal burden, the people knelt in homage to their ruler, and the strictest silence was observed. one after another the nobles and high officials landed from their boats, and proceeded to the temple, surrounded or followed by their attendants. it was a novel spectacle to the boys, this procession of dignitaries, and they watched it with great interest. each of the officials had a man to carry his pipe and tobacco, another for his betel-box, another for his tray, holding a teacup and a pot of tea; and some of them had two or three others for the transportation of various things. the betel-boxes were of gold, and most exquisitely wrought, and they must have cost a great deal of money to make. the prime-minister was the last to arrive, and the boys were told that the ceremony would not begin till he had entered the temple. [illustration: the front of the temple.] the strangers were not invited to see the services inside the building, and therefore they remained where they were till the king came out and returned to his boat. the ceremony lasted about half an hour, and consisted of the repetition of prayers by the priests, and responses by the king; it was said to be not unlike the celebration of mass in a catholic church, and it has been remarked by many visitors to the far east that the forms of buddhist worship have a considerable resemblance to those of rome. the king went to his boat, which was drawn up to the platform as before; and as soon as he was seated, the signal was given to the rowers to move on. away they paddled to another temple, situated up one of the canals; and the other boats followed the royal one as rapidly as possible. by taking a path through some gardens near the temple, our friends reached a point on the bank of the canal where they could see all the boats as they went along. after the procession had gone the boys wanted to ramble through the tall grass, but changed their minds when told that possibly they might encounter a cobra or some other deadly snake. cobras are not unfrequently found around the siamese temples; and though accidents are not of common occurrence, there are enough of them to make a stranger careful about his promenades. it was past noon, and the heat of the sun was not of the lightest. the doctor suggested a return to the hotel, and the boys were quite willing to accept it, as they wanted to think over the strange spectacle they had witnessed. they thought they had done quite enough for one day, and considered that they had been very fortunate in seeing the king, and witnessing one of the pageants for which siam is celebrated. on their way back in the boat, frank asked the doctor to tell him something about the use of the betel-nut. they had observed that the king was vigorously chewing the substance, which is to the siamese what tobacco is to many americans, and the ministers of state were following his example. all classes of people indulged in the amusement, and their mouths had a reddish appearance in consequence. "the leaf of the betel-pepper," said the doctor, "and the nut of the areca-palm are prepared as follows: the nut is sliced quite thin, and a little quicklime is sprinkled on it, so as to give it a pungent flavor, and the two substances are then wrapped in the leaf. in this form it is taken into the mouth and chewed, and the operation is generally performed with a very vigorous action of the jaws. the saliva has a reddish tint, and it is so bright that many strangers are deluded into the belief that the natives are spitting blood. the practice of chewing this substance began originally in the malay peninsula, but it has gradually spread all over india, the countries of indo-china, and the malay archipelago. would you like to try it?" the boys had the curiosity to make an experiment with the betel-nut; and, as soon as they reached the hotel, the doctor made their wants known to the landlord. in a little while some of the substance was brought, and the youths ventured to chew it. a very short trial was quite sufficient. they found the taste anything but agreeable; and frank thought the same sensation could be had by dissolving in the mouth a piece of alum as large as a small pea, or a more extensive piece of lime. the delusion might be kept up by adding any common leaf and a few grains of pepper, and fred was confident that it would require a long time for him to be accustomed to it. "of course," said he, "one might learn in time to like betel, just as men in america learn to like tobacco; but, as far as i can judge, the taste of tobacco is the less disagreeable of the two." the astringency of the betel-nut was removed from the tongues of the experimenters by a free use of the milk of green cocoa-nuts; and each of the boys made a quiet promise to himself that he would not learn to chew betel for anything in the world. "and we may as well include tobacco," said frank, "and leave it to rest at the side of betel. i certainly don't like the process of chewing betel, and it is no worse than that of chewing the favorite weed of america." fred agreed with his cousin, and the two concluded that they would not adopt the habit of many of their countrymen. just then it occurred to them that they had not seen any other people than their own using tobacco in this form, and so they asked the doctor if the habit was exclusively an american one. [illustration: the tobacco-plant.] "practically so," was the doctor's answer. "in no other country than ours is the habit of chewing tobacco at all prevalent; a few sailors and others who have lived or been in the united states have adopted and carried it home, and these are virtually the only people not americans who indulge in it. other nations are far greater smokers than ourselves, but we have very nearly a monopoly of chewing the leaf of the famous plant of virginia." [illustration: sir walter raleigh and his pipe.] one of the boys asked if tobacco was not first found in america; he thought he had read that it was used by the indians at the time of the discovery of the western continent by columbus, and was introduced to europe by sir walter raleigh. "i am unable to answer your question with exactness," said the doctor, "for the simple reason that the matter is involved in obscurity. it is said by some historians that the sailors accompanying columbus were one day greatly astonished at seeing smoke issuing from the mouths and nostrils of some of the natives, and they found, on investigation, that it was produced by the combustion of a fragrant herb or plant. on their return they introduced it into spain and portugal. in 1560 jean nicot was ambassador of france at the court of lisbon, and learned the use of tobacco from a merchant who had been in america. when he next went to france, he presented the weed to the queen, and it soon became known throughout europe. from him it was called _l'herbe nicotienne_, or "the nicotian weed," and the name has come down to our times. near the same period sir francis drake introduced it into england, and sir walter raleigh made it fashionable; so rapidly did the use of it spread that in less than twenty years nearly every class of society was addicted to it. "some writers contend that tobacco, or some similar plant, was smoked in asia long before the discovery of america; in proof of this they assert that the pipe in nearly its present form is to be seen on many ancient sculptures; and it is certainly singular that a people so conservative as the chinese and other asiatics should have made the use of tobacco universal in the comparatively short period that has elapsed since its discovery in america. on the other hand, we can infer that it was not known in asia as early as the eighth century, because the tales of the arabian nights, which are supposed to be a perfect picture of the customs of that time, make no mention of smoking." "does marco polo make any mention of it in his travels in asia?" fred asked. "if it had been known in his time, i think he would have been pretty certain to say something about it." "i believe he makes no allusion to it," the doctor responded; "and this fact is quoted by those who contend that the practice was of american origin. but, whatever the origin of smoking tobacco, the custom has spread over the whole globe, and prevails among savages no less than among the most civilized and enlightened nations. all classes of people, from highest to lowest, are smokers; and, though the practice has been the subject of severe penalties, it has continued to spread. laws were passed against it by several governments. in russia, smokers were punished by having a pipe-stem passed through the cartilage of the nose for their first offence; and for a second, they were ordered to be flogged to death. sultan amurath iv. ordered that all smokers should be strangled; and in switzerland it was officially announced that the use of tobacco was one of the sins forbidden by the ten commandments. the popes of rome issued edicts against it; and one of them, urban vii., decreed the excommunication of all who should use tobacco. king james wrote the famous 'counterblast against tobacco,' and other publications were made condemning the importation of sir walter raleigh; but all to no purpose. the practice could not be put down; and to-day there is no article of luxury or dissipation that is so universally known as tobacco. "there are about forty different varieties of tobacco described by botanists which are smoked, or chewed, or snuffed, in various parts of the world. by far the greater part of the tobacco used annually is smoked, and in some countries snuff-taking, like chewing the weed, is practically unknown. in nine cases out of ten in america the use of tobacco begins by smoking, and in other countries the proportion is probably a hundred times as great. the tobacco used in asia and in some parts of europe is much milder than that of america. england is the largest consumer of strong tobacco outside of the united states, and the revenue derived from it by the british custom-house goes far towards paying the expenses of the government. [illustration: pipes of all nations.] "tobacco was first smoked in pipes, and all the early representations of smokers contain no picture of the cigar. sir walter raleigh used a pipe which was much like the one most popular in england at the present day, and it was not till long after his time that the leaf, rolled into a cigar, became fashionable. different nations have adopted different forms for the pipe; and it is noticeable that the more indolent the people the longer is its pipe-stem. with the english and american pipe the smoker can enjoy himself while employed, but with the eastern pipe he can do nothing else while smoking. with a cigar, or a short pipe, a man may write or work; but when he takes the hookah of turkey, or the nargileh of syria and egypt, his occupation, other than smoking, must be limited to conversation and reading. each country has adopted the form best suited to its tastes; and it would be the height of absurdity to give the ragged newsboys of new york an oriental pipe-stem two yards in length, and expect them to enjoy it as they do the short stumps of cigars they gather in the street. on the other hand, the turkish lady reclining on her divan would consider the short dhudeen of the irish apple-woman a wretched substitute for the hookah, with its flexible stem and its bowl of water through which the smoke bubbles on its way to her mouth. [illustration: young america.] "whether tobacco is injurious or otherwise has been a subject of much discussion, and the advocates on each side have said a great deal that their opponents will not admit. it would require more time than i have at my command to tell you even a tenth part of the arguments for and against tobacco, and therefore i will not enter upon the discussion of the subject. volumes have been written upon it, and doubtless other volumes will find their way into print as the years roll on." [illustration: the east.] [illustration: the west.] chapter xv. women, hair-cutting, and slavery. the boys occupied themselves very industriously in writing for their friends at home the accounts of what they had seen and heard in siam. they told of the trip to ayuthia, and the visit to the elephant corral; of their stay at bang-pa-in; of the journey down the river; and, finally, of the flotilla of boats and barges, and the state procession of the king to the temples. when they had brought the story down to the hour of writing, there was a day to spare before the closing of the weekly mail to singapore, and thence to america. frank thought it was time for him to say something specially intended for mary and effie; he remembered his letter from japan about the women of that country, and concluded that a similar missive from siam would be quite in order. then he recollected that he had seen fewer women in his walks and rides about bangkok than when he strolled through the streets of tokio and kioto, and that in all probability he could not tell as much of the siamese as of the japanese women, for the simple reason that he had not learned so much about them. but he was determined to make the effort, and, after talking with the doctor on the subject, he wrote as follows: [illustration: siamese gentleman and lady.] "the dress of the siamese men is so much like that of the women that a stranger cannot tell at first whether he is looking at the one or the other. i will send you a picture, so that you may understand how they look much easier than if i took half a dozen pages in writing to tell it. you see that a gentleman and lady have the same garments, except that the lady wears a scarf over her shoulders, or rather over her left shoulder, and passing under her right arm. the gentleman has a tiny bit of a linen collar on his jacket, while the lady has none, and he also has wristbands, something after the european model. the trousers are like a piece of cloth four or five feet square, and one corner is tucked under a belt in the centre of the waist; the ladies generally wear brighter colors than their husbands, but the cut of the garment is practically the same. "nearly everybody goes barefoot; and when they do put anything on their feet, it is rarely more than a light sandal. the custom of wearing shoes and boots such as we have is never likely to become popular in a country so hot as this is, and where there is no snow or ice. children, up to five or six years of age, have no garments of any consequence; and even when they are older, their clothing would not shield them from the cold if they were compelled to face a new york winter. a tailor would not make a fortune by coming to siam and trying to get the people to wear clothes like american ones; and as for a corn doctor, he would have no chance at all where tight boots, or boots of any kind, are practically unknown. "then, too, they dress their hair in pretty much the same way, so that you cannot tell a man from a woman by looking at their heads, as you can in most other countries of the world. they shave all the lower part of the head, and leave the crown covered with a tuft, or bunch, that reminds you of a shoe-brush. the men have very light beards, like all oriental people; and whenever one of them finds that he can raise a mustache or a beard, he is pretty sure to do so, as he wants to look unlike his neighbors. but as a general thing beards do not become the oriental features, though mustaches do; and when i see a chinese or a japanese or a siamese with a beard, which is not often, i feel like asking him to go home and shave it off. [illustration: a young prince of the royal house, with his attendant.] "the first hair-cutting, at the time a child is twelve or fourteen years old, is a very important ceremony. no matter how poor the parents of a child may be, they manage to have some kind of an entertainment, be it ever so humble, while with the rich a great deal of money is spent on the affair. in the case of a royal child the festivities are on a grand scale, and the whole population is expected to rejoice. we heard something about the ceremony when we were in cochin-china, and we have heard a great deal more about it since we came here. we wish one was to come off now, but unfortunately there is nothing of the kind in prospect. "a few months ago the eldest of the king's children reached the proper age for the so-kan, as the hair-cutting ceremony is called, and for weeks before the event the preparations for it were going on. i cannot do better than copy the account that was published at the time in the siam _daily advertiser_, a newspaper that is printed here by some americans who have lived a long time in bangkok. here it is: "'princess sri wililaxan is the eldest daughter of his majesty the king of siam; her mother is one of the daughters of his excellency chow p'raya kralahome, the prime-minister of siam. this princess is consequently the great-granddaughter of his grace the ex-regent, and the granddaughter of the prime-minister. "'it is said that his majesty has fifteen children. four of these are somdetch chowfas. only one of these somdetch chowfas is a son. "'the somdetch chowfas are the children of the king, and their mothers are princesses. the son, consequently, who is the eldest chow-fa of the present king is by law and the customs of the country the heir-apparent to the throne. "'when the so-kan ceremonies take place they must be of the most imposing kind. in the present instance they were continued six days, and on each day there was an imposing procession. "'the sound of music announced the approach of the procession. [illustration: female head-dress and costume.] "'soon a company of seemingly masked men, representing japanese warriors, made their appearance. then came companies of siamese military and their band. then followed companies of siamese women dressed after the manner of the country, with the right arm and the shoulder bare; and then companies of men and boys and women dressed to represent the contiguous nationalities--malays, peguans, burmans, laos, karens, etc. the groups as they passed were quite grotesque. "'his majesty the king ascended to a prominent hall near the maha prasaht,[2] which was handsomely furnished. in front of him, to his right, were a group of pretty and richly-dressed ladies, holding in their hands a small silver tree. they went through the slow motions of a siamese dance. groups of siamese ladies were seated in a line, with the new palace forming one side of a parallelogram. these were spectators, and evidently persons of rank. on the left of his majesty, forming the second long side of the parallelogram, were crowds of europeans and other foreigners who had been invited to the performance. [2] an immense temple or chapel in the palace enclosure, where the kings are crowned, and where they lie in state for twelve months after their deaths, awaiting the ceremony of cremation. "'the side wall enclosing the maha prasaht, on an elevated part of which was the hall in which his majesty sat, formed the west side of the parallelogram. directly in front of the king was the artificial trailaht, seemingly a mountain of gold, and forming the east side of the parallelogram. [illustration: minister of foreign affairs.] "'at the summit of the trailaht was a beautiful gilt edifice dazzling in the sunshine. as soon as his majesty was seated, a group of gayly-dressed lakon girls descended from the gold mountain from the gilt house, and at the base of the mountain, in full view of the king, performed their dance to the sound of native music, of which there was an abundance. on the lawn to the left of his majesty, and in a temporary and beautiful hall, sat his grace the venerable ex-regent; his excellency the prime-minister; his excellency the foreign minister, and the principal nobles of the country. "'on the lawn were men who danced and made amusement for the masses. "'when the princess sri wililaxan advanced, seated in a grand sedan, heavily weighted with her crown and gold chains of jewellery, followed by a group of ladies bearing her gold salvers and insignia of rank, she was received by her royal father and placed at his side. "'the mountain trailaht cannot be easily described. here and there at its base there were representations of the popular plays and acts of the country. the images were moved by machinery, and went through their performances to the merriment of the crowds, who clamored for a repetition of them. "'one represented a court of justice, where two persons were ordered to dive; the one who could remain longest under water rendered his testimony valid. it was amusing to see the artifice of the one who came up first and found his antagonist still under water. "'there were artificial pools containing representations of fish, whose movements amused the spectators. "'there were artificial trees, with representations of animals--such as squirrels, monkeys, birds, and snakes--and their movements were quite life-like. "'each day the princess receives presents from the noble families. the ceremonies of each day were in some respects similar, but varied enough to interest the vast crowds that visit the palace. abundant refreshments were provided by the government for the active participants and the leading spectators. the noble families from all parts of siam were represented in the assemblage, and the display was the finest that the country has known for years.' "this is what i find in the newspaper, and it seems to be a very good account. there are some things that it will be necessary for me to explain, so that you will get a good understanding of them. in the first place, i am told that the royal top-knot is taken off in a temple close to the artificial mountain on the first day of the ceremony. doubtless they would cut it every day; but even in so fertile a country as siam the hair does not grow fast enough to make a daily cutting feasible. "after this ceremony the hair is allowed to grow in the shoe-brush style that i have described. before that time it is in the shape of a twisted knot, about as large as a silver dollar, but when it takes its new form it covers the greater part of the top of the head. "the trailaht, or golden mountain, where the ceremony takes place, is not really constructed of gold, though it appears to be. it is made of wood and iron for a framework, and is then covered with sheets of lead that have been gilded. the machinery that moves the figures is concealed in the interior of the mountain, and the pathway that runs up the outside is made to look as much like nature as possible. there are valleys, and forests, and grottoes, and miniature rocks on the mountain, and the path is usually arranged so that it goes three times around between the bottom and the top. the siamese pay great attention to the numbers '3' and '9;' they have pagodas and canopies of three stories, and others of nine; and in nearly all their religious ceremonies their movements are in threes and nines. the same is true of all countries where buddhism is the religion; and, if you go as far off as peking, you will find that the temples have triple terraces and triple roofs, while threes, or the multiples of three, may be found in the arrangement of the stones of the steps and pavements, and in the walls of the buildings. [illustration: lakon girls.] "perhaps you did not understand what was meant by the lakon girls that danced before the king as soon as he was seated. in this country there are girls who are trained to dance, like _geishas_ in japan, and just as the girls of the ballet are trained in a theatre in europe and america. dancing is their profession, and they combine singing and acting with it; and some of the princes and great men have troops of these lakon girls to dance and sing for them. it is very common for them to invite their friends to an entertainment, and it generally consists of singing and dancing by these young ladies. those around the palace are the prettiest that can be found in the kingdom, and they have wardrobes that cost a great deal of money, and are as grand as the wardrobes of any actress in america. very often in their acting they wear the most hideous masks that can be imagined, and when they are dressed up to resemble men or demons you can hardly believe that they are really pretty girls. i send you a picture of two of them, so that you may know what they look like. [illustration: a native band of music.] "the native band of music is a curiosity, as it is quite unlike anything you ever saw. the king has a band after the european style, with a french leader, and with instruments imported from london or paris. it plays very well, and can render some of the popular pieces that we are familiar with just as well as any ordinary band in new york or london. when we were passing the palace the other day we heard them playing a selection from faust, and another from the 'grande duchesse;' and one evening we heard the siamese national hymn, which is a very pretty composition, and worthy of a place among the national airs of europe. but the native music is quite another thing. "the performers sit down to their work instead of standing up, and they do not sit on chairs, but on the floor. the only band of the kind i have yet seen consisted of five performers, all women--one of them having a sort of guitar, another a violin, another a drum played with the fingers of one hand, another with a row of bamboo sticks that were struck with a small hammer, and the last of the five had a row of metal cups that were played like the bamboo sticks. there is a good deal of variety to the music in some ways, and very little in others; it seemed to be capable of considerable modulation in time and tune; and while at times it was loud and harsh, at others it became low and plaintive. whether they have any regular tunes or not i am unable to say; they seemed to start off on a measure, and then repeat it over and over again for twenty or thirty minutes. perhaps they would keep it up for a week or two if the weather was not too warm for continuing one's exertions for that length of time. they didn't seem to keep very closely together, and probably there was no occasion for them to do so, as the tune is of such a nature that each player can do pretty much what he likes. [illustration: a siamese theatrical performance.] "these lakon girls are the performers in the theatres of bangkok, or rather at the private theatricals that are given at the houses of the nobles and high officials. these affairs are generally given in a garden or court-yard, where carpets are spread under the trees that grow there. the dialogue is accompanied by music of the kind i have described, and sometimes they have drums like small barrels suspended on triangles or propped up on little frames. the performances are usually historical, but not always so, as the siamese drama abounds in love-plays, which are taken from their literature. in the historic plays the costumes are frequently very hideous, though richly gilded and decorated; they have very little scenery or stage settings, and i think that a first-class theatre of new york or paris would astonish them greatly. when not occupied on the stage, the performers stand or sit around the wings, and the audience is supposed not to see them. "the voices of the singers are very sweet; and doctor bronson says that some of them only need careful training to make excellent performers. they are said to be much more musical than the chinese or the japanese, and much quicker to catch foreign music when it is taught to them. "if you expect that women occupy in siam the same position that they do in america, you will be disappointed. their condition has been greatly improved by the king since he ascended the throne, and he is evidently determined to overcome the prejudices of his people as rapidly as he can do so. he is the first ruler of siam who has ever given his arm to escort a lady to the dinner-table after the european manner, and the first lady to receive this honor was the wife of an american admiral. "the country has never been ruled by a woman, and women have never held a high place in the royal councils. polygamy is customary in siam; and the king has a harem, just as the sultan of turkey has one. he has one chief wife, or queen-consort, and is said to have about two hundred other wives; but nobody knows exactly how many there are--at least nobody outside the palace. like all other monarchs with a harem, he has his favorites; and when one of his wives manages to attract his attention and secure his preference, she is very speedily the envy of the others. probably human nature is the same the world over, and the history of royal and imperial harems everywhere is not greatly varied. "among the common people a man may have several wives if he chooses, and can afford the expense, but ordinarily he has only one. where he has more than one, the first wife is the head of the household, and her authority is generally undisputed, though they sometimes have domestic quarrels, like people in other countries. marriages are commonly arranged between youths of eighteen and girls of fourteen, and not infrequently at earlier ages. the ceremony consists of a feast such as the parties can afford; and though priests are not considered necessary, they are generally present to offer prayers. among the poorer classes there is more approach to equality between husband and wife than with the rich; fashionable society does not permit the wife to eat with the husband, and she is regarded more as a servant than a companion; but the siamese husbands are said to be much more kind to their wives than the chinese, and to treat them with more respect. "a great many wives, both among the nobles and the common people, are bought as slaves, and i am told that probably a quarter of the population is held in slavery. men sell their wives, children, sisters, brothers, and even themselves; and in times past great numbers of slaves were held that had been captured in wars with neighboring countries. slaves are not dear in siam, compared with the prices that were paid in america before the emancipation of the negroes; a child may be bought for a small sum; and when a man wants to purchase a wife, he expects to get her for not more than eighty or a hundred dollars. much of the slavery in siam is the result of gambling; and it is not unusual for a man to gamble away his family, his clothes, and then himself, in a single day or evening. "while we are considering this subject of slavery, i will make an extract or two from the laws of siam concerning the treatment of persons in bondage: "'if the inhabitants in embarrassed circumstances sell temporarily their children, wives, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, relatives, and slaves, males or females, to serve the purchaser, and the slaves be overtaken with a calamity, let the money-master inform the seller that he may come and take care of him at the money-master's house. if the money-master take no care of him, and the slave dies, said money-master cannot claim any refund from the seller, because he abandoned the sick slave. his death must be the loss of the money-master, because he neglected a subject of the state. "'if persons pecuniarily or otherwise embarrassed sell temporarily their children, nephews, nieces, or grandchildren to a purchaser, to be used by him in lieu of interest, and the purchaser or master has business or trouble, and takes his slave to accompany him, and thieves or murderers cut, stab, and kill, or tigers, crocodiles, or other animals kill and devour the slave, the law declares, being the slave of the purchaser who took him with him, the purchaser is entitled to no refund from the seller, because the slave accompanied his master.' "i have copied this from an english translation of the siamese laws, and suppose it is correct. i am told that the slavery of siam is not like what we had in the united states, as the slaves are of the same class and color as their owners, and there is not much difference between a poor free man and a slave. both of them must work for their living; and i am told it sometimes happens that a man will deliberately sell himself, so as to have a master who will give him steady employment and feed him properly. the king has done a good deal towards improving the condition of slaves, and on every festival occasion those who have been a certain number of years in bondage are declared free. it is a common thing for men to pledge themselves and their families or relatives as security for money loaned or to pay interest, and when the debt is discharged they are free. the two sentences i have quoted from the siamese laws relate to this kind of temporary slavery. it very often happens, when a man has thus pledged himself and family for a short time, and is confident that he will soon be free, his hopes are not realized, and he remains a slave for years and years--perhaps for his whole life. his relatives remain in bondage with him, and their happiness or misery depends very much upon whether they have a kind master or a cruel one. "for persons who are not held as slaves, divorce is very easy in siam. the laws are not very strict; and if they simply desert each other, there is generally an end of their marriage. i have been told of a funny sort of divorce among the lower classes, but cannot say if it be true. when a couple have determined to separate, they sit down on the floor in the middle of their house, and each lights a candle. they sit there in silence while the candles burn slowly down, and the property that they owned in common will all belong to the one whose candle lasts the longest. the one whose light goes out first is only entitled to the clothes he or she may have on at the time--which is not much anyway. "what a lot of patent candles we should have if the same custom prevailed in america! ingenious men would puzzle their brains to invent candles that would burn longer than any others; and we might expect to see any morning the advertisement of 'the patent inexhaustible candle that will neither burn nor be blown out!' and somebody would devise a system of making a secret connection between the candle and a gas-pipe, so that the supply of combustible material would never be exhausted. the lawyers would not like this mode of settling matrimonial difficulties, and there is no probability that such a law will ever be made. "to go into mourning, the people shave their heads; and when the king dies, the top-knots are removed from the heads of all his male subjects from one end of siam to the other. the only exception to the rule is in the case of princes who are older than the king; and sometimes this exception gives rise to lively disputes concerning the princely age." chapter xvi. cremation in siam.--trade, taxes, and birds. [illustration: scene on a small canal near bangkok.] one morning, while they were taking a row on the river for the purpose of visiting one of the canals, our friends observed a dense smoke rising from the vicinity of one of the temples. fred was the first to see it, and wondered what it was for. as they neared the temple, they saw that the smoke proceeded from a burning pile, where several persons were standing around. "it is a cremation," said doctor bronson; "we will stop and see it." he directed the boatmen to land in front of the temple, and the three strangers walked to the spot where the fire was burning. on a low mound of earth there was a fire of logs and smaller sticks of wood, and in the midst of the fire lay a body half consumed. it was evidently that of a small person, as the fire was not more than five feet long, and the body was completely wrapped in the flames. a dozen or more buddhist priests were standing near the fire, and about as many other persons who did not appear to belong to the holy order. no ceremony was observed; and the doctor remarked that they had probably arrived too late to witness the funeral-service. not far off were the ashes that remained from similar cremations; and on one heap the fire was still smouldering. they returned to the boat, and continued their journey; and as they did so the doctor explained to the boys the peculiarities of the spectacle they had just witnessed. "cremation, or the destruction of a human body by fire," said he, "is customary in several countries of the eastern world, and there has recently been an effort to make it popular in europe and america. it prevails in siam, but not altogether to the exclusion of the ordinary mode of burial in the earth. cremation is considered the most honorable funeral, and it has a religious significance; it is a ceremony necessary to assist the soul in its passage to a higher state of transmigration, and to its final condition of perfect rest. criminals who are executed by law are not allowed to be burnt; and the same is the case with those dying of small-pox and certain other diseases. [illustration: burial-mounds.] "the ceremony of cremation is considered so important that, where it cannot be performed immediately after the death of the individual--from poverty or for other reasons--the body is first buried, and subsequently exhumed and burnt. when the person has any prominence or wealth, a few of the bones are preserved in the houses of the relatives, or they may be buried in the grounds near the temples. you saw some little monuments, like miniature pyramids, near the temple we just visited; did you not?" "yes," said fred, "we saw them, and wondered what they were." [illustration: urn containing ashes.] "those were monuments where the ashes of the dead are preserved," was the reply. "you will find them near many of the temples." soon they came in sight of another temple, where a ceremony of some sort was just beginning. the doctor told the boatmen to land there; and as soon as they were on shore they found that they had come upon another funeral-party, and evidently that of a person of distinction. [illustration: jessamine flowers.] the body was in a coffin, which rested on a bier; and the coffin and bier together were not less than six feet high. the bier was covered with white cloth--white is the symbol of mourning in siam--and the coffin itself was of a red color, and with a great deal of gold tinsel laid over it. above the coffin was a canopy of white cloth, and it was thickly ornamented with bunches of jessamine flowers, freshly gathered. just as our friends approached the spot, a band, consisting of a gong, two drums, and a sort of flageolet, played a very discordant air as a prelude to the ceremony. then a young priest read a service of prayers from slips of palm-leaf, and, while reading, he occupied a pulpit under a small shed in the court yard of the temple. in front of the pulpit there was a platform occupied by several persons--the majority of them women. they were not at all attentive; and as the prayers were read in the bali language, they were not likely to understand a word of them. the prayers occupied about thirty minutes. [illustration: a buddhist priest.] there was quite a crowd of priests in the yard of the service until near its close. when the reading ended, they came forward and took hold of a strip of white cloth, six or seven yards long, that was attached to the head of the coffin. in this position they repeated some short prayers; and as they finished them the coffin was stripped of its coverings, and the cloth that came from it was distributed among the priests. the body was then taken from the coffin and washed; then it was replaced, and carried three times around the bier, which proved to be a pile of fuel ready prepared for the burning. the sons and daughters, and other relatives of the dead man, were standing near the bier; and though they were quiet and respectful, they did not display the least emotion, with the exception of one young woman, who was said to be a favorite daughter. she wept loudly, and resisted the efforts of the others to comfort her. when the third circuit around the pile was completed, the coffin was placed upon it. the fire was lighted by one of the priests, who uttered a short prayer as he touched the taper to the fuel. meantime small wax-tapers had been distributed to all present, including our friends; and after the priest had kindled the flame, these tapers were placed upon the pile by the persons who held them. doctor bronson and the boys did like the others; and the doctor told his young companions that they would give offence if they refused to comply with the custom. the body was speedily consumed, and the ceremony was over. our friends again returned to their boat, and the conversation about cremation was resumed. "the man whose funeral you have just attended," the doctor continued, "was in good circumstances, and the ceremony was made to conform to his rank and importance. this is the rule in siam, as it is with funerals in pretty nearly all parts of the world; and while the cremation of a poor man will be over in a few hours after his death, that of a king does not take place for a year." "why do they wait so long?" frank asked. "the real reason is," was the reply, "to enable the surviving relatives to make the proper preparations for the funeral, and it has been so long the custom that it is now fixed as a social and religious observance. "immediately after the death of a king, his body is embalmed and laid in state, with a great deal of ceremony, in the maha prasaht. it is the duty of his successor to arrange the funeral ceremonies; and he immediately notifies the governors of four of the northern provinces, where the finest timber of siam is found, that each of them may send a stick to form one of the four corners of the p'hra mane, or funeral pile. the sticks must be perfectly straight, and not less than two hundred feet long; at the same time twelve smaller sticks are called for from as many of the other provinces; and there is also a demand for timber for the construction of halls and other buildings needed for the ceremony. "all the timber must be new, as it would not be proper for royalty to have any wood about its funeral pile that had been used before in any way. several months are required to procure the timber and erect the pile and its various annexes, as they cover at least half an acre of ground. the whole of the work, outside and in, is painted in green and yellow, and a good deal of gold and silver leaf is spread on in various places, so that it appears to be of great richness. a large open dome is in the centre of the edifice, and it contains a small temple, with a platform on which the body is to be placed. around the great building there are sheds and houses to accommodate the priests, who come from all parts of the kingdom to participate in the ceremonies; and outside of these sheds there are twelve small pagodas, that are decorated to represent the large temple. the whole mass of edifices for the funeral costs a great deal of money, and it is evidently an expensive thing in siam for a king to die. [illustration: characters in the procession.] "on the appointed day there is a grand procession of soldiers and others dressed to represent various nationalities--not much unlike the procession at the ceremony of the royal hair-cutting. the entire royal family is out, and usually the procession takes not less than three hours to pass a given point. the festivals last ten days; various amusements are provided during the daytime in the shape of theatricals and other exhibitions, and in the evening they have fireworks, tumbling, rope-dancing, and the like. at certain intervals handfuls of money are thrown among the people, and a very lively scrambling is the result. finally the body is burnt with a great deal of ceremony, the king being the first to apply the torch to the funeral pile of his predecessor. "when the burning is completed, the ashes are thrown into the river, and the bones are placed in an urn and carried to one of the temples in the palace enclosure. then the princes and governors who have come from the various parts of the kingdom, are at liberty to return home; and the same is the case with the priests who have visited the capital on the same mission. there is probably no royal display in any part of europe that can surpass the cremation of a king in siam." "do the widows of the king go on the funeral pile to be burnt?" frank asked. "is the custom in siam the same that it used to be in india?" "not at all," was the reply. "siam has never had that horrid custom of the _suttee_, or widow-burning, that so long disgraced india. it is not allowed there now, and probably there has not been a single case of it in the last ten or twenty years. none of the religious rites of the siamese have ever been accompanied by physical torture." "who pays for all the expense of these ceremonies?" said fred. "nominally the king pays for them," the doctor responded; "but in reality the money comes, as all government expenses come in every part of the world, from the people. the princes and governors, and other high dignitaries who attend a funeral or a hair-cutting, make presents that go in part for defraying the cost of the performances, and, of course, the money for these presents comes from their subjects." "then it is no more than right," frank remarked, "that the people should be amused when they go to these affairs, whether they are funerals or anything else." "but where does the king get all his money?" queried fred. "that is, how does he raise his taxes, and how are they collected?" "taxes in siam," the doctor explained, "are of various kinds. they are direct and indirect, just as they are in other countries; and the object is the same--the production of a revenue. "there is a tax on the sale of spirits, as i have already told you, and there is a tax on gambling. both these taxes are farmed out, and the purchaser generally makes a good thing out of his venture. the purchasers are usually chinese speculators, and they sub-let their privileges to smaller contractors for a round profit on their investments. "there is a tax on fishing in the menam river, and also in the other streams in which fish abound; the buddhist religion forbids the destruction of animal life, but the requirement is rather considered as applying only to the priesthood, and the common people give little attention to it. but no one is allowed to fish within a certain distance of the palace, as all fish in that limit are held to be sacred, and under the protection of the king. on the canal that encloses the palace in the direction farthest from the river there are marks to indicate the limits; inside the line it would be dangerous to the neck of a native to be caught fishing, while outside of it he may do so with impunity. "then there are taxes on shops and on various branches of trade, just as there are in the countries of europe; and there are taxes on fruit-trees and land, and there are customs-duties, and other things. there is a poll-tax on the chinese inhabitants of siam, which is collected by the authorities with the utmost care; and any chinese who neglects to pay it is liable to be compelled to work it out under the eye of a public overseer. every boat that is used as a shop pays a tax, and so do all the shops through the country. then there are certain articles of export that are considered the monopoly of the king, and as he has no competition in buying, and no opposition in selling, he has a good thing of it. the rules about trade are changing every year; and so, if you make a note of what i have told you, it is well to remember that what you have written for the day may not be good for all time." "the consul told us about the imports of siam," said one of the boys, "when we were going up the river to ayuthia. please tell us about the exports. he mentioned rice and sugar as articles that the siamese send to other countries, but did not say what other things they had to sell." "the exports of siam," said the doctor, in answer to the above remark, "comprise a good many things. besides the articles mentioned, the country produces and sends to foreign ports a considerable amount of tin, which is dug from its mines; and it also exports small quantities of other metals. then it produces pepper, tobacco, cardamons, ivory, and various dye-stuffs. it also exports the skins of the rhinoceros, buffalo, ox, elephant, tiger, leopard, bear, snake, and deer; and some of these articles go out in the form of leather. how great are the quantities of these things i am unable to say, as i have not studied the tables of imports and exports very closely." frank was curious to know how the people caught the snakes whose skins they exported. he thought a snake was a disagreeable thing to associate with, and not at all easy to capture. the doctor explained that the matter was by no means as difficult as he imagined. the snakes are fond of chickens, and they come around the houses of the people, particularly those that are built on rafts, in search of their favorite prey. when a native discovers any indications that a snake has been around his premises, he arranges a coop made of strong sticks of bamboo, and, after putting a chicken inside, he leaves an opening in one end large enough for the snake to enter. he goes into the coop and kills the chicken, which he swallows whole, after the manner of snakes in general. he is so gorged that he cannot escape, and is found in his prison in the morning. under these circumstances he is easily killed, and his skin is an ample compensation for the slaughtered fowl. fred had observed little cages on poles rising from the roofs of many of the houses, and naturally inquired their use. "those cages," said doctor bronson, "are intended as traps for birds. if you examine them closely you will perceive that they are double; one half is intended as a trap, and is left open for the wild bird to enter, while the other contains a captive bird who serves as a decoy." naturally the conversation turned upon the birds of siam and their peculiarities. [illustration: haunts of sea-birds on the coast.] "i cannot give you a very good account of the birds of siam," said the genial doctor, "for the reason that the ornithology of the country has not, as far as i am aware, been carefully and exhaustively studied. the birds of prey include the white eagle and also the common brown eagle; and they have, as you have observed, the vulture, which is the same species that is found in india. the kite is very common; and there are two or three varieties of the hawk. as for crows, they have enough in siam to destroy all the corn in the states east of the hudson river; and if the siamese attempted to raise that article, they would doubtless have a hard time of it." frank thought they had seen crows enough around bangkok to supply the wants of the whole of massachusetts. evidently the inhabitants did not molest them, or they would not be as bold as he had found them. "then, too," the doctor continued, "they have the sparrow, the same as in europe and america, and the ornithologists say that siam is the most southerly limit of this bird. as you go south in asia, you will not find the sparrow anywhere else except where he has been introduced by the european inhabitants. [illustration: edible swallows nests.] "some of the trade of siam consists in shipping to china the edible portion of a bird's-nest, and this is the material from which the chinese make their famous 'birds'-nest soup.' in canton and hong-kong it sells for its weight in silver, and sometimes is even dearer than that. it is found on the western coast of the gulf of siam, and also on the east coast of the bay of bengal; the bird makes his nest in caves among the rocks, and the work of collecting the nests is both difficult and dangerous." "what kind of a bird is it?" fred asked. "it is a species of swallow," was the reply; "it is about as large as the common swallow with which you are familiar, and its movements through the air are much like those of the american bird; and in the same way that our swallows like to build in barns and chimneys, and other dark places, the siamese one constructs his dwelling among the rocky caves along the coast." "what is the peculiarity of the bird's-nest that the chinese like so much?" one of the boys inquired. "the peculiarity is in the material of which it is constructed," the doctor answered. "the bird gathers a glutinous weed from the coral rocks, and carries it in its mouth and stomach to the cave where it lives. there the plastic substance is shaped into a nest about the size of a common teacup. there are three qualities, and they are prized accordingly: the first is when the nest is freshly made, and the material is snowy white; the second, when the bird has laid her eggs; and the third, when she has hatched her brood and gone. the bird is known as the _lawit_ in java, and the _salangane_ in the philippine islands, while its scientific name is _hirundo esculenta_. [illustration: siamese water birds.] "among the birds inhabiting the siamese forests there is the common peacock, which is shot for the sake of its feathers; and there are several kinds of pigeons. then they have the quail and the pheasant, the latter in several varieties; and they have the common cock, or barn-yard fowl, running wild in great numbers. the chickens that are sold in the markets of siam are these same wild birds domesticated, and those that we have in america are descended from asiatic ancestors that went to europe centuries and centuries ago. they have wild chickens in siam, just as we have wild turkeys in our own country. [illustration: pheasant and young.] "they have in siam a goodly number of evading birds, and not many swimmers. ducks are bred by the chinese residents, but not generally by the siamese, and i am told that they do not exist in a wild state. the goose is rarely seen; but there are plenty of pelicans and kingfishers, and several birds of the crane and stork families." "what was the bird we saw at the consul's house the day we called there?" queried frank. "you mean the one that kept up such an incessant talking?" "yes," frank answered; "he rattled away in siamese, and he called out 'boy!' two or three times; and it sounded so much like a human voice that i thought, at first, it was some one calling a servant." "that was a mineur, or minor," the doctor explained; "and it is said to surpass the parrot in its ability to talk. he learns very easily, and is as great an imitator as the american mocking-bird. the one at the consulate can say a great many things in siamese, but he does not yet know much english. a friend of mine had one of these birds that was the source of great amusement; he would whistle, in exact imitation of his master, and he could sing certain bits of music without making a mistake. when my friend first obtained him, the bird could only speak the native language; but in a little while he picked up several phrases in english, and pronounced them perfectly. "one thing he did was to call the servant, as he had heard his owner. as you have seen, the way of summoning servants is by shouting 'boy!' and on hearing this word the servant comes. my friend's bird had caught up the word, and every little while he would shout it so as to deceive the servant, and bring him to his master. naturally the servant was annoyed at being disturbed, and so my friend told him that when he wanted him he would call 'boy! boy!' and he need not come when he heard the word only once. in three days the bird was doing the same thing, and deceiving the servant. then it was arranged that my friend would strike on the table or clap his hands, as they do in turkey and syria. this was too much for the mineur; he found that he could not amuse himself as before. the one at the consulate is learning the same trick, and amusing himself by imitating what he hears spoken around him." frank wished he could take one of these birds home with him; but the doctor said it would be too much trouble to do so. the mineur is of tropical origin, and the climate of the northern states of america is not suited to him. "the chances are," said he, "that if you took a dozen mineurs to carry to america, you would lose three-fourths of them on the way, and the others would not live more than a few months after getting there." as the doctor closed his remark about the mineur, the boat touched the landing in front of the hotel, and their morning's excursion came to an end. chapter xvii. presentation to the king.