,,the ,,kingdom ,,of ,,the ,,yellow ,,robe ,illustration3 ,,the ,,shrine ,,in ,,the ,,middle ,,of ,,the ,,waters4--,,paknam4 ,page #cj4 ,,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 ,department1 ,siam4 ,,with ,,illustrations ,,by ,e4 ,a4 ,,norbury1 ,r4,c4,a4 7,late ,director of the ,royal ,school of ,art1 ,bangkok1 ,siam7 ,and from ,photographs by the ,author4 ,,westminster ,,archibald ,,constable ,co #ahih ,,preface ,the following pages are intended to present to the reader an account of the domestic and religious rites and ceremonies of the ,siamese4 ,they are the outcome of several years' residence in the ,capital of ,siam4 ,in order to verify some of my own observations or to amplify some points with regard to which my own knowledge was rather scanty1 ,i have consulted most of the books which in recent years have been published concerning the country of ,siam4 ,i am particularly indebted to the works of two writers whose knowledge was both wide and deep2 viz41 ,h4 ,alabaster1 whose ,wheel of the ,law deals with ,siamese ,buddhism2 and ,captain ,gerini1 whose various monographs on domestic or religious customs are full of valuable and reliable information concerning their misty origin and meaning4 ,i must also acknowledge my indebtedness to ,the ,siam ,repository 7a weekly paper long since extinct1 but whose pages are a treasure-house of information to the enquirer71 and to my friend ,mr4 ,r4 ,l4 ,morant for much helpful criticism and advice4 ,the illustration ,planting out young ,rice is from a sketch in the possession of ,mrs4 ,smith1 of ,tarrawatta1 ,beckenham1 who has kindly lent it for the purpose of illustrating this book4 ,the following five illustrations are also from sketches1 kindly lent by ,e4 ,lloyd ,williams1 ,esq41 of ,james ,st41 ,buckingham ,gate4 ,offering ,rice to the ,priests4 ,making ,curry4 ,ploughing a ,rice-field4 ,collecting ripe ,grain4 ,rice ,boats coming down the ,menam4 ,e4 ,y4 ,chingford1 #ahih4 ,,contents ,page ,preface ix ,,chapter ,i4 ,,street ,,scenes ,,in ,,the ,,venice ,,of ,,the ,,east #a ,,ii4 ,,by ,,khlong ,,and ,,river #be ,,iii4 ,,the ,,children #dd ,,iv4 ,,the ,,shaving ,,of ,,the ,,top-,,knot #fd ,v4 ,,courtship ,,and ,,marriage #he ,,vi4 ,,domestic ,,life ,,and ,,customs #ajc ,,vii4 ,,domestic ,,life ,,and ,,customs 7continued7 #abe ,,viii4 ,,popular ,,amusements #adg ,,ix4 ,,outside ,,the ,,capital #aga ,x4 ,,the ,,cultivation ,,of ,,rice #aif ,,xi4 ,,laws ,,and ,,legislation #bah ,,xii4 ,,ceremonies ,,for ,,the ,,dying ,,and ,,the ,,dead #bce ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,order ,,of ,,the ,,yellow ,,robe #bea ,,xiv4 ,,among ,,the ,,temples #bgb ,,xv4 ,,among ,,the ,,temples 7continued7 #big ,,xvi4 ,,religious ,,ceremonies #caf ,,xvii4 ,,religious ,,ceremonies 7continued7 #cch ,,xviii4 ,,religious ,,ceremonies 7continued7 #ceh ,,xix4 ,a ,,pilgrimage ,,to ,,prabat #cge ,,xx4 ,,the ,,elephants #chh ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,page ,,the ,,shrine ,,in ,,the ,,middle ,,of ,,the ,,waters4 7,frontispiece47 vi ,a ,,scavenger #c ,,the ,,curry ,,vendor #f ,,the ,,kerosine ,,dealer #aj ,,the ,,three ,,headed ,,gate4 7,full page47 #ae ,a ,,gharry #bc ,,rice ,,boats ,,coming ,,down ,,the ,,menam #bg ,a ,,lighter #ca ,,siamese ,,canoes #cc ,,chinese ,,trading ,,junk #cf ,,can ,i ,,give ,,you ,a ,,lift1 ,,reverend ,,fathers8 #dj ,,mother ,,and ,,child #eh ,,mount ,,kailasa ,,as ,,erected ,,for ,,the ,,hair ,,cutting ,,ceremonies ,,of ,h4,r4,h4 ,,the ,,crown ,,prince ,,of ,,siam4 7,full page47 #ha ,a ,,chinese ,,merchant #ig ,a ,,siamese ,,teakwood ,,house4 7,full page47 #ajf ,,making ,,curry #aai ,,steaming ,,rice #abc ,a ,,rickshaw #ace ,,laying ,,wagers ,,on ,,fighting ,,fish4 7,full page47 #aea ,a ,,writer ,,of ,,lottery ,,tickets #aee ,,faces ,,from ,a ,,siamese ,,theatre #afe ,,preparing ,,rattan ,,for ,,chair-,,making #agb ,,fishing ,,lugger #agd ,,fishing ,,boats ,,at ,,the ,,bar #agg ,,khlong ,,near ,,petchaboorree4 7,full page47 #aha ,a ,,buffalo ,,cart4 7,full page47 #ahe ,a ,,siamese ,,bullock ,,cart #ahi ,,the ,,swinging ,,festival4 7,full page47 #aig ,,collecting ,,ripe ,,grain4 7,full page47 #aii ,a ,,siamese ,,rice ,,plough4 7,full page47 #bjc ,,planting ,,out ,,young ,,rice--,,foot ,,of ,,korat ,,hills #bjf ,,ploughing ,a ,,rice ,,field #bjh ,,buffaloes ,,returning ,,from ,,the ,,rice ,,fields4 7,full page47 #bae ,a ,,royal ,,funeral ,,procession4 7,full page47 #bcg ,,the ,,poor ,,man',s ,,funeral #bde ,,priest ,,and ,,attendant #bee ,,offering ,,rice ,,to ,,the ,,priest #bfd ,a ,,village ,,temple4 7,full page47 #bge ,,sala ,,in ,a ,,jungle ,,clearing4 7,full page47 #bgi ,,temple ,,bell ,,tower4 7,full page47 #bia ,,wat ,,chang1 ,,bangkok4 7,full page47 #bii ,,the ,,sleeping ,,buddha4 7,full page47 #cji ,,the ,,festival ,,of ,,kaw ,,prasai4 7,full page47 #cai ,,wat ,,chang ,,at ,,sunset4 7,full page47 #cde ,,prabat ,,hills ,,from ,,near ,,ayuthia4 7,full page47 #cgi ,,to ,,my ,,wife ,,the ,,kingdom ,,of ,,the ,,yellow ,,robe4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,street ,,scenes ,,in ,,the ,,venice ,,of ,,the ,,east4 ,bangkok1 the ,venice of the ,east1 was not the ,capital of ,siam during the earlier period of that country's history4 ,formerly the seat of government was at ,ayuthia2 but the ancient capital is now a heap of ruined temples and dwellings1 an attraction for travellers1 but of little importance to the people themselves4 ,at the time when this mouldering city was the home of the ,sovereign1 a man of ,chinese origin was sent to govern one of the northern provinces of the country4 ,he is known in ,siamese history as ,phya ,tak1 and was a man of great administrative ability4 ,when the invading armies of ,burmah1 in their triumphant march through ,siam1 reached the neighbourhood of the ancient capital1 ,phya ,tak was sent for by the king1 to aid him with his counsel and strength4 ,his reputation as a brave and powerful warrior secured for him his appointment as ,commander-in-,chief of the ,siamese army4 ,mustering all the available forces of the kingdom1 he set out to do battle with the enemy4 ,it was hoped that he would utterly rout the invading army1 and so free the land from its powerful enemies4 ,but when the valiant ,tak came in sight of the foe1 he was not long in realising that any attack that might be made by his small army against the much greater numbers of the ,burmese1 could only end in his utter defeat4 ,he promptly fled with all his own retainers1 and with as many of the soldiers as cared to follow him1 to the port of ,chantaboon4 ,here he leagued himself with all the fighting men and chiefs of the neighbouring provinces1 and finally collected an army of about ten thousand men4 ,he supported himself and his soldiers by robbing and pillaging all the villages along the coast4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,scavenger4 ,the ,burmese1 carrying with them many captives1 and much treasure of gold and silver gained at the sack of ,ayuthia in #agfg1 at last returned once more to their own land4 ,then ,phya ,tak came north again1 and on the spot where the ,regent's palace now stands1 built himself a home and proceeded to found the walled city of ,bangkok4 ,having accomplished this work1 he several times defeated the ,burmese1 then re-organised some form of administration and caused himself to be acknowledged as king of the land4 ,associated with him in all his adventures and successes was a close personal friend and confidential adviser4 ,this man was of noble birth and vigorous character1 and it was to his counsel and assistance that the new sovereign owed much of his success4 ,soon after the king had completed his great work of re-organisation he unfortunately became insane4 ,the priests brought against him accusations of sacrilege and impiety1 and tried to stir the people to revolt4 ,he was extremely unpopular on account of the heavy taxes he had levied on the wealthier classes1 as also for the extreme cruelty with which he had treated all ranks of his subjects4 ,stimulated both by the exhortations of the priests1 and by the oppressive treatment to which they were daily subjected1 the citizens of the new capital at length rose in rebellion4 ,their sovereign fled from his angry subjects and took refuge in a neighbouring monastery1 where he donned the yellow robe and declared himself a priest4 ,this declaration saved his life for a short time1 but soon after his flight he was put to death by his favourite friend and general1 who then followed the promptings of his ambition and the suggestions of his fellow-noblemen1 in assuming the royal robes and crown4 ,he called himself ,somdetch ,pra ,boroma ,rahcha ,pra ,putta ,yaut ,fah1 and became the first king of the present dynasty4 ,it is with the fall of ,ayuthia1 the rise of these two usurpers1 and the founding of ,bangkok that the authentic history of ,siam commences4 ,a period of about one hundred and forty years comprises the limits within which the chief facts of ,siamese history can be substantiated4 ,bishop ,pallegoix1 compiled from native annals an account of ,siam and its people1 extending back to a very remote period2 but ,his ,majesty the late ,king has somewhat lessened one's confidence in these annals by declaring that they are all full of fable1 and are not in satisfaction for believe4 ,the city which was thus founded by ,phya ,tak1 has ever since remained the chief home of the sovereign1 and the seat of government4 ,it is now one of the most interesting of ,oriental towns4 ,from the break of day till scorching noon1 from scorching noon till the first cool breeze of evening1 from sunset until midnight1 and from then on through the small hours of the morning1 the busy streets of ,siam's capital present a never ending procession of curious and picturesque scenes4 ,with the first faint glimmer of light in the east1 the life of the city begins4 ,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 dawn1 in a turret within the walls of the ,royal ,palace4 ,the cocks1 who have crowed the whole night through with troublesome persistency1 greet the rising of the sun in notes both long and shrill1 as if they were trying to impress upon their hearers the belief that they have but just awakened from the profoundest of slumbers4 ,the bull-frog croaks his surly good morning4 ,the pariah dogs howl or bark with an amount of vigour and determination1 that shows that they too are anxious to contribute their share to the combination of discordant sounds1 that forms a fitting prelude to the noise and bustle of the coming day4 ,it is not to be supposed that the wealthier members of ,siamese society rise at this early hour4 ,as a matter of fact1 they have but recently retired to rest1 and will not appear again either for business or pleasure until the sun has crossed the meridian4 ,all the business of the ,state1 and all the pleasures of ,society are conducted in the cool hours of evening1 night1 or early morning1 while during the broiling heat that comes and goes with the daylight1 officialdom sleeps and rests4 ,it is an excellent arrangement4 ,the lower classes1 however1 are soon awake and astir4 ,first to arise are the ,chinese inhabitants4 ,here1 as everywhere in the ,east1 the subjects of the ,celestial ,empire have found their way1 and1 by their untiring energy and their wonderful adaptability to all changes of custom1 life1 and government1 have managed to establish themselves so securely that any attempt to dislodge them would1 if successful1 be fatal to the best interests of the country4 ,they live and die in the same atmosphere of superstition that surrounded them at their birth4 ,no matter to what country their industry and enterprise may lead them1 they never forget during their daily toil to give frequent evidence of their keen faith in the supernatural4 ,their first act on rising in the morning is to explode a number of noisy fire-crackers in every doorway1 to dispel the crowds of evil spirits1 who1 during the dark hours of the night may have congregated round their thresholds with intent to do them harm4 ,in the swarms of buzzing flies and stinging mosquitoes there are innumerable emissaries of the powers of ill1 and these the noise and smoke effectually disperse for a brief interval4 ,so that the daily practice of one superstitious custom is not without its immediate if temporary effect upon the well-being of its devout observers4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,curry ,,vendor4 ,the shops and workshops are open in front to the street on account of the intense tropical heat4 ,there is no difficulty whatever in seeing and hearing every native dealer or craftsman as he pursues his daily employment4 ,the foot-lathe of the woodturner1 rude but efficient1 whirls busily round1 scattering its chips into the street2 the barber sharpens his razors1 sets his pans and chairs at the edge of the roadway in view of every passer-by1 and prepares to shave a head or trim a pig-tail2 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 pattern4 ,numerous ,buddhist priests in robes of yellow1 saffron or orange1 pace slowly along with alms-bowls of wood or brass1 receiving their daily food from the believers in their ancient faith4 ,their garments borrow new hues from the lately risen sun1 and stand out in vivid and picturesque relief against the more sober tints of the roads and dwellings4 ,the itinerant curry-vendor wastes no time in preparing his unsavoury messes1 and is soon busy trying to dispose of them to the passers-by4 ,a pole slung over his shoulder1 bears at one end a small earthenware stove with a supply of charcoal and water4 ,at this end he cooks1 to order1 the various delicacies suspended from the other end of the pole4 ,the water in the pot is drawn from the nearest canal or stagnant pool and is almost a meal in itself4 ,for a farthing you may purchase a bowl of rice1 which is warmed in the boiling water while you wait4 ,another farthing will provide you with a number of attendant luxuries in the form of very fiery pepper or very strong and unhealthy smelling vinegar4 ,the basis of the curry may be frog or chicken1 stale meat1 fermented fish1 decayed prawn1 or one of a thousand articles of equally evil taste and pungent odour4 ,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 water4 ,the same pot and the same water serve for all customers alike1 so that the hundredth hungry individual gets for his farthing1 not only all that he bargains for1 but various tastes of the other delicacies that his predecessors at the counter have elected to buy4 ,no charge is made for the use of the china basin which has not been washed since the last man used it1 or for the loan of the leaden or earthenware spoons1 or a couple of chopsticks4 ,neither the proprietor of this strolling restaurant nor the force of public opinion demand that these articles be used1 and for many1 fingers take the place of either chopsticks or spoons4 ,isa-kee6 ,isa-kee6 ,it is a queer sound when you hear it for the first time4 ,a ,chinaman comes staggering along the road1 carrying two heavy pails at the ends of the usual bamboo pole4 ,he bawls in long1 loud1 nasal tones1 ,isa-kee6 ,isa-kee6 ,the man is wet with the perspiration that streams down his bare yellow body and soaks the cloth round his loins1 that forms his only clothing4 ,presently1 crowds of little boys1 dressed in even less than the noisy vendor1 collect round him and purchase with avidity the strange-looking mess denominated isa-kee4 ,he collects the coppers1 and places them in a small leather purse1 tied round his waist with a bit of string1 there to lie in company with a little rank1 black tobacco1 or opium1 until time will permit him to lose them in the maddening excitement of the gambling dens4 ,isa-kee is the vendor's reproduction of the ,english word ice-cream1 though there is little resemblance between the commodity he disposes of with such extraordinary rapidity1 and the fashionable ,european delicacy whose name it has borrowed4 ,a more truthful name and description of the article sold in the streets of ,bangkok1 would be ice-mud4 ,it is apparently a concoction of dirty water1 half-frozen slush1 and sugar4 ,being cold and sweet it is a favourite sweetmeat with the native children1 and the ice-cream merchant may generally be found doing a roaring trade outside the different schools during playtime4 ,when ice itself was first introduced to the ,siamese by the ,european residents1 they promptly coined for it the short and expressive name of hard-water4 ,it is amusing to hear the little ones exclaim as they swallow the frozen fluid1 ,golly6 ,how it burns6 ,as far as the casual observer can judge1 in this capital of ,siam there are no ,siamese engaged in any hard manual labour at all4 ,there are of course1 many ,siamese employed in various kinds of domestic or official work1 but in the streets nearly every workman is ,chinese4 ,there are nearly as many ,chinese in the country as there are ,siamese4 ,they marry ,siamese women1 and their children make excellent subjects1 as they possess both the natural brightness of the mother and the industry of the father4 ,unless they renounce their own nationality they are subject to a poll-tax of about five or six shillings1 payable once every four years4 ,at a date made known by proclamation1 each ,chinaman must present himself at the police-station and pay the tax4 ,the receipt given is a small piece of bee's-wax about the size of a three-penny piece4 ,this bears a seal1 and is worn on the wrist for a certain time1 fastened by a piece of string4 ,the police are very busy at this time1 as there is nothing the ,siamese policeman so much enjoys as leading some unfortunate ,chinaman to pay the tax4 ,should the seal be lost1 the alien is bound to buy another as soon as he is requested by some officer of the law4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,kerosine ,,dealer4 ,carpenters1 blacksmiths1 butchers1 bakers and scavengers are all ,chinese4 ,it is a ,chinaman who sits all through the heat of the day1 under a tent made of an old sheet supported by a central bamboo pole1 displaying an array of strange-looking liquids1 placed in thick glass tumblers in a long row4 ,great lumps of vermicelli float in the blue1 green1 red1 or yellow liquids1 presenting the appearance of curious anatomical specimens preserved in coloured spirits4 ,it is a ,chinaman who hawks about great pails of slimy1 black jelly having the consistency and colour of blacking1 but said to be extremely palatable with coarse brown sugar4 ,the men who are watering the roads with wooden buckets fitted with long bamboo spouts2 the men who sweep the roads1 and mend them2 the coolies in the wharves2 the clerks in the offices2 the servants in the hotels and houses3 are all subjects of ,the ,lord of the ,vermilion ,pencil4 ,no ,siamese pulls a rickshaw1 though he frequently rides in one4 ,the ,chinese are the beasts of burden as far as the ,bangkok rickshaw is concerned4 ,this vehicle1 as seen in ,siam is a very sorry-looking object1 bearing only a distant resemblance to those met with in every ,eastern port from ,colombo to ,yokohama4 ,nowhere do you ever find such dilapidated rickety structures as those that the coolies pull through the streets of this city4 ,a new one would be a veritable curiosity4 ,when the rickshaws of ,singapore and ,hong-kong have reached a condition of extreme old age1 and are so broken down that the authorities in those ports refuse to grant them licences any longer1 they are sent on to ,bangkok1 where no licences are required4 ,there the poorer classes use them freely1 and there too are they as often used for the removal of household furniture1 or the transportation of pigs1 as they are for the carriage of passengers4 ,the coolies tear through the streets1 regardless of anyone's comfort or safety except their own2 though1 be it said1 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 road4 ,pigs are not always allowed the luxury of riding in rickshaws4 ,they are more usually transported in a far less comfortable fashion4 ,their two front feet are tied together1 and then their hind feet are similarly fastened4 ,a stout piece of wood is passed under the two loops thus formed1 and the pig is carried by two men1 each bearing one end of the pole4 ,the animals generally object very strongly to this form of motion1 and signify their disgust1 and perhaps their pain1 by the most heart-rending1 ear-piercing shrieks4 ,thus another set of discordant sounds is added to the medley that roars from morning to night4 ,the rickshaw was borrowed from ,japan2 the gharry has been imported from ,india4 ,it is a square box-like structure1 the upper half being fitted with sliding windows similar to those in the door of a ,london four-wheeler4 ,these windows1 when open1 admit of a free circulation of air1 and they can easily be closed to keep out either rain1 dust1 or sun1 at the will of the passenger4 ,the sliding window-frames are always badly fitted1 and they rattle and shake with such a terribly deafening noise1 that two people sitting side by side1 are compelled to shout when they wish to address each other4 ,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 amusement4 ,the majority of the gharries are not in a very much better condition than the rickshaws4 ,the harness is generally made of rope or string1 instead of leather1 and even if a leather strap or trace is visible1 it is nearly always in two or three pieces temporarily connected with string4 ,at very short intervals of time and space1 the driver is compelled to descend and repair as best he can the broken connections4 ,these drivers are chiefly ,siamese or ,malays1 and so many of them have adopted the red ,turkish fez as a head-dress1 that it can safely be taken as the badge of coachmen4 ,in fine weather both ,malay and ,siamese drivers wear their own national costumes1 but should it rain1 they promptly divest themselves of every stitch of clothing except a cloth round the loins4 ,they place their garments in a box under the seat1 and drive about in a state of almost perfect nudity until the sun reappears and dries them with his rays1 when they once more clothe themselves in their native apparel4 ,the omnibus is a variation of the ,english one1 with extensive and important modifications4 ,it is of local construction1 and without springs4 ,it consists of a long shallow box on four wheels4 ,a rickety roof is supported by equally rickety pillars1 and serves to keep out the sun and rain4 ,omnibuses are very popular amongst the poor1 on account of their exceedingly low fares1 several miles being travelled for a few cents4 ,every kind of vehicle is crowded to its fullest capacity4 ,a rickshaw will ordinarily hold two2 you may often see four or five in one4 ,a gharry should carry four1 but by crowding inside and piling one person on top of the other1 with the addition of a couple hanging on behind1 one on each door-step1 and one on each hub of the wheels1 a whole family manages to get conveyed to its destination by means of a single conveyance4 ,omnibuses are similarly crowded and packed1 to an extent which is only possible on account1 first1 of the absence of any law to prevent it1 and secondly1 of the genial good-temper of the natives themselves4 ,klings and ,tamils from ,southern ,india have introduced the bullock cart as a convenient method of carrying heavy goods4 ,these ,indian settlers are the bullock drivers1 the dairymen1 and the owners of cattle4 ,they export a large number of lean bullocks to ,singapore and the ,malay ,archipelago1 where they are subsequently fattened to feed the residents4 ,the value of the animals thus exported1 is about two hundred and forty thousand ,mexican dollars annually4 ,an electric tramway1 and bicycles of the most modern construction1 tell their own tale of the way in which ,european influences are making themselves felt in this land4 ,the only real ,siamese land carriage is a curious buffalo cart4 ,it is rarely seen in the streets of the capital1 as its peculiar form and construction fit it more particularly for traffic through the jungle4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,three-,,headed ,,gate4 ,page #bb4 ,the varied colours of the different costumes worn by the members of many nationalities1 form a strikingly bright and cheerful picture4 ,blue being the colour of every ,chinaman's work-a-day clothing1 is at once a conspicuous and pleasant tint4 ,it is only during the three days' festivities that usher in the ,celestial ,new ,year1 that the wearers of the pig-tail disport themselves in any other colour4 ,during those three days1 however1 they are adorned with the richest of heliotrope1 lavender1 pale blue1 green or yellow silks4 ,in the intervals between successive ,new ,years these gorgeous garments are safely deposited in the pawnshops4 ,the various shades of yellow and brown that predominate in every crowd1 are not the result of the dyer's art1 but the effect of the hot bright sunlight upon the bare bodies of those who go uncovered4 ,the same bright light intensifies the whiteness of the ,european linen jackets1 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 body4 ,even now most of the women wind a long sash of some vivid hue round the breast1 thus forming a cheerful band of colour against the whiteness of the jacket4 ,in every crowd may be seen not only ,siamese and ,chinese1 but ,sikhs in scarlet turbans1 ,burmese in yellow and pink1 ,malays in gaudy sarongs1 ,laos in dark striped petticoats2 as well as ,annamese1 ,klings1 ,tamils and ,japanese1 each of whom is ever dressed in the garb that centuries of custom have defined as his own particular method of clothing his nakedness4 ,when to the effect of all these pleasing colours1 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 ,west1 a scene is realised which is nowhere to be met with except in the sun-kissed lands of the ,east4 ,in the licensed gambling-houses there is always a little crowd of excited men and women1 who1 when they have lost their trifling earnings1 speedily proceed to the pawnshops with any article of clothing or furniture that is not absolutely indispensable to their existence4 ,when their own property has all been squandered they take that belonging to other people1 thus producing an endless succession of daily thefts4 ,the city is full of pawnshops1 some streets containing scarcely any other form of business4 ,it is in these places that the ,europeans hunt for their frequently stolen property1 or search for the curios that are afterwards presented to friends or sold to museums at home4 ,the numbers of civil1 genial postmen in their yellow kharki uniforms faced with red1 and carrying big ,japanese umbrellas under their arms1 are sufficiently numerous and busy to testify to the efficiency of this branch of the ,civil ,service4 ,most of the policemen are ,siamese1 but their appearance is always a decided contrast to that of the neatly clad postmen4 ,their uniforms1 made of blue cloth1 are intended to be reproductions of those worn by their ,london brethren4 ,but as they are made of a cloth that rapidly shrinks and fades1 a caricature rather than an imitation is the result4 ,they are partial to umbrellas1 roll their trousers above their knees1 wear no shoes1 and seem to revel in the possession of battered helmets4 ,there is nothing whatever in their bearing that is characteristic of authority1 neither are they men of great stature or commanding strength4 ,yet they seldom meet with any resistance in the exercise of their duties1 and it is a common sight to see a puny-looking policeman leading three or four natives to the police-station1 each prisoner being merely fastened by the arm to the one behind1 with his own scarf or pocket-handkerchief4 ,so many of the native houses with their quaint gables and double or triple roofs have been pulled down1 and brick ones of ,european pattern erected instead1 that scarcely any purely native street remains4 ,the one truly native quarter is a long narrow bazaar known as ,sampeng4 ,it is about a mile and a quarter in length1 and contains a very mixed population of ,indians1 ,siamese1 and ,chinese4 ,it resembles somewhat a street in ,canton1 but lacks the wealth of elaborately carved and gilded sign-boards1 that gives such a decidedly local atmosphere to a purely ,chinese street4 ,stretched overhead1 from side to side1 are pieces of torn cloth and matting1 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 thoroughfares4 ,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 side4 ,this long narrow bazaar1 however1 is not without its own attractions4 ,here are gathered together specimens of all the native produce1 and here too work a few exponents of each of the native crafts4 ,blacksmiths and weavers are plying their several trades2 workers in gold and silver are fashioning boxes and ornaments for the rich1 and the lapidaries are polishing stones for the jewellers to set4 ,peep-shows and open-air theatres tempt the idle to linger1 and numbers of busy toilers jostle each other as they make their way to and fro over the uneven1 roughly paved foot-path4 ,at night1 the shops are closed1 but the gambling-houses1 opium dens1 and brothels are thronged by the lowest of the low4 ,at one end of the bazaar is the chief idol manufactory of the country4 ,the thousands of temples that are scattered all over ,siam1 require a large stock of images2 and the devout are frequent donors of representations of ,buddha1 of values proportionate to their means4 ,most of the idols are made according to one or other of the following methods4 ,a wooden model of the desired image is first made4 ,it is next covered with very thin silver-leaf1 after which the wooden model is removed and the interior filled up with pitch4 ,this is perhaps the most common method of making small cheap idols4 ,the larger ones are first modelled in wax1 and then covered with a cement made of fine sand and clay4 ,this is dried in the sun and finally heated in a furnace1 when the wax melts and is collected for use another time4 ,melted brass is then poured over the image and evenly spread until the whole surface is covered with a thin coating of metal4 ,a great many gilded images are made1 the gold-leaf being laid over a covering of black pitch4 ,until the outer layer of gold1 silver1 or brass has been deposited on the carved or moulded figure1 and until the eyes have been placed therein1 it is not considered in any way sacred4 ,the two last operations are frequently attended with great ceremony at the home of the owner1 in the presence of many priests4 ,in every temple there are printed gods4 ,these are very small idols1 about an inch or two in length1 made of clay and having a flat surface at the back4 ,they are stuck in rows1 on a piece of board painted with some bright colour1 and are then gilded and placed in the temple4 ,in the remotest alley1 the most secluded corner1 the broadest highway1 or the most open of public spaces1 roam the most disreputable and degraded members of the canine family--the pariah dogs4 ,black1 brown1 white1 and spotted dogs with skeleton frames and sunken eyes1 many of them in the last stages of disease and decay1 snap at the dirtiest bone1 or feast upon the filthiest rubbish they can find4 ,they own no master1 and no man owns them4 ,they may be counted till one is weary of counting1 and yet the eye will still discover many that remain unnumbered4 ,often it would be a kindness to the poor starved and crippled creatures to put them speedily out of pain1 but the ,buddhist law1 ,thou shalt not kill1 is all powerful here1 and so the pariahs breed and multiply1 giving in return for the permission to live1 their effective services as vigilant and industrious scavengers4 ,in the markets1 the natives squat cross-legged upon their stalls1 offering for sale vegetables and fruit1 betel nut and cigars1 salted fish and queer-looking sweetmeats2 or busying themselves1 in the absence of customers1 by vigorously waving a big palm or banana leaf to drive away the clouds of flies that would otherwise immediately settle upon their perishable wares4 ,the dealers are chiefly ,siamese women1 and are amongst the most polite and obliging saleswomen in the world4 ,the original city of ,bangkok is surrounded by a high thick wall pierced with many gates that are never closed4 ,the principal entrance is the one known as ,the ,three-,headed ,gate1 so called on account of the three tapering spires that surmount the three openings4 ,by far the larger portion of the population lives outside the wall1 but as the ,royal ,palace and nearly all the ,government buildings are within its circumference1 it encloses everything that is of importance to the native as far as government is concerned4 ,the roads in the city are excellent1 and in the neighbourhood of the palace itself there are a number of wide open green spaces that would not discredit any city of ,europe4 ,the palace is enclosed by several rows of departmental offices1 outside of which is a high white wall4 ,day closes with a rapidity equal to that with which it dawns1 there being no long spell of twilight either in the morning or the evening4 ,in the principal streets1 the electric light has displaced the small old oil lamps that at one time formed the only evening illumination known to the people1 but on the outskirts of the city the lamplighter still wends his evening round1 carrying the small ladder1 boxes of matches1 and bottles of oil1 that mark the nature of his occupation4 ,the oil lamps are placed at more or less irregular intervals1 and are soon blown out by any wind of moderate strength4 ,little cholera lamps swung aloft at the ends of long slender poles1 sway backwards and forwards1 telling where the grim fiend has entered in his work of destruction4 ,the ,chinese light their smoky tallow candles and place them in large quaint lanterns bearing mystic signs and symbols2 while round the city wall itself1 the cocoa-nut oil lamps burn with a lurid glare1 sending forth at the same time dense clouds of yellow pungent smoke4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,gharry4 ,in the absence of drunken men and women and the scarcity of women of ill-fame1 the streets of ,bangkok might well serve as a model for some of the wealthier and more handsome towns of ,europe4 ,there is one thing to be regretted in connection with the improvements that are daily being made in the capital1 and that is the gradual effacement of all traces of native design or workmanship4 ,bridges1 houses and railway stations are mostly of a distinctly ,european type1 and that type one of uncompromising ugliness4 ,the new streets of ,bangkok1 if cleaner and sweeter than the old1 have nothing of the curious charm of those they have replaced1 and are merely excellent examples of unadulterated brick and mortar unrelieved by the faintest trace of anything that could possibly be described as artistic4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,by ,,khlong ,,and ,,river4 ,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 design4 ,there are conveyances of many descriptions borrowed from ,india1 ,china1 ,japan1 and ,europe1 but none whatever that can be pointed out as being designed by the ,siamese themselves4 ,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 community1 is readily answered4 ,until a comparatively recent date there were practically no roads in the country1 and even at the present time1 the roads in any part of the kingdom outside ,bangkok scarcely deserve the name4 ,there are scarcely any means of communication between one village and another1 and very often only defective communication between two parts of the same village1 except by water4 ,the water is the true home of the ,siamese1 and it is on this1 their native element1 that their real character and genius are best exhibited4 ,it is true that1 in the capital1 they now ride ponies and bicycles1 for a few roads suitable to such forms of exercise exist1 but the boat1 not the horse1 the paddle1 not the whip1 are the property of the nation at large4 ,in earlier times1 when they erected houses upon land1 they chose as the most convenient sites for their dwellings1 the banks of the rivers or the shores of the sea4 ,when agricultural enterprise led to the formation of inland settlements1 no roads were made to connect the new settlement with those already existing1 but canals or khlongs were cut instead4 ,the connections between rivers were made in a similar fashion2 and for purposes of pleasure or business1 religious processions or state ceremonies1 a thousand different forms of boat were planned and constructed4 ,the numberless canals that thread their way across the plains in every possible direction1 have turned the lower portion of ,siam into a veritable labyrinth of winding water-ways4 ,the khlongs differ in age1 appearance and size1 as do the roads of more densely populated countries4 ,the ancient highways of ,europe here find their parallel in canals whose age and origin it would be difficult to determine1 though none of them possess any history extending to periods that ,western historians would call remote4 ,even as the municipalities and corporations of our land construct year by year new roads for the facilitation of traffic1 so1 for the same purpose new water-ways are being continually cut in the land of ,siam4 ,the broad deep khlongs with their double lines of house-boats1 and their continual traffic of lumbering barges1 cumbersome rafts1 comfortable house-boats and tiny canoes1 are the great streets of the cities1 and the highways of the plains4 ,the foul-smelling1 silted-up water alleys1 with their rotten disreputable houses1 and their heaps of decaying refuse1 are the slums and blind alleys2 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 jungle4 ,the palms meet overhead and form a sheltering canopy2 birds of many brilliant hues flit lazily from branch to branch1 consoling themselves for their loss of song in the contemplation of their gorgeous plumage4 ,there are lonely canals in comparatively unfrequented places1 where only occasional travellers disturb the silence4 ,here the alligator stretches his long ungainly form in the grey and slimy mud2 the monkeys chatter to one another amongst the branches of the trees upon the banks2 and the squirrels gambol in the tree-tops up aloft1 in conscious enjoyment of perfect freedom and everlasting sunshine4 ,illustration3 ,,rice ,,boats ,,coming ,,down ,,the ,,menam4 ,the great river upon which ,bangkok stands1 flows almost directly from north to south1 through mountain valleys and deep ravines1 then tumbles1 boils1 and roars through a series of dangerous rapids until it reaches the wide and fertile plains1 to whose inhabitants it means both life and wealth4 ,in most ,european maps it is called the river ,menam1 but as menam itself means river1 the name as thus written possesses no meaning4 ,every river in the country is called menam1 the first syllable of the word meaning mother1 and the second one water4 ,the real name of the ,bangkok river is ,menam ,chow ,phya1 which may be freely rendered as the ,river ,duke1 for ,chow ,phya is the highest title of nobility that can be held by anyone not of royal descent4 ,every traveller enters ,siam by this river1 and in passing from its mouth to the capital1 he may easily observe many excellent examples of true ,siamese life and customs4 ,at the entrance there is a bar of sand and mud1 which at low tide is visible in certain places1 and which even at high tide is never covered by more than fifteen feet of water4 ,as a consequence1 no deeply laden vessels can enter the river1 and they have to load or discharge the greater part of their cargo by means of small sailing vessels called lighters1 at an island in the gulf4 ,there is only one narrow passage through the bar1 and the unwary mariner frequently runs aground4 ,it is said that when the ,siamese ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs was asked why no attempt was made to remove this bar1 that thereby the river might be rendered more navigable1 and commerce facilitated1 he replied1 ,for the same reasons that you ,english don't relish the idea of a ,channel ,tunnel4 ,similar banks of mud or sand1 or both1 render unnavigable every river that flows through the country4 ,they are decisive evidence of the way in which the whole of the gulf is being gradually filled up4 ,the coast is everywhere shallow1 and at low tide long stretches of mud may be seen at any point on the northern shores of the inlet4 ,the whole of lower ,siam is one vast alluvial deposit4 ,in several places in the interior1 borings for wells have passed through thick strata of sea-shells and other marine deposits1 thus showing that in earlier days the northern limit of the gulf extended far north of the site of the present capital4 ,having crossed the bar1 the general character of the river becomes at once apparent4 ,the appearances presented are characteristic of all the rivers in this part of the world4 ,on either bank the thick jungle comes down to the water's edge1 forming a dense green mass of lowly attap or stately palm1 interlaced with lianes and gigantic creepers1 full of thorny bushes and different species of the cactus family1 with the lordly palm towering high above the living undergrowth1 demanding and obtaining instant admiration from every beholder1 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 feet4 ,in the centre of the river lies a little island1 on which stands ,prachadee ,glang ,nam--,the ,shrine in the ,middle of the ,waters4 ,it is a snow-white spire-crowned edifice1 round whose base are a number of small quaint structures1 the whole forming a conspicuous and typical example of the ecclesiastical architecture of ,siam4 ,a broad band of scarlet cloth wrapped round the spire1 about half-way between the summit and the base1 by some devout member of the ,buddhist faith1 serves a double purpose in increasing the pictorial aspect of the scene1 and at the same time in indicating that the teachings of the wise and noble ,gautama1 in whose honour the building was erected1 have here retained some of their power over the lives of the inhabitants4 ,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 robe4 ,the neighbouring countries of ,annam1 ,cochin-,china1 ,cambodia and ,burmah1 now owe allegiance to a foreign government1 and their sovereigns1 who once bent the knee before the altars of ,buddhism are dead or deposed4 ,the only remaining independent ,buddhist monarch is ,h4 ,m4 ,king ,chulalongkorn1 and here in the centre of the great highway of his country1 at the very gate of his kingdom1 stands this fair white temple to the honour of the ancient sage4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,lighter4 ,boats of many shapes and sizes cross and re-cross the path of the steamer as it makes its way along the winding course1 but not until the vessel is anchored amid stream is it possible to fully appreciate the unique appearance of the scene4 ,along each bank are the floating houses made of teak and plaited bamboo1 and thatched with the long spear-like leaves of the attap palm4 ,their gabled ends1 best understood from the illustrations1 are of a form peculiar to this land alone1 and are repeated monotonously on every dwelling4 ,the houses stand upon pontoons1 or else upon rafts which are made of numerous stems of the bamboo tree or the areca-palm1 tightly bound together in bundles4 ,each bundle is more or less free from the others1 so that as the floating foundation gradually rots away1 the raft can easily be removed and then replaced piece by piece without disturbing the equilibrium of the dwelling itself4 ,the rafts are loosely moored to several stakes driven deep in the bed of the river1 and rise and fall with the tide4 ,the house is closed in front by a number of planks of wood1 which are removed in the day-time for the admittance of light and air4 ,it bears in front a little platform or verandah1 often railed in to prevent the younger members of the family from falling into the swiftly flowing stream beneath4 ,this uncovered platform serves many purposes4 ,it is here in the early morning1 and again in the evening1 that the family may most often be seen enjoying the luxury of a bath4 ,men1 women1 and children come to the edge of the platform1 take up water from the river with brass basins or wooden buckets1 and then pour it over head and shoulders1 thus drenching both themselves and clothes at the same time4 ,here1 too1 the dealers display their wares--the giant fruit of the durien plant1 which is described by ,alfred ,russell ,wallace as being a combination of strawberries and cream1 nectar and ambrosia1 ripe pears and ice cream1 but which to the uninitiated suggests more truthfully the presence of exceedingly defective sanitation2 the mangosteen1 a pearl amongst fruits1 delightful to eat and to behold1 a snow-ball in a casket of crimson2 mangoes2 fresh green cocoa-nuts filled with delicious1 refreshing milk2 bananas of countless varieties2 sugar-cane ready skinned and cut in small pieces for the youngsters1 who think it the sweetest of sweetmeats2 young bamboo stems1 rivalling asparagus when properly cooked2 cheap tin and trumpery from ,birmingham1 ,manchester1 or ,germany2 silks from ,china and ,bombay2 occasionally buffalo-horns2 tiger-skins2 black monkeys with white beards2 green parrots2 lamp-oil1 and joss sticks2 and a host of small and inexpensive articles 7being the produce of many countries of the globe7 that are likely to find ready purchasers amongst a people of simple tastes and small means4 ,very often in the evening when the sun is getting low1 the family take their evening meal out of doors on the same verandah4 ,when the meal is over they still squat upon the floor1 smoking huge cigarettes of rank tobacco wrapped in the leaf of the banana1 and exchanging occasional words or greetings with some friend or acquaintance passing homewards in his boat4 ,these floating structures are comparatively clean1 cool1 and comfortable1 and possess one great advantage over a fixed dwelling upon land1 in the fact that1 provided the house is the property of the tenant1 he may remove to a new locality without any of the inconvenience of an ordinary removal1 by the simple process of shifting at the same time both his habitation and all that it contains4 ,it is an amusing and not uncommon sight to see a father and his family1 aided by a few muscular friends or relatives1 tugging away at ponderous shovel-shaped oars1 fastened fore and aft1 as they pilot their house through a crowd of smaller craft on their way to settle in some more desirable or convenient locality4 ,illustration3 ,,siamese ,,canoes4 ,behind the floating houses1 either situated on the banks or overhanging the water1 are houses built on piles4 ,they are raised sufficiently high to escape the floods that come with the rainy season4 ,their general construction is the same as that of the floating dwellings1 but as their inhabitants throw most of their rubbish into the space between the ground and floor instead of into the river1 they are by no means such healthy habitations as those that float in the river below4 ,in the river are moored the coasting steamers that carry the rice of ,siam to ,singapore or ,hong-kong1 that transport lean cattle to the ,malay ,states and ,archipelago1 and bring back goods of ,european or ,asiatic manufacture1 as well as thousands of ,chinese coolies for the labour market4 ,there are great ,norwegian sailing vessels taking in teak1 and tank steamers discharging kerosine oil4 ,chinese junks and lighters pass slowly by with heavy1 yellow1 mat-like sails1 bearing cargo to the island in the gulf1 where it will be transferred to the larger steamers4 ,on the prow of every junk is painted a big wide-open eye1 whose powerful optical properties are supposed to aid the vessel in steering a safe and speedy course4 ,says the ,chinese maritime philosopher1 ,no have got eye2 how can see8 ,there are no ,siamese junks or steamers1 for the trade of the country is in the hand of foreigners1 who1 for commercial purposes1 use either the steamers that owe their design and construction to modern invention1 or else the huge unwieldy junks that the conservative ,chinese crews would be exceedingly loth to relinquish4 ,the teak that is exported1 is sent down to the capital from the northern forests in the ,shan uplands around ,chiengmai1 bound together in cumbersome rafts4 ,after passing through the perilous rapids of the ,meping1 they are stopped at the ,customs station at ,raheng1 and duties are there levied upon them4 ,they are then allowed to drift with the current and are steered with a number of perforated1 rudder-like oars fastened at both ends of the raft4 ,in the centre there is always a little temporary hut rudely fashioned out of a few branches and leaves4 ,some member of the crew will generally be found taking a comfortable nap therein4 ,illustration3 ,,chinese ,,trading ,,junk4 ,fiery little steam-launches tear across the river1 whistling1 shrieking1 rushing like so many water fiends1 half swamping or upsetting many of the smaller boats in their swell4 ,tiny mites of children paddle freely and easily along in tiny cockle-shell canoes1 without any signs of fear or hesitation4 ,they easily avoid the big fire-boat1 and guide their craft into the swell in order that they may enjoy the fun of riding upon the miniature waves4 ,the most common form of boat to be seen on the river is the native gondola1 or rua-chang4 ,it is used for purposes of business or pleasure1 but it is rapidly losing its popularity as a ferry boat owing to the introduction of the more rapid little steam-launches4 ,both sexes are employed as gondoliers4 ,they stand to their work with one foot upon the edge of the boat4 ,their oars are fastened loosely to a small piece of wood near one end1 and the boat is propelled with long graceful sweeps of the oar1 by a method that no ,european has ever yet been able to acquire4 ,they turn about with amazing rapidity1 or preserve a straight course from point to point1 with but little apparent effort on the part of the boatman1 and with no seeming variation in the movement of the oar4 ,as a matter of fact1 the whole work of steering or of turning is done by a peculiar twist given to the oar at the end of the stroke1 but so deftly is the motion made that in the smaller boats it is practically invisible4 ,the ease and gracefulness with which the ,siamese gondolas skim across the waters1 is in pleasing contrast to the ugly jerky motion of the boats that serve the same purpose in the rivers and harbours of ,china1 and represents a degree of skill on the part of the oarsmen1 probably unattained by any other boatmen in the world4 ,long dug-outs1 mere hollowed-out trunks of trees1 sunk to the water's edge with a heavy freight of rice1 fruit or vegetables1 are paddled along by two men1 one at each end4 ,they squat on their haunches on flat projecting ends whose superficial area is about eighteen square inches4 ,in the early morning1 the priests paddle themselves from house to house in long narrow canoes1 with their alms-bowls deposited on the floor in front of them1 for when they put on the yellow robe1 they do not put off their aquatic attainments4 ,moored in every available inch of space are the house-boats in which thousands of the inhabitants spend the whole of their lives4 ,they are born in the boat1 are reared aboard1 and are only taken permanently ashore when life is ended4 ,generally speaking1 these house-boats are wide in the beam1 and possess a deck whose planks are removable in order that cargo1 clothes1 and provisions may be stored underneath4 ,in the centre is the house1 consisting of the deck for a floor1 and an elliptical plaited rattan shell for walls and roof4 ,a small sliding framework of light wood or matting projects from one end of the house to the stern end of the boat1 and bears a number of removable curtain-like frames around the sides1 so that the steersman is well protected from wind and rain4 ,in these boats a whole family may be gathered together1 from grandfather to grandchild4 ,there is but little room for exercise1 and they sleep close together1 side by side1 like sardines in a box1 yet they always seem happy and contented4 ,every home contains a small altar to ,buddha1 with a seated image of the saint himself placed thereon4 ,this they delight to decorate with flowers and bundles of incense sticks placed in blue and white china vases4 ,the poorest always manage to spare a few coppers on festive occasions to re-decorate and adorn their domestic idol4 ,if there are any ,chinese on board1 their presence is indicated by a number of red prayer-papers bearing mystic symbols in black and gold1 stuck here and there upon the roof and walls of the cabin4 ,rice is brought from many places inland1 in a boat of very similar appearance and construction1 but in this case1 there is practically no room for anyone but the crew1 as the central house-like portion is filled to the roof with the valuable grain4 ,round the edge of the boat1 through its entire length on both sides1 runs a projecting ledge about a foot wide1 along which the men walk when they find it necessary to pole their way through shallow water4 ,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 hue4 ,all such vessels are made in the country from woods found in the native forests1 for the people are as clever in building boats as they are in propelling them4 ,a great part of the amphibious population is not resident in the capital4 ,the people live in the country where they till the fields that lie on the banks of the rivers or canals1 in those places where the jungle has been cleared4 ,there they anchor their homes until the time of harvest1 when they gather in the fruits of their labour and then proceed leisurely south4 ,on arriving at ,bangkok1 they dispose of their cargo1 take a short holiday1 visit their friends1 see the sights of the city1 and finally return to their fields1 gardens1 orchards again1 taking with them quantities of kerosine oil1 cheap prints1 matches1 and many small articles of domestic use4 ,the water population is complete in itself1 and is perfectly independent of its terrestrial neighbours in every way4 ,it has not only its own houses and shops1 its water omnibuses and hansoms1 but even its floating restaurants and pedlars4 ,the restaurant is contained in a fairly small canoe1 but it is surprising what a quantity of cooking apparatus and what a varied assortment of food the chef manages to carry4 ,he passes from house to house1 from boat to boat1 boiling and cooking as he goes1 and easily disposes of his curries and boiled rice4 ,illustration3 ,,can ,i ,,give ,,you ,a ,,lift1 ,,reverend ,,fathers8 ,the river has its own police1 with duties corresponding to those of their brethren ashore1 but they wear1 instead of a battered helmet1 a neat white or blue cap1 on whose black ribbon is printed in gold letters the words that describe their particular functions4 ,both the water and the land policemen are called polit1 the word being a modification of our own word police according to a rule of pronunciation in the native language1 according to which all final consonants of the nature of 's' are pronounced as 't'4 ,there is a water market1 but unlike the land market which remains open all day1 this one opens and closes before the sun has risen very high4 ,scores of boats are massed together in one compact crowd4 ,each boat is sunk to the gunwale with piles of fruit or fish4 ,the occupants barter and bargain with the same incessant deafening noise of shouting1 laughing1 and swearing that is characteristic of all markets the world over4 ,the women wear flat-topped hats made of leaves1 which slope outwards from the crown1 and are stuck on their heads by a circular frame-work of cane placed inside4 ,boats pass in and out of the crowd without accident or trouble1 and though not an inch of water is to be seen from the edge of the throng1 the market gardeners1 fishermen and florists never lose any of their merchandise as they move in some mysterious fashion from one spot to another4 ,even if a boat were upset1 nothing more serious than the loss of its freight would be likely to occur4 ,the owner would never be drowned4 ,he would simply turn his vessel over again1 climb over the side1 and paddle off home4 ,yet many of these canoes are so light and small1 and float in such a condition of unstable equilibrium1 that no ,european could either get into one of them1 or1 if the boat were held until he were seated1 take a couple of strokes in one without falling overboard4 ,there is1 however1 only the remotest possibility of any native being drowned as the result of being capsized1 for the whole nation may be described as a nation of swimmers4 ,whether in the water or on the water they are in perfect safety4 ,little children1 long before they can walk1 are thrown into the water by their mothers1 who fasten under their arms a tin float that always keeps the head above water4 ,the wee brown dots splash and splutter about in the lukewarm current of the river1 involuntarily learning the correct action of the limbs in swimming1 and gaining an acquaintance with this element that ever afterwards prevents any feeling of fear4 ,in this way many children learn to swim almost as soon as1 if not before1 they can walk4 ,the boys early learn to paddle their own canoes1 and they have invented a number of water games that are possible only among children educated in this fashion4 ,occasionally a party of them will get into a long narrow boat1 and crowd together until the water is just on the point of entering4 ,then with a few gentle strokes with a paddle1 they urge it forward1 the water flowing in with every stroke4 ,as soon as they feel it sinking beneath them1 they roll out into the canal or river1 turn the canoe up again1 slowly but deftly climb in one by one1 and then off once more to repeat the fun4 ,at certain seasons of the year boat races are held at the little island at the mouth of the river1 on which stands the temple previously described4 ,in these races no consideration is paid to fouls4 ,the object of each crew is to reach the winning-post first1 and any crew is allowed to prevent its opponents attaining that desirable end1 by any means they care to employ4 ,the consequence is that the first part of the race resolves itself into a series of ramming manoeuvres4 ,there is a fierce struggle between the rival crews who try to upset each other4 ,the intensest excitement prevails amongst the spectators as two boats near each other1 and they watch the manoeuvring with breathless interest until one of them is upset1 when cheers break out in encouragement of the winners1 who strain every nerve to reach the goal before their opponents can once more get aboard their craft and so continue the contest4 ,women as well as men take part in the sports1 both sexes being equally skilful in any sport or amusement of an aquatic nature4 ,soon after sunset the river clears considerably1 for these water-folk rise and retire with the sun4 ,they shut up the front of their houses1 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 land4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,children4 ,the lives of the children of the ,east are surrounded by a number of time-honoured rites and ceremonies of an imposing but superstitious character4 ,the infant is a priceless gift from the beneficent gods1 and its life must be ordered in accordance with the curious superstitions invented of old by the legendary deities of its forefathers4 ,the infant is at once a source of pride1 for it is a mark of heavenly favour1 and of hope1 for it shall1 if good luck befall it1 hand down its father's name unto another and a later generation4 ,whatever ritual has been devised aforetime as tending to bring long life and prosperity unto the new-born child1 must therefore be observed with great pomp and careful attention to minute but important details4 ,and lastly1 the ,oriental child causes its parent to reveal certain features in his character that otherwise lie hidden and unobserved4 ,the fiercest ,hindoo is the most tender-hearted of men when his little loved one lies sick2 the fat1 stolid1 wooden-headed ,chinaman becomes a lively youngster himself as he tosses his crowing chuckling babe aloft2 and the genial1 gentle ,siamese is never so winning as when caressing the hope of his house4 ,siamese children exhibit in their earlier days the best qualities of their race to a very high degree4 ,the ,hindoos instituted ten samskras or rites1 the due performance of which1 was supposed to ensure to the child freedom from all evil influences4 ,now the original ,siamese as they travelled south from the slopes of the ,tibetan mountains1 came into contact with the ,hindoo civilisation and religion1 and adopted therefrom their religious beliefs and many of their social customs4 ,owing to the absence of reliable written historic records in ,siam itself1 the mass of the people have long since forgotten where and how most of their ceremonial practices originated1 but the learned amongst them have little difficulty in pointing out both their primary source and their latter-day modifications4 ,the ten auspicious rites that encompassed the life of the ,hindoo child1 began with its birth1 and ended with one imposing pageant more important and far-reaching in its effects than any of the nine that had preceded it1 and marking very definitely the end of the period of childhood4 ,one month after birth occurred the ceremony of shaving the first few hairs of the new-born1 and about the same time1 a rite somewhat similar to that of christening was observed1 when the child received its first but temporary name4 ,these two ceremonies still exist in ,siam1 but six of the original ones have disappeared4 ,amongst those that have thus been lost are the rite of ear-boring1 which occurred about the third year and which still survives amongst the ,laos and the ,burmese2 the rite of training the child to eat rice2 the rite of teaching the first footsteps2 the rite of speaking the first words2 the rite of first putting on the loin-cloth2 the rite of taking the first lessons in swimming1 which was reserved for princesses2 and lastly1 the rites of shaving the top-knot and the subsequent investiture of the sacred thread1 which form the final links in the chain of ceremonial practices devoted to the little ones4 ,it is obviously impossible therefore to pretend to give any adequate account of the people of this land1 without first treating of the life and character of her children1 on whose behalf the favour of the spirits of good are so frequently and carefully besought by their anxious parents4 ,considering the number of ritualistic observances that have occurred through successive generations1 with the object of obtaining for the young the good-will of the angels1 it might reasonably be supposed that if the numerous prayers had been in any way effective1 by this time the present generation of children should be enjoying untold benefits1 and should be leading lives far superior in their freedom from ordinary mishap or pain1 to those of children not similarly descended4 ,it would puzzle any observer1 however1 to discover in what way they are more tenderly cared for by the celestial dispensers of desirable things1 than are other children4 ,they cannot be described as differing in any very essential particulars from their little brothers and sisters in other lands4 ,it is true that they have not the keen perception of truth1 the chivalrous sentiment of honour1 or the dogged industry which are common to some extent to most ,european children2 but they have a respect for the aged1 for their parents1 and for all those set in authority over them that might well be copied by the democratic children of the ,west4 ,in their behaviour towards their parents and their priests they stand as excellent exemplars of reverence and obedience4 ,the respectful manner they adopt in their dealings with all who may be presumed to control them1 renders the work of any teacher in ,siam a moderately light one4 ,insubordination or impertinence is unheard of4 ,the oft-debated question of corporal punishment is here solved by the character of the children themselves4 ,schools can be managed without canes1 hard words1 or severe punishment of any description4 ,discipline1 the first and chief goal that the ,european teacher strives to obtain1 is here produced by merely wishing for it4 ,the term kroo or teacher is a title that commands respect from parents and scholars alike1 and they invariably use it in addressing him on all occasions and in all places whether public or private4 ,the only teachers for years were the priests1 even as the majority are to-day1 and it seems as though in