--dinner at the palace. while they were at lunch, and discussing the sights and scenes of the morning, a messenger arrived with a note from the consul. it was to the effect that the king would receive him, accompanied by doctor bronson, at three o'clock that afternoon. the consul added that he would call at the hotel with his boat about half-past two, and they would proceed thence together. the doctor had no time to lose in making his toilet for the ceremony; he finished it, and was seated on the veranda of the hotel not more than two minutes before the consul arrived. at the latter's suggestion, the boys joined the party; and it was arranged that, while the two gentlemen were having their audience with the king, the youths could amuse themselves in the palace-grounds under the guidance of the consular secretary. [illustration: court-yard of the royal palace at bangkok.] they had a slow journey up the river to the palace, as the tide was against them, and compelled the boat to hug close to the shore; but they were there a little before three o'clock, and had a short walk from the landing-place to the front of the palace. they were shown to a platform in the court-yard, and were received there by the interpreter and secretary of the king, who announced that his majesty would be ready for the audience in a few moments. the platform was under a wide-spreading tree, that furnished a most grateful shade; and there were many small trees and bushes growing in large pots that stood in irregular rows. two or three groups of servants were crouched in the yard, which was paved with large blocks of stone, and a little way off a royal elephant was undergoing his daily exercise in charge of his keepers. coffee was brought, and with it cigars and cigarettes; and a quarter of an hour passed away quite agreeably to all concerned. at the end of that time, a messenger came and said something to the secretary in siamese; the secretary then turned to the gentlemen, and told them the king was waiting for them. he led the way towards a low gate-way, and the boys remained with the consular secretary. they had a pleasant ramble in the palace-grounds, and saw the stables where the white elephants were kept, as well as the elephants themselves. the secretary told them the audience would occupy about half an hour, and they would have that time at their disposal before returning to the platform in the court-yard. in half an hour they came back, and waited for the doctor and the consul. they were not there three minutes before the gentlemen returned, and were ready to go back to the hotel. on their way homeward, the doctor told the boys what he had seen and done, and the consul added here and there little bits of information to the doctor's story. the doctor was so pleased with the visit, that he spent the evening writing an account of the affair; and it was not till a late hour that he finished it. he readily consented to allow the boys to copy it, so that it could form part of the narrative of their journey in siam. here it is: "after leaving the platform, where we had rested to await the pleasure of the king, we soon came to a gate-way that was guarded by a double file of soldiers, who presented arms as we approached. the gate-way led us close to the apartments of the women, and i managed to have glimpses of the dusky occupants of the place as we walked along. some of them were pretty; but their mouths were so disfigured by betel-chewing that the effect was not agreeable. our glance was only a hurried one, as we were speedily at the door of the palace. "we mounted a stairway to the king's apartments; then we passed through a hall ornamented with busts and portraits of european sovereigns, living or dead, and then we entered a large saloon, where we found ourselves in the presence of the king. "his majesty approached as we entered--exactly as a private gentleman might do in his own house when a visitor calls--and, after shaking hands with the consul, he paused for the latter to introduce me. as soon as i was introduced, he shook hands with me after the occidental fashion, and invited us to seats near a table in the centre of the room. the sofa where he sat was at right angles to the position of our chairs, so that, by partially turning, he faced us both. at his left stood the interpreter, who translated the king's siamese words into english, but rarely translated our own words into siamese, as the king understands our language perfectly, and speaks it with very few mistakes. ceremonious presentations are always conducted with the aid of an interpreter, and the king appears to understand only his own language; but when he wishes to have a free and confidential conversation with a foreign consul or other personage, he dismisses his interpreter, and talks away in english with perfect ease. [illustration: chulalonkorn i., supreme king of siam.] "his majesty's voice is full, clear, and resonant, and he pronounces every word with the utmost care. as he talks, his face brightens; he gesticulates gracefully, and to a sufficient extent to make his conversation quite un-oriental in character. his complexion is the true siamese bronze; his cheek-bones are high, and the outlines of his face are decidedly handsome. his thick black hair is parted gracefully in the middle, and not cropped after the siamese style; he has a slender mustache, which evinces careful training, and gives promise of future greatness. he wore at the ceremonial the siamese trousers, with white stockings, and he had on his feet shoes of patent-leather, if i observed them correctly. his upper garment was a sack of military cut, and made of white linen; it terminated with a sort of upright collar, and was closely buttoned. the only ornament i noticed upon it was a row of three stars on each side of the throat. "like all other kings, his majesty is well provided with uniforms, and every ceremonial has a dress peculiarly adapted to it. his military uniform, when he appears at the head of his troops, is quite european in style, but his court-dress for state ceremonials adheres strictly to the siamese model. it is richly embroidered and studded with jewels; the crown rises in the form of an elongated pyramid, with an aigrette of jewels, and the sandals are so thickly set with precious stones that there is very little of the foundation-work to be seen. "his majesty asked how long i had been in siam, and how i liked the country; wished to know if i had visited the temples of bangkok, and what i thought of them; and made other inquiries touching my movements. when these questions had been answered, he spoke of the visit of the united states ships of war several months before, and expressed the wish to see more of our ships and more of our countrymen in siam. he asked when we would have american steamers running between bangkok and hong-kong to connect with the pacific mail and occidental and oriental lines, and said he hoped for a rapid increase of commerce between siam and the united states. evidently he is sincerely desirous of intimate commercial relations with us, as he said there were many articles of american manufacture which they wished to be supplied with; while we, on the other hand, would doubtless be willing to purchase rice at a lower price than we were now paying. "tea and cigars were served while we were engaged on these topics, which occupied a period of ten or fifteen minutes. then the conversation took a miscellaneous turn; and he dwelt upon the peculiarities of the different languages that are spoken in his dominions: it seems that his majesty is well versed in the various dialects and distinct languages, and he is like the emperor of austria, as he can converse with all his subjects in their own tongue. then he talked with the consul about some matter that the latter had brought before him at a previous interview; and after that there was a convenient pause, in which we rose and made our adieux. the king followed us to the door of the room, and, before shaking hands in farewell, he invited the consul and myself to dine with him the following evening. of course we accepted without a moment's hesitation, and then made our way out as we had entered. the whole affair from beginning to end was quite free from stiffness or severity, and proved the king to be, as he is represented, a most accomplished gentleman." sixty years ago a presentation to the king of siam was a much more ceremonious affair than the one here recorded, and it required a great deal of study and rehearsal on the part of all concerned. mr. crawfurd, who came to siam in 1822 at the head of an embassy from the governor-general of india, gives the following account of his presentation: "we left our dwelling at half-past eight in the morning for the palace. a twelve-oared barge, with the rowers dressed in scarlet uniforms, was furnished by the court for the conveyance of the gentlemen of the mission; another for our indian attendants, about twenty in number; while the sepoys of the escort were conveyed in the ship's launch. it was made a particular request that our servants, especially the sepoys of the escort, should form part of the procession. about nine o'clock we landed under the walls of the palace, where we found an immense concourse of people waiting to view the spectacle. the accommodation for conveying us to the palace consisted of net hammocks suspended from poles, furnished with an embroidered carpet, and, according to the custom of the country, borne by two men only. the management of these vehicles was a matter of some difficulty, and our awkwardness became a subject of some amusement to the crowd. we passed through a street of siamese military arranged in single file, and then came to a gate-way where we were compelled to leave our side-arms, as no person was permitted to come into the palace enclosure with arms about him. we were also compelled to dismount from our litters and leave our escort behind us. [illustration: prime-minister of siam.] "we passed through another street of soldiers, and finally came to a large hall, eighty or ninety feet long by forty broad. we were conducted inside, and carpets were spread for us to sit on while waiting to be summoned to the royal presence. we waited about twenty minutes, and were then taken to the hall of audience, where we were requested to take off our shoes and leave behind us our indian attendants. as soon as we entered the gate we found a band of music of about one hundred persons drawn up to form a street for our reception. the instruments consisted of drums, gongs, brass flutes, and flageolets. "opposite the door of the hall there was an immense screen, which concealed the interior from view. we passed the screen to the right side, and, as had been agreed upon, taking off our hats, made a respectful bow in the european manner. every foot of the great hall was so crowded with prostrate courtiers that it was difficult to move without treading upon some officer of state. precedence is decided upon such occasions by relative vicinity to the throne; the princes being near the foot of it, the principal officers of government next to them, and thus in succession down to the lowest officer who is admitted. we seated ourselves a little in front of the screen, and made three obeisances to the throne in unison with the courtiers. this obeisance consisted in raising the joined hands three times to the head, and each time touching the forehead. to have completed the siamese obeisance it would have been necessary to bend the body to the ground, and touch the earth with the forehead at each prostration. "the hall of audience was a well proportioned and spacious saloon, about eighty feet long, perhaps half this in breadth, and about thirty feet high. two rows, each of ten handsome wooden pillars, formed an avenue from the door to the throne, which was situated at the upper end of the hall. the walls and ceiling were painted a bright vermilion, the cornices of the former being gilded, and the latter thickly spangled with stars in rich gilding. the throne and its appendages occupied the whole of the upper end of the hall. the throne was gilded all over, and about fifteen feet high, and it had much the appearance of a handsome pulpit. a pair of curtains of gold tissue upon a yellow ground concealed the whole of the upper part of the room except the throne, and they were intended to be drawn over this also except when used. the king, when seated on his throne, had more the appearance of a statue than of a living being. the general appearance of the hall of audience, the prostrate attitude of the courtiers, the situation of the king, and the silence which prevailed, presented a very imposing spectacle, and reminded us much more of a temple crowded with votaries engaged in the performance of some solemn rite of religion than the audience-chamber of a temporal monarch. [illustration: the king of siam in his state robes.] "the words which his siamese majesty condescended to address to us were delivered in a grave, measured, and oratorical manner. one of the first officers of state delivered them to a person of inferior rank, and this person to the interpreter who was behind us, and explained them in the malay language, which we understood. after a few questions and answers relative to our mission, the king said, "'i am glad to see an envoy here from the governor-general of india. whatever you have to say, communicate with the minister of foreign affairs. what we chiefly want from you are fire-arms.' "his majesty had no sooner pronounced these words than we heard a loud stroke, as if given by a wand against a piece of wainscoting, and then the curtains on each side of the throne, moved by some invisible agency, closed upon it. this was followed by the same flourish of wind instruments as on our entrance, and the courtiers, falling on their faces to the ground, made six successive prostrations. we made three obeisances, sitting upright as agreed upon. the ceremony was over. "during the audience a heavy shower had fallen, and it was still raining. his majesty took this opportunity of presenting each of us with a small umbrella, and sent a message to desire that we would view the curiosities of the palace at our leisure. when we reached the threshold of the audience-hall we perceived the court yard and the roads extremely wet and dirty from the rain, and naturally demanded our shoes, which we had left at the last gate. this was a favor which could not be yielded; and we were told that the princes of the blood could not wear shoes within the sacred enclosure where we now were. it would have been impolitic to evince ill-humor or remonstrance, and therefore we feigned a cheerful compliance with this inconvenient usage, and proceeded to gratify our curiosity." [illustration: a younger brother of the king.] doctor bronson had no such ceremony to pass through as did mr. crawfurd in 1822; he was not required to remove his shoes at the gate-way, and he did not pass along a hall full of kneeling courtiers. the present king has ordained that persons of all ranks shall come before him erect, just as they would enter the presence of a king in europe, and as far as possible he has made the usages of his court correspond to the european model. of the dinner to which the consul and doctor bronson were invited, the latter wrote as follows: "the dinner was quite in the european style, and was prepared by a french cook who has been in his majesty's employ for several years. the party consisted of his majesty, six of his younger brothers, the king's private secretary, the consul, and myself. the conversation was general, and touched many topics; the king had many questions to ask about the united states, and particularly wished to know the difference between siamese slavery of the present day and american slavery of the past. after dinner we sat on the balcony, listening to the music of the band, and breathing the soft evening air. during part of the dinner and all the rest of the evening the king threw off his reserve, dismissed his interpreter, and conversed freely in english, which he spoke easily, and with great correctness. it was half-past nine o'clock when we left the palace, and were escorted to our boat to return to the hotel." [illustration] chapter xviii. the white elephant.--visit to the second king of siam. the time that doctor bronson passed in the presence of the king was utilized by the boys in a visit to the stables of the famous white elephants of the royal palace of bangkok. when the doctor was busy in the evening with his account of the presentation to the king, frank occupied himself in putting on paper his experiences among the animals that are held in such reverence by the siamese. fred sat by his side and gave occasional hints about the story, and made sure that nothing they had seen was omitted. [illustration: a white elephant worshipping the sun and moon. (from a chinese drawing.)] "our friends," said he, "will want to know everything we can tell them about the white elephants." "of course they will," frank replied; "they don't have white elephants in america--at any rate, our white elephants are not of the siamese kind." "i don't think i ever heard of one in our country," said fred; "and if there ever was one there, it is news to me." "don't you remember," frank responded, smiling, "that your uncle charles was said to have bought a white elephant a year or two ago?" "yes, i remember it perfectly," was the reply. "it was not a white elephant that he bought, but only a large house. it was three times as big as he needed; and after losing a great deal of money in repairing it, and hiring a crowd of servants to keep it in order, he sold it for much less than he gave. of course, i understand that when a man has bought something he does not need, and which involves him in a ruinous expense, he is said to have bought a white elephant. i wonder where the expression came from." just then doctor bronson entered the room to look for something he needed, and the boys appealed the question to him. both of them had heard the allusion to "buying a white elephant," and knew its meaning. what they now wished to find was where it originated. the doctor explained that it was said to be the custom in certain eastern countries for the king to give a white elephant to any nobleman whom he wished to ruin. as the present came from the king, it could not be sold or given away: the expense of keeping the animal was enormous, as he required a great number of attendants, and consumed vast quantities of food. in a little while the nobleman would be a beggar, as his estate would be entirely consumed in maintaining the elephant; and so it came to be understood that when a man received such a present, it was a polite way of driving him into bankruptcy. "there is also a story," said the doctor, "of a man who drew a white elephant in a lottery; he could not give his prize away, as nobody would accept it, and he could not kill him, as such an act was a crime of the highest character. it would not do to turn him loose, as he would then be responsible for all the damage caused by the elephant; and if he kept the beast it would soon eat him into poverty. consequently, when a man has something in his possession difficult to get rid of and costly to keep, he is said to have drawn a white elephant." the doctor found what he wanted and retired, and the boys proceeded with their story. with fred's assistance, frank wrote as follows: "the white elephant is not white by any means. he is only a sort of cream or flesh color; and anybody who expects him to rival the snow in the purity of his complexion will be disappointed. but, after all, he is not so dark as a good many men whom we call white, and so i suppose his name is quite proper. he is very scarce, and this is one reason why he is prized so highly. "siam is not the only country where the white elephant is regarded with special honor; the animal receives great attention, and is very much prized in burmah and other buddhist lands; and it is said that some of the wars between burmah and siam have arisen from disputes about the possession of white elephants. money cannot buy them, and no king who possessed one would dare to sell it for any price, as his people would think he had defied the powers of heaven, and would be sure to bring the severest calamities upon them. sir john bowring says that when he came to siam at the head of an embassy from the queen of england in 1855, the king sent some presents for her majesty, and among them was a golden box locked with a golden key. it was said to be more precious than all the other presents; but it contained nothing beyond a few hairs from the tail of the white elephant. "the buddhists have great reverence for anything that is white; and when whiteness is combined with great rarity, and also with magnificence, it is easy to see why the white elephant is above all other animals. 'it is believed,' sir john bowring says, 'that buddha, the divine emanation from the deity, must necessarily, in his multitudinous metamorphoses or transmissions through all existences and through millions of æons, delight to abide for some time in that grand incarnation of purity which is represented by the white elephant. while the priests teach that there is no spot in the heavens above, nor in the earth below, or the waters under the earth, which is not visited in the peregrinations of the divinity, they hold that his tarrying may be longer in the white elephant than in any other abode, and that in the possession of the sacred creature they may possess the presence of buddha himself.' "the white elephant is considered of equal rank with the king, and is treated with all possible dignity; he has a stable to himself, and ten or twelve keepers to look after his wants. the first one we saw was standing on a platform which was being swept by a priest; and we were told that none but priests were allowed to serve the sacred animal. he was chained to a couple of posts, so that he could not step away from the platform; and the interpreter told us not to go near him, as he was not of a pleasant temper, and might hurt us. the keeper gave him a few bananas, which he appeared quite willing to take; the fact is, the elephant is very fond of bananas, and the wild ones in the forest will often run considerable risk to get them. after he had swallowed the bananas he reached for a truss of hay, but for some reason the keeper did not think proper to let him have it. he showed some temper, and the keeper brought him to a sense of his duty by pricking his foot with a sharp iron till drops of blood came from it. this seemed to us a funny way to treat a king, and we wondered how his majesty liked it. [illustration: white monkey in elephant stables.] "we saw two white elephants, and each had a stable to himself, or rather a palace. their tusks were encircled with hoops or rings of pure gold, and there were golden or gilded canopies above them, and ornaments of great value in other parts of the stable. in one of the stables there was a white monkey, and the interpreter told us that the white monkey is an object of great veneration among the siamese, and is kept in the elephant stables to prevent the presence of evil spirits. the one we saw was a very quiet and dignified monkey of a perfectly pure white; he was above the ordinary size, and had a long tail, and they told us that he was caught in the forests on the upper waters of the menam river. "when a white elephant is caught, there is great rejoicing throughout siam. the king and court go out to meet him as he is brought towards the capital, and there is a grand procession with banners and music. meantime a house has been prepared for him, and some of the members of the noble families of siam are appointed to wait on him. he has everything he can possibly want except his liberty; and when he goes to the river to bathe he is escorted by other elephants, who are supposed to be highly honored by admission to his presence. but, in spite of all attentions, he sometimes takes sick and dies, and then the rejoicing is changed to mourning. the whole nation is wrapped in deep grief, and the funeral ceremonies are of an elaborate character. fortunately for the siamese, the elephant is an animal of long life, and so they are not often called upon to mourn the loss of one of these sacred beasts. "after we had seen the white elephants, we went to the stables of the common ones. there were a dozen or more of them in a shed that was quite open to the weather on all its sides, and they had only the ground to lie upon. they were chained up by the forefeet, and when we went to the stable they had just been fed. each of them had a bundle of freshly-cut grass; and we were told that a healthy elephant consumes every day not less than seven or eight hundred pounds of this food. these elephants are kept for working about the palace-grounds; and their occupation at present is in hauling timber from the bank of the river to the places where it is wanted in the construction of a new wing to the king's residence. [illustration: how an elephant feeds.] "we were much interested in seeing the way the elephant eats. "everybody has seen the trunk of an elephant, either on the animal himself or in pictures. did you ever know that there are more than forty thousand muscles in this wonderful structure, and that it is powerful enough to pull down a large tree, and at the same time sufficiently delicate to pick up a pin? that is what cuvier says about it, and he is the best authority that we know of. rennie, in his 'natural history of the elephant,' says the same thing; and when we consider the uses of the animal's trunk, and the many operations it will perform, the statement is not at all surprising. and when we saw the elephants at the royal palace taking their food, we could not help admiring the skill with which they twisted the wisps of grass and thrust them into their capacious mouths. "one of the beasts was very good-natured, and allowed us to examine the termination of his proboscis, as long as we did not touch it. as the elephant's existence depends upon his trunk he is very sensitive about it, and is constantly afraid of injuring it. they say that this is the reason why he always elevates it in the air when there is any danger, and that his great fear of the tiger arises from the fact that the tiger always attempts to disable the elephant by springing on his trunk. [illustration] "the trunk that we looked at had a projection that might be called a finger, and directly opposite there was a sort of thumb. the finger was exceedingly flexible, while the thumb was not; but they fitted to each other so well that they could hold on to any thing even if it was very small. here is a picture of it. [illustration] "and here are some more pictures, showing how the elephant pulls up the grass when he is feeding in the open air, and also how he grasps it before he thrusts it into his mouth. then you can see how he takes hold of a carrot, or any other root, and how he seizes a branch of a tree that requires him to exercise a part of his great strength. in the latter case he twines his trunk around the branch, and if he is pulling it down from the tree he raises himself on his hind legs, and lets his weight hang by his trunk. in this way he can bring down a good-sized branch without much trouble; and as he feeds on the leaves and small limbs in the forest where he lives, his power is very useful to him. [illustration: elephants drinking.] "when he has seized anything with his proboscis, his next effort is to carry it to his mouth. this he does by bending his trunk, just as a man bends his finger; and when he has it properly bent he thrusts the article between his jaws, and has it all safe and secure. he drinks by drawing the trunk full of water, and then thrusting it to his mouth; it is sometimes thought that he draws water through the trunk directly into his stomach, but such is not the case. he breathes through the trunk, but he cannot take food or drink through it, as it only communicates with his lungs. here is the way he supplies himself. "there used to be a question among the boys at school, 'why do white sheep eat more hay than black ones?' the answer was, 'because there are more of them.' that may be all right for sheep; but if you apply the question to elephants, you are obliged to reverse it, as there are very few white elephants, and any number of black ones." by the time the above account was finished it was after eleven o'clock. labor was suspended, and the boys went to bed. in the morning they had a short time to spare before breakfast, and fred thought he would write a description of his sleeping-room and its peculiarities, and send it along with the story of the visit to the palace. so he took pen and paper, and wrote as follows: [illustration: fred's tormentor.] "the weather is so warm here that we don't need any bed-clothing, and consequently they don't give us any; we have hard beds with harder pillows, and they are much better than any soft beds and pillows could possibly be. a sheet to lie on is spread over the bed, and all the covering we need is the pajamas, or sleeping suits that everybody wears here. mosquitoes are abundant, and of all sizes; and so they cover the beds with a netting of very fine mesh to keep out the smallest of these troublesome pests. the nets not only keep out the mosquitoes but they keep in the heat, and for this reason we suffer a great deal from the high temperature. i get up several times in the night, and go and sit on the balcony, just to get a little cool; every time i wake i am in a profuse perspiration, and it is largely caused by the closeness of the air under the mosquito netting. "when we first came here we were disturbed frequently by the _gecko_, a lizard that climbs around the walls and partitions of the houses, and goes wherever he pleases. he is five or six inches long, and not pretty to look at, and he makes a noise like some one calling out 'gecko!' it is from his call that he gets his name, and until we got used to it we were waked by it. it isn't pleasant to see these lizards climbing around your room; but everybody says they are perfectly harmless, and they eat up a great many insects. there is a smaller lizard that eats mosquitoes, or anything else he can manage, and it is very funny to see him at work. frank and i watched one the other evening for half an hour, and saw him do a great deal of good. he is just the color of the boards where he clings, or very nearly so, and therefore he is not easily seen. when a mosquito passed within half an inch of his nose he darted out his long flexible tongue with the rapidity of lightning, and caught his prize on the end of it. the mosquito disappeared like a flash, and then the lizard watched for another, and took him in the same way. "when a mosquito or a fly lighted two or three inches away, the lizard would creep along like a cat, and hug close to the boards. he did it very slowly till he got within reach, and then out came the tongue as before, and he rarely missed his aim. one large fly was too much for him, and after getting him on the end of his tongue he had a sharp struggle to swallow him. the fly escaped, and after that the lizard was more cautious about the size of his game." breakfast was announced, and the story of the siamese lizard was dropped for the present. while they were at breakfast a messenger came from the consul to doctor bronson. he announced that the second king of siam would receive them that afternoon, as they had been received the day before by the supreme king. the boys had heard that siam was ruled by two kings, and the doctor took the opportunity to explain the relations between these rulers. "the king at the grand palace, where we went yesterday," said doctor bronson, "is the first or supreme king of the country. the second king occupies a position that is difficult to understand clearly when we compare it with our own form of government. he is not like our vice-president of the united states, as he does not inherit the throne on the death of the supreme king; nor does he resemble the ancient mikado of japan in being a spiritual ruler, while the first king is a temporal one. according to sir john bowring, his opinion and sanction are sought by the king in important matters, and his name is associated in treaties. he is supposed to have control of one-third of the revenues, and has a portion of the army under his command; in time of war he is expected to have direct control of the armies in the field, and to go with them in person, but this is not always the case. occasionally the office of second king is abolished, and it seems to be largely in the power of the first king to do what he pleases concerning the rank and authority of his subordinate. "the second king has a palace nearly as large as that of the first, and he has ministers corresponding to those that form the highest cabinet. the same respect is shown to him when he goes abroad as to the first king, and the latter is the only personage in the country to whom the second king must pay visits of ceremony. siam is the only country in the world that has this arrangement for dividing the royal power, and when we come to examine it closely it will be found that there is not a very large division, after all. not long ago, as i am told, there was a quarrel between the first and second kings of siam, which resulted in the second king seeking the protection of the english consul. since that time the power of the second king has been less than it was before, and the breach between the two great heads of the kingdom of siam has not been entirely healed." at the appointed time the consul called for the doctor, and the two gentlemen proceeded on their excursion, leaving the boys at the hotel. the journey to the palace was not made in a boat, as on the day before, but in a carriage, for the reason that going in a boat would necessitate a long walk from the landing to the gates of the royal residence. on his return the doctor gave the following account of his visit: "we drove through a narrow gate-way where some soldiers were on guard, and soon found ourselves in an open court-yard of the palace. here we left the carriage, and entered a large anteroom at the head of a flight of stairs, where we waited while a messenger went to inform the king of our arrival. he came back shortly, accompanied by a gentleman who spoke english and siamese with equal fluency, as he is the son of an american missionary, and was born in siam. under his guidance we went to the reception-hall, which was in a large building just off the court-yard. it was entered directly from the open air, and not by passing through a series of halls, as in the palace of the first king. his majesty rose as we entered, and came forward a few steps to meet us; he first shook hands with the consul, and then with me after the consul had introduced me, and the interpreter had translated his remarks. "the king asked us to be seated, and gave us the example by taking a chair for himself, and indicating the ones we were to occupy. he is a man of about fifty-five or sixty years old, and has a pleasant and intelligent face; he speaks english with considerable fluency, and has read a great deal about england and america. he is a great admirer of america, and is proud of the name of george washington, which he bears." "are we to understand," frank asked, "that the second king of siam is named george washington?" "hardly as much as that," was the doctor's reply; "he was known among the foreign residents of bangkok by the name of prince george before he was proclaimed second king. he has at least half a dozen siamese titles, and places the name of 'george washington' before them. he assumed it himself, as i am informed, with the consent of the old king of siam, because he admired the character of the man whom we hold in such great reverence in america. he has been, and continues to be, a pretty close student of science, politics, and other matters, and is a man of more than ordinary intelligence. "soon after we were seated, coffee and cigars were brought, and the king offered us some of the latter from his own box of massive gold. conversation began immediately; the questions and answers being rather slow, as they were made through the interpreter. the king asked when i left america, and what i thought of siam; and when i spoke in praise of his country he appeared greatly pleased. then we talked about the scenery of the tropics in comparison with that of the temperate zone; and the king said he was sorry america was so far off, as it would give him great pleasure to visit it. then we talked about the fruits and flowers of siam, the many varieties of the palm-tree, and the great uses of the palm and bamboo to mankind. then the king asked about some of the productions of america; and after that there came a pause, which gave us an opportunity to rise and make our adieux. the king shook hands with us at parting, and hoped i would like my stay in siam so well that i would come here again. we found our carriage, and drove home again; but, before leaving the palace, we went to see an elephant which belongs to the second king, and is said to be over a hundred years old. it has been a long time in captivity, and is very large and powerful, and its temper is anything but amiable." [illustration: the second king of siam, in state robes.] fred asked if the king wore his state-dress as it was represented in the pictures he had seen of his majesty. the doctor answered that the king was plainly dressed, and the only indications of rank about his garments were some stars embroidered on the collar of his coat. the coat was short, and rather in form like a jacket; it hung loosely, and by no means concealed a vest of white linen that joined with trousers of siamese pattern, to complete the clothing of royalty. on his feet he wore a pair of embroidered shoes that were cut low enough for slippers, and could be easily thrown off without the aid of a boot-jack. his attendants were in siamese garb, and the general surroundings of the place were more oriental in their character than those of the palace of the supreme king. frank and fred listened with great interest to what the doctor had to say of his visit to the second king of siam. through fear of forgetting some portion of it, they proceeded to put it upon paper at once; and, as the afternoon was far gone when they began, they had sufficient occupation for the rest of the day. chapter xix. leaving siam.--life under the ocean wave. the time came for leaving siam. our friends had enjoyed their visit to the land of the white elephant, and had seen many things that were full of interest; they wished to remain longer, but they remembered there were other countries to be seen, and other people whose manners and customs they wished to learn from personal observation. so they prepared to continue their journey. their next place of destination was singapore. between that city and bangkok there is a service of steamers each way about once a week; it is somewhat irregular, as the movements of the ships depend more or less upon the amount of freight offering and the facility of obtaining cargoes. the steamers are under the siamese flag; some of them belong to the government, while the others are the property of chinese or siamese merchants established at bangkok. all of them are small, to make sure of passing the bar at the mouth of the menam, and their passenger accommodations are rather limited. [illustration: the doctor getting ready.] the distance from bangkok to singapore is about eight hundred miles; and, as the ships are not built for speed, the voyage usually takes from four to five days. our friends engaged passage on the _bang yong seng_, and were told to be on board by seven o'clock in the morning of the day fixed for departure. the steamer was at her dock about a mile above the hotel, and consequently doctor bronson and the boys proposed to leave the hotel soon after six o'clock, in order to be in season. when they suggested their plan to captain salje, the proprietor of the establishment, the latter laughed, and said he would have breakfast ready for them at half-past six, and then they would have an abundance of time. "how can that be?" the doctor asked. "very easy to explain," the captain responded. "the river is so narrow that the steamer cannot turn around where she is. she backs down below here, and does it very slowly, and you need not go to the dock at all. you can have your baggage ready, and when we see her coming you can pull out with the boat and drop along-side. the gangway-ladder will be down, and you can get on board and have your baggage handed up without the least trouble." this plan was quite to the taste of the party of travellers, and they adopted it at once. it was carried out to perfection; and the boys pronounced it much better than being obliged to breakfast at a disagreeably early hour, and then pulling up the stream. the consul came to see them off; and as the steamer passed the consulate, the flag of their country was dipped in farewell honor to doctor bronson and his young companions. the steamer turned a little below the consulate, and headed her prow for the sea; and she steamed steadily onward, till at length she left the menam behind her and entered the waters of the gulf of siam. the boys sat on the deck of the steamer, and watched the low coast as it slowly receded from view. flocks of birds filled the air, or settled on the marshy shores, where the scattered palm-trees waved their tufted heads. there was a faint ripple of surf breaking on the beach, or forming in long lines where the waters were shallow. the sky was clear, and the sun filled the atmosphere with a flood of light; while it made the shelter of the awning indispensable to the comfort of the young travellers. [illustration: coast of siam, near the mouth of the river.] although the steamer was of light draught, she stirred the mud from the bottom as she crossed the bar at the mouth of the menam; she left a long trail of discolored water behind her, but it disappeared as she steamed onward and left the shores of siam fading in the distance. while the boys were busy with their contemplation of the scene, the chinese steward of the steamer came to tell them dinner was ready. they went below, and were soon seated at the cabin table. [illustration: water-fowl of siam.] the passengers were not numerous. besides the doctor and his young friends, there were only two others in the cabin, and it did not take long for them to form an acquaintance. one of the twain was a german merchant living at bangkok, and the other was a personage who reminded the boys a little of their old friend, "the mystery." he was affable, and inclined to free conversation; and though they could not at first make him out, they found themselves attracted towards him. when they went on deck after dinner, the stranger followed; and by invitation of doctor bronson, he drew his chair near them. in the course of the rambling talk that ensued, fred wondered if there were any pearls in the gulf of siam. frank quickly responded that it was ceylon, and not siam, where the most of the pearls of commerce were to be found. the remark about pearls led to a discussion of the mode of gathering them. very naturally something was said about the methods of going beneath the waves of the sea. the stranger joined in the conversation, and it was not long before he developed much more than a casual knowledge of the business under consideration. "i may as well introduce myself," he remarked, "and then we will be able to talk freely. i am known as captain johnson, and have been around the eastern seas for the past twenty years. i am an englishman by birth, and have been captain of a ship trading between london and singapore; but at present i am a wrecker." doctor bronson replied to this introduction by handing his own card to captain johnson, and introducing the two youths by name. the boys showed by the expression of their faces that they were not altogether familiar with the peculiarities of the stranger's occupation; evidently he perceived it, for he proceeded to explain what a wrecker was. "properly speaking," said he, "a wrecker is a man who lives on a dangerous coast, and makes a living by assisting wrecked vessels, and saving what can be saved from their cargoes. my occupation is something like his, but not exactly; he works above the waters, while i go below them." "go below the water to save a ship!" said fred, in astonishment. "how can you save a ship in that way?" the question led to an explanation that lasted through the entire afternoon and evening. we will endeavor to give the substance of it, as nearly as possible, in the words of captain johnson. "life beneath the ocean wave," said he, after he was comfortably balanced in his chair, "has many features of interest. in my profession of wrecking i have seen much that does not ordinarily happen to a man; i am sorry i cannot remember all that has come under my observation, but perhaps it is just as well, as i might remember too much, and so weary you." frank assured him it would take a longer period than they were likely to pass together on the ship for him to become weary of stories of the sea. fred echoed the remark, and thus the captain was encouraged to proceed. "thanks to men of science and ingenuity," the captain continued, "we have made great progress in going beneath the water in the last twenty-five years. formerly a man could only stay below as long as he could hold his breath, and of course this prevented his descending to any great depth. with the diving apparatus now in use he can go far below the surface, and remain there for hours." [illustration: a wreck among the breakers.] the boys opened their eyes very wide at this assertion, but they did not interrupt the story by saying what they thought. [illustration: pearl-fisher attacked by a shark.] "the fisher for pearls in the primitive way has no apparatus beyond a stone attached to a cord, a basket slung around his neck to hold the pearl-oysters, and a knife to detach them from the bottom, and also to defend himself from sharks. at the moment of diving he fills his lungs with air and grasps the cord, and as he does so the stone is thrown from the side of the boat by his assistant. the weight of the stone carries him down; he gathers as many oysters as he can while the air in his lungs holds out, and then he shakes the cord as a signal to be drawn up. sharks abound in the regions where the pearl is found, and not infrequently they seize the poor diver as he rises to the surface. his only mode of escape is by rapid movement; and you can readily see that he is at a great disadvantage, as he is out of his proper element, and in that of the shark. "the diving-bell was the first invention to improve on the old process; it consisted of a wide-mouthed bell large enough to contain one or two men, who stood or were seated inside. if you put a tumbler into the water with the mouth downwards, you will perceive, as you press below the surface, that the air within keeps the water from rising." the boys nodded assent to the captain's remark. "in this way the air remains in the bell, and until it becomes foul the divers suffer no particular inconvenience. but as soon as it has been breathed so as to cause a sense of suffocation they must be drawn up, or they will die. "then somebody arranged an air-pump so as to connect with the bell, and by constantly working this pump the foul air was expelled, and new air came in to supply its place. by this process the men could remain some time below; but they could not leave the bell, and their operations were confined to the space covered by its mouth. it is a curious fact that the first diving-bell was invented by a spider, and not by a man." "invented by a spider!" the two boys exclaimed in a breath. "yes, invented by a spider," the captain continued. "why, how can that be?" frank asked. [illustration; nests of the water-spider.] "the water-spider builds a house of silk in the shape of a bell, and anchors it to the roots of the grasses that grow several feet under the water. having finished his dwelling, he proceeds to stock it with air. for this purpose he comes to the surface, takes a bubble of air under his abdomen and carries it to the house, where he releases it, and allows it to rise into the cavity where he wants it. he repeats the operation till he has filled it with air, and then he has a satisfactory home for his family. [illustration; divers in their armor.] "now the diving-bell is on this principle, with the advantage of not being stationary, and also with the greater advantage that the air can be renewed when it becomes foul. but the modern armor dispenses with the bell; the head of the diver is covered with an air-tight helmet with a plate of glass in front, so that the man can see what is about him, and the air is kept fresh by means of an air-pump and a flexible tube of india-rubber. there are several forms of this apparatus, some of them having a metallic knapsack, where the air is received before it goes to the helmet, while others dispense with the knapsack, and carry the air directly to the head of the man who is to breathe it. sometimes, where the depth is slight, and he is not to remain long below, the diver does not use the helmet at all, but simply holds a tube in his mouth, through which a stream of air is driven to him." frank asked how the man wearing this armor managed to sink in the water, and retain his perpendicular position. according to his experience, there was a tendency of the feet to fly upwards as soon as the body was in the water, especially where it was salt instead of fresh. "that is provided for," said captain johnson, "by giving the diver a pair of shoes with soles of lead. they are so heavy that when he is out of water he can lift his feet with difficulty; but when he goes below, the specific gravity of the water makes them much lighter. he can then step around, and at the same time his equilibrium is maintained." "how long can a man stay under water with the apparatus you have described?" fred asked. [illustration: divers at work.] "from one to two hours," was the reply; "according to the depth and condition of the water. if it is very cold, he will be chilled in a little while, and must come up to get warm again; and if he has to hold himself against a strong current he will find his strength leaving him, and must make a signal to be drawn to the surface. i have been two hours under, at a depth of eighty feet, and felt no inconvenience; but when i came up i was not able to go down again for several hours." "can you go down in the open sea in this way," said fred, "or must you always be where the water is quiet?" [illustration: diving over the side of a steamer.] "as to that," the captain responded, "it is impossible to answer in a single word. the most of our operations are in rivers and harbors, or in bays more or less shallow. sometimes at sea it is necessary to examine the bottom of a ship, in order to stop a leak or repair some other damage. in such a case the ship is stopped, and a ladder is lowered near the place to be examined; a man goes down in his submarine armor without difficulty, and, though the water must be reasonably smooth to allow him to do so safely, i have known it to be done when there was quite a heavy sea on. the general rule is, that, unless the sea is smooth enough to allow a boat to lie along side for the purpose of assisting the diver, it is not wise to send him below. divers are their own judges of such matters, and will naturally refuse to descend if the risk is too great. "once in awhile we have cases of diving in the open ocean. do you remember the loss of the steamship _japan_, on the coast of china, in december, 1874?" the boys said they had heard about it while they were in china, but could not remember anything particular about the affair. "well," continued the captain, "the _japan_ was burnt at sea, one hundred and thirty-five miles north-east of hong-kong, and fifty miles from swatow. the nearest land was breaker point, twenty miles away, and the water where the wreck sunk was twenty-three fathoms, or one hundred and thirty-eight feet deep. the _japan_ had about three hundred and fifty thousand dollars in silver on board, and the underwriters at hong-kong who had insured it determined to make an effort for its recovery. for this purpose they engaged captain roberts, who was a well-known wrecker on the coast of china, and set him at work. "a schooner and a small steamer were bought, and in january, 1875, captain roberts began looking for the wreck. he dragged the bed of the ocean for four or five weeks before he found anything; but at last he was successful, and discovered one of the paddle-wheels of the ship. it was some time later before he found the wreck of the ship, as it proved to have drifted eleven miles south-west of the spot where the wheel had dropped off." "how could that be?" frank exclaimed. "it was because the wind was blowing very strong at the time from the north-east, and after the wheel fell off the ship was driven on before the gale till it had burnt low enough to sink. it took from march to july to find the wreck after the wheel was discovered, and then they immediately began operations for getting at the sunken treasure. "the south-west monsoon blows from march till september, and it was only during this monsoon that the divers could work. on the 12th of that month the monsoon ceased, and captain roberts had not been able to get at the treasure, which was contained in an iron tank in the hold of the ship. he thought the whole enterprise would end there, and the _japan_ and her three hundred and fifty thousand dollars would remain undisturbed at the bottom of the sea. it was not likely that the underwriters would incur the expense of another expedition the following year, when the chances of recovering anything were so doubtful. "the diver went down for the last time; and while he was below the crew were making preparations to hoist anchor, and be off for hong-kong as soon as he rose. "suddenly he signalled to be pulled up, and they hoisted away. as he rose he held a lump of something in his hand, and passed it to captain roberts, who was standing on the deck of the schooner. "it was a lump that looked like coal; but it was heavier than coal by a great deal. examination showed that it was a mass of twenty-four silver dollars, all melted and charred together, but still distinguishable as dollars. "the question was settled. the wreckers retired to hong-kong during the six months that the north-east monsoon blows, and in the following march they returned to their work. in 1876 they recovered about twenty-five thousand dollars; and in the two following years the whole of the treasure was secured. it was one of the finest wrecking operations ever known. and here is one of the dollars that lay for three years at the bottom of the pacific ocean." as he spoke, captain johnson drew from his pocket an american trade-dollar bearing the date 1874. it was quite black from the effect of its long immersion in the ocean, but otherwise was as perfect as when it came from the mint at san francisco. the boys were greatly interested in this curious coin, and so was doctor bronson. it was passed from one to the other of the trio, and the boys were for some minutes so thoroughly engrossed in examining it that they had no attention to bestow on anything else. [illustration: coral-fishing in the mediterranean.] frank wished to know whether there was any coral or other curious products of the sea where the wreck of the _japan_ was lying at the bottom of the ocean. [illustration: the coral-worm.] captain johnson told him there was nothing of the kind in that particular spot, but that a great deal of coral was to be found in the tropical waters of the far east. "the best coral," said he, "comes from the mediterranean; other parts of the world produce it in much larger quantities, but it is not generally fine enough to be wrought into jewellery, like that from the northern coast of africa. can you tell me what coral is?" [illustration: cup-coral and brain-coral.] frank answered that coral was a substance produced by a small insect which works under the water, and produces a substance somewhat resembling stone. there are many varieties of it, and the work of the coral insect is usually in the form of branches--like a small tree without leaves. there are also formations known as cup-coral and brain-coral, on account of their shape and general appearance. fred said he had read somewhere that in the pacific ocean there were islands of solid coral; and there were also reefs surrounding islands like great walls. some of these walls were hundreds of miles in extent, and kept ships from approaching the land. "can you tell me what an atoll is?" said the captain, with a smile. the boys had both heard of an atoll, but at the moment they were unable to describe it. so the captain came to their relief, and explained it to them. "an atoll," said he, "is a circular island or reef, with an opening on one side, with water that is usually deep enough for the largest ships to enter. the strip of land or coral is a few hundred yards wide, and often covered with palm and other trees; and there are sometimes hundreds of atolls in a single group. they vary in size from half a mile to forty or fifty miles in diameter, and the lake or lagoon inside is from one to four hundred feet in depth. ships may sail around in these lagoons, and they often abound in fish of many varieties. the contrast between the rough ocean outside and the calm lake within is very impressive, and will never be forgotten by one who has observed it." [illustration: an atoll in this pacific ocean.] chapter xx. light under water.--pearl-fishing and turtle-hunting. frank was curious to know how it was possible to see under water. he thought it would be dark at great depths, and, if so, it would be impossible to do anything there on account of the darkness. lamps could not be made to burn under water, and until this was done the explorers of the sea could not make much progress. captain johnson replied that frank's theory was correct. as the diver goes down the light becomes more and more dim, but the dimness or the absence of it depends upon the clearness of the water where he is at work. if the water is clear and the sunlight good, there is no trouble about seeing at any depth to which a diver may safely descend. in a stream like the mississippi or the missouri river it will be darker at ten feet deep than in the mediterranean at a hundred. "but science has come to our aid," he continued, "by giving us the electric light. there is one form of it that can burn in a vacuum--in fact, it needs a vacuum for its proper working. now all you have to do is to insulate the wires leading to the glass globe that holds the light, and you can carry it under the water without the least trouble. "for ordinary purposes there is a very simple arrangement, which consists of a box with a plate of glass in the bottom. you put this in the water, so that the glass is a few inches below the surface, and then you can see very clearly, where the depth is not too great. fishermen in some parts of the world have something of the same nature, which they call a telescope; it is nothing but a tube of wood four or five feet long, and six inches in diameter, and with the top so arranged that when the eye is put against it there can be no entrance of light at that end of the tube. when a man wishes to examine the bottom of the sea where he is fishing, he sinks this tube and looks through it. he can make out many objects that are altogether invisible under ordinary circumstances, and can frequently discover the whereabouts of a school of fish that might otherwise escape him. [illustration: submarine observations.] "sometimes a man who is using one of these aids to marine observation finds himself the object of attentions he would gladly avoid. a friend of mine was once looking through a box from the side of a boat, when a large sawfish came from below and thrust his snout through the glass. a shark followed the sawfish, and was evidently anxious for a fight, and the two swum off together, to the satisfaction of my friend. what made the matter more exciting was that an expert swimmer had just dived from the boat, and gone down to take a survey of the coral-trees that grew on the bottom. he came up safe and undisturbed, and the probabilities are that the sawfish and shark had been too busy over each other and the glass-bottomed box to pay any attention to such an insignificant object as a man swimming near them. [illustration: the bellows-fish, or angler.] "the bottom of the sea abounds in many curious things that we never see at the surface, unless they are brought there. there is a fish known as the _lophius_, or bellows-fish; he is also called 'the angler,' from his artistic way of supplying himself with food. he seems to be nearly all mouth, and reminds you of the dog that could walk down his own throat without touching the sides. he has a long rod projecting from the middle of his forehead, and at the end of it there is a lump of flesh, like a morsel of beef. this rod is movable; and, as he lies flat on the mud, he spreads his great mouth open like a trap. then he angles, or fishes, with his rod, moving it up and down and on both sides, so as to attract fish or crabs, or anything else that is edible. when they come within reach of his capacious jaws he closes on his prey, and goes on with his fishing as unconcerned as a man who has caught a small trout, and stowed it away in his basket." the boys laughed at the idea of an angling fish, and wondered how he managed to get along when he had lost his bait by any accident. the captain was unable to tell them, as he had never seen a bellows-fish that had suffered such a misfortune. [illustration: a curious home.] "you see thousands of crabs and lobsters and other creeping things at the bottom of the sea," the captain continued; "there is one kind of crab that loves to live in a shell which is not his own, at any rate not the one he was born to. they crawl around with these shells, never daring to leave them for fear some other crab will happen along and take possession. sometimes two of them will fight for a shell, and they tear away each other's claws and commit other havoc before the battle is over. generally the one in the shell has the best of it, as he is on the defensive, and the house in which he is lodged is a good protection. one day i found one of these crabs in the bowl of a tobacco-pipe that had the stem broken short off, and it was very funny to see him move around with this awkward covering. it was not as convenient as the sea-shells in which his brethren were quartered, and he seemed to understand it, as he changed to an empty shell as soon as one was placed near him, and he was left undisturbed. [illustration: crabs in a quarrel.] "these crabs are amphibious, and seem equally at home above or under the water. they are very quarrelsome, and when put together in a box proceed to eat each other up without the least hesitation. i once put a dozen of them together, and in two days there was only one left; he was large, and had a good appetite, as he left nothing but shells and crushed claws to tell what had become of his comrades. "but we have been so long beneath the surface that we must go above to breathe. as we come up we must be careful not to touch one of those long filaments hanging down from the _physalia_ that has spread its sail to the wind. if we do, we shall feel a sharp sting that will last us for some time." frank inquired what the _physalia_ was. "you have seen it very often at sea," said captain johnson, "and probably you knew it as a portuguese man-of-war." "oh, certainly," frank answered. "we saw thousands and thousands of them on the pacific ocean when we were coming from san francisco, and sometimes the water was covered with them for hours at a time. and they looked very pretty, with their little sails spread to catch the wind." "what you saw above the surface was not really a sail," the captain replied, "but a little sack containing air. the _physalia_ has the power of contracting this sack, so that it can sink beneath the waves for protection against a storm or to avoid other dangers. the use of the long filaments is not well understood; but they are evidently for purposes of defence, as each of them contains a sting that has anything but an agreeable effect on the swimmer who comes in contact with it." fred asked if the _physalia_ was anything like the sea-anemone which he had seen in aquarius, and had admired greatly on account of its beautiful colors. "how many colors of it do you think you have seen?" the captain asked, in reply. [illustration: sea-anemones.] fred could not say positively, but he thought he had seen not less than three or four. "they are of every color imaginable," responded captain johnson; "we find them white, with a delicate shading of pearl, and we have them in gray, pink, purple, yellow, orange, lilac, green, and blue. sometimes a single specimen will have half a dozen colors in his composition, and you could easily imagine he had borrowed all the hues of the rainbow in getting himself up to a satisfactory complexion. they have the properties of both animal and vegetable, and in this particular they resemble the sponge and other marine productions. if a part of the sea-anemone is destroyed, it is reproduced; and if one of them is torn or cut into several pieces, each piece converts itself into a perfect anemone." "is the sponge an animal?" frank asked of the captain. "you said something about the sea-anemone having animal and vegetable properties like the sponge. i always supposed the sponge was a vegetable growing at the bottom of the sea, and had nothing of the animal about it." "scientific men have long been in dispute on this subject," was the reply; "and while some assign the sponge to the vegetable kingdom, others class it with the animal. the latest authorities favor the theory that the sponge is an animal, and all agree that it occupies a middle ground between the two forms of life. [illustration: the sponge at home.] "it is fastened to a rock, or to the hard bottom of the part of the sea where it grows, and it has no power of moving from one place to another. water is continually absorbed into the sponge, just as we absorb air by breathing; and when the food and air contained in the water have served their purpose, the residue is thrown off. "the sponge has a skeleton that must be dissolved and washed away before the article is of use. various processes are used to remove the skeleton--according to the character of the sponge and the purposes for which it is designed. the finest are washed repeatedly in water, and in a weak solution of acid, and are then bleached in a bath of diluted soda. these fine sponges come from syria, and from the greek islands of the mediterranean; the coarse sponges, used for washing carriages and similar purposes, come from the west indies, and also from the east; and when first taken from the sea they have a sickening odor, like flesh that is just beginning to decay. this odor becomes stronger and stronger, and finally resembles exactly that which arises from a putrefying body. during this process of decomposition they are buried in the sand, and are afterwards submitted to the action of the waves to wash away the impurities that the decay has left." one of the boys asked how sponges were obtained, and at what depths of water they were to be found. [illustration: how sponges are speared.] the captain explained that they were found at all depths, from a few feet to two or three hundred. the most of them were taken from shoals and reefs, where they were ten or twenty feet below the surface, as they could not get a good supply of light in deeper water. in the east they are generally taken by diving, after the primitive fashion; while in the west indies they are speared from boats. "but we started out to talk about pearls," said captain johnson, "and we have wandered off to several other things. suppose we go back to pearls, and see what we can ascertain about them." the boys promptly agreed to this; and frank was evidently determined to begin at the beginning, as he referred to the pearl which cleopatra was said to have dissolved in vinegar, so that she might swallow a more costly drink than had ever been known to anybody else. "that was more than eighteen hundred years ago," said fred, "and perhaps the incident never happened." [illustration: cleopatra dissolving the pearl.] captain johnson was uncertain about it, as he said he had no documentary proof sufficient to convince an ordinary court of law that dissolved pearls were a fashionable beverage in the days of antony and cleopatra. "however," he said, "the pearl can be dissolved in strong vinegar; and this fact is sufficient to establish the possibility of the beautiful queen of egypt indulging in the freak that is attributed to her. "pearls have been known and valued for a great many hundred years. they are mentioned in the bible, and in the time of job they were great price. the greeks and romans had great numbers of pearls, and some of the wealthy citizens were in the habit of wearing them on their shoes. in all ages they have been associated with wealth, and probably they will continue to be for ages to come. [illustration: pearl-bearing shells.] "the oyster that produces them is not good to eat; probably he thinks he has quite enough to do to make pearls, without being devoured after he has performed that noble duty. they are found in various parts of the world; but the best pearls have always come from the east: they are valuable in proportion as they possess that peculiar lustre known as 'water,' which it is impossible to describe in words. there are several varieties of the pearl-oyster, but the best of them is of a nearly circular form, and from four to eight inches in diameter. here is a picture of one of these shells, with a single pearl adhering to it. the outside of the shell is rough, and has a series of ridges that extend from the valve to the edge. the young oysters rarely contain pearls; and the divers understand this so well that, when they find smooth-shelled and small oysters in their baskets, they throw them back into the sea. in the haste of gathering them from the rocky bottom, they have no time to select with care. "the pearl is nothing more nor less than carbonate of lime, secreted by the oyster, and hardened after a process which he carefully keeps to himself. it was for a long time supposed that the pearl was formed by the attempt of the oyster to cover a grain of sand with a smooth substance, so that it would not be inconvenient to him. it was believed that the sand was rolled in by the action of the waves while the oyster had his mouth open; and, as he could not expel it, he proceeded to cover it up. many persons adhere to this theory still; but the fact that many pearls have been sawed open and found not to contain the least particle of sand or other impurity, is calculated to throw doubt upon it. the latter belief is, that the pearl is the result of a disease in the oyster, just as a tumor is the result of disease in man. "in china and japan the natives have long followed the practice of putting small beads of porcelain inside the oyster, and then returning him to the water, where he is left undisturbed for three or four years. at the end of that time he is taken up and opened, and the beads are found to be coated with the pearly substance. they also have the trick of putting little images or idols into the oyster, and in course of time these become coated over in the manner i have described. you can see some of the results of these processes by looking at the two open shells on the right of the picture." frank wished to know the different sizes of pearls and their values. [illustration: sizes of pearls.] "as to that," said the captain, "your question is not an easy one to answer. some pearls are so small as to be hardly visible to the eye; and of course they are of no value when you cannot see them. they are only useful when large enough to be strung on a necklace, or otherwise set as jewellery. the largest pearls are apocryphal; by this i mean that no person of modern times has seen some that are famous in history, and there are doubts that they ever existed. it is said that the pearl which cleopatra drank to the health of mark antony was worth $375,000 of our money; and, if so, it must have been of great size. pearls have been reported to exist that were nearly two inches long by one and a quarter in diameter, and weighed fifty-five carats, or two hundred and twenty grains. "the largest that we know of at the present time do not exceed thirty carats, or one hundred and twenty grains. there is one among the crown-jewels of portugal weighing twenty-five carats; and there is said to be one of twenty-seven carats in the hands of a russian merchant in moscow. it is safe to say that there are not two dozen pearls known to exist now that weigh over twenty carats, or eighty grains. "the value of a pearl is generally estimated like that of a diamond--by the multiplication of the square of its weight. a pearl of one carat is held to be worth about $16; and to get the value of a pearl of two carats we multiply two by two, and the product by $16, and we get $64. in the same way the value of a pearl of three carats would be $144, and so on for any weight we happen to have. [illustration: pearl-fishery at bahrein.] "one of the favorite fishing-grounds for pearls is at bahrein, on the persian gulf. the divers bring in the oysters from the fishing-banks in the gulf, and pile them on the shore in great heaps. here they lie till they are rotted; and the stench that arises is enough to turn any inexperienced stomach. when the substance of the oyster is quite decomposed, the shells are opened, and the mass of matter they contain is thrown into tubs and washed with water. it is necessary to pass the pulp very carefully through the fingers for fear that some of the pearls will be lost, and consequently the washing is very slow. when a pearl beyond a certain size is found, the washer receives a handsome present; but below the regulation figure he gets nothing but his daily wages. large pearls are very rare, and consequently the chances that a pearl-washer will make a fortune by a lucky find are exceedingly small. [illustration: persian gulf diver.] "there is a belief quite current through the east that the pearl is a drop of rain-water which has fallen into the shell of the oyster when he was at the surface, and been afterwards hardened. this is a pretty bit of sentiment; but as the oyster never goes to the surface unless he is carried there, the story does not have much foundation to rest upon." "if the pearl is so valuable, and so difficult to get, i should think there would be men who would try to imitate it," frank remarked. "you are quite right," was the reply; "and men have tried a great many times to make false pearls." "have they succeeded?" "partially; but not altogether. no counterfeit pearl has yet been made that could pass all the tests of the genuine; but their lustre is quite equal, sometimes, to the best pearls of ceylon, and they can be made to deceive anybody but an expert." "how do they make them?" "the best of the false pearls," said the captain, "are made by what is known as jaquin's process. "m. jaquin was a manufacturer of beads in france, and he spent a great deal of time and money in trying to make his beads better than any other man's. one day he was walking in his garden, and observed a remarkable silvery lustre on some water in a basin. it instantly occurred to him that if he could put that lustre on his beads, he would have something decidedly new. "so he called his old servant, and asked what had been in the water. she answered that it was nothing but some little fish called _ablettes_, that had been crushed in the basin, and she had neglected to throw the water out. [illustration: m. jaquin's experiment.] "m. jaquin was very glad, for once, that she had neglected her duty. he began experimenting with the scales of the ablette, or bleak, a little fish about the size of a sardine, and very abundant in certain parts of europe. after several trials he adopted the plan of washing the scales several times in water, and saving the sediment that gathered at the bottom of the basin. this was about the consistency of oil, and had the lustre he desired. next, he blew some beads of very thin glass, and after coating the inside of a bead with this substance, he filled it up with wax, so as to give it solidity. thus the fish-scales gave the lustre, the glass gave the polish and brilliancy that we find on the genuine pearl, and the wax furnished a solid backing to the thin glass. this is the process of making false pearls; and it is fortunate that the bleak is very abundant, or he would run the risk of extermination. [illustration: the bleak.] "is the manufacture of false pearls so great as that?" fred inquired. "it is pretty extensive," was the captain's response, "but not enormously so. the fact is, it requires more than a thousand of these little fish to make an ounce of the 'essence d'orient,' as the french call it, or essence of pearl. other substances have been tried, in the hope of obtaining the same result for a smaller outlay, but none of them have been entirely successful. there is--" the conversation was interrupted at this moment by a call from the doctor, who was sitting near the rail, and happened to be looking at the sea. the rest of the party rushed to his side, and their eyes followed the direction indicated by his finger. [illustration: the doctor's discovery.] the object that attracted his attention was an enormous turtle not more than ten yards away. he appeared to be asleep, as he was lying perfectly still, and did not seem aware that a ship was near him. suddenly he roused himself, and raised his head an instant above the surface to take a survey of the situation. evidently he scented danger, as he lost no time in diving below, where the ship was not likely to follow him. pearls were dropped from the conversation, and turtles took their place. as the turtle is a product of the sea, the subject was not likely to be an unknown one to captain johnson. "there are several varieties of the marine turtle," said the captain, "and more of the land-turtle, or tortoise; as we are at sea, and engaged on matters connected with salt-water, we will leave the occupant of the land quite out of consideration. his marine brother has fins instead of feet, and he rarely goes on shore except in the breeding-season. some of the sea-turtles live entirely on vegetable food, while others devour shell-fish and other living things; the flesh of the vegetable-feeders is delicious, while that of the animal-feeders is not. they grow to a great size when compared with the land-turtle: the green turtle that makes such excellent soup is frequently five feet long, and weighs five or six hundred pounds; and the loggerhead-turtle sometimes reaches a weight of one thousand five hundred pounds and more." "enough to feed a great many people," frank remarked. "unfortunately," the captain continued, "a great many people would not eat his flesh. the green-turtle feeds on sea-weed, and is very choice about what he eats, and therefore his flesh is highly esteemed. the loggerhead-turtle is much more common than the green one, but he eats shell-fish of all the sorts he can crush in his powerful jaws. the flesh of the young turtles of this variety is sometimes eaten, but the old ones are so tough and musky that a man must needs be very hungry to be able to eat them. even their eggs are too strong of musk to be edible, and the shell is of little value; about the only use that can be made of the loggerhead-turtle is to try out the large quantities of oil that he contains. "the flesh of the turtle you just saw is not of much consequence, for the same reason. he is more valuable for his shell, which forms the turtle, or tortoise, shell of commerce." "i remember," said fred, "that we saw a great deal of shell at nagasaki, in japan, that had been wrought into many beautiful forms. the japanese are very skilful in this kind of work, and so are the chinese." "you will see more tortoise-shell," was the reply, "when you get to singapore. a great deal of the shell comes there for a market from all parts of the eastern archipelago." frank asked how the turtle was caught, when he spent so much time in the water, and was so far away from land. "he is caught," said the captain, "in two or three ways. he sleeps on the surface of the water, and, when thus off his guard, he can be easily approached. a boat steals quietly up to him, and, before he is aware what is happening, he is a prisoner. [illustration: the turtle at home.] "turtles are captured at night, when they go on shore to lay their eggs. they generally select a moonlight night for this purpose, and a smooth sandy beach; they dig holes in the sand, where they deposit their eggs, and leave them to be hatched by the heat of the sun. when they are on shore for this purpose, the hunters come upon them; the turtle cannot move rapidly on the sand, and is easily overtaken. the hunters turn the poor turtles on their backs, and then leave them till the next day, when they come and remove them." "i have heard," said one of the boys, "that when a turtle is placed on his back he cannot turn over and put himself right side up." "that is quite correct, and a knowledge of this peculiarity is of great assistance to the turtle-hunters. but there is another way of catching the turtle that will strike you as the most curious of all." "what is that?" "it is by fishing with the _remora_." "and what is the remora?" "it is a fish found in tropical waters, both in the east and west indies. its popular name is 'the sucking-fish,' and it is so called on account of a disk on its head, by which it can attach itself to a smooth surface, like the side of a shark, a ship, or the shell of a turtle. the disk is very much like the soft leather 'suckers' made by school boys, and when the fish has attached himself, you can pull him to pieces rather than induce him to release his hold. "the turtle-hunters go out in a boat and carry several of these fishes in a tub. when they see a turtle they get as near to him as they can, and send a sucker after him. the fish is held by a ring on his tail, attached to a stout cord; he swims towards the turtle and fastens on his shell, and then the fish and turtle are hauled in together. in the air the remora loosens his hold, and is dropped back into the tub, to wait till he is wanted again." the boys laughed at this comical way of fishing. fred wondered if the remora was able to understand the joke, and comprehend the value of his services to mankind. frank said he would like to know what the turtles thought of the business, and whether they had any respect for a parasite that came uninvited and caused them to be captured. [illustration: turtle-hunting.] chapter xxi. incidents of a sea-voyage.--singapore. the voyage from bangkok to singapore was without any features of special interest. the gulf of siam presented its accustomed calmness, and at times the air was so still that there was not wind enough for proper ventilation of the ship. our friends slept on deck, as the cabin was altogether too hot for comfort; they only went below to dress and take their meals and baths, and to escape from the showers that were of daily occurrence. in the daytime, when the heavy sprinklings came on, the boys indulged in baths of the kind they enjoyed on the _danube_, and they were generally pleased at the announcement of an approaching shower. but at night, when they were comfortably sleeping, they did not relish a rude awakening, accompanied with the suggestion that they had better go below till the rain was over. the change from the cool deck to the stifling cabin was the reverse of enjoyable; fred remarked that the only good thing about it was that it made them appreciate the deck all the more when the rain was over, and they could come again to the open air. about thirty miles from singapore they saw an overturned boat, and as they neared it two natives were perceived clinging to the wreck. a boat was lowered and sent to rescue them, and in a short time the poor fellows were safe on the steamer's deck. they said their craft was upset by a squall on the previous evening, and for twenty hours they had been holding on, with nothing to eat or drink, under the broiling heat of a tropical sun. they were nearly exhausted with hunger and thirst, and would have fallen off and died in a few hours if they had not been rescued. frank was the first to discover the overturned boat, and was naturally proud of having been in some way the means of saving these unhappy malays from death. he wanted to talk with the men, and hear their story; but as their knowledge of english was no better than his of malay, he was compelled to abandon the idea. the occurrence called to the doctor's recollection an incident of his first experience of the sea, when he was spending the summer at a small seaport town. he was fond of fishing, and hardly a day passed that he did not go out on the atlantic in pursuit of his favorite sport. "one afternoon," said he, "there were a dozen or more boats outside, when a sudden squall came up that caused us to seek the harbor as fast as possible. every one steered for home, and most of us reached the entrance of the port before the fury of the squall broke upon us. the rain was so thick that we could not see a quarter of a mile off; we could not tell whether any of the boats were capsized or not; and if it had not been that a great rock just by the entrance loomed up, and made a fine landmark, we could not have found our way inside. one after another the boats came in, with the exception of one that had ventured farther than the rest, and was a good distance off the coast when the squall came up. "it was no use going to look for her that afternoon, as the squall continued till after dark, and raised quite a sea outside. there were only two persons on board the boat; they were a gentleman and his wife, who had come from the city to spend the summer, and had hired the boat for their own use and pleasure. the gentleman understood the management of his craft in fine weather, but nobody could say if he knew how to control it in a squall. so we passed the night very anxiously, and, as soon as the morning light permitted, several of us went out to search for the missing ones. "nothing could be seen. we sailed up and down along the coast, and out on the water for several miles, but all to no purpose. with heavy hearts we returned to port, and concluded that it was idle to hope that the missing persons whom we sought would ever be heard of again. "in the afternoon i went with a young boatman in a skiff to try for fish a little way outside the rock that formed the headland i mentioned. while i was fishing, the boatman was looking around, and suddenly discovered a mass of something on the beach. "'perhaps it may be the wreck of the missing boat,' i remarked. 