transferring the office of pedagogue from priest to layman1 they have transferred also a portion of that atmosphere of reverence that is ever associated with the priesthood4 ,the ,siamese in this respect may be said to have reached a higher level than their whiter brethren1 inasmuch as they recognise in an outward and visible manner1 that the teacher of religion and the instructor of the young are both engaged in the same grand work of mental and moral progress4 ,siamese children1 especially the little girls1 are exceedingly pretty1 rivalling1 if not excelling1 all the other beauties of the ,east1 ,japan included4 ,they are very merry1 continually contented1 easily pleased and most unselfish in their dealings with one another4 ,their almost absolute lack of selfishness is one of the most pleasing features in their very lovable characters4 ,the boys at school lend their property to their fellow-scholars with the greatest readiness4 ,watches1 knives1 pencils1 and other schoolboy treasures circulate sometimes to such an extent that one is inclined to fancy they must be common property2 and1 greatest test of pure good-nature1 they even lend their bicycles to each other4 ,they are1 however1 early tainted with the national vices1 vices that flourish more particularly in hot climates and luxurious soils4 ,it will be wise1 however1 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 times4 ,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 body4 ,upon the birth of the child1 a big fire is made by the side of the mother1 who at this time forsakes her bed and lies on a long narrow flat board4 ,a fruit supposed to possess protective properties is scattered round or under the house1 and a cord is twined round the exterior of the dwelling1 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 child4 ,the interior of the room is like a furnace1 and it is to be feared that under these conditions1 the evil spirits that haunt the sites of defective ventilation do only too often accomplish their fatal object4 ,for three days1 several old women attend the mother and make offerings to the powers whose influence is beneficial4 ,this they do by making three balls of rice and then throwing them in three lucky directions4 ,it is said that every new-born babe bears as its first name the word ,dang1 which means red4 ,if this be so1 then the mother or nurse speedily turns her attention to the best means of rendering the term singularly inaccurate1 for instead of allowing the child to retain its original and natural colour1 she immediately rubs it all over with a yellow paste whose chief constituent is turmeric powder4 ,the baby presently appears as if it were suffering from a very severe and expansive attack of jaundice4 ,this process of 'yellowing' is popularly supposed to keep away mosquitoes4 ,it is not confined to red babies1 but cats and dogs may often be seen who have received the same treatment4 ,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 family4 ,for several years no clothes are worn1 so that their health is never injured or their comfort marred by unsanitary garments4 ,they are frequently adorned with massive gold or silver bracelets and anklets1 and wear a little silver shield fastened in front of the body by a string of beads passed round the loins4 ,the shield is merely an ornament and plays no indispensable part in their metallic apparel1 for when it is once lost1 it is seldom replaced1 though the string of beads may persist for some months afterwards4 ,the amount of wealth possessed by the poor in the shape of ornaments must be enormous1 for almost every child bears somewhere on its body a heavy piece of gold or silver4 ,until the child can walk it passes its life under the same system of treatment usually accorded to human beings at this tender age4 ,it is nursed and petted by its mother1 talked to1 made a fuss of1 presented to uninterested visitors1 and generally tormented by the same excess of demonstrative affection which mothers of every colour lavish upon their own offspring4 ,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 ,siam4 ,the cradle consists of a strong oblong rectangular frame-work at the top and a flat narrow board at the bottom4 ,the two are connected round the four sides by a network made of strong twine4 ,it is suspended from the rafters of the roof by four strong cords4 ,it is swung1 not rocked1 and the mother or sister of the babe will sit tailor-fashion on the floor for hours at a time contentedly chewing betel-nut1 or chanting monotonous ,siamese ,gregorians in a low plaintive tone1 at the same time swinging the cradle gently to and fro by a long rope4 ,when the baby is taken for an airing it is carried by some female member of the household1 who places it on her hip and supports it with one arm4 ,this method of carrying the child is said to be a healthy one for the baby1 but it must be a fairly unhealthy one for the nurse1 who has always to walk at an angle with the ground1 suggesting the appearance of the ,tower of ,pisa1 while the baby is wedged1 cross-legged1 between the firm pressure of the supporting arm and the bended body4 ,passing over the period which elapses between lying in the cradle and learning to walk1 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 village4 ,they are perfectly free and independent1 and are given up to the educative influence of ,nature in a way that would have satisfied ,rousseau himself4 ,the boys still remain unclothed2 they scamper along the roads1 driving young bullocks2 sit on the backs of tame buffaloes as they plough the rice fields2 steal bananas2 climb trees for cocoa-nuts2 smoke enormous cigarettes2 paddle their own canoes2 never bother their heads about getting home in time for meals2 lie down in shady places to rest2 never read books2 do not know the inside of a school1 and spend the whole day according to their own ideas of amusement4 ,if they want to play1 they play2 if they desire to sleep1 they have but to lie down in the first convenient spot1 when they attain the desired condition with a rapidity that is to be greatly envied4 ,gloves1 ties1 collars1 neat pockets1 untorn coats1 unsplit boots and other abominations never cause the ,siamese boy a moment's anxiety4 ,if he wears any hat at all1 it is a nice light roomy sort of structure discarded by its original owner several years before1 and in such a condition of decay1 that an occasional fall into the water or mud does not affect either its value or its usefulness4 ,at a later date he begins to wear clothes4 ,he dresses like his sister1 wearing a cool airy garment consisting of a single long strip of cloth of some bright colour1 fastened round the waist and draped about the legs4 ,it hangs loosely about the knees and resembles a pair of knickerbockers4 ,there are no buttons1 tapes1 pins1 or suspenders1 and he requires little training in the art of fixing his single garment so that it will remain permanently in the required position4 ,he wears no shoes or stockings1 the use of such luxuries being restricted to the upper classes4 ,the upper half of the body is left bare1 except when1 in accordance with a fashion of very recent date1 a white linen jacket is worn4 ,all girls wear either this jacket or else a coloured scarf wrapped tightly round the breast4 ,the smarter ones wear both scarf and jacket1 but amongst the lower classes1 the majority of the women leave their bodies uncovered above the waist after the birth of the first child4 ,all ranks of society are passionately fond of finery1 and adorn themselves as well as they can possibly afford4 ,the native rings are set with native stones1 but the workmanship is very rude4 ,when money is not available for the purchase of jewellery1 flowers are obtained4 ,as their clothes possess no collars with button-holes in which the floral decorations can be placed1 they stick them behind the ear4 ,a day's life with one of these children is spent after the following fashion4 ,he rises at early dawn and goes at once to the nearest water to bathe4 ,he has no acquaintance with soap1 but pours abundant water over himself with basin or bucket4 ,the refreshing operation finishes with a plunge in the stream1 after which he either lies down1 or runs about till he is dry4 ,a breakfast of rice1 salt fish1 and fruit1 eaten from brass or earthenware dishes1 with his fingers1 is the prelude to the day's enjoyment4 ,he next devotes all his energies to getting through the day4 ,he accomplishes the task set before him by alternate intervals of sleep or play4 ,he is a faithful disciple of ,isaac ,walton4 ,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 waters4 ,at low tide1 when many of the canals are mere valleys of mud1 a whole tribe of children descend into the slimy deposit1 and push coarse sieves into the mud in the attempt to catch prawns4 ,the captured creatures are placed in stone jars4 ,when weary of the sport1 or when the jar is filled with prawns1 they vary the nature of their amusement by pelting each other with mud4 ,it is simply snow-balling transformed4 ,they stand about in the slippery mess1 and make little pellets of soft mud4 ,these they fling at each other with an aim remarkable for its invariable accuracy4 ,when sufficiently tired and dirty they get away to the nearest water1 take a turn or two1 and then come up to dry4 ,they delight in witnessing extreme activity in other creatures4 ,a cock fight or a general battle amongst the pariah dogs is a source of great amusement4 ,at night they search for crickets4 ,when they have collected a large number they place them1 two at a time1 in small jars made of mud and baked hard in the sun2 the two crickets are urged to engage in warfare by the skilful application of small pointed pieces of wood4 ,the battle which ensues evokes their hearty appreciation4 ,they catch fighting fish1 feed them with mosquito larv1 and then train them to fight4 ,after a proper course of training the fish become extremely pugnacious1 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 imprisoned4 ,as a general rule1 ,siamese youths are keen spectators of anything of a combative character4 ,and yet amongst themselves they are extremely peaceful and unquarrelsome4 ,supposing them all to be sent to school1 it may be safely predicted that there would be fewer fights in a whole generation of scholars than an ,english school knows in a year4 ,uncoloured pictures have no charm for them1 for an ordinary drawing in black and white is utterly incomprehensible to them4 ,all native drawings1 with their strange disregard of the laws of perspective1 are executed in colours4 ,they do not instantly recognise photographs of the streets and buildings with whose appearance they are perfectly familiar1 and they will as often as not view them upside down4 ,the power to appreciate black and white is1 however1 merely dormant1 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 papers4 ,they are very clever in the art of making bouquets and weaving garlands of flowers4 ,on festive occasions1 the houses are festooned from end to end with long rope-like strands of small blossoms fastened together with wonderful skill4 ,on every head a little tuft of hair is allowed to grow in the centre of a shaven crown4 ,this is removed at a certain period1 with an imposing and important ritual4 ,they make excellent scholars1 for they are very bright and intelligent4 ,only a mere handful of the population attend any school regularly1 but all those who hope to obtain any ,government employment must at least learn to read and write4 ,those that do attend the schools learn to draw accurately and neatly after very little practice4 ,they need no teaching with regard to modelling in clay1 their representations of elephants in particular being beyond criticism4 ,all ordinary school subjects are rapidly acquired by them1 and they are adepts in the acquisition of a foreign language4 ,they learn to read1 write1 and speak ,english in the ,anglo-,vernacular schools in about three years1 with great ease and fluency4 ,many boys will speak in ,english concerning the common events of their daily lives after a few months' tuition4 ,they are helped in this matter by their wonderfully retentive memories which enable them to remember a large number of words and idioms4 ,there is no esprit de corps in any school1 unless it is cultivated by the master in charge4 ,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 honour1 not so much on account of the intrinsic value of the maxim or the rule itself1 as because it has been put before them as a ,european custom4 ,it is therefore to be imitated if they wish to appear up to date4 ,in speaking to their teachers1 no matter what their relative ranks in life may be1 they invariably use that form of the pronoun ,i which signifies that they consider themselves as occupying a lower position than the person spoken to4 ,they abhor long holidays1 but like to take odd days by fits and starts whenever they feel so inclined4 ,unpunctuality is a common fault unless firmly opposed4 ,cricket and football have been introduced at one of the schools and have become fairly popular1 but the climate is really too hot for such vigorous forms of athletic activity ever to flourish except amongst a few enthusiasts4 ,inquisitiveness is politeness1 and it is rather bewildering to the ,english teacher new to his work1 especially when he is constantly questioned as to his age1 the price of his watch1 the amount of his salary1 or the date when he last had his hair cut4 ,the school satchel does not seem to have become popular1 most scholars carrying their belongings tied up in a ,manchester-made handkerchief4 ,boys of the higher classes are attended by their servants1 who carry these articles for them1 and at times1 even carry the owners also4 ,in the intervals of playtime they smoke4 ,each boy carries his own tobacco-pouch1 matches1 and tobacco1 and is an adept at rolling cigarettes4 ,they are thoroughly unselfish as regards the disposal of their smoking material1 and a cigarette will be circulated amongst a group of friends1 each one taking a whiff or two and then handing it on to his neighbour4 ,if the weed is unfinished when the school bell rings1 they calmly extinguish it1 stick it behind the ear1 penholder fashion1 and return to class4 ,they are affectionate1 cheerful1 respectful1 delightful fellows to play with or work with1 and offering to the observant master many interesting examples of the gradual development of mind and character under a rational system of teaching4 ,illustration3 ,,mother ,,and ,,child4 ,in a land where superstitious practices abound1 the children are sure to have more than an ordinary belief in goblins and ghosts4 ,the belief in divers supernatural beings of evil or good intent is powerfully implanted in every adult mind4 ,in the case of the children every natural phenomenon1 every event of their lives is to them under the control of some invisible spirit4 ,they have a profound belief in their marvellous fairy tales1 and many of them never grow out of this extreme condition of credibility during the whole of their existence4 ,they cling to their mystic interpretations of natural phenomena1 with such force1 that in the schools that have been recently founded1 the attempts to teach the elements of natural science have been made under rather disheartening circumstances4 ,the children are perfectly certain that thunder is exactly what their name for it denotes1 the sky crying4 ,there is a horrible giant of great strength and furious temper who leads a very quarrelsome life with a cantankerous wife1 and when he grumbles and growls at her various iniquities1 the echo of his voice comes in cries from the sky4 ,when in fits of violent anger he hurls his ponderous hatchet at his spouse1 it strikes the floor of heaven1 and a thunderbolt falls4 ,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 season1 they say a woman is flashing a mirror in the air1 or according to another interpretation1 the angels are amusing themselves by striking fire with bricks4 ,the falling stars are produced when frolicsome spirits in their sportive moods pitch torches at each other4 ,when the giant crab comes up out of his hole in the deep parts of the sea1 he bears up the waters on his back1 and the tide flows2 when he retires again1 it ebbs4 ,sometimes the angels in heaven all take it into their heads to have a bath at the same time1 and as a consequence they splash the water over the sides of the bath1 and the rain falls4 ,another theory states1 however1 that the rain is caused by a huge fish a thousand miles long1 who with his mighty tail furiously lashes the waters of the deep4 ,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 life4 ,not only children1 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 them4 ,quite recently a debate was held at the ,bangkok ,literary ,institute on ,what is the shape of the world8 ,the ecclesiastical portion of the audience1 who were mostly natives1 fought tooth and nail for the flatness of our planet1 and though one or two of their own countrymen argued very forcibly against their notions1 when the final vote was taken there was quite a large majority opposed to the theory of round like an orange4 ,one of the teachers was giving a lesson to his class one day on this very subject4 ,his scholars promptly informed him that the world was flat4 ,he further learned that it would take two hundred years to travel round it at the rate of two hundred miles a day1 and that somewhere within the circumference of this pancake-shaped planet there is a mountain called ,mount ,meru1 which is eight hundred and forty thousand miles high1 bearing upon its summit the realms of heaven4 ,he explained that the world was round1 and was greeted by the remark1 ,why1 that can't possibly be1 for if the world were round the water would all roll off4 ,as there are no scientific terms in the language1 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 scholars1 he was rather non-plussed4 ,he did his best1 however1 and believed that1 by his earnestness in pressing home his point1 he had at last made them accept1 even if they did not understand1 the fact4 ,by way of recapitulation at the close of his lesson he asked one who had shown intense incredulity1 ,what shape is the world8 ,the boy stolidly replied1 ,the teacher says it is round4 ,in their fairy tales they demand episodes of the most marvellous character4 ,an ,englishman once read to some ,siamese boys the story of ,jack the ,giant ,killer1 thinking it might interest them4 ,to his great surprise they listened with the greatest indifference to his narrative4 ,on being questioned as to whether they liked the story or not1 one boy replied1 ,it isn't fierce enough2 and further1 by way of illustrating what he considered satisfactory in this class of fiction1 he related how a ,siamese hero met the whole of his enemies banded together against him in a deep ravine4 ,the hero went towards them single-handed1 and just when the assembled foes were calculating upon a triumphant victory1 he quietly took up the mountains to the right and left of him1 in the hollows of his hands1 brought them rapidly together1 annihilated the multitude with one stroke1 and then unfatigued1 replaced the mountains upon their bases once more4 ,in some cases their superstitions exert a very real influence upon their actions4 ,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 hiding1 for fear of directing the attention of the beasts towards themselves4 ,another illustration may also here be given4 ,one of the students in training at the ,normal ,college for teachers1 was absent for some time4 ,on his return1 the principal spoke to him1 calling him by the name he had previously been known by4 ,he at once requested that his old name should not again be used1 and gave a new one4 ,on enquiring the reason1 it was found he had been absent through illness4 ,while lying sick at home1 an angel had appeared to his mother in a dream and had warned her that if her son's name were not changed1 he would die1 as the name he then possessed was an unlucky one for him4 ,his name was immediately changed1 and he recovered4 ,at the same time1 his cousin lay ill in the same house1 and the angel gave a similar warning with regard to this boy's name1 but the prophetic voice was in this case unheeded1 and the child died4 ,as there is no registry of births or deaths there is practically no trouble in altering a name1 and in fact1 such alterations are of frequent occurrence4 ,a few years ago the ,siamese ,government organised an ,education ,department1 with the intention of establishing an adequate system of ,primary ,education1 which was to be followed in due time by a system of ,secondary ,education4 ,up to that time the only schools were those in connection with the monasteries4 ,in these schools reading and writing were taught by the priests4 ,though their methods were illogical and their curriculum narrow1 it must never be forgotten that most ,siamese men can read and write their own language1 and that the country owes a deep debt of gratitude to these monks who did their best according to their own theories4 ,these schools must in the future be the starting-points for any system of education that would pretend to exercise any influence throughout the country4 ,the work of the ,education ,department1 as far as progress or reform is concerned1 has been1 so far1 in connection with the establishment of a ,training ,college for ,teachers1 the founding of four ,anglo-,vernacular ,schools for boys1 one of which is a boarding-school1 and a boarding-school for girls4 ,these have been organised and controlled by ,europeans and are fairly satisfactory4 ,attached to the ,training ,college is a ,practising ,school1 which is the only good ,vernacular school in ,siam4 ,it owes its present excellent condition to the three ,englishmen who have had it successively under their charge4 ,but undoubtedly the most successful educational institution is the school for girls4 ,it has been more than usually fortunate in possessing a staff of teachers possessing brilliant intellectual attainments1 great professional skill1 and a deep living interest in everything that tends towards social progress4 ,unfortunately1 the ,vernacular schools have not yet come under ,european influence1 and they still preserve their antiquated methods4 ,only about seven or eight of them are directly under the control of the ,education ,department4 ,they possess no furniture1 and the children sit on the floor4 ,in one school1 the head master has provided a number of old soap and biscuit boxes to act as desks4 ,there are no registers or other records4 ,there is a code which contains two standards4 ,it takes a boy from three to four years to pass the first1 and comparatively few ever attempt to pass the second4 ,the teachers in these ,government ,vernacular ,schools are not priests1 though the schools themselves are usually in some part of the temple grounds4 ,it is to be hoped that in the near future the ,government will decide upon a thorough re-organisation of these schools1 for1 when they are properly taught and controlled1 they will be very powerful for good1 the bright and intelligent character of the scholars rendering all school work eminently successful4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,shaving ,,of ,,the ,,top-,,knot4 ,of all the ceremonies that attend the lives of ,siamese children none are so important as those connected with the shaving of the top-knot4 ,from their earliest days the whole of the hair is shaved off the top of the head1 with the exception of one small tuft that is never touched until it is finally removed with great pomp and ritual4 ,this single lock is daily combed1 twisted1 oiled1 and tied in a little knot4 ,a jewelled pin stuck through it1 or a small wreath of tiny flowers encircling it1 are its usual adornments4 ,the head1 as being the crown and summit of the human body is held in extreme reverence1 and it is considered the height of impertinence for one person to touch another's head except when necessity demands4 ,under the tuft there lies1 according to the ,hindoo legend1 a microscopic aperture through which the human spirit finds a means of entrance at birth and departure at death1 and when ,ravana1 one of the giant kings of ,ceylon1 once carelessly or caressingly laid the tip of his finger upon the hair of the beautiful ,vedavatti1 she turned to him in direst anger1 declaring that after such an unwarrantable insult1 life was no longer possible to her1 and that she would speedily cut off her abundant and outraged locks and then perish in flames before his eyes4 ,the ceremony of tonsure is a very ancient one1 and is found existing in many countries separated from each other not only by miles of land and sea1 but far more widely divided by different religious and social customs4 ,the priests of ,isis1 the ,hindoo ,siva1 the ,roman ,catholic monks1 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 lands1 through many years4 ,it figures as a religious observance symbolical of a change of life and purpose2 it occurred amongst the ,chinese originally as a sign of subjection consequent upon a change of masters2 and it exists in ,siam as a civil rite terminating the period of childhood4 ,in all cases it typifies a complete change of condition or purpose--it marks a re-birth4 ,in the case of ,siamese boys1 who must shave the whole of the head before entering the priesthood1 the ceremony takes place a year or so before the time when they must each1 according to their national custom1 don the yellow robe4 ,girls lose their top-knot when they are about eleven or thirteen years of age4 ,in any case it must be removed before they reach the age of puberty1 and as many of them reach this condition before or near the thirteenth year1 their parents generally keep on the safe side by performing the operation when they are eleven years old4 ,the twelfth year is inadmissible1 as twelve1 being an even number1 is unlucky4 ,when the year has arrived in which it is deemed expedient to cut off the carefully tended lock1 the astrologers are consulted as to the appointment of a propitious day4 ,now this is an extremely difficult task1 for the day chosen must be one free from any of the numerous evil influences that affect the lives of men4 ,these evil influences have been duly studied and catalogued1 and include the powers of innumerable demons and of death4 ,the day must not be one on which sickness is liable to appear2 in the heavens above1 no constellation bearing a female name must be visible2 it must not be a day marked in the calendar as being likely to be visited by thunderbolts1 conflagrations1 wrecks or loss of life by drowning4 ,then also it must be free from dangers from enemies or wild beasts2 or yet again1 it must not be a day on which a man may expect severe punishment from his earthly rulers1 or death by falling off a tree4 ,even when the auspicious day has been decided after long and laborious calculations1 and earnest consultations of old calendars1 there yet remains the necessity of choosing a particularly lucky moment on the particularly lucky day4 ,when all these preliminary details have been satisfactorily settled1 the date is announced and preparations are made for the celebration of the event with an elaborate and mystic ritual4 ,the house of the parents of the child is cleaned and adorned1 a process it never undergoes except on those occasions when it is the scene of the performance of religious ceremonies4 ,a table is placed to receive the numerous offerings which will be freely made on the auspicious day1 and a gilded image of ,buddha is placed reverentially on an altar and surrounded with candelabra bearing waxen tapers1 with incense sticks in china vases1 with wax flowers and the sacred vessels used during the celebration4 ,around this decorated altar a hallowed circle is formed with certain utensils deemed especially important and holy4 ,it includes within its circumference1 a bench or table on which are placed several vessels of gold and silver1 and the bowls of water which will be afterwards consecrated by means of a number of formul recited by the priests from the sacred ,buddhist or ,brahminical texts4 ,the mystic conch-shell1 and the shears and razors complete the holy ring4 ,there are three pairs of scissors1 the handles of one pair being of gold1 of another of silver1 and of the third of an alloy of copper and gold4 ,on another stand about as high as the level of the eye of a man of average height1 are placed several offerings of dainty food in small saucers made of plaited leaves4 ,these are for the refreshment and propitiation of the tutelary deities of the place1 to whom1 and to the shades of the dead1 the ,brahminical astrologers make oblations and prayers at the rate of about two shillings and four pence per day4 ,a curiously-shaped throne is next erected4 ,it is a raised square dais with four slender posts1 one at each corner1 which lean towards each other at the top1 and support a frail canopy4 ,the whole structure is first covered with white cloth1 and then draped with curtains of white gauze and cloth of gold4 ,it is on this throne that the candidate sits to be bathed with consecrated water when the top-knot has been removed4 ,during the initial stages of the proceedings it bears a nine-storied pagoda4 ,the pagoda tapers towards the summit and is of very frail material4 ,the corner stays are made of the mid-ribs of the plantain leaves1 and each story is formed of strong fibrous leaves4 ,on each stage there are nine square dishes also constructed of leaves4 ,they hold a number of sweetmeats and foods that are supposed to be particularly palatable to the god ,ketu4 ,this deity is of a kindly and beneficent disposition1 and1 if properly worshipped1 rewards his devotees by endowing them with long life and prosperity4 ,hence all these preliminary preparations in order to entreat his presence on this important occasion4 ,along the corner stays are stuck incense sticks1 tapers1 and flags of a peculiar pattern4 ,the preparations are completed by surrounding the whole house with a protective cord or thread made of unspun cotton4 ,the thread is attached at one end to the dais erected for the monks1 passes over the altar1 is twined round the bowls containing the water to be consecrated1 is carried round the exterior of the house1 and is then brought back to the hall1 where it ends in a small ball1 ready to be tied to the top-knot of the child4 ,it is supposed to be efficacious in keeping out all evil spirits or other influences that would in the absence of any such consecrated barrier1 force an entrance to the hall of ceremonies and render nugatory the performance of the various rites4 ,a similar cord may be seen at times round the palace or city walls1 serving a similar purpose4 ,on the appointed day1 the floor of the house is covered with mats or carpets1 and a dais is prepared for the monks who are to be present4 ,it is raised above the level on which all ordinary mortals will sit1 and is covered with fine white cloth4 ,pillows with embroidered triangular ends are prepared for the monks to lean against1 and spittoons1 bowls of water1 and trays of tea-cups and betel-nut are placed before each pillow4 ,there are usually seven or nine monks1 but even when their number is more or less than this1 it is never by any chance an even one4 ,at the side of the platform a gong is hung from a tripod stand4 ,this gong plays an important part in the subsequent proceedings1 for it is used to mark the end of each successive stage of the ritual4 ,every relative and friend is invited1 and each of the guests is expected to bring a present either of food or money4 ,the more people are invited1 the more profitable does the ceremony become to the candidate and his parents4 ,if the people are poor1 they can always borrow the gold and silver utensils that are required from some wealthy friend or relative1 for it is the custom on these occasions for help to be freely requested and as freely rendered4 ,about three or four in the afternoon of the first day the monks and friends arrive4 ,as the first monk enters the house1 one stroke is given to the gong4 ,the arrival of the second monk is announced by two strokes1 the third by three1 and so on4 ,it is customary amongst the lower classes to wash the feet of each priest on his entrance into the house4 ,a basin of water is thrown over his feet1 after which they are dried with a towel4 ,when the priests are all seated1 tea is poured out for each of them4 ,while they are refreshing themselves the band in attendance strikes up a lively tune1 the visitors at the same time seating themselves upon the floor in readiness for the first item on the official programme4 ,in the meantime the child is being robed and otherwise adorned4 ,he wears a full gala dress and is loaded with costly ornaments4 ,the skirt is of rich brocade1 and the cape round the shoulders is of gold filigree set with precious stones4 ,heavy gold and jewelled bangles are placed upon the wrists and ankles1 and armlets of similar value encircle the arms4 ,in certain cases a triple gold chain is placed over the left shoulder and under the right arm4 ,sometimes the child is so heavily weighted with these valuable ornaments that he is unable to walk without support4 ,a coronet or wreath surrounds the top-knot4 ,he bears in his hands a charm on which are written several sentences of protective import4 ,in this way a further precaution is taken against the intrusions of undesirable visitors from the supernatural world4 ,two household priests of the ,brahmin faith precede the child as he comes forth from the inner apartments to meet the assembled guests4 ,they scatter in front of them flowers and parched rice as an offering to those celestial beings whose favours and influence they desire4 ,behind these1 comes another couple1 one blowing the conch trumpet and the other vigorously agitating the hour-glass-shaped tabor4 ,a musical outburst greets their appearance1 while the smiling faces of every one present afford encouragement and sympathy to the nervous subject of the trying ordeal4 ,the child proceeds to the dais1 raises his hands1 palm to palm1 to his forehead and bows his head to the ground in obeisance to the monks4 ,he repeats his salutations three times2 at the third time1 placing his head on a cushion on the floor of the dais4 ,he remains in this prostrate condition until the end of that portion of the ritual which is celebrated on the first day4 ,the priests now take the protective cord in their hands1 and the monk of highest rank ties the loose end of the thread to the top-knot4 ,then a member of the family crawls on hands and knees to the raised platform1 and with bent head and uplifted hands1 beseeches the monks to recite the five daily precepts of abstinence4 ,in a monotonous ,gregorian kind of chant1 the assembled priests then intone these five precepts1 asking ,buddha to keep them that day from all destruction of life1 from thieving1 from impurity1 from lying1 and from intoxicating liquors4 ,the guests repeat them solemnly after the priests1 and by so doing bind themselves to a faithful observance of them for that day at least4 ,a number of texts are next recited by the priests in the same monotonous kind of chant4 ,at the end of each text1 three strokes are given to the gong4 ,when the recital is finished1 the candidate rises from his prostrate position and leaves the room in the same way that he entered it1 the ,brahmins scattering offerings in front of him1 the gongs1 conch trumpets and band combining in one deafening burst of sound to indicate that that day's portion of the ceremonial is over4 ,the texts that are recited are regarded by the people as so many exorcisms against malignant influences1 but their real purpose1 which has long been forgotten1 is more of an instructive character1 as they were intended by ,buddha to teach the people what were the evils against which they were to strive4 ,the day closes with great merriment4 ,old friends tell their own experiences or those of their children on similar occasions2 invitations to forthcoming ceremonies are given and accepted2 every one feasts and smokes1 and then a theatrical performance takes place that lasts long into the small hours of the morning4 ,the whole ceremony is now a complex mixture of both ,buddhist and ,brahminical rites1 but there is very little difference between the parts enacted by the priests of ,buddha and those of ,brahma4 ,the ,brahminical priests1 however1 have a special set of chants of their own1 and these they repeat during the first day's ceremonies4 ,the object of their prayers is to entreat a number of their own supernatural beings to grant their approval of all that is being done4 ,they appeal to the ,devas1 and to ,siva sitting on his porpoise4 ,they cry to ,vishnu as he rides on the back of the serpent king in an ocean of milk2 to the four-armed ,brahma on his golden swan2 to the god of the winds riding swiftly in his chariot of clouds2 and to ,indra on his wonderful elephant with the three and thirty heads4 ,they recall to the minds of these deities the past existences of the tonsorial candidate4 ,they remind them of the good actions he has previously performed1 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 existence4 ,on the morning of the third day1 when the actual cutting will take place1 the monks arrive at a very early hour1 before the sun has risen1 but no gong tells of their arrival1 nor is any noise of any description permitted1 as the spirits of ill must not be awakened or allowed to know that this is the day of the great event4 ,the priests take their breakfast in silence1 no band accompanying their repast1 with its joyful strains4 ,as the hour of dawn approaches1 the ,brahmins lead in the child4 ,as the particular moment1 foretold by the astrologers1 draws near1 the ,buddhist priests sing songs to ,buddha1 using the ,pali1 a language which is not understood by the people1 relating his many triumphs1 and by judicious praise securing his approval4 ,these songs are thought to be extremely efficacious in procuring for the child an abundance of good luck in the future4 ,while the singing is taking place1 the top-knot is divided into three locks1 each lock being then fastened at the ends4 ,amulets are placed in them1 and every precaution is taken to carry out the final act of this1 the most important1 stage of this important rite1 with the strict observance of the minutest detail4 ,any deviation from the prescribed mode of procedure would be fatal to its success4 ,the chanting continues until the actual moment has arrived when the hair must be severed from the head4 ,at the very moment the chants end1 the gongs are beaten1 and the guest of highest rank takes up the gold-encrusted scissors and quickly snips off one of the three locks4 ,then the two most aged relatives of the child present1 take the other scissors1 and cut off the remaining tufts4 ,each of the three in turn pretends to shave off the short hairs that are left1 after which a skilled barber1 with a genuine razor1 speedily removes the last trace of the long-cherished appendage1 leaving the head perfectly bald4 ,the long hairs are placed in one basin1 and the short hairs in another4 ,they are afterwards dealt with in a manner to be presently described4 ,more chanting and gong-beating announce that the performance has been successfully accomplished4 ,there are still other forms to be gone through1 the first of which immediately follows the operation of shaving4 ,the offering to ,ketu is removed from the throne that it has occupied up to the present time1 and the shaven-headed child is seated under the canopy on the exact spot previously occupied by the offering to the god4 ,in his hand he holds a powerful charm1 which he presses tightly to his breast4 ,the eldest monk1 or else the one of the highest rank1 takes a portion of the consecrated water and pours it over the head of the child4 ,all the other priests follow suit1 and then comes the turn1 first1 of the relatives1 and lastly1 of the most distinguished visitors4 ,as the bathing takes place in early morning1 the air is generally rather cold1 and the candidate is doubtless very much relieved when the last drop of holy water has been thrown over him4 ,when the bathing is over1 he retires and changes his costume for the most gorgeous apparel that his friends possess or can borrow4 ,he is dressed in the brightest of colours1 adorned with jewels1 and then returns to his friends4 ,his first duty is to feed the officiating priests4 ,this he does by first taking to each of them a silver bowl filled with rice1 from which he helps each monk to a liberal portion1 with a carved wooden ladle inlaid with mother of pearl4 ,having served out the rice1 he takes trays of sweetmeats and fruit1 going and returning on his knees1 and prostrating himself before each monk in turn4 ,music again accompanies the feast1 and at its conclusion the priests chant a song of thanksgiving1 and give their blessing to the child4 ,in the afternoon another feast is held1 followed by a purely ,brahminical ceremony of peculiar interest4 ,each person1 so say these priests1 possesses a kwun4 ,it is difficult to translate this word into ,english1 and it has been variously rendered as soul1 spirit1 good-luck1 and guardian-angel4 ,it is supposed to enter and leave the body at different times1 and its absence is always indicated by the troubles that immediately visit the person whose corporeal frame it has vacated4 ,now at the time of the tonsure ceremony1 great anxiety is felt1 as at this time there is great probability that the kwun may depart1 and so leave the unfortunate child a hopeless wreck in after life4 ,the purpose of the subsequent ceremonies is to recall this mysterious being1 should he by any chance have departed1 and then to fix him so securely in the body of the child that ever afterwards he may be sure of possessing the subtle1 fickle phantom4 ,no time is wasted before making the attempt to induce the kwun to take up a permanent abode4 ,a pagoda is erected1 and on it are placed several kinds of food known to be favoured by the spirit4 ,this pagoda1 several mystic candle-holders1 boxes of perfumed unguents1 offerings of cocoa-nuts1 and an auspicious torch are arranged in a holy circle4 ,in the afternoon1 after the kwun has had time to enter the charmed ring and satisfy his spiritual appetite with the perfumes of the unguents and the foods1 the candidate is led into the centre of the hall and placed near the pagoda4 ,a cloth is thrown over the food in order to confine the spirit and prevent him getting away4 ,all the people present1 sit down on the floor1 forming a circle1 with the child1 the captured kwun and the priests in the middle4 ,the ,brahmins now address the spirit1 and in a very earnest fashion ask him to come into the child4 ,they tell tales to him1 and so try to amuse him1 and they entreat him with flattery1 joke1 and song4 ,the gongs ring out their loudest notes1 the people cheer1 and the priests pray1 and only a kwun of the most unamiable disposition could resist the combined appeal4 ,the last sentences of the formal invocation run thus3-- ,benignant ,kwun6,a ,thou fickle being who art wont to wander and dally about6 ,from the moment that the child wast conceived in the womb1 thou hast enjoyed every pleasure1 until ten 7lunar7 months having elapsed and the time of delivery arrived1 thou hast suffered and run the risk of perishing by being born alive into the world4 ,gracious ,kwun1 thou wast at that time so tender1 delicate1 and wavering as to cause great anxiety regarding thy fate2 thou wast exactly like a child1 youthful1 innocent1 and inexperienced4 ,the least trifle frightened thee and made thee shudder4 ,in thy infantile playfulness thou wast wont to frolic and wander to no purpose4 ,as thou didst commence to learn to sit1 and1 unassisted1 to crawl totteringly on all fours1 thou wast ever falling flat on thy face or on thy back4 ,as thou didst grow up in years and couldest move thy steps firmly1 thou didst then begin to run and sport thoughtlessly and rashly all round the rooms1 the terrace1 and bridging planks of travelling boat or floating house1 and at times thou didst fall into the stream1 creek1 or pond1 among the floating water-weeds1 to the utter dismay of those to whom thy existence was most dear4 ,o gentle ,kwun1 come into thy corporeal abode2 do not delay this auspicious rite4 ,thou art now full-grown and dost form everybody's delight and admiration4 ,let all the tiny particles of ,kwun that have fallen on land or water1 assemble and take permanent abode in this darling little child4 ,let them all hurry to the site of this auspicious ceremony and admire the magnificent preparations made for them in this hall4 ,the brocaded cloth from the central pagoda is now removed1 rolled up tightly and handed to the child1 who is told to clasp it firmly to his breast and not to let the kwun escape4 ,everyone stands up1 still forming a ring round the candidate4 ,the mystical torch in the centre is lit2 the ,brahmin takes three candlesticks1 each containing three tapers1 and lights them at the central fire4 ,with his palms together he raises the nine lights above his head1 describes with them a circle in the air1 and then with the back of his right hand1 wafts the smoke into the child's face4 ,each person in the surrounding group repeats the same actions in turn1 and when the last person has finished1 the officiating priest takes one betel leaf from the pagoda4 ,a second and a third time is the waving of fire performed1 and each time a betel leaf is removed from the stand4 ,after the third time of waving1 the priest replaces the candlesticks1 and daubs the three leaves with a paste made of the sweet smelling oils and other substances on the different stories of the pagoda4 ,he extinguishes the nine candles by pinching the wicks between the smeared leaves1 after which he takes them all in his hands1 relights them1 once more puts out the flame and blows the smoke in the child's face4 ,he repeats the same mystical operations twice1 and at last replaces all the candlesticks4 ,he now dips one finger into the dirty leaves1 and with the paste draws a scroll between the child's eyebrows4 ,milk is taken from the cocoa-nuts in a small spoon1 and the spoon is presented to each successive layer of the pagoda1 as though it were taking a portion of each of the articles placed thereon4 ,the child drinks the milk1 and having thus imbibed the food of the kwun1 ensures ultimately the kwun's permanent residence in his body4 ,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 home4 ,for three nights he sleeps with the embroidered cloth that was taken from the pagoda1 fast clasped in his arms4 ,if after three days nothing unfortunate occurs to trouble him1 his future welfare is definitely established4 ,it now only remains to dispose of the hairs that were taken from the head on the removal of the top-knot4 ,the short hairs are put into a little vessel made of plantain leaves1 and sent adrift on the ebb tide in the nearest canal or river4 ,as they float away1 there goes with them also1 all that was harmful or wrong in the previous disposition of the owner4 ,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 ,prabat4 ,they will then be presented to the priests1 who are supposed to use them for the manufacture of brushes for the sweeping of the ,footprint2 but in reality1 so much hair is presented to the priests each year1 that they are unable to use it all1 so they wait till the pilgrims have departed1 when they consume with fire all that they do not require4 ,so important to the individual is this ceremony of shaving the top-knot1 that were it omitted in the case of any single person1 the unlucky one would believe himself ruled by evil influences for the rest of his life1 and would unfailingly attribute every disaster in after-life to the fatal omission of the ceremony4 ,yet there are many people who have neither money themselves1 nor friends or relatives from whom they can borrow it4 ,were it not for the kindness of the ,government1 their unfortunate offspring would never be able to enjoy the advantages conveyed to them by the celebration of the tonsorial ritual4 ,the ,government1 however1 holds a public ceremony which is less impressive and expensive than the private one1 at which all who are too poor to afford the cost of the ceremony at home1 may have their heads shaved by ,brahmin priests gratuitously4 ,each child receives also a present of a small silver coin worth about two-pence4 ,this public function is held immediately after the close of the ,swinging ,festival1,b and three or four hundred people annually avail themselves of the opportunity thus afforded them to get their children's top-knots removed4 ,illustration3 ,,mount ,,kailasa1 ,,as ,,erected ,,for ,,the ,,hair-,,cutting ,,ceremonies ,,of ,h4 ,r4 ,h4 ,,the ,,crown ,,prince ,,of ,,siam4 ,in the case of children of royal birth1 the celebrations are of a still more imposing character4 ,the essential details are similar1 but various modifications are introduced in order to emphasise the extra importance of the rite to those belonging to the royal family4 ,on these occasions the shaven candidate is not bathed upon a mere canopied dais4 ,in the courtyard in front of the ,royal ,palace1 a hillock is erected in imitation of ,mount ,kailasa1 the abode of ,siva4 ,it is a hollow structure1 built up of plaited bamboo1 supported on poles1 and covered with tinsel4 ,upon the summit of this artificial hill is a central pavilion beautifully gilt1 elaborately decorated1 and adorned with tapestry and cloth of gold4 ,a fence of prescribed pattern encloses the pavilion4 ,it is an open framework with small rhomboidal openings1 in each of which is hung a small gilded heart-shaped lozenge4 ,conical umbrellas with seven tiers occur at every two or three yards4 ,there are four pavilions1 also lavishly decorated1 one at each corner of the hill4 ,at one side1 an artificial grotto is constructed in which the bathing takes place4 ,in the walls of the grotto are representations of the heads of the horse1 the elephant1 the lion and the bull4 ,over the entrance appears the head of the hooded snake4 ,these heads are connected with the water-main1 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 bath4 ,the floor of the grotto is a miniature lake in which are placed golden models of water-beetles1 fishes and other aquatic creatures4 ,rare flowering plants and ferns complete the internal decorations of the place4 ,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 ceremony4 ,on the ground1 four lath and plaster elephants covered with tinsel of different colours1 face the four points of the compass4 ,here and there about the hill is a multitude of mechanical toys1 plaster casts1 waxen flowers1 real plants and models of animals4 ,the candidate is carried round the ,palace each day1 with an imposing procession of priests1 members of the amazon guard1 soldiers and attendants4 ,no other event in the life of any ,siamese is celebrated with anything like the expense that attends the top-knot cutting1 except perhaps a funeral4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,courtship ,,and ,,marriage4 ,although marriage does not follow immediately after the shaving of the top-knot1 yet after the important event has taken place1 both boys and girls are legally entitled to marry4 ,in the case of the girls1 marriage takes place about fourteen1 but the men defer their entrance into the matrimonial condition until they are about twenty4 ,every girl gets married sooner or later1 so that old maids do not exist4 ,there are about as many ways of attaining the state of matrimony in ,siam as there are in ,england4 ,two people may fall in love with each other with the consent of their parents2 they may elope without the consent of their parents2 or a wife may be bought out and out without any real affection existing on either side4 ,in the methods adopted to secure this most desirable consummation of human happiness1 there are several dissimilarities of procedure between the ,east and the ,west4 ,if a ,siamese wishes to go through the ceremony of a strictly regular marriage1 he must be prepared to observe a great deal of formality and to experience a great deal of trouble4 ,should he attempt to pay his addresses to the object of his affections in any but the recognised way1 he will1 if discovered1 be suspected of improper motives1 and will be liable to suffer personal chastisement at the hands of the young lady's male relatives4 ,a young ,siamese who is anxious to join the ranks of the ,benedicts1 first chooses amongst the maidens of his acquaintance the particular one to whom he wishes to be allied4 ,if he allowed himself to be guided in this matter by the counsels given in one of the native books1 he would consider the reputed character of the lady he desires for his wife1 and try to discover to which of seven distinct classes of wives his beloved belonged4 ,there is nothing very remarkable in the remarks of the philosopher who has thus catalogued the several classes of women who are mated with men1 but as his classification throws considerable light upon the power1 position1 and character of ,siamese women1 it is here given in full4 #a4--,some wives are to their husbands as a younger sister4 ,they look to their husbands for approving smiles as the reward of their kind and affectionate forethought4 ,they confide in him and feel tenderly towards him4 ,and when they have once discovered the wish1 the taste1 and the ideas of him whose approval they respect1 they devote themselves thoughtfully and assiduously to the realisation of his desires4 ,their own impulsive passions and temper are kept under strict control lest some hasty word should mar the harmony of their union4 #b4--,some wives are to their husbands as an elder sister4 ,they watch sedulously their husband's outgoings and incomings so as to prevent all occasion for scandal4 ,they are careful as to the condition of his wardrobe and keep it always in order for every occasion4 ,they are diligent in preserving from the public gaze anything that might impair the dignity of their family4 ,when their lord and master is found wanting in any particular they neither fret nor scold1 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 conduct4 #c4--,some wives are to their husbands like a mother4 ,they are ever seeking for some good thing that may bring gladness to the heart of the man for whom they live4 ,they desire him to be excellent in every particular1 and will themselves make any sacrifice to secure their object4 ,when sorrow or trouble overtakes them1 they hide it away from the eyes of him they love4 ,all their thoughts centre round him1 and they so order their conversation and actions that in themselves he may find a worthy model for imitation4 ,should he fall sick1 they tend him with unfailing care and patience4 #d4--,some wives are to their husbands as a common friend4 ,they desire to stand on an exactly equal footing with him4 ,if ill-nature is a feature in the character of their husbands1 they cultivate the same fault in themselves4 ,they will quarrel with him on the slightest provocation4 ,they meet all his suggestions with an excess of carping criticism4 ,they are always on the look-out for any infringement of what they deem their rights1 and should the husband desire them to perform any little service for him1 he must approach the subject with becoming deference or their refusal is instant and absolute4 #e4--,some wives wish to rule their husbands4 ,their language and manners are of a domineering nature4 ,they treat the man as if he were a slave1 scolding1 commanding1 and forbidding with unbecoming asperity4 ,the husbands of such women are a miserable cringing set of men4 #f4--,some wives are of the robber kind4 ,their only idea in getting married is the possession of a slave and the command of a purse4 ,if there is money in the purse they are never satisfied until they have it in their own grasp4 ,such wives generally take to gambling and staking money in the lottery1 or purchasing useless articles4 ,they have no care as to where the money comes from or by whose labours it is earned1 so long as they can gratify their own extravagant and ruinous fancies4 #g4--,some wives are of the murderess kind and possess revengeful tempers4 ,being malicious and fault-finding1 they never appreciate their own homes and families1 and are always seeking for sympathisers from outside4 ,they share their secrets with other men1 using their pretended domestic discomfort as a cloak for their own vice and an excuse for their greatest misdeeds4 ,no young man ever imagines that his beloved will fall into any of the undesirable classes1 but1 deeming her worthy in every respect1 he seeks her hand4 ,what the young lady may think concerning his intentions towards herself counts for little or nothing1 as the would-be bridegroom never consults her2 though if he were desirous that she should return his affections he could attain his desire by purchasing from a fortune-teller or quack1 a love-potion1 which when taken by the maiden would arouse in her the most passionate longing to become his wife4 ,he does not dare to outrage his national etiquette by asking for her hand direct from her parents1 but1 with all avoidance of secrecy concerning the state of his affections1 he communicates the matter to his friends and to the elders of his own household4 ,they select a rather elderly woman1 who must be acquainted with and respected by the girl's parents4 ,she pays a visit to their home1 and while engaged in sipping her tea1 gently insinuates the purpose of her call4 ,she does this with an art only perfected by long practice1 gained in many similar missions4 ,the mother rolls up her reply in a great many vague expressions1 the general tone of which can1 however1 be easily judged by the ambassadress to be favourable or otherwise4 ,nothing very decisive is uttered on either side1 but the old lady on her return presents a report upon which after developments arise4 ,if the indications are considered favourable1 the parents of the young man choose from amongst their friends a few elderly persons of both sexes1 who are respectable and who are also intimate friends of both families4 ,they issue invitations to the selected friends to pay them a visit on a given day4 ,then in a protracted conversation they discuss the match1 and decide amongst themselves as to whether it is desirable to enter into definite negotiations with the other parties or not4 ,having pronounced for the match1 they choose a lucky day1 and then the committee of counsellors repairs to the home of the young lady's parents4 ,these at once understand the object of the visit1 and receive the visitors with great politeness1 setting before them trays of tea1 betel-nut and tobacco4 ,when a sufficient amount of drinking and chewing has been accomplished1 the elderly people open up the subject of their mission4 ,they speak with due respect to the parents1 and never fail to use exactly the right pronoun that describes their relative positions4 ,the slightest hitch in the extremely delicate negotiations would be fatal to success4 ,the conversation that ensues is of a formal and deliberate character4 ,says one of the visitors1 ,the parents of ---- having ascertained that this is a propitious day1 have commissioned us to come and confer with you concerning their son who at present has no wife4 ,his parents have asked him if he had any one in his mind that he would like to take for his wife1 and to whom he could trust his life in sickness and his obsequies after death4 ,the young man replied that the only person he had in his mind was your daughter of the name of ----4 ,therefore at the request of the parents of this young man1 we are here to visit you1 the highly respected parents of this young lady1 that we may confer with you in reference to this matter4 ,what do the parents say8 ,then the parents reply after this wise4 ,our daughter stands high in our affections1 and the young man is also much beloved by his parents4 ,we have an ancient proverb which says1 ',move slowly1 and you will gain your object2 a prolonged effort is usually attended with favourable results4' ,we will consult our relatives on the right hand and on the left hand and take their counsel and opinion upon the matter4 ,please call again4 ,it often happens that some youthful beauty is sought in marriage by more than one of her love-sick acquaintances1 and a choice has to be made4 ,but ,phyllis is voiceless in this most important matter which so deeply concerns her future welfare4 ,her parents1 with due regard to the interests of all concerned1 settle the point for her after long and careful consideration4 ,the go-betweens wait for what they consider a reasonable time1 and then on a lucky day they once more visit the lady4 ,the parents of the maiden have by this time made up their minds1 and if they are favourably inclined to the match1 they say to their visitors1 ,we have consulted our relatives1 and they are unanimously of the opinion that if the young man sincerely loves our daughter1 and if he can place implicit confidence in her as a proper person to tend him in sickness1 and direct his funeral ceremonies after death1 then we will no longer place any barrier to the attainment of his wishes4 ,but how is it with regard to the ages and the birthdays of the parties8 ,are they such as are suitable to each other8 ,it takes a little while to answer this question4 ,the ,siamese have a cycle of twelve years1 bearing respectively the names of the ,rat1 ,cow1 ,tiger1 ,rabbit1 ,major ,dragon1 ,minor ,dragon1 ,horse1 ,goat1 ,monkey1 ,cock1 ,dog and ,hog4 ,one of their prevalent superstitions asserts that persons born in certain years should not marry each other1 as any union between them would only be fruitful of endless discord4 ,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 ,rat4 ,when a marriage between two persons is contemplated1 this important question of the year of birth must be referred to a fortune-teller1 who1 being of an obliging disposition1 and having a keen eye to business1 will1 for a small fee1 generally pronounce that1 so far as the conditions of birth are concerned1 there is no just cause or impediment why the two persons should not be joined in holy matrimony4 ,this difficulty having been satisfactorily settled1 another visit follows1 when the elders announce the result of their visit to the astrologer4 ,since birthdays need cause no further delay1 what shall be said about the money to be provided for the young couple to commence business on1 and the money for building a house for their habitation8 ,it must here be explained that every intending bridegroom must either possess a house or signify his willingness to erect one4 ,in most cases the new houses are erected if possible upon the premises of the bride's parents1 so that1 provided a man has many daughters and plenty of land1 he may ultimately gather round him quite a small village of descendants4 ,the girl's parents reply1 ,we are not in any way rich1 so that we shall be quite unable to afford much money for the purpose you mention4 ,but we should like to enquire how much the young man is likely to receive from his parents4 ,that1 answer the ambassadors1 depends almost entirely upon the parents of the young lady4 ,they next suggest sums of money which of course vary in amount according to the wealth of the contracting parties4 ,so much is put down as being for use in trade1 and so much for building a house4 ,the number of dishes is also specified1 that the young man's friends will be expected to contribute towards the wedding festivities4 ,as a rule1 they discuss at the same time1 the plan of the proposed house1 the number of rooms it should contain and the quantity of furniture that should be provided4 ,when all these details have been finally settled1 the committee return and report the results of their negotiations4 ,the last preliminary detail is settled by the acceptation of the terms of the contract by the young man's parents4 ,the fortunate lady is now informed that she is about to be married1 and the young man is similarly told that he may soon call the desired one his own4 ,he is not allowed to go near her1 or to indulge in any form of courtship1 but the obliging parents1 with every desire to save the pair any unnecessary trouble or excitement1 themselves convey all gifts and messages4 ,during the whole time that elapses between the first mention of the marriage until the ceremony itself is actually accomplished1 the betrothed pair are supposed never to meet4 ,they have no opportunity of indulging in any of those little marks of