'let us go and see.' [illustration: the rescue.] "we started on the instant. as we approached the beach i could see something like a human form, and told the man to pull with all his might. he did so; and the instant the boat grounded on the sand, he sprung ashore and drew a flask from his pocket. in half a minute he was supporting the lifeless form of a woman, and holding the flask to her lips. "we could hardly tell at first whether she was alive or not. in a little while the draught from the flask revived her, but it was some time before she was able to speak. we wrapped her in our spare clothing, and carried her to the boat; and then we rowed home as fast as we could, so as to call in the aid of the doctor. [illustration: on a frail raft.] "nothing could be seen to show what had become of the man. when the lady recovered, she told us that when the squall struck the boat it was instantly capsized; they managed to make a sort of raft out of the sail and mast, but it was only sufficient to support her alone. her husband remained in the water, clinging to the raft and swimming, while she was in a half-fainting condition all through the night. she remembered how the waves rolled around them, how the moon rose up out of the waters, and how the birds flew near them, as if wondering what they were. then she thought she could see the great rock at the entrance of the harbor, and then--she remembered nothing more till we rescued her on the beach where the waves had washed her. "what became of her husband we never ascertained; but undoubtedly he was weak from exhaustion, and was unable to cling to the raft till it reached the shore. he probably loosened his hold, and sunk in the sea about the time his wife thought she discovered the rock. "the lady remained in the village till she was able to return to her friends in the city. she never came back to that place; and the accident cast a gloom over the visitors, from which they did not recover for the rest of the season." [illustration: gulf-weed.] as they neared the straits of malacca, the steamer passed great masses of a yellowish plant floating on the water. it bore an abundance of berries of the same general color as the plant, and they glistened brightly in sunshine as they lay close to the surface. the doctor told the boys that this plant was identical with one that grows in the caribbean sea, and is borne northward in great quantities by the current of the gulf stream. on the atlantic it is known as "gulf-weed;" it grows only in tropical regions, and the berries upon the plant are hollow, and serve as so many air-bladders to keep the plant afloat. [illustration: haunts of the sea-birds.] as they neared singapore, they came in sight of some rocky islands, round which the sea-birds were flying in dense masses. then other and larger islands, covered with verdure, rose above the horizon to the southward; and, finally, the coast of malacca and the shores of the island of singapore filled the background of the picture before them. palm-trees waved in the breeze, and, if there had been nothing else to indicate it, these trees alone would have told the travellers they were well down in the tropics. the activity of commerce through the straits of malacca, and thence onwards to the farther east, was indicated as our friends approached singapore. within a few miles of that port, they met a steamer bound for china; while ahead of them was the smoke of another that had just come from that distant land. as they entered the harbor they met a steamer heading southward for java; and as they dropped anchor they saw another coming in just behind them. it was the french mail packet from europe, which would halt a day at singapore, and then continue her voyage to hong-kong and shanghai. the doctor had made a close calculation concerning their movements, as the french steamer that arrived almost simultaneously with them was the bearer of a dozen letters for the wandering trio. so regular is the mail-service to the far east, that a traveller who takes the trouble to study the time-tables and arrange his route beforehand, can have his letters reach him at any designated point. [illustration: in the harbor.] the harbor presented a picture of animation as they came to anchor. ships and boats were sailing in and out; steam-tugs were puffing noisily around; and, as they swung to their moorings, the official boat of the quarantine-officer passed them on its way to the french packet. very soon the steamer was surrounded by a group of native boats, and a lively bargaining began for the transportation of the party to the shore. in the far east the steamers have no concern with the passenger beyond carrying him from port to port; he must land and embark at his own expense, and very often the boatmen have things pretty much in their own way. in japan and china they are regulated and restrained by law; but in singapore and some other eastern ports they do pretty much as they please. [illustration: boatmen at singapore.] frank said that the rapacity of the boatmen of singapore reminded him of the hackmen of new york; and he began to feel that he was not so far from home after all. it required half an hour of negotiation to make an arrangement that was at all reasonable, as the boatmen had evidently formed an association for mutual advantage; and all efforts that the doctor made to rouse them to competition were of no use. it was finally settled that for a dollar each our friends were to be carried to the shore, and their baggage taken to the hotel, which was not more than a hundred yards from the landing-place. the hotel was a large structure of one story in height, with broad verandas, where one could sit and enjoy the breeze that generally blows in the afternoon. singapore is only one degree and twenty minutes north of the equator--eighty miles--and consequently any one who goes there must expect to find a climate of a most tropical character. longitudinally it is almost exactly on the opposite side of the earth from new york; and this fact gave rise to some interesting comments by fred and frank. "it is sunset now," said frank, as they went on shore, "and it is sunrise in new york." "yes," answered fred; "and about the time we are going to bed our friends will be finishing breakfast." "while we are taking our noonday rest to-morrow they will be sleeping soundly, as it will be midnight with them." "one question occurs to me," said frank; "it is sunset in singapore, and it is morning with our friends at home. now i want to know if it is this morning, or to-morrow morning with them?" fred could not tell, and so the matter was referred to the doctor as soon as he was at leisure. "the scientific explanation of the subject," said doctor bronson as he dropped into a chair, "is too long for us to take up in detail. the earth moves on its axis, so that the sun rises, or appears to rise, in the east, and to set in the west. an easterly place gets the sun earlier than a westerly one, and consequently its day begins earlier. for instance, the sun rises in new york an hour and five minutes earlier than it rises in st. louis; and, therefore, when it is noon in new york, it is only five minutes of eleven in the forenoon at st. louis by new york time. for nautical purposes most nations take the time of greenwich, near london, as the basis of calculation; and consequently the time of any given place is said to be earlier or later than that of greenwich, according as the place is east or west of that city. the hour of singapore is seven hours earlier than that of greenwich, as it gets the sun in the east seven hours before greenwich; new york gets it five hours later than greenwich--four hours and fifty-six minutes is the exact difference; and when it is noon in new york, it is five o'clock in the afternoon at greenwich. "we had sunrise in singapore twelve hours before our friends had it at home; so that, when our day is ending, theirs is just beginning. i will show you, in a practical way, the difference in time between new york and singapore. i am about to send a cablegram announcing our arrival, and it may possibly get to new york ahead of the time of its departure from here." the doctor and the boys went to the telegraph-office, and sent a despatch to let their friends know of their safe arrival from siam. as the tolls were at the rate of two dollars and forty cents a word, they confined the message to a single word in addition to the address. previous to leaving home the doctor had arranged a code or cipher, by which one word could convey a great deal of information. persons who have occasion to use the atlantic or other telegraph cables to any extent make use of private codes, and thereby save a great deal of expense. they subsequently learned that their message went from singapore to new york in nine hours, and therefore reached its destination three hours before they sent it. the wind, which had been blowing hard during the afternoon, fell off soon after sunset, and the boys found that the nights of singapore were as warm as those of bangkok. the arrangement of the rooms indicated that singapore was anything but a cool place; but, on the whole, it was not disagreeable, as the cool breeze in the afternoon was quite refreshing, and made the atmosphere clear and pure. our friends slept well on their first night in singapore, and were up in good season in the morning to begin their round of sight-seeing. the doctor had some business to transact at a banking-house in the city, and so it was arranged that they would devote the time between breakfast and business hours in a stroll along the esplanade and through the native part of the place. [illustration: a chinese contractor.] the boys were somewhat surprised at the many races and tribes of men they encountered in their morning walk. they met scores on scores of chinese; and they were not ten yards from the door of the hotel before they were accosted by a chinese contractor, who was ready to undertake to show them the place, furnish them with a carriage, buy or sell whatever they wanted, from a needle up to a steamship, or provide them with servants, tailors, or any other kind of assistance they might need during their stay. he was lightly clad, in consequence of the heat of singapore, and he carried a fan which he kept in constant motion while proposing his services. singapore is said to contain from eighty to one hundred thousand chinese, and they are found in all classes of business. there are chinese tailors and shoemakers, chinese peddlers and merchants, chinese book-keepers and managers for the large establishments where trade is conducted by wholesale, chinese servants of both sexes and all ages, and chinese of all kinds in addition to the foregoing. the industry of the race is as marked at singapore as in canton or san francisco; and though always desirous of large profits, if they can be obtained, they will put up with very small compensation when a large one is not to be had. [illustration: chinese tailors at singapore.] the door of a tailor's shop stood open, and our friends gave a glance at its interior. the arrangements were very simple. there was a long table covered with a straw mat, on which the material was placed to be cut, and behind this table several men were at work. frank made a note of the fact that a chinese tailor makes his stitches by pushing the needle from instead of towards him, and that in singapore, at least, they do not cover their own bodies to any extent while making clothing for other people. the heads of these tailoring establishments are very industrious in looking for customers, and there was hardly an hour in the day that our friends were not accosted with proposals to make clothing for them at astonishingly low rates. singapore is a free port, and the great competition in trade has brought the prices down to the lowest figure. for eight dollars each they were accommodated with entire suits of blue serge of good quality; and when the doctor expressed some hesitation at giving the order, through fear that the cutting and fit might be at fault, the tailor promptly said, "no fitee, no payee." the measures were taken, and on the following morning the clothes were delivered, and found entirely satisfactory. the chinese are more numerous at singapore than any other race. next to them come the malays, of whom there are several varieties: they are as devoid of clothing as the chinese workmen, the entire garments of many of them consisting of a cloth around the loins. some of them wear turbans, and occasionally the turban seems larger than the man, as it consists of several yards of muslin wound loosely around the head, till it forms a great ball. the body of the wearer will be small, and without an ounce of extra flesh; and fred remarked that it seemed as though the turban would tip the man over, and compel him to walk on his head. in their walk the boys saw a group of wild-looking men with woolly hair, and with skins as dark as those of the african negroes, but without the thick lips which are supposed to indicate the negro race. the doctor was unable to tell the name of this people, and the question was referred to an englishman whom they happened to meet. "you mean those people over there?" said the englishman, as he pointed with his finger to the group our friends had been observing. the doctor assented. "oh! they are jacoons," was the reply. "they come from the province of johore." [illustration: a group of jacoons.] further questioning elicited the information that the jacoons were a primitive race of men who lived in the forests of johore, and are popularly supposed to dwell in trees, and to subsist on fruits and nuts. johore is a province on the main-land of the malay peninsula, and separated from the island of singapore by a narrow strait of water. the chief of this province is a man of superior intelligence, and lives on friendly terms with his english neighbors. since the english settled at singapore, he has established saw-mills, and made a handsome revenue from the sale of lumber; and he has opened up his territory to settlement by chinese and other agriculturists. the jacoons are supposed to be the original inhabitants; they have as little as possible to do with the malays, and are quite distinct from them in language and features. they are a peaceful people with few wants, and, as the country produces abundantly, they have little occasion to wear themselves out with hard work. walking about the streets, or sitting in the shade of the numerous trees, were a few parsees with their rimless hats, and wearing garments that were more than half european in pattern. they are called sometimes the jews of the east, from their remarkable shrewdness in business, and their steady progress in the direction of wealth; they are said to be able to accumulate money under very discouraging circumstances, and it has been remarked that a parsee will grow rich where any other man in the world would starve. some branches of trade in the east are almost monopolized by the parsees. a single parsee house has more than half of the chinese opium trade in its hands, and has grown enormously rich, while its competitors have lost money. like the jews, to whom they are sometimes compared, the parsees have no country they can call their own. they came originally from persia, and settled in the north of india, where the most of them are to be found to-day. [illustration: garri with a load of sailors.] there were klings, or men from the south of india, waiting for work on the corners, or offering their _garris_, or carriages, for the use of our friends. most of the carriages for hire in singapore are driven by these klings, who are a lithe race, with great powers of endurance, and equally great powers of rascality. a garri is a four-wheeled vehicle drawn by a single horse: some of the garris have seats for the driver, while others have no place for him, but leave him to walk or run by the side of his beast. the horse is as small in proportion as the man, and the boys were greatly amused to see one of these vehicles with a party of sailors who had just come on shore from an english ship. three of them were inside, while one was stretched along the roof of the garri, which he more than covered. they were evidently enjoying themselves, and the driver had his nose in the air, and was doubtless counting up the profits of his day's work, and feeling happy over the result. the boys were surprised to learn that, while there was a population of more than a hundred thousand chinese, malays, klings, and other orientals at singapore, there were not more than a thousand europeans living there, exclusive of the english garrison. of these europeans the english were the most numerous; the rest were germans, french, portuguese, dutch, and italians, in the order named, and it was said that the germans were increasing more rapidly than the english, and threatened to have all the business of the place in their hands in course of time. while our friends were discussing the peculiarities of the population of singapore, their walk brought them to "the square," as the commercial centre is called; and, as the hours of business had arrived, the doctor proceeded to attend to his financial affairs, and learn, in a practical way, the mysteries of banking at the capital city of the straits of malacca. [illustration: full dress at the straits.] chapter xxii. sights and scenes in singapore. the incidents of the first day in singapore were well described by frank and fred in the letter they wrote in the evening, to make sure that nothing would be forgotten. the labor of writing was divided between them; frank describing one part of what they saw, and leaving the rest for fred. as their time was pressing, the doctor "gave them a lift," as fred expressed it, and added something relative to the commerce of the straits, and the importance of singapore as a place of trade. here is the joint letter. frank said that if two heads were better than one, three heads must be better than two. fred added that when one of the three was the doctor's head, he thought it would be difficult for any letter to go ahead of theirs. * * * * * "we have had a busy day at singapore. singapore means 'place of lions;' and probably it is so called because there are no lions here. it stands on an island about twenty miles long and six or eight wide, and is separated from the main-land by a narrow strait. on the main-land there are plenty of tigers, and they sometimes swim over to the island in search of food. formerly they killed an average of one man a day; but of late years they have not done so well. they are becoming more and more scarce every year, as they have been hunted down till there are not many of them left. "we had a stroll through the town this morning, and then we went to a banking-house to draw some money. the banker gave us a check on one of the large establishments, and we went there expecting to find an englishman in charge. we looked around as we entered the door, and not an englishman or other european was to be seen! "all the employés of the bank were chinese--at least as far as we could ascertain. a chinese paying-teller took the check, and passed it to a chinese book-keeper, who sat in a little box at the end of the counter. he examined the check, and stamped it after making an entry in a book; and then he returned it to the teller, who counted out the money and gave it to us without saying a word. there were piles of silver and bank notes in sight, and all in charge of chinese. we looked into another bank, where the same arrangement existed; and we went into a business-house where there were at least a dozen chinese clerks to one european. "the business of singapore is centred around what is called the square, and in a walk of ten minutes you can pass by the most of the large houses for banking and commerce. here they have also the consulates and the telegraph and steamship offices; and all these establishments imitate the example of the banks in employing chinese clerks and _compradors_. on the whole, it seems to us that there is very little business of any kind at singapore that the chinese have not something to do with. "the chinese seem to be crowding the europeans out of everything; and there is no branch of business that they are not perfectly familiar with. they might send all the english and other foreigners away some pleasant morning, take singapore into their own hands, and run it just as well as it is run now. "after we had finished our business with the bank, we took a garri for a drive to the outside of the city. [illustration: chinese garden at singapore.] "there is a famous garden here, belonging to a wealthy chinese merchant: it is said to be one of the finest gardens in the world, and must have cost a great deal of money. no visitor to singapore should omit it, even if he has not more than a few hours on land. "in the first place, singapore is so near the equator that every kind of tropical tree and plant can grow here in the open air. the mercury shows an average, all the year round, of eighty-five to ninety-five degrees in the shade; and there is hardly any difference between summer and winter. consequently it is one of the best places, perhaps _the_ best place, for making a handsome garden, and the enterprising proprietor has kept this fact in mind. where he is sure the thermometer will never fall below seventy-one degrees, he can grow anything he pleases. "such a lot of tropical things you never saw, and hardly ever dreamed of. there were rows on rows of beautiful palms and bamboos, and other things that only grow in the hot regions; and there was a pond with an enormous _victoria regia_--the great water-lily that makes ours seem almost like a microscopic object. "there are said to be more than eighty varieties of the palm; and if there is not a sample of each of these varieties in this garden, i am greatly mistaken. the garden covers a great deal of ground, and has been made with much care and taste. the owner is very proud of it, and always pleased to have strangers go there and admire it. the keeper, and the men under his orders, are very civil; and evidently the owner has told them that if they are not polite to strangers they will be sent away, and people of better manners put in their places. "the garden contains a collection of tropical animals, but it is not very large. there was an orang-outang, or gorilla, there, and it was wonderfully like a man in its shape and appearance. it was said to have come from borneo; and, if so, it was not a gorilla, but an orang-outang, as the gorilla is a native of africa, and not of the eastern archipelago. [illustration: maternal care.] "we were much amused at the comical appearance of a couple of chimpanzees. they were mother and child, and the mother was gravely occupied in arranging the hair of the youngster. he stared at us with his great round eyes; but she did not look up at all, as she was too much engaged with making the young fellow look well. we had a fine opportunity to see the formation of the feet of this variety of monkey; they have thumbs on the hind feet as well as on the forward ones, and as you look at them you can easily understand the readiness with which these animals can climb trees and swing from the limbs. "the chimpanzees are said to show a great deal of fondness for each other. there is a story that two of them were once kept in the same cage, and one happened to take sick and die. the other was so affected by grief at the loss of its companion, that it refused all food for more than a week, and was finally forced to take something down its throat when so weak that it could hardly stand. it recovered very slowly, and never seemed to forget the absence of its old friend. "there is another garden at singapore which is the property of the city; it contains more animals than the private one, and fewer trees. we went to it, and had a pleasant half-hour among the curiosities it contains. the garden is an excellent thing to show strangers what the tropics can produce in the way of animals and birds, and for this reason we were much interested in it, and sorry when the time came to leave. [illustration: rural scene in singapore.] "the drive that we took led us among the forests of cocoa and other palm-trees that extend all over the island, except where clearings have been made. a large part of the land has been put under cultivation by the chinese settlers, and they have some very pretty farms and gardens, in which they produce all the vegetables that are consumed at singapore. "several kinds of spices grow on the island, and there are some plantations where pepper is cultivated. they raise considerable sugar-cane, but most of it is used for preserves, and is not converted into the sugar of commerce. then there are lots of cocoa-nuts grown on the island, and there are many varieties of fruits. [illustration: fruit-sellers at singapore.] "when we walked through the town in the morning we saw groups of natives selling fruit, and we afterwards saw some of these fruits growing on the trees. they comprised durians, pomegranates, pineapples, custard-apples, mangoes, bananas, and plantains; and we were told that there are more than twenty varieties of the plantain alone. "the pineapple needs no description, as you have it at home; the custard-apple is about the size of an ordinary apple, and has a soft pulp surrounding the seeds. the best way to eat it is to scoop out the contents with a spoon, and it is this way of eating more than the taste that has given it its name. but the durian is the largest and funniest of all these tropical fruits. "the durian is like a small pumpkin, with a rough skin so hard and thick that the birds cannot make much impression on it. the seeds are nearly as large as chestnuts, and each seed is surrounded by a soft pulp, just as the stone of a peach is embedded in the body of the fruit. people who live here grow very fond of it, but travellers do not learn to like it until they have made a good many attempts. it is not the taste that repels them, but the smell, and this is something atrocious. "we have tried to eat it, but could not do so even by holding our noses, for the disagreeable odor would rise in spite of all precautions we could take. we are told that the best way is to have the servants cut it up and put the pieces in milk, and by taking them out of the milk and swallowing quickly the smell is avoided. perhaps this might work; but a better plan would be to have the servants eat the stuff up when it was properly prepared, and let you hear nothing more about it. [illustration: a bungalow.] "all the merchants who can afford the expense of a bungalow, or private residence outside the city limits, are sure to indulge in it. the consequence is that there are many of these residences; and as they always have plenty of ground around them, and an abundance of shade trees, the bungalows make a very pretty picture, or a succession of pictures. the bungalow has wide verandas and overhanging eaves, and as nobody wants to climb stairways where the heat is as great as in singapore, you rarely find a dwelling of more than one story. then these merchants have carriages of their own, and do not depend on the garries; and in the evening their carriages driving along the esplanade road make a fine appearance. the rich chinese endeavor to live after the manner of the europeans; they have their bungalows and their carriages, and some of the finest of the latter that we have seen were the property of chinese merchants. their passion for fine gardens is greater than that of the europeans, and several of the bungalows have a very costly surrounding of grounds. the fine garden we have described is not by any means the only one belonging to a chinese resident of singapore. [illustration: chinese gentleman's garden.] "the horses they use here are from australia, and whenever a lot arrives by a ship they have an auction in the square. they say that some of the horses turn out well, and increase rapidly in value; while others seem to be much affected by the climate, and do not last more than a year or two. the horses fetch good prices, and the trade of bringing them from australia is said to be quite profitable. "everywhere we go we see chinese. they are of all classes, from highest to lowest, and from honest to dishonest. they are in every kind of business, and they have their guilds or trade associations just as they have them in china. they occupy official positions under the government, and on several occasions there have been chinese members of the legislative council of singapore. once in awhile there is trouble between them and the europeans, arising out of questions of commerce: but for the most part everything runs along smoothly, and the chinese show a perfect readiness to obey the laws, and live as they ought to live. and speaking of their trades-unions calls to mind an amusing story. [illustration: the god of gamblers.] "they carry the principle of trade association into everything; and the thieves and gamblers have their guilds and gods like the others. the guilds have rules and regulations that are very strict; and if a man violates them he is liable to be expelled, and driven to seek a living by honest means. when thieves wish to commit a robbery, they must consult the officers of the guild and get their permission, and they must pay a certain amount of the profits for the support of the association. "sometimes they go in parties of a hundred or more; they surround a house and plunder it by force, and they usually manage it so that the occupants cannot make any resistance. it is said that when a house is to be robbed, the thieves will scatter a narcotic drug about the rooms that has no effect upon themselves, but will put a european to sleep. he sleeps till long after the robbery is finished, and does not suffer the least injury by inhaling it. "when a thief enters a house to practise his profession, he removes his clothes and oils his body all over. he winds his pig-tail around his head--having previously stuck it full of needles. if anybody attempts to grasp his arm or leg, he slips off like an eel; and, if he is seized by the pig-tail, the person who takes hold of it is sure to let go in a hurry. who shall say that the chinese thief is not a shrewd operator? [illustration: malay boy in the bird-market.] "one of the curious things that we saw was the poultry-market. poultry includes a great deal more here than at home: as we found not only chickens, ducks, geese, and other familiar things, but a great variety of pigeons, quails, pheasants, and other edible birds from the forest. then there was an abundance of parrots, lories, cockatoos, and paroquets, besides other birds whose names we did not know. such a screaming and cackling you never heard in your life. the heat is so great at singapore that everything to be eaten must be sold alive, as it would begin to decay in a very short time after being slaughtered. most of the chickens were in coops, or tied together by the legs; and the same was the case with the geese and ducks. "the parrots, and members of their family, were generally secured by strings to little perches, and they kept up an incessant chattering in the malay and other oriental tongues. one was offered to us that spoke english; but, as his vocabulary consisted only of a half-dozen words of profanity, that had been taught to him by a sailor, we declined to purchase. a crowd of men and boys surrounded us with birds in their hands, and on their heads and shoulders; all talked at once, and offered their birds at very low prices. we could have bought paroquets for twenty-five cents; and a talking-parrot, very large, and white as snow, was offered for six dollars, and could have been had for three. how they manage to find a market for all the birds they bring to singapore it is difficult to imagine. "you may be interested to know how these birds are brought here, and where they come from. they are from the many islands south of singapore that form the malay archipelago, and they are brought by the natives on speculation. when the south-west monsoon begins, a family starts in its little boat for a voyage of from one to three thousand miles; and the boat is one in which an american would be unwilling to risk a voyage from new york to boston. they run along from port to port, trading a little wherever they can, and ultimately reach singapore. the boat has a deck, with a slight awning of woven grass, and is covered with the family and birds--the latter being numbered sometimes by the hundred. in the hold they have shells, feathers, spices, and other products, and they are constantly making exchanges at the places they visit. they sell their cargoes at singapore, and buy a lot of cotton-cloth, hardware, and other things that are in demand where they live, and then go back as they came. this accounts for the large number of birds exposed for sale in the poultry-market, and the low prices they are held at. [illustration: head of black cockatoo.] "among the birds offered to us there was a black cockatoo, with a splendid head and crest. his bill had a point like a needle, and was very large and strong. we wondered how he could eat, and what he lived on, as the shape of his bill and his lower jaw seemed the most awkward that one could imagine. we asked his owner to feed the bird, and gave him a few cents to show us how the operation of eating was performed. "the man brought a triangular nut which had a smooth surface, and was so hard that we could not crack it without a hammer. the bird took the nut endwise in his bill; he held it in place by pressing his tongue against it, and then began sawing across it with his lower jaw. "when he had cut a deep notch in this way, he turned the nut a little, and used the underjaw as a wedge to break off the end. then he held the nut in one claw, and with the sharp point of his bill he picked out the kernel; and as fast as he brought a bit of it to the light, he seized it with his long tongue. whether the bird was created for the nut, or the nut for the bird, is a question for the naturalists; at all events, each seems to be perfectly adapted to the other. the fitness of the cockatoo's beak to the process of opening this hard product of the forest is as exact as it could be made. "while we were in the market a man kept endeavoring to attract our attention to something he had in a large basket; we supposed it was a new kind of bird, and went to see it. it proved to be a large snake, and the man urged us to buy with all the eloquence of which he was capable. we are not buying snakes just now, and so we left him to find another customer. "snakes are abundant in this part of the world, and there are all the varieties a man could want. over on the main-land of malacca they have some very large ones, and you are liable at any time, when walking in the forest, to come across a huge python swinging across your path. they come into the houses and make themselves at home, and they never wait for an invitation. "a gentleman who has spent a good deal of time in this region tells an interesting story of a visit that a snake made to him. "one evening, just as he was going to bed, he heard a noise on the roof overhead, but thought nothing of it. the next day he was lying down with a book in his hand, just after dinner, and, happening to cast his eye upwards, he saw something on the thatch that resembled a large tortoise-shell. it was spotted with yellow and black marks; and while he was wondering who could have put the shell there to dry, he discovered that it was a snake coiled up, and lying asleep. "the gentleman got up very quickly, and called his servants. as soon as they learned there was a snake on the roof they were greatly frightened, and ran out of the house to call some laborers from the plantation. several men came, and one of them, who was familiar with the habits of the snake, proceeded to make a noose of bamboo and slip it over the reptile's head. he succeeded in this, and dragged the snake from the roof; then he took the creature by the tail, and tried to run out of the house with him. [illustration: ejecting an intruder.] "the snake coiled around the chairs and posts, and gave the man considerable trouble in ejecting him from the premises. as soon as he had his prize outside he had a clear field, and soon made an end of the serpent by dashing his head against a tree. the snake was more than twelve feet long, and was capable of doing serious damage if he had given his attention to it. the gentleman was not in a pleasant frame of mind when he found that he had slept all night with the snake over his head, and had taken his afternoon nap in the same position. "we haven't seen any tigers for sale, but there is no doubt we could find plenty if we wanted them. what with tigers and snakes and other things, not to mention the heat and the danger of fever, singapore and the surrounding country do not appear desirable as a permanent residence. yet there are people who say they like it out here, and are quite willing to stay. we are not of that mind; and nobody who cares to live near the straits of malacca need have any fear that we will ever try to get his place away from him. "we would like to go over to johore and see what the main-land is like, but we haven't time for the journey. there is a fine road across the island, to where you can take a boat and cross the strait. it is a drive of about fifteen miles, and is said to be very interesting, as it takes you through forests of palms, and past plantations of pepper and gambier. perhaps you don't know what gambier is? we didn't till we came to the east. "it is the dried and refined juice of a plant that grows in malacca, and is much used in dyeing and tanning, and also for stiffening silks. great quantities of it are shipped from singapore to europe, and it forms an important item in the commerce of the place. "the maharajah of johore is the son of the one from whom, in 1819, the english bought the island of singapore. they gave sixty thousand dollars cash, and pay an annual subsidy of twenty thousand dollars; and they have kept on paying it without complaint. as the place is an excellent market for everything that the region produces, the maharajah has become rich, and is on the best of terms with the english; he frequently visits the governor and is visited by him in return, and when any person of distinction comes here he is invited to stop as long as he likes at johore. the maharajah is a strict mohammedan, but he has adopted many of the features of european life in his household. he has a french cook, and his dinners are served _à la european_. when entertaining visitors from england or america, he generally wears a dress-suit after the european manner; and he has so far overcome the prejudices of his religion as to invite ladies to his table. "the currency of singapore is the dollar, or, to be more explicit, the spanish dollar. it is divided into one hundred cents, like our dollar, and all transactions are reckoned in this currency. but you find all kinds of money in circulation--english, french, american, dutch, and spanish; and if you want rupees, or any other eastern currency, you will have no difficulty in getting it. the cosmopolitan character of singapore is very well illustrated in the many varieties of coin in circulation. "we have found a new type of mankind here--the eurasian. "you will possibly ask, 'what is the eurasian?' [illustration: a new type of mankind.] "the word is compounded of 'europe' and 'asia,' as you can easily perceive, and the man who bears that name is of mixed european and asiatic blood. the most of them have adopted the european dress and manners, and refuse to associate with the natives, while, on the other hand, they are not admitted to european society. consequently they are in an unhappy position, as they are neither the one nor the other, and there does not appear to be any recognized place for them. they have been said to combine the vices of both their parent races, with the good qualities of neither; there are some men of ability among them, but, on the whole, the remark has a great deal of truth in it. "in singapore there are many descendants of the early portuguese settlers of the east; they still preserve the portuguese language, and adhere to their religion, though sometimes they are rather weak in both. it is a curious fact that, though they preserve the features of europe, their skins are frequently darker than those of the natives; and the spectacle is not an infrequent one of a man with caucasian features, and a complexion black as a piece of anthracite coal. "if you wish to realize the importance of singapore as a place of trade, you have only to look at a map of the eastern hemisphere and observe the position of the city. it is a convenient commercial point for china and japan, for java and the malay archipelago, for siam, and even for australia. ships going between europe and the far east rarely pass singapore without stopping, and the great lines of steamships have a large business here. the commerce has steadily increased every year, and there is no sign that it will decline. some of the old merchants complain that competition has ruined trade; they sigh for the return of the days when they had only one mail a month, and there was no telegraph to give hourly quotations of the prices of goods in all parts of the world. in those days business was confined to a few houses, and the chances of an outsider were slight indeed. fortunes were sometimes made by a single venture, and not unfrequently a merchant had exclusive information of advances or declines that he could have a whole month to operate upon, without the least fear that anybody would be able to interfere with him. "profits are smaller to-day, and capital must be turned very often; the volume of business is far greater than it used to be, and the men who regret the good old times are forced to accept things as they are." chapter xxiii. crossing the equator.--adventure with malay pirates. there were several things held in reserve to be seen on the second day in singapore. our friends went to the museum and library, which are in a large building near the esplanade or park where people stroll in the afternoon, and not far from the road which forms the fashionable drive. the library is an excellent one, and contains a great number of works on the east; the doctor spent an hour or more among the books, and, while examining their titles and contents, he came upon a volume which was written by one of his intimate friends in america. it was entitled "overland through asia," and described a journey that the author once made across the northern part of the eastern hemisphere. there was a fair collection of minerals and other things in the museum, and the boys were interested in a huge python that lay coiled around some rocks in the centre of one of the rooms. the director of the museum told them that the serpent was kept in a cage in the museum for some time, but it was finally determined to kill and stuff him, so that his appearance could be more readily studied by visitors. the work of killing was more serious than had been anticipated; it was done by means of chloroform, as they did not wish to injure the reptile's skin by lacerating it. a sponge saturated with chloroform was introduced between the bars of the cage, and held over the head of the python as he lay asleep. instead of being stupefied, he was awakened by it; and he indicated most emphatically, by moving his head away, that he did not like that kind of treatment. he refused to breathe the narcotic, and it became apparent that some means of compelling him to take it must be adopted. a noose was passed over his head, and he was drawn forward so that his nose was at the bars of the cage. then the sponge was again applied, and he was forced to inhale the chloroform, whether he wanted to or not. he lashed about from side to side, and sometimes it seemed as though he would tear the cage to pieces with the violence of his demonstrations. all this time he was breathing the narcotic; but it was nearly an hour before he was fairly under its influence, and another hour was required to reduce him to a state of quiet. even when he had ceased to lash around so as to threaten injury to the cage, his body was constantly giving convulsive twitches, and these did not end for several hours. the gentleman who superintended the operation said that the snake was the worst patient he ever saw under the influence of chloroform, and the hardest to manage. they took another drive into the country, over a road that had been newly opened. their way led them near a native village, where the houses were thickly thatched with grass and strips of palm-leaf, so as to keep out the heavy rains that frequently occur. it is said that at singapore more than half the days of the year are favored with showers, and the records show that in some years they have had two hundred and odd rainy days. the rain cools the air, and it is probably owing to the rain and wind that there are so few cases of fever among the europeans. sometimes the wind develops into a lively squall that sets all light things in motion and fills the air with clouds of dust. it frequently happens that the papers on the desk of a merchant will be sent flying about the room, and possibly out of the window; and there are stories of valuable documents and notes of the bank of england being whisked away, so that their owners never saw them again. [illustration: klings and chinese.] they saw groups of klings and chinese along the road; and in one instance four of the former were holding a discussion over a basket of fruit, and making things so lively that the boys thought there would be a fight. the klings do not bear a good reputation among the europeans, and are not on friendly terms with the chinese. they are first-class rascals in all their dealings where they can take advantage; and, if there is no danger of receiving punishment, they are almost certain to be insolent. on the other hand, they are cringing to their superiors, and make the utmost professions of friendship, while ready at any moment to indulge in the meanest treachery. the chinese, with whatever disagreeable qualities they possess, are much to be preferred to the klings. [illustration: native nurses and children.] frank and fred were amused at the costumes of the native nurses, whom they occasionally saw in charge of european children. they were more noticeable for their comfort in the hot climate of the tropics than for elegance of design; and it was evident that the expense of keeping one of these nurses in clothing was not great. the native children go quite naked until five or six years of age, and even later; and it was not an uncommon sight to see a woman bearing a water-jar, and followed by a little urchin entirely destitute of clothing, in marked contrast to the european children, who were dressed after the custom of the country whence their parents came. the native women are fond of ornaments in their ears, like the women of other countries, and a good many of them have their noses pierced and decorated. anklets and armlets of silver and gold are also worn, and it is not unusual to see a woman, whose entire clothing has cost less than a dollar, almost weighted down with jewellery worth a goodly sum. [illustration: coaling at the dock.] they visited the new harbor of singapore to see the ship on which they intended leaving the following morning for java. the new harbor is known as tangong pagar, and has the advantage over the old one of allowing ships to lie at a dock instead of anchoring a considerable distance from shore. the docks are well built, and there are mountains of coal piled up there to meet the wants of ships. singapore is an important coaling-station for ships in the eastern trade, and sometimes a dozen of them may be seen taking coal at tangong pagar at the same time. [illustration: carrying coal on board.] our friends were satisfied with the appearance of the steamer; and when they had completed their inspection they returned to the hotel, and from there went to the office of the dutch steamship company to engage passage. every week there is a steamer leaving singapore for batavia. one week it is a french ship, and the next a dutch one; the latter runs in connection with the peninsular and oriental line; while the former belongs to the great company which carries the french mail from europe to the east. it happened to be the week of the dutch ship when doctor bronson and his young companions were at singapore, and they congratulated themselves that they would have the opportunity of going on a vessel of a nationality new to them. frank and fred opened their eyes in astonishment when they learned the price they were to pay for passage to java. "forty-six dollars!" exclaimed frank; "and for a voyage of forty-eight hours!" "and it is only five hundred miles from singapore to batavia," fred responded. "how much does it cost to go from new york to england, and what is the distance?" the doctor informed him that it was about three thousand miles from new york to liverpool, and the passage was usually a hundred dollars for the best places on the best steamers. "at the rate from here to batavia," said fred, "we should have to pay two hundred and seventy-five dollars for the transatlantic voyage where we now pay one hundred dollars. why does it cost so much more here than on the atlantic?" "in the first place," the doctor explained, "there are comparatively few people travelling here, and the companies are compelled to ask high prices in order to keep up their ships. where a steamer between new york and liverpool would have a hundred passengers and more, and consider it only an ordinary business, you will rarely find more than twenty or thirty passengers on a steamer in the far east. coal is much more expensive here than in the north atlantic ports, and so is nearly everything else that is used on a ship. in these hot regions the passengers need more room than on a transatlantic steamer, and more personal comforts generally." "but don't they ever crowd the passengers rather uncomfortably?" frank asked. "it seems to me that i have heard you speak of a very disagreeable voyage you once had on account of the unusual number of people on the steamer you travelled on." "you are quite right," the doctor replied; "and it was on this very route, from singapore to batavia. i was on the french steamer; and the agents told me there would be plenty of room, as only a few passengers were engaged. she had eight rooms, with two berths to a room, so that her complement of passengers was sixteen. but when we came to start we found that we numbered fifty-two; and you can easily understand that we had a hard time of it. we were packed something like sardines in a can, and all were heartily glad when the voyage was over. if we could have laid hold of the singapore agent of the company we should have treated him as roughly as the laws of the ocean permit; but he had the advantage of being on shore, and quite out of our reach." [illustration: servants on duty.] the trio of travellers rose early the next morning, as the steamer was advertised to leave at seven o'clock, and the dock was a long distance from the hotel. their baggage was piled in a small cart drawn by a bullock, and started off some time ahead of them, so as to be at the steamer before they reached there in the more expeditious garri. when they had swallowed their morning coffee and came out of the hotel, they found a group of servants waiting near the door to ask for money, as a reward for their services. frank said the only energy the fellows displayed during his acquaintance with them was in this final act of begging; it was far from an easy matter to get any service out of them, as their chief occupation was gambling, and they were too much engrossed in it to pay any attention to common things. the steamer sailed promptly on her advertised time. during the last half-hour of their stay at the dock, the passengers were amused by the antics of a lot of men and boys who dived for money. they were in small boats close to the steamer, and whenever a coin, silver or copper, was thrown into the water, a dozen of the fellows plunged over in search of it. generally they caught it before it had gone far below the surface, and sometimes there would be a struggle between two of the divers for the possession of a coin. the loser would appeal to the passengers to throw over a piece which could be his special property, and he very often succeeded in inducing them to do so. the doctor told the boys that the quarrel over the money was a clever bit of acting, as the fellows were associated, and the result of the day's work was divided equally among them. sometimes they refuse to dive for copper coins, and will only go over for silver. if any coppers are thrown they decline to move, and say it is impossible to see copper at the bottom of the water. consequently their harvest is in silver; and if any copper has been dropped, they dive for it after the ship has gone. [illustration: scene on the sumatra coast.] the route of the steamer proved to be very picturesque. the numerous islands that lie at this part of the straits of malacca were visible in whatever direction our friends turned their eyes, and away to the right was the coast of sumatra, thickly clothed in tropical verdure. the islands were so many, and lay so irregularly, that the steamer was obliged to change her course every few hours, and fred thought before noon that they must have steered to every point of the compass since they left singapore. the sky was clear, and the heat of the sun poured fiercely down on the triple awning that covered the stern of the ship's deck. but it was less severe than the boys had expected to find it; and they both agreed that the gulf of siam was quite as uncomfortable as the java sea near the equator. our young friends were full of excitement at the prospect of going into southern latitude. they were frequently studying their maps and looking at their watches, so as to be on the lookout for the equator at the moment of crossing it. "we left singapore at seven in the morning," said frank, "and we had eighty miles to go to reach the equator. the steamer is running ten miles an hour, and according to my calculation we should be on the equator about three o'clock." fred was of the same opinion; and it was determined that they would watch closely from two till four o'clock, and see if the southern hemisphere was in any way unlike the northern one; and so they watched while the steamer moved on and on towards the south. a little past three in the afternoon the doctor told them they were probably in the region of no latitude, and that the equator was under their feet. "i tell you what, frank," said fred, "it may be all my imagination, but it seems to me that the sea has a different appearance here from anything i have yet seen." "what is that?" "why, you know that everywhere else when we are at sea we appear to be in a hollow or basin, and the horizon line of the water is higher than we are. now, as i look off from the steamer, it seems to me that the world rounds away from us, and if my eyesight was strong enough i could see the north and the south poles. instead of being in a hollow, as we have always appeared to be heretofore, i seem to be on a great globe, or the summit of a rounded hill." frank thought he had the same sensation, but not so strongly as fred. they appealed to the doctor, who said that the feeling was mostly imaginary, and grew out of the knowledge that they were crossing the equator. "but there is sometimes a condition of the atmosphere," he added, "which produces the appearance you describe. in all the time i have passed at sea i have seen it only on a few occasions--perhaps three or four in all. there is a suggestion of it at this moment, i observe, and your imagination has done the rest. "and you may consider yourself fortunate," he continued, "that you are not making an old-fashioned voyage of twenty or thirty years ago." "why so?" frank asked. "because," was the reply, "you would run the risk of an introduction to father neptune." "i remember," said fred, "that is the ceremony they talk about in crossing the line for the first time." "yes," frank responded, "they play all kinds of pranks on the greenhorns, or those who have never been beyond the equator." "my first crossing of the line was on an english ship," said the doctor, "and the custom was allowed in its full force. they fastened below all of the crew who were not old sailors, and also all of the passengers. the latter were let off by paying half a sovereign each, to be expended in drink for the crew; three-fourths of them complied at once, and were let up to see the fun. but the greenhorns of the crew were not excused, and we had a chance to see how the ceremony was performed." "and how was it?" [illustration: crossing the line on a man-of-war.] "just about daybreak the ship was hailed by a hoarse voice that seemed to come from under the bows. the voice was followed by neptune in person, and he was accompanied by several attendants blowing conch shells. neptune was one of the old sailors in disguise; he had a long beard made of rope-yarn, and a tin crown, and he carried a trident in his right hand as he marched along the deck. his attendants were equipped with beards almost as long as those of neptune, and, like their master, they were naked to the waist. "he ordered the sailors to bring him a throne, and he was speedily mounted on the top of a cask. then, one after another, the greenhorns were brought before him to be questioned and shaved. "'do you intend to serve me always, and be a good sailor?' was the first question that neptune addressed to the subject before him. "as the man opened his mouth to answer, the shaving-brush was thrust into it. the brush was a swab made of yarn, and the lather consisted of coarse soap mixed with water from the tub where the grindstone stood. the shaving was performed with a rusty iron hoop, and without any tenderness or delicacy. the victims were made to go through the performance in spite of their struggles, and when it was over the majority of them found their faces covered with scratches that lasted for several days. "the ceremony very rarely takes place nowadays on merchant-ships, and only occasionally on men-of-war. no rudeness is now allowed on the part of neptune and his assistants, and the sport is confined to drenching the greenhorns by getting them under a sail filled with water, or playing some other harmless prank. generally all the officers come on deck to meet neptune on his arrival, and there is a partial relaxation of discipline for half an hour or so." the subject was dropped, and the boys devoted themselves to studying the appearance of the water, and the varying light and shadow on the sumatran coast, which was constantly in sight. suddenly frank said he had thought of something he wished to ask the doctor. his question had reference to the malay pirates, of which he had often read, and he wished to know if he was not in the vicinity of those disagreeable men. "we are in their neighborhood," said the doctor; "but i don't think we need fear anything from them." "of course not," cried fred; "they would never disturb a steamer like this." "not unless she was disabled, and in their power," responded frank; "and then, i suppose, they would not show much mercy." "as to that," remarked the doctor, "it is difficult to lay down an invariable rule. the pirates pursue their trade for love of gain, and are not likely to rush to destruction. if they should get in the way of this vessel she would be likely to run their boats down, and that would be an end of them. they have a wholesome fear of a steamer, and are careful to keep out of her way. "twenty or thirty years ago there were a great many pirates all through the malay archipelago. they carried on their business as an american would deal in wheat or conduct a hotel, and there were whole towns and villages entirely supported by piracy. they attacked chinese or other native boats, and they also overpowered european ships that were becalmed in the straits between the numerous islands. the crews were murdered, or sold into slavery in many instances, while in others they were released after much suffering. the evil became so great that some of the civilized nations sent ships of war to destroy the villages where the pirates had their resorts, and also to capture the pirate craft. "against a sailing ship the pirates have a great advantage. their proas, or boats, have a large number of men to row them, and when a ship is becalmed they can come out to her in strong force and rush upon her. they board the ship on both bows simultaneously by dozens and dozens, and in a few moments the crew is overpowered, and the vessel in their hands. "one of the war-ships that came here was disguised as a merchant vessel, and she made so many captures that for some time the pirates were afraid to go near a vessel of her rig. an american ship was captured by some pirates from qualla battu, a town on the west coast of sumatra, and the government of the united states sent a ship to teach the fellows a lesson. qualla battu was burnt, and the inhabitants that were not killed by the shells from the ship were scattered in the forest. the result was that for a long time afterwards no american ship was troubled by them. "singapore was formerly a business centre for the pirates, even after it went into the hands of the english. they swarmed among the channels of the islands in the vicinity, and they had spies in the fort to tell them of the movements of every craft that sailed from it. their principal victims were the native traders, who could offer little resistance, and they used to conduct the business in the most systematic manner." "how was that?" [illustration: chief's house in a pirate village.] "a chief of one of the small provinces or districts of the malay states would make up his mind to embark in piracy as a regular business. he would gather as many men under his banner as he could get together, and go to one of the islands near singapore. there he built a village, which could serve as a depot for slaves and merchandise, and a convenient resting-place for his men, when they had had a hard weeks' work. then he stationed himself in one of the channels, where native traders pass on their way to and from singapore; and very often he would know exactly when one of them was expected. where he was successful, the chief would soon have a large fleet, sometimes hundreds of proas; and he gathered around him a great number of adventurers, who were proud to range themselves under his banners. his forces would become so large that he could divide them, and watch several channels; and sometimes it happened that serious troubles arose between rival pirates for the possession of some place that was particularly valuable for purposes of plunder. [illustration: harbor of pirates.] "the ships they captured were taken to their settlements by the pirates; and after all the goods in them had been removed, the craft and its cordage would be burnt, to prevent identification. the plunder would be sent to singapore in the chief's trading-vessels, and sold in the open market; and it often happened that a merchant who had sold goods to a native trader living far to the south was able to buy them back again, in a week or two, at a greatly reduced rate. "the native crews of the captured ships were taken to some of the interior towns of sumatra or borneo, where they were sold as slaves to work on the pepper plantations belonging to the malays. the pirates generally sailed in fleets of from four up to thirty proas, according to the class of ships they were looking for. each proa carried from twenty to forty men, and had one or more small guns, in addition to muskets and pistols. their favorite weapons were the malay kriss or knife; and they had a supply of darts and other missiles, to be thrown on board their intended prizes. "they always boarded over the bows, and they rushed on in such numbers that the small crew of a merchant-ship could offer no resistance. once they met their match at the hands of a woman, and the fame of her stratagem lasts to this day." "oh! please tell us about it," said both the boys. "she was a quakeress," the doctor replied; "and you know the quakers do not believe in fighting. "she and her husband were passengers on a brig that was becalmed in one of the straits of the malay archipelago. a dozen proas came out from a little harbor where there was a pirate settlement, and paddled straight towards the brig. the crew began preparations for defence, and the captain called on the husband of this woman to perform his share of the work. he refused, on the ground that fighting was contrary to his religious principles; and his wife sustained the refusal. "'but, if he cannot fight,' said she, 'he and i will do something for the general good of all on the ship.' "she told her husband to bring on deck some dozens of beer bottles that had been emptied of their contents during the voyage. then, with a hammer, she set to work to break these bottles into small pieces, which were scattered all over the deck. her husband assisted her, and so did the crew, and, before the proas were along-side, the whole deck, from bow to stern, was covered with the bits of glass. "the proas came up, and the pirates swarmed in over the bows, after their usual custom. these fellows are half-naked, and always barefooted--the rest of the story will almost tell itself." "i think so," frank responded. "the pirates trod on the fragments of glass, and cut their feet so that they could not stand. the crew and passengers were at the stern of the brig with their shoes on, and had nothing to do, as the glass did all the fighting for them." [illustration: the pirates' victim.] "that was about the way of it," said the doctor. "the pirates nearly all came on board, but not one of them was able to get aft to where the crew stood. the deck was covered with malays with lacerated feet, and they were so helpless that the captain directed his men to pay no attention to them, but to shoot the men in the proas. they were shot down accordingly, and only a few of the rascals escaped. those who were left saw that something was wrong, and so they pulled away to the shore for aid. "they had not gone far before a breeze sprung up, the sails filled, and the brig began to move through the water. the breeze increased; and, before re-enforcements could come from the shore to aid the pirates, the brig was out of all danger." "and what became of the pirates that were left on the deck of the brig?" fred inquired. "the captain had no use for them," the doctor answered, "and so he dropped them overboard after sailing a few miles. the occurrence was a discouraging one to the pirates in that region, and for a long time afterwards they were very cautious about setting their bare feet on the deck of a foreign ship. "there is very little piracy nowadays," the doctor continued, "compared to what there was a quarter of a century ago. it is very rarely the case that a foreign ship is captured by the freebooters, or even molested by them. they confine their operations to native traders; but they are compelled to occupy the most secluded retreats, and therefore have little chance to do anything. the construction of steam gun-boats was the practical end of piracy, so far as its bearing upon foreign commerce was concerned; the pirates were pursued to their haunts and destroyed, and the native chiefs were made to understand that they would be held responsible for every unlawful act committed within their jurisdiction. since the business became not only unprofitable but hazardous to the necks of those in authority, very little has been heard of it." [illustration; sinews of war.] chapter xxiv. sumatra and its peculiarities.--snakes and orang-outangs. the boys had observed, as they journeyed to the southward, that the north star declined lower and lower in the heavens in proportion as they receded from the pole. at singapore it was only a little way above the horizon, and after they passed the equator it disappeared altogether. from singapore they had seen the southern cross, which is to the south what the great bear is to the north. frank made a note of this fact, and the first night they were beyond the equator they sat till a late hour on deck to study the appearance of the heavens. when they first began their observations they could not see the cross, and fred went to ask the doctor the reason of its disappearance. "it is not yet above the horizon," said the doctor, "and will not be there till after midnight." "how is that?" "the southern cross is not over the south pole, but about ten degrees from it. therefore, when we are so near the equator as we are now, the cross goes at times below the horizon. you must wait till late at night before you can see it." they concluded to go to bed, and let the new constellation remain undisturbed where it was. as they were going still farther south, they would have abundant opportunity to see it before their return to singapore. the second day of their voyage they had the coast of sumatra still in sight for a large part of the time, and the boys wished they could make a landing there and see something of the country. among the passengers there was a gentleman who had been in sumatra, and he kindly undertook to tell the boys something about the island and its people. he began by asking if either of the youths could tell him what the geographies said about the island, and its extent and characteristics. "certainly," frank replied. "we know that it is about one thousand miles long by two hundred and fifty wide, and has about five million inhabitants. the dutch have a part of it in their possession, and the rest is independent; but perhaps the dutch will have the whole of it one of these days." "why do you say that?" "because the dutch have been at war for some time with the native government of the province called acheen. at any rate i have read so; and i have also read that when they succeed in capturing it they will have more than three-fourths of the island under their control." "you are quite correct, i believe," said the gentleman; "but the acheen war may yet last a long time. the natives are brave, and the country is very unhealthy for the dutch. fevers have killed more than the enemy's weapons since the dutch went there, and the conquest will be a very costly one. but we will not trouble ourselves at present about the acheen war, as it is rarely heard of in america, or, for that matter, in europe. [illustration: a trading-station on the coast.] "the dutch possessions include padang and bencoolen, on the west coast of sumatra; lampong, on the southern end of the island; and palembang, on the east coast. banca and some other islands of lesser size lie near the coast of sumatra; but they form separate governments, and are not to be considered as belonging to the great island we are discussing. banca is famous for its mines of tin, which have been worked for a long time, and are the source of a large revenue. there are many good harbors on the coast, and there are two or three of them that can hardly be surpassed anywhere. on most of these harbors there are cities, and a considerable business is done in products of the tropics, such as rice, pepper, ginger, turmeric, spices, and camphor and other gums. [illustration: a bayou on the palembang river.] "the only place in sumatra i have visited," said the gentleman, "is palembang. the city is quite large, and is on a river of the same name; to go to it you must ascend this river about a hundred miles, through a country that is low and rather swampy. the foliage is luxuriant, and there are numerous little bayous leading off from the river; so that you must have a good guide, or run the risk at times of losing your way. "i went there in the rainy season, when much of the country was flooded. the city is built on the river, and extends three or four miles along a bend in the stream; so many of the houses are on floating rafts, that rise and fall with the tide, that it makes little difference to the inhabitants whether the river is high or low. if you have been in siam you can form a very good picture of palembang, as it is much like bangkok in the number and arrangement of its floating houses. when you go to market, you go in a small boat, just as you do in bangkok, and nearly everything is transported by water. [illustration: arab houses at palembang.] "it is a peculiarity of the malays never to build a house on solid ground if they can find a place to stand it on piles in the water, and they prefer a boat to any other kind of a conveyance. at palembang the most of the malay inhabitants are thus located; but there are many arab and chinese residents who have their houses on the solid ground. most of the trading is in the hands of these foreigners, and there are very few european inhabitants besides the officials who represent the dutch government. they are very glad to have strangers come there, as it is a change from the monotony of their every-day life; and if you should happen to visit palembang you may be sure of a kindly reception. "the country is quite low and swampy all around palembang, though the town itself is on a slight elevation that preserves it from overflowing. you must go twenty or thirty miles farther up the river to the firm country, and there you find the commencement of the tropical forests for which sumatra is famous." fred asked what kind of trees are to be found in these forests. [illustration: lounging under a mango-tree.] "as to that," was the reply, "the trees are not much unlike what you have seen in malacca and siam. they have several varieties of the palm, and they have rubber-trees from which they derive a good revenue. the mango-tree, with its broad branches and dark foliage, is frequently seen, and it is a favorite in the neighborhood of the villages. the natives like to swing their hammocks beneath it; and, for my own part, i do not know a better place to lounge in, in a hot afternoon, than the shade of a mango-tree. [illustration: alligators taking sun and air.] "being under the equator, sumatra is a hot country, and one must be cautious about exposure to the sun. during the middle of the day you should remain at rest, and you will find great refreshment in bathing frequently; but take care how you plunge in the rivers, as many of them are full of alligators, and sometimes these brutes are hungry. occasionally you may see dozens of them lying on the banks to enjoy the sun, and they are hunted so little that you may come quite near without disturbing them. at a little distance they look like logs, and you might easily mistake their black bodies for sticks of timber that have been partially burnt. there is one island just above palembang where they swarm in large numbers, and are of all sizes, from very small to very large. the island also abounds in cranes; and sometimes they approach near enough to the alligators to come within reach of the powerful tails of those reptiles. in such a case there is a single sweep of the great lever, and the whole business is over. "since the dutch went to sumatra they have constructed roads, and done a great deal for the improvement of the condition of the people. the roads are divided into regular stages of ten or twelve miles, and if you send on in advance you will find everything ready on your arrival, so that you will not be delayed; but if you do not give notice beforehand, you can only go the distance of one stage in a day, which makes your progress very slow. at nearly every station there is a village; and if you want to study the habits of the people, you can do so very well by walking from one station to the next in the morning, and then strolling about the village and neighboring regions in the afternoon. there is always a house for strangers, and you have nothing to do but walk in and take possession: you pay for what you have at a fixed rate. the dutch have been careful to adjust the prices of everything, so that there can be no dispute. "away from the rivers the houses of the natives are on poles or posts, just as they are when built in the water. the best of them are of boards or planks, and the more common ones of bamboo, and the floors are covered with mats, on which you may sit or lie. they have no beds, benches, or chairs; even in the houses of the chiefs you will see hardly a single article of furniture. [illustration: view in a sumatran village.] "there is a great similarity among the sumatran villages. a village covers several acres, and is almost always surrounded by a high fence, to keep out the wild animals that abound in the island. the houses are dropped down higgledy-piggledy without the least attempt at regularity, and there is generally quite a grove of palm, banana, and other trees around them. the best of the dwellings have their ends ornamented with some elaborate carving in wood, and the ends of the roof rise in a graceful curve that terminates in a point. "there is a curious combination of neatness and the reverse in the habits of the people of these interior villages. the ground is hard and clean, and the houses are frequently swept with the greatest care; but they have no system of drainage, and the only way of disposing of refuse of any kind is to throw it into a sink-hole under the house. the people seem to have adhered to the custom that prevails where their houses are built over the water, and the result is that your nose will often inform you, before your eyes do, that you are approaching a village." frank asked what birds or beasts were to be found in sumatra. "you find pretty much the same as you do in malacca or siam," was the reply. "there are plenty of elephants of the same species as on the main-land, and there is any number of tigers. they are very large, and proportionally fierce, and a great many of the natives are eaten by them every year. they do not often attack white men, but i had a close escape one evening from being eaten by one of them." "how did that happen?" "i had been visiting a planter of my acquaintance, and we did not separate till about dark. i had a ride of six or eight miles before me to reach the house where i was to stay for the night, but did not mind it in the least, as i had been over the ground before, and had no fear of losing my way. my friend cautioned me to look out for tigers, but i only laughed when he said so, as i had no idea that a tiger would attack a man on horseback. "i was cantering gently along, when all at once my pony began to prick his ears and sniff the air, as though all was not right. every moment he was more and more uneasy, and he exerted himself to the utmost to make good time over the road. never in my life was i carried faster by a horse than on that occasion. [illustration: chased by a tiger.] "in a few minutes i heard the growl of a tiger, who was in full pursuit, and gaining at every stride. the road led to a creek, and it occurred to me that my whole safety consisted in reaching that creek before the tiger reached me. i threw my hat off to amuse the beast for a moment, and it gave my horse just the time he needed without a second to spare. the tiger did not try to follow through the water, and when i got to the house where i was to stay, i resolved not to venture again on that road after dark. "some of my friends were unkind enough to say that perhaps i was mistaken in the whole matter, and that the horse took fright at a thorn catching under the saddle-girth as we went through the jungle; so the next morning i invited one of them to go with me to the creek, and to the spot where i threw away my hat. the fragments of the hat were there, where the tiger had torn it in his rage, and the tracks of the beast were visible in the soft earth. from the extent of his foot-prints he was evidently of the largest size, and would have made short work of a man when once he had settled his teeth into his throat. it was the narrowest escape i ever had in my life. i have been treed by a bear, but the sensation was nothing compared to that of being chased by a tiger." "please tell us," said fred, "how you happened to be treed by a bear." "certainly," said the gentleman; "but the story has nothing to do with sumatra or any other island of the malay archipelago. it was in america that the incident happened. "i was out hunting one afternoon, and had only a small fowling-piece loaded with bird-shot. suddenly i came across a black bear, and very foolishly fired at him. the shot enraged him, and he ran for me. [illustration: treed by a bear.] "i ran a few yards, and knew that every moment he was gaining on me. i dropped my gun, and sprung for the nearest tree; i was young and active, and went up several feet at the first bound. it was a smooth sapling, with the lower part quite free from limbs, and i soon found that it was no easy matter to climb after the first spurt was over. the bear followed me, and had the advantage of claws; and he came on faster than was agreeable. i knew that a friend of mine was not far off, and i shouted with all the power of my lungs. he heard me, and came to my relief; and, just as the bear had taken me by the coat-tail, i heard a shot, and the beast tumbled to the ground. i don't like bear-hunting in that shape." fred inquired if there were any snakes in sumatra. "yes, snakes in abundance," was the response; "and they sometimes grow to an enormous size. in some respects, sumatra is the paradise of snakes, as they have a hot climate, and can always find plenty to eat." "what kind of snakes do they have there?" queried fred. "the largest is the boa-constrictor," said the gentleman; "and i do not believe he grows to a greater size in any other part of the world." "what is the greatest length you have ever known for one of these snakes?" frank asked. "the longest i ever saw was one that i killed myself. i was out hunting, and had three or four natives to carry my gun and other things, when suddenly one of them shouted, and pointed to a tree. "i looked, and saw an enormous snake coiled up there, with his head over a limb, and evidently watching us as we approached. "du chaillu and other hunters of experience say that the best thing for shooting a snake is not a bullet, but a charge of small shot, such as we use in duck-hunting. so i gave my rifle to one of the natives, and called for my fowling-piece. [illustration: shooting a boa-constrictor.] "i managed to get around in order to have a good aim, and ventured so close to the snake that the natives warned me to be careful. i watched my chance, and just as the fellow darted his head forward i fired. "my aim was accurate, and the snake's head was blown into a shapeless mass. he threw himself from the tree, and writhed on the ground, while i retired with my party to a safe distance. we watched him twisting his body into many shapes, and tearing up the small trees and bushes as he wound around them. in about an hour i continued my hunt, leaving one of the natives to watch the snake, so that we could skin him when he was done writhing. [illustration: a snaky creek.] "wishing to explore a small creek, i sent another of the men to bring a boat; and he soon returned with it. it must have been a great day for snakes, as we had not gone far before the water seemed to be alive with them. they were of all the colors of the rainbow; and some of them had shades that the rainbow never possessed. the largest i should judge to have been eight or ten feet in length, but i had no opportunity to measure him. "one tried to get into the boat, and i shot him just as he raised his head over the bow; others swum close to the boat, and seemed in no hurry to get out of our way. there was a large boa, or python, coiled around a tree that overhung a bank; he darted his head rather defiantly, but made no other demonstration. i was quite willing to let him alone, provided he would be equally polite to me; and, as he manifested no intention of attacking us, i did not fire on him. "we went back late in the afternoon, and found that our great boa had ceased his twistings, and was sufficiently quiet to be skinned. he measured thirty feet and a few inches in length, and was certainly one of the largest of his kind. he could kill and eat an ordinary-sized cow or bullock; and, as for a dog or monkey, he would dispose of one without the slightest trouble. the favorite food of this snake is the monkey; and he captures him by lying concealed among the trees, and waiting patiently till the monkey comes within his reach." [illustration: monkey examining a tortoise.] "then there are monkeys in sumatra?" said one of the boys. "certainly," was the reply, "there are monkeys in abundance. the naturalists have found no less than eleven distinct species of the monkey family, and it is thought there are several yet undiscovered in the forests. there is one monkey called the _simiang_, that has tremendously long arms; mr. wallace measured one that was only three feet high, but his arms were five and a half feet when stretched out. this monkey will swing himself from one tree to another with the utmost ease, over distances that most of the other monkeys would hardly venture to go." "do they find the variety of monkey known as the orang-outang in sumatra?" one of the boys asked. "yes," said their informer, "the animal is found only in sumatra and borneo, but he is rarely seen on the first-named island. in parts of borneo he is quite abundant; and the most of the specimens in the museums all over the world came from that wild region." frank asked how large was the largest of these beasts that had been captured and measured. [illustration: female orang-outang. (from a photograph.)] "as to that," said the gentleman, "there is a considerable conflict of testimony. mr. wallace says that the largest killed by him during his stay in borneo was four feet two inches from head to heel; and his outstretched arms were seven feet nine inches from tip to tip of his fingers. the face was thirteen inches wide, and the body measured forty-three inches around. mr. wallace further says that he measured seventeen freshly-killed orangs, and the skeletons of two others; sixteen were full-grown adults--nine males and seven females. the males varied from four feet one inch to four feet two inches in height; and the outstretched arms from seven feet two inches to seven feet eight inches. the measurements of other naturalists closely agree with his, and he therefore concludes that the stories of orangs exceeding five feet in height are extremely doubtful. [illustration: natives of borneo fighting with an orang-outang.] "the natives say the orang is king of the forest, and the only animals that venture to attack it are the crocodile and the python. they only do so on rare occasions, and are apt to get the worst of the battle whenever they provoke it. one of the native chiefs says that when food is scarce in the forest, the orang goes to the banks of the streams to feed on the lilies, and in such cases he is sometimes attacked by the crocodile. his arms are so strong that he has been known to pull the crocodile's jaws open, and rip up his throat; the chief claims to have witnessed such a fight, which occurred on the bank of a stream, and was won in a short time by the orang. "the same chief said that the python found his match in the orang--the latter biting the python's throat, and tearing him with his powerful claws. the natives have a great dread of the orang, unless they have the advantage of fire-arms; they sometimes attack him with their spears and hatchets, but they do so with reluctance, as some of them are apt to be severely wounded, if not killed outright in the encounter." fred wanted to know if the animal they were discussing was in the habit of walking erect like a man, as he had seen represented in pictures. "the best authorities say he does not," was the reply; "and i think that such pictures as you mention are far more imaginary than real. he spends nearly all his time in the trees, and when he goes through the forest he moves from one tree to another by following the limbs that interlace. he feeds in the trees in the daytime, and sleeps there at night; his bed is composed of leaves gathered together in the fork of a tree, and he never remains long in one spot. the natives say he finds a new resting-place and makes a new bed every night; but there is some doubt as to the correctness of this theory. when he has been wounded, and feels faint from loss of blood, he will gather a quantity of leaves and form a bed, where he lies down and dies. in such a case the tree must be cut down to get his body, as no amount of shaking will dislodge it; or the natives must be hired to climb up and remove it. this they will not do readily, as the animal has great vitality, and has been known to spring up suddenly and do a great deal of damage after he was supposed to be dead." "there are some other curious products of this tropical region," said the narrator, "which i will endeavor to describe briefly. there is a frog that flies through the air, and--" "how funny!" fred exclaimed. "a flying-frog! he ought to be a relative of the fish that climbs a tree, and travels on dry land." [illustration: a flying-frog.] "whether he is a relative or not of that fish, i am unable to say," was the reply, "but that he exists there is no doubt. he comes down from the top of a high tree to the ground in a slanting direction, just as you have seen a flying-squirrel go from one tree to another. his toes are very long, and webbed to their extremities. the body of the frog is about four inches long, and when spread out the webs of his feet have a square surface of at least twelve inches. this is much more than he needs for swimming, and we must, therefore, conclude that nature has thus equipped him so that he can fly through the air. "there are many varieties of butterflies in sumatra, and some of them are very beautiful. all the tropical islands abound in butterflies, that arouse the enthusiasm of the naturalist by the brilliancy of their colors and the great size they attain. there are numerous birds, especially of the parrot family, and sometimes you will see hundreds of them in a walk of an hour or more through the forests where they live. the parrot is inclined to be sociable, and likes his fellow-parrots; you will rarely see one of these birds quite alone, and when you do, you may conclude that the occurrence is an accidental one. "among the habits of birds there is none more singular than that of the sumatran hornbill." "what is that?" frank inquired. "the hornbill, whose scientific name is _buceros bicornis_, makes its nest in a hole in a tree. when the female has laid an egg, the male plasters up the entrance of the hole with mud, and keeps his mate there until the young bird has been reared to the proper age for coming out in the world." "how does she manage to live all that time?" said one of the boys. "the hole is not entirely closed," was the reply. "a small opening is left, and through it the male bird feeds her, and he is constantly on duty around the outside of the nest to protect her from harm. when the young bird begins to eat, the mother takes in her beak the food which her mate has brought, and gives the youth his proper allowance. he is a funny-looking fellow when about half grown; his body is plump and soft, without a single feather, and his skin is half transparent, so that you almost expect to see through it." "a remarkable bird," said fred. "and a remarkable country he lives in," frank replied. and with this comment the conversation about sumatra and its products came to an end, with a vote of thanks on the part of the boys to their amiable informant. [illustration: a sumatran butterfly.] chapter xxv. arrival in java.--sights and scenes in batavia. at daylight the next morning the boys were on deck for their first sight of java. they could see nothing but a low coast, like that of siam, with a fringe of tropical trees, and a backing of mountains in the distance. they had expected to go into a snug harbor, but found that the harbor of batavia is more imaginary than real, as it is little better than a shallow roadstead, where ships of deep draught must anchor far from shore. the steamer came to her resting-place, and the anchor went plunging down to its muddy bed. a noisy little steam-launch came to carry the mails ashore, but our friends were not allowed to take passage in her; they were told there would be a steamer for the passengers in an hour or two, or, if they preferred, they could go ashore on a native boat. they chose the latter conveyance, as the time of waiting for the steamboat was a trifle uncertain; and, besides, they desired to get to land as speedily as possible. there were a dozen boats hovering around the steamer, and it did not take long to make a bargain; for three florins--a dutch florin is equal to forty cents of our money--they were to be carried to the "boom," or custom-house, where their baggage would be examined, and they could find conveyance to the hotel. as soon as the bargain was made their baggage was lowered into the boat, and they were off. it was a long pull, and the sun was hot. our friends reclined under their umbrellas, and tried to be comfortable; and the boys wondered how the boatmen could pull away so cheerily and not be fatigued. the doctor reminded them that the men had been accustomed all their lives to the climate of java; and what seemed very severe to strangers from the north was nothing to those who were used to it. the men evidently understood the subject of conversation, as they offered to pull twice as fast for another florin; their proposal was declined, as none of the newcomers wished to be the cause, however indirectly, of a sunstroke among the natives. [illustration: arrival in port.] it was a journey of three miles from the steamer to the custom-house, partly in the harbor and partly in a canal. the canal is pushed out a considerable distance into the harbor by means of stone dikes; and the space between these dikes is dredged to a depth of twelve or fourteen feet. nothing but small craft can come up to the docks; heavy sea-going ships, whether steam or sail, must anchor in the harbor, and their cargoes are transferred by lighters. as soon as they reached the end of the wall that forms the canal the boatmen drew up against it, and for the rest of the way the boat was towed, or "trecked." this mode of propulsion was easier and faster than rowing, and partly accounted for the proposal of the boatmen to double their speed, as they were near the end of their rowing when they suggested it. at the custom-house the trunks and valises were subjected to a slight examination; there was a polite official who spoke english; and on learning that our friends had only come for a brief visit to java, and had no business to transact, he assured them that all was right. he asked for their passports, and said it would be necessary to get a permit to remain on the island, especially if they wished to travel in the interior. this they could easily do, he said, through their consul; and then he informed them that the formalities of the custom-house were ended. [illustration: the carriage at the custom-house.] a runner was there from the hotel they intended to patronize, and so they gave their property into his hands. it was piled on a cart and sent off, and then the runner led the way to a carriage that was standing near. it was a sort of victoria, that could accommodate two persons comfortably; and there was an extra seat just behind the driver, which could be turned down and made to hold a third passenger in an emergency. the horses were diminutive beasts, with harnesses in the european style; and the driver was a withered specimen of a javanese, wearing an ancient hat decorated with a cockade, and having the brim turned so that it would not impede the view in any direction. fred thought the hat had come from holland about the middle of the century, after doing duty in a respectable family of amsterdam for at least a dozen years. frank remarked that the hat was hardly less antique than the head it covered; and the skin of the one seemed as much glazed as the other. [illustration: the national taste.] it was nearly, if not quite, three miles from the custom-house to the hotel, and the little horses went over the ground at a surprising rate, when their size and appearance were considered. for much of the way the drive followed the bank of a canal, where they saw groups of men and women engaged in washing clothes or taking a morning bath. batavia is on level ground, the same as amsterdam; and the dutch have tried to make it seem as much like home as possible by supplying it with canals. they have carried many of their customs with them in emigrating to the east, and sometimes to their disadvantage. for instance, they adhere with unflinching firmness to the old practice of taking a glass of _schnapps_ before every meal, forgetting that what may be allowable in a cold country is the reverse of beneficial in a hot one. our friends reached the hotel a little while before the mid-day meal was served, and they were hardly inside the door of their rooms before a servant came with glasses of a fiery liquid to enable them to get up an appetite. he was somewhat surprised when they declined what was considered so necessary to the health. the hotel covered an immense area, as it consisted of a series of bungalows of one story, with a central building, where the dining-room and the offices of the manager were located. between the rows of bungalows there were shade-trees and paved walks, and along the front of each house there was a wide veranda, where the occupants could sit or recline in the open air whenever they chose to do so. the central building was two stories high; all the lower part was taken up for the dining-room and parlors, while the upper floor was occupied by patrons. our friends were assigned to rooms in one of the bungalows, and a barefooted servant came to assist them in arranging their effects, and bring whatever they desired. [illustration: their servant.] the servant was of a type new to our friends, and frank proceeded to make a sketch of him at the first opportunity. he was a javanese malay, with features not unlike those of the malays of singapore, but his dress was different. he wore trousers of striped cotton, rather narrow in the legs, and without any nicety of fit; above the trousers he had a gaudy shirt, with an embroidered front, and a short jacket of material similar to that of the trousers. wrapped around his waist, and falling to the knee, he had a skirt that appeared to have been cut from the gayest piece of calico that ever came from the looms of manchester or lowell; and it was held in place by a belt. this part of the malay wardrobe is called a _sarong_, and is worn by both sexes; it is usually fastened by tying a knot in one corner, and then drawing the sarong tightly around the waist. the knot is passed under the straightened edge of the garment, and is not likely to slip out of place. accompanying this servant there was a small boy whose business it was to bring cigars, and fire for lighting them. it seemed to frank and fred that the dutchmen of batavia were smoking all the time; and fred suggested that, if the days were as long, there would be exactly as much smoking. breakfast was served in the room we have mentioned, and doctor bronson and the boys were shown to the seats assigned to them. frank made a discovery that amused him greatly, and was equally entertaining to his cousin when he learned of it. it was so unlike the custom of any hotel he had ever seen, that he made a note of it to include in his next letter. here it is: "the three of us have one servant; and, as far as i can see, he waits on no one else. in each of our rooms there is a little closet, and in this closet there are knives, forks, spoons, plates, etc., for one person. before breakfast or dinner our servant takes these things to the general table, and when the meal is over he brings them back again, and returns them to their places in the closets. he is responsible for breakage, and is required to keep the articles clean. the only dishes that go to the kitchen of the hotel are the platters, tureens, and similar things, on which the food is brought from the place of cooking." fred was busy with his eyes and ears during breakfast, and contributed to the general fund of information as follows: "the first solid meal of the day in batavia is called the _rys-taffel_, or rice-table. it is served about eleven o'clock; and its name goes far to describe its character, as it consists largely of rice. this is the way they serve it: "the rice is boiled in such a way that each grain is separate from every other. it is served hot in a large dish, and you help yourself into a soup-plate of goodly size. [illustration: the mango.] "one servant hands you the rice, and when you have filled your plate with it another servant offers you a round platter or tray, eighteen or twenty inches across, and divided into a dozen compartments. these compartments contain various seasonings, and you may take any or all, or none of them, at your pleasure, and in quantities to suit you. you have chutney, which is a sharp sauce from india; you have red or green peppers, cut into a fine hash, red pepper mixed with water to form a paste, cocoa-nut grated fine, preserved ginger-root, sliced mangoes, english pickles, salt fish dried to a crisp, capers, and other hot and spicy things peculiar to the east. "when you have taken what you want from the tray, the servant moves on, and another takes his place. he offers you soft eggs, either boiled or poached, and you are expected to take one or two of the eggs to mix with your rice. then comes a servant with a plate of some kind of meat, cut into small pieces, and stewed with curry-powder; and behind him is another servant with a plate of some kind of vegetable, which has been stewed in curry. then they offer you cold chicken or ham, or some other meat, to put on a small plate at your side, and your supply of food is completed, with the addition of all the bread you want. you mix all the things you have in your large soup-plate into a thick mass, like yellow paste, and eat with a spoon. [illustration: a little too peppery.] "this is the famous java curry; and if you have taken plenty of the pepper and chutney, and other hot things, your mouth will burn for half an hour as though you had drunk from a kettle of boiling water. and when you have eaten freely of curry, you don't want any other breakfast. everybody eats curry here daily, because it is said to be good for the health by keeping the liver active, and preventing fevers." after breakfast our friends went to their rooms, and soon afterwards met on the veranda to arrange plans for seeing batavia. somewhat to their surprise, they learned that it was not fashionable to be seen out till three o'clock in the afternoon, and they must not call on any one during the middle of the day. the doctor said that the dutch and other foreign inhabitants of the city were supposed to sleep two or three hours while the sun was high in the heavens; but as they were strangers, and had little time at their disposal, they would get a carriage and take a drive. [illustration: after breakfast.] neither ladies nor gentlemen are visible in batavia between breakfast and three p.m.; or if they show themselves they are not acting according to custom. they lounge in bed or hammock, or in their bamboo arm-chairs, and try to get as much rest as possible to fit them for the fatigues of the evening. it is this habit of sleeping in the daytime that enables the fashionable batavians to keep very late hours. they are accustomed to rise early; and by five o'clock in the morning half the people in the hotel were out of bed, and the rest of them before six. [illustration: an early call.] frank and fred were awakened on their first morning in batavia before they thought the hour of rising had arrived. the doctor told them they had best conform to the custom, and so they crept from their beds and prepared to dress. "that is unnecessary," said the doctor; "it is perfectly proper for you to come out in your sleeping-suits, and sit in front of your rooms, or go to your baths. you will find that is what everybody else is doing." accordingly they made their appearance in their pajamas, and found that the servant was ready to attend upon them. all around they could hear men calling _"api!_" "_api!