affection which are supposed to be the especial weaknesses of young lovers4 ,they are not allowed to be demonstrative after this fashion4 ,kissing is never at any time common1 and even when it occurs it seems a very strange operation1 for it consists of a vigorous sniff made when the nose is pressed against the cheek of the one so saluted4 ,the mothers at this time guard their daughters with great vigilance1 and any approach of the lover to his lass would put an end to all his schemes for future bliss4 ,the erection of the new house is rapidly proceeded with1 and owing to the frail character of the structure1 the work occupies but a very short time4 ,all arrangements for the wedding are made1 and many invitations issued to friends and relatives4 ,the money mentioned in the agreement is paid over to the parents of the bride4 ,it is called ,ka nom1 or the price of the mother's milk with which the bride was nourished in her infancy4 ,a number of gifts are exchanged between the parents1 and then the astrologers fix the day for the wedding ceremony4 ,the wedding partakes of the nature of a feast4 ,on the happy day1 fruits and sweetmeats are prepared and laid out for the guests4 ,musicians and priests are summoned to the festival4 ,the groom heads a procession to the bride's home1 taking with him presents for his bride and for her father and mother4 ,his most intimate friends and a band of musicians accompany him4 ,everyone is in his gayest attire1 and the crowd is a medley of orange1 yellow1 saffron1 blue1 pink1 scarlet and green4 ,when the bridegroom reaches the house he goes to his own new quarters1 where he is met by a boy1 who brings him a tray of betel-nut sent by his future wife4 ,at the commencement of the wedding ceremony a screen separates him from the lady1 and he is not yet allowed to look upon her face4 ,after a certain time spent in feeding1 the money provided by both parties is laid upon the ground4 ,the amount is examined in order to test the accuracy and genuineness of the sums deposited4 ,if all is in order1 they are sprinkled with rice1 scented oil and flowers4 ,the priests offer up a prayer1 the screen is removed1 and then the couple kneel down to be bathed with holy water4 ,the chief elder pours it first over the head of the bridegroom1 and then over the head of the bride1 at the same time pronouncing a blessing upon them both4 ,very often the bowing and bathing are dispensed with1 and the couple are considered as married as soon as the money is paid over4 ,no registers are signed1 and no official record of the event is made4 ,the bride retires to remove her wet clothes1 but the bridegroom waits till he receives her gift of a new suit1 in which he speedily attires himself4 ,the priests again engage in chanting1 and the guests return to their feasting until evening1 when they all return to their homes1 with the exception of the bridegroom1 who hires a band with which to serenade his lady-love until the small hours of the next morning4 ,as yet he has had no conversation with her whatever4 ,on the morning of the next day1 the priests and visitors arrive once more1 when all busy themselves in waiting upon the monks as they make a hearty and luxurious meal4 ,should this day be a propitious one according to the wisdom of the astrologers1 the ceremonies close in the evening4 ,a respectable old couple who are intimate friends of the bride1 and are themselves the parents of numerous offspring1 go to the new house to make all ready for the homecoming of the newly married ones4 ,the young man goes next1 attended by his friends bearing torches4 ,about nine o'clock1 a crowd of elderly people escort the bride to her husband's dwelling1 where they soon begin to drink tea and chew betel-nut1 not forgetting at frequent intervals to give to the young people many wise yet unnecessary counsels4 ,if anything should happen of doubtful omen1 the bride is once more taken home again1 for she may not take up her residence with her husband except under the most propitious circumstances4 ,the end is reached at last1 and the kind and benevolent friends retire to their homes1 and leave the newly married couple to make each other's acquaintance4 ,then for the first time do they enjoy the pleasure of each other's company1 and there can be no doubt1 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 darkness4 ,after a few days the groom takes his wife to visit his parents4 ,she carries with her several presents1 and on reaching the house1 prostrates herself to the ground before her new relatives4 ,in a few minutes she is raised by her mother-in-law1 who embraces her and treats her with becoming respect and attention4 ,the bride also takes her husband to visit her parents1 where the same forms of etiquette are again observed4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,chinese ,,merchant4 ,at every wedding feast there are always three metallic plates or dishes containing respectively1 ,chinese cakes1 a very highly seasoned kind of mincemeat1 and a tray of betel-nut4 ,these three dishes were formerly known collectively1 under the name of the betel-nut tray1 and so universal is the custom of providing them1 that the wedding ceremony itself is now frequently spoken of by the same name4 ,after the birth of the first child the joint stock is produced and the young couple are set up in business4 ,up to this time their household expenses have been defrayed by the bride's parents4 ,siamese law gives the husband the right to administer a little wholesome chastisement to his wife1 should he think she requires it2 but such occasions must be of rare occurrence where the women are so good-tempered1 and so gentle in their manners4 ,the whole ceremony above described is only observed in the case of the first or chief wife1 who always remains the legal head of her husband's household4 ,other wives are merely bought as so much merchandise1 all formality being omitted except such as attends the payment of the purchase money4 ,polygamy is extensively practised amongst the higher classes1 but it is controlled in the case of the poor by the fact that a man must not have more wives than he can keep4 ,chastity is highly commended by the ,buddhist religion1 but although ,buddha censured polygamy he did not absolutely forbid it4 ,he did not see his way clear to a thorough prohibition of the practice1 and even admits that if a man's wives are properly acquired1 he is unable to pronounce it wrong4 ,the practice of only having one wife he strongly commends1 and looks upon it as a form of celibacy4 ,no disgrace of any kind is attached to the condition of a subordinate wife1 but she does not hold a high social position4 ,very often she inhabits a house separated from that in which the head wife resides4 ,upon the death of the husband1 her children are legally entitled to a share of the property1 but they do not share on equal terms with the children of the first wife4 ,then too1 a bought wife can be sold or given away1 while the head wife can only be divorced4 ,it sometimes happens that a man sells one of his concubines1 and she takes her children with her if she has any1 so that her sons and daughters possess a father and a step-father both living at the same time4 ,there is a very elastic divorce law1 and marriages can practically be annulled by mutual consent4 ,in such cases the wife takes away with her all the property she brought to the husband on her marriage1 and all she may have since acquired either by trade or purchase4 ,she also retains possession of the first1 third1 and fifth children4 ,great respect is shown to the condition of motherhood1 a wife of low rank with children being of far more importance in the family than even the chief wife should she be childless4 ,the king1 the princes1 and most--of the noblemen have fairly large harems4 ,the late king had eighty-four children who were the offspring of thirty-five mothers4 ,the possession of a large harem appears to be regarded as an honour to the owner1 who glories in his property much after the same fashion as ,western noblemen take great pride in their private art galleries or libraries4 ,the king has generally one wife who is called the ,queen4 ,at the present time there are two queens--the ,first ,queen and the ,second ,queen1 both of them being half-sisters of the reigning sovereign4 ,the women of the royal harem1 unlike all other ,siamese women1 are under great restrictions as regards their personal liberty4 ,they are known under the name of forbidden women1 that is1 women forbidden to leave the palace4 ,they are not permitted to pass beyond their prison walls except with special permission1 which is rarely1 and only on occasions of extraordinary importance1 granted to them4 ,their quarters are called ,the ,inside1 and it is not considered polite in ,siamese society to hold conversation concerning the place or its inmates4 ,into this region no man but the king ever enters4 ,it is a city of women1 complete in itself1 with its own shops1 markets1 gaol and policemen4 ,those noblemen or princes who possess handsome daughters are only too glad to present them to their sovereign1 for should their children become favourites with their royal husband1 honours and promotion will most likely fall to them as a natural consequence4 ,the late king once remarked that he was not particularly anxious to acquire all the youth and beauty of ,siam himself1 but1 as so many of her fairest daughters had already been presented to him1 he could not possibly refuse similar gifts in future1 as he did not wish to offend any of his subjects4 ,the ,siamese have several amusing reasons for permitting a man to have as many wives as he pleases1 while they refuse to grant a like privilege to women folk4 ,woman1 they say1 is man's inferior1 is under his control1 and may not be allowed the luxury of possessing two masters4 ,besides1 if a woman had several husbands1 she would never know who was the father of her children1 and the children1 not knowing their own father1 might possibly at some time or other injure him1 or even commit parricide without knowing it4 ,and moreover1 there is a remarkable difference in the several dispositions of men and women2 men1 however many wives they have1 and whatever their feelings towards them1 would never desire to kill them1 but if women had more husbands than one1 they would wish to put to death all except the one they liked best1 for such is their nature4 ,there was once on a time a priest1 who daily blessed a great king1 saying1 ',may ,your ,majesty have the firmness of a crow1 the audacity of a woman1 the endurance of a vulture1 and the strength of an ant4' ,and the king1 doubting his meaning1 said1 ',what do you mean by the endurance of a vulture8' ,and he replied1 ',if a vulture and all other kinds of animals be caged up without food1 the vulture will outlive them all4' ,and the king tried1 and it was so4 ,then the priest said1 ',i spoke of the strength of an ant1 for the ant is stronger than a man or anything that lives4 ,no other animal can lift a lump of iron or copper as large as itself1 but an ant will carry off its own bulk of either metal if only it be smeared with sugar4 ,also ,i spoke of the firmness of a crow1 for none can subdue the boldness and energy of the crow1 however long it may be caged4 ,it can never be tamed4 ,and if the king would see the audacity of a woman1 ,i beg him to send for a couple who have been married but one or two months1 and who are as yet1 deeply in love with each other4 ,first call the husband and tell him to take this knife and cut off his wife's head and bring it to you1 when1 as a reward1 you will give him half your kingdom and make him viceroy4 ,and if he will not do it1 then send for the woman and tell her that if she will cut off her husband's head and bring it to you1 you will make her your chief queen and ruler of all the ladies in the palace4' ,and the king did so4 ,he found a newly married couple who had never quarrelled and were deeply enamoured of one another1 and sending for the husband1 he spoke to him as the priest suggested4 ,the man took the knife1 hid it in his dress1 and that same night he rose when his wife slept1 thinking to kill her1 but he could not1 because he was kind-hearted and reflected that she had done no wrong4 ,and the next day he returned the knife to the king1 saying that he could not use it against his wife4 ,then the king sent messengers to the wife secretly1 and they brought her to him1 and he flattered her and enticed her with promises1 as the priest had told him4 ,she took the knife1 and as soon as her husband slept1 stabbed him1 cut off his head1 and took it to the king4 ,this story shows not only that women are more audacious than men1 but also that1 if anyone entices or pleases them1 they will plot the death of their husbands1 which is good reason for not letting them have more than one husband4,c ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,domestic ,,life ,,and ,,customs4 ,it is an easy matter to obtain some idea of the daily life and surroundings of the poorer inhabitants of ,siam1 for their houses are such open structures that every enquiring eye may gaze therein without any interruption4 ,they spend so much of their time1 and pursue so many of their employments in the open air1 that even the most casual observer could not fail to rapidly acquire much information concerning their domestic life and customs4 ,in the case of the wealthier classes there is much more privacy4 ,they may be described as living also a kind of double life4 ,their houses are divided into two parts2 in one quarter they live their own native life after their own native fashion2 in the other portion an attempt is made to reproduce the ,european style of living4 ,this latter part is the only one shown to the ,european visitor4 ,he is received in a drawing-room with tables and chairs1 piano and pictures2 he dines in a room where the dishes are of ,european pattern1 the servants have the habits of ,european waiters1 and the menu contains only such dishes as are known to be palatable to the white man4 ,all the surroundings are of such an unmistakably foreign origin1 that the visitor looks in vain for any trace of the life and manners of the native in the house of his wealthy host4 ,were he permitted to pass beyond the bounds set by modern fashion1 he would possibly find much to interest and amuse in the real house of the native prince or nobleman4 ,as this is more or less unusual or impossible1 he is forced to seek for his information in those poorer dwellings1 which the forward march of so-called civilisation has1 as yet1 left completely untouched4 ,the house-boats which represent the original dwellings of the people have been already described4 ,the land houses are of a very frail and rude character1 though not without their own charm and picturesqueness when seen embedded in bowers of tropical foliage4 ,each house represents very strikingly the social grade of its owner1 whether it be the low hut of the labourer in which a man of average height may scarcely stand upright1 or the brick and stone palace with carpets and electric lights of the prince or nobleman4 ,most of the houses are of wood1 and are made of either bamboo or teak4 ,they stand upon wooden platforms about six feet from the ground1 being supported in that position by strong teak pillars4 ,teak is used for this purpose not only on account of its strength1 but because it is also one of the few woods which are so hard that the destructive little white ant leaves it alone4 ,the walls are of teak boards1 or else of plaited bamboo4 ,in the latter case the dwelling is light and airy1 for the numerous interstices between the strands of wood are left unclosed1 thus admitting a plentiful supply of air and light4 ,the roof is always covered with some form of thatch1 never with slates or tiles4 ,along the river banks and near water generally1 the attap palm grows in abundance1 and its long fibrous leaves make an excellent thatch4 ,the leaves are stitched together1 forming rectangular layers about two feet long and one foot wide4 ,when these leafy mats are placed on the roof in an inclined position they form a water-tight covering4 ,in places remote from water1 where the leaves cannot be easily obtained1 an equally serviceable thatch is made from the long broad leaves of certain kinds of jungle grass4 ,these leafy roofs last about three years4 ,in the summer they get so completely dried by the sun that they become brittle1 and every strong gust of wind carries away tiny bits of the thatch4 ,in this condition they are extremely inflammable1 and fires are of frequent occurrence4 ,as the houses are usually very close together1 a fire is a very serious calamity2 for not only are numerous dwellings consumed in the rapidly spreading conflagration itself1 but it is always necessary to destroy every house in the neighbourhood on which sparks would be likely to fall1 in order to prevent a wholesale bonfire4 ,there is no fire-brigade either amateur or professional1 and the soldiers are always employed to put out the flames4 ,one of these houses could be easily smashed to bits by a hatchet1 especially in the dry season1 when they are about as substantial as a match-box4 ,the houses are built on poles for two reasons2 first1 to avoid the floods during the rainy season1 and secondly1 to prevent the intrusion of the wild beasts who roam about at nights in the more remote parts of the country4 ,there is no second storey1 but a platform or verandah runs along the front or even round the whole of the house4 ,the ascent to this verandah1 or to the front door in the absence of one1 is made by means of a rickety ladder constructed of the indispensable bamboo4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,siamese ,,teak-,,wood ,,house4 ,the house is divided into at least three rooms1 a kitchen1 a drawing-room and a bedroom4 ,so powerful is the superstition that even numbers are unlucky1 that the number of rooms is always an odd one4 ,the same fancy regulates also the number of windows and doors1 and even the rungs of the ladder4 ,of these rooms the least dirty is the one we have designated the drawing-room4 ,the kitchen is always remarkable for its accumulation of dirt and rubbish4 ,a properly constructed fireplace is of course impossible in a wooden house4 ,a substitute for grate and oven is obtained in one of two ways4 ,a wooden box is filled with earth1 and a couple of bricks are placed thereon4 ,the fire1 which is of wood or charcoal1 is laid between the bricks1 and the pot1 pan1 or kettle is supported by them4 ,a more civilised form of stove is an earthenware furnace4 ,it resembles in shape a short narrow pail1 containing a shelf midway1 pierced by a number of round holes4 ,below the shelf an oblong aperture is cut in the side of the pail4 ,the pot stands on the rim of the bucket1 the charcoal is placed on the sieve-like shelf1 and a current of air is caused to pass upwards by rapidly waving a fan to and fro in front of the lateral opening4 ,no chimney or other method of exit is provided in the kitchen by which the smoke of the fire can escape4 ,it finds its way to the exterior or into the other rooms of the house1 through the holes in the walls or through the light frame-work screens and partitions that represent walls4 ,grime and soot accumulate year after year1 and form a very complete if inartistic covering to the sides and roof of this ,oriental kitchen4 ,the place is never cleaned out or disinfected4 ,spiders spin their webs in undisturbed possession of every nook2 tiny lizards crawl over the walls1 open-mouthed1 looking for flies and mosquitoes2 multitudes of insects of the crawly creepy kind find comfortable breeding-places amidst the shreds of smoke-stained attap4 ,every member of the household knows how to cook4 ,if the mother is not at home1 the father can easily take her place1 for he knows quite well how long rice should be boiled or bananas stewed4 ,the little children can fry the fish or make the curry1 and so are independent of their parents in this respect4 ,whenever the voice of hunger makes itself heard1 its appeal is promptly responded to1 and consequently great irregularity prevails in the times of meals4 ,but as a general rule there are two fixed meals each day1 one at about seven o'clock in the morning and the other about half-past five in the afternoon4 ,the chief article of food is rice4 ,in the cooking of this grain the people have no rivals4 ,they wash it four or five times1 and then soak it for a little while4 ,they put it next into boiling water for three or four minutes1 and then pour off the water4 ,the pot is left over the fire for some time longer so that it is well steamed1 care being taken1 however1 to remove the pot before the rice is burned4 ,when it is turned out into the basin1 the grains are all considerably swollen1 and are separate from each other4 ,they are as white as snow and not at all sticky4 ,rice is cooked in many other ways2 made into cakes1 fermented to make an intoxicating drink1 taken internally as medicine1 and used externally as a poultice4 ,fruits and sweetmeats are eaten between meals4 ,the rice is often served up cold4 ,when making a meal1 the natives either follow the custom of the ,chinese and poke their food into their mouths with chopsticks1 or they attempt to imitate the ,european1 and use spoons made of tin1 lead1 or china2 or finally1 they use their own fingers4 ,a large bowl of rice is placed in the centre of the floor and the hungry ones sit round it in a circle1 either squatting upon their haunches or sitting tailor-fashion with their legs crossed under them4 ,various curries and other foods are eaten with the rice1 and these are placed in small china basins arranged round the central one4 ,each person has in front of him a small basin1 and helps himself1 so that the quickest eater naturally gets the biggest share4 ,rice is sold in the markets and at many little shops1 ready cooked1 and wrapped up in small quantities in a banana leaf4 ,workmen and others engaged in outdoor occupations find it just as easy to get a meal outside as at home1 for they never suffer from lack of plates1 tables1 or chairs4 ,they just sit down by the side of the road and wait for the first itinerant dealer in eatable wares to appear1 when they dip into his pots or baskets1 and for a few cents get a fairly substantial meal4 ,as a relish with the rice1 fish is generally eaten4 ,this may be fresh or stale1 fried or fermented4 ,the stale fish eaten by the natives may be recognised from afar owing to its powerful perfume4 ,such forms of food1 especially when they have the additional attraction of a particularly pungent flavour1 are held in high esteem4 ,decaying prawn well covered with fiery pepper is a delicacy keenly appreciated4 ,eggs that have been salted and preserved are also considered palatable4 ,amongst the other dainties that figure on the menu may be mentioned the seeds and stalks of the sacred lotus1 the stem of the young bamboo1 peas1 beans1 sugar-cane1 several kinds of weeds and blossoms1 every kind of fruit obtainable1 chilies1 mango-chutney1 cocoa-nut milk1 and fat pork4 ,the favourite sauce is called ,nam-prik or pepper-water4 ,red pepper is bruised in a mortar and then made into a paste with shrimps or prawns in a condition politely described as high4 ,to this is added black pepper1 garlic and onions4 ,brine and citron juice give to the compound the necessary liquidity4 ,a little ginger is also considered a desirable ingredient4 ,this sauce is said to be decidedly efficacious in stimulating a jaded appetite4 ,being accustomed to this highly seasoned kind of diet1 the ,siamese fail as a rule to appreciate the more delicate flavours of the ,european table1 which they describe as being perfectly insipid4 ,they excel in the art of preparing fruit1 and they can remove the hard kernels from all stone fruit1 with such skill that when placed upon the table1 the eye fails to discover from its external appearance1 that the natural condition of the fruit has been in any way altered4 ,the meal is washed down with a draught of canal water4 ,there are no water-works1 and as the poor cannot afford to buy receptacles in which to store up rain water1 they are forced during the dry season to drink the filthy sewage-water of the canals4 ,needless to state1 cholera epidemics are by no means infrequent4 ,the floor of the kitchen is of plaited bamboo1 like most of the walls4 ,through the cracks are thrown all the scraps that remain when breakfast or dinner is finished4 ,the cooking water1 the old bits of meat1 bone1 and fish1 the skins of fruits1 and most other domestic refuse are similarly disposed of4 ,there is always a crowd of bony1 hungry pariahs lying in wait beneath the kitchen floor1 ready to snap up the bits as they fall4 ,it is well for the inhabitants that these canine waifs and strays do thus frequent their habitations1 for in the absence of any salaried scavengers1 they would otherwise become veritable pest-houses4 ,the little furniture that the kitchen boasts1 is not of any great value4 ,there is the fireplace1--a wooden box1 or earthen stove2 a few earthenware pots2 a few china and brass basins2 some old kerosine tins1 which are used for carrying water2 a few baskets2 a kettle and a small table2 an old stool or up-turned box4 ,just as there are no cleaning days1 so there are no washing days4 ,when the people go to bathe1 they go into the water in the garment they happen to be wearing at the time4 ,when they come out again2 they very dexterously wrap a clean dry one round the body1 at the same time slipping off the wet one1 which is then wrung out1 and left to dry in the sun4 ,the professional washermen or dhobies are all ,chinese and are chiefly employed by the ,europeans4 ,their methods of washing immediately destroy flannels1 and ultimately ruin every article of whatever texture that is handed over to their tender mercies4 ,they wash clothes on the banks of the canal in the dirty water4 ,they first soak them till thoroughly wet1 then rub them well over with soap1 and then bang them against the stones till they have succeeded in knocking some of the dirt out1 and many holes in4 ,a rinse in water follows1 and then the articles are dried in the sun4 ,they understand the mysteries of ironing and starching1 but the ironing process is productive of numerous patches of mould1 and the starching results in an uncanny limpidity4 ,any man in want of a dress-shirt1 or a clean pair of white drill trousers1 can always borrow those belonging to someone else on application at the laundry1 and the payment of a small fee4 ,the drawing-room1 sitting-room1 parlour1 or whatever other name it may be known by1 is not luxuriously furnished4 ,the visitor sits upon the floor1 with only a skin or mat between himself and the boards4 ,in many instances even this form of couch is absent4 ,a few low stools may occasionally be found4 ,the walls are commonly adorned with photographs1 cheap lithographs1 and prints4 ,every caller is offered a tray of betel-nut and its accompanying condiments2 a cup of tea1 and cigarettes4 ,the betel-nut is not eaten alone1 but with a mixture of tobacco1 seri-leaf1 turmeric and lime1 and no host ever forgets to offer these things to his guest4 ,in time1 as a result of continual chewing1 the gums and lips become a vivid red1 and the teeth an intense shiny black1 and in extreme old age the teeth also protrude in a repulsive fashion4 ,the first effect of the nut upon a beginner is rather of an intoxicating or stupefying nature4 ,but after having once contracted a strong liking for its bitter flavour1 many people find themselves absolutely unable to do without it4 ,every man carries in his pocket a small box containing the nut1 the tobacco etc41 or is followed wherever he goes by his servant who bears it after him4 ,when the master sits down1 the servant deposits it by his side so that it is easily within reach of the owner4 ,these boxes are often of valuable material and beautiful workmanship4 ,the commonest material used in their construction is silver1 but the wealthier classes have their betel-boxes made of rich1 ruddy gold and set with jewels4 ,the black teeth that are obtained by the constant use of the nut are considered beautiful4 ,the natives express their contempt for white teeth in the remark1 ,any dog can have white teeth4 ,the local dentists keep in stock complete sets of black false teeth1 so that when a naturally black tooth is removed1 an artificially coloured one can at once take its place and so prevent any break in the uniform coal-like aspect of the mouth4 ,saliva is produced in copious quantities during mastication1 and is of a blood red colour4 ,as it is never swallowed1 spittoons must always accompany the betel-box4 ,if the saliva is allowed to fall upon wood or stone it produces brick-red stains which are not easily removable4 ,such stains are exceedingly common in the streets and houses4 ,the black deposit formed upon the teeth is said to exercise a preserving influence upon them4 ,smoking is to some extent gradually replacing betel-nut chewing1 especially with the children1 who now take to the weed when they are about five or six years old4 ,the native tobacco is very strong1 and when smoked as a cigarette wrapped in dried banana-leaf1 it is decidedly unpalatable to the ,european4 ,light cigarette tobaccos of foreign manufacture are now much in vogue4 ,those who can afford it1 roll up the tobacco in lotus leaf4 ,for this purpose the petals of the lotus flowers are taken1 dried in the sun1 flattened with a hot iron1 and then cut into rectangular pieces of the same size as ordinary cigarette paper4 ,pipes are rarely seen4 ,the natives are not addicted either to strong drink or to opium4 ,those who drink beer and spirits have learnt the habit from their ,western friends4 ,the opium monopoly is farmed1 and is at present in the hands of a ,chinaman who is the king's head cook4 ,the late king feared that his subjects might take to the drug1 and he issued a decree forbidding all of them under heavy penalties to buy or smoke it1 but the law has become inoperative4 ,the bedroom1 the third necessary room of every ,siamese dwelling1 cannot be held up as a model of cleanliness4 ,frequently it is the lumber-room where everything old and unnecessary is stowed away4 ,the altar and the idols are placed therein1 especially if the sick or dying are lying there4 ,on retiring for the night1 the doors and windows are closed1 and the atmosphere soon becomes hot and unhealthy4 ,owing to the presence of innumerable mosquitoes whose buzzing and stinging are effective preventatives of somnolescence1 every one must sleep inside a mosquito net4 ,in the majority of cases the net is so dirty1 and its meshes are so clogged with deposits of dust accumulated through many days1 that neither air nor mosquitoes can penetrate its folds4 ,people sleep on the bare boards1 on mats or skins1 and on mattresses stuffed with tree cotton4 ,pillows are not in common use1 except amongst those who have borrowed the ,chinese form of this luxury--namely1 a hard1 hollow1 semi-cylindrical frame of bamboo4 ,when sleeping1 the head must not be pointing to the ,west1 as that point of the compass where the sun finishes his daily round1 is synonymous with death4 ,the favourable position is with the head to the ,north and the feet to the ,south4 ,other superstitions with regard to the points of the compass prevail1 certain directions being considered auspicious according to the days of the week4 ,thus on ,sunday1 the ,east is the lucky situation2 on ,monday1 the ,west2 on ,tuesday1 the ,south2 on ,wednesday1 the ,south ,west2 on ,thursday1 the ,north2 on ,friday1 the ,south ,east2 and on ,saturday1 the ,north ,west4 ,it is very important that on any given day a person should not set out to travel in any other direction1 or place his face towards any other point of the compass should he be taking part in any ceremony of importance4 ,if the tenant of the house owns any cattle1 they are stabled underneath1 so that any thieves who may visit his premises during the night may readily be detected4 ,pigs and cows directly under one's bedroom are not usually considered as being conducive to healthy1 restful sleep1 but the ,siamese do not seem to mind their presence in the least4 ,frequent mention has been made of the bright colours of the clothes worn by the people4 ,most of the cotton or silk goods are manufactured in ,england1 ,germany1 or ,switzerland1 but the brighter and more artistic colours are produced by the natives themselves1 by means of a number of dyes made from various roots1 fruits1 and seeds4 ,some of the colours thus obtained are never to be found in any of the cloths imported from abroad1 especially the many beautiful shades of yellow and orange1 so conspicuous in the ecclesiastical vestments4 ,to be thoroughly fashionable one must put on a differently coloured garment every day1 and wear rings and other jewelled ornaments with stones of corresponding hue4 ,this custom is not simply a fashionable one4 ,it owes its origin to an old superstition4 ,sunday is under the rule of the sun1 therefore on that day bright red silks and rubies should be worn2 ,monday1 the day of the moon1 can only be properly respected by wearing silver or white coloured garments and moonstones2 ,tuesday1 the day of ruddy ,mars1 requires light red clothes with coral ornaments2 ,wednesday1 devoted to the greenish tinted ,mercury1 is the day when green garments and emeralds are correct2 the variegated appearance of ,jupiter dominates the fashion for ,thursday and prescribes the cat's-eye as the proper jewel2 ,venus rules on ,friday1 and requires from her worshippers silver-blue apparel and diamonds2 while ,saturday is under the influence of ,saturn1 who demands sapphires and dark-blue costumes4 ,illustration3 ,,making ,,curry4 ,the ,siamese wear their hair cut short and brushed straight up from the forehead4 ,this method of dressing the hair is of comparatively late origin4 ,the king's crown1 the actor's head-dress1 and the hats worn in many processions are all of a conical shape4 ,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 crown4 ,before the first century1 the hair is said to have been worn in a long flowing plait1 resembling the pig-tail of the ,chinese4 ,from the second to the eighth centuries1 when ,siam was tributary to ,cambodia1 a ,hindoo style of dressing the hair was adopted from the sovereign state4 ,at this time a central lock of hair adorned the head4 ,at a later date when the country gained its independence1 the hair was allowed to grow uniformly all over the head1 but cut short4 ,the change was made in order that some visible sign could be shown that freedom had been gained4 ,this fashion remained in vogue till about the thirteenth century when the top-knot was introduced as a relic of ,sivaitic worship1 together with other ,hindoo manners1 by immigrants from ,india4 ,other forms were at different times adopted4 ,for instance1 from #ajjb ,a4,d4 to #agfh ,a4,d4 the hair of the men was frequently cut in a cup-shaped fashion4 ,the king who reigned at that time is popularly supposed to be responsible for this style1 which could be most satisfactorily produced by placing half a cocoa-nut upon the head1 and shaving or cutting away all the hair then visible4 ,women1 however1 allowed their locks to grow until they flowed over the shoulders4 ,again1 from #afih ,a4,d4 to #agih ,a4,d4 many people adopted the ,great ,freemen pattern1 in which the hair appeared in the form of a reversed brush in the centre of the head4 ,there are certain days of the week when it is unwise to visit the barber1 others on which it is highly desirable that any alteration in the condition of the hair should be made4 ,if it is cut on ,sunday1 lasting happiness and long life are ensured to him who then loses his locks2 the unfortunate individual who undergoes the same operation on a ,monday may expect fatal diseases1 sorrows1 and many unpleasant surprises2 ,tuesday hair-cuttings bring peacefulness and prosperity1 and victory in war1 while those of a ,wednesday are attended with manifold evils1 great anxieties1 and troubles from enemies4 ,if a man desires the powerful protection of those angels who inhabit the heavenly spheres1 he must get his hair cut on a ,thursday2 if he would have the satisfaction of finding all kinds of food savoury and palatable1 he must visit the barber on ,friday2 and lastly1 if he would be certain of the successful accomplishment of every rite and deed performed on the ,saturday1 he should submit his locks to the shears on that day4 ,in a country where so many insanitary conditions surround the life of the people1 sickness is common4 ,hence doctors and quacks abound4 ,a few ,siamese have been educated for the medical profession in foreign countries1 and are skilful practitioners4 ,a few others have learnt the principles of ,european medicine and surgery in the ,medical ,school at ,bangkok1 but the vast majority of the native professors of the healing art have no other knowledge than that handed down to them by tradition4 ,there are royal doctors attached to the court1 quacks who profess to cure anything and everything under the sun1 and magicians who both cure and kill for a moderate consideration4 ,if a person has an enemy whose death he wishes to encompass1 there are certain wizards who will give effect to his wishes by bewitching a buffalo4 ,the animal then dwindles to the size of a pea4 ,this highly condensed pill is given to the enemy1 and when swallowed begins to expand to its original size1 with a result that is best left undescribed4 ,other magicians make clay images to represent sick persons4 ,over these images they perform curious incantations1 and then bury them in the jungle1 where they absorb and so remove the sickness of the person whom they represent4 ,there is1 however1 a distinct school and science of medicine which is not simply a matter of magic4 ,in the treatment of fevers and other local ailments1 the native doctors are as good as the ,european4 ,they are clever practisers of the operation of massage2 they understand the nature and use of many of the herbs and roots that grow in their jungles2 and they are great believers in shower-baths1 and in the healing properties of earth when applied to wounds and boils4 ,their physiological and scientific knowledge is summed up briefly in the following paragraphs4 ,all nature is composed of four elements1 earth1 fire1 wind and water4 ,the bodies of men and animals are made up of the same constituents1 the earth and water being visible in the bones1 flesh and blood1 while the fire and wind1 though invisible1 are clearly present in the breath and heat4 ,the earth of which all solid bodies are composed is of twenty-six varieties2 the different forms of water are divided into twelve classes1 those of wind into six classes1 and those of fire into four4 ,now in the body of man all the six kinds of wind are known to exist4 ,the first flows from his head to his feet1 the second from his feet to his head4 ,the third wind circulates in the region of the diaphragm2 the fourth forms the pulse2 the fifth enters the lungs2 and the sixth is present in the abdominal viscera4 ,of the four kinds of fire that exercise any influence upon the health of humanity1 two varieties of this subtle element are beneficial1 and produce respectively the natural temperature of the body1 and an easy digestion4 ,the other two kinds are of an undesirable character1 as one is the cause of fevers1 and the other consumes the body in old age4 ,the body is divided into thirty-two parts subject to ninety-six diseases1 all of which are the inevitable result of any excess in the amount of any one of the primary elements4 ,an excess in the quantity of fire produces all kinds of fevers2 any superabundance of water creates dropsy and kindred ailments4 ,all sicknesses that cannot be easily accounted for1 are attributed to an accumulation of wind1 and the natives commonly reply when asked what is the matter with them1 ben lom1 that is1 it is wind4 ,illustration3 ,,steaming ,,rice4 ,ill health and good health are dispensed by numerous spirits1 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 disposal1 but that they may win the favour of those who dispense the blessing of perfect health4 ,in the days when ,buddha walked and talked amongst men1 there lived a man of remarkable wisdom who is the father of medicine4 ,to him the plants and flowers of the forest spoke1 revealing their many virtues4 ,the knowledge thus revealed to him he wrote down in books1 and also taught by word of mouth to his fellow-men4 ,the remedies he prescribed are sacred and infallible4 ,if they apparently fail to cure1 the failure is not to be attributed to the method of treatment he laid down1 but to the want of sufficient goodness of life and character in the doctor or his patient4 ,every native physician has in his house an image of this legendary founder of his profession4 ,upon his face is a beneficent smile4 ,one of his hands is held outstretched4 ,in the hollow of this outstretched hand1 every drug is placed to receive his blessing before it is administered to the ailing one4 ,after having received the blessing1 the drug is taken to the house of the patient and there boiled in an earthenware pot4 ,the solution thus obtained1 very often has to be drunk in quarts before any effect is produced4 ,if the sick man dies the doctor gets no remuneration for his services4 ,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 abound4 ,a piece of the jaw of a wild hog4 ,a piece of the jaw of a tame hog4 ,a piece of the bone of a goose4 ,a piece of the bone of a peacock4 ,the tail of a fish4 ,the head of a venomous snake4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,domestic ,,life ,,and ,,customs 7continued74 ,slavery or serfdom is one of the most interesting features in the social life of the ,siamese4 ,it is another of those customs which they have borrowed from a neighbouring nation4 ,the ,shan ancestors of the ,siamese were free men1 and the name ,thai1 which was the name they called themselves1 signified that fact4 ,it is1 moreover1 the name of the nation to-day1 though the condition of slavery is a very wide-spread one4 ,for many years the inhabitants of the plains were tributary to ,cambodia1 whose princes and nobles treated all servants and aliens as slaves4 ,when the foreign yoke was thrown off1 this domestic custom was instituted amongst the free men1 and all the subjects of the king became theoretically his slaves4 ,but as he was unable to find employment for this large body of serfs1 he delegated a portion of his ownership to persons of lower rank4 ,these in turn handed on their powers to other people1 and so arose a condition of universal serfdom1 which1 however1 was only strictly enforced in the case of the poorer classes4 ,the system thus organised divided the whole nation into a series of social strata1 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 ,india4 ,in fact1 the serf in ,siam to-day may be a nobleman of high rank in the future1 should he possess ability of sufficient distinction to warrant so great a promotion4 ,until the present reign there were theoretically no free men in the kingdom at all1 for everybody owed homage to some one of higher degree2 but one of the first acts of ,h4 ,m4 ,king ,chulalongkorn after he came to the throne1 was to issue a decree by which all children born of slaves were thereafter declared free4 ,as freedom could be purchased there were also many people in the land who had obtained their independence4 ,though the king's decree struck a very decisive blow at the condition of domestic slavery1 a system of state slavery still prevails inasmuch as the laws relating to corve and conscription are still enforced4 ,chinese1 priests1 and foreigners are all exempt from enforced labour of any kind1 but the first-named of these classes has to pay a triennial tax as the price of its exemption4 ,the people who are now in bondage are in that condition chiefly as the result of financial indebtedness4 ,when a native borrows money he either promises to pay a certain amount of interest for the loan1 or he promises and actually allows the lender to have his services for a specified time in lieu of interest4 ,should the borrower under the first agreement here mentioned1 fail to pay the interest he has promised1 he then offers his personal services in payment of both interest and capital4 ,if the total sum is large1 a lifetime may not be long enough to work off the debt at the native rate of wages1 and he so becomes a slave for life4 ,many people1 too1 when heavily in debt1 sell themselves bodily to someone who will discharge their numerous debts for them4 ,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 debts4 ,there is nothing cruel or revolting in the treatment of the serfs1 and many of them are sincerely attached to their masters1 and have been known voluntarily to afford them any assistance they could when misfortunes have overtaken them4 ,they are fed1 clothed1 and housed at the expense of their owners1 and rarely experience in their dependent condition any real hardship4 ,away in the country the majority of the people prefer to live as the bondservants of some powerful person1 who in return for their labour provides both them and their families with protection and support4 ,the corve laws are also responsible for a certain number of those who are in bondage4 ,when the central authorities claim the services of someone resident in a remote quarter of the country1 the order is made through the governor of the province in which the person whose time and labour are required1 resides4 ,if this person desires to avoid the requisition1 he is often allowed by the local officials to pay a certain sum of money sufficient for the hire or purchase of a substitute4 ,a mark is then tattooed on the wrist of the substitute1 and he becomes definitely the property of the government4 ,now if the marked man should die at an early date1 an illegal claim is often made for the provision of another proxy1 on his wife and children4 ,this claim is in opposition to the law1 but has often been made by officials of cruel1 arbitrary dispositions4 ,in most cases he who so breaks the law is also the administrator of the law for that district1 and if the woman and her children are unable to satisfy the demand for money thus unjustly made1 they must become themselves the slaves of the official till they work off the amount required from them4 ,when the boys have grown to such a height that they too may be called upon by the government for corve or conscription1 their master also marks them upon the wrist1 and in this way the condition of serfdom is perpetuated from generation to generation4 ,when at a later date the government does actually requisition their services1 their owner professes that they are really his own personal property1 and he pays to the central authorities a tax of ninety cents per annum for each male1 and so retains them as his dependants4 ,in these cases also1 the bond-man becomes free when he is prepared to pay a certain fixed sum1 but it is rarely possible for a serf to obtain the necessary funds1 as he is daily employed in the service of his master and so prevented from earning wages elsewhere4 ,no slaves can be sold to another person without their own consent4 ,if a slave is sold1 and if he afterwards absconds1 the seller is bound to repay to the buyer the sum originally paid1 less a reasonable amount reckoned for loss of service during the time he has been absent from his old master1 unless it is directly specified to the contrary in the agreement made at the time of purchase4 ,before the king's decree freed the children of all slaves1 they too became the property of the owners of their parents1 but they could be set at liberty by paying a sum of money which was fixed by law4 ,they could not be sold to anyone else without the consent both of themselves and their parents4 ,each slave has a paper on which is stated the amount to be paid for his or her redemption4 ,the paper is kept by the owner1 but it must be given up whenever the amount specified therein is forthcoming4 ,the slave who attempts to gain freedom by running away1 and so avoiding what is often a perfectly just and legal debt1 is punished by being put in chains1 but the fetters are of no great weight and are simply put on the ankles to prevent any further attempt at escape4 ,in any case they are preferable to an indefinite period of imprisonment in the native goal4 ,if a man buys a new servant1 and afterwards sees reason to regret his bargain1 he may demand the return of the purchase money1 and the cancelling of the agreement1 provided he makes his claim before the expiration of three months from the date of purchase4 ,if any bond-servant neglects the due performance of any of the duties prescribed by the master1 the losses that are thereby incurred are added to the amount of the redemption money1 and must be paid before freedom can be claimed4 ,if any female slave is married against her will to any favourite of her owner1 or maybe to the owner himself1 the price of her freedom must forthwith be reduced by one half4 ,when wars took place1 the man who fought in lieu of his master1 thereby regained his freedom4 ,should any serf sustain injury in any way while carrying out work demanded from him by his owner1 he is entitled to receive compensation according to the nature and extent of his injuries4 ,when a slave is killed in defending either his master or his master's property1 no claim can be made against the person who was security for the slave4 ,but if any slave absconds1 then any money spent in his apprehension is added to the price of his redemption4 ,it will be seen that the laws of the kingdom which govern the system of domestic bondage1 are on the whole of a just and equitable nature4 ,and it must not be forgotten that these laws were made long before ,western influence had in any way exercised any effect in the land4 ,they are sufficient in themselves to demonstrate the essentially broad-minded and humanitarian character of the present and previous sovereigns4 ,it is true that they are often broken by powerful officials in remote districts1 but under the new system of administration now being rapidly organised1 there will perhaps arise a more rigorous and judicial application of the principles of the legislative code4 ,the national etiquette is the logical result of the national condition of society4 ,briefly put1 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 one4 ,most of the old forms of etiquette are strictly observed by all ranks1 though of late years a few have disappeared under the pressure of progressive social reforms stimulated and often initiated by the king himself4 ,as the head is the most sacred part of the body1 the chief rules that concern the behaviour of an inferior person in the presence of his superior1 relate to the position of the body4 ,formerly no person dared raise his head to the level of that of one of higher rank4 ,he might not cross a bridge while his superior passed beneath1 nor could he walk in a room situated above that in which his superior might be lying or sitting4 ,at the present time1 bridges and floors are trodden indiscriminately4 ,until the year #ahgd ,a4,d41 all persons approached the sovereign on hands and knees1 crawling with the head upon a level with the monarch's feet4 ,the crawling in public has been abolished1 but nearly every person crouches in the streets when he speaks to1 or passes1 one whom he knows to be of higher rank than himself4 ,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 throne4 ,the occasion will ever remain a memorable one in the annals of the country4 ,all the chief members of the different government services were in their accustomed positions on hands and knees1 with heads bent to the ground1 when a decree was read to them of which the following paragraphs formed a portion4 ,since ,his ,majesty ascended the throne1 it has been the ,royal purpose to cherish the ,state and augment the happiness of the greater and lesser princes1 ministers and nobles1 the clergy1 the ,brahmins1 and the masses of the people all over the kingdom4 ,whatever is oppressive and burdensome1 it has been the ,royal purpose to remove from the people1 and abolish from the ,state4 ,his ,majesty has noticed that the great countries and powers in ,eastern and ,western ,asia1 that is to say to the ,east of our country1 ,china1 ,cochin ,china and ,japan1 and to the ,west1 ,india and the regions where oppression existed1 compelling the inferiors to prostrate and worship their masters and persons of rank1 similar to the custom prevailing in ,siam1 have at present ceased these customs and instituted new ones4 ,they have universally changed and ceased the custom of prostration and worship1 to make manifest the good purpose that there shall be no more oppression in their countries4 ,the countries that have abolished these rigorous exactions1 have manifestly greatly increased in their prosperity4 ,in this kingdom of ,siam there are some national customs that are rigorous1 hostile to good usage1 and ought to be modified2 but the changing and modifying of customs cannot be effected at once2 such changes must be the subject of much thought and gradual modification1 adapted to times and circumstances4 ,it is in this way that states will augment their susceptible prosperity4 ,the custom of prostration and human worship in ,siam1 is manifestly an oppressive exaction which an inferior must perform to a superior1 causing him embarrassing fatigue in order to honour a superior4 ,these acts of showing honour by such prostration and worship1 ,his ,majesty perceives are of no benefit whatever to the country4 ,inferiors who are obliged to perform them1 to honour their superiors1 must endure and suffer much till the time when they leave the presence of their superior and thus escape the requisition4 ,this custom ,his ,majesty perceives is a primary cause of many existing oppressive exactions1 therefore1 this ancient national custom1 which made prostration the prescribed method of demonstrating respect in ,siam1 must be abolished2 for ,his ,majesty is graciously disposed to confer happiness upon all1 and to this end1 will relieve them from the burden of prostration as practised heretofore4 ,his ,majesty proposes to substitute in the place of crouching and crawling1 standing and walking2 and instead of prostration on all-fours and bowing with palm-joined hands to the ground1 a graceful bow of the head4 ,standing1 walking1 bowing the head1 are equal demonstrations of respect with crouching and crawling4 ,perhaps some persons of rank who may favour the custom of crouching and crawling as heretofore1 thinking it good1 may have their doubts as to the wisdom or advisability of the new regulations1 and may wish to know why the change from prostration to standing will be advantageous to the ,state4 ,these may rest assured that the proposed change is ordered to impress upon the people the intention to remove from them all oppressive exactions4 ,states that do not oppress the inferior ranks will assuredly have great prosperity4 ,henceforth1 the princes and nobles according to their rank1 when in solemn audience before the throne1 or wherever ,his ,majesty may be present1 will please observe this ,royal ,edict1 which is hereby promulgated to regulate henceforth the conduct of noblemen in every particular in in this matter4,d ,the decree proceeded to detail and explain the new social rules1 after which the whole crowd rose from the ground1 and for the first time in the history of the country1 the subject stood upright in the presence of the sovereign4 ,the people to whom this wise edict was addressed are of a conservative nature1 and believe in precedent as an infallible guide in all matters4 ,they have no love for innovations1 and have been slow to follow their king in his forward march towards a pure and enlightened form of government4 ,there are many noblemen who still insist upon their servants approaching them in the ancient way1 in spite of the proclamation and the king's own wishes4 ,but on court days no such demonstrations are now ever seen within the precincts of the ,audience ,chamber4 ,the place of honour is on the right hand of the chief guest4 ,places near the wall on the right hand are of greater honour than those on the left1 while the position of greatest distinction in any room is opposite the door4 ,civil and religious holidays follow each other in rapid succession the whole year round4 ,the ,king's birthday is celebrated for three days by the entire nation4 ,ships are wreathed in flowers and bunting1 banquets are given1 receptions are held1 and salutes are fired4 ,at night1 the palaces in the city1 the vessels in the river1 every house by the side of a road or on the bank of a stream1 are ablaze with light4 ,night is turned to day1 and earth becomes a fairy land4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,rickshaw4 ,the ,new ,year holidays also last three days4 ,they commence on the ,first of ,april1 a day which is scarcely auspicious from the ,european point of view4 ,for the usual feasting that accompanies this and all other holidays1 a special kind of cake is made1 which is as much in demand as our own ,shrove-,tuesday pancakes or our ,good-,friday hot cross-buns4 ,the temples are thronged with women and children making offerings to ,buddha and his priests4 ,the people inaugurate their ,new ,year with numerous charitable and religious deeds4 ,the rich entertain the monks1 who recite appropriate prayers and chants4 ,every departed soul returns to the bosom of his family during these three days1 freed from any fetters that may have bound him in regions of indefinable locality4 ,on the third day the religious observances terminate1 and the remaining hours are devoted to the world1 the flesh1 and the devil4 ,gambling is not confined to the licensed houses1 but may be indulged in anywhere4 ,games of chance hold powerful sway in every house as long as the license to participate in them lasts4 ,priests in small companies occupy posts at regular intervals round the city wall1 and spend their time in chanting away the evil spirits4 ,on the evening of the second day1 the ghostly visitors from the lower realms lose the luxury of being exorcised with psalms4 ,every person who has a gun may fire it as often as he pleases1 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 speed4 ,the bang and rattle of pistols1 muskets1 shot-guns1 and rifles cease not till the break of day1 by which time the city is effectually cleared of all its infernal visitors4 ,twice each year another important holiday occurs1 in connection with the taking of the oath of allegiance4 ,every person who is a prince1 a nobleman1 or a paid servant of the ,government1 is required to present himself at the temple in the grounds of the ,royal ,palace1 or at other places appointed in other parts of the country1 to swear his allegiance to the king4 ,each person signifies his acceptance of the oath read to him1 by drinking1 and sprinkling upon his forehead1 a few drops of specially prepared water4 ,some ordinary rain-water is first placed in a bowl1 and then stirred with swords1 pistols1 spears and other weapons such as are likely to be used in the punishment of those who are guilty of treasonable practices4 ,priests are excused1 as it is considered that their professions of holiness are sufficient guarantees of their loyalty4 ,portions of the symbolical water are afterwards sent to the distant provinces4 ,the local governors then assemble those people who are in any way connected with the local administration1 and require them also to take the oath and drink the water of allegiance4 ,the formula of the oath is somewhat lengthy1 but the following translation of a portion of it will serve to show its general character4 ,we beseech the powers of the deities to plague with poisonous boils that will rapidly prove fatal1 and with all manner of terrible diseases1 the dishonourable1 perverse1 and treacherous4 ,may we be visited with untimely wretched and appalling deaths that our disloyalty may be made manifest in the eyes of the whole world4 ,when we shall have departed from this life upon earth1 cause us to be sent to1 and all to be born again in1 that great hell where we shall burn with unquenchable fire through limitless transmigrations4 ,and when we have expiated our penalties there1 and are born again into any other world1 we pray that we may fail to find the least happiness in any pleasurable enjoyments that may there abound4 ,let us not meet the god ,buddha2 let us not hear the sacred teachings2 let us not come into contact with the sacred priests whose mission it is to be gracious to men and animals1 and to help them to escape from misery1 to attain a progressive succession of births and deaths1 and finally to reach heaven itself4 ,should we by any chance meet with holy men or priests1 let us receive therefrom no gracious helpful assistance4,e ,although the oath is rather a terrible one to take1 very very little solemnity prevails on these occasions1 and every one performs his part of the ceremony in a most casual manner4 ,those natives who have had little or no communication with ,europeans are the best exemplars of the true character of the nation4 ,they are very gentle in their manners2 timid1 especially in the dark or with strangers2 gay and cheerful1 and fond of cheerful persons4 ,they rarely quarrel amongst themselves1 as they dislike worry and trouble of every description4 ,they are lazy when ordinary work has to be done1 but busy enough when preparations have to be made for amusements or holiday processions4 ,their idea of the millenium is that the tide will flow up one side of the river and down the other1 so that everyone may go whithersoever he pleases without the trouble of rowing4 ,there will be no work of any description1 and men will lie in the sunshine1 as happy as birds4 ,the country people never beg1 and even in the capital it is only the leprous and the blind who ask for alms4 ,there is no clamouring for backsheesh as in other ,oriental countries4 ,the people are sharp and witty1 and delight in jokes and sharp sayings4 ,they are not nearly so imitative as the ,chinese1 but they absorb new ideas1 and adapt themselves to changes of custom with great rapidity1 when they have once overcome their initial prejudice against the innovation4 ,when the electric tramway was first opened in ,bangkok1 the absence of any visible locomotive machinery caused them the greatest bewilderment1 and for several days they half worshipped the cars as they passed them in the streets1 murmuring to themselves the while1 ,it is the ,devil's carriage4 ,in less than a week1 the cars were packed on every journey with a crowd who distinctly appreciated the speed and ease with which they were being carried along4 ,they are not greater liars than other men1 except when they have come into close contact with civilisation4 ,there are old residents living in ,bangkok who remember the day when the word of a native was as good as his bond4 ,today the dwellers in the city are never to be trusted4 ,some of them carefully avoid speaking the truth on all occasions1 even when it would be quite as serviceable as an untruth4 ,the money formerly used consisted of sea-shells of small value1 eight hundred to a thousand being equal to about two pence4 ,it was easy in those days for a man however poor to get something to eat1 for there was always something on sale that could be bought for the thousandth part of two-pence4 ,in imitation of foreign ways1 a flat coin was introduced made of lead1 and the old sea-shell was abolished as legal currency4 ,the ,government made a huge profit out of the transaction1 for they refused to buy up any of the worthless little cowries1 and they sold the leaden coins for more than they were worth4 ,counterfeiting naturally followed1 and the coins were re-called1 but as soon as the treasury-boxes were filled with a mixture of good and false money the ,government refused to receive any more4 ,all those who still had any of the leaden money in their possession experienced a serious loss4 ,an alloy of lead and copper was issued at a reduced value2 but the profit to be made by coining was still so great that counterfeit coins speedily found their way into circulation4 ,small bullets of gold and silver next came into use1 and one of them still remains in circulation4 ,none of these coins were stamped with the image of the king1 for at that time there was a strong prejudice against the making of portraits in any medium4 ,europeans who travel into the jungle1 have even at the present time1 only to point a camera