_" and they naturally asked what "api" meant. "it is the malay word for 'light' or 'fire,'" said the doctor; "and the call you hear is for a light for a cigar or cigarette." when they went to the row of bath-rooms fronting their apartments, the boys looked for bathing-tubs, but found none. each bath-room had a faucet whence water could be drawn, or it contained a barrel and a dipper, but no other furniture. the bathing custom in java is to pour water over the body, and not to plunge into a tub. a tub can be had by any one who asks for it; but he runs the risk of being considered a barbarian, who cannot be weaned from the absurd customs of his native land. after the bath came the "little breakfast," as it is called by the residents, consisting of tea or coffee, with eggs or cold meat, and a few biscuits. when this was ended doctor bronson ordered a carriage, and the morning hours were devoted to a drive. "we have not quite time," said the doctor, "to exhaust a single course with the carriage between this and the hour for the rys taffel." the boys could not understand his meaning, until he explained that the rules governing the hire of carriages in batavia are somewhat curious. "the tariff for a victoria," said he, "is four florins or guilders--about one dollar and sixty cents of our money, and if you only ride a few blocks you must pay that price. but you can, if you choose, keep it for six hours without any extra charge, except that the driver will expect an allowance of an hour or so to rest his horses, and a little money for himself by way of remembrance." "what an odd arrangement!" said frank. fred agreed with him fully, and probably every traveller who visits batavia will not be long in coming to the same conclusion. "when i was here before," continued the doctor, "i took a carriage one morning for the customary six hours, and went out for a drive. at the end of three hours i returned to the hotel for breakfast, and told the driver he could have an hour to himself and then return. he did not come again, and when i asked at the office of the hotel the manager said he would investigate the affair. in the evening he told me he had seen the driver, and paid him, and his reason for not returning was that his horses were tired. "i thought no more of the matter till i settled my bill the next day, preparatory to going into the country, and found that the full tariff of four guilders had been charged for the carriage. i protested that the man was not entitled to that amount, because he had not given me the stipulated service. the manager said he had paid the bill because that was the law; and he added that the driver would have served me the full time if his horses had not been tired. "in vain did i protest that i had been unjustly treated; the only answer i could get from the manager was, 'the driver's horses were tired--his horses were tired.' i vowed that the next time i employed a carriage in batavia i would adhere rigidly to the law, and keep it in my sight for the full six hours, whether i wanted it or not. if the driver serves us well to-day, perhaps he will get an allowance; but if he is obstinate, as these malay drivers sometimes are, i shall feel like enforcing the law to the letter." they were fortunate in finding a very amiable driver, who did his best to make the strangers enjoy their ride. he spoke only the malay language; but, in spite of the absence of a common tongue, he managed to make them understand his explanations, and to show them a good deal of batavia. the result was that they gave him an hour to spare, and an extra florin for the trouble he had taken. here is what frank wrote in his note-book concerning their first morning's ride in batavia: [illustration: native house on the river that feeds the canal.] "batavia covers a great extent of ground, and is fairly entitled to be called a city of magnificent distances. the old city near the sea is rather closely built, but it is not inhabited by europeans to any extent. the dutch, english, and other foreign merchants transact business there during the day; but they live in the new part of batavia, which spreads over the flat ground for several square miles. the houses are rarely of more than one story, as the country is subject to earthquakes, and nobody wants to have a flight of stairs between him and the ground when these shakings begin. nearly every house has a _campong_, or yard, around it, and this yard is filled with tropical trees in considerable variety. the great streets and roads are liberally provided with shade-trees, so that batavia can hardly be seen, owing to the impossibility of peering through the dense foliage that is before you at every step. "a canal with several branches runs through all this level area that they call batavia, and for miles and miles it is built up with solid stone walls. it is fed by a small river coming down from the mountains, and serves a triple purpose: boats may navigate it; people may bathe there, or wash clothes in it; and the sewage of the city is said to be drained into it. whether the water for household use is taken from it or not, i am unable to say; but we repeatedly saw malay servants filling buckets with it, and then walking off in the direction of the houses. circumstantial evidence was against them; but the clerk of the hotel says the water they were carrying was to be used for washing the floors of the houses and sprinkling the gravel-walks in the court-yards. perhaps it is the suspicion that the water may be used for drinking purposes that leads so many of the inhabitants to shun it, and take seltzer, gin, claret, and other imported liquids to quench their thirst. "they have a street railway here, but it is patronized only by the natives, the chinese, and the low class of foreigners. the track is good enough, but the cars are the wildest contrivances you ever saw; they are common freight-cars fitted with rush seats, and their great weight makes them difficult to move along the way. perhaps, if they had the proper kind of cars, the europeans would ride in them, but they could hardly expect to patronize those now in use. "it was a funny sight, when we were driving along the streets, to see the ladies out for their morning promenade, with their hair streaming down their shoulders, their bodies enclosed only in light wrappers, with loose sacks buttoned to the throat, and with slippers, but no stockings, on their feet. most of them wore the sarong, or native petticoat, and they generally carried parasols to keep off the sun. this is the forenoon costume of the ladies before they go to breakfast, and it strikes a foreigner as very odd. [illustration: family party in batavia.] "sometimes we saw a whole family sitting on the veranda of a house, in full view of everybody passing along the street, looking as if they had just got out of bed and were only half dressed. the men would be in dressing-gowns or pajamas, and the ladies with their hair down, as i have described, or twisted up into tight little lumps, so that the owners might appear in the afternoon with a fine stock of curls. occasionally we saw some fat, jolly old women with their hair cut close to the head, in order to keep off as much of the heat as possible. [illustration: fan-palm in the botanical garden.] "we visited the museum and the botanical garden, and found them quite interesting. the museum contains the products of java, arranged so that you can readily see what the resources of the island are; and there are relics of ancient times that throw light upon the history of the country and its people. the botanical garden abounds in tropical plants, and reminded us of the garden at singapore; but we had not time to make a list of its contents. we saw some fine specimens of a tree that had already attracted our attention at singapore--the 'fan-palm,' or traveller's fountain, as it is called. it spreads out like a huge fan, with the lower part of the stalks quite bare, while the ends are formed exactly like feathers. a small tree of this species would make a very good fan for a giant, such as we read of in gulliver's travels. [illustration: chinese porters.] "in the old part of batavia we saw so many chinese that it would not have required a great stretch of the imagination to believe that we were once more in the flowery kingdom. in one of the narrowest streets we met a couple of chinese porters carrying a burden suspended from a pole, the same as we had seen them in canton and shanghai, and if it had not been that our driver was very careful we might have run over them. the chinese are very numerous in batavia, and all through java, and a great deal of the commercial business of the country is in their hands. they are engaged in all kinds of trade where money is to be made, and they have the same guilds and commercial associations that they have in singapore, hong-kong, and elsewhere. they have their temples and idols just as at home; and though many of them were born in java, and will probably never see the soil of china, they are as thoroughly chinese as though they were reared within the walls of canton. [illustration: goddess of sailors and her assistants.] "one of the most common of the chinese temples is that of the goddess 'ma-chu,' who is worshipped by sailors and those having business on the water. she is represented with her two assistants; one of them is called 'favorable-wind-ear,' and the other 'thousand-mile-eye.' the first is supposed to have an ear that can catch the least indication of a wind to favor the sailor; and the latter possesses a clearness of vision that enables him to see a rock or other danger at the distance of a thousand miles. one listens, while the other looks; and between them they are believed able to insure a safe and speedy voyage to all their worshippers." as our friends were somewhat wearied with their morning's work, they remained in-doors from the time of the "rys-taffel" till three o'clock. then they followed the custom of the country by taking a bath, and dressing for dinner; and after dinner they continued to be in fashion by taking another drive. we will let fred tell the story of what they saw in the afternoon and evening. "the fashionable hour for a promenade is after dinner, and all the ladies and gentlemen consider it their duty to come out and be seen. there are plenty of carriages on the streets, and also a goodly number of gentlemen on horseback; and it is rather a pretty sight to see the gentlemen riding along by the carriages and chatting with the ladies inside. then there are many pedestrians--the ladies being in light walking-dresses, and the gentlemen in full evening costume. the odd thing about the promenades is that both sexes are bareheaded. this is all well enough for the ladies; but it is rather strange to see a gentleman in full dress, and carrying a cane along the street, with his head as bare as though he was in a parlor. i am told that the ladies never wear hats or bonnets, and that the only thing of that sort ever seen in batavia is when foreigners first arrive here from other parts of the world. a ladies' hat-store in batavia would not be a paying speculation. "on certain evenings there is music on the king's square; and at such times everybody goes there to hear it. the crowd is large but very fashionable, as it is the proper thing to go there; and no one who can get out will venture to miss the performance. the band stops playing a little after dark, and then the drive may be said to be at its prettiest. the footman of each carriage carries a torch made of some resinous plant tied into a bundle, like a wisp of straw, and, as the carriages move around and pass and repass each other, the scene is a curious one. all the houses are a blaze of light, as the wide verandas are hung with lamps, and the whole family is gathered there when not out for the drive. the veranda is the general sitting-room, as everybody prefers it to the parlor on account of its being so much cooler. "perhaps you are wondering when the men find time for business. well, they transact most of it in the forenoon, but their offices are open in the afternoon in charge of the clerks. for the clerks there is no such resting-time as i have described, or at best, only a short one, in the middle of the day. when a young man comes out here to seek his fortune, he must do pretty much as he would at home for the first year or two; when he is fairly established, he can have his time in the middle of the day, and live like other people." chapter xxvi. batavia to buitenzorg.--tropical scenes.--birds of paradise. as their time in java was limited, our friends determined to cut short their stay in batavia, and go at once to the interior. accordingly, the morning following the day whose history was narrated in the last chapter saw them leaving the city by railway for buitenzorg. buitenzorg is about forty miles from batavia, and the summer residence of the governor-general of java; as it is summer all the year round in java, he spends most of his time at this country-seat, and rarely visits batavia except when business calls him there. the name is of dutch origin, and signifies "without care," in imitation of the french _sans souci_. it is about one thousand feet above the level of the sea, and much cooler than batavia; and the surrounding region is one of great natural beauty. [illustration: some of the third-class passengers.] doctor bronson and his young companions were early at the railway-station, and purchased their tickets for the journey. they found three classes of carriages on the road; the first and second being patronized by foreigners, and the third class exclusively by natives and chinese. for their first-class tickets they paid six florins and thirty cents--equal to two dollars and a half of our money. the second-class ticket costs half as much as the first, and the third half as much as the second, so that the natives are able to ride for about a cent and a half per mile. the third-class carriages were crowded to such an extent that frank and fred both remarked that the javanese were as prompt as the japanese to recognize the value of the railway. men and women were closely packed on the rough seats of the carriages of the third class, while those in the first and second, especially the former, had plenty of room. "i suppose this is so the world over," said fred, as he contemplated the difference between the accommodations of the various classes on the train. "everywhere we have been, at any rate," responded frank. "whatever accommodations you wish and can pay for," said the doctor, "you can have. if you want a special train at the price they demand, you can have it by paying in advance." "it is the same in java as in europe, and, to a certain extent, we have similar arrangements in america. we are more democratic in our ways than any other country of importance, and consequently have been slower to make the distinctions in railway travel that exist in other parts of the world. but we are steadily moving in that direction, and in time we will have all the distinctions of classes--special trains and all. in fact, we have them already." "aren't you mistaken, doctor?" said fred. "surely we do not have three classes on our railways at home." "stop and think a moment," answered the doctor, while there was a suggestion of a smile about his face. "we have the ordinary railway carriage and the pullman car, have we not?" "certainly," was the reply; "and they are virtually two classes." "quite right. then, on the principal lines of railway there are the emigrant trains, are there not?" fred acknowledged that the doctor had the best of the argument, and the conversation came to an abrupt termination, as it was time for them to take their places in the carriage. away they started for their first ride on a railway-train south of the equator. the suburbs of the city were speedily passed, and then the train plunged into a tropical forest. the grade became steep as the hilly ground was reached, and two locomotives were necessary for a part of the way to pull the train up the heavy incline. frank observed that the carriages were quite narrow, and he found by measuring, at the first station where they stopped, that the rails were only three and a half feet apart. the present terminus of the line is at buitenzorg; but surveys have been made, and it is the intention to push the line forward and form a connection with the system of railway in the eastern part of the island. when this is done, a stranger will be able to travel the whole length of java by rail, as he can now travel by wagon road. [illustration: view in a private garden.] since the railway from batavia to buitenzorg was opened several villages have sprung into existence along the line, and some of them are quite pretty. they contain the residences of gentlemen whose business is at batavia, and are generally arranged with excellent taste. the gardens are luxuriant, like nearly all gardens in the tropics; and some of the owners delight in adding wild animals to their collections of trees and plants. [illustration: native village near the railway.] then there are native villages in considerable number, some of them concealed in the forest, and others standing in little clearings, where the trees form an agreeable background. the train stopped frequently, and did not seem to be in a hurry, although it was called an express, and was the fastest on the line. frank said that probably the heat of the tropics had the same influence on a locomotive as on a man, and prevented its going rapidly. fred said that frank's reasoning reminded him of the boy at school, who was asked to give an illustration of the expanding power of heat, and the contracting power of cold. "what did he do?" frank inquired. "why," responded fred, "he thought for some minutes over the matter, and finally answered that the days in winter were not nearly as long as those in summer, and it must be the cold that contracted them." [illustration: tropical growths along the line.] the boys observed that the trees in some instances grew quite close to the track. doctor bronson explained to them that in the tropics it was no small matter to keep a railway-line clear of trees and vines, and sometimes the vines would grow over the track in a single night. it was necessary to keep men at work along the track, to cut away the vegetation where it threatened to interfere with the trains, and in the rainy season the force of men was sometimes doubled. "there is one good effect," said he, "of this luxuriant growth. the roots of the vines and trees become interlaced in the embankment on which the road is built, and prevent its being washed away by heavy rains. so you see there is, after all, a saving in keeping the railway in repair." frank noticed that some of the telegraph-poles had little branches growing from them; and at one place he saw a man near the top of a pole engaged in cutting the limbs away. he called the attention of his companions to the novel sight. "you will see more of those trees as you go into the interior," said the doctor. "they grow with great rapidity; and unless the wood is thoroughly seasoned before the poles are set in the ground, they speedily take root and become trees again. they are more pertinacious than our american water-willows, as they will grow in any soil, wet or dry. wherever a clearing is made in the forest these trees spring up as if by magic; and they run up so tall and straight as to be just what is wanted for telegraph uses." [illustration: "mangosteens!"] at several of the stations the natives offered fruit of different kinds, and nearly all new to our young friends. they had been told that they would probably find the mangosteen for sale along the road; they had inquired for it in singapore, but it was not in season there, and now their thoughts were bent upon discovering it between batavia and buitenzorg. two or three times they were disappointed when they asked for it; but finally, at one of the stations, when fred pronounced the word "mangosteen," a native held up a bunch of fruit and nodded. the doctor looked at the bunch, and nodded likewise, and fred speedily paid for the prize. perhaps we had best let fred tell the story of the mangosteen, which he did in his first letter from buitenzorg: "we have found the prince of fruits, and its name is mangosteen. it is about the size of a pippin apple, and of a purple color--a very dark purple, too. the husk, or rind, is about half an inch thick, and contains a bitter juice, which is used in the preparation of dye; it stains the fingers like aniline ink, and is not easy to wash off. nature has wisely provided this protection for the fruit; if it had no more covering than the ordinary skin of an apple, the birds would eat it all up as soon as it was ripe. if i were a bird, and had a bill that would open the mangosteen, i would eat nothing else as long as i could get at it. "you cut this husk with a sharp knife right across the centre, and then you open it in two parts. out comes a lump of pulp as white as snow, and about the size of a small peach. it is divided into sections like the interior of an orange, and there is a sort of star on the outside that tells you, before you cut the husk, exactly how many of these sections there are. having got at the pulp, you proceed to take the lump into your mouth and eat it; and you will be too busy for the next quarter of a minute to say anything. "hip! hip! hurrah! it melts away in your mouth like an over-ripe peach or strawberry; it has a taste that is slightly acid--very slightly, too--but you can no more describe all the flavor of it than you can describe how a canary sings, or a violet smells. there is no other fruit i ever tasted that begins to compare with it, though i hesitate to admit that there is anything to surpass our american strawberry in its perfection, or the american peach. if you could get all the flavors of our best fruits in one, and then give that one the 'meltingness' of the mangosteen, perhaps you might equal it; but till you can do so, there is no use denying that the tropics have the prince of fruits. "everybody tells us we can eat all the mangosteens we wish to, without the slightest fear of ill results. perhaps one might get weary of them in time, but at present we are unable to find enough of them. if anything would reconcile me to a permanent residence in the tropics, it would be the hope of always having plenty of mangosteens at my command. "you may think," fred added, "that i have taken a good deal of space for describing this fruit, but i assure you i have not occupied half what it deserves. and if you were here you would agree with me, and be willing to give it all the space at your command--in and beyond your mouth. but be careful and have it fully ripe; green mangosteens are apt to produce colic, as frank can tell you of his own knowledge." [illustration: veranda of the hotel bellevue.] the train reached buitenzorg, and deposited our three travellers at the station. they had been recommended to the hotel bellevue, and were soon whirling along the road to that establishment. it proved a sort of pocket edition of the hotel at batavia, as it was scattered over a considerable area; and they had to go out-of-doors to pass from their rooms to the dining-hall, but they found it had a delightful situation, as it was on the slope of a hill overlooking a thickly-wooded valley. [illustration: view from the veranda at buitenzorg.] in describing the scene from the veranda in front of his rooms, frank wrote as follows: "our vision sweeps an area of several miles, beginning with a valley, and ending with a high mountain that was once an active volcano. there are all the tropical trees imaginable in the valley before me. without changing my position in my chair, i can see cocoa-palms with their clusters of fruit, betel-palms with tufts of green at the ends of tall trunks like flag-staffs, banana, bread-fruit, plantain, mangosteen, durian, and many other kinds of trees whose names i have not yet learned. it is the richest tropical scene that has yet come under my eyes. [illustration: a bad road.] "and, as if they were not rich enough in leafy decorations, the trees are adorned with numerous parasites, some in the form of creeping vines, and others in clusters and tufts springing from the crevices in the bark, where the winds and birds have deposited the seeds. nourishment for these parasites come from the air, or from the trees to which they cling; sometimes the vines send down long threads which reach the ground, where they attach themselves and throw out roots. at a little distance they look like ropes, and you gaze at them in wonder. i have seen some of them more than fifty feet long, and about the size of my wrist; sometimes they are very thick and closely interlaced, so that it is no easy matter to ride or walk in a forest where they abound. "as in siam and cochin china, the parasites frequently cause the death of the trees to which they cling; but the growth of trees is so rapid, and there is such an abundance of them, that nobody seems to have any sympathy for the victims in this matter of vegetable murder. [illustration: the vanda lowii.] "orchids are in great variety, and some of them are exceedingly beautiful. there is one known as the vanda lowii, which is described by mr. wallace in his account of the malay archipelago. it grows on the lower branches of trees, and its threads are often six or eight feet long, and strung with flowers that vary in color from orange to red. these flowers are often three inches across, and their brilliancy is increased by the gloominess of the forests where they are found. sometimes twenty or thirty flowers may be found on a single thread, and they form a regular spiral, as though strung there by hand. "in other places you will see orchids like bright tufts of green clinging to the bark of the trees, and apparently forming a part of it. the botanists have found more than twenty varieties of this strange production of nature in java alone, and probably a more careful examination will reveal many more. "some of the trees throw out shoots from their limbs, which ultimately take root and form separate trunks. the most notable example of this is the verengen: there is one of these trees in the governor's park, which has thrown out so many roots that it forms of itself quite a grove. it belongs, i presume, to the same family of tree as the famous banian of india, and to trees of other name but similar characteristics in other parts of the world. "one of the most remarkable trees in the malay archipelago is said to begin its growth in mid-air. can you guess how it does so? [illustration: a tree growing in mid-air.] "originally the birds carry the seed of a certain parasite and drop it in the fork of a tall tree. the parasite throws out its branches into the air like other trees, and sends its roots downwards till they reach the ground. they spread as they descend, and form a sort of pyramid fifty or sixty feet high, and so shaped that you can often stand inside and have the body of the tree directly over your head. as the parasite grows it wraps itself around the parent tree, and ultimately kills it; and in this moist climate the dead trunk decays so rapidly that in a few years there is hardly a trace of it left. the branches of the new tree throw out roots of their own that go down to the ground and fasten themselves, and every year sees several new ones. we have no tree like this in the united states, at least none that i know of. "there is a small river flowing through the valley in front of where i am writing; it comes from the mountains several miles away, and we can trace its course by the little openings it makes in the forest. for a few hundred yards we have it in full view, and then it makes a bend right at the foot of the hill where the hotel stands, and disappears among the tropical trees. where it first comes into our range of vision there is a bridge thrown across it, and every little while, we can see the natives passing and repassing to and from a village that is concealed under the trees. very often we see them bathing in the stream, or washing clothes there; when the bathers are a group of boys there is a great deal of fun and laughter, and the scene is quite as jolly when there is a lot of girls in the water. they can swim like ducks, and are constantly playing harmless little tricks on each other, and sometimes in the afternoon their laughter is steadily ringing in our ears. the javanese malays are a happy people, if i may judge by the inhabitants of this little village, and they are as fond of the water as so many beavers. "before we left batavia we were told that we should have rain here every afternoon at three o'clock. fred and i laughed at the suggestion, but the doctor did not; and we found, on arriving, that we had laughed too soon. really it rains every afternoon, and it does not vary twenty minutes either way from three o'clock. the clouds form over the mountain in the distance, and then they come sweeping on and on till they reach this spot. the rain comes down first in a sprinkle, then in a shower, and then in a pour, as though some great flood-gates in the sky had been opened as wide as possible, to give the water a chance. the rain lasts from one to three hours, and then the clouds go away and the sky is clear. sometimes there is a chance for a promenade just about sunset, and sometimes not; in any event, the grass is so wet that we can only follow the roads if we would avoid coming home with our feet soaked. "we have arranged our plans in such a way as to do our sight-seeing in the forenoon, and devote the afternoon to writing and sleeping. [illustration: group of birds in the malay archipelago.] "we have visited the remarkable garden attached to the governor's residence, and seen the rare collection of specimens of the animal and vegetable life of the malay archipelago; and the more we see of it, the more do we wish to see. there are tigers and other animals, that it is better to see in cages than to meet at home in the forest; there are snakes in good variety; there are tanks containing a great number of fresh-water fishes; and last, but not least, there is a splendid collection of birds. i never knew what a variety of birds and what curious ones there are in the islands of the java sea, till i saw this collection here. "you have heard of the birds of paradise, haven't you? they have some of them here, but not all the different kinds, as they are difficult to capture, and very difficult to keep alive after they have been taken. "these birds are not natives of java, but come from the moluccas and other islands farther to the east. they were first called paradise birds by the writers of three hundred years ago, and some of the portuguese and dutch travellers told a good many fables about them. john van linschoten, who wrote in 1598, says that 'no one has seen these birds alive, for they live in the air, always turning towards the sun, and never lighting on the earth till they die; for they have neither feet nor wings, as may be seen by the birds carried to india, and sometimes to holland.' more than a hundred years later, an english writer, who saw some specimens at amboyna, was told that they came to banda to eat nutmegs, by which they became intoxicated and fell down senseless. "we were disappointed in the size of the birds in the governor's garden, as we had supposed that the bird of paradise was very large. but we found they were only moderate-sized, and resembled crows and ravens in their general appearance and habits, but not at all in their plumage. instead of being of a solemn black, like their cousins i have mentioned, they have the most extraordinary arrangement of feathers that any bird can boast. mr. wallace says that several species have large tufts of delicate, bright-colored feathers springing from each side of the body beneath the wings, forming trains, or fans, or shields; and the middle feathers of the tail are often elongated into wires, twisted into fantastic shapes, or adorned with the most brilliant metallic tints. in another set of species these plumes spring from the head, the back, or the shoulders; while the intensity of color and of metallic lustre displayed by their plumage is not to be equalled by any other birds except, perhaps, the humming-birds, and is not surpassed by these. "the largest of these birds is known as the great bird of paradise, and is seventeen or eighteen inches from the point of the beak to the end of his tail. there is nothing remarkable about his body, wings, and tail, which are of a deep brown color, varying somewhat in shade, while the head and neck are of a pale yellow. the wonderful things are the plumes that spring from each side beneath the wings; they are sometimes two feet long, and of a bright orange-color tinged with gold; and they can be raised and spread out at the pleasure of the owner like the tail of a peacock. when they are thus extended you can hardly see the body of the bird, as they seem to envelop it completely; and if you are hunting him, and ready for a shot, you must guess how much of what you see is bird and how much feathers. it is only the male bird that gets himself up so gorgeously; the female is a plain-looking creature, of a uniform brown color, without a bit of ornament anywhere. she might be mistaken for a crow that had been left overnight in a coffee-pot. [illustration: magnificent bird of paradise.] [illustration: superb bird of paradise.] "then there is the red bird of paradise, which is somewhat smaller than the one i have just described, and comes from a small island off the coast of new guinea. there is the magnificent bird of paradise, from the main-land of new guinea, which has a tuft or fan of yellow feathers springing from the back of his neck, and shading his shoulders; and his tail contains two long feathers, each curving outwards, so that it forms a circle. fred said that these tail-feathers looked like the handles of a pair of scissors, and he wondered if the bird could be taken up by them. the superb bird of paradise has a plumage of glossy black, and is not unlike a crow, so far as his body is concerned; but he has a remarkable shield on his breast of stiff, narrow feathers, very glossy, and of a bright tinge of bluish green. on his head he has another and larger shield, of a velvety black color, and tinged with purple and bronze. this shield is longer than the wings, and gives the bird a most extraordinary appearance. [illustration: six-shafted bird of paradise.] [illustration: long-tailed bird of paradise.] "mr. wallace mentions no less than eighteen varieties of the birds of paradise. i have not time to describe all of them, and believe i have told you of those that are the most remarkable. all of them are very pretty, and would be a fine addition to a public or private museum. there is one known as the six-shafted bird of paradise that has six little wires springing from the forehead, and extending over the body to the tip of the tail. these wires have little tufts at the ends, but for the rest of the way they are as bare as knitting-needles. there is another, called the long-tailed bird of paradise, and it is partially described by its name, as its tail is very long, and of the most brilliant colors. then it has a tuft of blue and green plumes springing from each side of the breast in such a way that when the bird is standing on a tree the position of the wings is entirely concealed. "perhaps you have heard enough about the birds of the malay archipelago for the present. the rain promises to be over in a little while, and we may be able to take a sunset walk. of one thing we are certain: there will be no dust on the road, and the grass will be beautifully green." chapter xxvii. a chapter on political economy.--the dutch culture system in java. for several days frank and fred, accompanied by the genial doctor, made excursions in the neighborhood of buitenzorg in the forenoon, and remained in-doors, during the rainy period, in the afternoon. a good many things came under their observation; they studied the agriculture in the region around the summer capital, and learned all they could about the manners and customs of the people. they investigated the peculiarities of the dutch dominion over java, and were much interested in the problem of governing seventeen millions of asiatics with thirty thousand europeans in such a way as to keep the millions perfectly content with the new rule, and enable a handsome amount of money to go every year from java to the treasury of holland. the rainy afternoons were spent in reading, drawing, writing, and conversation; and the boys soon learned that the time in-doors was by no means without value. they formed an acquaintance with several gentlemen who were stopping at the hotel for the sake of the breezes, that were cooler than those of the sea-coast. many of the foreign residents of batavia are in the habit of going frequently to buitenzorg, as a new yorker goes to saratoga; and this recreation is so much the fashion that several hotels do a very good business in providing for their wants. the bellevue was one of the popular resorts, and it happened that there was quite a party of batavians there at the same time as our friends. while making notes of their visit to the governor's garden, the boys began drawing pictures of the elephant as he would appear when developed according to the theories of doctor darwin. frank made the yankee elephant with the traditional garments and jack-knife, and fred followed it with a chinese elephant peddling cigars from a small box. frank designed the operatic elephant entertaining an audience with a song, and was immediately followed by fred with the elephant in love, engaged in a serenade. of course there was no allusion to frank's frequent thoughts of somebody at home, and if any one entertained the idea he kept it to himself. the series was brought to a close by a delineation of the original elephant in two acts; but the designers neglected to state where this particular performance of the animal could be witnessed. [illustration: the yankee elephant.] [illustration: the chinese elephant.] [illustration: the operatic elephant.] [illustration: the elephant in love.] one of the first practical results of their afternoon work was the preparation of a brief description of java, which was duly forwarded by mail to their friends. both the boys contributed to its preparation, and each made a copy for his own use. here is the story: "java is not of great extent. it is only six hundred miles long, and varies from sixty to one hundred and twenty in width: its area added to that of the island of madura, which lies near it, is estimated at thirty-eight thousand geographical square miles. its population is not far from seventeen millions; and when this is considered with relation to its extent, it will be seen that java is one of the most densely-peopled countries in the world. that the country has prospered under the rule of the dutch, is evident from the growth of the population, which was little more than five millions in 1826, nine millions in 1850, and is now at the figure just mentioned. if it goes on at this rate, doubling about every twenty-six years, there will come a time when it will be obliged to put out a placard announcing 'standing room only!' "it is said that formerly the religion of the people of java was brahminical, and when buddhism became the fashion of the east the new form was adopted. this continued till about four hundred years ago, when mohammedanism was introduced, and it has remained to this day; so that the greater part of the population at present are moslems. there are many traces of the former character of the people in the shape of monuments and ruins, some of them of great extent. in the eastern part of the island these remains are very abundant, and show that the ancient javanese had great artistic skill. [illustration: ancient bas-relief--java.] "few persons have any idea of the extent of these ruins, and their corresponding splendor. they are far more extensive than those of central america, and some travellers think they surpass the temple ruins of india. in the centre of java there is a mass of ruins where there were formerly twenty separate temples, and the largest of them is thought to have been ninety feet high. in another place there is a collection of no less than two hundred and ninety-six temples, all greatly ruined, but bearing evidence of a high class of art in their construction. sculptured figures are abundant, and the walls of forts, temples, houses, baths, and aqueducts can be distinctly traced. it is a pity that the government does not pay some attention to these ruins, and save them from decay. at present they are left to the action of the elements, which is very rapid in this tropical land. [illustration: a monster volcano.] "java is by no means a level island. there is a good deal of country sufficiently level for agricultural purposes, but the island has its full share of mountains, and no less than forty-six of them are volcanic. twenty of the volcanoes are active, and one of them is the second largest in the world--that of kilauea, in the sandwich islands, being the chief. it is known as the tenger mountain, and its crater is three miles in diameter, with a level bottom of sand, containing a dozen or more cones that are constantly smoking. the whole island is supposed to be of volcanic origin, and is subject to frequent earthquakes; so that the practice of building houses only one story high is a very sensible precaution. the island has a backbone of mountains, as the principal chain extends from one end of java to the other. there is another small chain near the south coast; and all over the island there are hot springs maintained by the fires far down in the ground. "we have already told of the trees and animals of java, as well as some other things. we will come as soon as we can to the topic that interests us more than any other--the relations between the natives and the dutch rulers. to do this intelligently, we must go back and see what the history of the island has been. "early in the seventeenth century the dutch began to trade with the native chiefs and people of java, and obtained permission to build a fort and trading post near the present site of batavia. in a little while they went to war with the natives; and by the end of the century had obtained considerable territory. from that time on they have had occasional difficulties, and each time when the war was ended the result has been that the position of the dutch was strengthened. "they had possession of the island till 1811, when england took it from them, and held it four years. then it was given back to holland by treaty, and has remained her peaceful possession ever since. "the principal exports are coffee, sugar, rice, indigo, spices, tin, pepper, india-rubber, cinnamon, tea, camphor, rattans, and various other things; and the aggregate amount of the trade is very great. down to the time of the restoration by the english, the expense of maintaining java had been quite as great as the revenue from it; and it was this fact that made the english willing to give it up. if they had known that it would be made to yield a net revenue of five million dollars a year, over and above the expense of maintaining the local government, they would have thought twice before surrendering it. "the genius of one man--general johannes van den bosch, governor-general and commissary-general of the dutch east indies, from 1830 to 1834--brought about this result, and made java the most profitable colony that any country has ever known. "and he not only made it profitable to holland, but prosperous for its inhabitants; while they enriched the rulers, they were themselves enriched. anybody who has money may benefit the poor at his own expense, but it takes a man of genius to confer an equal benefit on the poor, and make something for himself or his employers out of the transaction. such a man was general van den bosch. [illustration: peasant farm-houses.] "down to 1830, the expenditure to maintain the dutch government in java was a steady burden on the treasury of holland, as it was greater than the revenue from the island. general van den bosch was sent out in that year with plans of his own for making java profitable; but there were many who considered him a visionary schemer, whose experiments were sure to result in disastrous failure. he proposed to offer liberal terms to the respectable europeans in java for cultivating the soil, and producing such things as were needed in europe. he further proposed to make the peasants who lived on the government lands plant a certain portion of those lands with crops needed in europe, and which the government would buy of them at a certain fixed rate. his scheme was shaped to cover the following principles: "1. profit to the peasant, to make the new system acceptable. "2. profit to the contractor, to induce its extension by private enterprise. "3. a percentage to the officials, to secure their active support. "4. personal interest of the village community in its success, so as to secure careful cultivation. "5. improvement in the tax-payer's means, in order to increase the revenue and facilitate its payment.[3] [3] for much of the information concerning the culture-system of general van den bosch and its results, the author is indebted to the excellent and exhaustive work of mr. j. w. b. money, entitled "java; or, how to manage a colony." "the plan for making advances to the contractors was carried out by crediting each one with the money estimated necessary to start his manufactory; and he was expected to apply it under government supervision to the construction of his mill, and placing it in working order. it was loaned to him for twelve years, without interest; but he was expected to repay a tenth of it the third year, and a similar amount in each succeeding year till the whole amount was repaid. many persons refused the proposal, but there were others who gladly accepted it, and went to work at once. [illustration: home of a prosperous contractor.] "it was further provided that the government would advance to the contractor, at the beginning of every season, the money necessary to produce his crop; and this advance was to be repaid out of the crop when it was gathered. there were many details of the plan which would require too much space to describe, and they were varied from time to time in order to make them as practicable as possible. besides--" "stop a moment," said frank, when they had reached this point. "don't you think we are making this part of our story a little too heavy? i am afraid mary and miss effie, and the rest of the young folks in our families, may not enjoy it." "perhaps not," replied fred; "but then, you know, the whole family is to read our letters, and i am sure the subject will be very interesting to my father, and to yours too. and i think you will find the younger folks will like it, because it will teach them something of what is called political economy. every intelligent boy and girl in america wants to know about the science of government; the history of the colonial government of java is very interesting to both of us, and i believe we had better assume that it will be equally so to persons of our age at home. so go ahead, if you please, and if anybody doesn't want to read what we have written, he may skip it." work was resumed without further discussion. [illustration: coffee-plantation in the mountains.] "down to the time we are considering the chief product of the soil tilled by the javanese peasants was rice. general van den bosch proposed to have them cultivate coffee, sugar, and other articles that commanded a ready sale in europe; and, as the government would buy the crop at a certain fixed price on the spot, the peasant would have a market at his door, and feel certain that he would not be robbed by middle-men and commission merchants, as is too often the case in other countries besides java. the price paid by government was sufficient to make a fair return for the labor employed in making the crop, and at the same time low enough to allow a handsome profit when it was sold in holland." "that explains something i have never before understood," said fred, as he laid aside his pen for a moment. "what is that?" frank inquired. [illustration: "old government java."] "why, we often read in the papers at home about the price of 'old government java coffee.' it is the coffee the government buys of the producer, and then sells in the market." "exactly so," frank responded. "that bit of information will interest a good many boys in america." "and men too," chimed in the doctor, who was sitting in an arm-chair close at hand, and watching the clouds as they rolled over the mountain in the background of the view from the veranda. "i want to know," said frank, "how the enterprising general proposed to compel the people to work in the fields and cultivate the crops, when they might spend their time under the trees, and pluck the fruit when they needed it to supply their wants." [illustration: a javanese chief.] "mr. money says," answered fred, "that the general made a careful study of the relations between the people and their native rulers. he found a patriarchal form of government, the villages being ruled by their chosen chiefs; several villages forming a sort of district, and several districts united into a province or principality. it was the policy of general van den bosch to take this organization as he found it; and, instead of over-throwing the native rulers, he would strengthen them, and make it for their interest, and that of their subjects, to be on friendly terms with the dutch. this policy was adopted, and it is carried out to this day. "now, under the old system of government, before the dutch came to java, the peasant was required to give one-fifth of his labor gratuitously in return for the rent of the land, which was considered to be the property of the prince. when the dutch captured a region, they claimed that they had captured the prince, and not the people, and that the revenues belonged to them as the conquerors. in some of the provinces the dutch hold possession by treaty, and not by conquest; and the revenues continue to go to the prince as before. to develop the producing capacities of the country, they made an estimate of the quantity of any given article that each district ought to raise under proper management, and then they required the native ruler of the district to see that there was the proper production. allowance was made for bad seasons, or other calamities; and if the production fell short, without any assignable cause, the ruler found his revenues cut off. the government bought the product, as we have already seen, and made its profit. the prince had his revenue and was happy, and the same was the case with the subordinate chiefs. the peasant was rewarded for his labor; and, as he had no more tax to pay than under the old system, he had nothing to complain of. "the crown-lands, or those obtained by conquest, were the ones let out to contractors. they were generally on long leases, so that the contractor was encouraged to make improvements; and the result is that cultivation by private management has been greatly increased, and large fortunes have been made in many instances. the government takes its rental by receiving a share of the crops; and it watches over the relations between the lessee and his laborers, to see that neither practices any imposition on the other. each must keep his agreement, under severe penalties, and the whole system is said to work very smoothly. "the dutch officials all over the island have no dealings with the natives except through their own rulers. the native princes have the title of regents, and the authority of each is supreme in his district as long as he carries out the policy of the government. a dutch resident or assistant-resident lives near each regent, and is considered to be his 'elder brother,' who advises the younger what to do. he frequently makes recommendations to the regent, though he never gives orders; but it is pretty clearly understood that he expects the recommendation to be adopted. the resident has a few subordinate europeans, who go through the district at regular intervals, and visit every village it contains. they talk with the lower native rulers, examine the proceedings of the native courts, investigate the condition of the government plantations, hear the complaints of the people against their head men, or petty chiefs, and listen to any suggestions that are offered. disputes are settled in the local courts without the intervention of a dutch official; but in case of dissatisfaction they may be appealed to the district court, and, if not settled there, they may be carried to the highest courts of the island. [illustration: an improved sugar estate.] "there is a very efficient police system all through java, and by means of it, added to the employment of the people in honest industry, the amount of crime has been enormously reduced in the past fifty years. every man, woman, and child in java is registered, and each village chief is made responsible to a certain extent for the conduct of his subjects. an offence against the law can be readily traced, and if the village or its chief are at fault, a fine is assessed upon them. consequently everybody in a village is directly interested in seeing that everybody else behaves properly. "well, to sum up the results of the dutch system of culture in java, we can say as follows: "from being an expense to holland, the island now yields an annual revenue of more than five millions of dollars to the royal treasury, after paying all the costs of the colonial rule. the expenses of the latter are by no means small, as the salaries of the officials are on a liberal scale. the governor-general receives $100,000 a year, besides $60,000 additional for entertainments. it is said that the latter figure pays nearly all his expenses, so that he can, if he chooses, lay aside $100,000 a year for a rainy day. a resident in a province receives $10,000, in addition to free rent of house and all surrounding buildings, and an allowance for extras. the subordinate officials are paid in proportion; so that nobody is obliged to rob the government or the people in order to make an honest living. [illustration: retainers of a javanese regent.] "crime and litigation have been so reduced that the sittings of the local courts do not average thirty days a year. "formerly there was much poverty and suffering in java; now nearly every man, woman, and child appears to be well fed and clothed, and a beggar is a very rare sight. "the import and export trade have been increased fourfold, in spite of the protective policy, which is the necessary attendant of the java culture system. "the population has more than trebled in sixty years, and promises to increase in the same ratio, unless interrupted by some great calamity. "those who have travelled in both java and india say that the contrast in the conditions of the two countries is something enormous. in java there is hardly any indication of poverty, and the public works are all in excellent shape; while in india the reverse is the case. want and degradation are visible everywhere, and the traveller has daily and hourly appeals for charity. famines are frequent in india, and in the year 1877 more than a million people died of starvation in bengal and madras. famines are virtually unknown in java, and in case of a general drought to cut off the crops, relief could be carried promptly to all parts of the island by means of the excellent roads that the dutch have constructed. "there is a great deal more that we might say, but it is getting near bed-time, and we will stop for the present. the wind sets our candle in a flicker, and it is 'guttering' in a way that threatens to extinguish it altogether. good-night!" [illustration: "good-night."] chapter xxviii. rice culture in java.