at a crowd in order to procure its instant dispersion4 ,when a copy of the face of a person is made and taken away from him1 a portion of his life goes with the picture4 ,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 realm4 ,but not many years ago the present king ordered a new issue of the coinage4 ,flat1 round copper and silver pieces were made at the mint in the palace1 and on every disc appeared the shapely profile of the reigning monarch4 ,postage stamps followed1 with the same profile printed on them2 then the king was painted and photographed2 and so the old superstition has lost its power2 while modern fashion requires that all who can afford it shall be photographed4 ,it is perhaps scarcely necessary to add here1 that with the exception of two or three ,europeans1 all the professional photographers are ,chinamen4 ,the flat1 gold coins were hoarded by the people1 turned into ornaments or used in the making of jewelry4 ,they are no longer used as money1 but are bought as curios for four times their original value4 ,weights and scales have not as yet displaced the old methods of measurement4 ,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 standard4 #hhj ,tamarind seeds make one cocoa-nut shell 7kanahn7 #be ,cocoa-nut shells make one bamboo basket 7sat7 #hj ,bamboo baskets make one cart 7kwien7 or #hcj ,tamarind seeds make one cocoa-nut shell #bj ,cocoa-nut shells make one bucket 7tung7 #ajj buckets make one cart4 ,in calculating time two calendars are used4 ,one is a religious one and is only used for ecclesiastical purposes4 ,it commences with the death of ,buddha1 about #edc ,b4,c4 ,the civil calendar is the one in general use4 ,it dates from the founding of ,bangkok in #aghd ,a4,d4 ,the idea of eternity is expressed in concrete form in the following manner4 ,eternity is divided into long periods of time1 called kops4 ,each kop is represented by a stone measuring ten miles each way4 ,once in every hundred years1 an angel descends to one of these stones and wipes its surface with a gossamer web4 ,when by these successive century wipings1 one stone shall have been thoroughly worn away1 one kop will have been completed1 and a second period of eternity will begin4 ,the human race is gradually dwindling away4 ,in the misty ages of the past all men were giants4 ,the present race of ,siamese is well proportioned1 but small4 ,their descendants will be smaller4 ,some of them will diminish till they are as small as dogs2 a few centuries later1 all will be no bigger than rats2 the stature of a butterfly and then of a flea will measure the height of men1 and ultimately they will disappear altogether from the face of the earth4 ,the ,siamese speak a language of their own4 ,it possesses its own nouns1 verbs and other parts of speech1 a sprinkling of slang1 and practically no swear words4 ,these are only used by those whose knowledge of ,english is colloquial4 ,there is a special language devoted to the sacred person and attributes of the king1 which must be used by all who speak to or of him4 ,the special vocabulary required is a difficult one to learn even to the natives themselves4 ,the hairs of the monarch's head1 the soles of his feet1 the breath of his body--in fact every single detail of his person both internal and external1 has a particular name4 ,when he eats or drinks1 sleeps or walks1 a special word indicates that these acts are being performed by the sovereign himself1 and such words cannot possibly be applied to any other person whatever4 ,there is no word in the language by which any creature of higher rank or greater dignity than a monarch can be described2 and the missionaries in speaking of ,god are forced to use the native word for king4 ,each person in speaking to another uses a pronoun which at once expresses whether the speaker is of superior1 equal1 or inferior rank to the person spoken to4 ,in this way superiority of social position is asserted1 or corresponding inferiority confessed1 in every conversation between two persons4 ,the language spoken by the pure ,siamese is monosyllabic and toned4 ,the apparently longer words are really a collection of monosyllables4 ,for instance3 mi-keet-fi a match is made up of three words1 mi 444 wood keet 444 a line fi 444 a fire ,the word for ice is a combination of two words meaning hard water1 and that for cheese a combination of two words meaning hard butter4 ,the toned words are a great trouble to foreigners who are not accustomed to a sing-song form of speech4 ,some syllables have three different sounds1 others as many as five1 and each different tone expresses a different meaning4 ,in many cases the mistakes that are made by the foreigner cause little difficulty1 as his meaning is clear1 though his speech is mysterious4 ,the word for horse is a differently sounded form of the word for dog1 but any such mistake in speech1 as ,chain that horse to his kennel1 or ,order me a two-dog carriage1 would be readily understood by a servant1 who would merely receive the order with a smile and then proceed to execute it according to the wish of his master4 ,there are many words between which the difference in sound is important1 as the smallest mistake would make all the difference between an ordinary and an obscene word4 ,there are others too where it behoves the white man to be careful of his inflections1 or he may1 when intending to say to some village farmer1 ,i am going to dance upon your field1 unfortunately remark1 ,i am going to dance upon your aunt1 or even ,i am going to dance upon your face1 either of which errors might be productive of results not foreseen by the imperfect linguist4 ,names in ,siam often indicate precise relationships4 ,on pointing out one person to another and asking ,who is that8--the person spoken to may reply1 if any such relationship exist1 ,that is my elder brother1 or ,that is my younger brother as the case may be1 never simply ,that is my brother4 ,nearly all such words as grandfather1 grandmother1 uncle1 and aunt when spoken by anyone indicate whether the relationship is on the paternal or maternal side4 ,names of children often relate to their appearance1 or circumstances connected with their birth4 ,one is little1 another large1 while even a particular deformity may be perpetually called attention to by such a name as hunch-back4 ,there are no names specially set aside as belonging to male and female1 so that both a boy or girl may be called lotus1 or black1 or any other name fancied by the parents4 ,there are also no surnames4 ,nai is a general term comparable to ,mr4 and applied to males of all ages who possess no higher title4 ,maa is similarly used in the case of females4 ,the absence of surnames1 and also of numbered houses in most of the streets1 causes some difficulty when it becomes necessary to send letters through the post4 ,an envelope has often to be addressed something like the following3 ,,to ,,mr4 ,,lek1 ,student of the ,normal ,college1 ,son of ,mr4 ,yai1 ,soldier1 ,near the foot of the ,black ,bridge at the back of the ,lotus ,temple1 ,new ,road1 ,bangkok4 ,the alphabet is derived from ,pali4 ,there is no distinction between the written and printed characters1 nor are there any capital letters4 ,letters and books are written from left to right as in the ,european languages1 but no spaces are left between the words4 ,printing has only been in use in the country for about forty years1 and all the old religious texts are written with a style1 on long thin strips of palm leaf about eighteen inches long and two inches broad4 ,the edges of the leaves are covered with gold leaf1 and the pages of any book are fastened together with silk cords4 ,every monastery possesses a good collection of these leafy documents4 ,they are kept in the temples in cases which are often elaborately gilded or inlaid with mother-of-pearl4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,popular ,,amusements4 ,the ,siamese are fond of being amused and of amusing themselves1 but they do not usually indulge in active sports with the exception of rowing and a species of football4 ,games that involve any great physical exertion are played chiefly by persons who make a business of the performance4 ,the professional acrobats that are met with on festive occasions are fearless and skilful4 ,amongst the many feats they perform for the amusement of their fellow-countrymen1 there are few that do not require both strength of nerve as well as agility of limb4 ,the acrobat poles are stout bamboo rods fastened firmly to the ground4 ,each pole terminates1 about twenty feet from the ground1 in a lotus-shaped capital4 ,the acrobats climb to the top and perform various feats on the small space afforded them by the flattened surface of this small platform4 ,no nets or mattresses are provided to break their fall in case of accident4 ,there are other men who fix pikes and sword-blades in a row and then lie with their bare backs upon the sharpened points4 ,juggling with keen-edged daggers is certainly a less dangerous amusement4 ,throwing the hammer here takes a new form as swinging the hammer4 ,a heavy sledge-hammer is lifted by a rope held between the teeth1 and then swung deftly over the shoulder so as to fall well to the rear of the athlete4 ,these dangerous acrobatic exhibitions are not at all frequent1 probably owing to the fact that there are only a few men in the whole country who are able to take part in them4 ,on national holidays an open air play known as ,kra1 ooa1 or spearing the buffalo1 is enacted4 ,it is a mixture of dumb show and grotesque dancing1 and is based on an old ,burmese story4 ,the legend relates that once upon a time there was an old woman who had a husband named ,ta ,so4 ,one night she dreamt that she was enjoying a dish of buffalo's liver4 ,her enjoyment of the luxury was so great that she presently awoke4 ,she was unable to sleep1 so she awakened her husband and told him of her dream1 and of the wonderful flavour of the meat4 ,the more she dwelt upon the delicious character of her phantom repast1 the stronger grew her desire to taste the real article4 ,she urged ,ta ,so to go out into the jungle and spear a buffalo4 ,he for some time declined to rise from his couch1 alleging that he was a bad hunter and dared not track so formidable a creature4 ,he attempted to seek repose once more1 but the hungry lady grew more and more importunate1 and he was forced at last to set out on a hunting excursion4 ,his wife accompanied him to see that he did not shirk the task she had set him4 ,after a long time they managed to track a wild buffalo4 ,they skirmished and scouted1 and finally succeeded in killing it4 ,they opened the animal1 extracted the desired delicacy1 and then returned home to enjoy it4--,the representation of this story has been repeated times without number1 but it never fails to meet with popular approval4 ,an actor first appears dressed as a ,burmese woman4 ,she next proceeds in very colloquial vernacular to bully her husband in accordance with the tradition4 ,the buffalo used is a sham one4 ,four or five people throw a dark-coloured cloth over themselves1 and the foremost of these holds in his hands a huge mask1 supposed to be a buffalo's head4 ,it would serve equally well for the head of any other creature known to natural history1 for it is unlike anything but the fabulous creation of some man's mad imaginings4 ,as the husband and wife chase the ungainly brute1 it gambols to the music of a native band1 in a circle about twenty feet in diameter4 ,the dodging and running1 the pretended attack1 the sham wounds1 and the awful groans are always received with the same loud bursts of hearty appreciative laughter4 ,the game of takraw is popular with boys and youths1 and is similar to the game of football as exhibited by the ,burmese in recent years in ,london4 ,the players1 who may be of any number1 stand in a ring4 ,one of them tosses into the ring a light wicker ball4 ,as it falls another player catches it on his foot1 head1 or shoulder4 ,he at once passes it to someone else1 without touching it with his hands4 ,the ball passes swiftly from one spot to another1 and it is often kept up for quite a long time4 ,if it falls to the earth1 it is picked up and again tossed to the skilful players4 ,and so the game proceeds until every one is tired4 ,there is no scoring of points or winning of games4 ,new-comers join in the fun and weary ones leave without in any way interfering with the amusement of the rest4 ,the fancy kicking that is exhibited by expert players excites great admiration in natives and foreigners4 ,illustration3 ,,laying ,,wagers ,,on ,,fighting ,,fish4 ,games in which the element of chance enters are the greatest favourites4 ,the people are born gamblers1 and to make a bet is the delight of everyone1 from prince to peasant4 ,they bet on the results of a cock-fight1 a boxing match1 a fight between crickets1 or a combat between their pugilistic fishes4 ,even kite-flying is accompanied by unlimited book-making4 ,the ,siamese are not to be compared with the ,japanese in the art of constructing curious or beautiful kites1 but they are certainly their equals in flying them4 ,the most common form of kite is a five-pointed one--a pentagonal star4 ,on none of the kites1 whatever may be their shape or size1 is tailing ever used1 and rarely does a native run in order to get the kite to rise4 ,by a peculiar rapid jerking of the string1 the kite is made to create its own wind when a natural one is not blowing4 ,men may often be seen on calm still days flying their kites from boats as they pass up and down the river4 ,kite contests are of frequent occurrence during the windy months4 ,one kite is called the male and the other the female4 ,the object of the contest is the capturing of the female by the male4 ,when they are both at a considerable height from the ground1 one flyer so jerks the string of the male kite as to cause it to swoop downwards with great velocity4 ,if the apex of the falling star strikes the body of the soaring female1 it effectually wounds her and brings her to earth4 ,but it is perhaps oftener luck than skill that ends the contest so suddenly4 ,as a rule the string of the descending kite passes over the string of the steady one4 ,then the owner of the male toy checks its downward motion1 and with a rapid pull of the string towards him1 causes it to pass under the string that is attached to the female1 and then to rise again4 ,in this way one string is wound round the other4 ,the operation is repeated a second and even a third time1 after which the players each pull their kites towards them1 let them go again1 pull in again and so on1 so that each string is sawing the other one4 ,excitement takes possession of the spectators and they begin to speculate as to which string will first break4 ,they frequently stake large sums of money on the result of the aerial combat4 ,in many instances the owner of the entangled female1 manages by a skilful manipulation of the string to free her from the toils of her antagonist1 who then once more pursues her1 and manoeuvres to compass her destruction4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,writer ,,of ,,lottery ,,tickets4 ,in every street there will always be found a ,chinaman1 wearing big goggles1 sitting at a table in the front of an open house or shop1 wearing upon his wooden countenance a quiet and meditative smile4 ,by his side is a small pile of thin sheets of yellow paper1 and a quantity of writing material4 ,he is an agent of the gambling farmer and deals in lottery tickets4 ,the ,government farms out the monopoly and derives a considerable revenue from it1 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 cash4 ,the lottery farmer chooses1 every day1 one out of thirty-four characters of the alphabet as the lucky one for that day4 ,he keeps the secret of his choice to himself1 and leaves those people who are of a speculative turn of mind to guess the particular letter he has chosen4 ,everyone is at liberty to try his luck4 ,the gambler goes to one of the numerous writers of lottery tickets and names a letter4 ,the writer slowly inscribes the letter upon one of the sheets of paper4 ,he then folds it up1 and on the back states his own name and address1 the name and address of the purchaser of the ticket1 and the amount paid for the same4 ,he keeps possession of the paper till the close of the day4 ,the city is divided into districts1 over each of which the lottery farmer places a trustworthy overseer4 ,towards evening the overseer visits every ticket writer in his locality1 collects all the papers1 and the money paid for them4 ,these he afterwards takes to the office of his chief4 ,at a given hour the farmer declares the winning letter and the papers are opened4 ,all those papers that do not bear the chosen character are thrown away and the money appropriated4 ,those who have been fortunate enough to guess correctly the letter for the day1 receive back twenty-nine times their stake1 so that the man who staked one pound receives twenty-nine as his reward4 ,the chances in favour of the proprietor of the lottery are so great1 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 winners4 ,some people endeavour to calculate their chances beforehand4 ,in every writer's house is placed a board divided into squares4 ,every day from the beginning to the end of the month1 the letter chosen is written in one of these squares4 ,the board is consulted by those about to try their luck1 and they try to work out a system which shall guide them in their choice4 ,many gamblers1 especially if they are ,chinese1 consult their gods about the matter4 ,they go to the temples and stand in front of the altar4 ,there they find a bamboo box containing thirty-four strips of bamboo1 on each of which is printed one of the letters used by the lottery farmers4 ,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 venture4 ,after having made this tempting offer1 one stick is chosen from the bundle4 ,the gambler looks at it1 and then wonders if the gods are going to make sport of him4 ,he proceeds to test the sincerity of the deity4 ,he takes two pieces of bamboo root1 which have been flattened on the one side and rounded on the other4 ,he throws them into the air1 exclaiming as he does so1 ,if ,i have chosen the right letter1 let these two roots fall with the flat sides up4 ,suppose they fall as he desires1 he repeats the experiment1 saying1 ,if ,i have chosen the right letter1 let these two roots fall with the round side up4 ,even if success again crowns his experiment1 he still feels inclined to doubt the playful deity to whom he is appealing for counsel4 ,so he throws the roots yet once again--,if ,i have chosen the right letter let these two roots fall1 one with the flat side up1 and one with the round side up4 ,if they should fall in this way1 he is practically certain the gods are with him4 ,he pawns everything he possesses and stakes every farthing he can obtain on the letter of his choice4 ,thirty-three chances to one that he loses1 and he may spend the rest of his life in extreme poverty1 bewailing the fickleness of the god he supplicated4 ,anyone who can write can set up a stand1 for it is the policy of the farmer to have his agents scattered all over the city4 ,the overseers are not directly paid for their services1 but on the contrary1 actually pay to be allowed to hold the office4 ,the writers of the tickets receive a commission of one shilling for every forty-four shillings they hand to the overseers4 ,the overseer receives from the farmer the same proportion of the total amount he collects each day4 ,thirty times the sum actually staked is handed to the writer of a correct letter4 ,he then hands over to the winner twenty-nine times the sum1 so that he gets a further profit of one-thirtieth of all the winning money that passes through his hands4 ,a few years ago1 the gambling farmer lost a considerable sum of money through his own indiscretion4 ,he had obtained a new wife of great beauty1 of whom he was passionately fond4 ,one day she asked him what letter he had chosen for the winning one4 ,why do you wish to know8 said he4 ,woman-like1 she replied1 ,oh1 ,i merely asked you out of curiosity4 ,well1 said the infatuated adorer1 promise me that you will on no account reveal it to any single person you may meet4 ,remember1 if people were to know what letter ,i had chosen1 ,i should lose a tremendous sum of money4 ,the new favourite answered1 ,i promise not to tell4 ,he gave her the letter1 and faithful to her promise1 she kept the secret4 ,but she went to one of the writers and staked all the money she had on what she knew was to be the lucky character4 ,the writer knew who she was1 and jokingly asked her why she had chosen that particular letter4 ,she answered that she had simply selected it as any one else might have done in order try her luck4 ,several people standing by heard the conversation1 and learning that the chief had been to see her the day before in her own quarters1 they thought it extremely probable that she was in possession of that days winning number4 ,they promptly followed her example1 with the result that her confiding spouse lost several thousand dollars on the day's transactions4 ,he at once accused her of betraying his trust1 and although she pleaded her innocence1 he sold her within a few days to gratify his want of revenge1 or perhaps1 to recoup himself in part for the losses he had sustained as the result of his own folly4 ,in the small gambling houses that abound1 various games of chance are played all day4 ,they are open to the road1 and are always fairly well filled4 ,idlers strolling by with an odd cent in their waistband1 step in and lose it1 and then pass on their way to give place to others who seek easily-made fortunes4 ,the games played require no skill on the part of those who play4 ,it is all pure chance1 as the following descriptions will show4 ,illustration3 7the mat game7 ,,the ,,mat ,,game4 ,on the floor is spread a mat with two lines drawn across it at right angles to each other1 as shown in the diagram4 ,the banker sits in the position marked ,a1 and the numbers #a1 #b1 #c1 #d are placed as here indicated4 ,in front of the banker is a big pile of cowrie shells4 ,he takes up as many as he can hold in his two hands and places them in front of him4 ,the crowd then place any amount they like on any one of the four numbers4 ,suppose1 for example1 that there are four playing and that each places a shilling on a different number4 ,when all those who wish to play have put down their money1 the proprietor begins to count out the shells he has taken from a large heap1 and to place them in small piles of four each1 and notes the remainder when all the shells have been disposed of4 ,if there is a remainder of two1 then the man whose money is on two gets his stake doubled4 ,number four loses1 and numbers one and three neither lose nor gain4 ,if there is a remainder of three1 the money on three is doubled1 number one loses1 and numbers two and four remain unaltered4 ,if there are twenty or thirty people playing1 the principle is the same4 ,all those who have guessed the right remainder get their money doubled1 the opposite numbers lose1 and the others neither win nor lose4 ,if there is no remainder then the winning number is four4 ,one variation in the method of staking is allowed4 ,the money may be placed on any one of the four diagonal lines4 ,suppose the stake is laid on the line between three and two1 then if either three or two be the remainder the money is doubled1 but if one or four wins1 then the money is lost4 ,porcelain counters of very small value are used at these places1 and so common is the gambling habit1 that these counters are used in the markets for the purchase of goods1 for both buyers and sellers know that the gambler's coins can easily be disposed of again4 ,if a banker fails1 he is unable to redeem his porcelain coinage and the holders are then liable to lose the value of the counters in their possession4 ,,brass ,,cup ,,game4 ,the necessary apparatus for this form of speculation is a small brass cup and a wooden cube4 ,the upper face of the cube is divided by a line into two halves1 one of which is painted red and the other white4 ,the banker puts the cube on the table in any position he chooses1 without letting the people see how it is placed4 ,he covers it with the brass cup4 ,the players put down their stakes in various positions round the cup4 ,the banker raises the cup4 ,all money opposite the white edge is returned at the rate of three to one1 while all opposite the other three sides passes into the banker's pocket4 ,,the ,,animal ,,game4 ,this is a very favourite amusement at fairs4 ,a board is provided which measures about eighteen inches by twenty4 ,it is divided by lines into a number of equal oblongs4 ,in each space is painted some animal4 ,the owner has three large wooden dice with figures painted on the sides corresponding to those in the squares on the board4 ,those who wish to try their luck choose a picture and place their money thereon4 ,the three dice are placed in a cocoa-nut shell1 and rattled about1 and then thrown on a table4 ,the winning pictures are those that appear on the topmost faces of the three cubes4 ,gambling with cards is very common4 ,the cards are all of ,chinese pattern1 and measure three inches by one4 ,on them are printed kings1 governors1 soldiers1 officials1 and other important personages4 ,there are one hundred and sixteen cards in a pack1 but what are the rules that govern their complicated manipulation the writer has failed to fathom1 even as he has also failed to find any other ,european who could furnish the requisite explanation4 ,chess is one of the few pastimes that is not used for betting purposes4 ,the game is substantially the same as that played in ,england1 but a boat replaces the castle1 the bishop is represented by a nobleman1 and the knight's moves are made by a horse4 ,there are many skilful players1 and the present ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs1 ,prince ,devawongse1 can checkmate most of the foreigners who have had the opportunity of playing with him4 ,the real ,siamese chessmen are difficult to obtain as they are made only for private use and not for sale4 ,the poorer classes readily make up a full set when they want a game1 by using buttons or cowries for the pawns and modelling the rest of the pieces out of bits of soft clay4 ,but the most popular of all amusements is the theatre4 ,it is the delight of old and young alike1 and is intensely interesting to the foreigner1 as probably representing to a very large degree1 the primitive way in which the dramas that were presented to his forefathers1 were staged and enacted4 ,it possesses an additional attraction inasmuch as it is yet a purely native institution1 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 traveller4 ,yokohama is a ,european seaport4 ,there are ,english policemen in ,shanghai1 and cafs in ,saigon4 ,in ,bangkok itself electric lights and tram-cars have appeared1 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-coat1 ,european trousers1 and top-hat4 ,so far1 however1 the ,siamese theatre has remained unaffected by these modern fashions4 ,the theatre of the capital may differ from that of the province1 but the differences are those demanded by native taste alone4 ,it is in all cases admirably suited to a people of fertile imagination and simple habits4 ,spectacular displays and gorgeous transformation scenes are neither expected nor given4 ,realism is not demanded in any form4 ,except in the matter of dress1 simplicity characterises the whole performance4 ,great attention is paid to the pattern and the material of the costumes4 ,they are of a regulation type--heroes1 angels1 soldiers1 and monarchs being arrayed according to fashions that have descended from generation to generation4 ,cloth of gold1 richly embroidered cloaks1 and expensive jewels1 make up the wardrobe of the richer companies4 ,there is only one theatre in the capital to which any admission fee is charged and where regular performances are held4 ,on dark nights when the moon is hidden the theatre is closed1 for there would be no light to go home by1 but as soon as the new moon appears again1 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 dens4 ,all other theatrical performances take place as a rule at private houses on the occasion of a wedding1 a cremation1 or any other public or private ceremony at which large crowds of people congregate4 ,the various troupes of performers are the private property of certain noblemen1 who greatly pride themselves on the skill and beauty of their prima-donnas4 ,there are also bands of players who stroll from place to place and depend for their living on the voluntary offerings of the spectators4 ,occasionally they find their services required for some domestic celebration4 ,at other times they perform in the open air1 or in any odd empty shed they may happen to discover in the course of their wanderings4 ,there are two kinds of theatre--the lakhon and the yeegai4 ,the former1 which stands highest in public estimation is probably derived from the ,nautch dances of ,india4 ,at one time there was a large ,brahmin settlement in the town of ,ligore1 which is situated to the north-east of the ,malay ,peninsula4 ,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 settled4 ,the native name for ,ligore is ,lakhon1 and when the dancers went from place to place1 they were known as ,the actors from ,lakhon1 and later on simply as the lakhons4 ,the word passed into the common speech and is now used as the name for theatre4 ,the members of the lakhon companies are all women with the exception of a few clowns4 ,they seldom produce any new or original plays4 ,those that they act over and over again are chiefly translations of ,hindoo myths1 and are intolerably long4 ,several hours a night for a fortnight would be required for the complete performance of some of these lengthy dramas4 ,this is no barrier to the enjoyment of the audience1 for the stories of the plays are the only literature that they constantly read4 ,they are therefore thoroughly familiar with the plot1 the characters1 and all the incidents of the dramas performed before them4 ,it follows that they never need to attend the theatre from night to night in order to follow the development of the story4 ,in fact1 the better they know the play1 and the oftener they see it performed1 the more they enjoy it4 ,illustration3 ,,faces ,,from ,a ,,siamese ,,theatre4 ,there is no acting in our sense of the word4 ,the words of the play are dolefully chanted by a chorus of women1 whose screeching voices produce sounds that are painfully unmusical when judged from the ,european standpoint4 ,the only words uttered by the actresses themselves are similarly chanted at times when they feel that the situation has reached a climax1 and consequently needs an extra amount of noise to make it thoroughly effective4 ,the orchestra employed is called the ,mahoree1 and contains twenty-one instruments when complete4 ,the instruments used are chiefly of the percussion type and are powerful sound producers4 ,amongst them are drums1 cymbals1 tom-toms1 gongs and bamboo dulcimers4 ,stringed instruments are represented by a few squeaky one-stringed fiddles and an instrument that resembles a zither4 ,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 amateur4 ,the use of the band is chiefly to mark the rhythm of the chorus and to produce effective noisy bursts of sound in important scenes4 ,any embrace between a pair of lovers is emphasised by a forcible hammering of drums and clashing of cymbals4 ,they know nothing of harmony1 but musical experts with well-trained ears1 say that they play in unison4 ,there is nothing natural in the actions of the performers except as regards those of the clowns4 ,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 manner4 ,the ladies go through a series of posturing evolutions euphemistically called dances4 ,they are nothing more than extraordinary contortions of the body accompanied by equally strange motions of the limbs4 ,the fingers are bent backwards from the joints1 and the arms backwards from the elbows in a way no untrained person could ever possibly imitate4 ,from early childhood the fingers and arms are daily bent out of place until finally they become1 as it were1 double jointed4 ,the actresses whiten their faces with powder and do not relieve their ghostly appearance with any touch of colour4 ,they fasten on the finger-tips artificial gold finger-nails of abnormal length4 ,the audience either stands or sits on the floor1 and smokes incessantly4 ,the stage is simply a portion of the floor marked out by mats1 round the sides of which sit those members of the audience who are nearest the performers4 ,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 scenes4 ,at the back of the seat is the common dressing-room of the whole company4 ,it is partially or completely open to the public gaze1 and a small crowd always gathers there to see the fair ones powder and adorn themselves4 ,the strolling troupes dispense with even this imitation of a dressing-room1 and prepare themselves for their parts in full view of the audience4 ,they carry their belongings in old kerosine tins1 which they arrange along one side of the shed in which they are performing4 ,if a horse is required1 an actress comes on the stage1 wearing a piece of head-gear shaped like a horse's head4 ,it is not worn as a mask to cover the face1 but as a hat on the top of the head4 ,the rider does not mount her steed1 but places her hand on its shoulder and walks by its side4 ,monkeys and elephants play important parts in the old legends1 and they are represented in the same simple fashion2 though one private company in ,bangkok boasts a real elephant that has been trained for theatrical performances4 ,a voyage at sea is undertaken without ships4 ,one of the players crosses the stage1 having a pole in imitation of a mast fastened to his chest4 ,from the top floats the national flag1 while pieces of thin cord are fastened from the same point to the neck and shoulders of the player to represent rigging4 ,the passengers then embark by arranging themselves in two long lines behind the man with the pole4 ,when they are all safely aboard1 the stern of the vessel arrives and forms the tail end of the procession4 ,he also bears a pole1 a flag1 and a quantity of string rigging1 and attached to his back is a wooden rudder1 the cords of which are held by the passenger immediately in front of him4 ,they then sail away1 rolling their supple bodies in time to the music1 in imitation of the rolling motion of a vessel at sea4 ,they cross the stage1 pass out at one side1 and re-enter at the other1 time after time1 as though they were trying to impress the audience with the tedious and protracted nature of their journey4 ,the possession of a tin sword is a sufficient indication of a warrior2 while a tall tapering crown is the symbol of monarchial authority4 ,occasionally there is a villain in the piece1 who after some wicked deed1 finds it necessary to conceal his whereabouts4 ,this appears at first sight to be a very difficult matter1 for the stage is absolutely bare of everything that could possibly afford the slightest concealment4 ,the difficulty is soon surmounted4 ,if he needs a wall behind which to hide himself1 a bamboo screen with a hole in the middle is at once pushed on the stage in full view of the audience4 ,he retires behind it1 and the spectators then enjoy the comical sight of a hero seeking and finding not1 while the villain amuses himself by watching through the hole in the screen the fruitless efforts made to discover his hiding-place4 ,if he is supposed to be concealed in a wood1 a banana leaf or a branch of a tree is handed to him1 and he holds it with his hands in front of his face4 ,again the hero is disappointed in his search1 and when tired out with his long and unrewarded exertions1 he plucks fruit from off the branch behind which the villain is in safe retirement1 the audience roars with delight4 ,the eagerness and keen enthusiasm with which the spectators receive all these primitive methods of dramatic representation1 are conclusive proof that they are endowed with strong imaginations4 ,the yeegai is of a different character entirely4 ,it is ,malay in origin4 ,the performers are all men or boys1 and belong generally to the lower classes4 ,chorus and orchestra are not considered indispensable1 the former being always absent1 and the latter generally consisting of seven large drums4 ,there is no posturing and fantastic dancing1 but genuine acting4 ,the old legends give way to more modern and original works of a strictly farcical character4 ,the buffoonery is excellent1 but the language is nearly always coarse4 ,current events are burlesqued1 and foreign residents with pronounced mannerisms get caricatured4 ,whatever be the play or wherever it be performed1 luxuriously upholstered boxes and special incidental music are not required1 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 furniture4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,outside ,,the ,,capital4 ,within the limits of the crowded capital one can easily study closely the superstitions1 the customs1 and the ceremonies of the people4 ,but if any idea is to be gained of the industries of the country1 it is necessary to pass from the busy canals and the crowded highways into the wide plains beyond4 ,in the busy city the ,siamese are shopkeepers1 policemen1 postmen1 soldiers and government officials4 ,the mechanics and artisans are ,chinese4 ,there is no sign of any native industry1 no weaving of cloth1 tanning of leather or manufacture of anything beautiful or useful4 ,the city is the mart2 the goods that are sold therein are made or grown in other localities4 ,travel into the jungle or the field1 and then you may find the native at work1 earning his living1 and spending his life in the most primitive manner4 ,it may here be stated that it is not an easy matter to travel even a short distance in ,siam1 and very few of the foreign residents ever make a trip except for business purposes4 ,the journey to every place must be commenced by water1 either in a house-boat or in a steamer4 ,the house-boat is about eighteen feet long and four feet beam1 and is rowed by a number of strong skilful boatmen4 ,the number of men varies from two to eight according to the size of the boat4 ,the man at the stern manages the rudder with his foot while he rows with his hands4 ,all the men stand to their work1 and row after the native fashion4 ,in the centre of the boat is a small hut or cabin1 which is about three feet high1 so that its occupant can only lie therein4 ,standing or sitting is impossible1 and the operations of dressing1 washing and eating are performed under trying conditions4 ,the deck planks are all removable1 and under these must be stowed away sufficient clothing and provisions to last the traveller during the whole of his trip1 for no matter where he travels1 he can never replenish his larder or his wardrobe4 ,the ,chinese cook1 who is an indispensable part of every expedition1 sleeps and cooks at the back of the boat1 in a space about three feet square4 ,he shelters himself during the heat of the day with a big paper umbrella1 and sleeps at night on the floor of his kitchen4 ,he prepares his master's meals just as though he were surrounded with all the ordinary utensils supposed necessary in the practice of culinary art1 and when they are ready1 he acts as waiter and hands them into the cabin through a small window in the back4 ,the traveller's limbs get very sore with constantly lying on a hard mattress2 but he has little opportunity of taking exercise1 for the jungle comes down to the water's edge in most places that are uninhabited4 ,these house-boats are only used for inland journeys as they would soon be capsized in a rough sea4 ,illustration3 ,,preparing ,,rattan ,,for ,,chair-,,making4 ,one thing that soon strikes the wanderer is the presence of the ,chinese4 ,in the most secluded hamlet1 and in the deepest jungle1 wherever men are gathered together1 there are the ,celestials in the midst of them1 doing the chief share of the work1 and taking the largest share of the profits4 ,the wealth of the country consists in its agricultural produce4 ,rice is the chief food article cultivated1 and will be dealt with in the succeeding chapter4 ,but at ,chantaboon1 now in the hands of the ,french1 excellent pepper is grown4 ,coffee has only recently been introduced1 and it too flourishes in the neighbourhood of the same port4 ,sugar-cane is very plentiful1 but is little used for the making of sugar4 ,where the refineries do exist they belong to the ,chinese4 ,the tobacco plant that is grown is very rank1 and too powerful in its effects to become popular with ,europeans4 ,if it were properly cured and prepared1 it might be more palatable4 ,amongst the other agricultural products may be mentioned hemp1 cotton1 cocoa-nut1 areca-nut1 maize1 teak1 bamboo1 cloves1 cinnamon1 nutmeg1 indigo1 a little tea in the far north1 and fruit of many varieties4 ,illustration3 ,,fishing ,,lugger4 ,petchabooree is a typical ,siamese agricultural village4 ,it is easily reached by house-boat from ,bangkok in two or three days4 ,through the village runs a clear silvery stream with a white sandy bed4 ,on each side of the stream extends a double row of wooden houses1 under which lie innumerable pariahs4 ,between the double line is a narrow passage forming the street1 market1 and pleasure-ground of the inhabitants4 ,buffaloes come down to the river for water at regular hours twice each day4 ,on the broad plains in the neighbourhood rice is grown4 ,a few miles away is a ,laos settlement1 occupied by the descendants of prisoners of war who were once placed here to till the soil for those who captured them4 ,they still preserve their dark striped petticoats1 and are never seen without their long knives at their waists4 ,they spend most of their time at this particular place in manufacturing sugar from the sugar palm4 ,when the fruit appears upon the tree1 a man climbs to the top1 and cuts it off4 ,to the cut stalk he fastens the hollow stem of a bamboo1 about eighteen inches long4 ,as the juice oozes from the cut surface it drops into the wooden cylinder4 ,when this is filled it is removed1 and replaced by another4 ,the juice is collected and boiled in iron pans under an attap-thatched shed4 ,the furnace is of very simple construction4 ,a trough is dug in the earth1 and the hole thus made filled with wood4 ,a light is applied1 and then the pan is placed on the ground1 with its centre over the hollow dug-out fireplace4 ,fresh wood is pushed into the hole when required4 ,as the wood costs nothing and the iron pan is cheap1 the manufacture of sugar in this primitive fashion is not at all costly4 ,the thick syrupy liquid is put into big wooden barrels1 and sent to ,bangkok to be further boiled and converted into sugar4 ,the fresh juice of the sugar palm is sweet and refreshing1 but when it begins to ferment it is a powerful intoxicant4 ,there are many pretty places on the shores of the ,gulf of ,siam1 but these can only be visited by steamer4 ,they are charmingly picturesque1 the bathing is excellent1 and the fish are delicious4 ,no steamers call at these desirable spots1 there are no hotels1 and except for fish they have no food for sale4 ,only one of them--,anghin1 has any house in which a foreigner would care to reside4 ,the village of ,anghin 7stone basins7 is so called because there are several large hollows in the granite rocks1 where rain water collects in the wet season4 ,public attention was first drawn to the place in #ahfh1 when a notice appeared in the local papers in these words3-- ,h4 ,e4 ,ahon ,phya ,bhibakrwongs ,maha ,kosa ,dhipude1 the ,pra ,klang1 ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs1 has built a sanitarium at ,anghin for the benefit of the public4 ,it is for the benefit of ,siamese1 ,europeans1 or ,americans1 who may go and occupy it when unwell1 to restore their health4 ,all are cordially invited to go there for a suitable length of time and be happy1 but are requested not to remain month after month1 and year after year1 and regard it as a place without an owner4 ,to regard it in this way cannot be allowed1 for it is public property1 and others should go and stop there also4 ,illustration3 ,,fishing ,,boats ,,at ,,the ,,bar4 ,for a time a few people went1 but the sanitarium is now in ruins1 and is only habitable in dry weather when holes in roofs and walls are no inconvenience to the visitor4 ,it is necessary when visiting this lovely little spot to take with one all the provisions required during the stay1 a plentiful supply of pure water1 and every article of furniture1 such as beds1 tables1 chairs1 and wardrobes4 ,having collected all these things1 a small steamer is next required to convey them and their owner to his destination4 ,an ,english resident in ,bangkok who wished to take a holiday there1 bargained with a native merchant for the loan of a vessel4 ,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 mentioned4 ,early in the morning he removed all his baggage to the riverside4 ,he was surrounded by baskets of ducks1 baskets of chickens1 hams in canvas bags1 jars of rain water1 boxes of soda water1 pans1 pots1 furnaces1 chairs1 tables1 mattresses books1 camera1 and sketching material4 ,a few friends who were going to accompany him helped to keep guard over this motley collection4 ,at one o'clock no steamer was visible1 but there was nothing very surprising in that fact1 as the ,oriental does not know the meaning of punctuality4 ,but when two o'clock passed1 then three o'clock1 and then four1 he felt that something had gone wrong4 ,one of the party went to make enquiries4 ,he returned after dark to say that the propeller of the steamer was broken1 and that the steamer was in dock1 but that she would be at the landing by seven the next morning4 ,all the boxes and furniture were sadly and slowly conveyed back to the house again4 ,one of the boxes was opened1 and a dinner made of soda water and corned beef4 ,the host and his guests slept as best they could1 on the floors of the dining-room and the drawing-room4 ,at seven the next morning all the holiday traps were carried out and placed on the landing1 where they were speedily surrounded by a crowd of jeering natives who scoffingly enquired when the party proposed to start4 ,they endured this until four o'clock in the afternoon1 when the vessel did at last put in an appearance4 ,they embarked as rapidly as possible1 and began their journey at night4 ,there was only one cabin1 which was dirty beyond description1 and swarming with spiders and cockroaches4 ,in the middle of the night it began to rain1 so they wrapped themselves up in cloaks and waterproofs and slept on deck under the tables4 ,one of them asked the ,malay skipper why the vessel was going so slowly4 ,said he1 with an amused smile1 ,this boat go half-speed4 ,this boiler got many holes4 ,go full-speed--burst6 ,then he chuckled4 ,when about two miles from ,anghin the recently mended propeller broke and sank4 ,everything was landed by means of one small boat4 ,the sanitarium had been untenanted for many months by human beings1 but thousands of ants1 spiders1 cockroaches1 and lizards had made themselves at home there4 ,the men opened some tins of kerosine and flooded the place with it4 ,all the creatures that were not destroyed by it were driven away by its obnoxious smell1 and in a short time the place was rendered habitable4 ,perhaps the reader will now understand why it is that ,european residents in ,siam seldom go to the sea-side4 ,there is not much difference between a fishing and an agricultural village4 ,there is the same double row of houses with the street between1 and the back doors of each of the houses nearest the sea or river1 facing the water4 ,along the beach small heaps of sea-shells are found at intervals of a few yards4 ,they have been collected by the villagers1 who send them in small sailing boats to ,bangkok where they are used for making lime4 ,the lime-kilns are made of bricks in the shape of a shallow box4 ,the floor has a number of apertures1 and some fire is placed beneath4 ,in the box a layer of shells lies upon a layer of straw and charcoal4 ,then comes another layer of fuel and another layer of shells1 and so on until the box is full4 ,a blast of air is driven into it by a fan connected to treadles4 ,there is no covering to the kiln1 and the fumes that rise have several times been fatal to the workmen4 ,illustration3 ,,khlong ,,near ,,petchabooree4 ,page #agd4 ,from the beach can be seen1 at low tide1 long lines of poles radiating in all directions4 ,these form the fishing traps that are used chiefly for catching a fish called plah-tu4 ,it is about the size of a herring1 tastes like trout when fresh1 and like kippers when smoked4 ,during the north-east monsoon these fish are driven in great shoals to the northern end of the gulf1 and while this wind continues to blow the fishermen are kept busily employed4 ,the fishing stakes are long slender poles4 ,they are fixed in the bed of the sea about forty inches apart from each other1 in double rows1 forming a funnel-shaped passage with a very wide entrance or mouth4 ,several funnels converge upon a central circular or rectangular structure also made of thin poles1 which we may for convenience call the trap4 ,nets are fixed in it by cords so as to be ready for use when the fishermen pay it a visit4 ,the radiating lines are often half a mile long1 and as they move to and fro in the restless sea they form an impassable barrier to the timid fish1 who are driven by the currents into the trap1 from which they seem unable to find their way out4 ,the boats usually go out at sunset1 and they form a very pretty picture as they skim lightly over the buoyant waves1 their yellow porous mat-sails catching rosy or orange hues from the setting sun1 which are again mirrored in deeper shades in the purple waters below4 ,on reaching the trap the men let down their nets1 only to haul them up again a few minutes later1 laden with silvery fish4 ,the boats return about daybreak4 ,their coming is eagerly awaited by the whole population1 who turn out to receive them4 ,buffalo carts are also ready to carry the fish from the boats to the village4 ,in the village the night's booty is sorted and examined4 ,the fish are cleaned and the gills removed1 all the refuse being thrown into strong brine4 ,the briny solution of fishy odds and ends is afterwards sold as fish sauce4 ,the best fish are very lightly steamed and then packed in flat circular baskets1 put on board the swiftest sailing boats1 and sent off to ,bangkok4 ,a certain amount is sold to people near at hand1 or used for food by the villagers themselves4 ,the remainder are either smoked1 or packed with brine in deep pits in the ground4 ,when well salted the fish is dried and exported4 ,the value of the fish exported is about one and a half million dollars4 ,it finds great favour with the ,chinese4 ,the ,javanese too buy large quantities of the salted fish1 chiefly on account of the salt that they purchase at the same time1 for pure salt is a very dear luxury in that island4 ,the decaying rotten refuse is used as manure in the kitchen gardens of the ,chinese4 ,if its properties as a manure are half as powerful as its odour1 it should be extremely valuable4 ,but plah-tu are not the only fish caught in this out of the way corner of the earth4 ,prawns are plentiful1 and they are caught in nets of very small mesh4 ,two boats go out together from the shore for a little distance and then separate4 ,from boat to boat is suspended a net heavily weighted to make it sink4 ,when the net is fully extended the boats move towards the shore1 dragging it with them4 ,in this way thousands of prawns and small fish are easily caught4 ,prawns are pounded into a paste with salt4 ,the mixture is not unlike anchovy sauce4 ,mussels and many other shell-fish are obtained in an easy manner4 ,long poles are driven into the sand in water where these creatures are known to abound1 and left there for some time4 ,after a while they are covered with the shell-fish1 which have fastened on the poles4 ,to pull up the pole and scrape off the deposit is but the work of a few hours4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,buffalo ,,cart4 ,the buffalo carts used in the villages in this part of ,siam1 are peculiar-looking conveyances4 ,but they are admirably fitted for the rough work for which they are built4 ,they are used between villages on the coast at times when boats cannot pass from place to place1 and also between places inland where no canals exist4 ,their construction will be better understood from the accompanying illustration than from any written description1 but a few points may be noticed4 ,the hood over the top is not for protection from sun or rain4 ,there are no roads in the jungle1 though here and there1 there are a few tracks4 ,the buffaloes literally force their way through the dense undergrowth1 the eye of the experienced driver always telling him where the most passable spots are to be found4 ,the hood protects the head of the driver or his passengers from the branches of the trees that obstruct the way4 ,without it they would be unable to travel at all in any place where the vegetative growth was at all thick4 ,the projecting side pieces in a similar way keep the wheels from getting entangled in the undergrowth4 ,the bottom of the cart is at a good distance from the ground1 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 water4 ,in such places the animals frequently lie down to cool themselves4 ,this in no way endangers the cart1 as the beasts are not harnessed to it in any way4 ,the yoke is simply laid across their necks1 and prevented from slipping by straight pieces of wood on each side4 ,when passengers travel1 a plank is placed at about the level of the driver's elbow in the picture4 ,the reins are of rope1 and the bell round the neck is a hollowed piece of wood with two or three wooden tongues inside it4 ,owing to the uneven character of the ground the cart sways from side to side1 and produces in most people who experience the motion for the first time1 a feeling akin to sea-sickness4 ,as the plank1 on which the traveller sits cross-legged1 is near the top of the vehicle1 his head is dangerously near the roof4 ,every time the cart gives a sudden lurch to one side1 he receives a smart rap on the side or top of his head4 ,as a rule he recoils from the blow only to receive another on the other side as the vehicle recovers its equilibrium4 ,the huge wheels1 unsupplied with metal bearings1 creak and groan with awful ceaseless regularity4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,siamese ,,bullock ,,cart4 ,in many places valuable minerals are said to exist4 ,gold1 rubies1 sapphires1 and diamonds have been found1 but so far have not been obtained in very large quantities4 ,in the ,siamese provinces in the ,malay ,peninsula1 tin is exceedingly abundant and is mined by the ,chinese4 ,in the northern provinces there are numerous valuable teak forests1 from which the ,government derives a very large revenue4 ,nearly the whole of the teak that is used in building the ships of the different nations of the world1 comes from the extensive forests of ,upper ,burmah and ,northern ,siam4 ,much of the teak that is exported from ,moulmein and sold as ,burmese or ,indian1 is really obtained from ,siamese forests lying between the ,river ,meping and the ,river ,salween4 ,the forests of ,burmah have been worked for a much longer period than those of ,siam1 and the logs obtained therefrom are of inferior quality and smaller girth4 ,the teak forests of ,siam are worked with ,british capital alone1 no ,french or ,germans being engaged in the trade4 ,the agents of the ,british firms live at the scene of the lumbering operations1 and are personally responsible for the hiring of the forests1 the cutting of the wood1 and its subsequent exportation to ,bangkok4 ,the different firms have saw-mills of their own in the city1 and they trim and cut the logs before they are finally sent abroad4 ,the leases for the forests are obtained from the ,lao chiefs in whose districts they stand1 but the terms of the leases are often subject to revision by the ,siamese ,commissioners4 ,the trees are killed before they are felled1 by having a ring cut in the bark1 about two or three feet from the ground4 ,the girdled stem is left for nearly three years before it is cut down1 as it is not properly dead before that time4 ,the only method of transport possible in places where there is no water1 is by elephants1 and this form of transportation is so very expensive that the workings are mostly confined to the banks or the immediate vicinity of the streams4 ,teak trees unfortunately do not grow in clusters or groves1 but only in isolated spots1 often separated from each other by considerable distances1 so that the question of carriage is financially a very important one4 ,felling takes place during the rainy season when the ground is soft and wet1 so that the trees as they fall are not likely to sustain any serious damage4 ,three labourers working together are able to fell three trees in one day4 ,the rough logs are piled side by side until they are removed by the elephants4 ,one of these strong sagacious creatures is harnessed to the log by ropes4 ,he drags it over the ground to the nearest water1 his work being considerably lightened by the aid of rude rollers placed along the track4 ,the elephants on reaching the water1 pile up the logs on the bank1 until the buyer or the agent has examined them4 ,the owner places his own mark on them for purposes of identification1 and then the elephants roll them into the water1 and place them in positions that render their being bound into rafts a comparatively easy matter4 ,thieves make themselves busy at such times1 breaking up rafts1 stealing logs from which they obliterate the owner's mark1 and disposing of them as rapidly as possible at nominal values to the first customer they can find4 ,they keep on the look-out for stray elephants too1 and occasionally manage to get safely away with their valuable spoil4 ,no replanting goes on1 and great waste of timber is caused by the servants of the lessees4 ,the forests will ultimately be destroyed unless some regulations are made with regard to the girth of the trees cut down1 and the replanting of fresh ones in the places of those that have been felled4 ,the loss that the world will experience from the loss of the wood1 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 deforestation4 ,very fine trees are allowed to stand because the natives are afraid to cut them down4 ,within any giant of the forest they suppose powerful spirits to be embodied1 and they are afraid to call down upon themselves unforeseen and terrible visitations of anger from the spirits who inhabit them4 ,the villagers in all parts of the country are very hospitable and kindly disposed towards travellers4 ,they show their politeness in their extreme inquisitiveness4 ,they poke their noses into everything1 and beg old bottles and sardine tins from the cook1 at the same time making little presents of eggs and fish4 ,in very remote places the white skin of the ,european is a great curiosity1 but they never molest any traveller whatever his colour1 nor do they interfere with his personal liberty4 ,on the other hand1 every one1 from the governor of the district down to the lowest slave1 will do all they can to help the wanderer1 provided he treats them with that courtesy and respect which they are prepared to show to him4 ,sometimes a native with a little mischief in his nature will attempt a practical joke1 but it is usually of such a harmless character that only a very disagreeable person would be likely to experience any great annoyance4 ,a fisherman one day visited a small party of ,europeans who were encamped in his neighbourhood1 and offered to sell them an animal for food4 ,the creature had neither head1 feet1 nor tail1 but their absence was explained by the vendor1 who said he had removed them in order to save the white men trouble4 ,he further stated that the animal was a hare that he had trapped in the jungle4 ,none of the party knew very much about anatomy1 but they felt rather dubious as to the truth of the man's statements4 ,one of them1 quite thoughtlessly and casually1 observed1 ,perhaps it is a dog4 ,a broad grin spread over the wily fisherman's face1 for the stray shot had hit the mark4 ,he retired roaring with laughter1 and exclaimed in the vernacular1 ,master very clever1 very clever6 ,they are generally frightened by a camera1 but it is a strange thing that no where do the priests object to having their photographs taken and printed4 ,in fact1 as soon as they learn the nature of the apparatus they become a perfect nuisance by the eagerness they express to be photographed4 ,they will come every morning to the tent or hut where the photographer is encamped1 dressed in their best ,sunday robes1 and wait about all day1 in the hope of being taken4 ,they express considerable astonishment at the coloured and inverted picture seen on the ground-glass screen at the back of the camera1 and they are unable to understand why prints cannot be instantaneously produced4 ,a very picturesque old ,peguan was once entreated to sit for his portrait by a man who was travelling4 ,the ancient one hesitated1 and thought1 and consulted his family4 ,he was allowed to look through the ground glass and see the faces of a few of his friends thereon4 ,that decided the point4 ,he threw his fears and scruples to the winds1 and posed himself in a graceful attitude astride a water-jar4 ,the photographer focussed and adjusted his machine1 snapped the shutter1 shut up the slide1 and exclaimed1 ,it is finished4 ,then the old man came up to have a look4 ,when he found that his picture was not ready at once1 he felt that he had been grossly deceived1 and his remarks were such that the photographer deemed it wise to seek for the company of his friends4 ,the sight of the coloured picture on the ground-glass screen of the camera1 led a few villagers to commit an amusing error4 ,after looking at it for some time1 they went to another spot to watch an artist who was at work there at the same time4 ,they decided amongst themselves that his work was a superior form of photography1 and that as he drew his brushes across the canvas they made the coloured picture come up through the back4 ,their theory worked excellently for a while1 but when the artist began to put in boats in places in the picture which did not correspond to those in the landscape1 they felt that the machine had gone wrong1 and departed1 murmuring that it wasn't a very good picture-box after all4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,cultivation ,,of ,,rice4 ,the natives of ,siam depend absolutely on rice for their very existence4 ,it is the only necessary article of food4 ,should the supply fail1 there is nothing to take its place4 ,all other forms of food are1 comparatively speaking1 luxuries4 ,abundance of rice means life2 scarcity of rice brings famine and death4 ,the failure of the crops in ,siam would produce a famine as far-reaching and as disastrous in its results as those of ,india1 which have at different times evoked to such a large degree1 the practical sympathies of the ,english people4 ,and yet1 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 food1 the methods of cultivation are primitive to the last degree1 and are carried on with agricultural implements of the rudest possible character4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,swinging ,,festival4 ,page #bab4 ,when a farmer increases the area of the land under cultivation1 by buying or stealing a new piece of wooded ground or jungle for the purpose of cultivating rice1 he commences his farming operations by burning down the whole of the timber in order to save himself the trouble of cutting it4 ,in this way1 with the maximum of waste and the minimum of labour1 the ground is cleared4 ,illustration3 ,,collecting ,,ripe ,,grain4 ,it is next ploughed with an instrument the total cost of which is about three shillings4 ,roughly speaking1 the plough is merely a crooked stick with one handle4 ,if a piece of wood or cane be bent into two portions1 one longer than the other1 and if the shorter portion of the cane be fastened into a heavy block of wood pointed at one end1 while the longer arm is held in the hand1 a rough model of a ,siamese plough will be obtained4 ,occasionally1 but by no means always1 a triangular