--military and social matters. bright and early the next morning the boys were out for a visit to a place where there was a spring of remarkably cold water. it was about two miles from buitenzorg, and the road leading to it ran through a palm forest and among rice-fields. they had an opportunity to see the care with which the javanese till their land. the hilly ground is laid out in terraces, one above another, and when the water has performed its work in one place, it goes to the terrace next below; thus it is made to do duty over and over again. there are large reservoirs where water can be stored in the wet season, and kept for the period when the rain-fall ceases. by close attention to the needs of the soil and the peculiarities of the climate, the javanese are able to make their land extremely productive, and a failure of crops is a very rare occurrence. on much of the rice-land they grow two crops a year. [illustration: the house at the spring.] the spring was of goodly size, and flowed into a pool fifty or sixty feet across. a house had been erected at one side of this pool, and was overshadowed by banana and cocoa trees; it had a lot of dressing-rooms, where the boys were not long in donning the proper costume for a bath. they shivered somewhat when they first entered the water; but the shock did not last long, and then they found the sensation was most delicious. the place was in charge of a chinese, who demanded a most exorbitant price for the use of the bath and a few bananas and mangosteens that were ordered. when they offered a low sum, he bowed, and seemed to say that, if he could not have what he wanted, he would take what they offered, which was a good deal more than he deserved. on their return they had a different view of the rice-fields, and fred made note of the fact that when you look upwards on a lot of rice-fields you see nothing but a series of terraces, while, looking downwards, you seem to be gazing on a lake. while the water is on the flats, the ground is stirred with a harrow drawn by a pair of buffaloes; the rice is sown, and as soon as the plants are of the requisite height the surplus ones are taken out and transplanted. the crop is then started, and the farmer has little to do till the time of harvest, beyond taking care that his fields have plenty of water. when the harvest is made, the paddy--as the uncleaned rice is called--is cut and taken to the mill. rice-mills are abundant in java; some are run by steam, many by water, and many small ones by horses and buffaloes. the rice-mill is quite simple, and consists of a shaft like a ship's capstan and four projecting arms. each arm has a wheel at the end, and as the shaft goes round the wheels revolve in a circular groove containing the rice to be cleaned. the wheel removes the husk, and when this is done a winnowing-mill separates the rice from the chaff or trash. this is the whole operation. the rice-mill of to-day is practically what it was a hundred years ago. the dutch have introduced farming implements of the european pattern on some of the estates, but the natives do not generally take kindly to the innovation. they prefer the old form of ploughs which have been in use from ancient days, and think that what was good for their fathers is good for them. frank made a sketch of a primitive plough; it had a single handle, and its point could only scratch a furrow in the soil without turning it over. [illustration: pounding coffee.] at one place they saw a native engaged in pounding coffee in a large mortar, to separate the berry from the hull. he had a heavy pestle which he held in both hands, and the perspiration standing on his face showed that the labor was not one of pure pleasure. on all the large coffee estates improved machinery is in use for the preparation of the product. the berry as it comes from the tree is about the size of an english walnut; the bean is enclosed in a thick husk, and the great point in the preparation is to remove the husk without injuring the bean. pounding by hand is likely to damage the bean by breaking it, and when this is done the market value of the coffee is considerably reduced. inventors have studied the problem, and a good many machines have been devised to accomplish the desired separation. the most successful one thus far is the invention of an englishman in ceylon, and his machines are in use all over the coffee-producing world. [illustration: dutch overseers.] he has called the principle of specific gravity to his aid, and made it very useful. the coffee-berry floats on water, as the husk is very light, but the bean by itself sinks to the bottom. a stream of water floats the berries along a narrow channel, and feeds them automatically into a groove where two plates of copper revolve in opposite directions about half an inch apart. these plates crush the berry, but do not injure the bean; the husk and bean together are carried to a trough, where the bean sinks and is caught in a tub, while the useless husk floats away to whatever distance the water is made to carry it. the coffee is then spread out on a platform and dried in the sun, and it is afterwards sorted, winnowed, and made ready for market. the work is supervised by dutch overseers, but all the manual labor is performed by natives. on returning from their ride, and while at breakfast, the boys had a conversation with one of the gentlemen whose acquaintance they had made during the rainy afternoons on the veranda. fred was curious to know why he did not hear a single native speaking dutch or english, but confining himself strictly to malay. "that is easily explained," said the gentleman. "it is the policy of the dutch not to teach their language to the natives, but they require all their own officials to learn malay. they have a school or college in holland, at the old town of delft, which was established in 1842, for the express purpose of fitting young men for the east indian service. before they can graduate, the students must pass an examination in the usual college studies, and also in the malay language, mohammedan justice and laws, and in a knowledge of the country and nations of netherlands india. of course they are not expected to speak the malay language fluently on leaving college, but they know a good deal of it when they land here, and are expected to know more before they have been long in java. if they are not able to converse easily in malay by the end of a couple of years, they are liable to be sent home. this makes them study hard, and renders them far more useful than if they could talk only in dutch. "you see how it works," he continued. "the dutch officials can talk and write in their own language with very little fear that the natives can understand a word; but no native can write or say anything that every dutch official cannot comprehend at once. on several occasions they have been able to nip conspiracies in the bud by this advantage, particularly at the time of the great mutiny in india. then they do not encourage missionaries to labor among the natives; they argue that the natives are quite content with the religion they have, and it would interfere with their labor in the field to become interested in christianity. and if a missionary should open a school to teach any other language than malay, and endeavored to tell the principles of any european or american religion to the natives, he would be very liable to receive a notice to leave the island at an early date." a company of soldiers marched past the hotel while the party was at breakfast. after looking at them, fred inquired, "how large an army do they keep here, and how is it composed?" "the number of troops in the field, or on duty in garrisons, varies from time to time," was the reply, "and therefore an account of the army at one date is not altogether good for another. the army is composed, like that of india, partly of native and partly of european soldiers. the native force is exclusively mohammedan, and is filled up by voluntary enlistments, never by conscriptions. the european portion is also voluntary, and the conscript troops in the army in holland are never sent to java. the infantry is divided into field battalions and garrison battalions, and the soldiers in each battalion are one-third european and two-thirds native. each battalion contains six companies, the two flank companies consisting of european soldiers, and the four centre companies of natives. the native companies are composed of the different mohammedan tribes and sects from all parts of netherlands india, all mixed together, so that there shall never be a large majority of one kind of people in the same battalion." "that is a very shrewd arrangement," said frank, "as it prevents a mutiny by making it impossible for a whole battalion to have a common grievance." [illustration: foot-bridge over a mountain stream.] "not only that," the gentleman replied, "but it facilitates the movement of the troops; and the dutch say that their principal object in making the battalions in this way was in consequence of the character of the service. the dutch east indies are of great extent, and it is often necessary to make marches where there are no roads, and the few bridges that exist are only intended for persons on foot. consequently, they can never move their troops in large bodies, owing to the difficulty of carrying provisions. each battalion under the present system has the means of transporting its own provisions, ammunition, and light mountain guns where there are no roads, as the native soldiers can act as porters, while the europeans compose the fighting force in case an enemy is encountered. "all the commissioned officers are europeans, and in each native company two of the four sergeants and four of the eight corporals must be europeans; and some of them live in the barrack-rooms with the native soldiers. the european companies in each battalion have barracks separate from the natives, but close at hand; and whenever any of the soldiers of the native companies are sent on duty, they are accompanied by a proportionate number of europeans. there is a difference in the pay and food of the european and native soldiers; but in all other respects they are treated as nearly alike as possible. "there is a free school attached to each battalion for the education of both adults and children; the soldiers are urged to attend it, and their children are required to do so. every officer of the battalion, whether commissioned or non-commissioned, who has any peculiar knowledge, is required to give it to the school; and any soldier of the battalion who has a talent for instructing can be appointed an assistant-teacher in the school, and be relieved from duties that are purely military--except in time of war. all soldiers, whether native or european, can have their wives and children with them, except when on active service in the field." fred thought the java soldier had an easy time of it. frank thought so too; and asked if he had any more privileges than those that had been named. "yes," was the reply; "there is the privilege of a house and garden." "what!" said one of the boys, "a house and garden for soldiers in the army!" [illustration: rewards for good conduct.] "certainly," responded their informant; "when a regiment is not quartered in the city, the soldiers are rewarded for good conduct by receiving a plot of ground near the barracks, with the privilege of building a hut. european and native are treated alike in this respect; and it has been found the greatest incentive to good conduct. the man spends his time with his family in the cultivation of his garden when he is not on duty--which is by far the larger part of the day. he returns to the barracks at night, and his family may remain in the hut or go with him to the military quarters. [illustration: pirate prisoners on a colonial gun-boat.] "but i haven't told you how large the army of java is. ordinarily, there are about twenty-five thousand men of all arms; but at present the number is greater, owing to the war in sumatra, which requires an extra force. the infantry is the most important branch of the service, and is composed as i have told you. the engineers consist of europeans and natives mixed together in the same companies; the artillery has european gunners and native riders, and the cavalry are nearly all europeans. there is a colonial navy with several gun-boats, which are generally occupied in seeing that the pirates throughout the archipelago are kept in proper subjection. and there is also a militia force, which is only to be called on in emergencies: it consists of a cavalry and an infantry corps; and every european living in java, whether dutchman or other foreigner, must belong to the militia or the fire-brigade." the boys thought this was a severe regulation; but they changed their minds when told that the militia-service was very slight, and a man might be a member of the fire-brigade for years without any call being made for his assistance. the europeans in the interior are exempt from service, except in cases of special emergency; and those living in the cities are not often called upon. englishmen and others have complained of the requirement to do militia and fire-brigade service, but are met with the reply which cannot be easily answered: "if you don't like the laws and customs of java, you had better emigrate." "the dutch rulers of java do not pretend they are occupying the country for any other purpose than to make money out of it. they never talk about their great mission of civilizing and enlightening the benighted people of the east, as the english do in india; and whenever anybody is disposed to find fault with them, they say to him without hesitation, 'if you don't like things as you find them here, you would do well to leave. the steamer will start for singapore in a few days, and you are at liberty to take passage at once.' [illustration: passport office.] "you must have a passport on landing in java, or, if you have none, the consul of your country must vouch for you. you must get a permission to travel in the interior; it is very rarely refused, and only when the authorities are satisfied that you have the intention of doing harm." frank asked what it would be necessary to do in case he desired to remain permanently, and become an inhabitant of java. "you can stay here six weeks," was the reply, "without any formalities beyond the ordinary permission of the police, which costs nothing. but if you want to live here you must apply for permission on a printed form, and have two householders of the place where you are to endorse your application. if there is no objection to your staying, the desired document will be granted by the governor-general, and the fees and stamps connected with it will cost you about forty dollars of american money." "does every foreigner who comes here to live have to pay forty dollars?" fred inquired. "that is the law," answered his informant; "but the permission is never refused, unless the authorities suspect that the applicant intends to disturb the public peace, or when he is unable to obtain the necessary securities. the result is, that the foreign population of java is of a better class than you find in most other parts of the east; the adventurers who have not a dollar in their pockets, and expect to make a living by means more or less questionable, do not come here. the chinese are very numerous in java; more than a quarter of a million are settled here; but they are of a better class than the majority of those who go to san francisco, and they give very little trouble to the authorities. the security is required to protect the government against the applicant becoming a pauper, and to vouch for his good behavior; but it has no reference to private debts, which are treated just like private debts everywhere else. [illustration: ordered out of the country.] "the government also reserves the right to send anybody out of the country in case he becomes troublesome, even after he has received permission to reside here. the rule applies to a citizen of holland the same as to any other foreigner, but it is very rarely exercised, and only when all other means of adjusting the difficulty have failed. the local governors have the power of ordering anybody to leave their districts, if he has been found guilty of treating the natives improperly, and the governor-general may restrict the movements of any individual whenever he thinks the good of the colony requires it." fred wished to know if a foreigner could hold land in java like any subject of the king of holland, and was answered in the negative. "what a monstrous injustice!" he replied. doctor bronson laughed at his nephew's remark, and the latter turned towards him with an inquiring look on his face. "you may not be aware," said the doctor, "that an alien in the united states is unable to hold real estate, and i believe that the same is the case in great britain." "in that view of the matter," said fred, "java is not so bad as i thought it was. but can a foreigner be naturalized here, as in england and america, and then hold property?" "certainly," responded the gentleman; "and the time of residence in java before naturalization is the same as in your own country--six years. when he becomes a citizen, he has the same rights as a dutchman, but until that time he labors under various disadvantages. the dutch theory is that all the good things in java belong to themselves, and if a foreigner chooses to live here and not become a citizen, he must be satisfied with any crumbs that happen to be lying around." "i have before told you," he continued, "that the dutch discourage all attempts of the natives to learn the languages of holland and the rest of europe, and are not inclined to teach them anything that is distinctively european. i know a native of high rank who went to europe and spent several years there; when he returned he could speak dutch, english, and french quite fluently, and was proud of his accomplishments. but he has told me that whenever he spoke to a dutch official or to a private citizen in any european language, he was always answered in malay, and if he tried to continue the conversation in any other than the latter tongue it was soon brought to an end. while the dutch treat the natives kindly, and will not allow any imposition upon them, they are very particular about anything that would bring a european below a native. for instance, they will not permit a native to have a european servant, no matter how high the rank of the former, and how low the latter. "no native would dare to drive out with a european coachman on any of the public streets, nor with a european on the front seat of his carriage, while he occupied the back one. if a european soldier or sailor becomes drunk in public, he is instantly arrested by the police, in order that his conduct may not degrade the white race in the eyes of the natives. several years ago a native regent obtained the consent of a dutch girl to marry him; her family was poor, and her social rank was low, but when he asked the permission of government for his marriage it was promptly refused, and he was dismissed from his office. "the dutch idea in this whole matter is that the oriental never respects his equals, but only his superiors. consequently they hold that in all social relations they can best serve their own interests and those of the natives by holding themselves to be the superiors, as they are by right of conquest. at the same time, they endeavor to give the native no cause of complaint against them. if a dutch master maltreats a servant, the latter can have his wrongs redressed in the nearest police court; and if the master is found guilty, he is subject to a heavy fine. a merchant who endeavors to defraud a native is in hot water very speedily; and if he becomes notorious for attempts to enrich himself by this kind of dishonesty, his troubles will increase at a very rapid rate." "but if one foreigner attempts to cheat another," said frank, "does the government feel called on to interfere?" "that is quite another affair," was the reply; "commercial matters between foreigners are exactly like the same transactions in other countries, and the courts exist for the administration of justice, the enforcement of contracts, and other contingencies of trade, in java as in england and america." [illustration: no admittance.] chapter xxix. a post ride in java.--from buitenzorg to bandong. as soon as they had exhausted buitenzorg and the sights of the neighborhood, the doctor suggested to frank and fred that they should make a journey into the interior. they had not time to undertake the tour of the whole island, but they wished to go beyond the line of the railway, and learn by practical experience about the system of posting for which java was famous. before the introduction of railways java was supplied with excellent roads from one end of the island to the other, which were begun by marshal daendels in the early part of this century, and continued by the dutch rulers since 1816. then there are numerous cross-roads, so that nearly all parts of the country are accessible by wagon or carriage. on the principal routes the lines are double, one being intended for carriages and horses, and the other for cattle. the cattle roads are like the ordinary country road in america; but the carriage-way is macadamized, and admits of rapid travelling. on the whole, the system is quite as good as that which prevailed in europe before the establishment of the railway; and when it is remembered that the interior of java is very hilly, and cut up with numerous streams, the magnitude of the work which has been accomplished under the equator will be more readily understood. the arrangements for posting were made with the assistance of the landlord of the hotel, who told them that it might take a day or two to find a carriage that could be hired. the dutch and other foreign inhabitants generally own the carriages in which they travel; and when a stranger wishes to traverse the island, it is customary for him to buy a carriage, and sell it on reaching the end of his journey. when you want to buy a carriage, you find the vehicles are scarce and dear; and when you want to sell, the market is glutted with them. a good carriage for posting will cost between three and four hundred dollars; and if it can be sold at a loss of one hundred dollars when the traveller is done with it, he may consider himself lucky. the journey that our friends intended to make was to last less than a week, and they hired a carriage for which they were to pay twenty-five dollars for that time, and be responsible for any damages that might happen to it. frank thought the owner would make a good business if he could find steady occupation for his vehicle at that rate; but the landlord informed him that the carriages were idle more than half the time, and sometimes there were weeks together when no customer appeared. [illustration: starting on the journey.] early one morning the conveyance drew up in front of the hotel, and the three travellers entered and took their seats. the carriage was a very comfortable one, with seats for four persons inside, a dickey or servant's seat behind, and a box under the coachman where baggage could be stowed. there were four horses, harnessed in european style, with a coachman dressed in white, and wearing a hat that reminded the boys of japan and china. there were three footmen or grooms, who ran along-side the carriage to whip the horses, and make themselves generally useful; and when everything was going well they rode on a standing place intended for them on the rear of the vehicle. frank observed, as the journey continued, that these fellows were the most accomplished whip-crackers in the world; and fred remarked that the best ring-master in an american circus would hide his head in shame, if he should listen to them for a few minutes. he understood the trick of the business when told that the footmen practise whip-snapping from boyhood, and at one station where they changed horses there was a man engaged in teaching a group of boys the principles of the art. he had a practical way of instructing them, as he followed each failure with a crack of the whip on the boy's shoulders. [illustration: by the roadside.] there was some trouble at starting, as the horses were fresh and inclined to be "balky," and one of them indulged in a private kicking-match that did not promise well for rapid progress on the journey. however, the performance did not last long; and when they were under way they rattled along in fine style. [illustration: lodgings of the stable-men.] posting in java is expensive, as the hire of teams and drivers is nearly a dollar a mile. then the drivers and footmen expect gratuities at the end of their journey, and there are other fees to be paid at several places. in return for this high price, the service is excellent. notice must be given beforehand, and the time of starting must be fixed. a courier is sent along to all the stations, and when the carriage arrives where the relay is to be taken, the new horses are found ready harnessed and waiting, so that the delay does not occupy more than two or three minutes. the stations are from five to seven or eight miles apart, and the teams go at the greatest speed. at each station there is a native official, and sometimes a european one; and there are plenty of drivers, runners, and attendants, who sleep and wait in open sheds in the rear of the stable. at each station there is a large shed extending over the road, and connecting the stables on each side. the carriage halts under this shed, so that the traveller is protected from the heat of the sun in dry weather, or the moisture when it rains. there are the facilities for making a lunch at nearly all the stations, as the keeper can supply hot water for tea and coffee, and a liberal quantity of milk and fresh eggs. with these things, and some cold chicken or other meat from the stopping-place of the previous night, a slice or two of bread, and the fruit that abounds everywhere, the traveller must be very fastidious if he cannot satisfy the hunger which the ride through the pure air of java is sure to give him. the journal of the expedition was kept by the boys, with occasional suggestions from the doctor. every moment that they could spare from sight-seeing was devoted to the history of their journey in java; and during their halts at the stations, some of the keepers thought the two youths were inspectors sent out by the government to report on the condition of the postal-service, as they made such vigorous use of their pens. one station-keeper was extra polite, and brought out a bottle of schnapps in their honor; their prompt refusal of the proffered courtesy confirmed his belief in their inquisitorial character, though it raised doubts as to their genuineness as dutch officials. "but they are yet very young," he remarked, with a shake of the head, as the carriage drove away; "they will not refuse schnapps when they grow older." we will make a few extracts from the journal, which subsequently gave much delight to the bassett and bronson families: [illustration: just imported.] "we are having a jolly ride through java, and shall be very sorry when it comes to an end. it is hot in the middle of the day, but delicious at other times; and anybody who could not enjoy this sort of travel must be very hard to please. some of the way we have made ten miles an hour, and the little horses come in smoking and panting when we get to a station, and are ready for a change. the horses are mostly java ponies, but there are many from the island of celebes, and other parts of the dutch east indies. they are tough little animals, about twelve or thirteen hands high, and capable of great endurance; and the consumption of horse-flesh is so great, that enough of them are not raised in java to supply the demand. "when we left the hotel at buitenzorg this morning, we took with us the materials for our breakfast, so as to save the delay of having it prepared at one of the inns. we stopped at the second station on the road, and were as hungry as one could wish; and when we pointed to our basket and motioned that we wanted to eat, we were referred to a shop kept by a chinese, close by the post-station. we went there, as the shop had better facilities for our meal than the station; john was all smiles, and showed us to a table in the middle of his front room. he was married and settled in the country, as he had a javanese wife; and there were two or three children, with javanese complexions and chinese eyes, playing around the door. and what do you think we found in his shop to remind us of home? "we wanted something to piece out the provisions we had brought from buitenzorg, and so we examined the shelves of the establishment. the first thing we fell upon was a can of american oysters, with the familiar name of the firm that packed them. then we found a can of peaches and another of pigs' feet, and we kept on with our inventory of things from our side of the world till we had a dozen or more of them on our list. with the oysters and the peaches to add to the stock from the hotel, we made a capital breakfast, and went away happy. we had some difficulty in paying our bill, as we could speak no common language. john finally set the matter right by counting out from his box the money we should pay, and spreading it on the table before us; we put down a similar amount, and he was satisfied. he ought to have been, as i am sure he cheated us; but then those who travel in a country where they do not speak the language must expect to pay for their ignorance. "we have met people on horseback and in common wagons; and in several instances the men on horseback were followed by coolies carrying baggage. we are told that is the way the young men who wish to avoid expense travel in java--as the cost of horse and coolies is less than a twelfth of the expense of posting. they also have palanquins for the cross-roads, though not on the great highways; but they are not suited to people who wish to get over the ground rapidly. posting is by all odds the most rapid way of travelling, but at the same time it is terribly dear. "we find that many of the roadside shops, near the stopping-places, are kept by chinese; and the chinese really seem to have a great deal to do with the business of java. a gentleman at buitenzorg said that the chinese had a large amount of property in java, and they could hold real estate like anybody else as soon as they became citizens. he said there were half a million chinese in java, and, as the government compelled everybody to pay nearly forty dollars on coming here to live, they had a better class of chinese than we have in america. the chinese have established several branches of manufacture in java like those they have at home; and the gentleman showed us some enamel-work which he said was made in batavia by chinese workmen. we have certainly never seen anything finer than this, and i doubt if they produce anything in canton or peking that can surpass it. "in spite of the high price of posting in java, it is said that the business does not pay. the government is at a heavy expense to maintain the roads and stations, and to keep the service in proper order. the argument of the government is that it is of the greatest importance to keep the means of transportation and travel in the best possible condition; and though it may not pay of itself, it is of great advantage indirectly. they have certainly spent enormous amounts of money on their roads and posting system; and they are too shrewd to continue to throw away their cash on an unprofitable enterprise. "the road rises steadily from buitenzorg, though there are several places where we were able to gallop our horses, and go along at the best possible pace. after the second station we found ourselves in the mountains; and the way was so steep that we had seven horses instead of four for some miles. then we came to a place where it was necessary to put oxen ahead of the horses to help them up the hills, which were so steep that we could only go at a slow walk. we perceived that the air was colder; and on some of the mountains we thought we could see snow, but were not sure. in the highest parts of the country ice forms in the coldest nights, but never to more than a slight thickness, and only a few times in the course of the year. [illustration: the waiter at sindinglaya.] "we reached a point which was said to be two thousand five hundred feet above the sea, and then had a descent of a few miles to sindinglaya, where we found a very comfortable hotel. we had a good dinner here--at least good for java. the cooks of java are not the best in the world, if we are to judge by what we have seen on the road. the government has established inns every forty or fifty miles along its principal roads; they are in charge of europeans, who receive a salary for keeping the place in proper condition, at a scale of prices which is posted in every room, and is not at all unreasonable. our waiter was a little malay boy, who moved around as gracefully as a queen, and twice as dignified. [illustration: sleepng-room in the sanitarium.] "there is a sanitarium or health resort at sindinglaya, where the government sends its officers when they suffer from fever, and need to be restored by the cool air of the mountains. in addition to the official one, there are several unofficial hotels; and a good many europeans living in batavia endeavor to spend a few weeks there every year for the sake of their health. the situation is charming, as it is quite surrounded by mountains, and anybody who is fond of climbing can have abundant enjoyment and exercise during his residence in this spot. "we rattled on over the same excellent road, and passed a goodly number of villages that presented a very pretty appearance. they are laid out in regular streets in most cases, and the houses are generally surrounded with trees that almost conceal them from view. the dwellings in these villages are always of a single story in height, and their roofs are covered with thatch or red tiles. each house stands in a yard, or 'campong,' by itself, and is enclosed by a hedge sufficiently thick and high to keep out all intruding cows or other animals. the hedge is neatly clipped, and frequently covered with bright flowers; besides the dwelling of the owner, the enclosure generally contains several store-houses for grain, and a stable with a brick floor. in some places these villages seem to extend for miles, and tell more plainly than words that the country is thickly peopled and prosperous. when the dutch first came here, the villages were dirty, and it was difficult to teach the natives any habits of cleanliness. finally, the new rulers made a law requiring every native to keep his grounds clean, and his house properly swept and in order, under penalty of a fine; and they also announced that the character of a chief or regent would be rated according to the condition of his villages. it did not take long for the natives to learn the advantages of cleanliness; and now it is said that there is no occasion for the law, as they voluntarily give much time and attention to the improvement of their houses and gardens. "we reached bandong, about a hundred miles from buitenzorg, without the slightest accident or delay. the road is level for a good part of the way as bandong is approached; there is a wide plain here, about two thousand four hundred feet above the sea, and surrounded by high mountains. java contains three of these plains--bandong, solo, and kediri--and they are wonderfully fertile. there is an immense quantity of rice raised here, and some say that bandong is the best rice-growing district in java; at all events, we have seen nothing like it. [illustration: a mountain cascade.] "we were constantly attracted by the beauty of the scenery, which cannot be described in words. at one place there was a cascade tumbling down from the mountains, and it was so pretty that we stopped the carriage to admire it, and make a sketch that would preserve its outlines. the foot of it was lost in the spray that rose like a cloud, and at one point where we stood the water seemed to be pouring from the sky. in the dry season this fall disappears altogether, but when the rains are abundant it has a full supply of water--a very necessary adjunct for a cascade. [illustration: javanese boys.] "as we passed through the villages, groups of children stared at us, and occasionally an urchin turned a somersault, in the hope of securing a few coppers in recognition of his activity. sometimes these children were very scantily clothed, and occasionally there was one carrying a baby, nearly as large as himself, in the fold of a shawl wound round the shoulders. several times we threw them some money, and it was interesting to see them scramble for it. they are very active, sprightly little fellows, and when they jumped into the dusty road they made a cloud that almost hid them from view. "bandong, the town, is a pretty place, with wide streets finely gravelled, and kept in the best order. there are cocoa-palms and other tropical trees along each side of nearly every street, and they are so numerous, and their foliage is so thick, that when you look down a street you can hardly see a single house. the houses are like those already described; and as they spread over a large area, they give you an impression that the inhabitants of java are unwilling to be restricted in elbow-room. "the regent of the district resides here, and so does the resident, as the principal dutch official is called. as before explained, the resident holds a higher rank than the regent; but he is the only person who does, and all the orders for the government of the natives come from the regent and his officers. the regent is appointed by the dutch, but he always belongs to the most powerful noble family in the region where he is to serve, and he holds office for life, unless removed for improper conduct. the regent of bandong is the son of the prince who ruled here before the dutch conquest, and who accepted the appointment of regent, which he held till his death. he is very rich, as he has a share of the revenue from the rice grown in bandong, and he lives in splendid style. he has a european house, where he entertains foreign guests; and close by it is his malay residence, intended only for himself and family, and for javanese visitors. foreigners are admitted very rarely to the native palace, but those who have been there say it is luxuriously furnished in truly javanese style. the regent is on the best of terms with the resident, and they often go out together to the races and on hunting excursions; the regent frequently gives parties in his european house, and on such occasions all the foreigners in the town and vicinity are invited, and are treated with the greatest civility." chapter xxx. visiting a tea plantation.--preparation of tea. we will continue to make extracts from the journal kept by frank and fred concerning their journey in java. "we have already told about the coffee that is grown in java, and how it is sold on government account. some of the finest coffee estates on the island are in the bandong district, and nearly all of them are at an elevation of two thousand feet and more above the sea. coffee will not grow to any advantage in the lowlands near the coast, and very little of it is cultivated there. it needs a high altitude, and some of the plantations are four thousand feet up in the air. above the last-named elevation tea takes the place of coffee; and it has been found in the last few years that tea will grow in java on the tops of the highest mountains, provided there is sufficient soil for the roots of the plant to find a holding-place. "we have been to a coffee estate about ten miles from bandong, and spent a day there very pleasantly. as before stated, the coffee-trees are cultivated, and the berries gathered, by native laborers under foreign supervision; the process of separating the bean from its husk has been described, and so has the system by which the government buys the coffee from the native producer, and makes a handsome profit on the investment. [illustration: train of coffee-carts.] "our ride to the plantation was a slow one, as we had an uphill road most of the way, and our horses were assisted by oxen. we met several trains of coffee-carts coming down to the plain on their way to the railway terminus; it is fortunate that the coffee is carried down rather than up hill, as its cost in the latter case would be enormously increased. a cart carrying from one thousand to one thousand five hundred pounds of coffee can be easily drawn by a pair of oxen coming down the road, while the same beasts have all they can do to take the empty cart home again. as the carts wound through the tropical forest, they presented a very picturesque appearance with their barefooted drivers, and occasionally we could see the black eyes of a javanese woman peering out from under the matting that sheltered the bags from sun and rain. "the gentleman who had charge of the plantation we visited wished us to stay a few days and indulge in a deer-hunt, but we could not spare the time. deer are numerous in this part of the island, and those who are fond of sport can have an abundance of it if they are in java in the right time of the year. if you want larger game than deer, you can hunt the rhinoceros and wild bull; and if you want savage brutes, that die hard and fight to the last breath, you can chase the wild-boar. they have tigers in java, but not so many as in malacca, and they do not do so much damage to the people, for the reason that they have plenty of game to live upon. "we had an opportunity to visit a tea plantation, and gladly embraced it, as we wished to see something of the process of raising tea and preparing it for market. "most of the tea plantations in java are on government lands, which are leased to contractors for terms of years--rarely less than ten, and not over twenty. at the beginning of the enterprise the government made cash advances to the contractors, so that they could have the necessary capital for clearing the land and starting their crops; these advances were to be repaid in tea at prices that would give large profits to the contractors, and on this plan a good many plantations were started about forty years ago. "the government imported skilled workmen from the tea districts of china to instruct the natives in the business, and it also imported a large supply of tea-plants and tea-seed. for the first few years the enterprise was a doubtful one, but after a time it began to pay handsomely. the cost of making the tea was about fifty cents a pound; and as the processes improved, and the character of the tea grew better, the selling price rose till it reached eighty or ninety cents. at these rates it does not take a great deal of study to show that money can be made by raising tea in java, and the applications for leases of land have increased every year. [illustration: seed-pods of the tea-plant.] "the first thing the tea-planter has to do after getting possession of his lease is to clear the land and get ready for planting. this is no small matter, as the forest must be removed, and the soil thoroughly broken up. the outlay for this is considerable, and not much unlike clearing up a farm in new england, or in the backwoods of canada. then the young plants are set out; after this has been done, the ground must be kept clear of weeds, just as in raising corn or potatoes. it must be frequently stirred, so that the plant can get as much nourishment as possible from the earth, and when this is done the planter has the satisfaction of seeing the bushes grow with considerable rapidity. "we walked through the fields where the plants were growing, and found them of different ages and sizes. if we had not known where we were, we might have thought we were in a field of english myrtle-bushes, as the tea-plant is much like the myrtle in general appearance. it grows from two to six feet high, and has white blossoms that resemble small dog-roses. "one of us asked which were the plants that produced green tea, and which the black. the owner of the plantation smiled, and said there was no difference. "we laughed at our ignorance, as he explained that the difference of the teas was entirely owing to the manipulation. we asked why it was that some districts in china produced only green teas, while others were reputed to make none but black; and he told us it was because the workmen in those districts had been accustomed to follow only one form of manipulation. "it takes three years, he said, to get a plantation in condition to produce tea. the seeds are sown in a nursery-bed, and the young plants are not ready to be set out till they are a year old. they are then about nine inches high, and covered with leaves; and the first crop is taken when they have been growing two years in the field. the leaves are the lungs of the plant, and it would die if all of them were stripped off. consequently only a part of them are removed at a picking; and if a plant is sickly, it is not disturbed at all. the plants will last from ten to twelve years, and are then renewed; and on all the large plantations it is the custom to make nursery-beds every year, so that there will be a constant succession of new plants for setting out in place of the old ones. "at the first gathering the half-opened buds are taken, and from them the finest teas are made. then they have another gathering when the leaves are fully opened, and then another and another, till they have five or six gatherings in the course of the year. each time the leaves are coarser than those of the previous gathering, and consequently the tea is not of so fine a quality. a well-managed plantation produces all kinds of tea; and it was a wise requirement of the dutch government, when they started the tea-culture in java, that the planters should produce proportionate quantities of both black and green, and not less than four qualities of each. [illustration: gathering tea-leaves.] "the gathering takes place only in clear weather; and for the best teas the picking is confined to the afternoon, when the leaves are thoroughly dry, and have been warmed by the sun. only the thumb and forefinger are used in plucking the leaves from the bush; the pickers are generally women and children, who can gather on the average about forty pounds of leaves in a day. it takes nearly four pounds of leaves to make one pound of dry tea; and the usual estimate is that a plantation of one hundred thousand plants can send ten thousand pounds of tea to market in the course of a year. [illustration: drying tea in the sun.] "different kinds of tea require different treatment, as we have already seen. for green tea the leaves are roasted as soon as they have been gathered, and are then rolled and dried; but the leaves intended for black teas are spread on bamboo trays five or six inches deep, and placed on frames where they can have plenty of sun and air. they remain here from noon till sunset; and if the weather is damp they are further dried by artificial heat. for this purpose they are placed on frames over shallow pans containing burning charcoal, and are tossed and stirred with the hand until they emit a certain fragrance. the heat should be very slight; and the frames are made so high that it is necessary for a man to mount a small ladder in order to reach the trays. "the sense of smell in the skilful workers of tea is very acute, and they can tell, to almost a minute, the exact time when the drying should cease, and the next process begin. the chinese workmen are better than any others for this branch of the business, and on many plantations the most of the manipulation is performed by chinese, though their labor is more expensive than that of the malays. our host showed us through his factory, where the men were busy in the various processes; and as he told us about each step of the business, he took us to the department where that particular work was going on. [illustration: drying over charcoal.] "after showing the leaves spread out on the frames, he led the way to a sort of stove, where a man was manipulating some tea in a pan over a charcoal fire. [illustration: roasting tea.] "'this is what we call roasting,' he said, 'and the great object of the roaster is to dry the leaves without burning them. you see he does not allow them to be quiet a single instant, but tosses and turns them in all directions, so that none may stick to the bottom of the pan, which they might easily do, owing to the moisture they contain.' "we watched the roasting till we thought we understood it well, and as the place was hot we did not care to stay there a great while. the leaves lose their fragrance when first thrown into the roasting-pan, and give out a rank smell, but they gradually recover their perfume, and are ready for the next process, which is called rolling. "the tea from the roasting pan was given to a couple of men, who stood in front of a table or bench, with bamboo mats before them. one had a large mustache, the largest we had ever seen on a chinese face, and the other consoled himself for the absence of that hairy ornament by smoking a pipe. "the roller takes as much tea as he can cover with both his hands, and places it on the mat in a sort of ball. he keeps them closely together, and rolls them from right to left; this motion gives each leaf a twist on itself, and rolls it so firmly that it retains the shape when dry. this part of the work requires peculiar dexterity, and can only be performed successfully after long practice. when a man becomes skilful in it, he can roll the tea with wonderful rapidity; and when his work is done, every leaf will be found separate from all the others, and twisted as though it had been passed through a machine. [illustration: handy with his feet.] "the work of rolling the tea is very tiresome, and so the men sometimes perform it with their feet when they wish to give their hands a rest. we saw one man at his occupation in this way, and he certainly seemed to enjoy it. his bamboo mat was on the floor, and he had his trousers raised so that his legs were bare from the knee down. he rested his arms on a pole, and kept his feet moving over the handful, or rather footful, of leaves he was endeavoring to roll out. our host picked up some of the tea, and showed us that it was perfectly prepared, and quite acceptable in every way. the man's toes were much more slender than toes usually are, and it is doubtless due to the fact that he has used them a great deal, and never cramped them into tight-fitting boots. "after they have been properly rolled, the leaves are spread on trays, and exposed to the sun and air for several hours, and then they are once more roasted. the second roasting is milder than the first, and is done over a slower fire; and afterwards the leaves are rolled again, to make sure that none of them have become spread out. for the black tea the roasting is done in a shallow pan, the same as the first; but the green teas are put in a deep pan, and subjected to a very high heat. [illustration: roasting green tea.] "while the green tea is being roasted, there must be a great deal of care on the part of everybody concerned. the pan is nearly red-hot when the tea is put into it, about a pound at a time, and the operator in charge keeps it in rapid motion. one boy tends the fire, while another stands by with a fan, to prevent the burning of the tea. "after their final roasting, the teas are put in a long basket, shaped like an hour-glass, and having a sieve in the centre. this basket is placed over a charcoal fire and submitted to the heat for several minutes, when the tea is poured out and receives another rolling. this operation is repeated several times, till the tea is thoroughly tired of it, and also thoroughly dry. then it is passed through sieves, to separate the different qualities from each other; and finally it is winnowed, to remove all the dust and dirt. then it is 'fired,' or dried once more, to drive away the last particle of moisture; and in this condition it is ready to go into the chests in which it is carried to the lands where it is to be used. "there, we have told you all about the preparation of tea, which we could not do in china for the reason that we did not go into the part of the country where they produce the tea. china is not the only country where tea is made, though it once had the monopoly of the business. a great deal is grown in japan, as you know, and now you have learned about the tea-growing in java. they say that ten million pounds are grown in java every year, and the product will increase to double that amount in less than twenty years. about the time the culture of tea was introduced into java, the east india company tried it in india; and now the production of tea in that country is so large that the english hope, before the end of the century, to supply the whole of their home market with indian teas. we shall see. "the java teas have a sharp, acrid taste, and are not suited at all to the american palate. none of them go to america, or, at least, only a few chests every year, and for some time holland was the only market for them. gradually their sale extended to germany, and now it is said there is a demand for them in london. "we tasted some of the tea, and found that it resembled what is called 'english breakfast,' only it had a stronger flavor. it is said that it is worth much more than chinese tea, for the reason that a pound of it will give nearly double the amount of the infusion ready for drinking. whether this is true or not we are unable to say, as we have seen no experiments to prove or disprove it. "we asked about the reputed adulterations and dyeing of tea by the chinese and others. our host told us that no teas in java were adulterated or dyed, but he said it was quite possible they would be as soon as there was a demand for them. he said the chinese did not begin to color their tea till they were urged to do so by english and american merchants, who told them the dyed teas sold better than others by reason of presenting a finer appearance. "'the coloring-matter,' said he, 'consists of gypsum and prussian blue or indigo, and is used in about equal proportions. this is for green tea, and the quantity to be used for a given amount varies according to the market for which it is intended. american merchants wish their teas dyed more heavily than do the english, and there is usually about half a pound of dye to every hundred pounds of tea.' "'can't we raise tea in america?' fred asked. [illustration: tea regions of the united states.] "'certainly,' replied the planter, who had been in the united states, and spent several years there. 'there is a large area of the united states where tea could be raised, and the government some years ago spent considerable money on an experiment in tea-culture. it was found that there was no difficulty in raising the plants; but when it came to manipulating the product the high price of labor made it unprofitable. when we can furnish labor for the same price that it can be had in china, japan, java, and india, we can compete with those countries in growing tea, but until that time we had better let the business alone.'" [illustration: roasting-basket.] chapter xxxi. eastern java, lombock, timor, and the aru islands. greatly pleased with their visit to the tea and coffee plantations, our friends returned to bandong. on the way back they had an accident that for a few moments was quite exciting, and threatened serious results. while descending a long hill the brake of the carriage gave way, and the horses started on a full gallop; they were quite out of the control of the driver, and the two footmen were left a long way behind. the driver managed to turn his team into a side road at the risk of an overturn, and gave them a little practice in running up hill instead of down. gradually they reduced their pace, and some workmen in a field close at hand came to his assistance, and held the horses till the grooms could come up. one of the springs of the carriage was broken, in the severe shaking they had received, but otherwise the vehicle was not much injured. it was necessary to stop a day at bandong to have the carriage repaired, and the delay enabled the boys to learn something more about the country. [illustration: volcano in eastern java.] they ascertained that, if they had the time to spare, they could go to the eastern capitals of java along good roads, and through a succession of mountains and plains. they would see volcanoes, both active and silent, and might possibly have a practical acquaintance with an earthquake, or an eruption of one of the burning mountains. frank was a little doubtful of the safety of such a journey when he learned that one volcano had thrown out, in a single night, ashes and scoriæ to the depth of fifty feet over an area of several miles, destroying forty villages and three thousand people; and another volcano had overwhelmed everything within twenty miles of it, and caused the deaths of twenty thousand persons. but the doctor assured him that the eruption of a volcano was not so sudden that those who wished to get away could not do so, and the majority of the burning mountains of the world were accustomed to give warning weeks and sometimes months ahead. [illustration: ruins near sourabaya.] the eastern capitals of java are samarang and sourabaya, but they are capitals only of the provinces of the same names. both of them are important commercial points; and there is a railway from samarang which is intended in course of time to unite with the one from batavia. samarang is about two hundred and fifty miles from batavia, or nearly half-way from one end of the island to the other; while sourabaya is close to the eastern extremity, and not far from the island of madura. the country around sourabaya is quite flat, and very fertile; and the roads sometimes run for miles in perfectly straight lines. back towards the interior, when the hilly region is reached, there is a magnificent forest, where tigers abound; and the hunter is rewarded by frequent shots at the beautiful java peacock. the country is full of ruins of temples and palaces; and there are many evidences that it was once occupied by a people greatly advanced in architecture and the fine arts. "but what should we find if we went beyond java?" fred asked. just as he spoke the door opened, and a gentleman entered. he proved to be their host of the coffee plantation, who had heard of their accident, and called to congratulate them on their escape from injury. after an exchange of civilities, he seated himself, and asked if he could be of any service; and, turning to fred, he said, "i heard your question as i entered the room, and think i can answer it. i have made the journey around the dutch possessions in the east, and will try to tell you about them." both the boys expressed their delight at the chance of learning something of the islands of the oriental seas. the gentleman said he had an hour to spare, and would endeavor to enable them to pass it agreeably; and if they wanted to take any notes of what he said, they were welcome to do so. they were desirous and ready, and he began at once. "i have twice made the journey," said he; "once by steamer, and once by native boats." "do the steamers run there regularly?" one of the boys inquired. "certainly," was the reply; "the company whose ship brought you from singapore to batavia sends a steamer every month to make the tour of the dutch east indies. it leaves batavia on the 15th of the month, and sourabaya on the 22d; and goes to macassar, menado, ternate, boeroe, amboina, banda, and timor, and then returns to sourabaya and batavia. the voyage takes about a month, and the steamer remains in each port from twenty-four to forty-eight hours." "what a delightful voyage it must be," said frank; "and how much does it cost?" [illustration: an island port.] "a ticket for the round trip," the gentleman replied, "costs three hundred dollars, and sometimes more. you have already found that steamship fares in the east are dear; and this line forms no exception to the rule. in return for your money you have all the comforts the ship can give; and you may live on board all the time she remains in port at the different stopping-places. "if you go by a native boat you will be much longer on the way; but you can visit more places than the steamer stops at, and can see more of the life of the east. we will drop that part of the subject, and consider what you might see in some of the islands of the malay archipelago, supposing you should go there; we haven't time for all of them. "the colonial possessions of the dutch in the archipelago comprise about six hundred thousand square miles, with a population of twenty-five millions. they include the whole of java and madura, the moluccas, or spice islands, and large portions of borneo and sumatra. consequently, you can make a long journey without once going out of the dutch territory." [illustration: wild fig-tree.] "the first place i visited, after leaving sourabaya, was the island of lombock. there is not much of interest in the principal port, which is called ampanam, as the place is small, and the inhabitants are not particularly enterprising. there are some groves of wild fig-trees close to the town; and one of my amusements was to shoot the green pigeons and orioles that abounded there. some of the trees are almost covered with the hanging-nests of the orioles; and, as they are rarely disturbed by the natives, i found them so tame that it required no skill at all to get near enough to shoot them. [illustration: a village in lombock.] "several miles out in the country from ampanam is the village where the rajah of the island lives; it is called mataram, and no native of the lower classes is allowed to ride on horseback through it. if you should happen to be travelling there, and had your javanese servant mounted on a horse, he would be obliged to walk from one end of the town to the other, and lead his animal. [illustration: view near mataram.] "there is a fine volcano in lombock, about eight thousand feet high. mr. wallace tells a good story in connection with this volcano, and the plan by which the rajah took the census of the population of the island. "you must know that the principal product of lombock is rice, and the taxes are paid in this article. each man, woman, and child contributed a small measure of rice once a year; but it passed through many hands before it reached the treasury, and a little of it clung to each hand that it touched. the result was that the rajah did not get half of what was due him, and all his officers conspired to tell him that the crops were short in some districts, and many people had died in others; and no matter what he did to find out the truth, they managed to prevent his learning it. he determined to take a census of his people, but did not know how to go at it, as his officers would suspect what it was for, and would make out the population according to the rice that he received the previous year. he thought a long time over the matter, and finally hit on a plan so shrewd that nobody suspected there was any census at all. "for several days he appeared to be very sick at heart; and finally he called his officers together, and told them he had been summoned to go to the top of the great fire-mountain to hear a revelation from the spirit who ruled the island. the spirit had come to him in a vision, and said he must go there at once, or the island would be destroyed. [illustration: where the great spirit and the rajah met.] "of course they made arrangements immediately, and a grand procession accompanied the rajah to the designated spot. from the foot of the mountain to the summit he was escorted by a few priests and attendants; and as he neared the crater he ordered them to remain behind, under the shadow of a great rock, while he went alone to meet the spirit. he remained away for a long time; the fact is, he lay down and took a comfortable nap, and it was naturally thought that the spirit had a great deal to say to him. "when he returned he was silent and sorrowful, and did not speak a word for three days. then he summoned his officers, and told them what the spirit had said. he described the spirit as having a face of burnished gold, and a voice that sounded like distant thunder. "'oh, rajah!' the spirit said, 'much plague, and sickness, and fever are coming on the earth--on men, and horses, and cattle; but as you and your people have obeyed me and come to the mountain, and have been good and faithful, i will tell you how you can avoid the pestilence. "'you must make twelve sacred krisses; and to make them, every village and every district must send a bundle of needles--a needle for every head in the village. and when any disease appears in a village, one of the krisses shall be sent there; if every house in that village has sent the right number of needles, the disease shall cease immediately; but if the number of needles has not been exact, then all shall die!' "so the princes and chiefs made haste to collect the needles; and they were very exact about it, for they feared that, if a single needle should be wanting in any case, the whole village would perish. when the needles were collected, the rajah received them; then he had a workman come and make twelve krisses from those needles; but the papers that were around the needles, and told the name of each village, and the number of men, women, and children in it, he carefully preserved, and put away in his private chest. "when the rice-tax came in that year, and the quantity fell short, the rajah said to the officers that there was some mistake about it. he then told them the exact number of inhabitants in that village, according to the packages of needles, and it did not take long to set the matter right. the result was that the rajah grew very rich, and his fame went out through all the islands and countries of the east." "a capital story," said frank; and the opinion was emphatically endorsed by fred. "it is evident," the latter remarked, "that the kriss, or dagger, is held in great respect in lombock." "certainly," said the gentleman, in reply; "there is no part of the archipelago where it is more honored, and where the wealthy natives have so much money invested in this weapon. very often they have them with golden handles set with jewels; and i have seen some that cost thousands of dollars. every man carries one of these knives, and frequently it is the only property he can boast of possessing. the blade is twisted; and when it is used it makes a frightful wound." "that is what the malays 'run a-muck' with, is it not?" frank asked. "yes; and lombock is one of the most famous places in the east for that amusement. the island, though close to java, is independent, and the rajah does pretty much what he pleases as long as he remains on good terms with his dutch neighbors. the taxes are not heavy, but the laws are very severe. small thefts are punished with death; and it is a rule of the country that a person found in a house after dark, without the owner's consent, may be killed, and his body thrown into the street, without fear that anybody will ask a question about the matter. "the word 'amok' means 'kill;' and the malays kill others in the expectation that others will kill them. running amok is the fashionable way of committing suicide; a man grows desperate from any cause, and determines to put an end to his life, and to kill as many others as he can before he is killed himself. he grasps his kriss handle, and stabs somebody to the heart; then he rushes down the street, shouting 'amok! amok!' and stabbing everybody he can reach. people rush on him with knives, spears, daggers, guns, or other weapons, and despatch him as soon as possible--as they would a mad dog. sometimes five or ten persons are killed by the man before he is brought down; and i know one instance where sixteen were killed or wounded by a native running amok. "the malays are excellent workers of steel, and the weapons they make are difficult to surpass in fineness and beauty. the marvellous thing is that they will accomplish so much with the rudest implements; a smith has a small forge, a hammer or two, and a few files, and with these and one or two other things he will turn out work that astonishes the skilled artificers of sheffield. a malay gunsmith produces weapons that shoot with precision, and are bored with perfect accuracy; but the boring is done without any machinery whatever. this is the apparatus: [illustration: gun-boring in lombock.] "there is an upright pole which is thrust through a bamboo basket; its top is fastened to a cross-bar, and the bottom is equipped with an iron ring in which boring-irons can be fitted. the barrel to be bored is set in the ground, the basket is filled with stones to give it weight, and two boys turn the cross-bar to make the boring-iron revolve. the barrel is bored in sections about eighteen inches long; and these are welded together, and afterwards bored to the required size. [illustration: natives of timor.] "considerably to the eastward of lombock is the island of timor, which is interesting because it is one of the few places where the portuguese have a local habitation and a name in the malay archipelago. timor is about three hundred miles long by sixty wide, and is partly occupied by the dutch and partly by the portuguese. the dutch settlements are at the western end, and their principal town is coupang; it has a mixed population of malays, chinese, and dutch, in addition to the natives, who are closely allied to the natives of papua, or new guinea, and have very little affinity with the malay race. they are of a dirty brown color, and have large noses and frizzled hair, so that they strongly resemble the negro. [illustration: delli, portuguese timor.] "the seat of the portuguese part of timor is at delli, a miserable village of thatched huts, with a mud fort, and very little appearance of civilization. the governor's house is a trifle better than the rest, but not much; and the place has a reputation for fever that is not at all agreeable for a stranger. i don't think much of delli, and never heard of any one who did. "the portuguese government in timor is a very shadowy affair, and the sooner it comes to an end the better. it has been there three hundred years, and yet there is not a mile of road in the interior of the country, and the agricultural resources of the island have received no development. the example of the dutch in java seems to be quite lost on the portuguese, who oppress the inhabitants in every possible way, and plunder them without fear of punishment." frank asked if timor was one of the islands where the bird of paradise is found. "no," replied the gentleman; "but it is not far from there to the aru islands, where the great bird of paradise lives. i went from timor to aru in a native boat, and narrowly escaped drowning on the way. we were caught in a storm, and anchored near a small island off the coast of aru; the malay anchor is a stick of wood from the fork of a tree, with a stone to give it weight, and, as it has only one fluke, you can never be sure that it goes down so as to seize the bottom. ours bothered us so that we had to throw it several times, and when we finally got it to hold we were not twenty yards from the rocks where the wind was driving us. "but a miss is as good as a mile, and we were safe on shore the next morning, very thankful at our escape. "i had an opportunity to go to the forest to see the process of shooting the great bird of paradise, and went at once. quite a trade is carried on in these birds, and the skill of the natives is devoted to capturing them without staining their plumage with blood, or allowing the birds to injure it during their struggles. "the birds have a curious habit of getting up dancing-parties in the month of may, when their plumage is finest. they assemble before sunrise in a tree that has plenty of room among its branches for them to move about, and as soon as the sun is fairly up they begin their dancing. they elevate their plumes as peacocks display their tails, stretch their necks, raise their wings, and hop from branch to branch in a state of great excitement. [illustration: natives of aru shooting the great bird of paradise.] "the natives hunt through the forest till they find a tree where the birds assemble. they go there in the evening and build a screen of leaves over the fork of the tree, and just before daylight they climb up there ready for business. they keep perfectly still till the birds are busily engaged in their dance, and then they shoot with blunt-pointed arrows. the bird is stunned and falls to the ground, and before he recovers he is seized by a boy who is waiting for him; the bird's neck is broken without injuring the skin, and thus the prize is secured without staining the feathers with blood." fred asked if, when one bird was shot, the rest did not fly away. "not by any means," was the answer. "they are so busy with displaying their feathers to each other, that they do not take notice of the disappearance of one of their number until they are greatly reduced. the morning i went out to see the business, i was stationed in a little bower about a hundred yards from the tree where the birds were, so that i could see all that went on. there were twenty-one birds there, all beautiful males, and they made the prettiest sight of the kind that ever came before my eyes. the natives shot fifteen of them, and finally one of the birds was not hit hard enough to prevent his screaming as he fell. the others then took the alarm, and in two minutes they were all out of sight." [illustration: a native anchor.] chapter xxxii. wanderings in the malay archipelago.--good-bye. "there is an interesting point in the aru islands," the gentleman remarked, after a short pause, "known as dobbo." [illustration: great street of dobbo in the trading season.] "it is not regularly visited by steamers, as it is out of the routes of travel, and for a part of the year it is almost deserted. in may and june it is filled to overflowing with a mixed lot of people from all parts of the east. there are chinese in considerable number, who come to buy the articles brought to market by the inhabitants of the islands for a long distance; and there are men from macassar, timor, ceram, and other parts of the archipelago, as well as the natives of aru, who belong to the papuans i have already described. the town consists of a single street of mat-covered huts and sheds, with a lot of straggling buildings in the rear that are set down without any regard to order or regularity. "i went to dobbo in a native boat from macassar. it was very much like a chinese junk in general appearance, and about seventy tons burden, with a native crew of thirty men and a javanese captain. four or five of the men were slave-debtors of the captain, and the rest were hired, like the crew of a ship in europe or america." "excuse me for interrupting," said fred, "but let me ask what these slave-debtors are." "slave indebtedness," replied the gentleman, "is a system introduced by the dutch, who borrowed it from the chinese, for the protection of traders in these thinly-peopled regions. goods must be intrusted to agents and small dealers, who frequently gamble them away, and leave the merchant unpaid. he trusts them again and again, with the same result; and finally, when he can stand it no longer, he brings them before a police court, where he establishes his claim. the magistrate then binds the debtor over to the creditor, and requires him to work out the account. the plan seems to answer very well, as the creditor is secure so long as the debtor lives and has his health; while the debtor does not consider himself disgraced, but rather enjoys his relief from responsibility." "but it is a system of slavery," fred answered; "though, after all, it is more sensible than the european practice of locking a debtor up in jail, where he can earn nothing, but is a constant expense to himself and all others concerned." "a good deal depends on the character of the master," was the reply. "some masters get along very pleasantly with their debtors--allow them to trade a little on their own account--and associate with them on equal terms. [illustration: wearing the cangue.] "others treat them harshly--perhaps not without cause--sometimes, and punish them severely for disobedience. while i was at dobbo, a chinese merchant fastened one of his slave-debtors in a cangue, and kept him there an entire day, chained to the wall of his shop. the man had been caught stealing from his master, and the latter made himself judge, jury, and police-officer without delay. the cangue is a wooden collar around the neck; it is about three feet square, and made of planks from one to two inches thick. it is a heavy article of wearing apparel, and not at all ornamental." frank asked if the native captains understood navigation after the european form, and could take the positions of the sun and moon with instruments like those used on american or european ships. "they are not good navigators," responded their informant, "as we understand navigation, but they manage to get along wonderfully well with very rude appliances. they take the altitude of the sun with a stick, to which is attached a string with a peculiar arrangement of knots; and they understand the use of the compass. they have a water-clock, which is very simple, and much more accurate than you would suppose. "it consists of a bucket of water, and the half of a cocoa-nut shell. there is a tiny hole like the prick of a needle in the bottom of the shell, and when you put it on the water you can just see a stream like a thread spurting up. it takes an hour to fill the shell, and when it is full it goes plump to the bottom of the bucket, making a bubbling noise that attracts the attention of the man on duty, who immediately puts the shell in place again. i used to try it with my watch, and found that it never varied more than a minute from the hour, which is quite accurate enough for an oriental. the motion of the boat had no effect on it, as the water in the bucket was always on a level. "the voyages of these boats are made with the monsoons, so that the course is largely guided by studying the direction of the wind. only one voyage can be made in a year from macassar--the boats starting in december or january with the west monsoon, and returning in july or august with the east monsoon. the distance is about a thousand miles, and is made in from twenty to thirty days each way. [illustration: a native of aru.] "the trade at dobbo amounts to something near a hundred thousand dollars a year, and is carried on in the most primitive way. it is almost entirely a barter trade; there is no money in use except copper coins from java and china, and many of the natives do not even know their value. it requires a great deal of talk to make a bargain, and sometimes they will haggle for hours over a transaction that amounts to only a few cents. [illustration: sea-cucumber.] "the things brought from the islands, and bought by the traders, are pearl-shells, tortoise-shell, edible birds'-nests, pearls, timber, and birds of paradise. there is also a large supply of _tripang_, or 'beche-de-mer,' of which the chinese make many soups. it is known in english as the sea-cucumber, and is taken on the reefs and among the rocks all through the eastern seas, and in some parts of the pacific ocean. after being boiled in its own liquid, and dried on racks over a fire, it is ready for market. [illustration: a papuan pipe.] "the goods used in purchasing these articles are as varied as the purchasers. the most important item is that of arrack--a spirit distilled from rice, and resembling rum; about twenty thousand gallons of it are sold at dobbo every year, and sometimes as many as twenty-five thousand. english and american cottons are sold; and also tobacco, crockery, knives, muskets, gunpowder, chinese gongs, small cannons, and elephants' tusks. the last three articles are the luxuries with which the natives of aru buy their wives, and display in their houses or conceal as valuable property. they use tobacco both for chewing and smoking, and will not accept it unless it is very strong. the native pipe is similar to that used in papua, or new guinea, and is made of wood, with a long upright handle, which is set in the ground while the owner is using it. he squats before the pipe, and when in this position his mouth is just on a level with the end of the stem. "i went from dobbo to amboyna and banda, which are small islands not far from the much greater one of ceram. they formerly belonged to the portuguese, but are now in possession of the dutch, and known to the commercial world for their products of cloves and nutmegs." "i have read somewhere," said frank, "that the dutch destroyed the spice-trees on all the other islands, so as to have a monopoly in banda and amboyna. was it not very unjust to the natives to do that?" "all the facts in the case are not generally known," was the reply. "the portuguese traders maintained high prices for these luxuries, and used to oppress the natives to obtain them. sometimes the competition led to their paying such figures to the native princes that the latter became very wealthy, but their subjects were not benefited by them. when the dutch came into possession, they determined to concentrate the culture in a few places, so that they could control it, and to this end they offered an annual subsidy to the native princes to destroy the spice-trees in their dominions. the latter were thus made sure of their revenue, while the people were able to devote more time to the cultivation of articles of food, and were relieved from taxes. "the cultivation of the clove was restricted to the island of amboyna, while banda was made the seat of the nutmeg culture. there was so much complaint on the part of the english that the monopoly was finally removed in part; the trade is still surrounded with restrictions, as the dutch are in possession of the islands where the culture can be conducted to the best advantage. it is a curious circumstance that the birds had much to do with the suppression of the monopoly." "the birds?" [illustration: a bird of amboyna.] "yes, a bird known as the nutmeg-pigeon. he lives on the mace which envelops the nutmeg; the latter is undigested and uninjured in his stomach, and he carries it to islands of whose existence the dutch were not aware. the nutmeg is the seed of the tree, and as fast as the dutch suppressed the cultivation in an island the birds restored it. banda is still the centre of the nutmeg trade, as the article is produced more cheaply there than in any other spot, and it sends about two million pounds of this spice to market every year. the climate of amboyna was found not altogether suited to the production of the clove; and as the clove-tree flourishes in other parts of the world, the monopoly could not be kept up. the clove is not the fruit of the tree, as many persons suppose, but the blossom; it is gathered before it is unfolded, and if you look at a clove you will see how much it resembles a bud just ready for opening. "from banda i went to ceram, to see the process of obtaining sago. perhaps you are fond of sago-pudding, and may be interested to know where sago comes from, and how it is prepared." the boys nodded their assent, and frank remarked that he had many times wished he knew more about the delicious article. "the sago-tree belongs to the palm family; it is thicker and larger than the cocoa-palm, but not so tall, and its leaves are very large and long. the stem of the leaf is twelve or fifteen feet long, and six inches in diameter at the butt, and is used for a great many purposes. whole houses are built of these stems, from the framework to the thatch-poles and flooring, and they never shrink or bend, or require any paint or varnish. the leaf forms an admirable thatch, and the trunk of the tree is the food of many thousands of people. [illustration: sago club.] "when it is about fifteen years old the tree blossoms, and then dies. just as it is about to blossom, it is cut down close to the ground, and stripped of its leaves. the upper part of the trunk is then taken off, so as to expose the pith of the tree, which is broken into a coarse powder by means of a club of heavy wood, having a piece of iron or sharp stone in one end. the whole inside of the tree is broken up till the trunk forms a trough not more than half an inch thick. [illustration: preparing sago.] [illustration: sago oven.] "the dry powder is then washed, and strained through a coarse sieve; the water flows into a deep trough with a depression in the centre, where the sago sinks to the bottom and is secured. it is then pressed into cylinders weighing about thirty pounds each, or it is baked into cakes in a clay oven, with a series of compartments an inch wide, and six inches long and deep. the cakes will keep a long while if they are dried in the sun after baking. i have eaten sago that was said to be ten years old, and found it perfectly good." fred wished to know how much sago there was in a tree, and how much it costs for a man to live in the sago country. "a single tree will produce from eight hundred to one thousand pounds of sago," was the reply, "which will support a man for a year. two men can reduce a tree to dry powder in five days, and therefore we may say that ten days' labor will support a man for a year. the result is that in the sago country the people are indolent, and not at all prosperous; they have no incentive to work, and therefore make no effort to do anything. they wear very little clothing; and as for their houses, they have no occasion for anything more than rude huts, which can be built by a couple of men in a few hours. it has been observed by all who have visited ceram that the inhabitants are not as well off as the people of the islands that produce rice, as the latter must work a great deal harder to support themselves, and will lose their whole crop unless they pay attention to their fields. [illustration: sugar-palm of macassar.] "from ceram i went to macassar, where they have a palm-tree producing a sweet juice that may be made into beer, or boiled down into sugar, like the sap of a maple-tree. it is not unlike the sago-palm in general appearance, and will grow wherever it can find sufficient soil for its roots. the island is very rough and mountainous, and the variety of soil enables it to produce a great many things. i was invited to stay on the plantation of a friend who lived among the hills, and promised me a pleasant time. [illustration: climbing the mountain.] "the road to the plantation was very steep in several places, and the mules that we rode had all they could do to carry us. the path wound in and out among the rocks, and under the trees peculiar to the tropics; and one of the trees came near being the cause of my falling over a high cliff." "how was that?" "fruit was so abundant that the natives did not gather all of it as fast as it ripened; every little while i saw mangoes or bananas lying in the path, and the incident i mention was caused by my mule stepping on a banana and slipping to the ground. he left me sprawling just on the edge of the cliff; if he had pitched me a foot farther, i should have gone over and been dashed to death on the rocks below. "i stayed with my friend a week, and found that he had a most delightful residence. he was fond of hunting, and was able to supply his table with meat by means of his gun and dogs. there were many wild pigs in the neighborhood, and he shot two of them while i was there, so that we had pork in abundance. then there were several kinds of birds that were excellent eating. he had all the milk he wanted from his buffaloes, and made his own butter, raised his own rice and coffee, and smoked cigars from his own tobacco. he had ducks and chickens, and eggs in any desired quantity; his palm-trees supplied him with palm-wine and sugar, and he had nearly every tropical fruit that can be named. you see, by this account of his plantation, how well a man may live in one of the islands of the archipelago, provided he can reconcile himself to the absence of society, and be contented with the sport that the hilly country affords. [illustration: coming down the mountain.] "when i came away my friend accompanied me down the mountain, and i found the journey much easier than going up; in fact, it was too easy, and the mules were inclined to go faster than we liked to have them. a part of the way i hired a boy to hang on to the tail of my beast, which he did, somewhat to the annoyance of the latter. this kind of check was evidently new to him, and he tried to elevate his heels sufficiently to shake off the encumbrance. but he could not do so without danger of turning a somersault; and consequently his kicking was confined to a few slight movements. when the path became less steep i dismissed the boy, and the animal went along as demurely as ever. "but my time is up," said the gentleman, looking at his watch, "and your note-books are full. i am sorry i have not another hour or two in which to tell you of celebes, where the dutch have established the same system of culture that has made java so prosperous; of borneo, where the people and the products form a study of unusual interest; of new guinea, a country rarely visited by europeans; and of many other parts of the eastern archipelago. perhaps we will meet again one of these days, and then i will try to give you more information similar to what i have been narrating, and trust you will not find it without interest." frank and fred were earnest in their thanks to their kind informant; and the doctor added his words of indebtedness to theirs. expressions of regret at their separation were made on both sides, and the final hand-shaking was the cause of little lumps in youthful and manly throats that choked the voices, and made the "good-byes" a trifle husky in their utterance. at the stipulated time the repairs to the carriage were completed, and our friends made all haste back to buitenzorg, and thence to batavia. at their banker's they found a large parcel of letters, which had just arrived by the last mail from singapore; and the evening of their return from the interior was devoted to the perusal of the precious missives from home. the next day found them busy with plans for their future movements, and you may be sure that the map of the eastern hemisphere was thoroughly studied, and the routes of travel and commerce carefully examined. in this occupation we will leave the doctor and his young companions, with the assurance that in due time the bassett and bronson families, and all their friends, miss effie included, will be fully informed of the adventures that befell the boy travellers in the far east. [illustration: "good-bye!"] interesting books for boys. the boy travellers in the far east. part i. adventures of two youths in a journey to japan and china. by thomas w. knox. copiously illustrated. 8vo, cloth, $3.00. the boy travellers in the far east. part ii. adventures of two youths in a journey to siam and java. with descriptions of cochin-china, cambodia, sumatra, and the malay archipelago. by thomas w. knox. copiously illustrated. 8vo, cloth, $3.00. the boy travellers in the far east. part iii. adventures of two youths in a journey to ceylon and india. with descriptions of borneo, the philippine islands, and burmah. by thomas w. knox. copiously illustrated. 8vo, cloth, $3.00. hunting adventures on land and sea. the young nimrods in north america. a book for boys. by thomas w. knox. copiously illustrated. 8vo, cloth, $2.50. the history of a mountain. by élisée reclus. illustrated by l. bennett. 12mo, cloth, $1.25. what mr. darwin saw in his voyage round the world in the ship "beagle." ill'd. 8vo, cloth, $3.00. friends worth knowing. glimpses of american natural history. by ernest ingersoll. illustrated. 16mo, cloth, $1.00. who was paul grayson? by john habberton, author of "helen's babies." illustrated. 16mo, cloth, $1.00. toby tyler; or, ten weeks with a circus. by james otis. illustrated. 16mo, cloth, $1.00. the moral pirates. by w. l. alden. ill'd. 16mo, cloth, $1.00. how to get strong, and how to stay so. by william blaikie. with illustrations. 16mo, cloth, $1.00. the story of liberty. by charles carleton coffin. illustrated. 8vo, cloth, $3.00. old times in the colonies. by charles carleton coffin. illustrated. 8vo, cloth, $3.00. the boys of '76. a history of the battles of the revolution. by charles carleton coffin. illustrated. 8vo, cloth, $3.00. the adventures of a young naturalist. by lucien biart. with 117 illustrations. 12mo, cloth, $1.75. an involuntary voyage. by lucien biart. illustrated. 12mo, cloth, $1.25. round the world; including a residence in victoria, and a journey by rail across north america. by a boy. edited by samuel smiles. illustrated. 12mo, cloth, $1.50. the self-help series. by samuel smiles. self-help. 12mo, cloth, $1.00.--character. 12mo, cloth, $1.00.--thrift. 12mo, cloth, $1.00.--duty, 12mo, cloth, $1.00. the boyhood of martin luther; or, the sufferings of the little beggar-boy who afterward became the great german reformer. by henry mayhew. illustrated. 16mo, cloth, $1.25. the story of the peasant-boy philosopher. (founded on the early life of ferguson, the shepherd-boy astronomer, and intended to show how a poor lad became acquainted with the principles of natural science.) by henry mayhew. 16mo, cloth, $1.25. young benjamin franklin. a story to show how young benjamin learned the principles which raised him from a printer's boy to the first ambassador of the american republic. by henry mayhew. illustrated. 16mo, cloth, $1.25. the wonders of science; or, young humphry davy (the cornish apothecary's boy who taught himself natural philosophy, and eventually became president of the royal society). the life of a wonderful boy. by henry mayhew. 16mo, cloth, $1.25. the boyhood of great men. by john g. edgar. illustrated. 16mo, cloth, $1.00. the footprints of famous men. by john g. edgar. illustrated. 16mo, cloth, $1.00. history for boys; or, annals of the nations of modern europe. by john g. edgar. illustrated. 16mo, cloth, $1.00. sea-kings and naval heroes. a book for boys. by john g. edgar. illustrated. 16mo, cloth, $1.00. the wars of the roses. by john g. edgar. illustrated. 16mo, cloth, $1.00. 