piece of iron is fitted on to the wooden foot4 ,this1 however1 is never permanently fastened to the block4 ,the plough cuts a shallow furrow about two inches deep and five or six inches wide4 ,it is usually drawn by buffaloes1 which are the chief beasts of burden in this country4 ,the tme buffalo1 as it is called1 seems very docile with its native owners1 and little children are often seen driving them about1 running behind them1 belabouring them with sticks1 or sitting on their broad hard backs1 guiding them in the desired direction by whacking them over the nose4 ,they have1 however1 a strong dislike to ,europeans1 and will attack a white man without any provocation whatever4 ,the natives give as the reason for his dislike1 that the smell of the white man is offensive to the beasts4 ,they are yoked to the plough in a manner as simple as it is inexpensive4 ,a slightly curved wooden yoke is laid across their powerful necks4 ,on either side of the neck a straight piece of wood passes through a hole in the yoke1 hangs downwards1 and so keeps the heads of the animals in the right position4 ,from the yoke to the shorter portion of the plough1 there passes a long heavy wooden beam4 ,this is fastened into a socket in the plough1 just below the handle4 ,it is tied to the yoke with a thong of hide1 or a long strip of rattan cane1 and ends in a graceful curve a foot or two above the heads of the animals4 ,the free end of the beam is often decorated with flowers1 feathers1 or brightly coloured ribbons4 ,pieces of rope passed through holes in the nostrils are the native substitute for the ,european bridle1 harness1 and reins4 ,thus the whole weight of the plough1 the beam1 and the yoke rests upon the necks of the animals4 ,with one hand on the plough1 and the other loosely grasping the reins1 the field labourer toils through the broiling heat of the day1 guiding the great clumsy-looking animals by an occasional tug at the reins1 or urging them to greater speed with long low groan-like exclamations4 ,the harrow is square in shape1 is made of bamboo1 and bears a number of straight wooden teeth4 ,it is drawn by buffaloes1 yoked and harnessed as in the case of the plough4 ,as rice only grows where there is an excess of moisture1 an abundant supply of water must be produced either by natural or artificial means4 ,there is scarcely any artificial irrigation in ,siam1 for the peasants depend upon the chance rise of the rivers to flood the fields after the heavy rains are over4 ,these floods not only inundate the low-lying plains1 and so save the peasant the trouble of watering his fields himself1 but when they subside they leave behind a deposit of mud so rich and fertile that manuring is rendered unnecessary4 ,and as these floods are of annual occurrence1 any system of rotation of crops has never been considered4 ,occasionally some farmer deems it advisable to adopt some artificial method of inundating his fields1 and various methods of doing this are in use4 ,in none of them1 however1 are pumps ever used1 though considering the number of canals that thread the country from end to end1 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 required4 ,instead of a pump1 various arrangements of baskets and buckets are employed4 ,the baskets1 which are made of cane and pitched inside and out to prevent leakage1 will hold about seven or eight gallons4 ,they are so suspended by a system of ropes1 that a couple of children can easily scoop up water from the canal and pour it on to the adjacent rice-patch4 ,when the fields in the immediate neighbourhood of the water-supply have been deluged1 the water is passed over into the fields further away by means of a large wooden scoop1 which takes up a few gallons at a time4 ,this process is repeated for each successive field1 and eventually the whole of the farm receives the requisite amount of water4 ,when buckets are used1 the system of irrigation is called watering with the foot4 ,the buckets are small1 and are linked together about twelve inches apart4 ,they revolve on a rude wooden windlass1 which is worked by two men1 who place their feet on treadles fastened to the shaft round which the buckets revolve1 at the same time grasping a horizontal bar for support4 ,they run from the canal or pool1 up an inclined trough1 fall over the shaft1 and tilt their contents into the field1 pass back again under the shaft1 and so return to the canal again4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,siamese ,,rice-,,plough4 ,page #aii4 ,of the forty different kinds of rice known to agriculturists1 about six varieties are grown in ,siam4 ,the natives divide these roughly into two classes1 which they name respectively ,garden rice1 and ,field rice4 ,the latter kind is inferior in quality1 and is scattered broadcast in the fields1 where it is left to grow without any further care or attention being bestowed upon its cultivation4 ,garden rice1 on the other hand1 is carefully sown and tended4 ,the seeds are first sown as thickly as they can grow1 in well-watered patches4 ,they soon sprout1 and the beautiful green blades grow rapidly in the hot sunshine4 ,when they are a few inches high1 they are pulled up by the roots1 and bound into small bundles4 ,these bundles are taken to the fields by men1 women1 and children1 to be there transplanted in long straight rows4 ,the fields have by this time been covered with water1 and trampled into a thick black mud under the hoofs of the buffaloes4 ,everyone1 to use a native expression1 now dives into the field4 ,they push the roots of the young shoots deep down into the soft mud1 with their nimble hands and feet1 with amazing rapidity4 ,a good worker will not take more than three days to plant an acre4 ,planting lasts from about ,june to ,october1 and during that time the farm hands receive in wages from eight to twelve shillings a month4 ,the way in which the rice is reaped when the time for harvest has arrived1 depends largely on the state of the fields4 ,if the waters have subsided1 it is reaped with the sickle1 and bound into sheaves1 which are first allowed to dry in the sun1 and are then removed by buffalo carts or bullock waggons4 ,but if the fields are still under water1 this method is obviously impossible1 and besides1 there is always a sufficiently large number of leeches1 land-crabs and water-snakes moving about in the slimy mud to make the labourer cautious as to where he treads4 ,in this case the people go to the fields in their long narrow canoes4 ,they cut off the ripe heads with a sickle1 and drop them into small baskets placed in the bottom of the boat4 ,great carelessness is often shown by the laughing1 gossiping reapers1 who drop handful after handful of ripe grain into the water4 ,illustration3 ,,planting ,,out ,,young ,,rice--,,foot ,,of ,,korat ,,hills4 ,when the threshing commences1 the services of the ever useful buffalo are once more demanded4 ,a threshing floor is first prepared4 ,a piece of ground is cleared1 and then covered with a plaster made of soil1 cow-dung1 and water4 ,after a few days this pasty mixture sets into a hard1 firm coating4 ,a tall1 straight bamboo is erected in the centre of the floor1 and a few good heads of rice are fastened at the top for the birds to eat4 ,a roughly carved figure of a man1 jokingly christened the grandfather1 is added by way of decoration4 ,two buffaloes are used1 which are yoked side by side4 ,the inner one is loosely fastened on the inside to the central pole1 and on the outside to his fellow-worker1 while both are guided by a half-naked man or boy1 who runs round and round behind the animals1 holding on to the tail of the outer one4 ,the threshing takes place on moonlight nights1 and rarely does the moon shine on a more interesting or curious scene4 ,the buffaloes pace on in their monotonous round1 regardless of their screaming driver or of his vigorous jerking of their hindmost appendages4 ,in the heaps of straw tumble all the merry1 laughing urchins of the neighbourhood4 ,the air resounds with the sounds of music1 fiddles and tom-toms1 dulcimers and drums4 ,joke and song pass from mouth to mouth4 ,here glows the red end of a cigarette2 there a shiny brown back glistens in the moonlight4 ,the large meek eyes of the animals stare through the gloom4 ,cocoa-nut oil lanterns vie with the ruddy flames of the fitful bonfires in lending more light to the scene1 but rarely do more than tinge their own dark smoke a tawny hue4 ,fire-flies light up the deep shadows under the long drooping leaves of the palms1 or mirror their own pale light in the bits of shiny straw that flutter in the evening breeze4 ,through all these varied shades of semi-darkness come laughter and song1 the cry of the driver1 the creaking of the pole1 the firm1 steady footfall of the patient beasts1 the chirping of crickets1 the croaking of frogs1 and a million other sounds that tell of life and motion in the late hours of a tropical night4 ,illustration3 ,,ploughing ,a ,,rice-,,field4 ,the rice is winnowed by the wind as it is poured from one wide shallow basket to another1 and as the chaff flies about in the sunlight its gilded hues mingle with the vivid green of the surrounding landscape1 to form behind the well-proportioned forms of the girls and women1 a background which is unique in its brilliant combinations of light and colour4 ,the grain is stored in large baskets made of cane and plastered outside with mud4 ,these stand on a raised platform1 and are covered by a roof made of leaves4 ,the eye of the farmer grows bright as he regards his well-filled rice-bins1 for by their number and contents does he measure his wealth4 ,the farmers live together in small villages for mutual protection2 but in spite of all their precautions1 those who inhabit the more remote portions of the country suffer severely from the depredations of bands of dacoits4 ,during the night1 too1 the herds of cattle often break out and wander over the fields1 doing irreparable damage as they wander from one plantation to another1 the absence of all hedges or fences rendering their wanderings merely a matter of choice to themselves4 ,the rice-mills of ,bangkok are constructed after ,european models1 and contain modern machinery2 but outside the capital1 the primitive mill of earlier days still survives4 ,this is simply a short1 broad stump of a tree with a conical hollow inside1 the apex of the cone being near the ground4 ,a long lever carries at one end a heavy wooden hammer-head1 which falls into the hollow of the stem4 ,it is raised by placing the foot on the other end of the lever1 and then jumping up so as to press upon the lever with the whole weight of the body4 ,the women are generally employed in this work1 and in any small village you can hear the steady thump1 thump of the hammers from morning to night1 and see the girls and young women jumping on and off the short end of the lever1 with an almost painful regularity and precision4 ,a great deal of the rice grown in some of the northern provinces is sent to ,luang ,prabang1 the local supply there being insufficient for the wants of the inhabitants4 ,it is sent down the ,river ,mekong on huge rice-rafts made of bamboo4 ,it takes a fairly large crew to manage one of these rafts1 and as several members of the party are sure to have a wife or child with them1 the whole structure somewhat resembles a floating village4 ,the most usual measurements of these rafts are one hundred and twenty feet long and about thirty feet beam4 ,they are very difficult to manage1 but so skilful are the native boatmen1 that by means of a number of oars rigged fore and aft1 they generally succeed in taking their cumbersome craft through the numerous rapids and eddies1 with only occasional or trifling loss of their valuable cargo4 ,two curious ceremonies take place each year in connection with the agricultural operations4 ,one is held in connection with the opening of the field season1 while the other is an ,oriental form of harvest-thanksgiving4 ,the first ceremony is known as ,raakna and is generally held about the middle of ,may4 ,until the ,ploughing ,festival is over1 no one is supposed to plough or sow4 ,on a certain day foretold by the ,brahmin astrologers of the court1 the ,minister for ,agriculture1 who is always a prince1 or a nobleman of high rank1 goes in procession to a piece of ground some distance from the city walls4 ,he is for the time being the ,king's proxy1 and on that day many shopkeepers1 and holders of stalls in the markets1 pay their taxes to him as the representative of their sovereign4 ,formerly his followers were in the habit of seizing the goods of any shopkeeper which were exposed for sale along the route of the procession1 but this arbitrary manner of collecting dues has1 like many other harmful customs1 completely disappeared during the reign of the present enlightened monarch4 ,on reaching the scene of the festival ceremonies1 the ,minister finds there a new plough with a pair of exceptionally fine buffaloes yoked to it4 ,both plough and buffaloes are gaily decorated with flowers and leaves4 ,the ,minister takes the plough1 and for about an hour he guides it over the field1 closely watched by the assembled spectators4 ,they do not1 however1 concentrate their attention upon his skill as a ploughman1 but on the length of the piece of silk which forms his lower garment4 ,if1 in the course of his amateur agricultural operations1 the ,minister should pull this garment above his knee1 it is believed that excessive and therefore disastrous rains will occur during the wet season4 ,on the other hand1 should he allow it to fall to the ankle a great scarcity of rain is anticipated4 ,a prosperous season is foretold when the folds of the garment reach midway between knee and ankle4 ,when a certain portion of the field has been ploughed1 several old women in the ,king's service1 strew grain of different kinds over the recently ploughed land4 ,the animals are unyoked and led up to the scattered grain and allowed to feed upon it4 ,once more the crowd are on the alert1 as they seek for yet other omens4 ,that kind of grain of which the buffaloes most freely partake1 will1 it is expected1 be scarce at the next harvest2 the kind they disdain will be reaped in abundance4 ,the ceremony over1 the minister returns in procession1 accompanied by soldiers and military bands2 while the brightly dressed1 chattering crowds return to their homes to prepare for the ploughing and the sowing1 hoping for abundant rain and sunshine1 and looking for a fruitful harvest1 that thereby they may escape the terrible and remorseless hand of famine4 ,the harvest-festival ceremonies are of ,brahminical origin and are known to the people under the name of ,lo ,ching ,cha4 ,the first word ,lo means to pull--ching cha is a swing4 ,the place where the ,swinging ,festival is held is inside the city walls4 ,it is a small green lawn situated opposite to a very large temple1 and on the edge of a very busy thoroughfare4 ,for three hundred and sixty three days in each year1 there is nothing1 except the huge pillars of the swing1 to draw one's attention to the spot4 ,a few boys playing football or flying kites1 a few old women squatting down for a little gossip1 or a few ,malay grooms with their masters' ponies are the usual everyday occupants of the spot4 ,on the other two days of the year1 when the harvest festival is held1 every inch of available space is occupied4 ,the native children1 unable to see over the heads of the men and women when they are upon the ground1 quickly mount the neighbouring walls1 and perch themselves in the branches of the trees1 or cling1 like monkeys1 to every lamp-post and telegraph pole within sight of the proceedings4 ,the thoroughfares leading to the place are blocked with innumerable carriages and rickshaws4 ,the crowd is an exceedingly good-tempered one1 and brawling of any kind is very unusual4 ,the distant sound of a military band heralds the approach of another of those processions so dear to the heart of the ,siamese4 ,the procession passes through the dense crowd without any trouble1 for the people willingly fall back so as not to impede its progress4 ,strangely coloured banners bearing quaint devices1 flutter above the heads of the crowd4 ,a modern military band plays ,marching through ,georgia1 while an ancient band in tattered vermilion garments with yellow trimmings1 bangs curious drums1 and pierces the air with the penetrating shrieks of long brass trumpets4 ,the tom-tom and the gong join in the general uproar4 ,the crowd sways to and fro1 striving to catch a glimpse of the barefooted soldiers in their brilliant uniforms1 or of the numerous articles borne in the procession to indicate the nature and meaning of the festivities4 ,decorated buffaloes dragging decorated carts1 bundles of rice1 offerings of fruit and flowers1 are all evidences of the thankfulness of the people for the safe ingathering of their harvests4 ,illustration3 ,,buffaloes ,,returning ,,from ,,the ,,rice-,,fields4 ,in the centre of the procession1 carried in a chair of state on the shoulders of a number of strong well-built men1 and shielded from the sun by a huge state umbrella1 sits the ,master of the ,ceremonies resplendent in cloth of gold and jewelled ornaments4 ,at one time the ,minister for ,agriculture officiated on these occasions1 but now a different nobleman is selected each year1 whose business it is to organise and superintend all the arrangements for the festival4 ,all eyes turn towards the seated figure in his tall conical hat and jewelled robes4 ,he is carried to a small brick platform1 which is draped with the national flag and covered with flowers4 ,he takes his seat1 with two ,brahmin priests on his right hand and two on his left4 ,he places his right foot on his left knee1 the left foot resting upon the ground4 ,after having once seated himself in this position he is not allowed to remove his foot off his knee until the whole ceremony is finished4 ,as this lasts about two hours1 the presiding nobleman must be fairly uncomfortable by the time it is over4 ,the penalty for moving the foot was1 formerly1 the confiscation of the culprit's property and the loss of his rank1 in addition to any immediate ill-usage the attendant priests might think fit to bestow upon him2 but this is now all done away with1 and the only deterrent influence brought to bear upon the temporary sufferer is the opinion of the people1 who would feel deeply hurt and disappointed should any detail of their well-beloved ceremony be omitted4 ,the attention of the crowd is next directed to the performance of the swinging games4 ,the swing itself is like any ordinary child's swing except for its enormous size4 ,the side pillars are about ninety feet high1 and the seat of the swing is about half-way between the ornamented cross-bar and the ground4 ,a few feet in front of the seat1 on the side towards the ,palace1 a long bamboo-stem is fixed in the ground1 and from the top is suspended a small bag of silver coins4 ,the men who take part in the games are usually ,brahmins4 ,they are dressed in white1 and wear conical hats4 ,they swing towards the bag of money and endeavour to catch it with their teeth4 ,there are generally three competitors2 the prizes for the first being worth about fifteen shillings1 while for the second and third they are worth about ten and five shillings respectively4 ,when the winners have received their rewards they pass amongst the crowd1 sprinkling the spectators with consecrated water contained in bullocks' horns4 ,soon afterwards the ,minister returns to his home1 the crowd disperses1 and thus this very ancient ceremony is brought to a close4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,laws ,,and ,,legislation4 ,recent years have witnessed great changes in the methods of governing and judging the people4 ,in nothing is the distinction between ,old and ,young ,siam so definitely marked4 ,but it is the old order of things that will chiefly concern us in this chapter1 for the new order1 though indicative of great progress1 has been carried out by ,western minds in imitation of ,western methods1 and it therefore presents little which is of intrinsic interest to the student of foreign customs4 ,but as any account of the country's laws and legislation would be incomplete without some mention of modern reforms1 a brief account of some of the most important of them is here given4 ,the ,king is theoretically an absolute monarch with power to control the life and property of every one of his subjects4 ,but he appointed a ,cabinet to assist him in carrying on the government of his country1 and it is very doubtful whether he would now care to exercise his despotic authority to the full1 should he by so doing incur the combined opposition of the ,cabinet he has created4 ,there are twelve ministers in this ,cabinet1 who hold portfolios and seats4 ,they are #a4 ,the ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs4 #b4 ,the ,minister for ,finance1 who is also ,minister of ,customs and controls the various monopolies1 gambling and opium farms4 #c4 ,the ,minister for ,war1 who controls both ,army and ,navy4 #d4 ,the ,minister of ,justice4 #e4 ,the ,minister of the ,north1 who has under his control the administration of nearly all the provinces north of ,bangkok4 #f4 ,the ,minister of the ,south and ,west1 who also directs the civil and military corve4 #g4 ,the ,minister of the ,royal ,household4 #h4 ,the ,minister of ,public ,works1 including the railways1 posts and telegraphs1 and all public buildings4 #i4 ,the ,minister of ,local ,government1 with control of prisons1 police1 and police-courts in ,bangkok4 ,he combines the functions of a ,lord ,mayor and a ,home ,secretary4 #aj4 ,the ,minister for ,agriculture1 who grants mining concessions1 superintends surveys1 and looks after the land revenues4 #aa4 ,the ,minister of ,public ,instruction4 ,under him are placed the hospitals1 the museums1 and a number of ecclesiastical establishments4 #ab4 ,privy ,seal4 ,the ,cabinet holds its business meetings at night4 ,they begin about eight o'clock and sit on through the cool dark hours of the night and early morning4 ,the king may or may not be present4 ,last year an additional legislative body was established1 under the name of ,the ,legislative ,council4 ,the members of the ,cabinet are all members of the ,legislative ,council1 but many others have been added4 ,they do not hold their meetings in secret1 like the older body1 and they also call in outsiders1 both foreign and native1 when they want professional advice on any matter4 ,they have appointed a number of sub-committees1 of each of which some ,european servant of the ,government is a member4 ,they are concerned with the reform of old laws and the devising of new ones4 ,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 despot4 ,until the formation of this ,council no law could pass into action1 and no reform or new law could even be initiated without the express written sanction of the king4 ,during recent years he has been at times seriously ill for many weeks together4 ,naturally everything came to a stand-still4 ,now the new body of councillors has been specially requested to introduce and discuss new laws and regulations1 and it has been further empowered to put into operation any law that it may pass1 without the authority of the king1 provided he is not at the time sufficiently well in health to attend to business4 ,he1 however1 reserves to himself the right to amend the law should he afterwards think fit4 ,those who know anything of the present king will recognise the wisdom of this arrangement1 for he can always be depended upon not to destroy but to stimulate everything which makes for the happiness of his people4 ,each province has at its head a ,royal ,commissioner who has extensive powers1 but who holds office at the pleasure of the king1 though in the first instance his appointment is generally for some definite period4 ,the ,commissioners are not simply responsible for the good government1 or for the collection of the taxes in the district under their charge1 but they are intended to form connecting links between the central and the outlying portions of the kingdom4 ,for in faraway provinces1 powerful and enterprising chiefs occasionally find it convenient to forget the fact that they are not independent monarchs4 ,the appointment of ,royal ,commissioners was very much resented by some of the chiefs1 especially by those who had previously reigned with the title and dignity of sovereigns4 ,amongst these was the ,king of ,luang ,prabang1 who had for many years governed the province of ,luang ,prabang under the above title4 ,it has been stated that this man is the only man in the country1 except the king1 who can boast a purely ,siamese descent4 ,everyone else has some foreign blood in his veins4 ,at any rate1 this so-called king belonged to one of the oldest families in the land4 ,when the new ,commissioners were appointed1 a very young man was sent to take over the government of this province4 ,on nearing the scene of his new labours1 he sent word to the old chief to tell him of his arrival1 and to demand a formal and elaborate reception to be made for him1 as a mark of respect to the sovereign whose orders he had come to execute4 ,the old man went himself to meet the new arrival1 indulging in a good deal of grumbling by the way1 and wondering why there was any necessity to make such a fuss4 ,when he found to what extent he was to be superseded in the government of his ancient domain1 his grief and anger knew no bounds1 but as he was powerless to resent he had to content himself with grumbling and moaning4 ,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 well4 ,one day the ,commissioner heard the deposed governor addressed by the people1 with the title of king4 ,he at once forbade the repetition of the word1 saying1 ,there is but one king in ,siam4 ,the old man smarted not a little under what he considered was a new insult1 but he restrained any outward expression of his feelings4 ,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 royalty4 ,he ordered two of these to be at once removed1 and his order was obeyed4 ,the insulted chief got his revenge at last1 when the ,french took the province of ,luang ,prabang4 ,m4 ,pavie1 the ,french ,commissioner1 and formerly ,french ,minister in ,bangkok1 sent the ,siamese representative about his business1 and invited the old chief to an interview4 ,when the chief arrived1 ,m4 ,pavie asked him if there was anything he wanted either for himself or his people4 ,the old man related his loss of dignity and title1 and begged that he might be allowed to repair his umbrella1 and call himself king once more4 ,certainly1 said ,m4 ,pavie1 with diplomatic condescension1 call yourself 'king' if you like1 and as to the umbrella1 add two tiers or twenty1 just as you please4 ,the remade king was delighted1 and returned home exceedingly glad at heart at the complete restoration of his royal name and furniture4 ,the majority of the ,commissioners1 as well as the chief members of the ,cabinet and of the ,legislative ,council are relatives of the king4 ,siam possesses an excellent code of laws4 ,they are1 in the main1 just and well suited to the people for whom they were intended4 ,there are faulty laws amongst them1 and there are a few that are barbarous or cruel1 but these1 be it said to the credit of the present government1 are never enforced4 ,the faults of ,siam's legislative system do not lie in the laws themselves1 but in the administration of them4 ,bribery has been the curse of every court throughout the country4 ,bribed judges and perjured witnesses have hindered the operations of laws that would have been powerful for good1 and have converted what should have been halls of justice into houses of oppression4 ,the venial judge could be publicly flogged1 but when the other judges and the witnesses were all also venial1 no righteous accuser could be found4 ,the system has existed for so many years that the people have got accustomed to it1 and look upon bribery as a necessary and natural part of any legal proceedings4 ,the prolongation of the different lawsuits meant more and more profit to the judge1 and so adjournments were indulged in ad infinitum4 ,in this way thousands of cases have accumulated2 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 predecessors4 ,one of the most beneficial results that has followed the appointment of the ,legislative ,council1 has been an enquiry into the character and causes of the defective administration of justice4 ,a party of ,belgian lawyers1 assisted by a few ,siamese lawyers trained for their profession in foreign countries1 set to work to overhaul the courts and cases4 ,they cleared off the legal arrears at the rate of scores each week4 ,they found men who had been lying in gaol for years1 without trial1 for some trivial offence4 ,in many instances the plaintiff who had originally entered the case was dead1 or could not be found4 ,these unfortunate sufferers they released at once4 ,they discovered numerous examples of cruel or excessive sentences1 which they reduced or annulled4 ,to prevent further accumulations they assisted the native judges in trying all new cases as they came up day by day1 giving them in this way1 many a valuable object lesson in the administration of justice1 though not without occasional hindrances from the judges1 and even from the litigants themselves4 ,one day an old woman went to one of the new foreign judges1 crouched at his feet1 and sobbed out a bitter tale of cruel wrong4 ,she was engaged in some trivial lawsuit with a relative1 and she alleged that she could not get her rights because the judge was receiving bribes4 ,my cousin1 said she1 sends the judge presents of flowers and fruit1 and ,i know what is hidden in the basket4 ,she dwelt on the enormity of the offence and the suffering she endured thereby1 and the foreigner listened with great interest4 ,at last he remarked1 ,well1 what do you want me to do for you8 ,the woman1 her eyes bright with hope1 answered him1 ,next week the case is coming before you1 and if you will only pronounce a verdict in my favour1 ,i too will make you a present of fruit and flowers4 ,the laws of the country do not admit of being catalogued or described in any brief manner1 as they occupy seventy volumes of closely printed ,siamese1 a mass of legal literature which it is obviously impossible to condense for the purposes of this chapter4 ,there are two courts for the trial of criminal cases1 and a number of minor courts for the trial of civil cases in ,bangkok4 ,there is also an ,international ,court where the subjects of different nations attempt to settle their differences with the natives4 ,as far as ,englishmen are concerned1 this court is practically useless2 for owing to the lackadaisical manner in which the affairs of ,englishmen are dealt with by the members of the ,british consulate1 the native judges know full well that they can always give their own countrymen every possible benefit of the slightest doubt4 ,a remark once made by a ,siamese to an ,english resident is only too true--,what good are your ,consuls and ,ministers to you8 ,if ,i bring a case against you in your court1 ,i shall win it1 and if you bring a case against me in my court1 ,i am equally certain you will lose it4 ,there are provincial courts for dealing with minor offences in the outlying districts1 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 himself4 ,the course of procedure in any court is simple but slow4 ,the plaintiff presents his case in writing4 ,this is neatly copied by the clerks1 and then read to the complainant in order to see that no inaccuracy occurs4 ,if he signifies that the document so read1 is a faithful reproduction of the original1 it is folded up and fastened with a bit of wax or soft mud1 on which he impresses his private seal1 that is1 the mark of his thumb-nail4 ,a synopsis of the plaint is sent to the defendant1 who makes his answer in writing1 which is similarly copied and sealed4 ,a day for hearing the case is appointed1 but the litigants are called together before the day of trial1 with a view to settling the matter privately4 ,if these efforts at conciliation prove unfruitful1 the depositions are read before subordinate judges1 who1 after considering the case1 make their award in writing4 ,their written judgment is forwarded to the chief judge and he pronounces the sentence4 ,the chief judge has full powers1 but an appeal to the king is allowable4 ,this privilege is more or less a dead letter1 as it would be practically impossible for a poor man to get his appeal brought before the notice of his sovereign4 ,very few of the courts have a legal aspect4 ,the judge reclines at one end of the room1 on a mat placed on the floor4 ,under his arm is a three-cornered pillow4 ,he smokes1 drinks tea1 chews betel-nut1 and spits during the whole course of the trial1 and his example is followed by the policemen1 witnesses1 lawyers and spectators4 ,a long and terrible oath is administered to each witness4 ,it runs as follows3 ,i1 ----1 who have been brought here as an evidence in this matter1 do now in presence of the divine ,buddha declare that ,i am wholly unprejudiced against either party1 and uninfluenced in any way by the opinions or advice of others1 and that no prospects of pecuniary advantages or of advancement to office have been held out to me4 ,i also declare that ,i have not received any bribes on this occasion4 ,if what ,i have now spoken be false1 or if in my further averments ,i should colour or pervert the truth so as to lead the judgment of others astray1 may the three holy existences before whom ,i now stand1 together with the glorious ,devattas of the twenty-two firmaments1 punish me4 ,if ,i have not seen1 yet shall say that ,i have seen--if ,i shall say that ,i know that which ,i do not know1 then may ,i be thus punished4 ,should innumerable descents of the ,deity happen for the salvation and regeneration of mankind1 may my erring and migrating soul be found beyond the pale of their mercy4 ,wherever ,i go1 may ,i be encompassed by dangers and not escape from them1 whether arising from murderers1 spirits of the ground1 robbers1 spirits of the forest1 of the water1 of the air1 or from all the angels1 or from the gods of the four elements and all other spirits4 ,may blood flow out of every pore of my body1 that my crime may be made manifest to the world4 ,may all or any of these evils overtake me three days hence4 ,or may ,i never stir from the place on which ,i now stand2 or may the 'lash of the sky',f cut me in twain1 so that ,i may be exposed to the derision of the people2 or if ,i should be walking abroad1 may ,i be torn in pieces by either of the four preternaturally endowed lions1 or destroyed by poisonous herbs or venomous snakes4 ,when in the waters of the river or ocean may alligators and large fishes devour me2 or may the winds or waves overwhelm me2 or may the dread of such evils keep me during my life a prisoner at home1 estranged from every pleasure2 or may ,i be afflicted by the intolerable oppressions of my superiors2 or may cholera cause my death1 after which may ,i be precipitated into hell1 there to go through innumerable stages of torture2 amongst which1 may ,i be condemned to carry water over the flaming regions1 in open wicker baskets1 to assuage the heat felt by the judge of hell when he enters the infernal courts of justice1 and thereafter may ,i fall into the lowest pit of hell4 ,or if these miseries should not ensue1 may ,i after death migrate into the body of a slave1 and suffer all the hardships and pain attending the worst state of such a being1 during a period of years measured by the sands of the four seas2 or may ,i animate the body of an animal or beast during five hundred generations2 or endure in the body of a deaf1 blind1 dumb1 homeless beggar1 every species of loathsome disease during the same number of generations1 and then may ,i be hurried to the bottomless pit1 there to be crucified by the king of hell4,g ,the old code contains a list of persons who are not to be allowed to give evidence4 ,so many people must have been excluded from the witness-box by the old regulations1 that one wonders how they ever could have obtained any evidence at all had they obeyed the regulations completely4 ,for instance1 none of the following persons could be called to give evidence3--,drunkards1 opium-smokers1 gamblers1 notorious vagabonds1 goldsmiths1 braziers1 blacksmiths1 shoe-makers1 executioners1 beggars1 potters1 dancing women1 women who had been married three times1 adulterers1 clerks1 orphans1 players1 jugglers1 acrobats1 undutiful children1 atheists1 slaves1 friends of either party1 enemies of either party1 quacks1 liars1 and sorcerers4 ,physical defects excluded unmarried or pregnant women1 the blind1 halt1 deaf1 people above seventy years old and children under seven1 dying people1 and persons suffering from any loathsome disease4 ,intellectual defects prohibited the giving of evidence by those who could not read1 could not count up to ten1 and who did not know the names of the eight cardinal sins4 ,on the other hand1 this curious old code directed that special attention should be given to the testimony of men of good learning and of known good character4 ,it was sometimes considered necessary to make a supposed criminal confess4 ,to that end1 provided he could not be persuaded by gentler means1 the prisoner received ninety lashes on his bare back1 with a rattan rod4 ,time was given for the cuts to heal1 and then the experiment was repeated4 ,a time for healing again intervened and then a third flogging settled the matter1 for if the man did not confess under the third application of the rod1 he was considered innocent4 ,the fear of the punishment that awaited those who did not confess1 must often have caused many innocent persons to declare themselves guilty4 ,flogging was not the only aid to confession4 ,a modification of the thumb-screw in the form of a split bamboo1 was held to possess a strong persuasive influence4 ,one or two very ancient customs still linger4 ,thus both plaintiff and defendant are expected to provide bail when bail is demanded4 ,and in serious cases where bail is not given1 the plaintiff has to go to prison with the defendant until the case is tried4 ,this regulation doubtless often prevents false accusations being made1 but it has its severe side1 as shown by the fact that a woman who had been plaintiff in a case1 was recently released from prison by the new judges1 after lying in confinement for over three years4 ,the defendant1 moreover1 had been allowed to go scot-free many months before4 ,again1 the relatives of a man are held security for his good behaviour1 and the inhabitants of any neighbourhood are liable to fines and taxes if murders or suicides take place amongst them4 ,these laws if strictly enforced in a country where people rarely leave their own neighbourhood1 would render the detection of criminals a fairly easy matter4 ,they are sometimes enforced when it suits the authorities to carry them out4 ,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 offenders4 ,during the ,franco-,siamese trouble1 the natives naturally felt rather unfriendly towards their enemies1 and not being able to distinguish between the subjects of one foreign nation and another1 they exhibited their displeasure towards all white men alike4 ,an ,englishman who was in the ,siamese ,government ,service1 was one afternoon taking a walk in the outskirts of the city1 accompanied by two ladies4 ,suddenly he felt a hard blow on the ear1 and at the same instant a brick went whizzing past with great velocity4 ,he turned round to see from where the missile came1 only to find a barefooted1 half-naked native going down the road as fast as he could run4 ,he mentioned the matter the next day to the ,minister in charge of the department in which he was employed4 ,his chief very kindly reported the matter to the ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs1 who promised that some attempt should be made to arrest the offender4 ,a policeman was sent to the place where the offence occurred1 to make enquiries4 ,he promptly arrested the first loafer he saw1 and accused him of the offence4 ,the man denied the charge1 but said he could give information as to the name and residence of the man who was wanted4 ,he then took the policeman to the house where the culprit lived4 ,the official went into the place and asked for the man4 ,his relatives professed complete ignorance as to his whereabouts4 ,the policeman then gave them a week in which to find him1 and reminded them that if the man were not found by that time he should be compelled to arrest the whole family4 ,within a week they handed over the culprit4 ,he was taken before the judge and charged with assault4 ,he confessed1 and was sentenced to imprisonment for a definite time4 ,all this time the complainant was not summoned to appear2 he was not asked to identify the man1 or to prosecute in any way4 ,in fact1 he knew nothing at all about it until he received a letter from the officials telling him that his assailant was in jail1 and that if he wanted to interview the prisoner he would be permitted to do so4 ,many minor offences are punished with flogging4 ,the man's hands and feet are loosely fastened to a bamboo framework1 and he is then thrashed on the bare back1 with a rattan rod4 ,deserters from the army are thus punished4 ,but in all cases a timely bribe will lighten the weight of the descending rod1 the guilty man meanwhile not forgetting to howl and groan his loudest1 so that the official who superintends the execution of the punishment may not discover the fraud4 ,the late king is reported to have been very fond of this method of punishment1 and to have ordered frequent chastisement of his chief officials in his own presence whenever he had cause1 or thought he had cause1 to be seriously offended with them4 ,the punishment for murder is death by decapitation4 ,those who are reprieved through the mercy of the king1 lose their titles1 rank and property1 and are branded on the arm4 ,they are then condemned to the degrading office of cutting grass for the king's elephants4 ,they are not allowed to hire anyone to perform their duties for them1 but are obliged to do the work set them until death puts an end to their tasks4 ,the execution of the death penalty is an impressive if barbarous ceremony4 ,such occasions are very rare1 and constitute about the only events that are not attended with merry-making4 ,the laughing1 joking1 merry-hearted native forgets for once to chatter and be glad4 ,the interior of a court1 a palace1 a gaol1 or a temple exercises no restraining influence upon the voluble tongues of the people4 ,but in the presence of the executioners a deathly silence falls upon the whole of the spectators1 which is all the more intense and real by reason of its rare occurrence4 ,at the break of day1 near a lonely temple on the banks of a lonely canal1 some distance from the city walls1 the prisoner is led to the spot where he must pay for life with life4 ,his feet and wrists are firmly manacled1 and the clink-clank1 clink-clank of the chains in the still morning air is the only sound heard as the vermilion-robed executioners bring their victim forth4 ,presently the sound of chanting arises1 and the brethren of the yellow robe intone the prayers for the dead4 ,the man's neck is fastened to a bundle of bamboos1 but he realises very little of what is taking place1 for the executioners1 with a merciful consideration worthy of much imitation in other walks of life1 have thrown their victim into a state of stupor by means of a powerful drug4 ,into his ears they have rammed plugs of soft clay or mud1 so that in case the drug should fail1 the wretched creature shall not hear their steps when they come behind him to deliver the fatal blow4 ,the executioners next plead to ,buddha for forgiveness1 for they are about to break the well-observed law1 ,thou shalt not kill4 ,they plead the command of the king and the requirements of justice1 and prostrate themselves on the ground4 ,their prayers over1 a silent signal is given1 the red-robed figure comes silently and slowly along with a quaint dancing gait2 he raises his keen-edged blade on high1 and with one sweep of the weapon severs the head from the trunk4 ,the head is set up on a pole as a warning to those present2 the feet and hands of the victim are hacked off2 the fetters collected1 and the crowd disperses silently1 with the ominous croaking of many birds of prey impressing the meaning of the lesson upon their mournful hearts4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,ceremonies ,,for ,,the ,,dying ,,and ,,the ,,dead4 ,death is essentially awe-inspiring and mysterious1 and in the case of a people whose lives1 from the cradle upwards1 are lived in an atmosphere of superstition1 it is only to be expected that the ceremonies for the dead should be duly and respectfully performed4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,royal ,,funeral ,,procession4 ,page #bde4 ,when a person is at the point of death1 those by the bedside endeavour to fix the thoughts of the dying one upon the ,great ,teacher1 whose words are their hope and guide at such a time4 ,loudly and rapidly1 at least eight or ten times a minute1 the watchers exclaim1 ,pra ,arahang1 ,pra ,arahang1 this being one of the many names of the last ,buddha4 ,with the mind dwelling upon the precepts of the ancient sage1 the sick one passes from this world of men1 and the body lies stiff in death4 ,still the cry goes forth1 louder and more rapidly than before1 ,pra ,arahang1 ,pra ,arahang1 so that the departed soul may not forget the teacher as it takes its flight into another world4 ,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 abandoned4 ,then loud wailing1 the natural world-wide expression of uncontrollable grief1 is heard all over the house4 ,even the visitors1 the domestics1 the slaves and others who might not be supposed to be so deeply affected by the loss of the one who has passed away1 join in the mournful chorus1 as a fitting way of showing their respect for the dead4 ,if the person is of high rank the body is bathed with great ceremony4 ,the king himself comes to the bedside to pour water over the corpse4 ,other princes follow his example1 after whom come the nobles present1 according to their rank4 ,the corpse is dressed in pantaloons and a tight-fitting jacket1 wrapped in a winding-sheet and placed in a sitting posture in a copper urn4 ,a tube is placed in the mouth1 and a mixture of quicksilver and honey poured into the body4 ,the copper urn1 which has a grating at the bottom1 is next placed inside a golden urn richly studded with precious stones4 ,at the bottom of this urn there is a stop-cock through which the products of decomposition are drained away day by day1 in the interval that elapses between the death and the cremation of the body4 ,as the urn is placed on a high pedestal a loud blast is blown upon the trumpets1 the ancient conch shell is sounded1 the wailing of relatives and friends bursts out afresh1 and the band plays sorrowfully a weird funeral dirge4 ,this noisy demonstration is known as the invitation to the corpse to sit upon the platform4 ,all the insignia of office belonging to the deceased are arranged at the foot of the urn1 together with those articles he has continually used in his daily life1 such as his cigar case1 his golden betel-nut box1 his spittoon1 his jewellery1 and his writing materials4 ,at dawn1 at noon1 and again at early evening1 the women relatives and domestics gather round the base of the pedestal to indulge in loud and tearful moans4 ,in the intervals between these demonstrations of sorrow1 the priests occupy the room1 chanting the prayers for the dead and other stanzas from their religious texts appropriate to the occasion4 ,the remains are kept for a long time1 sometimes for several years before they are burned4 ,all people are not cremated4 ,if a man has committed suicide1 or died a sudden death1 as by lightning1 cholera1 or small-pox1 he is held to be deficient in merit and not worth burning4 ,such people are buried4 ,it may here be noticed how little wood is really required to burn a body4 ,about two armfuls of fuel will reduce a corpse to ashes4 ,upon the death of a king1 it is the duty of his successor to make preparations for the cremation4 ,the royal burnings take place on an open piece of ground in front of the ,royal ,palace in ,bangkok1 called the ,pramane ,ground4 ,the word ,pramane is the name of the structure erected for the ceremony4 ,a square is marked out on the ground1 with its sides about forty feet long4 ,at the angles of the square are placed four huge pillars of teak about two hundred feet long4 ,these pillars must be straight1 of the finest timber to be found in the kingdom1 and must never have been used in any previous ceremony4 ,they lean towards each other at the top1 forming a truncated pyramid1 and support a pyramidal structure which ends in a tall tapering spire and is profusely decorated with gold-leaf and tinsel4 ,a large fence of newly cut bamboo is erected to enclose the central erection--the pramane4 ,in three sides of the fence1 gates are placed midway4 ,inside the fence there are a number of temporary buildings1 one for the priests1 one for the king and royal family1 and another for specially invited visitors4 ,the king's pavilion is easily distinguishable from the rest by its wealth of crimson drapery and cloth of gold4 ,the floor of the enclosure is covered with a carpet of split bamboos1 which has been specially made for the occasion and may never again be used for a similar purpose4 ,at many points in the fence1 royal seven-tiered umbrellas of cloth of gold reflect the powerful sunlight with dazzling brilliancy4 ,outside the enclosure another set of buildings is provided for the use of the officials1 while over the rest of the ground are scattered theatres1 puppet-shows1 shadow plays and other forms of amusement4 ,under the central pagoda is a royal throne richly draped1 and an eight-sided pyramid which rests upon a firm platform4 ,from the centre of the roof hangs a circular awning1 from which long strips of crape1 white silk1 and cloth of gold are carried to the four corners of the pramane4 ,the eight-sided pyramid is the resting-place of the urn1 and has a special canopy of cloth of gold4 ,floral wreaths and other decorations1 made with marvellous skill and taste1 are displayed in every available spot1 while bits of glass and porcelain adorn the pillars and reflect the light of the sun by day1 and of the torches and lamps by night4 ,after sunset a general illumination of the whole place occurs4 ,it is produced by thousands of torches1 oil lamps and ,chinese lanterns4 ,at dawn1 on the first day of the celebration of the funeral rites1 the corpse is taken in a car to the scene of the ceremonies4 ,the first carriage in the sad procession is occupied by the high priest4 ,as it moves slowly along1 he reads from the ,buddhist scriptures the passages on death1 and fixes his thoughts upon the fleeting nature of this earthly life4 ,the second carriage contains the favourite children of the deceased monarch1 while the third is the funeral car4 ,the high priest holds in his hands1 pressed closely against the sacred book1 one end of a long strip of silver ribbon4 ,the ribbon is carried backwards1 passes through the hands of the children1 and is fastened at the other end to the golden urn which contains the remains4 ,as the priest reads1 holy influences pass from the sacred words through the ribbon to the living bodies of the children and the dead body of their royal father4 ,other carriages follow the funeral car1 one of which contains sticks of fragrant wood1 with gilded ends--the fuel for the burning4 ,another is filled with representations of fabulous animals made in bamboo and covered with tinsel4 ,the head and tail of the funeral procession are formed by the white-robed ,brahmins in their usual conical hats4 ,the throbbing of the death-drums falls upon the ear with a dull regular boom1 boom1 boom4 ,on arriving at the ,pramane1 the urn is placed upon the pagoda1 there to remain for seven days4 ,the silver ribbon is fastened in the middle to the urn1 and at the ends to the east and west sides of the room1 thus indicating the path traversed by the sun in his daily round1 and symbolising the life of man in its passage from the cradle to the grave4 ,the priests assemble in great numbers to recite stanzas bearing upon life and death1 and upon the mysteries of ,nirvana and the hereafter4 ,when their recitations are finished1 they sit for a little while1 with bent heads1 in silent meditation upon the things they have spoken4 ,they retire for a time1 but return a few hours later to repeat their solemn chants4 ,the mourning colour is white1 and every subject must wear it when the sovereign dies4 ,unfortunately black is being gradually substituted for white4 ,it is a very hot and ugly colour to wear in a tropical land4 ,every subject must also shave completely the hair of his head1 and keep his head in this condition of baldness as long as the ,court may command4 ,thousands of priests are on such occasions fed1 and presented with new robes1 and books1 and a crowd of miscellaneous articles1 such as clocks1 boxes of cigars1 trays of betel-nut1 and umbrellas4 ,here and there on the ,pramane ,ground are placed the trees that gratify the desires of men4 ,they have no likeness to any tree at all1 but are hollow wicker baskets on the ends of long poles4 ,tied to the branches are a number of fresh limes1 each of which contains either a small silver coin or a lottery ticket4 ,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 born4 ,they will then produce all kinds of delicious fruit in fabulous quantities4 ,in the evening men go up the wicker 'tree1' pluck off the limes and throw them to the crowd4 ,the greatest excitement prevails1 and the people shriek and shout1 and tumble over each other in their endeavours to obtain one of the coveted souvenirs4 ,a display of fireworks follows the distribution of limes4 ,birds1 water-spouts1 bellowing elephants1 and many other fantastic forms blaze1 fizz1 and explode4 ,when the last spark has disappeared the first sound of orchestral music is heard1 and free open-air theatres1 puppet-shows1 and shadow plays offer their several attractions for the amusement of the people4 ,on the seventh day the urn of gold is taken from under the canopy1 and the copper one removed from it4 ,all the inflammable drapery1 and all articles of any value are carried away to be beyond reach of flame4 ,a pile of fragrant wood and spices is neatly arranged1 and then the urn is placed thereon4 ,a quick-burning fuse or train of gunpowder is laid from the funeral pyre to the king's pavilion4 ,at the proper time1 about sunset usually1 he ignites the fuse with sacred fire from the royal temple4 ,everyone who is permitted1 goes at once to the pramane1 lights a candle1 and lays it in the fire1 thereby increasing the brilliancy and intensity of the fire4 ,great care has to be taken to prevent the whole structure and the surrounding buildings being consumed in a general conflagration4 ,many people are engaged in extinguishing the fire at places where it threatens to exceed its proper limits4 ,in about an hour the cremation of the body is complete1 and the fire is everywhere carefully extinguished4 ,the charred bones are placed in the golden urn once more1 the original pyramid rebuilt1 and the draperies replaced as before4 ,the ashes of the fire are collected1 wrapped up in muslin1 placed on a golden dish1 taken in a procession of state barges some distance down the river1 and there thrown into the waters4 ,for three days after the burning the festivities are kept up1 and general rejoicing prevails amongst the crowd4 ,the charred remains are kept in a room in the palace1 specially set aside for the reception of the royal remains4 ,the timber used in the construction of the pramane or of any of the attendant buildings1 can never be used again for funeral purposes4 ,it is distributed to the priests to be used by them in the erection or repairing of their dwellings4 ,such then is the ceremony that attends the death of a king4 ,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 money4 ,as the king's household is a very large one1 and as a few deaths occur every year1 it would involve a fearful waste of time and money if a separate funeral service were held for each of them in turn4 ,one by one as deaths occur1 the dead bodies are placed in the copper urn1 and this again in the golden one1 until a fairly large number await their cremation4 ,in #ahie a royal funeral ceremony was held that lasted for a week1 several bodies being burnt every day4 ,the illustration1 ,a ,royal ,funeral ,procession1 was made in connection with this particular ceremony4 ,the boxes seen passing through one of the city gates were the coffins of the least honoured or distinguished of the dead4 ,such a cremation1 though performed with great state1 is not nearly so imposing as that connected with the death of a king4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,poor ,,man',s ,,funeral4 ,the poorer classes cannot afford the money to pay for fireworks1 theatres1 and processions1 but they do all that they possibly can to show their respect for the dead1 with becoming ritual4 ,when a man is thought to be nearing his end1 the priests are called to his bedside4 ,they read to the dying man of his future births1 of the blessed ,nirvana1 and endeavour to drive all fear from his mind4 ,when life is extinct they sprinkle the body with water1 and join the relatives in the chorus ,pra ,arahang1 ,pra ,arahang4 ,the body is washed1 and wrapped in a clean cloth1 and money is placed in the mouth4 ,it is then put into an urn1 if the friends can afford to buy one2 but if not1 it rests simply in the coffin4 ,the coffin is an oblong wooden box1 covered outside with wall-paper and tinsel1 and has no lid4 ,food is placed inside1 and very often the body lies face downwards so that the spirit shall not find its way back again4 ,the coffin is removed from the house through a hole in the wall1 and not through the door1 for if the spirit of the deceased should be lingering near1 it might refuse to pass through the doorway into the outer world1 and would then remain to haunt the house and disturb its inhabitants4 ,the coffin is carried round and round the house three or four times1 so as to baffle the spirit that it may not be able to return to its former home4 ,for it must be remembered that these people believe that it takes the soul seven days to reach its final destination1 and there is always the possibility of its being re-called from its onward flight by earthly attractions1 or by non-observance of the ceremonies that should be performed4 ,the bearers next proceed to one of the temples which possesses a public ,pramane or crematorium4 ,after the burning has taken place the bones1 or charred objects that look like bones1 are collected from the ashes1 to be reverentially preserved by the relatives4 ,as they have no gold urns in which to store these relics1 they keep them in common thick glass tumblers of foreign manufacture1 over which they place a pagoda-like covering made of red lacquer and gilded by some native artisan4 ,on very particular occasions these remains are brought out and distributed about the rooms1 perhaps as a reminder to the pleasure-seekers that death is ever with them4 ,those who have died of cholera or by lightning1 and who have consequently been buried1 are dug up a few months later1 and what is left of them committed to the flames4 ,paupers and criminals are disposed of in a barbarous and revolting manner4 ,at one of the city temples a flock of vultures1 numbering over a hundred1 is kept4 ,the vultures are repulsive1 dirty-looking birds who sit stolidly hour by hour upon the roof or walls of the temple1 apparently without life or motion except when a body is brought for their repast4 ,then they become keenly excited at the prospect of the coming feast1 for which1 however1 they must first do battle with the crowd of pariahs that also haunt the vicinity of the same temple4 ,they flock down with noisy croaking and great flapping of wings1 but are beaten off by the attendants1 who first prepare the body for the feast by cutting it open in different places with large sharp knives4 ,they cast a few pieces of flesh to the dogs and then retire4 ,in a second the body is hidden by the birds1 who settle upon it from head to foot4 ,nothing is to be seen but a compact mass of quivering feathers4 ,the vultures gorge themselves with the flesh1 never ceasing as long as anything remains to be consumed1 unless it be to make a vicious grab at the head of some venturesome pariah who dares to interfere with their enjoyment of the feast4 ,it is a sickening spectacle1 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 dwelling4 ,the meal over1 the feathered cannibals return to their perches upon roof and wall4 ,the relatives gather up the clean white bones1 put them loosely in a wooden coffin1 light wax tapers1 and bearing the coffin with them1 march three times round the funeral pyre4 ,they then light the fire1 place the coffin on the burning fuel1 and scatter sweetly smelling incense in the leaping flames4 ,there are two spirits who watch over and take charge of all burning-places4 ,they are familiarly spoken of as the ,grandfather cocoa-nut shell1 and the ,grandmother cocoa-nut shell4 ,to neglect the cremation ceremony would be as fatal to the happiness of the departed soul in its future existence1 as to neglect the shaving of the top-knot would be to the success of a child in this4 ,the soul of the man whose body has not been consumed with fire passes into everlasting and fearful servitude4 ,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 temper4 ,he sits for all time with his feet in the fires of hell1 enjoying the infernal heat1 but as his enjoyment would cease were his extremities to be consumed1 he requires a body of servants to cool them4 ,the souls of the uncremated are his slaves1 and it is their duty to carry through the long years of eternity1 water in open wicker baskets4 ,their way to the wells lies across a long and perilous bridge1 but over it they must pass day by day without end as they perform their thankless task4 ,when the body is burned the soul is liberated from this terrible bondage4 ,there have been times when some frightful epidemic has ravaged the city1 and when the attendants in fear and trembling have left the sick to die alone4 ,then the soldiers have been sent to gather up the dead and cast them into the public graves4 ,when the scourge has spent itself and the minds of the living have become calm again1 the relatives of those who have not been burned begin to reflect upon the awful fate that has overtaken the departed souls4 ,were they to go to the public grave and dig up a body and burn it1 it might not be that of him they seek1 and their efforts would be of no avail4 ,but they free the fettered soul in another manner4 ,they believe that the horrid monster of the nether regions knows all the names both of the living and the dead1 so that if they endeavour to perform any act of propitiation he will know by whom and for whom the deed is done4 ,they obtain the release of the soul by promising to call themselves in this life the relatives of the demon4 ,it is merely a nominal relationship1 but it pleases the fiend with the burning feet1 and in return for the homage thus paid to his power he allows the captured soul to go its way4 ,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 necks1 wrists and ankles4 ,they also make a little cart1 and model two clay oxen which they harness to the tiny shafts4 ,in this they put clay images1 one for each member of the family4 ,round the chief joints of these toy images1 red and yellow strings are fastened by their owners4 ,offerings of flowers and fruit are put in the cart and then it is taken to the rice-fields and deposited in some convenient spot4 ,the cart and its contents are soon destroyed by the birds1 the wind1 and the little field-mice1 but they are never restored4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,order ,,of ,,the ,,yellow ,,robe4 ,lord ,buddha sat the scorching summer through1 ,the driving rains1 the chilly dawns and eves2 ,wearing for all men's sakes the yellow robe1 ,eating in beggar's guise the scanty meal ,chance gathered from the charitable4 ,light of ,asia1 ,book ,v4--,,arnold4 ,among the crowd of brightly dressed people who throng the streets and alleys1 the canals and rivers of ,eastern ,venice1 there are none who so soon command the attention of the new arrival1 or who appeal more strongly to the eye of the oldest inhabitant of the city1 than the yellow-robed priests of the ,buddhist faith4 ,in the capital of ,siam there are over ten thousand of them1 while in the whole kingdom there are more than one hundred thousand4 ,no ancient order of ,grey or ,white ,friars ever exhibited their individuality either with such frequency1 persistency1 or picturesqueness as these representatives of a far more ancient if less noble worship4 ,it is scarcely necessary in these days when ,oriental creeds and faiths have been so fully and widely discussed1 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 ,west4 ,the monk of the ,western orders claims to be an intercessor between ,god and man4 ,the ,buddhists have no ,god1 and therefore they do not make intercession for their brethren4 ,the ,western monk is a teacher and a preacher1 the ,buddhist priest may be1 but is by no means necessarily so4 ,the order rests upon a basis something like this3--,the evil in the world is the result of past evil and will be productive of future evil4 ,the only way to eradicate the general wickedness of the world is by casting it separately out of each individual in the world4 ,this can only be accomplished by the individual himself1 and as long as he remains in contact with the world he is under constant temptation to indulge in its pleasures1 to gratify his passions1 and to add in a thousand ways to the sum of human misery4 ,by retirement he no longer craves for fine food and raiment1 but has every opportunity for long and careful meditation upon his own evil doings and desires1 and upon the way to get rid of them4 ,the monastic institution finds its parallel in the life of a layman1 when such a one1 with a large amount of work to be performed1 shuts himself up in his own room and denies himself friends and rest that his labours may be properly accomplished4 ,there is no real division between priest and layman2 either may become the other at will4 ,in ,siam the monastic vow is not binding for life1 but is cancelled by the superior of the monastery whenever a request to that effect is made4 ,every man in ,siam enters the priesthood for at least three months of his life1 during which time he is supported by the voluntary offerings of the people4 ,the original purity and simplicity of the mendicant order has long been lost4 ,the ,society has often been endowed by kings and chiefs with gold and silver2 idleness and worthlessness are too often the characteristics of the temporary priests4 ,still1 there are a few who desire to live the noble life of their ,founder and to follow faithfully in his paths of wisdom and virtue4 ,for years they have been the schoolmasters and the doctors1 and the copiers and makers of books4 ,they are known in ,siamese as ,pra1 a word which means both sacred and great4 ,each monk has eight requisite and lawful possessions2 namely1 three robes of yellow cloth which are all worn at the same time2 a bowl for the collection of the daily food2 a razor with which to shave the head and eyebrows2 a case of needles for the repairing of clothes2 a girdle2 and a filtering cloth4 ,but the ,siamese monks often have many possessions besides these4 ,there is a rule that all other property except the above shall be given up to the common use of the monastery1 but the rule is not obeyed4 ,the three patched yellow robes are often represented by seven or more2 and in the wealthier monasteries they are not of common cloth1 but of rich and beautiful silk4 ,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 countries4 ,in these degenerate times the monks desire that ornament in dress which their religion forbids1 and they render themselves very artistic in appearance by a combination of colours not strictly yellow1 but ranging from a rich chocolate through shades of saffron1 gold and orange to the palest tints of the orthodox colour4 ,the following note from ,alabaster's ,wheel of the ,law is an interesting comment upon the priestly robes3 ,i cannot state with any certainty the reason yellow robes were adopted by the ,buddhists4 ,there is a story that thieves wore yellow dresses1 and that the poor ascetics1 in the depth of their humility1 imitated the thieves4 ,it is far more probable that the people of the lowest caste1 or outcasts1 were compelled to wear yellow1 and that the ,buddhists1 voluntarily making themselves outcasts1 proudly adopted the colour which marked their act4 ,we find them boasting of the yellow robe as the flag of victory of the saints4 ,in the early days of ,buddhism the monks wore whatever they could get4 ,some picked up and patched together the rags strewn about the cemeteries1 whilst others are mentioned as magnificently attired in glittering royal vestments1 and in the precious dresses procured by kings for the ladies of the harems1 which the ladies piously gave away4 ,each priest also possesses a large fan4 ,it is intended to assist him in keeping his eyes from the things of the world1 and so to keep his thoughts from straying as he walks along the streets4 ,a priest is forbidden to look more than a plough's length in front of him1 and must keep his eyes fixed upon the ground2 but the ,siamese monk who obeys this rule must be diligently sought for in out of the way corners4 ,the fan is generally carried by a boy attendant1 who holds it so as to screen the priest's head from the sun1 while his eyes roam at will1 seeking for novelty and amusement4 ,illustration3 ,,priest ,,and ,,attendant4 ,all those who wear the yellow robe are not men4 ,many children can daily be seen with shaven heads and eyebrows1 dressed in the priestly garments4 ,these are novices or nanes1 not fully ordained monks4 ,they are not admitted before they are eight years old1 and1 unless their parents intend them to remain in the monasteries for life1 they wait until the top-knot has been shaved off before entering into the service of the temple1 so that their average age is about thirteen4 ,after a time they leave the temple1 return to the world1 and get married4 ,but about the age of twenty or twenty-one they must re-enter the priesthood1 for in early manhood every male1 including the king himself1 must seek full ordination4 ,the nane during his noviciate has only about ten rules to observe1 whereas the fully ordained priest has to obey over two hundred4 ,the ceremony of ordination if respectfully and devoutly performed would be a very impressive one1 but as at present carried out1 the only persons in the temple who are at all reverent are the priests themselves4 ,the behaviour of the congregation is marked by indifference and often by extreme levity4 ,when an applicant desires admission to the priesthood he signifies his request sometime beforehand to the president of the chapter1 who then appoints a day for him to be formally received4 ,the applicant arrives at the temple with a host of relatives and friends dressed as for a holiday4 ,he is clothed in white1 and over his ordinary garments he wears a mantle of gauze decorated with gold and silver spangles4 ,a procession is formed1 and to the sound of a band that plays in the open air1 he and his male friends march three times round the outside of the temple4 ,he next enters the building and sits down on the floor in a place reserved for him4 ,the women of the party sit on one side of the temple and the men on the other4 ,they all chew betel-nut1 and the men smoke1 while all refresh their thirst from the numerous tea-pots that circulate round and round the congregation4 ,at the far end of the building the priests are arranged in two or more rows1 facing each other1 with the president at their head4 ,one of the friends of the candidate who has already been ordained1 leads him to the superior1 saying1 ,i present this person who wishes to become a priest4 ,the applicant prostrates himself before the president three times1 with his hands pressed against his forehead1 palm to palm1 and says1 ,venerable president1 ,i own you as my ordainer4 ,the president fastens the bundle of robes round his neck1 and he goes to the entrance of the temple1 where two friends who are members of the chapter1 fasten the begging bowl round his neck4 ,the three men then return to the altar and bow4 ,the candidate retires a little way1 and kneels in reverential attitude while he answers several questions4 ,a private examination has previously taken place4 ,the president now reminds him that he is expected to give truthful replies to the questions put to him1 and then puts him publicly through the following catechism4 ,are you free from consumption1 fits1 leprosy1 or any contagious disease8 ,i am free4 ,have you ever been bewitched or in the power of the magicians8 ,never4 ,are you in the full possession of all your mental faculties8 ,i am4 ,are you of the male sex8 ,i am4 ,are you in debt8 ,i am not4 7,many people endeavour to enter the priesthood in order to avoid payment of their debts47 ,are you a slave or a fugitive8 ,i am not4 7,those drawn for conscription often seek admission1 as the forced military service is very unpopular47 ,do your parents give their consent to the step you are now about to take8 ,they consent4 ,are you over twenty years of age8 ,i am4 ,have you the requisite utensils and garments8 ,i have4 ,then come forward4 ,the candidate goes forward on hands and knees1 and with palm-joined hands salutes the president three times1 saying1 ,o father benefactor1 ,i pray to be admitted to the sacred dignity of the priesthood4 ,take pity on me and raise me from the lowly condition of the laity to the perfect condition of the priesthood4 ,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 granted4 ,if none of them state any objection1 the president signifies his willingness to admit the candidate to full ordination4 ,the name1 age1 and address of the applicant are now written down in the records of the monastery1 after which he goes to one side of the temple to be robed4 ,he takes off the clothes he has been wearing and puts on his new garments in full view of the whole congregation4 ,this is not at all an easy matter1 and he is always assisted by some friend who has previously gone through the same ordeal4 ,if the friend gets the robes entangled1 as he frequently does1 the congregation laughs immoderately at the uncomfortable dilemma in which the candidate is placed4 ,the difficulty is solved by some kindly-disposed priest1 who leaves his place and comes to assist in the robing4 ,with fan in hand and the alms-bowl slung over the shoulder1 the wearer of the yellow robe kneels once more before the superior1 saying3-- ,i go for refuge to the ,buddha4 ,i go for refuge to the ,law4 ,i go for refuge to the ,order4 ,he follows this by taking ten vows3-- #a ,i take the vow not to destroy life4 #b ,i take the vow not to steal4 #c ,i take the vow to abstain from impurity4 #d ,i take the vow not to lie4 #e ,i take the vow to abstain from intoxicating drinks1 which hinder progress and virtue4 #f ,i take the vow not to eat at forbidden times4 #g ,i take the vow to abstain from dancing1 singing1 music1 and stage-plays4 #h ,i take the vow not to use garlands1 scents1 unguents1 or ornaments4 #i ,i take the vow not to use a broad or high bed4 #aj ,i take the vow not to receive gold or silver4 ,then the president says to him1 ,you are now received into the brotherhood4 ,i will therefore instruct you what duties you are to perform and what sins you are to avoid4 ,you will daily collect alms and will never put off your yellow robes4 ,you must dwell continually in a monastery and never with the laity1 and you must forsake all carnal pleasures1 and so on4 ,the ceremony concludes with the paying of homage to the newly made priest4 ,he sits on the floor1 and then all present who are acquainted with him come1 one by one1 and prostrate themselves to the ground before him1 at the same time giving him some present4 ,if he has many friends1 the floor of the temple round him is soon covered with about as motley an assortment of articles as it is possible to gather4 ,there are robes1 incense sticks1 books1 pens and ink1 pencils1 cigars1 tobacco1 betel-nut1 clocks1 vases of wax flowers1 umbrellas1 fans1 flowers1 fruit and cakes4 ,when all the presents have been given and the congregation have paid their respects to the new monk1 they go to their homes1 and he at once takes up his residence in the cell allotted him4 ,as long as he remains at the monastery he must obey orders and regard the superior as a second father4 ,the monks are not allowed to take food after noon4 ,they may drink tea1 chew betel-nut1 or smoke tobacco1 but they must not partake of solid food of any description4 ,this rule is certainly far more rigidly observed than most of those that are laid down to regulate the conduct of the order4 ,one of the commonest sights in any part of ,siam is the procession of priests1 soon after sunrise1 seeking their daily bread4 ,they carry a bowl1 basin or bag1 and go straight on from house to house1 each in the district appointed him4 ,they stand outside the houses1 but make no request for alms4 ,if anything is given to them they bless the giver2 if they receive nothing they pass silently on their way4 ,having collected their food1 they return to the monastery to eat1 and to meditate meanwhile upon the perishableness of the body4 ,on such occasions as weddings1 hair-cuttings1 and funerals1 wealthy laymen entertain the priests at their own houses1 and send them away afterwards with further gifts of food4 ,buddha's early life as a mendicant was passed in the forest1 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 order4 ,but as he afterwards found that he could be more useful to men by living amongst them1 he permitted his disciples to live in companies in different places4 ,the charity of the pious soon provided them with temples and monasteries1 some of which were built even in his own time4 ,during the whole of the dry weather the monks travel from place to place1 but in the rainy season1 which is the ,buddhist ,lent1 they settle down in some particular monastery4 ,they are not allowed to sleep outside the temple they have chosen for their habitation during this period of retirement1 except for some very important reason1 and then only with the direct sanction of the superior4 ,as at this time the jungle is flooded1 and malaria common1 there is much wisdom in the rule that forbids travelling about until the dry weather comes again4 ,the priests1 during ,lent1 preach to the people1 who come in large numbers to listen1 and to bring offerings4 ,it is a very busy religious season as far as outward appearances are concerned1 but the apparent indifference of the majority of the worshippers raises a doubt as to whether these observances possess any moral influence upon their lives4 ,the catalogue of the sins which the priests may not commit is a lengthy one and is religiously neglected4 ,for instance1 it is a sin to inhale flowers1 to sit or sleep more than twelve inches above the ground1 to break up the soil1 to listen to music1 to sing1 to dance1 to use perfumes1 to sit or sleep in a higher position than the superior1 to use gold or silver1 to hold conversation on any but religious topics1 to take gifts from or give gifts to a woman1 to borrow1 to ask for alms1 to possess warlike weapons1 to eat too much1 to sleep too long1 to take part in any sports or games1 to judge one's neighbours1 to swing the arms when walking1 to bake bricks1 to burn wood1 to wink1 to stretch out the legs when sitting1 to look contemptuously at any one or anything1 to buy1 to sell1 to slobber or make a noise when eating1 to have any hair anywhere about the head or face1 to keep the leavings of meals1 to have many robes1 to meddle with royal affairs except in so far as they concern religion1 to cook rice1 to ride on an elephant1 to put flowers in the ears1 to wear shoes1 to love one man more than another1 to eat seeds1 to sleep after meals1 to make remarks about the alms given to them1 to wear any colour but yellow1 to pander to popular taste when preaching sermons1 to wash in the dark1 to destroy either animal or vegetable life1 and to whistle4 ,there are five sins that will certainly lead to everlasting punishment1 whether committed by a priest or layman1 viz41 to murder one's father1 to murder one's mother1 to murder a priest1 to treat the words or temples of ,buddha with contempt1 expressed as to wound ,buddha's foot so as to make it bleed1 and to persuade priests to act falsely4 ,members are expelled from the order on commission of the following sins3--,sexual intercourse1 theft1 and murder4 ,after such expulsions they can never be re-admitted4 ,confessions of sin are made twice a month1 at full and new moon1 when the chapter meets to listen to the reading of the rules of the order4 ,there is no inquisition2 confession is purely voluntary4 ,slight punishments1 such as sweeping the courtyard1 or sprinkling dust round the holy ,bo-tree follow the acknowledgment of slight breaches of duty4 ,serious offences are tried in the ecclesiastical courts1 for the priestly body is not amenable to the ordinary laws of the land4 ,in these courts1 presided over by the chief priest1 no oath is taken4 ,an ordinary affirmation or negative answer to any question is given in silence by the raising and lowering of a fan4 ,if the defendant is found guilty he is unfrocked1 publicly flogged1 and then expelled from the order4 ,illustration3 ,,offering ,,rice ,,to ,,the ,,priests4 ,the priest must rise before daylight1 wash himself1 sweep the room in which he lives1 sweep round the ,bo-tree1 fetch the drinking water for the day1 filter it to prevent killing any creatures it may contain when drinking it4 ,these practical offices concluded1 he is supposed to retire to a solitary place and there fix his mind in pious meditation upon the rules that regulate his daily life4 ,he rises to place offerings of flowers before the sacred image1 the sacred dome-shaped shrine or the ,bo-tree1 thinking the whole time of the great contrast between his own weaknesses and ,buddha's virtues4 ,the next portion of the daily routine is strictly and regularly followed4 ,he takes the begging-bowl1 follows his superior1 collects his food1 returns1 eats his meal1 asks a blessing for the donor1 performs little duties for his superior1 and washes the alms-bowls4 ,for the next hour he should again meditate upon the kindness of ,buddha1 and then study the sacred books4 ,at sunset he sweeps the holy place1 lights the lamps1 and listens to the teaching of the superior4 ,as the novices do all the manual work1 the superior is expected to devote himself more fully to study and meditation4 ,many of the chief priests of the different temples are profound ,sanscrit and ,pali scholars4 ,the minute routine set forth in the ecclesiastical books is rarely followed in ,siam4 ,priests walk about after sunset1 and return late to the temples1 their attendants lighting the way with torches4 ,the time they give to meditation and worship is far short of that prescribed in the rules1 and they are always ready to turn out for a chat with any visitor to their temple4 ,meditation is the ,buddhist substitute for prayer4 ,there are five distinct classes of meditation4,h #a4--,meditation on love4 ,the priest must think of the future happiness which awaits him when he has rid himself of all evil desires4 ,this leads him to desire the same happiness for all his friends2 and finally for his foes4 ,he meditates upon the good actions of his enemies1 forgets their evil deeds1 and endeavours to arouse in himself a wide-spreading1 all-embracing1 overshadowing love for all the world1 which shall enable him to look with tenderness and affection upon all with whom he comes into contact4 #b4--,meditation on ,pity4 ,he concentrates his thoughts upon the miseries and sorrows of the world1 and awakens the sentiment of pity in his own breast for all the distressed ones among his fellow-men4 #c4--,meditation on ,joy4 ,he is to change the attitude of his mind to one of contemplation of the joys of all men1 and therein to find cause for rejoicing himself4 #d4--,meditation on ,impurity4 ,he must try to realise the evils of sickness1 death1 and corruption1 to become horrified at the endless misery entailed by the continual recurrence of birth and death1 and to desire its final extinction4 #e4--,meditation on ,serenity4 ,the priest contemplates the worldly opinions of men as to the badness and goodness of things2 the desire for wealth and power2 the hatred of injustice and oppression2 he contrasts youth and disease1 love and treachery1 honour and disgrace1 and endeavours so to rise above them all1 that without haughtiness or pride he may be indifferent to all the evils and joys which accompany them1 and free from all desires to partake of the same4 ,this is not the place to discuss the philosophy of ,buddha1 as we are here concerned only with the mendicant order in ,siam4 ,but in order to gain a more complete idea of the duties and character of the monastic body as contemplated by their founder1 the following facts taken from ,professor ,rhys ,davids's work on ,buddhism are here given4 ,buddha before his death told his disciples that they were to propagate his ,laws1 viz41 7#a7 ,the four earnest meditations4 7#b7 ,the four great ,efforts4 7#c7 ,the four roads to ,iddhi4 7#d7 ,the five moral ,powers4 7#e7 ,the seven kinds of ,wisdom2 and 7#f7 ,the ,noble ,eightfold ,path4 ,the four earnest ,meditations are3 7#a7 ,on the impurity of the body2 7#b7 on the evils which arise from sensation2 7#c7 on the impermanence of ideas2 7#d7 on the conditions of existence4 ,the four great ,efforts are--the exertion 7#a7 to prevent bad qualities from arising2 7#b7 to put away bad qualities which have arisen2 7#c7 to produce goodness not previously existing2 7#d7 to increase goodness where it does exist4 ,the four roads to ,iddhi are the four bases of ,saintship by which it is obtained4 ,they are3 7#a7 the will to acquire it2 7#b7 the necessary exertion2 7#c7 the necessary preparation of the heart2 7#d7 investigation4 ,the five moral ,powers are--,faith1 ,energy1 ,recollection1 ,contemplation1 ,intuition4 ,the seven kinds of ,wisdom are--,energy1 ,recollection1 ,contemplation1 ,investigation of ,scripture1 ,joy1 ,repose and ,serenity4 ,the noble ,eightfold ,path which leads to ,nirvana comprises3 7#a7 ,right belief2 7#b7 ,right aims2 7#c7 ,right words2 7#d7 ,right behaviour2 7#e7 ,right mode of livelihood2 7#f7 ,right exertion2 7#g7 ,right mindfulness2 7#h7 ,right meditation and tranquillity4 ,all these different ,powers1 ,laws1 etc41 are again subdivided and re-subdivided2 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 lives1 but to which every true believer in ,buddhism is expected to conform4 ,practically1 however1 these counsels are so many obsolete laws1 long since dead and forgotten4 ,outside the permanent priests and a few students1 the vast majority of the people know nothing whatever about the system1 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 remaining1 the people would stare in wonder at their new teachers and ask one another what strange doctrines were these that were being preached unto them4 ,buddha's own sermons as to the duties of the priesthood are worth a moment's notice1 though the priests as a rule have never heard them1 or heard them with indifferent ears4 ,the following passages are quoted from the book mentioned above1 and are translations of passages in those sermons whose authenticity is established4 ,he who1 himself not stainless1 ,would wrap the yellow-stained robe around him1 ,he1 devoid of self-control and honesty ,is unworthy of the yellow robe4 ,but he who1 cleansed from stains1 ,is well grounded in the ,precepts1 ,and full of honesty and self-restraint ',tis he who's worthy of the yellow robe4 ,the restrained in hand1 restrained in foot1 ,restrained in speech1 the best of self-controlled2 ,he whose delight is inward1 who is tranquil ,and happy when alone--him they call mendicant4 ,the mendicant who controls his tongue1 speaking ,wisely1 and is not puffed up1 ,who throws light on worldly and on ,heavenly things1 ,his word is sweet4 ,let his livelihood be kindliness1 ,his conduct righteousness1 ,then1 in the fulness of gladness1 ,he will make an end of grief4 ,as the ,vassika plant casts down its withered blossoms ,so cast out utterly1 ,o mendicants1 ill-will and lust4 ,do no violence to a ,brahman1 ,but neither let him fly at his aggressor4 ,woe to him who strikes a ,brahman2 ,more woe to him who strikes the striker4 ,what is the use of plaited hair1 ,o fool6 ,what of a garment of skins8 ,your low yearnings are within you1 ,and the outside thou makest clean4 ,a mendicant1 who is fond of disputes1 is walled in by ignorance1 and understands neither religion nor the law of ,gautama4 ,a mendicant having received in right time1 his meal1 returning alone1 should sit in private1 reflecting within himself2 he should not spread out his mind2 his mind should be well controlled4 ,should he speak with a follower of the ,buddha or another mendicant1 he should speak of the excellent ,law1 and not backbite or speak ill of another4 ,some fortify themselves for controversy4 ,we praise not those small-minded persons4 ,temptations from this source and that are made to cling to them1 and they certainly send their minds very far away when they engage in controversy4 ,the mendicant that ,gautama had in his mind when he uttered the above passages1 may be as easily discovered amongst the thousands that wear the yellow robe to-day1 as a needle in a mountain of hay4 ,after a short interval the priests put off their robes and return to the world4 ,if they are wanted for corve or conscription they stay an indefinite period in their safe retreat4 ,the yellow robes are never taken away1 but are given by him who is leaving them1 to one of the inmates of the same monastery4 ,if a priest is thought to be dying the robes are taken from him1 for they must not be contaminated with death4 ,they are afterwards hung on the sacred ,bo-tree1 but never burned4 ,anyone who has once been a priest1 but has returned to a secular life1 may re-enter the priesthood whenever he chooses1 but he must be again formally presented and ordained4 ,in the vicinity of several temples women with shaven heads and white dresses are sometimes seen4 ,they are not always mourners for the dead1 but belong to an order of nuns4 ,the first nun was ,buddha's foster-mother1 who after the death of his father1 wished to be ordained4 ,buddha at first refused to comply with her wishes1 but on the intercession of his favourite disciple1 ,ananda1 he granted the request4 ,ananda's wife1 a half-sister of ,buddha1 was also subsequently ordained as a nun4 ,the order of nuns does not appear to have been at any time half as flourishing as that of the monks4 ,nuns in ,siam are very old widows4 ,they do no teaching1 sewing1 or work of any description4 ,to them the temple is a form of alms-house where they will be lodged and fed as long as they live4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,among ,,the ,,temples4 ,every single town and village of ,siam is crowded with temples1 or wats1 as they are locally called4 ,compared with similar religious institutions in ,england1 their number seems to be out of all proportion to the number of the population4 ,their variety of size and method of decoration1 as well as their number1 is sufficiently conspicuous to make even the most casual observer enquire why they abound to such an extent4 ,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 ,buddha1 but rather in a very prevalent1 but degraded form of one of the tenets of an originally pure doctrine4 ,for though it is usually stated that five hundred millions of people are believers in1 and followers of ,the ,light of ,asia1 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 ,sunday1 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 not4 ,ask any person you meet a few questions about the sage who propounded the faith that they are supposed to hold1 and it will be speedily discovered that even those who are most assiduous in their attendance at the temple1 and who are most charitable in the offerings they give to their priests1 know little of the life and less of the teachings of him whom they apparently worship4 ,it will be at once evident to the readers of the foregoing chapters of this book1 that the people whose customs are here treated of1 though nominally ,buddhists1 and classed en masse as such in ,western calculations of the number of those who worship the great ,indian teacher of old1 are guided in their daily lives1 not by the principles of an old world faith1 but rather by a number of powerful superstitions gathered at different times from the different nations by whom they are surrounded1 or with whom they have come into close contact1 which superstitions have little if anything to do with ,buddhism4 ,it is not possible to call them ,buddhists at all1 if the term is to be used as comparable to the term ,christian as applied to the believers in ,christ in ,western lands4 ,the great moral precepts of their religion are not taught to them1 are unknown to them1 and it is very questionable if the ,sanskrit words for benevolence1 gratitude1 charity1 and kindred virtues have any parallel in the ordinary everyday vocabulary of the people4 ,even if such words do exist1 they are only understood by the learned few1 and would be as utterly incomprehensible to the great mass of the people as ,greek and ,latin4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,village ,,temple4 ,page #bha4 ,temples then1 not being required as houses of continual or devout worship1 why do they abound1 not only in the capital1 but in every village1 and on the banks of every river and canal throughout the length and breadth of the whole kingdom8 ,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 existence1 they must among other things follow the religion which teaches alms-giving4 ,make merit4 ,that is the sum and substance of their religious faith and worship4 ,as every reader of ,buddhism knows1 the soul is said to pass through many stages of existence before it reaches the mysterious region of ,nirvana1 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 ,buddhahood4 ,at death1 the merit and demerit of the soul are balanced1 and the next condition of the wandering soul determined according to a system of debit and credit4 ,the wicked king may be re-born as a slave or even pass into the body of a toad4 ,the soul of a slave may be re-born in one of royal degree or may even ascend to an habitation in the celestial spheres4 ,hence it behoves every living being during this life upon earth to make as much merit as it possibly can1 and as the custom of alms-giving is held to be a very profitable method of investment for the future1 it is widely practised by king and peasant alike1 each giving to the priests or to those of his fellow-men who may be in distress1 according to the abundance of his possession of this world's goods4 ,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 souls1 has been lost to all except the few1 and a mere superstition reigns in its stead4 ,an ,english resident in ,siam had a servant who frequently absented himself from his duties4 ,on each occasion1 when questioned by his master as to the cause of his absence1 he replied1 ,please1 sir1 ,i went to make merit4 ,said the ,englishman1 perhaps a little too irreverently1 ,at the rate you are making merit1 ,i should think you would be an archangel when you die4--,ah no1 replied the servant1 ,i don't want to be an angel4 ,i don't want to get to ,nirvana4 ,i shouldn't like to make enough merit to get to ,nirvana2 ,i only want to make just enough merit to be born back again into this world as a royal prince1 with lots of money1 plenty of wives and heaps of fun4 ,merit is made in many other ways besides alms-giving and feeding the priests4 ,a woman who was robbed devoted the lost money to merit-making1 and gave it charitably away4 ,even the scattering of limes containing lottery tickets at important cremations and public ceremonies is considered merit-making4 ,tradition relates that when ,buddha was being sorely tempted by the evil ,mara1 he appealed to the fiend to answer whether or not1 he1 the tempted one1 had not in his lifetime on earth been conspicuous for generous alms-giving1 and the world made affirmative answer for him by a gigantic earthquake4 ,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 him4 ,even their reluctance to kill any living thing is merely another form of the same belief4 ,that it is wrong to destroy the life of anything1 be it that of a seed or that of a snake1 for the reasons taught by ,buddha1 they do not seem to know4 ,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 future1 and so they abstain from killing1 though they will readily eat what others have destroyed4 ,they justify their fishing operations by saying that they do not kill the fish1 but that they only pull them out of the water1 after which they die a natural death4 ,illustration3 ,,sala ,,in ,a ,,jungle ,,clearing4 ,page #bhf4 ,now one of the most ostentatious ways of purchasing future happiness is the building of a wat4 ,there the priests will find a home2 there the people may adorn the images1 make frequent offerings to ,buddha1 and engage in other meritorious works2 there the children may be taught to read and write2 and there all men may see a lasting evidence of the wealth and devotion of the builders4 ,and so temples were built year by year without ceasing1 until there are hundreds more than would be wanted even if every man1 woman1 and child in the land were regular worshippers4 ,time lays its heavy hand upon these perishable structures and works their ruin4 ,seeds sprout in nooks and crevices and their growing roots burst open the walls and roofs4 ,the torrent rains lend their powerful aid in the work of destruction1 and in the course of the builder's lifetime the sacred building may become a ruin4 ,but until quite lately1 these wats were never repaired2 they were built and left to crumble4 ,the continued erection of temples has been suspended during late years1 partly owing to the influence of the king1 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 one4 ,the word wat1 or temple1 includes many structures4 ,they frequently stand in extensive grounds1 shaded by giant banyans1 and surrounded by strong1 well-built walls or fences4 ,they are refuges for destitute animals as well as for men seeking retirement4 ,the litter of pariah puppies that must not be destroyed1 although not wanted1 is deposited inside the temple grounds1 there to be fed on the scraps that remain when the monks have finished their midday meal4 ,the central building or church where the idols are kept1 the prayers recited1 and the priests ordained1 is called the bote4 ,round about it are the houses or cells inhabited by the monks4 ,these may be of wood or stone1 of an orthodox cell-like pattern1 or they may be ordinary native houses specially erected in the precincts of the bote for the accommodation of the priests4 ,they should possess no furniture1 and rarely do so4 ,all temples may be divided into two classes1 called respectively ,wat ,luang and ,wat ,ratsadon4 ,the first are endowed and dedicated by royalty1 while the second class comprises all others4 ,the land on which these buildings are erected becomes for ever the property of the chapter1 and cannot be taken away by law1 or sold1 or in any way disposed of for secular purposes4 ,the central buildings are chiefly of a uniform oblong shape1 and are built of wood1 brick1 or stone1 the outer walls being washed or painted white4 ,a colonnade runs round the outside1 supported by strong1 square pillars of teak-wood1 that lean inwards from the base to the roof4 ,the roof may be built in one1 two or three tiers1 but is always covered with differently coloured tiles arranged in symmetrical patterns4 ,gold-leaf is lavishly used in the ornamentation of the gabled ends of the roof1 and a new temple1 with the mid-day sun shining full upon it1 presents a very brilliant appearance1 especially when seen through the bright green foliage around it4 ,the walls are pierced by a number of windows which are closed by strong teak shutters4 ,the doors of the poorer temples are of plain1 unvarnished1 undecorated teak1 and though solid1 are not handsome4 ,in the wealthier wats the decoration of doors and windows is often very beautiful4 ,the doors are either ornamented with very intricate designs worked in gold upon a black background1 or with scenes in the life of ,buddha worked in mother-of-pearl upon a foundation of shining black lacquer4 ,the interiors of the numerous botes are variously adorned4 ,there may be only dirty walls1 or brilliant mosaics1 elaborate designs or painted pictures4 ,some of the pictures are extremely funny4 ,in one of the temples in the capital1 the artist who has been entrusted with the internal decorations has mixed together in ludicrous confusion1 scenes from the life of ,buddha1 events in ,hindoo mythology1 and rough reproductions of old ,european drawings4 ,he has placed a number of ,european ladies and gentlemen of the time of ,louis ,,xiv1 on the side of a hill1 where they are enjoying themselves with dance and song4 ,it is a rural picnic4 ,under the hill is a railway tunnel with a train about to enter1 and on the summit is ,buddha in a contemplative attitude brooding over the whole1 but owing to the faulty perspective of the drawing1 it is impossible to state whether ,buddha is contemplating the scene of merriment1 or brooding over the curious handiwork of the designer4 ,one image of ,buddha in a sitting posture occupies the place of honour at the far end of the temple1 facing the door4 ,the number of smaller images varies considerably from half a dozen to several hundreds4 ,in one of the temples in the old capital of ,ayuthia there are over twenty thousand4 ,they are covered all over with gold-leaf1 and the eyes of the larger ones are made of mother-of-pearl4 ,some of the most barbarous laws in the ,siamese civil code relate to the profanation of idols4 ,they are never enforced now1 and any need for them must at any time have been very small4 ,section #dh of the above code is3 ,if a thief steal an image of ,buddha1 and use various devices for removing its ornaments1 such as washing or smelting1 let him be put into a furnace and be treated in exactly the same way as he treated the image1 and thus pay for his wickedness4 ,section #di says1 ,if any thief strip a ,buddha image of its gold or gilding1 let him be taken to a public square and a red-hot iron rubbed over him till he is stripped of his skin1 as he stripped the image of its gold1 and thus pay for his crime4 ,if a thief scratch the gold from a ,buddha image1 pagoda1 or temple1 or sacred tree1 let his fingers be cut off4 ,heaped round the altar are the offerings of the merit-makers1--old bottles1 ,birmingham-made vases1 clocks1 china1 saucers1 joss-sticks1 looking-glasses1 bits of coloured glass1 and many other articles of equally trivial value4 ,in addition to these things for the adornment of the altar or the use of the temple1 the priests also receive food1 clothes1 money1 mosquito netting1 boats and small pieces of native furniture4 ,after a big alms-giving day the interior of the sacred pile looks something like an auction room awaiting the commencement of a sale4 ,the ,prachadee is a conspicuous feature of all ecclesiastical architecture4 ,it is a brick or stone monument1 round at the base1 but tapering to a long thin spire at the top1 as shown in several of the illustrations in this book4 ,it represents the primitive tope or relic mound1 and covers either a relic or an image of ,buddha4 ,when a genuine relic cannot be obtained1 an imitation of one answers the same purpose4 ,around the bote1 the most holy of all the buildings1 are placed eight stones1 one at each of the eight chief points of the compass4 ,they are called bai sema1 and are cut in the shape of the leaf of the ficus religiosa or ,bo-tree4 ,they mark out the boundaries of the consecrated part of the wat4 ,they are erected when the temple is first consecrated4 ,eight round smooth stones are first buried a little way below the ground1 together with the relic or image4 ,holy water is sprinkled over them1 and across the boundary thus formed the spirits of evil intent have not the courage to intrude4 ,small1 solid1 cubical platforms of brick are built over the stones1 and on the platforms are placed the gilded or painted stone representations of the sacred leaf4 ,these again are covered with a canopy of stone cut in a similar shape1 and often elaborately carved or inlaid with mosaics4 ,every monastery has its bell-tower1 whose chimes call the priests to prayers1 tell when the sun has crossed its mid-day path1 and toll the knell of parting day4 ,the towers are of wood and have three stories1 in each of which is placed one bell4 ,the bells are painted pale blue1 and ornamented with broad plain bands of gold-leaf1 which run round the rim1 and also divide the surface into four equal segments4 ,they are remarkable for their purity of tone1 and are not to be equalled by the bells usually found in ,western churches4 ,the tone is soft and sweet1 and at the same time so penetrating that it can be heard for long distances4 ,the bells are not rung1 but are beaten4 ,the first few strokes are given slowly and gently1 then they gradually increase in rapidity and force1 till the bell resounds under a torrent of blows1 the tone becoming louder and louder1 but never jarring or discordant4 ,not only at every temple1 but in many secluded spots at the entrances to lonely canals1 and on the edges of the distant jungle1 rest-houses are built for the use of wanderers4 ,they are called salas1 and to build a sala is a work of merit4 ,as the erection of one of these rest-houses involves less expense than the building of a temple1 they are therefore even more abundant than the temples4 ,they consist simply of a wooden platform raised a few feet above the ground by strong posts4 ,several pillars round the sides of the platform support a thatched or tiled roof4 ,there are no walls and no rooms4 ,here the traveller1 be he native or foreigner1 may hold a picnic1 may eat1 rest1 and sleep without expense or interruption4 ,madmen and lunatics choose the rest-houses near the temples as places where they can live quietly without fear of molestation4 ,the description given above would apply to the majority of ,siamese temples4 ,but it is worth our while to look in detail at a few of the more noted temples in the capital4 ,the royal temple1 ,wat ,prakow1 stands within the circumference of the outer wall that surrounds the palace and the government offices1 and on account of the part it plays in important ,state ceremonies1 and because it is the king's own place of worship1 it is far more elaborate than any of the other temples of the country4 ,at this temple the water of allegiance is taken and the oath of allegiance is sworn1 and in the same building was held the requiem service for the late ,crown ,prince4 ,a central prachadee stands in the courtyard of the temple1 surrounded by many similar structures of lesser height and beauty4 ,the large one in the centre towers high above all the surrounding buildings1 and is said to be covered with plates of gold4 ,it certainly looks like a solid mass of that precious metal1 and at sunrise and sunset when it catches the roseate hues of the rising or the setting sun1 its golden surface can be seen from afar1 shining and glittering like a second sun itself1 above the coloured roofs of the temples and the white or many-tinted spires that are associated with it4 ,the smaller relic mounds are covered with mosaics of glass and enamel roughly set in plaster4 ,the bits of glass and enamel are not laid in the plaster so as to form a level surface1 but here and there they stand out in tiny rosettes1 branches and flowers1 and fruit and animals4 ,at a distance the rude character of the workmanship is totally hidden1 the tawdry appearance of the material is completely lost1 and as the uneven surfaces reflect the brilliant light of the sun1 the spire-capped shrines form a series of glittering satellites around the central spire of gold4 ,from the temple courtyard the roof of the large and imposing modern palace can be seen4 ,in the centre1 and at either end of the triple-coloured roof1 is one of those crown-shaped spires so common in all state and ecclesiastical buildings in ,siam4 ,it has been stated that upon a nearer approach to the magnificent spectacle of ,wat ,prakow1 so dazzling is the effect that it is hard to convince yourself that you are not actually standing before buildings set with precious stones4 ,now this is not by any means true4 ,the temples of ,buddha in ,siam are like ,buddhism itself1 seen to the greatest advantage when distance has lent its proverbial enchantment4 ,even as the moral teaching of the great philosopher when viewed through the spectacles of ,western professors1 is a very different creed to that followed by the people1 so the temples when seen through the golden mist of early morning from a distant point of view1 are brilliant and beautiful beyond description1 though on a nearer view1 the perishable and paltry character of the material of which they are constructed destroys the appearance of magnificence1 leaving1 however1 in the place of earlier impressions1 a feeling of wonder at the marvellous skill of the people who can produce such striking effects from such tawdry material4 ,near to the gilded prachadee is the actual bote used by the king1 surmounted by a similar spire1 which is overlaid with sapphire-coloured plates of glass and porcelain2 while a little distance away stands the larger temple1 set in parts with mosaics of emerald green upon a gilt background4 ,there are several smaller spires of ruby red1 bright yellow1 or snowy white1 standing amongst this mass1 whose tapering summits are exceedingly slender and graceful in form1 though the raised flowers and decorations that surround their bases are made of nothing but common porcelain and glass4 ,one really valuable prachadee is constructed of pure white marble1 and stands upon a heavy base supported by seven elephants cast in bronze4 ,in various places near the doors of the temple1 or the gates in the walls surrounding the courtyard1 there are a number of enormous1 grotesque figures1 some in helmets1 and some in old-fashioned chimney-pot hats4 ,they are evidently of foreign origin1 and the sculptor has produced an extremely comical effect by so cutting the eyes as to give them an unmistakable leer or wink4 ,they represent demons1 and are supposed to guard the entrance to the sacred edifice4 ,each figure leans upon a gigantic staff1 and gazes into the faces of all those who enter the courtyard or buildings4 ,there are also griffins in stone1 the representations of powerful kings who keep the world from being entirely captured by the spirits of evil4 ,the stone lions are the emblems of ,shakyamuni in his character as king of men and beasts4 ,a large1 bronze figure of the sitting ,buddha rests opposite a row of these quaintly carved images of men and animals4 ,it is seated upon a pedestal of marble under a canopy fashioned in imitation of a lotus leaf4 ,the lotus leaf is the ,buddhist lily1 even as the ,bo-tree is the ,buddhist cross1 and the forms of both these plant structures appear again and again in temple decorations4 ,the lotus is especially noticeable in the lotus-shaped capitals of the huge teak pillars that support the roofs and colonnades of the holy bote4 ,the courtyard which contains all these vari-coloured and fantastic shrines and images1 is paved with slabs of white stone and marble1 which reflect the heat and light of the sun with oppressive intensity4 ,other creations in marble1 bronze1 stone1 and wood1 set with the same mosaics of cheap china and common glass1 and representing ,europeans1 fishes1 dolphins1 and fabulous monsters are scattered profusely but irregularly amongst the larger and more conspicuous monuments4 ,the roofs are covered with coloured tiles4 ,there is a central rectangle in orange1 yellow or red1 with its edges set parallel to the roof1 while round it run several borders in red1 blue1 and green4 ,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 appearance4 ,the gables are of wood or metal1 and curve upwards at the ends into a peculiar ornament1 which is so common in civil as well as religious architecture as to cause much speculation as to its meaning4 ,it has been described as being symbolical of many things1 but it most probably represents the head of the ,naga or king of snakes4 ,round the edges of the roofs of several of the constituent buildings of this royal wat1 are hung many small sweetly toned bells1 whose silvery voices may be heard in the farthest corners of the enclosure as they swing to and fro with every gentle breeze4 ,the windows and doors are deeply sunk in the extremely thick walls4 ,they are covered with black lacquer and look as though they were made of ebony4 ,designs in mother-of-pearl have been worked into the lacquer1 while the hinges and fastenings of the separate shutters have been richly gilt4 ,illustration3 ,,temple ,,bell-,,tower4 ,page #bhe4 ,the floor of the chief building is covered with matting made entirely of woven silver wire4 ,the roof is lofty1 and is made of teak4 ,the room is of the usual oblong shape1 but at the further end a magnificent altar-like shrine stretches from side to side4 ,the sides of this valuable altar are covered with gold-leaf and gilded glass1 which lose a little of their dazzling brilliancy1 though they gain in depth of colour1 in the subdued light of the interior4 ,small prachadees in clusters stand at the same end of the temple1 all heavily gilt4 ,this ,buddhist temple is unique amongst ,siamese temples in containing objects of real value4 ,inside there is nothing tawdry and cheap4 ,everything is genuine as becomes the gift of a king4 ,on a square table at the back1 supported on the tall conical hats of twelve large figures1 are seated seven figures of ,buddha1 in pure solid gold4 ,one hand of each of the figures is raised and pointing upwards4 ,on every finger and thumb of the uplifted hand glitters a king's ransom in rings of emeralds1 sapphires1 and rubies1 while in the centre of each palm shines and flashes a rosette of diamonds4 ,away up in a dim recess towards which the seven hands are pointing1 there is an image of ,buddha1 often said to be cut out of one enormous emerald4 ,in reality1 it is made of jade4 ,this stone is reported to be of priceless value4 ,it cannot easily be examined by visitors as it is partly hidden in shadow1 but with a pair of opera-glasses the features are easily distinguishable4 ,the idol is said to have fallen from heaven into one of the ,laos states4 ,it was captured from these ,northern people by its present owners4 ,it possesses three diamond eyes of great value1 the third of which is set in the centre of the forehead4 ,it has several times been lost or stolen1 but has always been recovered4 ,there are many rare and precious vessels for the temple services1 such as cups1 incense burners1 and candlesticks made of gold and studded with jewels1 but unfortunately the workmanship is in some cases very defective1 and the stones have lost a great deal of their value by being badly set and cut4 ,one or two museum cases are to be seen1 containing offerings made by royalty or wealthy noblemen4 ,round the base of the altar are a number of ebony tables holding the usual vases1 wax flowers1 and clocks1 but in this temple they are all of real value4 ,the walls and ceiling are painted in native style and colour1 with scenes from the life of ,buddha1 and from the ,hindoo myth of ,ramayana4 ,they are executed with that curious absence of perspective common to ,oriental pictures1 but nevertheless many of the figures are full of life and action4 ,in particular1 the elephants are usually accurately drawn1 though strangely coloured4 ,we may fitly close this chapter with an account of one of the country temples given by ,h4 ,warington ,smyth in his ,notes of a ,journey on the ,upper ,mekong4 ,at ,wieng ,chan1 on the north bank 7of the ,mekong71 the remains of the great ,wat ,prakaon are very fine2 the latter rises from a series of terraces1 up which broad flights of steps lead1 and is of large proportions4 ,the effect of height is increased by the perpendicular lines of the tall columns which support the great east and west porticos1 and which line the walls along the north and south2 the windows between the latter being small1 and narrower at the top than at the bottom1 also lead the eye up4 ,a second row of columns once existed1 and the effect must have been very fine4 ,now the roof is gone1 and the whole structure crowned by a dense mass of foliage1 as is the case with all the remains of smaller buildings not yet destroyed4 ,one very beautiful little pagoda at the west end is now encased in a magnificent peepul tree which has grown in and around it1 and has preserved it in its embrace4 ,there are remains of several deep water-tanks2 and the grounds1 which were surrounded by a brick wall1 must once have been beautiful4 ,but the best thing at ,wieng ,chan1 or the old city1 as they call it1 is the gem of a monastery known as ,wat ,susaket4 ,it is a small building1 the ,wat itself1 of the usual style1 with a small lantern rising from the central roof4 ,the walls are very massive1 and1 with the height inside1 the place was delightfully cool2 all round the interior1 from floor to roof1 the walls are honeycombed with small niches in rows1 in which stand the little gilt images1 looking out imperturbably1 generally about eight inches in height4 ,round this building1 outside1 runs a rectangular cloister which faces inwards1 and here1 at one time1 the monks were living amongst the statues which stand round the walls1 many of these three and more feet high1 while the walls too are ornamented with niches similar to those inside the main building4 ,in the centre of each side there is a gateway surmounted by a gable1 there being also similar ornaments at each corner4 ,the beauty and retired air of the court inside could not be surpassed1 and the effect of the green grass1 the white walls1 the low-reaching1 red-tiled roofs1 and the deep shadows is charming2 there is nothing flat1 nothing vulgarly gaudy1 and very little that is out of repair4 ,and here1 as is most noticeable in the remains of the other buildings about1 the proportions are perfect4 ,in this the ruined remains of ,wieng ,chan surpass all other buildings ,i have seen in ,siam1 and bear witness to a true artistic sense in the builders4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,among ,,the ,,temples 7continued74 ,several of the larger wats in the capital are deserving of further notice4 ,the largest temple in the country is ,wat ,poh4 ,it has often been said that he who has seen ,wat ,poh has seen every ,buddhist temple in ,siam4 ,it covers an immense extent of ground in the very heart of the great city1 and inside its high brick walls are gathered together examples in wood and stone1 in bronze and porcelain1 of everything connected with ecclesiastical architecture in the country4 ,its chief attraction is an immense idol4 ,in one of the lofty buildings lies a sleeping ,buddha of gigantic proportions4 ,it is probably the largest image of its kind in the world4 ,the room containing it is over two hundred feet long4 ,the idol itself is one hundred and seventy-five feet long1 so that it practically occupies the whole of the building1 with the exception of a narrow passage all round the base of the rectangular brick platform on which it reclines4 ,the heavy shutters and ponderous doors are always locked1 except when some inquisitive foreigner desires to view4 ,his wish can be gratified by the payment to the man in charge of a fee varying from eighteen-pence to two shillings4 ,after payment has been made1 the gigantic doors are flung open and the visitor enters1 only to find himself in almost total darkness4 ,one by one a few of the heavy shutters are slowly opened and a little daylight gradually admitted4 ,the light falls upon the dull red walls or elaborate frescoes1 and upon the sides of the sleeping figure1 but loses itself at last in the dim recesses of the lofty roof4 ,when the eye has become accustomed to the gloom1 the peculiar wonder of the spectacle begins to be appreciated4 ,the whole of the building or the image cannot be seen from any one point of view4 ,the gigantic idol is made of brick1 which has been covered over with cement4 ,upon the cement a smooth layer of lacquer has been deposited1 and then the whole coated with gold-leaf4 ,the figure measures eighteen feet across the chest2 the feet are fifteen feet in length2 and the toes are each three feet long4 ,the soles of the feet are inlaid with symbols in mother-of-pearl1 according to the legend which states that ,buddha had upon his feet at birth a number of signs that proclaimed his true character4 ,the head is covered with a conical cluster of spiral curls1 the apex of the cone being far away from human eye in the shadows of the rafted roof4 ,illustration3 ,,wat ,,chang1 ,,bangkok4 ,page #cja4 ,the sketch of the figure given in this book is the only drawing of the idol in existence1 and no photo has ever been taken by any of the local photographers owing to the darkness of the interior4 ,it was only on payment of a heavy bribe that the caretaker allowed the artist to put up his easel4 ,after further debate1 followed by a fee1 he condescended to open a few more windows so as to admit sufficient light to render any sketching possible4 ,while the sketch was being made1 a small piece of the gilded lacquer fell from the chest of the recumbent idol4 ,in less time almost than it takes to write of the occurrence1 the windows were closed1 the place veiled in utter darkness1 and the artist unceremoniously requested to leave the building4 ,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 man4 ,doubtless by this time the caretaker has worked off the demerit he earned that day1 by devoting some of the money he then received to purchasing merit in one of the many ways known to him4 ,in the grounds of ,wat ,poh there are several ponds1 shaded by magnificent trees1 and surrounded by grotesque figures in stone4 ,these ponds are the homes of a few alligators1 which are kept and fed by the priests and servants of the temple4 ,almost opposite to ,wat ,poh1 on the other bank of the river1 is ,wat ,chang1 a marvel to every one who has ever seen it4 ,the actual bote1 the priests' houses1 and the relic mounds are in no respect extraordinary1 but on the bank of the river is a huge monument consisting of a series of pagodas resting on a square base4 ,it is this collection of pinnacles that attracts and charms the eye4 ,their form is not that of the slender-spired prachadee1 but that of a bluntly pointed pyramid1 and they are known as praprang4 ,viewed from a little distance1 they look1 as any photo shows1 like a collection of beautifully carved stone pinnacles1 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 saucers4 ,thousands upon thousands of pieces of cheap china must have been smashed to bits in order to furnish sufficient material to decorate this curious structure4 ,it must be admitted that though the material is tawdry1 the effect is indescribably wonderful4 ,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 china4 ,the tallest of the pagodas1 the one in the centre1 can be seen from many points in the city1 and by ascending the steps that lead half way up to the summit1 a magnificent view of the capital itself is gained4 ,the winding river and the broad canals shine like ribbons of burnished silver2 the houses are hidden beneath masses of foliage1 from amongst whose leafy crowns the prettily coloured roofs and the graceful white spires of many temples stand out in bold and picturesque relief4 ,at sunset the details of the structure of the pagodas of ,wat ,chang are lost1 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 sky4 ,the whole edifice is in its way a triumph of decorative skill of which the people are reasonably proud4 ,the ,golden ,hill is the name given to an artificial mound about two hundred feet high1 which faces the public crematorium where the vultures congregate4 ,at first it is difficult to believe that it is not a genuine hillock1 for though later investigation shows it to be constructed of bricks and mortar1 trees have been planted on it and creepers trained over it1 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 surrounded4 ,on the summit of this leaf-clad brick and plaster mound is a snow-white prachadee with a very large base4 ,the interior of the round basal portion is an open room1 in the middle of which1 guarded by iron railings1 stands a gilded shrine containing an imitation in glass of the famous tooth of ,buddha which is preserved in ,ceylon4 ,from the size of the original it is evidently spurious1 for it is impossible to conceive that the ancient philosopher and teacher possessed the benign and dignified aspect that is attributed to him1 if the tooth shown is really genuine4 ,the scoffing sceptic has even hinted that it is of equine origin4 ,the ,bangkok relic is not shown to the worshippers4 ,it is hidden in its gilt case1 and many of the natives who bow before the shrine really believe that the object it contains is not an imitation1 but an actual tooth of ,buddha4 ,steep stone staircases lead from the smooth lawn at the base to the shrine upon the summit4 ,in clear weather the view extends far away to the jungle-clad interior in one direction1 and in the other1 to the distant blue hills upon the eastern shores of the gulf4 ,at one time foreigners frequently ascended ,the ,golden ,hill for the sake of the view1 but since the time of the ,franco-,siamese trouble it has been guarded by soldiers1 and no one is allowed to pass the sentries on duty without a special permit signed by the ,minister for ,foreign ,affairs4 ,on three days of the year1 however1 when a special holiday occurs in connection with the worship of the relic1 the hill is open to every one4 ,around the base are set up numerous stalls1 booths1 and side-shows1 and a native fair with all its varied attractions draws thousands of people to the spot4 ,side by side are the booths where the missionaries sell their school books and their translations of certain portions of the ,bible1 and the stalls where the wonderful wicker-work made by the prisoners in the jails is offered for sale4 ,gambling tents1 shadow pantomimes1 and ,chinese theatres are in full swing4 ,there is but very little direct purchasing4 ,nearly every booth has a lottery4 ,you may pay sixpence for the privilege of rolling three wooden balls along a bagatelle table4 ,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 rolled4 ,at another place a man stands behind a board in which a square hole has been cut on a level with his face4 ,he moves his head quickly backwards and forwards in front of the hole1 poking out his tongue and rolling his eyes with marvellous rapidity4 ,at the quickly appearing and disappearing countenance you are permitted to throw three tennis balls1 and if you are successful in hitting the distorted features1 you receive a prize of little value4 ,it is an ,oriental form of ,aunt ,sally1 with a living ,aunt of male extraction1 willing to be a target at the rate of three shots for sixpence4 ,on another stall every article has a thread fastened to it4 ,the loose ends of the cotton strands are collected and passed through a bit of hollow bamboo about six inches long4 ,you pay your money and you choose your thread4 ,then the proprietor traces it out1 and you get what is fastened to the other end of it4 ,the prizes range from a common piece of slate pencil1 to a penny exercise book1 and a ,german concertina4 ,all the merit-makers before indulging in the fun of the fair1 first buy a bit of gold-leaf1 a few wax flowers1 or a tiny candle1 then mount the steep and broken steps1 kneel in front of the shrine1 stick their gold-leaf on the iron railings1 light their candles and fix them on iron spikes1 and throw their waxen blossoms into a blazing bonfire4 ,the visitor to the summit looks down upon a ring of twinkling lights1 beyond which lies the deep darkness4 ,the air is full of many sounds4 ,a native band discourses native airs with customary vigour in front of the shrine itself2 a military band plays operatic selections in a band-stand half way up the hill2 and the devotees bang the big deep-toned bells with more force than is demanded by purely religious feeling4 ,up from the crowd below comes the roar of hundreds of human voices1 the cries of the cheap jacks and lottery owners1 and the shouts of the men with the shows1 all telling of the animation and excitement that exists amongst the dark-looking figures that ever move1 but never leave a vacant spot in the brilliant torch-lit avenues and passages4 ,the priests sit in long pavilions1 their yellow robes and shaven heads set off by the red and white draperies of their temporary resting-places4 ,they drink tea and chew betel-nut incessantly1 chatter and laugh with animation1 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 merit4 ,another temple1 ,wat ,samplum1 boasts a copy of ,buddha's famous footprint1 which is also worshipped amidst much jollity for three days each year4 ,this footprint is sunk in the centre of the floor of a small spire-crowned room on the top of a low artificial hillock4 ,it has no toes and also no heel4 ,it is shaped like an infant's bath1 and is about three feet long1 two feet wide1 and eighteen inches deep1 and has been cut or moulded with strict mathematical regularity4 ,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 footprint4 ,the usual fair accompanies the worship1 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 bottom4 ,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 purposes4 ,near to the walled city of ,karnbooree on the ,river ,meklong1 there is one large cave which was used as a store-house for idols and offerings during the last war between the ,siamese and ,burmese4 ,here the discoloured images and the withered offerings remain to this day1 rarely visited by any one2 the entrances to the cavern being nearly blocked up by the jungle growth which has flourished undisturbed for many years4 ,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 volcano4 ,these caves are still distinctly used as temples4 ,steps have been cut in the solid rock to form an easy means of descent to their open mouths4 ,one of them receives its light through a crater-like opening in the hill-side2 some of them are too dark to be visited without the aid of torches or lanterns4 ,the floors have in all cases been nicely levelled and sanded1 while one has been neatly tiled4 ,idols are arranged in rows round the sides1 and ,buddhas in standing1 sleeping1 or sitting postures occupy every jutting crag and hollow corner4 ,tiny holes1 often hidden behind a gigantic image1 lead into little1 dark1 dirty1 damp recesses with plank beds and torch smoked altars1 where hermits live1 or years ago have lived1 in retirement4 ,there is something almost grotesque in these cavern interiors4 ,huge stalactites and stalagmites shine in the light of the entering sun1 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 recesses1 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 followers4 ,one very noticeable feature in the interiors of many temple buildings is the management of the light to increase their solemnity and their impressiveness4 ,for instance1 in the case of the sleeping ,buddha in ,wat ,poh1 even when many of the windows round it have been opened1 the head is still partly hidden in darkness1 so that the effect of the height is increased and the wonder of the spectator intensified4 ,and again1 ,mr4 ,smyth mentions in the book quoted above1 a small wat called ,wat ,boria1 where there is a very fine ,buddha1 on whose head and shoulders the light is thrown from a small window in the roof4 ,the effect is quite impressive1 and does great credit to the architect who designed it4 ,this is by no means the only place in ,siam where the light is dexterously managed4 ,he also mentions that at ,wat ,chinareth1 one enters a monk's doorway at the south-eastern corner from a cloister1 and is at first lost in the gloom4 ,at last the great black columns with their elaborate gilt ornamentation 7the one decoration they understand in ,siam7 grow out in the feeble light from the little narrow windows in the low side walls4 ,the lofty peaked roof rises far into blackness4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,sleeping ,,buddha4 ,page #big4 ,mention has frequently been made of the extensive use of gold-leaf in the decoration of shrines and images4 ,the import of this commodity is of the annual value of about one hundred and sixty to two hundred thousand ,mexican dollars4 ,and in addition to what is imported1 a large quantity is manufactured in ,bangkok by ,chinese goldsmiths4 ,near to one of the temples inside the city walls there is a small settlement whose chief employment is the beating of gold-leaf4 ,they get thin pieces of gold about a quarter of an inch square1 and put them between thick pieces of white oily paper4 ,sheets of gold-leaf and sheets of paper are arranged alternately in a pile about two inches thick4 ,this packet of paper and gold is put inside a stout leathern covering which is left open at two sides1 and is then placed on a hard stone slab some three or four inches thick4 ,the gold-beater takes a large1 heavy hammer with an iron head1 and pounds the little parcel in front of him with all his strength4 ,he continues his hammering until the bits of gold have been considerably flattened out4 ,he next takes the thin gold sheets and puts them between finer pieces of white ,chinese paper1 and then continues his pounding until the sheets have become sufficiently attenuated to be used for the gilding of images and ornaments4 ,gold-leaf is sold in sheets about three inches square at the rate of fifteen to eighteen shillings per thousand sheets4 ,not only is gold-leaf used for covering idols and shrines1 but it is also used by native artists in the decorations of the walls4 ,earth colours are used for painting figures and scenery2 but whenever a figure requires a golden crown or ornament1 or the representation of a shrine or temple requires a golden decoration1 then gold-leaf is always used1 and the contrast between the bright reflecting surface of the metal and the dull appearance of the washes of the earth colours is very striking4 ,a favourite subject for religious pictures is the representation of the different hells1 of which there are eight4 ,though the account of the infernal regions as given below may seem very gruesome1 there is nothing repulsive in their pictorial presentation by the native artist1 owing to utter lack of any effect of realism4 ,in fact1 most ,europeans require an interpreter in order to understand their meaning4 ,the eight major hells are all places of fearful torment4 ,in the first of the series the condemned creature is cut into infinitesimal pieces1 every cut producing its own agonies1 as the sense of feeling is never destroyed4 ,when the body has thus been mutilated1 a wind possessing life-restoring properties1 blows over the torn remains and renovates them once more into a perfect human being1 which is again mutilated by the attendants4 ,the torment is repeated indefinitely2 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 monsters4 ,in this first hell one day is equal in length to nine hundred thousand years4 ,in the second hell the floor is of molten iron1 and as the lost ones tread the liquid metal they sink into it and die in frightful pain4 ,a new life follows the recent death1 and again and again is the terrible punishment inflicted through long periods of time1 where one day is measured by thirty-six million years upon earth4 ,the inhabitants of the third hell have lost a portion of their human form4 ,either they have human heads1 and animals' bodies1 or their human bodies possess animals' heads4 ,they are the playthings of innumerable fiends who drive them with thongs from one mountain to another1 and ever as they run1 great masses of rock fall upon them1 wounding and killing them4 ,but as in all the other regions inhabited by the guilty1 a new life springs from the dead bodies1 that the cruel torment may be re-inflicted4 ,the fourth hell is beautiful to look upon4 ,its floor is covered with the sacred lotus1 but hidden amongst its rosy petals are sharp-pointed iron spikes4 ,and as the damned come to the edges of hell1 they are seized by the powerful arms of diabolical monsters1 who fling them with ,titanic force upon the treacherous flowers below4 ,they are flung times without number1 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 earth4 ,the fifth of the series resembles the fourth inasmuch as its floor is covered with iron-spiked blossoms4 ,but the erring souls continually attempt to escape4 ,with much anxiety of mind and weariness of body1 they raise themselves from their spiny bed only to be met by fiends armed with gigantic sledge-hammers4 ,fierce blows of their ponderous weapons send them reeling back to their torment1 amidst the horrible laughter of their fierce captors4 ,the sixth hell is that of everlasting fire1 but of even a more revolting character than that preached by so many ,christian teachers4 ,for amidst the roaring flames of the blazing pit scamper the giant dogs of hell1 whose teeth are of sharpened iron4 ,they seize their prey1 and devour it with insatiable appetite4 ,after being eaten the wicked are re-born1 again roasted in the infernal fire1 again devoured by iron fangs and so on and on for sixteen thousand weary years4 ,in the seventh hell the sides are steep hills1 but they apparently present a means of escape4 ,up the precipitous incline the lost ones toil and clamber1 but terrific gusts of wind ever hurl them headlong to the bottom on to a floor of iron spikes4 ,the last of the series is another of unquenchable fire4 ,here the lost are so crowded together that they have no room to move4 ,this is the deepest and widest hell of all1 and here the throng of sufferers must endure their torments until that day when a great cloud shall appear in the heavens1 announcing the end of the world4 ,as if these eight diabolical creations of some fiendish mortal's brain did not contain sufficient terrors to frighten the wicked1 all the eight major hells have each been subdivided into sixteen minor ones equally revolting4 ,they are all of cubical shape1 and measure thirty leagues each way2 but not wishing to weary the reader by detailing their several characters1 only one is here mentioned in illustration of their general nature4 ,in one of these minor hells every one suffers from intolerable thirst4 ,through its gloomy confines flows a river whose waters are saturated with salt4 ,the wretches1 maddened by the thirst which none may relieve1 fling themselves into the briny flood4 ,along the banks stand devils with long iron poles with burning hooks1 who fish them out again1 mutilate their bodies with the red-hot iron1 and when they cry aloud in their madness for water1 pour molten iron down their scorching throats4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,religious ,,ceremonies4 ,religious ceremonies follow one another with incredible rapidity in the ,kingdom of the ,yellow ,robe4 ,they are observed by every one1 not on account of their religious value1 but because they afford excellent reasons for indulging in general holidays4 ,a few of the more important ones will be dealt with in this and the two succeeding chapters4 ,,thet ,,maha ,,chat4 ,the first one to be noticed here is the ,thet maha chat or ,the ,preaching of the ,story of the ,great ,birth4 ,it does not1 like the other ceremonies we shall describe1 occur on definitely stated days1 and in many instances1 does not give rise to a general national holiday4 ,it often occurs as a semi-private or domestic religious observance1 performed by those and for those whom it immediately concerns4 ,before describing the manner in which the public and private celebrations of this ceremony are held1 it will be advisable to relate the story of the ,great ,birth according to the account given in the ,siamese text1 for it is said that this account of the ,great ,birth does not exist in the ,buddhist literature of the surrounding countries4 ,buddhist legends1 now rejected by many ,oriental scholars themselves1 relate that the ,hindoo philosopher once taught and enlightened his friends and disciples by relating to them at considerable length1 five hundred and fifty stories1 called jatakas1 about himself4 ,these narratives give a complete account of the various transmigrations of his soul1 which he1 having attained to ,buddhahood1 was enabled to vividly recall4 ,of these five hundred and fifty ,birth ,stories1 the ,vessantara ,jataka relates how he lived upon earth as a noble and virtuous prince called ,vessantara4 ,as this was his last existence previous to his re-birth upon earth as ,buddha1 it is held in high estimation by those who believe in its authenticity4 ,in previous existences he had traversed the whole social scale from king to slave4 ,he had been monarch1 courtier1 ,brahmin ascetic1 teacher1 prince1 nobleman1 merchant1 slave1 potter1 and outcast4 ,he had inhabited the bodies of the elephant1 tiger1 monkey1 snake1 fish1 and frog4 ,in the supernatural worlds he had been a tree-god and a fairy4 ,the last ten of the ,birth ,stories are of the greatest interest1 as they relate how he successfully attained absolute perfection in all things essential to ,buddhahood2 and the first nine of them may be fitly summarised as a preface to the story of the tenth or ,great ,birth4 ,the first story tells how he was born as a prince1 the heir to a throne and a crown4 ,now1 whenever1 in previous existences1 he had reigned as a king1 he had invariably suffered and fallen in the succeeding life4 ,he was therefore very anxious to escape the cares and perils of sovereignty1 and so he feigned dumbness4 ,his relatives doubted the reality of his affliction and tried in many ways to make him speak1 but all in vain4 ,at last they proposed to bury him alive1 and the prospect of this cruel death caused him at last to speak1 that he might save his life4 ,in the second story he is again represented as being the son of a great monarch4 ,his father's younger brother turned traitor1 usurped the throne1 and put to death him whose crown he had taken4 ,the prince was born in exile1 but when he arrived at man's estate he was informed of his real rank and title1 and he determined to attempt to regain them4 ,he set sail for his native land1 but during the voyage a great storm arose1 the vessel was wrecked1 and he only managed to save his life by swimming to the distant shore4 ,the next ,birth ,story relates that he was the son of blind1 ascetic parents1 to whom he acted as a faithful servant4 ,he trained a pet deer to carry his bowl for him1 and wherever he went the timid creature accompanied him4 ,he was killed in the forest by a stray arrow that a king had shot while hunting4 ,he was re-born as a king of wonderful power4 ,his dominions included both heaven and hell1 and during the period of his sovereignty he managed to visit both these distant portions of his wide domain4 ,history1 however1 does not relate what he saw or what he did in either of these regions4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,festival ,,of ,,kaw ,,prasai4 ,page #cef4 ,he next became the servant of a warrior king1 for whom he acted in the capacity of counsellor and judge1 winning for himself great renown for his wisdom and strength of character4 ,on one occasion he is credited with engineering a tunnel through a mighty mountain1 that his royal master might fall unawares upon a powerful enemy4 ,the tunnel was constructed1 and the attack made with complete success4 ,the sixth of this set of ,birth ,stories narrates his career as the ,naga king1 the monarch of the snake world4 ,his two chief relatives were a human brother1 and a sister who inhabited the body of a frog4 ,he himself was a cobra1 and one day a skilful snake-charmer captured him1 and took him about from place to place on exhibition4 ,he was freed from this humiliating condition by his brother and sister1 who ingeniously tricked the wandering showman4 ,then again he becomes the son of a king1 and holds the position of a judge4 ,owing to his severity in putting down bribery and corruption1 he incurred the displeasure of the ,lord ,chief ,justice1 who resented the loss of his valuable perquisites4 ,one night the king dreamt that he had paid a visit to the heavenly regions4 ,when he awoke he sent for the chief judge1 and asked him if he could suggest any way of realising the journey1 as he would very much like to visit those realms at his leisure4 ,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 desires4 ,he suggested the sacrifice of the prince and all the members of his household4 ,the king accepted the idea1 and the sacrifice was planned4 ,but several courtiers who had reasons for disliking the chief judge of the kingdom1 revealed to their sovereign the enmity that existed between judge and prince4 ,the king1 furious at the trick that had been played upon him1 instantly ordered the death of the wicked official1 but the son1 acting with his usual gentleness and mercy1 pleaded for his enemy and obtained the remission of his sentence4 ,in the eighth story he is again a king2 but this time devotes his life entirely to the noble practice of alms-giving4 ,so great was his generosity that he soon beggared himself1 and was forced to become a hermit4 ,having nothing left to distribute to those who sought to profit by his benevolence1 he conceived the idea of finally giving his own body away in pieces4 ,but the ,devas1 wishing to save him from the results of such a noble deed1 brought him presents of nuggets of gold with which to satisfy the demands of those who daily asked him for alms4 ,the ninth story presents him to us as a wise man teaching and counselling a king4 ,his fame was noised abroad even unto the uttermost ends of the earth4 ,amongst those who heard of his wisdom and purity was the ,queen of the ,nagas4 ,she was so deeply impressed by the stories that reached her1 that she fell madly in love with the famous counsellor1 and wished1 not figuratively1 but literally1 to possess his heart4 ,from amongst her numerous attendants she chose one who was noted for his cunning1 and sent him as her ambassador to the far-off land1 with orders to bring back that which she so much desired4 ,he met with a certain amount of success1 for he won the body of the sage by gambling with the king1 but all his efforts to put to death the wise old man were ineffectual4 ,and when he was meditating as to the reason of the failure of his murderous attempts1 the old man came to him1 and spoke to him with words of such tenderness and truth that the emissary returned to the ,naga ,queen without his prize1 but a better and a wiser man4 ,the tenth ,birth ,story is the last and the greatest1 and bears the distinctive title of ,the ,great ,birth4 ,it is the story of his last existence upon earth as an ordinary human being1 and marks the summit of his upward career1 the final stage of his successive earthly transmigrations4 ,this story1 which we shall presently relate at length1 was told by him1 after he had become a ,buddha1 to a great gathering of his friends and relatives1 in the famous banyan grove of his native city4 ,showers of rain fell from heaven1 miraculously bathing his holy body1 but leaving untouched the throng of people around him4 ,seven times he appealed to heaven and earth to bear him witness as to the truth of his narrative1 and seven times was an answer given in the voice of the thunder and the quaking of the earth4 ,siamese tradition goes on to say that after ,buddha's death1 a holy ascetic ascended to one of the heavens1 where he met the ,buddha who is next to descend and bless this earth with his teachings4 ,the future ,buddha held a long conversation with the earthly visitor in which he told him1 that if the people wished for happiness and prosperity1 they must unceasingly perform all the prescribed ceremonies according to the orthodox ritual1 and1 above all1 they must not forget to annually recite the story of ,the ,great ,birth4 ,at one time1 in ,siam1 ,pegu1 and ,cambodia1 it was the universal custom at the end of the rainy season1 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 story4 ,the annual celebration is now chiefly a state ceremony performed in special places4 ,in the olden days1 offerings were made for the decoration of the halls in which the recital was to be held1 and this custom still continues in a smaller degree4 ,the general celebration that formerly took place degenerated at last into a kind of theatrical performance1 and was accompanied by pantomime and song4 ,new versions were given2 the rhythm of the original poem was altered2 and temple vied with temple1 and house with house1 in the introduction of novelties that would attract large audiences4 ,the late king was a profound scholar and a devout believer in the pure truths and ritual of his religion1 and not a nominal ,buddhist like the majority of his subjects1 and he looked upon these theatrical recitals with their accompanying buffoonery and merriment as being nothing less than a desecration of the famous story1 and a burlesque of the life of him whose career they were intended to honour4 ,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 expressions4 ,he even went so far as to tell a story1 evidently of his own composition1 the moral of which was that1 as far as any religious merit was concerned1 the money spent in preparing for the recitals would be better spent in burning dead dogs' carcasses4 ,his strong expressions of disfavour and disgust have had the desired effect1 and the story is now recited in a decent and becoming manner4 ,the poem1 as now recited1 contains thirteen cantos and one thousand stanzas1 and was written by one of the ,siamese kings4 ,it had been prophesied that the holy ,buddhist scriptures would ultimately all be lost1 and that the ,vessantara ,jataka1 being the most valuable1 would be the first to disappear4 ,when the scriptures have all been lost1 and man has forgotten the meaning of righteousness1 a new ,buddha will be born upon earth to teach once more the principles of morality and truth4 ,the ,pious king who reigned in ,siam from #afjb to #afbh1 is known as a priest celebrated alike for his piety and his learning1 and as a king famous for his justice and mercy4 ,he left the temple for the throne1 but resigned in favour of his nephew and again returned to the seclusion of the hermit's cell4 ,the prophecy as to the loss of the ,jataka deeply affected him1 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 generation4 ,this poem is the gem of ,siamese classics1 a model of literary style and treatment4 ,king ,pious was the first of the royal poets of ,siam1 but since his day it has been the fashion for the sovereign to write poetical compositions4 ,both the present king and his father are well known in the country as poets and scholars4 ,the late king was probably the greatest scholar ,siam ever had1 so that he enjoyed a double distinction never possessed by any of the monarchs of more civilised lands4 ,and now for the old king's rendering of the ,vessantara ,jataka4 ,in ages long since past1 the god ,indra called into his presence the beautiful daughter of one of the ,devas4 ,he asked her to consent to be re-born into the world of wicked1 warring men that she might enjoy the supreme honour and happiness of becoming the mother of the future ,buddha4 ,the beautiful spirit maiden was not altogether unwilling to become the recipient of the honour offered her1 but before finally consenting1 she knelt before the throne of ,indra to beg of him ten boons1 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 woe4 ,she requested that she should be born as one of the highest caste1 and that when she was old enough she should be wedded to the powerful monarch ,sivi4 ,not forgetting the personal attractions so desirable in an ,oriental queen who wishes for long to retain her husband's affections1 she asked for eyes that should be soft and mild like those of the gazelle1 and for lashes whose graceful velvety fringe should be the envy of her rivals and the delight of her husband4 ,her name was not to be changed from that she had borne1 in the gardens of heaven where her graceful figure and handsome face had earned for her the name of blossom4 ,she also stipulated that she should not experience any of the pains of child-birth1 nor at any time suffer any deformation of her slender form4 ,her youthful appearance was to be preserved for ever from the ruthless hand of time1 her complexion and skin to be soft and delicate beyond comparison with those of any earthly rival1 and while her beauty enchained the minds of men1 she was to win the hearts of all by being allowed to liberate all the prisoners in the land4 ,her final request included all she had already asked for1 and many more besides2 for1 in a spirit that is delightfully feminine1 she asked that when on earth1 all her wishes should ever be promptly and completely satisfied4 ,indra with god-like benevolence granted all her boons1 even the last4 ,in due time she was born on earth1 and afterwards wedded to ,king ,sivi4 ,she gave birth to an infant son1 the future ,buddha in earthly form1 who was named by his parents ,vessantara4 ,the child gave evidences of his wonderful character by speaking immediately after he was born1 and later by his indifference to all earthly pleasures4 ,neither toys nor jewels were valued by him1 and he lived the life of a retired ascetic until he was twenty years old4 ,his father then desired him to marry1 and persuaded him to seek for his wife1 a princess called ,maddi1 who was famed for her great beauty4 ,an embassy was sent to the maiden's father to ask for her hand1 and as he willingly assented to the alliance1 the princess returned with the ambassadors to be married without any delay to the hermit-like prince1 ,vessantara4 ,his married life was one of great happiness4 ,he was sincerely attached to his wife and to his son and daughter1 but he never forsook his ascetic manner of living4 ,his benevolence was a household word1 and gained for him troops of friends1 until he made a gift of more than ordinary value to a neighbouring state1 and caused thereby a great popular uproar4 ,his father possessed an elephant whose chief value lay in its miraculous power of calling down rain from the skies in times of drought4 ,now1 the people of a province near to his father's country1 were suffering from want of water1 and they sent to ,vessantara to ask if he would lend them the rain-producing elephant1 knowing quite well that he never refused to give to anyone what was asked of him4 ,he granted their request without any hesitation1 and told them that they might keep the animal as a present from himself4 ,the ambassadors returned1 taking home the beast in triumph2 but when the inhabitants of ,vijaya knew what had happened they burst into angry accusations against their benevolent prince4 ,they complained also that the animal was not his to give1 but was the property of the nation4 ,the king was not less angry than his subjects1 and ordered his son to leave the capital at once1 and live for the rest of his life in exile4 ,the prince1 in defending his action1 said that the elephant was his and had been given to him by its mother at the time of his birth1 as a birthday present4 ,to the father1 who was unacquainted with his son's destiny and character1 this seemed the most intolerable rubbish1 and made him exceedingly angry4 ,maddi1 like a faithful wife1 sought to mollify the anger of her father-in-law1 and implored forgiveness for her husband1 but the king's wrath was too great to be appeased by her tearful entreaties4 ,then ,vessantara gave away the greater part of his property1 preparatory to his departing into banishment4 ,he distributed one hundred elephants1 one hundred ponies1 one hundred vehicles of different kinds1 one hundred male slaves1 one hundred female slaves1 one hundred catties,i of gold and one hundred catties of silver4 ,he entreated his wife to remain behind and take care of his two children1 but she resolutely refused to leave him in his trouble1 and taking the children with them1 they departed in his chariot4 ,as they drove out of the city they scattered all the money they had1 amongst the crowds of people who had collected to see the banished prince leaving his native city4 ,on their journey they met two ,brahmins1 who recognised the prince and asked for his horses4 ,he at once granted their request1 and prepared to proceed on foot2 but two ,devas descended from heaven in the form of golden stags and harnessed themselves to the chariot4 ,a little later they were met by another ,brahmin1 who asked for both chariot and steeds4 ,vessantara and ,maddi dismounted and left the carriage to the stranger4 ,the stags immediately disappeared1 to the great astonishment of him who had begged for them4 ,the wedded pair1 carrying their children with them1 pursued their way on foot1 going in the direction of a distant and lonely mountain1 where they proposed living the life of the hermits4 ,the road to the mountain passed through the country where ,maddi's father reigned4 ,he heard of their arrival in his territory and at once set out to meet them4 ,he besought them to stay in his kingdom1 offered them a residence near his own palace1 and did all he could to persuade them to change their purpose4 ,but they refused all his offers1 saying that they were fully determined to live as hermits in the lonely jungle4 ,at his earnest request they stayed with him seven days1 but left him at the end of that time to continue their journey to the far-off mountain4 ,they had to pass through perilous places1 and were exposed to many dangers from men and beasts4 ,a hunter was sent to guard them during this part of the journey4 ,indra1 ever watchful1 saw all that was happening1 and commissioned one of his celestial architects to go at once to the mountain and prepare two bowers for the reception of the wandering exiles4 ,at this time there was living in another part of the country1 an aged ,brahmin who was wedded to a young but ambitious wife4 ,she had heard of ,vessantara's gifts1 the story of the elephants and the chariot1 and of his numerous acts of benevolence1 and felt that it would be an easy matter to trade upon his good nature and obtain some valuable gift for herself4 ,so she asked her aged husband to go and ask ,vessantara for his two children4 ,he refused for a long time1 but finally yielded to her entreaties1 and set off to find the whereabouts of the generous prince that he might make known his wife's request4 ,the guardian hunter saw him approaching1 and levelled his bow at him1 but the ,brahmin said that he was a favourite of the prince1 and had often received wise counsel from him1 and that he only sought the exile in order to befriend him1 and carry to him the messages of old friends4 ,the hunter was deceived1 and allowed the ,brahmin to pass on his way4 ,then the ,brahmin arrived at a hut where lived a holy ascetic1 to whom he addressed himself1 enquiring for the way to ,vessantara's residence4 ,the hermit believing the man to be some greedy creature about to prefer a vexatious request1 expressed his disgust and anger in very strong language4 ,but the ,brahmin1 unaffected by the scornful denunciations he had listened to1 again professed a desire to befriend the exiled prince4 ,so sincere did his protestations appear1 that the hermit gave him the required directions4 ,following the path pointed out to him1 he at length reached ,vessantara's bower1 and presenting himself in the disguise of a mendicant1 asked the prince to give him his two children4 ,their mother was absent at the time1 as she had not returned from gathering fruit and herbs in the jungle4 ,the prince was grieved when he heard the request1 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 striving1 so without much hesitation1 he handed over his little son and daughter to the care of the beggar4 ,his temper was sorely tried when he saw the mendicant tie their tiny hands fast behind their backs as though they were common slaves1 and drag them roughly over the rough and thorny pathway4 ,the tender-hearted parent suffered agonies of pain as he witnessed this cruel treatment of his loved ones1 but by keeping his mind fixed on his future he managed to control any outward expressions of grief and anger4 ,at some little distance from the bower1 the ,brahmin stumbled and fell to the ground4 ,the children seeing an opportunity to escape from their brutal master1 promptly fled and hid themselves in a lotus pond4 ,the ,brahmin returned to ,vessantara1 and angrily complained of the behaviour of the runaways1 and upbraided the father with having deceived and tricked him4 ,the prince1 making no answer to the false rebukes1 silently went out to look for his little ones4 ,he saw their footprints in the ground1 followed the direction they indicated1 and soon discovered his son4 ,in answer to his voice1 the daughter also came out of her hiding-place1 and there1 by the side of the pond1 the two children knelt down and embraced the feet of their father4 ,tears that sparkled like gems in the sunlight1 fell from the eyes of the sorrowful three4 ,the father spoke tenderly to his weeping children and told them of his great grief for their suffering1 but that it was necessary for his and their future happiness4 ,he tried to show them that if their love for him was sincere1 they would go away with the mendicant cheerfully and willingly1 for by so doing they would ultimately help in his attainment of perfect bliss4 ,the boy acquiesced1 but the little girl's heart was full of anger1 and the burning tears ran heavily down her sorrow-stricken face4 ,once more they were delivered to the beggar1 and again was their father's temper sorely tried1 for their new master at once gave them both a sound thrashing before his eyes1 as a punishment for what he termed their bad behaviour4 ,while all this was happening1 an event had occurred in the forest to prevent the return of ,maddi before the children had gone away4 ,for ,indra foresaw that she might possibly by her tears and entreaties1 hinder her husband's progress towards that goal of perfect benevolence which was to crown and complete his earthly career4 ,so he arranged that on her homeward way1 she should meet three animals1 a lion1 a tiger1 and a leopard4 ,they did her no harm1 but simply prevented her from going forward4 ,after many attempts to escape1 she fell upon her knees and implored them to allow her to pass4 ,her husband's great act of renunciation having by this time been fully accomplished1 the three beasts1 who were three ,devas in disguise1 no longer hindered her progress1 but departed into the jungle4 ,it was long after midnight when she returned to her home1 and the first thing her motherly eyes detected was the absence of her little ones4 ,she turned to her husband1 in whose face shone a heavenly glow of happiness not unmixed with sadness1 and enquired of him what had become of the children4 ,but to all her questions he answered nothing4 ,then1 knowing the generous nature of his heart1 and seeing the sadly kind expression on his face1 she guessed what had happened1 and1 overcome with the weight of her great misfortune1 she burst into tears and fell in a swoon upon the ground4 ,her husband tended her gently1 and when she had recovered consciousness1 he told her all that had happened1 and besought her with pleading and argument to agree to the act in which she had as yet had no part4 ,deeply impressed with his earnestness and dimly conscious that there was more in the matter than she could realise1 she acquiesced in what he had done4 ,now ,indra saw that there was but one thing left to ,vessantara which he could give away1 and that was his wife ,maddi4 ,and the god remembered that if the prince should give away his wife1 there would be no one left to tend and care for him in that solitary place4 ,to prevent ,vessantara being left absolutely alone1 ,indra himself descended to earth in the form of an old ,brahmin and stood before the bower4 ,the prince saw him there1 and at once realised that he had now an opportunity of completing his many acts of self-sacrifice by bestowing his wife upon the stranger4 ,he asked the ,brahmin again and again if there was anything he desired1 and the ,brahmin at length asked for the princess ,maddi4 ,with mingled joy and grief he parted with his long-loved and faithful help-meet1 who had suffered much for his sake4 ,the sorrow he felt at parting with the last earthly possession he dearly loved1 was almost drowned in the thought that this was the last act in the long drama he had played through many generations4 ,great was his surprise and delight when the disguised ,indra returned his wife to him1 telling him to keep her in trust4 ,the apparent ,brahmin promised to return for her at some future time1 and departed1 leaving the loving pair to wonder as to his identity4 ,the old mendicant who had obtained possession of the children1 intended to take them home to become the slaves of his greedy wife4 ,but he lost his way in the trackless forests1 and by mistake wandered into the city of ,vessantara's father4 ,the king was seated in a pavilion on the palace wall1 and as the mendicant slowly wended his way past the royal residence1 the observant monarch saw and recognised his two grandchildren4 ,he sent for them1 and from the boy's lips learned their story4 ,the boy also told him the amounts that had been fixed by their father as the price of their redemption1 and these amounts the king at once paid over to the ,brahmin1 and so liberated his grandchildren4 ,the money that the ,brahmin received was of little use to him1 for he died shortly afterwards1 leaving no heirs to inherit his wealth4 ,when the children had told their grandfather the story of their father's life and his lonely wanderings in the dangerous jungle1 some feeling of pity and remorse took possession of the king1 and he determined to have his son back again4 ,he went to the distant forest1 accompanied by the queen1 his two newly found grandchildren and many soldiers4 ,great rejoicing attended the meeting of the father and son who had been so long separated4 ,vessantara in answer to the queen's entreaties promised to return home4 ,on his return to his native city a great festival was held1 the people thronged to see their long-lost prince once more1 alms were distributed in great quantities1 and the period of self denial and renunciation was brought to a close4 ,all those to whom ,vessantara had previously given his valuable property returned it to him1 asking for his blessing and forgiveness4 ,those who are interested in the after histories of these people may care to know that ,vessantara appeared upon earth as ,gautama ,buddha1 that ,maddi was re-born as his wife ,yashodra1 and that his son was given to him again as ,rahula4 ,his daughter1 however1 did not become a member of his family in the next life upon earth1 for when she was forced to follow the cruel old ,brahmin1 she swore in her heart that she would never again be re-born as the daughter of such an unjust and unloving father4 ,thus ends the story of ,the ,great ,birth according to the version of the pious king of ,siam4 ,with the exception of the public state recital of the poem1 it is now only recited in connection with the novitiate of the eldest sons of rich parents4 ,the poor no longer ask their friends to visit their houses to listen to the thousand stanzas4 ,the rich endeavour to reproduce as far as possible the circumstances of the original recital4 ,the novice who has retired to the temple and resigned for the time being all his earthly possessions1 represents ,vessantara4 ,and as ,buddha told the tale to a multitude of friends and relations in his native city1 so the novice returns from the temple to his own home to chant the numerous stanzas in the midst of his acquaintances4 ,the honour of thus repeating the old story belongs now to the eldest son1 except in the case of children of royal birth1 for each of whom a public recital is held4 ,as the novice has not had time to learn the whole poem1 he only delivers the first few lines1 the rest being repeated by monks of longer standing1 who have it all by heart4 ,at the conclusion of the ceremony1 offerings of food and robes are ostentatiously distributed to those priests who have given their services4 ,the preaching of the story of the ,great ,birth during the novitiate of the late ,crown ,prince of ,siam1 was the occasion of great public rejoicing4 ,the offerings were more numerous and varied than usual1 and were arranged in a novel manner in front of the palace4 ,a huge junk was erected on the grass1 and its sides were totally covered with boxes of cigars1 boxes of sardines1 and tinned provisions4 ,the cabins and hold were filled with eatables1 and when the preaching festivities were ended1 the whole vessel was broken up1 and its contents distributed amongst the poor and the hospitals4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,religious ,,ceremonies 7continued74 ,,the ,,thot ,,katin4 ,the ,thot ,katin ceremonies are not nearly so old as those described in the preceding chapter4 ,they are said to have been first established as purely state ceremonies by one of the ,siamese kings1 called ,somdet ,pra ,luang1 who reigned over ,northern ,siam about seven hundred years ago4 ,he was a very popular monarch1 and as powerful as he was popular4 ,whatever he ordered to be done in his own provinces in the north of the country1 was always carried out to the letter1 and the ceremonies he instituted have extended and developed till they are now universally celebrated all over the kingdom4 ,in the days when the ,buddhist priesthood lived a purely ascetic life1 according to the ideal of their great teacher1 long before the days even of ,pra ,luang himself1 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 brotherhood4 ,and this sect of holy monks vowed a solemn vow that they would never wear any clothes that were directly or indirectly presented to them4 ,they vowed that their robes should only be made of cloth that had no owners1 such as the winding-sheets that had enshrouded the bodies of the dead1 the clothes that had been cast away because they had been worn by persons suffering from infectious diseases1 or the garments that had been discarded by their owners as being too ragged or filthy to be used any longer4 ,garments of this description were the only ones they would wear1 and all presents were steadily refused4 ,at the end of the rainy season1 when the period of the forced retirement in the monasteries was finished1 they went in little parties of three and four to the cemeteries1 to the places where the bodies of the dead were burned1 and to all the spots where dust1 dirt1 refuse1 and rubbish had been deposited4 ,there they gathered up every scrap and remnant of cloth1 to patch them carefully together to make their garments for the coming year4 ,many people saw them frequently groping about in these unhealthy1 unfrequented localities1 and asked them wonderingly1 ,what are you doing there8 ,what are you looking for8 ,and to all enquiries the priests made none other answer save ,we seek for ownerless clothes4 ,then the people1 partly out of a feeling of pity and partly out of a desire to make merit1 went to their homes and brought all the pieces of cotton1 linen1 or woollen cloth they could spare1 and generously offered them as gifts to the ragged priests4 ,but the gifts were always firmly refused1 and the people returned to their homes1 wondering why this one particular order of mendicant brethren would not accept their voluntary offerings4 ,some of the more inquisitive of those whose gifts had been refused1 stealthily followed the priests from place to place1 and1 unseen themselves1 observed all they did4 ,and they saw the worthy monks groping in heaps of refuse and gathering fragments of cloth1 taking soiled torn rags from the branches of trees1 and collecting the scraps of linen that were blown hither and thither by the wind in the grave-yards1 where were buried the uncremated1 those who had died of small-pox1 cholera1 and other dangerous and infectious diseases4 ,when they had seen all this1 they returned home and told their brethren1 and all wondered greatly1 but no one understood4 ,then those people who reverenced the priests1 but whose minds held many superstitious notions1 invented a theory which seemed to explain all the facts that had been observed1 and which afterwards found wide acceptation amongst the people4 ,they said that these wandering1 self-denying1 rag-hunting monks were of the holiest of the holy1 that they had power to see into the realms of heaven and of hell1 and that their chief aim and purpose in this life was to promote the future happiness of men and animals4 ,when these priests clad themselves in the garments of one who had died1 the deceased ascended into heaven4 ,therefore1 the monks1 ever living according to the faith they held1 and in pursuance of their great desire to give future bliss to those who had departed1 wore not the valuable gifts of the living1 but the cast-off garments of the dead4 ,when this theory had been heard and accepted by devout or superstitious people1 the custom arose of wrapping many extra cloths round the body of a dead person1 and requesting the priests to remove them from the corpse and carry them away to the temples4 ,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 felicity4 ,the late king1 in his sincere desire to purify the religious beliefs of his credulous subjects1 endeavoured to point out to them that there was nothing whatever in the original scriptural texts to warrant this wide-spread faith1 and that it was purely a superstition invented and taught by the laity4 ,he also pointed out the true interpretation of the priests' actions--namely1 their desire to live a thoroughly ascetic life that they might purify their minds and be worthy of their master4 ,but the people have refused to accept this simple explanation either from their ruler or from their more enlightened ecclesiastical teachers1 and even accuse those priests who exhibit any reluctance to comply with their requests1 of being wanting in pity and gentleness4 ,so they continue to wrap unnecessary cloths round the bodies of the dead1 that the priests may remove them and wear them1 and so ensure the happiness of the dead4 ,there have been also many priests of worldly disposition who have secretly encouraged the custom1 as it is a source of considerable worldly profit to themselves4 ,a more reasonable but still unorthodox creed has found many followers4 ,according to some1 the priests sought for the clothes that had shrouded people who had died of infectious diseases1 not out of pity for the dead1 but out of consideration for the living4 ,for by removing these cloths they effectually prevented them from being blown amongst the homes of men1 and so spreading the disease4 ,they thus removed a possible disaster4 ,this idea degenerated into the belief that by presenting the priests with robes1 impending dangers would be rendered ineffectual to the giver1 and led to the custom of throwing garments for the use of the priests in front of the temples4 ,this was usually done at the end of the rainy season1 which1 according to the old custom of counting time1 was the end of the year4 ,the donors thought they would in this way certainly secure prosperity for themselves and families during the ensuing months4 ,as a result of this latter belief it became the custom to present robes to the priests in ,october and ,november1 when the wet months were drawing to a close4 ,king ,pra ,luang in his palace at ,ayuthia1 considered the custom1 pronounced it good1 and established it as part of the ordinary worship of the devout4 ,when the proper season arrived1 he set out himself to distribute robes to the inmates of the royal temple4 ,each temple provided a quantity of fireworks1 and appointed responsible officers to superintend their pyrotechnical displays4 ,in front of the landing of the king's palace1 were gathered together numerous boats laden with baskets of food and yellow cloth4 ,in the centre of each basket a stout branch was fixed1 and from the branches lighted lanterns were suspended4 ,at the bottom of every lantern trailed a strip of yellow silk1 symbolical of the scraps that the old monks sought in desolate places4 ,the boats also contained presents of many descriptions given by the king1 the government officials1 and the common people according to their wealth or their faith4 ,in the evening1 as soon as it was dark1 the king came down to the bank of the river to examine the boats and their contents4 ,he descended into his state barge1 attended by his chief officers1 and headed a long procession1 accompanied by the chief ladies of the palace1 and by crowds of people who had been drawn to the place by the prospect of seeing the fireworks4 ,the boats1 crowded by natives1 drew after them the other boats containing the baskets of food and the piles of robes4 ,wherever the king stopped1 presents of eatables and priestly garments were distributed to the brethren who resided in the temple1 and fireworks were let off in honour of the sovereign's arrival1 and as a mark of gratitude for his benevolence4 ,at a later date1 when temples became multiplied to such an extent that the king was unable to personally visit them all1 he entrusted the distribution of the presents to his relatives1 and officials of high rank4 ,the custom of presenting robes at the end of the rainy season is now universally observed throughout the whole kingdom1 and is looked upon as an excellent way of making merit1 though1 in common with all the other religious observances of the country1 its primary meaning and origin are unknown to most of the worshippers4 ,the festival is known as the ,thot ,katin1 and is celebrated with great rejoicing and merriment4 ,katin1 or ,kratin1 is derived from the ,pali word1 ,katina1 and means severe or difficult4 ,the term is applied to three separate things4 ,it means a pattern of a priest's robe made of patchwork2 it is the name of the robe itself1 which must be made of raw cotton and completed in a single day and night--a difficult task2 and it also denotes the merit which the maker will receive as a reward for his meritorious exertions4 ,the other word1 ,thot1 means to lay down1 so that the whole expression used as the name of the ceremony of the presentation of the priestly vestments1 means ,laying down robes made after the ,katina pattern1 on the floor or on a table1 for the priests to take up4 ,the holidays last during the month of ,october1 and are celebrated with processions on land and water4 ,the water processions in ,bangkok are singularly attractive on account of the number of people who take part in them1 and the variety of costume1 and display of oarmanship which they then exhibit4 ,all day long1 lines of canoes1 gondolas1 and gilded barges carry the worshippers and their offerings to the many temples in the city4 ,the holiday attire is unusually brilliant1 and as the numerous colours flash by in the swiftly gliding boats1 one begins to wonder if there are any tints or shades of colour that may not be seen on the ,menam4 ,after prostrating themselves before the idol1 and presenting their gifts to the priests1 the people hold a great aquatic carnival4 ,illustration3 ,,wat ,,chang ,,at ,,sunset4 ,page #cjb4 ,the following account of this ancient ceremony is quoted from ,the ,bangkok ,directory and is presumably a translation of a native composition4 ,all the temples in ,bangkok and its suburbs1 which have been made by or dedicated to the king1 expect a splendid visit from him annually1 between the middle of the eleventh and twelfth moons4 ,this is the season appointed by the most ancient and sacred custom for the priests to seek their apparel for the year ensuing4 ,in conformity with this custom1 the ,king1 taking a princely offering of priests' robes with him1 visits these temples4 ,the ceremony is called ',thot ,katin'1 which means to lay down the robes sewed up in patches according to a given pattern1 for the priests to take up4 ,the pattern is the ',katin'1 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 robes4 ,the cloth was cut with a knife because it would be wicked to tear it4 ,in olden time1 in ,buddha's day1 the custom was for the priests to go out themselves to seek old cast-off clothing1 and the best of these they would patch together to form the three kinds of priestly robes required4 ,this was one conspicuous mode of self-mortification4 ,but that mendicant custom has gradually given place to the present one of making the garments of new cloth dyed yellow2 and prepared by the princely donations of thousands of the affluent1 and the more humble contributions of the multitudes of the poor4 ,they begin to make preparations for this season months before the time1 until in ,bangkok alone1 there are many thousands of priests' suits in readiness by the middle of ,october for distribution at the temples4 ,the cloth is dyed yellow for the purpose1 as tradition says1 of imitating somewhat the custom of ,buddha and his early followers1 who preferred a dingy yellow colour for their robes1 for the express purpose of making themselves odious in the eyes of the world1 that there might be no door of temptation open to them to be conformed to the world4 ,in those days it was the custom of robbers and murderers in ,hindustan1 where ,buddhism began its course1 to wear red and yellow clothing as an appropriate badge of their profession4 ,the better classes of the world regarded them with horror1 and fled from them4 ,now1 ,gautama ,buddha1 when a prince1 had a host of ardent friends who urged him not to abdicate his throne4 ,but he was full set to do it2 and this was the mode he took to cut himself off from their sympathy4 ,by assuming the robber's garb1 he would rid himself of such ruinous tempters1 and yet secure another class of admirers1 who would delight to walk with him in the road to ,nirvana1 to which his whole heart and soul was devoted4 ,although there are so many hundreds of ,buddhist temples in ,siam1 none are omitted from this annual visitation4 ,the royal temples are visited by the king1 or by some prince or nobleman of high rank1 who goes in the king's name4 ,outside the capital1 these royal temples are always visited by deputies of ,his ,majesty1 bearing priests' robes and other things provided by the king4 ,when ,his ,majesty goes in person1 he does so with great pomp and splendour1 whether by land or water4 ,if by water the finest state barges are displayed4 ,there are some ten or more of these splendid boats1 each with some august name attached1 to distinguish it from the others4 ,these barges are called 'royal throne boats'4 ,only one appears in the royal procession at a time4 ,they are from one hundred and fifty to one hundred and eighty feet in length1 and from six to eight feet wide4 ,they gradually become narrower fore and aft1 and taper upwards4 ,hanging from the stem and stern are two large white tassels made of the hair of the ,cashmere goat1 and between them floats a royal banner4 ,a little abaft of midships there is a splendid canopy about twelve feet long1 having the ridge curving downward at each end1 and covered with cloth of gold1 and the sides tastefully hung with curtains of the same costly material4 ,within is a throne1 suited to this little floating palace4 ,the bows of the barges to convey the priestly robes and other gifts1 are formed into heads of hideous dragons1 or imaginary sea-monsters1 with glaring eyes and horrid teeth and horns4 ,the whole boat is richly carved and gilded to represent scales1 often inlaid with pearl and other precious things1 while the stern forms an immense tail1 curving upwards to the height of twelve or fifteen feet4 ,it is in this kind of barge that the king always rides4 ,when he would appear in his greatest glory1 he is seen seated on this1 his floating throne1 wearing a gold-embroidered coat1 and golden shoes4 ,he has generally the ,crown ,prince with him1 and sometimes other royal children follow him in a barge of second rank1 being all beautifully attired4 ,we must not forget to mention the huge jewelled fan1 the royal umbrellas1 white and yellow1 which have their appropriate places in the dragon barge1 and help to distinguish it from all there in the imposing pageant4 ,the dragon barges are propelled by sixty or seventy paddlers1 who have been trained daily for a full month for that express service4 ,they have been taught to paddle in unison1 all striking the water at the same moment1 and all raising the blades of their paddles above their heads1 at an equal height4 ,these royal boatmen1 by their public training on the river1 become a pattern for all others in the procession4 ,preceding the ,king's personal barge1 there are usually from forty to sixty royal guard-boats1 over one hundred feet long1 and from five to six feet wide1 going in pairs4 ,they are modelled after the ,king's own boat1 but smaller1 and the canopy is made of whitish leaves resembling the palm leaf1 sewed together1 and ornamented with crimson cloth bordered with yellow4 ,under the bow and stern of these boats1 float a pair of long grey tassels1 made of the fibres of pine-apple leaves1 and between each of these hangs a golden banner4 ,they have fifty or more paddlers1 and two men in each boat beat time with a long pole decorated with white tassels1 which they lift up and strike down end-wise on the deck of the boat4 ,in the rear of the ,king's barge come princes1 nobles1 officers1 and multitudes of still lower grades1 who all follow the ,king to the temple in boats of various fashions1 down to the simple one-oared skiff with its single half-naked occupant4 ,each prince and nobleman sits proudly under his own canopy1 attired in his best court robes1 having duly arranged about him gold or silver water-pot and tea-pot1 and betel and cigar boxes1 all of which have been given to him by the ,king1 as insignia of his rank and office4 ,the boatmen have various coloured liveries4 ,those of the ,king's dragon barge and its mate usually wear red jackets and caps4 ,on the guard-boats we see many colours2 some have red jackets and leather caps of ancient style2 in others the men have only short pants1 and narrow fillets of palm-leaf about their heads4 ,brass bands follow in the procession1 and companies of native men-o'-war's men1 who close up the moving panorama4 ,the floating and other houses along the line of the ,king's advance have each prepared a little table or altar1 upon which they display the choicest fruits and flowers1 wax candles1 pictures1 and other ornaments1 as marks of respect to their sovereign4 ,the native and foreign shipping display their colours4 ,the small craft on the river and canals where he is to come1 clear out for the time1 to make a wide and open passage for him4 ,formerly none were allowed to watch the royal procession1 except from behind closed doors or windows1 but now all such restrictions are withdrawn1 and the people enjoy the sight of their beloved ,king1 and take part in the general rejoicings4 ,the priests' garments being neatly folded and put up into bundles of a suit each1 are borne with the ,king in the royal throne barge4 ,when he arrives at the landing of a temple1 he remains seated until several suits of the yellow robes have been carried up to the door and put in care of an official1 to await the approach of ,his ,majesty1 and until other officers of state and a company of infantry1 together with the musicians1 have had time to leave their boats and place themselves in position for receiving him4 ,the handrails of the steps which the ,king ascends are wound with white cotton cloth1 and the flagged path from the landing to the temple is covered with grass matting exclusively for him to walk upon4 ,when the ,king is in the act of ascending the steps of the landing1 ',old ,siam' blows her pipes and conch shells1 and beats her drums2 the military form in double line and present arms1 and the brass band plays the national anthem4 ,having reached the door of the 'bote'1 the ,king takes one suit of the priests' robes1 and bearing it in both hands1 walks in and lays it on a table prepared for that purpose4 ,on this table are five golden vases of flowers1 five golden dishes of parched rice1 tastefully arranged in the form of bouquets1 five golden candlesticks with their candles1 and five incense sticks4 ,his ,majesty first lights the candles and incense sticks4 ,he then worships before the sacred shrine of ,buddha1 the sacred books1 and the assembled priests4 ,he next makes a request to the chief priest to renew his covenant to observe the five rules of the ,buddhist religion4 ,these are1 first1 that he will not take the life of any man or other sentient creature2 second1 that he will not oppress any man2 third1 that he will not take to wife any woman belonging to another1 while there is the least unwillingness on the part of the woman1 or of her parents or of her guardians1 to the transaction2 fourth1 that he will not lie1 nor deal falsely with mankind1 nor use abusive language2 fifth1 that he will not use intoxicating liquors as a beverage4 ,when the ,king visits the temple1 if it happens to be one of their four sacred days1 their custom makes it necessary for him to promise to observe three other rules in addition to the above five2 first1 that he will not partake of any food after midday on any sacred day until the next morning after light has appeared2 second1 that he will not on sacred days indulge in any theatrical or musical performances1 nor in any way allow or cause his person to be perfumed2 third1 that he will not on such days sleep on a bed that is more than ten and a half inches high1 nor use any mattress1 and that he will deny himself as becometh a devout ,buddhist4 ,if the ,king is conscious of having transgressed any of these rules since he last renewed his obligations1 he is supposed to confess his sins mentally before ,buddha1 and promise solemnly that he will earnestly endeavour to avoid such sins in the future4 ,his ,majesty having renewed his obligations1 then proceeds to make a formal presentation of his offerings to the priests of that temple1 whereupon they respond in the ,pali tongue1 'sdhu1 sdhu' 7'well1 well'74 ,the chief priest then addresses the fraternity as follows3 ',this ,katin robe has been given to us by his most illustrious majesty1 the ,king1 who1 being endued with exceedingly great goodness and righteousness1 has condescended to come hither himself and present these garments to us1 a company of ,buddhist priests1 without designating any particular person by whom they shall be worn4' ,they then distribute the gifts amongst themselves1 after which they bow down and worship ,buddha1 reciting a few ,pali sentences4 ,this distribution of garments is not always done in the presence of the ,king1 but sometimes after he has left the temple4 ,the late ,king ,maha ,mongkut made an innovation on this old custom1 by bringing with him extra suits of yellow robes and giving them to certain priests who had distinguished themselves as ,pali scholars4 ,it is also usual to make a few other gifts to the priests1 of such things as they are apt to need1 as bedding1 boats1 and table furniture1 but these are not considered any part of the real ',katin4' ,as the ,king is about to leave the temple1 the priests pronounce a ,pali blessing upon him1 and he again worships ,buddha1 the sacred books1 and the priests4 ,then rising1 he walks out of the 'bote1' and descends to the royal barge1 with the same ceremonies as when he ascended4 ,he visits several temples during each day1 and spends some time in each one4 ,the value of each priest's suit which the ,king offers1 is supposed to be about ten ,mexican dollars1 and the aggregate value of the offerings he makes on these successive days is probably not less than ten thousand ,mexican dollars4 ,,song ,,kran4 ,song ,kran is an angel who rises with the sun when he enters the sign ,aries4 ,the date of the holidays held and ceremonies performed under this title is ruled by the sun1 and is not definitely fixed4 ,but each successive year the court astrologers announce the event1 and then for four days the celebrations take place4 ,the ,king takes a state shower-bath1 and invites the priests to assemble at the palace for prayers and breakfast4 ,the laity have their own special religious services and their own amusements4 ,they gamble and pray1 go to the theatres and temples1 feed the priests and feed themselves as they do at ,new ,year4 ,buddha's image is bathed by the old women1 who also sprinkle water over the elderly people and priests present1 with the idea of calling down blessings on those who are bathed1 as well as on themselves4 ,as a general rule the ceremonies begin about the eleventh or twelfth day of ,april4 ,,kan ,,wisakha ,,bucha4 ,this is the name of the holidays connected with a very important day in the ,buddhist calendar--namely1 the day on which ,buddha was born4 ,according to the tradition1 it is also the day on which he died1 and the day on which he attained ,nirvana4 ,this anniversary day has developed into a three days' celebration1 of which the most noticeable feature is the extensive alms-giving that is then practised in imitation of ,buddha's benevolent deeds4 ,at night1 illuminations on a small scale take place1 but there is no great state function4 ,,khauwasa is derived from the ,sanskrit ,varasha1 meaning rain or year4 ,the ,wasa season lasts from ,july #hth to ,october #dth1 and has already been mentioned as the period of ,buddhist ,lent or confinement4 ,the priests only1 fast and do penance1 and even for them there are no fixed rules1 except that which forbids them to remain outside the temple enclosure between midnight and dawn4 ,several forms of self-mortification have been invented1 such as spending the night in a cemetery1 thinking of death2 sleeping in uncomfortable postures1 and only eating once in twenty-four hours4 ,but if the penitent gets tired of doing penance1 he may give it up4 ,he will still retain all the merit he has made by what he has already done1 though of course the quantity to his credit is less than it would have been had he persevered to the end4 ,the general ceremonies for the people begin at the end of the period of confinement4 ,the food given to the priests at this time is a first-class investment1 as it purchases one hundredfold its value in heavenly entertainments in the very next existence4 ,everyone therefore is very anxious to secure a hungry priest for his guest4 ,,kaw ,,prasai4 ,the ground surrounding the different monasteries is always covered with sand1 so that in wet weather the feet of the priests may not get covered with mud as they walk from their cells to the temple4 ,once each year fresh sand is brought and built up into little hills in the temple grounds2 hence the above name1 ,kaw meaning to build1 pra meaning holy and sai sand4 ,the building of these holy sand-hills is a substitute1 amongst the poorer classes1 for the more laborious and expensive way of making merit1 involved in the erection of a prachadee4 ,the sand is moulded as nearly as possible in the form of the spiral relic mounds1 and is ornamented with small flags4 ,the sand is bought from the monastery1 which thus obtains money for building purposes1 or for the purchase of more sand for the courtyard4 ,small coins are placed in the holy hillocks1 and these become the property of those who find them when the hillocks are demolished4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,religious ,,ceremonies 7continued74 ,,loy ,,krathong4 ,the ,loy ,krathong festivals were established by ,king ,pra ,luang1 the founder of the ,thot ,katin ceremonies1 and they originally occurred in connection with them2 but they have gradually become separated from them1 and have now an independent existence of their own4 ,whereas the ,katin ceremonies owe their origin to a superstition propagated by worshippers of the ,buddhist faith1 the ,loy ,krathong festivities are an outgrowth of ,brahminical worship4 ,the old wat visitations1 with the presentation of robes to the priests1 originated1 as we have seen1 in a peculiar belief as to the actions of an ascetic priesthood1 and were afterwards definitely established as annual occurrences by the king4 ,their connection with the ceremony about to be described1 was due to accidental circumstances that did not arise for several years after the initiation of the older festival4 ,the later ceremonies which were connected primarily with the ,katin1 and which have now become a separate function1 originated1 according to the late king's account1 in the following manner4 ,in the reign of ,somdet ,pra ,luang there lived a famous ,brahmin who was noted in the capital1 and in all the surrounding country1 for his great wisdom4 ,there was no branch of knowledge whose depths he had not fathomed4 ,he could read the stars1 cast horoscopes1 foretell eclipses1 and fulfil the duties of a weather prophet4 ,he was well versed in the mysteries of the theory and practice of medicine1 and knew the names1 habitats1 and virtuous properties of all plants that grew4 ,as a theologian he could explain the origin of all things1 and discourse upon the subtle doctrines of all the religions then known4 ,he was an authority upon law1 could tell what had been the customs of many people1 and devise plans for firm and wise government4 ,as a scholar of ancient practices he was unrivalled1 and knew all the details of the growth and development of all religious and social usages4 ,such a man found great favour in the eyes of the sovereign1 who made use of the ,brahmin's great wisdom in the management of his subjects4 ,he gave him many honours and appointed him to fill many important positions4 ,amongst many offices that he held1 two were given him on account of his unrivalled knowledge1 namely1 those of chief physician1 and chief judge4 ,this encyclopdic philosopher had a young and graceful daughter whom he called ,nobamas4 ,and as became the child of so wise a father1 she also was well skilled in many arts and sciences4 ,her beauty was the subject of every song1 and her name was in everyone's mouth4 ,the whole nation were enthusiastic in their praise of her1 and so great were her charms and abilities that even her own sex regarded her not with envy1 but were proud that one of their number should be distinguished4 ,she was almost as learned as her father and was wont to discourse upon all subjects with great intelligence4 ,she was a clever poetess1 a skilful musician1 and an artist of great power4 ,and when the poets of the country had exhausted all their vocabulary in describing her beauty and her talents1 they began to sing of the honours she ought to receive1 and greatest of all these was the honour of becoming the wife of the king4 ,one day the king listened to a group of musicians who were merrily singing1 and the subject of their song was the wondrous ,nobamas1 fit only for the wife of the sovereign4 ,the song scorned the idea of her wedding any one of less degree1 and eulogised her to such an extent that the listening monarch's curiosity became very great4 ,he returned to his palace1 and sought for the ladies of his household4 ,he told them all he had heard1 and enquired if any of them knew anything of this peerless creature4 ,to the king's eager enquiries they returned answer that the song was true1 but that no words could adequately describe the charms of the ,brahmin maiden4 ,the king could no longer restrain his desire to possess so fair a creature1 and he sent the most elderly ladies of his retinue1 according to the custom of the country1 to ask her father for her hand4 ,the ladies went1 and their mission was entirely successful4 ,the old counsellor who had received so many favours from his sovereign was glad to have an opportunity of showing his gratitude in this way1 so he willingly presented his renowned daughter to his royal master4 ,he sent her to the king1 who ever afterwards treated her with great tenderness and affection1 and soon made her chief of the ladies in the palace4 ,they both of them enjoyed the greatest happiness when in each other's company1 and whenever ,nobamas was not engaged in fulfilling her duties in her department of the palace1 she held converse with the king1 delighting him with her great wisdom and knowledge1 and charming him with her compositions in music and poetry4 ,soon after their marriage there occurred a celebration of the ,katin ceremonies1 and the king desired the fair ,nobamas to accompany him on his water procession4 ,now1 although this beautiful wife had married a ,buddhist king1 she still remained true to her ,brahmin faith1 and worshipped her own idols and spirits according to the precepts her father had taught her in her early childhood4 ,it was a ,brahminical custom that1 at the end of the year1 all people should prepare suitable offerings to present to the genii of the river1 in order to obtain pardon and the absolution of their sins4 ,towards the end of the year1 when the people were getting ready to celebrate the ,katin1 ,nobamas secretly prepared to perform her own religious rites1 and for this purpose she made a small boat-like structure1 called a ,krathong4 ,this she formed out of plantain leaves1 and loaded it with paddy husks to make it float in stable equilibrium4 ,she stitched strips of plantain leaves together1 and pinned them round the edge of the little boat by way of ornament4 ,over the ballast she spread smooth clean plantain leaves1 and on this green leafy deck she placed a little cargo of betel-nut1 sirih leaf1 parched rice1 and sweet-scented flowers4 ,she took several fresh fruits of a fleshy character1 such as the papaya and the pumpkin1 and deftly carved them into representations of fruits1 flowers1 and animals1 and piled them up in a conical arrangement in the centre4 ,the artificial flowers she stained with the juices of other plants to make them resemble real blossoms4 ,here and there she fastened one of her own sketches or paintings1 and finally finished the work by adorning it with storied umbrellas of paper1 tiny flags1 toy implements1 tapers1 and scented incense sticks4 ,on the first evening of the ,katin ceremony the boats were arranged in front of the palace landing1 as usual1 and the state barge with the glass throne was moored there1 pending the arrival of the king4 ,suddenly everyone's attention was attracted by a strange-looking object that was being floated to the royal landing4 ,it was the ,krathong that ,nobamas had made4 ,she intended to light the tapers and the incense sticks1 and send the float adrift to bear her message to the spirits1 at the same time that the royal party should set out to visit the temples4 ,but as soon as the ,krathong was come to the landing1 all the ladies1 and the members of the royal family1 who were assembled there to wait for the coming of the king1 crowded round it1 and begged to be allowed to examine it1 so ,nobamas had to explain the design and the meaning of this1 her handiwork4 ,so great was the interest exhibited by everyone in the pretty toy1 that no one noticed the arrival of the king1 and he seeing the crowd so noisy and so attracted1 enquired what was the cause of their merriment and amusement4 ,someone told him that everyone was busily admiring a float that his beautiful consort had made4 ,he then ordered the object to be brought to him that he might also see and hear about it4 ,when he saw it he could not find sufficient words to express his admiration of the skill that had designed and constructed it4 ,he requested to be allowed to keep it1 and ,nobamas knelt before him and presented him with the decorated krathong4 ,he again praised the work1 but more still did he praise her who had made it4 ,but when he had examined it a little longer1 he discovered its purpose1 and said1 ,this is the offering of a lady of the ,brahmin faith4 ,and ,nobamas answered him1 saying1 ,that is so1 for ,i am a ,brahmin1 and hitherto ,your ,majesty has not interfered with my religious belief1 so at this season of the year1 ,i have made this little krathong with the intention of floating it down the river as an offering to the spirits of the water1 as is right and proper for a maiden of the ,brahmin faith to do4 ,pra ,luang was a good ,buddhist and a devout believer in the teachings of his own religion4 ,still1 the krathong looked very pretty1 and he had a great desire to light the incense sticks and the tapers and send it adrift as ,nobamas had intended4 ,but he was afraid of the opinions of the people4 ,for if he should make this offering to the spirits and not to ,buddha1 he was afraid the people might upbraid him and accuse him of having abandoned his religion for that of his wife4 ,but he could not resist the temptation to see what the krathong would look like when it was illuminated1 so1 not without some little misgiving1 he lit the lights upon the leafy boat4 ,and still he was not satisfied1 for he wanted to see it drifting away into the darkness1 with the tapers reflecting their glittering light in the flowing waters4 ,therefore he cast about in his mind for some excuse to explain his actions1 and presently he spoke in a loud voice that all around him1 whether upon the landing-stage1 the banks of the river1 or in the boats before him1 might hear1 and said1 ,to all the property1 such as temples1 pagodas1 and spires that are dedicated to ,buddha on the banks of this river2 to all his sacred relics1 such as his bones and hair1 wherever they may be in the subterranean regions concealed from the eye1 under the river1 or in places which ,buddha has pressed with his feet1 when moving in his might or in his natural state2 to his footprints in this river1 or in the ocean which receives the stream of this river1--to them ,i offer this krathong and its contents as worthy of the great ,buddha4 ,to him and to the relics and to his property ,i reverently dedicate this krathong4 ,and whatever merit ,i may obtain by this deed1 that merit ,i do not appropriate for myself1 but give to the genii1 in whose honour the krathong was first made by ,nobamas1 for ,i too reverence the spirits she intended to honour4 ,having finished this speech in defence of his actions1 and having satisfied his own conscience1 he placed the brilliantly illuminated little float in the water1 for the stream to carry away to the sea4 ,but all these proceedings1 though very complimentary to ,nobamas herself1 did not in any way realise her idea as to what was due to the water-spirits from one who was a ,brahmin4 ,as she had now no offering1 she at once set to work to make one4 ,she hastily gathered fresh leaves and bound them together into a square1 shallow box4 ,she cut bits of banana stem to fasten to it1 and in the middle she quickly stuck a few tapers and joss sticks1 borrowed from the people round about her4 ,into the boat she cast anything she could find1 lit the tapers1 made her vows and resolves mentally1 and cast the toy adrift to follow the one the king had already launched4 ,the monarch saw it1 and knew who had made it so quickly1 for there was but one woman in the land who had the knowledge and the skill to construct a new krathong so easily4 ,he was loud in his praise1 and the people stirred by the example thus set them1 took everything that they could find that would float1 stuck lighted tapers and incense sticks in them1 and put them in the water1 till presently the river was all ablaze with twinkling lights1 and the air was full of the joyful sound of merry laughter4 ,the king was highly delighted with the sight1 and ordered that it should occur annually in honour of the wise and beautiful ,nobamas4 ,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 year1 for ever and ever1 and compel them to hold a great festival1 which he named ,khan ,loi ,phra ,prathip ,krathong4 ,krathong1 as previously explained1 means a little basket-like boat containing small flowers and other offerings suitable for the water-spirits2 loi means to send adrift or to float1 and prathip is derived from the ,pali word padipo1 meaning a lamp or taper4 ,there are those in the country who say that all the descendants of those who witnessed the first ceremony1 are slaves of ,pra ,luang1 and that at the proper season their minds are forced to obey his wishes1 and send adrift the taper-bearing floats4 ,for seven hundred years the ceremony has existed1 but its details have changed with each succeeding generation4 ,a few years after its initiation1 the king ceased his visitation to all temples that were not near at hand1 and all the fireworks that used to be let off on his arrival were brought together to make a gorgeous display at the palace landing4 ,the king sat on a throne to watch the general amusement1 and then sent adrift one or more krathongs4 ,since the foundation of ,bangkok the ceremonies of ,thot ,katin and ,loy ,krathong have branched off from each other4 ,the late king introduced several changes2 for1 whereas previously1 all the floats were provided by his own officials at their private expense1 those sent off by the king himself were made at his expense1 and greatly reduced in number4 ,the common people1 of course1 please themselves as to the number and value of the krathongs they send adrift4 ,at present the festival occurs twice each year2 first on the third1 fourth1 and fifth day of ,october1 and again on the first1 second and third of ,november4 ,the people have various theories as to why they make offerings to the spirits of the water by means of illuminated krathongs and floating fireworks1 though they all agree that it is a good way of making merit4 ,about midnight or early morning the king comes down to the royal landing in front of the palace1 and pushes off a big krathong1 whose tapers he has lit with his own hand4 ,the royal children and princes follow suit4 ,as they float away into the darkness1 they give the signal to the thousands of people who are waiting to do the same thing4 ,night is soon turned into day4 ,fireworks are thrown into the water1 the bright little lights sail over the dancing waves1 and the river is soon dotted all over as far as the eye can reach1 with lights of many colours1 that twinkle1 fizz1 or splutter for a long1 long time4 ,the krathongs take many shapes1 and illuminated palaces1 ships1 rafts1 lotuses1 and boats ride on the river1 carrying their little offerings of food and tobacco as a gracious gift to the mother of the waters1 amidst the blare of trumpets and the shouts of many voices4 ,away by the sea shore1 the crested billows bear the same offerings out to sea1 to be soon lost and drowned in the deep dark ocean4 ,,eclipses4 ,whenever an eclipse occurs1 the natives turn out of their houses and indulge in a very noisy demonstration4 ,though their actions on these occasions cannot be described as strictly of a religious character1 yet as most of the so-called religious ceremonies have been developed from superstitions1 the superstition that forms the basis of the popular theory of eclipses may here be fitly given4 ,the native astrologers are able to calculate the time of these astronomical phenomena1 with considerable accuracy2 but as they do not understand the use of logarithms1 their methods are tedious and lengthy4 ,when an eclipse occurs1 the people beat drums and gongs1 shout their loudest1 let off fire-arms1 and in fact make any and every noise they can think of4 ,some people say that a demon is eating up the moon1 or the sun1 as the case may be1 and that only in this way can they frighten the monster away1 and so prevent the loss of these brilliant luminaries4 ,but there is another story quite as fantastic1 which also attempts to account for a lunar eclipse4 ,in times long ago1 so long ago that no man knows any one who can remember them1 it was the custom of the ,sun to descend to earth and hold daily conversation with his younger brothers1 the ,emperor of ,china and the ,king of ,siam4 ,these two potentates held long and weighty consultations with the renowned and brilliant king ,sol1 taking his advice on all matters of importance1 discussing with him all the details of state management and intrigue1 and seeking his aid when foreign powers attacked their thrones4 ,the stars and planets formed the retinue of the solar monarch1 and were employed as ambassadors both in times or war and of peace4 ,at that time the ,king of ,siam dwelt at ,ayuthia1 then the capital of all the kingdom4 ,owing to the constant visits of the sun1 life was longer and less liable to disease4 ,such was the vitality imparted by the warmth and cheerfulness of his rays1 that no man began to talk of growing old until he had lived for about two thousand years4 ,the ,king having reigned peacefully and with great success for over two hundred years1 decided to abdicate in favour of his son1 who was a mere youth of not more than one hundred and sixty or seventy years of age4 ,now after this young boy had ascended the throne1 old ,king ,sol made up his mind to do his best to assist the youthful sovereign in the difficult art of right government4 ,to this end he kept his watchful eye ever fixed upon the young king and his doings4 ,he never slept1 or took a holiday1 but hour by hour1 and day by day1 poured forth his shining light in loving guardianship of his royal nephew4 ,the services of the stars were no longer required4 ,when they found themselves of no importance in the administration of government1 they became suspicious and angry4 ,they met together and formed a league1 vowed to revolt against their liege lord1 and to proclaim a republic at the earliest opportunity4 ,like all true conspirators they hid their deep designs1 and while pretending sleep1 they only blinked and snoozed1 ever on the alert for anything which they might use for the disadvantage of their powerful monarch4 ,as they lay in wait1 they said one to another1 ,why does our king never go to sleep now8 ,aforetime he took his nightly rest as all respectable monarchs should4 ,why these sleepless hours8 ,it happened that the old ,king1 who had abdicated the throne1 had a daughter of the most lovable disposition1 who was also exceedingly fair to look upon4 ,she was called ,rosy ,morn4 ,whenever she came to her father1 he lost any lingering desires for regal pomp and splendour1 for her presence was refreshing to him above all things on earth4 ,no one except his own family had ever looked upon her4 ,beautiful and good1 chaste and simple1 she was beloved by all her relatives1 with a love that was half worship4 ,her days were spent in rural pursuits of charming simplicity4 ,she gathered flowers and made wreaths of them to deck her own fair head2 she talked to the birds who never hid their gorgeous plumage when she approached them2 and she listened to the voices of the spirits that frolic in the rain-drops and the dew1 as they chattered and laughed in every floral cup4 ,one day1 having sung her father to rest1 she wandered forth to stroll in the still green woods around her home4 ,in these woods there was a cavern1 whose entrance1 hidden by a mass of tropical foliage1 had never been discovered by any one except ,rosy ,morn1 who1 keen lover of nature as she was1 knew every secret nook and corner of the whole forest4 ,through this secluded cavern there ran a brook1 clear as crystal and pure beyond description4 ,whenever the maiden was tired of wandering through the woods1 she made her way to this safe retreat and bathed her tiny feet in the clear cool water4 ,thus happiness and peace attended her day by day1 and her mind1 pure and tender1 knew no other excitements except those of simple wonder and delight4 ,but one day a butterfly of unusually brilliant appearance flittered across her path4 ,it was larger than any she had ever seen before1 and the colours of its wings were of the most resplendent tints4 ,she chased this wonderful little creature1 and tried to catch it1 but without success4 ,it flew from palm to palm1 and from fern to fern1 now hiding itself behind some radiant blossom1 now poising itself high out of reach upon some feathery branch4 ,suddenly a light appeared1 in whose brilliancy the hues of the butterfly were lost1 and the eyes of the maiden dazzled so that she could not see4 ,it was the chariot of old ,sol coming over a neighbouring hill4 ,she turned and fled1 and retiring to the cave1 quite unconscious that she had been observed by anyone1 she sought to cool her heated body and refresh her weary limbs by bathing in the sparkling waters that ran through her retreat4 ,but old ,sol had seen her1 and being struck by her wondrous beauty1 the like of which in all his rambles he had never beheld before1 he drove after her with furious speed1 and discovered the place where she had concealed herself4 ,he entered into the cavern1 but as she was lying down asleep after her bath1 he did not disturb her1 but sat down quietly by her side1 and waited patiently for her to open her eyes4 ,when she awoke1 she was startled by his dazzling presence4 ,he calmed her fears1 revealed to her all his majesty and power1 and then cast himself before her in the humble suppliant attitude of a devout lover4 ,the maiden1 unable to resist either the glory of his station1 or the sincerity of his submission to herself1 accepted him as her lover1 with great shyness and trembling4 ,they plighted their troth1 and wandered arm in arm about the cavern4 ,they agreed to keep their engagement secret1 and to meet regularly at noon every day in that place1 until such time as it should be convenient to disclose their intention to their friends4 ,for about two thousand years they kept their betrothal a secret1 but at last1 through some mischance1 the stars1 eager for revolt1 got an inkling of their monarch's misconduct4 ,they set a watch1 and one day when he was paying his accustomed day visit to his sweetheart1 they seized his chariot1 and driving with furious speed1 they rushed home to spread the news4 ,elated with their discovery they proclaimed aloud all they knew of ,sol's behaviour1 and declared a republic4 ,when the glorious monarch had said farewell to ,rosy ,morn for that day1 he found that his carriage had been stolen1 and that his conduct was known4 ,he wept bitterly1 shedding tears of pure gold4 ,the mountains1 on whose majestic forms he had so often cast his cheery1 warming rays1 now took pity on the distressed king1 and opened a passage in the earth by means of which he could return to his home in safety4 ,every day he came to visit his sweetheart1 driving in a new chariot through the mountain caverns4 ,ever as he drove along he cried aloud in sorrow for his misfortunes1 and ever as he wept his tears fell down to earth in streams of purest gold4 ,these precious tears hidden away in the ground are now the gold mines of ,siam4 ,it took him twelve hours to get home4 ,then he turned1 and rode back during the night1 taking another twelve hours' journey just to get a momentary glimpse at the faithful maiden4 ,all this time ,rosy ,morn wandered about in caverns and mountains also4 ,her heart was heavy with her grief1 and she wept bitterly4 ,her tears fell wherever she walked1 in streams of purest silver1 giving rise to the silver mines of the country4 ,after a long time the revolted stars made a compact with their lawful king4 ,for two weeks each month the maiden was to live with ,king ,sol in some distant home1 but during the other half of the month the stars were to be permitted to gaze upon her lovely face and call her moon4 ,one other stipulation was made--namely1 that ,sol should never kiss ,rosy ,morn whenever there was any one looking on4 ,but this latter part of the agreement he occasionally breaks1 for during the eclipse of the moon he is seen by many thousands of people1 impudently kissing her silver face before the public gaze4 ,then the dwellers upon earth make a great noise to remind him of his promise1 and to let him know how very shocked they are4 ,though this story exists in the native legends1 it is not generally accepted as giving the true theory of the eclipse2 the idea of sun- or moon-eating demons being far more popular4 ,but this latter story also gives an account of the origin of the gold and silver mines of ,siam4 ,the cave in which ,rosy ,morn and ,old ,sol held their daily meetings1 is said to be near ,ayuthia4 ,until a few years ago1 pilgrimages were made to this cave1 and into a bottomless pit1 every one according to his rank1 cast in gold and silver as a memorial of the day when silver and precious metals were first discovered in the kingdom of ,siam4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,the ,,pilgrimage ,,to ,,prabat4 ,about one hundred miles to the north-north-east of the city of ,bangkok there stands an isolated hill1 whose sides are greatly scored with rays that plainly indicate its volcanic origin4 ,as all the surrounding land is but a wide stretch of low level plain1 flooded in the rainy season1 the jagged peak is a conspicuous object for many miles away from its base4 ,the hill is known as ,mount ,prabat4 ,the name ,pra-bat is a compound of two words1 meaning the holy foot1 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 ,buddha4 ,thousands of people every year make their way to the spot to worship this memento of their ,master's presence on this earth4 ,from ,bangkok the pilgrims ascend the ,menam ,chow ,phya in boats1 until they reach the old ruined capital of ,ayuthia1 from which point1 the rest of the journey1 some fourteen or fifteen miles1 is made by land4 ,some people trudge the whole way on foot2 some ride in the picturesque buffalo carts1 or in the cumbersome bullock waggons2 while others travel by means of elephants4 ,the howdah of the elephant is no gorgeously caparisoned seat1 like those so often seen in ,indian pictures1 but is merely a plain wooden saddle1 covered over with a light canopy of basket-work which shields the head from the heat of the sun1 and the thorns of the long spiny creepers that hang from the branches overhead4 ,the ,siamese elephant does not kneel in order to allow the passenger to mount1 but he lifts one of his front legs1 and bends it at the knee so as to form a kind of step4 ,a sharp iron spike1 stuck in the end of a long rod or pole1 is the weapon used by the mahout or elephant driver to guide the beast and to urge it to greater speed4 ,it functions both as whip and reins4 ,the road1 in the height of the pilgrim season1 is thronged throughout its whole length with crowds of people going and returning1 and there are plenty of enterprising ,chinese and ,siamese at convenient intervals along the track1 anxious to make a little honest profit by supplying the devotees with food4 ,rice is the chief article offered for sale1 and is cooked in bamboo shoots1 which here take the place of the ordinary iron pot4 ,sugar obtained from the palm tree1 and wild honey in the comb1 from the trees in the neighbouring forest1 are also largely disposed of as palatable forms of light refreshment4 ,on the hill1 and round about it1 there are many temple-like buildings and houses for the attendant priests4 ,salas1 rooms for preaching1 halls filled with hundreds of idols1 and huts made of bamboo for the use of the pilgrims abound at the base of the hill1 and testify to the large number of worshippers who annually frequent the place4 ,on trees and temples1 on shrines and shanties1 are hung innumerable bells1 which when light are swung by every breeze1 and when heavy are banged by the worshippers4 ,a native band performs hour by hour1 and endeavours1 unsuccessfully1 to drown the clear sweet melody of the bells in its harsh discord of gongs and drums4 ,the mountain is dotted all over with the usual white spire-crowned pagodas1 and1 over the footprint1 a particularly beautiful shrine has been erected4 ,its roof is built in seven stories which overlap each other1 and upon the summit rests a very tall prachadee with a snow-white spire and a richly gilded base1 which indicates with dazzling brilliancy1 the whole day through1 the exact locality of the sacred spot4 ,the whole structure is placed on a small projecting platform in the rock1 and the ascent is made by a series of about fifty or sixty steps cut in the solid rock4 ,up these steps all truly devout ,buddhists crawl on their hands and knees1 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 teacher1 the steps are distinctly worn and polished4 ,the external walls of the building are covered with brightly coloured mosaics2 the outer surfaces of the heavy doors and windows are beautifully inlaid with mother-of-pearl1 and the whole of the interior is decorated with a series of perspectiveless frescoes1 illustrating various scenes from the life of ,buddha4 ,the platform of rock is about thirty feet square2 and inside the building the floor is laid with plates of solid silver covered over with a carpet of pure silver net-work1 which is polished intensely bright by the knees of the devotees4 ,two copies of the sacred footprint are hung on the walls4 ,both are made of pure gold1 and one of them has all the mystic symbols inlaid with precious stones4 ,the footprint itself is about four feet long and one foot and a half broad1 and both in size and shape bears no resemblance whatever to the footprint of anything either human or divine4 ,it is in a dark hole1 and cannot be distinctly seen4 ,the golden copies on the wall are apparently purely imaginative4 ,railings of solid bars of silver enclose the depression in the rock1 and render minute examination perfectly impossible4 ,a gilt canopy with flowing curtains of cloth of gold is suspended from the roof immediately above the object of the people's veneration4 ,the numerous worshippers enter on their knees4 ,they carry wax candles in their hands1 and crawl up to the depression1 prostrate themselves devoutly at its edge1 fasten a bit of gold-leaf on the sides of the hole1 sprinkle holy water on their heads1 and then crawl out again on hands and knees4 ,offerings of bottles1 looking-glasses1 wax and paper flowers1 and other tawdry objects are heaped in piles on the floor4 ,the more valuable gifts are carefully preserved elsewhere4 ,those who cannot afford to give anything at all1 satisfy their consciences by carefully fanning the footprint itself4 ,illustration3 ,,prabat ,,hills ,,from ,,near ,,ayuthia4 ,page #cge4 ,the ,siamese are not the only people in the world who have been known to reverence a supposed footprint1 nor is ,prabat the only place where the impress of the feet of the holy of old is pointed out4 ,the footprint superstition is world-wide4 ,there is the well-known footprint on ,adam's ,peak in ,ceylon1 which is claimed by the ,buddhists as marking the place where ,buddha once stood4 ,it is worshipped by the ,brahmins as being that of ,siva1 while the ,mahomedans assert that it was made by ,adam1 and ,christians have been known who have stated that they believe it to be the footprint of ,st4 ,thomas4 ,on the ,kodam ,rasul ,hill near ,hyderabad1 the ,mahomedans have found a footprint of ,mahomed4 ,at ,thanet1 ,st4 ,augustine left the marks of his feet upon a rock upon which he pressed heavily when he landed upon our heathen shores4 ,in a circular chapel over a foot-like depression in the rocky sides of the ,mount of ,olives1 the footprint of ,christ is pointed out to travellers4 ,on the other side of the world the inhabitants of the island of ,samoa exhibit a similar memorial of ,tiitii2 while the ancient ,mexicans claimed to possess an equally authentic relic of ,tezcatlipoa4 ,in a ,life of ,buddha1 written in ,sanskrit1 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 teacher4 ,there are thirty-two chief and eighty minor signs given1 and they mostly refer to personal characteristics considered handsome or beautiful in men or women according to the ,oriental idea of beauty4 ,some of them do not appear to the mind of the ,european to be at all conducive to an impressive or handsome presence4 ,for instance1 the wonderful being who is born with the thirty-two major distinguishing marks of future greatness or holiness1 has amongst other things1 a skin of the colour of gold1 arms so long that they reach far below the knees when he stands upright1 and a thin butterfly kind of tongue long enough to reach round and enter his ears when fully produced4 ,upon his fingers and toes there should be a network of lines described with mathematical regularity4 ,the worship of the footprint in the ,far ,east extends back for many years1 and in many of the oldest sculptures that have been brought from ,india1 there are to be seen distinct representations of the sole of a foot with the mark of a wheel in the centre4 ,at first1 all other marks1 except this universal one of the wheel1 varied considerably in character1 and were few in number4 ,but the imaginations of the ,eastern worshippers gradually added further ornamentations until the sole of the foot was covered entirely by a collection of symbols4 ,the elaboration of these signs reached its greatest height in ,siam and ,burmah4 ,there is nothing in the earliest scriptures to warrant the present widely-spread superstition1 and1 in fact1 it is not until many years after ,buddha's death that any mention of such a belief is to be found in the ,sanskrit writings4 ,the ,prabat relic in ,siam was discovered in #afjb ,a4,d41 by a hunter named ,boon4 ,it is very probable that he had at some time or other been a pilgrim to ,ceylon1 for such pilgrimages to ,adam's peak were not uncommon in those days4 ,one day when hunting in the forest he noticed a depression in the rock1 which he thought resembled the relic in ,ceylon4 ,he proclaimed his discovery to many people1 and the king1 hearing the report1 sent a body of learned monks to the place to examine the footprint and report upon its authenticity4 ,they examined and compared it with the copies they possessed of the one in ,ceylon1 and returned to the king1 declaring that it was perfectly genuine4 ,thereupon1 the sovereign1 being only too willing to accept the conclusions of the monks1 made no further enquiry as to the character of the discovery1 but built a shrine over it1 and ordered his people to worship it annually4 ,this they gladly did1 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 them4 ,in all the well-known ,buddhist footprints the figure of a wheel or disc occupies the centre4 ,it probably first represented speed1 and was therefore symbolical of fleetness of foot1 an attribute of greatness in early days4 ,in later times it lost the form of an ordinary chariot wheel1 and became the ,chakkra or quoit of ,vishnu and ,indra4 ,its form is well seen in the watermark on ,siamese stamps1 and on the old ,siamese coins4 ,in the hands of ,vishnu and ,indra it was a powerful weapon of destruction1 as it always annihilated all those enemies against whom1 in their wrath1 they hurled it4 ,in the ,buddhist mythology it has lost its material character1 and taken on a new significance1 as representing the pure moral teachings of ,gautama1 which when cast by holy men against the ignorance and sin of the world will effectually destroy them4 ,the other marks on the footprints in ,siam and ,burmah are later designs added by credulous and imaginative worshippers4 ,they are grouped symmetrically round the central ,chakkra1 and represent various attributes of royal power1 and holiness1 or else are symbolical of different natural and supernatural ideas4 ,the principal of them are mentioned below4 ,there are the sixteen heavens of the formed ,brahmas1 and the six heavens inhabited by the inferior angels or ,devas4 ,another sign represents ,mount ,meru1 the centre of each system of the universe4 ,there are also depicted on the sole of the foot1 the seven mountains which form a ring round ,mount ,meru1 and the seven belts of deep dark ocean that lie in the valleys between them1 and in whose waters monstrous fishes and water-elephants gambol and amuse themselves4 ,then there is another ocean1 the eighth1 in which float four worlds inhabited by human beings4 ,in the first of these worlds1 the men have faces such as are familiar to the dwellers upon our own particular planet4 ,in the second1 the faces of the inhabitants are square in shape1 while those of the third have a round moon-like visage1 and those of the fourth have countenances bounded by semi-circles4 ,another compartment of the footprint holds ,mount ,chakrawan1 the great mountain of crystal which encircles the world and forms a wall around it4 ,the heavens are represented by a group of stars4 ,the ,himalaya ,mountains1 that appear so often in ,hindoo legends1 are not forgotten1 nor are their seven lakes in which bloom lotuses of many different colours1 ever omitted4 ,five rivers flow from the ,himalaya ,mountains1 and on their banks are the great forests inhabited by fabulous beasts and birds4 ,the ,naga king1 the seven-headed cobra who shielded ,buddha1 with his seven hoods1 during a time of danger1 finds a place in another compartment4 ,but amidst all these curious and mystic symbols there is no animal of evil disposition1 for upon the foot of the holy man there was nothing of bad omen4 ,figures representing royal authority occur in the form of a palace1 a flag1 a throne1 a royal sword1 a white seven-storied state umbrella1 a spiral crown1 and a golden ship4 ,it is rather surprising that the late king1 who was very hostile to many popular superstitions1 encouraged the worship at the shrine on the hill at ,prabat4 ,perhaps he half believed in it himself1 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 faith4 ,the reader need scarcely be told that not only is the whole footprint purely fabulous1 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 all4 ,the two following stories referring to ,buddha's feet are given by ,alabaster1 as being translated from the ,burmese ,life of ,buddha by ,bishop ,bigandet4 ,during all the time that elapsed after the rain1 ,buddha travelled through the country1 engaged in his usual benevolent errand1 and converting many amongst men and angels4 ,in the country of ,gaurint1 in a village of ,pounhas1 called ,magoulia1 the head man1 one of the richest in the place1 had a daughter whose beauty equalled that of a daughter of the angels4 ,she had been in vain asked in marriage by princes1 nobles1 and ,pounhas4 ,the proud damsel had rejected every offer4 ,on the day that her father saw ,gautama he was struck with his manly beauty and deportment4 ,he said within himself1 ',this man shall be a proper match for my daughter4' ,on his return home he communicated his views to his wife4 ,on the following day1 the daughter having put on her choicest dress and richest apparel1 they all three went with a large retinue to the ,dzetawon monastery4 ,admitted to the presence of ,buddha1 the father asked for his daughter the favour of being allowed to attend on him4 ,without returning a word or reply1 or giving the least sign of acceptance or refusal1 ,buddha rose up and withdrew to a small distance1 leaving behind him on the floor the print of one of his feet4 ,the ,pounha's wife1 well skilled in the science of interpreting wonderful signs1 saw at a glance that the marks on the print indicated a man no longer under the control of passions1 but a sage emancipated from the thraldom of concupiscence4 ,the story goes on to relate how the father made a further offer of his daughter to ,buddha1 and how the saint preached to the parents a sermon that stilled their longings to possess him for a son-in-law4 ,they returned home with their still unmarried daughter4 ,she never forgave the man who had refused her love1 and cherished for him a lively and life-long hatred4 ,the other story tells of a visit paid by the saint ,kathaba to the pile upon which ,buddha was laid for his cremation4 ,standing opposite to the feet1 he made the following prayer1 ',i wish to see the feet of ,buddha whereupon are imprinted the marks that formerly prognosticated his future glorious destiny4 ,may the cloth and cotton they are wrapt with be unloosened1 and the coffin as well as the pile be laid open1 and the sacred feet appear out1 and extend so far as to lie on my head4' ,he had scarcely uttered this prayer when the whole suddenly opened1 and there came out the beautiful feet1 like the full moon emerging from the bosom of a dark cloud4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,the ,,elephants4 ,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 country4 ,the elephants have given rise to a proverbial expression in ,england1 which is a little misleading when viewed in the light of ,siamese opinion4 ,to give to a ,european a useless and troublesome present is known as giving him a white elephant1 but to give a ,buddhist a present of a white elephant would be to give him possession of a creature which1 kindly treated1 would cause blessings and good fortune to fall in showers around him in this and all future existences4 ,the white elephant has been held in great respect in many countries1 and has played a great part in many legends4 ,in ,enarea1 in ,central ,africa1 elephants of this colour are reverenced4 ,when ,shahab ud-,din1 in #aaid1 attacked and defeated ,jaya ,chandra of ,benares1 he captured from his conquered foes a white elephant which refused to make obeisance to its new master1 and made a furious assault upon its driver when he attempted to coerce it into respectful behaviour4 ,in the time of the grandfather of ,mahomed1 when the ,christian king of ,himyar advanced against ,kenanah in ,hijaz1 to revenge the pollution of a ,christian church at ,sennaa1 he secured his victory beforehand by going to the scene of battle upon an elephant whose skin was of the colour of milk4 ,in ,siam the representation of the white elephant is everywhere conspicuous4 ,the national flag is a white elephant on a scarlet ground4 ,the mercantile flag is a white elephant on a blue ground4 ,on every temple and official building in the land there is a representation in stone1 plaster1 or colour of this wonderful creature4 ,but the body of a real white elephant has never yet been seen4 ,the creature who bears the name is simply an elephant which is a little lighter in colour than the ordinary elephant4 ,for the sake of convenience we shall refer to it as the white elephant1 though there is no such name for it in the native language1 and though its colour is very much more like that of a dirty bath-brick4 ,even this distant approach to whiteness is not distributed generally all over the body1 but is usually confined to a few solitary patches near the extremities4 ,these blotches of lighter colour are not natural or hereditary4 ,they are often the result of an eruptive affection4 ,the irritation that accompanies the disease causes the animal to rub the affected part against the trunks of trees or other hard material1 and so to destroy the epidermal surface4 ,all so-called white elephants have1 however1 a few really white hairs which are not to be accounted for in this manner4 ,the white elephant has at times been worshipped with a veneration which1 though we may consider it misdirected1 may charitably be regarded as laudable in intention4 ,it has been believed that this particular animal contains the soul of some very distinguished person1 possibly that of a ,buddha1 who in some future age will appear in human form to enlighten and bless the world by his counsel and example4 ,this being the belief1 the adoration that is offered to such an animal is reasonable4 ,the white elephants in the stables at ,bangkok have chiefly been captured in the ,laos territories in the north4 ,when one of them is caught1 the finder is handsomely rewarded1 and there is general rejoicing throughout the land4 ,it is immediately handed over to the king1 who provides for its earthly comforts ever after4 ,it is of priceless value1 and cannot be bought or sold4 ,about twenty years ago a body of ,brahmin astrologers who are permanently attached to the court1 declared that the present reign would be an especially happy one1 and that several white elephants would be caught4 ,both their forecasts have proved correct4 ,their prophetic utterances were conveyed from one end of the country to the other1 and large rewards were offered to the men who would discover a white elephant4 ,for a long time a most diligent search in forest and jungle was made by the native hunters4 ,every place where elephants had ever been seen or heard of was examined with great care and perseverance1 but without success4 ,one day1 however1 a number of men caught sight of an elephant of excellent shape1 but his colour gave no evidence that he was one of the kind they were searching for4 ,on looking closer at the mud-bespattered animal1 they were attracted by some peculiarity in the skin1 and also by the pale ,neapolitan yellow colour of the iris of the eye4 ,this latter mark being considered as one of the chief beauties of a white elephant1 they determined to capture the animal4 ,this was a matter speedily accomplished4 ,they then took the animal home and gave it a good bath1 patiently scrubbing and scraping away until all the accumulated mud and dirt upon it was removed1 when to their almost infinite joy and astonishment they beheld a most beautiful specimen of the white elephant family4 ,it was of pale bath-brick colour1 and on its back there were actually a few hairs that could1 without any flattery1 be truly called white4 ,this elephant is said to be the finest example of the kind ever captured4 ,the excitement which prevailed in the whole land to its furthest boundaries1 and affected the whole population from king to coolie1 is said to have been unrealisable to the ,english mind4 ,it was more than a mere national rejoicing1 for in many thousands of homes it was mingled with that deep superstitious veneration in which the ,oriental mind satisfies its longings and its imagination4 ,gorgeous preparations were made for the elephant's reception4 ,the king travelled up the river as far as ,ayuthia to meet it2 ,bangkok was decorated and illuminated2 every nobleman was arrayed in his richly embroidered cloth of gold1 and was followed by his retinue of servants4 ,people from outlying districts poured into the city to swell the enormous crowd of spectators2 every available ornament for personal use was displayed2 the brightest colours were donned2 flags and bunting were hoisted2 and when the noble animal appeared1 surrounded by gaily gilded state barges1 a group of ,brahmin priests descended to the river's edge to receive the living cause of all this rejoicing4 ,to it they read an address1 of which the following translation is a part3 ,with holy reverence we now come to worship the angels who preside over the destiny of all elephants4 ,most powerful angels1 we entreat you to assemble now1 in order that you may prevent all evil to ,his ,majesty the ,king of ,siam1 and also to this magnificent elephant1 which has recently arrived4 ,we appeal to you all1 whom we now worship1 and beg that you will use your power in restraining the heart of this animal from all anger and unhappiness4 ,we also beg that you will incline this elephant to listen to the words of instruction and comfort1 that we now deliver4 ,most ,royal ,elephant6 ,we beg that you will not think too much of your father and mother1 your relatives and friends4 ,we beg that you will not regret leaving your native mountains and forests1 because there are evil spirits there that are very dangerous2 and wild beasts are there that howl1 making a fearful noise2 and there too is the big bird which hovers round and often picks up elephants and eats them2 and there are bands of cruel hunters who kill elephants for their ivory4 ,we trust that you will not return to the forest1 for you would be in constant danger4 ,and that is not all3 in the forest you have no servants1 and it is very unpleasant to sleep with the dust and filth adhering to your body1 and where the flies and mosquitoes are troublesome4 ,brave and noble elephant6 ,we entreat you to banish every wish to stay in the forest4 ,look at this delightful place1 this heavenly city6 ,it abounds in wealth and in everything your eyes could wish to see or your heart desire to possess4 ,it is of your own merit that you have come to behold this beautiful city1 to enjoy its wealth1 and to be the favourite guest of ,his ,most ,exalted ,majesty the ,king4,j ,then the ,brahmin priests baptised the sacred beast with holy water1 and1 after its purification1 bestowed upon it the highest of the titles which the king can confer upon his subjects4 ,the title was written on a piece of sugar-cane4 ,upon this cane there were also a number of sentences describing the virtues1 qualities1 and perfections of the new nobleman4 ,when the baptismal ceremonies were over1 the sugar-cane was handed to the beast1 that he might eat it1 a part of the ceremony which the elephant understood1 and performed with noteworthy despatch4 ,it was then lodged in the royal stables1 with a few other brethren who had previously experienced the same fting and reverence4 ,old accounts tell us that the white elephants were treated1 during their lives1 with the greatest respect and care4 ,their stables were comfortable1 and their food consisted of such dainties as were thought most likely to be appreciated by them4 ,their food was presented to them upon silver salvers1 by servants who knelt as they offered the dish4 ,their eyes were reverently wiped2 they received cool sponge baths at frequent intervals2 and it might fairly be supposed that they led about as lazy and luxurious a life as any creature could desire4 ,if they were ill the wisest of the court physicians were sent to them1 and their ailments received as much weighty consideration as those of a king4 ,at death they were deeply mourned for1 their departure from this life being attended with the usual eastern pomp and ceremony4 ,they do not live in this condition now4 ,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 circus2 tended by slouching ruffians who lie about in rags and tatters1 eking out a scanty livelihood by weaving baskets1 and begging a copper from every visitor in return for throwing a bunch of seedy grass or rotting bananas to the swaying beasts1 which raise their trunks in anticipation of the much needed addition to their scanty diet4 ,elephant stories are prevalent in the myths which cloud and hide the purer ideas of the ,buddhist faith4 ,shortly before the birth of ,buddha1 his mother ,queen ,maia had a vision4 ,the four kings of the world removed her to the ,himalayan ,forest1 and there seated her on an immense rock4 ,she was bathed1 robed1 and adorned by a number of queens1 and was then led to a golden palace standing on a silver mountain1 and requested to rest on a couch1 with her face turned to the west4 ,she did so1 and beheld a golden mountain on which the future ,buddha marched in the form of a white elephant4 ,it descended the golden mountain1 and bearing a white lotus flower in its trunk1 and trumpeting loudly as it came1 made its way to the couch of the astonished ,queen ,maia4 ,the birth of ,buddha was attended by a number of portents which betokened that a most distinguished person had appeared on earth4 ,either he was a ,buddha or a universal emperor-- ,a ,chakravartin1 such as rise to rule ,once in each thousand years4,k ,if he were the latter1 he would possess seven gifts1 tokens of his future universal power4 ,one of them was 444 a snow white elephant1 ,the ,hasti-,katna1 born to bear his ,king4,l ,by the signs on his foot1 which we have already described1 he was known to be a ,buddha4 ,one of these signs is an elephant1 named ,chatthan4 ,this is the three-headed elephant on which ,indra rides1 and is represented in many ,siamese decorations1 and in the royal coat of arms1 but in all the sculptures which represent the sole of ,buddha's foot1 the elephant possesses only one head4 ,there is also in ,siamese story a king of elephants1 ,chatthan or ,chaddanta1 who lives on the shores of the lake ,chatthan in the ,himalayas4 ,here he resides in a golden palace1 attended by eighty thousand ordinary elephants4 ,the elephant ,chatthan is sometimes known as the elephant of six defences1 an allusion to his possession of six tusks4 ,when the great king ,mara 7who reigns over all the ,mara angels1 and corresponds in the ,buddhist scriptures to the ,satan of the ,bible7 came to tempt the ,buddha as he sat under the ,bo-tree1 in the time when he attained the wisdom and holiness of ,buddhahood1 it is said that he came on an elephant4 ,he assumed an immense size1 and brandishing numerous weapons in his thousand arms1 advanced to the tree1 riding on his elephant ,girimaga1 which was no less than a thousand miles in height4 ,a number of similar elephant stories could easily be compiled1 for they are plentifully distributed in the legends of the ,east4 ,probably the great size and strength of the beast are the bases upon which the stories rest4 ,how important the elephant was in former times may be gathered from a letter written to ,sir ,john ,bowring by the late king1 when that nobleman visited ,siam in ,march #ahee1 on a diplomatic mission4 ,sir ,john's steamer had scarcely anchored at the bar at the mouth of the river1 when a letter was handed to him from the sovereign1 welcoming him to the country in very flattering terms4 ,the letter was signed when the king suddenly added a postscript1 saying1 ,i have just returned from the old city ,ayudia1 of ,siam1 fifteen days ago1 with the beautiful she-elephant which ,your ,excellency will witness here on ,your ,excellency's arrival4 ,every few years there is a great elephant hunt at ,ayuthia1 to procure elephants for government service4 ,a large kraal of quadrangular shape is erected4 ,its walls are six feet thick1 and there is but one entrance4 ,inside the walls there is a fence of thick stakes set a few inches apart from each other4 ,a herd of wild elephants is driven by tame ones into the enclosure1 and the best of those thus obtained are noted4 ,a good elephant should be of a light colour1 have black nails on his toes1 and his tail intact4 ,as many of the stronger elephants often lose their tails in fights1 it is not always possible to obtain an animal which is both powerful and handsome4 ,the chosen elephants are lassoed1 and their feet bound together4 ,the tame elephants render great assistance in the work1 and vigorously prod with their tusks any captives who become obstreperous4 ,after a few days' dieting and training the captured animals are ready to be taught their several duties4 99 99 99 99 99 ,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 discussing1 and they generally make their comparisons in favour of the former4 ,yet it is not easy for any man to hold the balance fairly1 and to say in what way a nation is wanting2 for whether the comparison be of things moral or social1 there arises the difficulty of fixing a standard of measurement4 ,morality cannot be weighed in a balance or measured with a foot-rule4 ,what is reprehensible in one country may be at least excusable in another4 ,take1 for instance1 the effect of climate upon national morality4 ,in a cold country a man who is not born to wealth must either work or starve4 ,hence arise the pushing1 prosperous1 practical1 so-called civilised nations of the world4 ,but in a warm and fertile country where the fruit grows to your hand1 and the earth brings forth her abundance for your maintenance1 where the sun and the rain perform nearly all the agricultural labour that is needed1 it is scarcely to be wondered at that the people do not hanker after work4 ,it is therefore scarcely permissible to call them lazy according to the general acceptation of the meaning of the term4 ,they have no particular liking for long and vigorous toil in the blazing heat of the sun1 and their apparent indolence is the result of their environment4 ,it will never be otherwise until humanity has lost its human nature4 ,the progress of any ,oriental nation towards civilisation1 such as we understand it1 must of necessity be slow4 ,their intense conservatism is not easily to be abolished4 ,to the country of ,siam these remarks are particularly applicable4 ,those who describe the habit of chewing betel-nut as disgusting1 forget that there can be no one universal standard to judge by1 and that many ,european habits appear equally revolting to the ,eastern4 ,when speaking of the dirtiness of their dwellings it would be as well to remember the slums of the great ,european cities1 and the defective sanitation of the majority of their dwelling-places4 ,and when pronouncing judgment upon the slowness with which educational reforms are being undertaken1 it should not be forgotten that we ourselves1 in spite of our long educational history and our modern reforms1 number our illiterate voters by hundreds4 ,the climatic1 racial1 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 other4 ,the present writer1 while believing that the evolutionary laws of growth and development apply as well to nations as to animals and plants1 is well content to leave to others the task of estimating the intrinsic value of ,siam's present moral and social condition2 hoping only that his attempts to portray briefly some of the manners and customs1 the ideas and interests of her people1 as he has actually seen them in daily life and intercourse1 may help to give a truer notion of their condition and prospects1 than would more lengthy criticisms founded on general observations of those merely political matters which necessarily bound the horizon of the casual and passing traveller4 ,,finis4 ,andre and his ,balloon ,expedition ,by ,,henri ,,lachambre and ,,alexis ,,machuron ,with coloured ,frontispiece and #dj full-page ,illustrations4 ,cr4 #hvo4 #fs4 ,this volume contains an accurate account of the making and equipping of ,mr4 ,andre's balloon1 and a detailed account of the first attempt made in #ahif1 when1 owing to the bad weather1 ,andre and his two companions could not start1 and a detailed and authoritative account of the final preparation and start for the famous flight into the ,unknown4 ,the volume is fully illustrated1 and contains a short biography of ,andre4 ,the two authors accompanied the ,expedition to ,spitsbergen1 the one author in #ahif1 and the other in ,july1 #ahig4 ,this work is being published simultaneously in four different languages4 ,a ,northern ,highway of the ,czar ,by ,,aubyn ,,trevor-,,battye ,author of ,ice-bound on ,kolguev4 ,illustrated4 ,crown #hvo4 #fs4 ,the dedication of this volume has been graciously accepted by ,his ,majesty the ,czar of ,russia4 ,travels and ,life in ,ashantee ,by ,r4 ,,austin ,,freeman ,fully ,illustrated from drawings by the ,author and from ,photographs4 ,two ,maps4 ,demy #hvo4 #aes4 ,through ,china with a ,camera ,by ,,john ,,thomson1 ,f4,r4,g4,s4 ,with about #ajj ,illustrations4 ,foolscap #dto4 ,one ,guinea net4 ,this work contains probably the finest series of pictures of ,china ever published4 ,ice-,bound on ,kolguev ,a ,,chapter ,,in ,,the ,,exploration ,,of ,,arctic ,,europe4 ,,to ,,which ,,is ,,added ,a ,,record ,,of ,,the ,,natural ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,island4 ,by ,,aubyn ,,trevor-,,battye1 ,b4,a41 ,f4,l4,s41 ,f4,z4,s41 etc41 ,with numerous ,illustrations by ,j4 ,t4 ,,nettleship1 ,,charles ,,whymper1 and ,,the ,,author4 ,second ,edition4 ,demy #hvo4 #a4 #as4 net4 ,the ,alps from ,end to ,end ,by ,sir ,,william ,,martin ,,conway ,with #ajj full-page ,illustrations by ,a4 ,d4 ,m',cormick4 ,second ,edition4 ,large #hvo1 half buckram1 gilt top4 #bas4 net4 ,,archibald ,,constable and ,,company1 ,westminster4 ,farthest ,north ,by ,,fridtjof ,,nansen ,two ,vols4 ,large ,demy #hvo4 #b #bs4 net4 ,dedicated by special permission to ,her ,majesty the ,queen4 ,bernier's ,travels in the ,mogul ,empire ,an entirely ,new ,edition1 with ,illustrations1 and reproductions of ,maps from early editions4 ,by ,,archibald ,,constable ,mem4 ,as4 ,soc4 ,bengal1 ,f4,s4,a4 ,scot4 ,crown #hvo4 #fs4 net4 ,burma a ,hundred ,years ,ago1 as described by ,father ,sangermano ,edited with ,notes and ,introduction ,by the ,hon4 ,mr4 ,,justice ,,jardine ,with a ,map4 ,demy #hvo4 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,colonisation of ,indo-,china ,by ,j4 ,,chailley-,,bert ,authorised ,english translation by ,,arthur ,,baring ,,brabant4 ,with an ,introduction1 ,maps1 ,notes1 and an ,index4 ,crown #hvo4 #gs4 #f;d4 ,problems of the ,far ,east ,,japan--,,korea--,,china ,by the ,rt4 ,hon4 ,,george ,n4 ,,curzon1 ,m4,p4 ,author of ,russia in ,central ,asia and ,persia4 ,with numerous ,illustrations and ,maps4 ,extra ,crown #hvo4 #gs4 #f;d4 ,a valuable addition to the literature dealing with the problems of the ,far ,east4--,morning ,post4 ,the ,popular ,religion and ,folk-lore of ,northern ,india ,by ,,william ,,crooke ,with numerous full-page ,plates4 ,two vols1 demy #hvo4 #bas4 net4 ,the book is in every respect an admirable one1 full of insight and knowledge at first hand4--,the ,times4 ,,archibald ,,constable and ,,company1 ,westminster4 ,archibald ,constable ,co4's ,quarterly ,list ,the ,pupils of ,peter the ,great ,a ,history of the ,russian ,court and ,empire from #afig to #agdj ,by ,r4 ,,nisbet ,,bain ,author of ,gustavus ,,iii4 and ,his ,contemporaries1 ,charles ,,xii4 ,hans ,christian ,andersen3 ,a ,biography ,,with ,,photogravure ,,frontispiece ,,and ,,portraits ,demy #hvo1 #cah pp4 ,price #aes4 net4 ,,opinions ,,of ,,the ,,press3 ,,light ,,on ,a ,,lyceum ,,play4 ,mr4 ,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 us1 on the stage of the ,lyceum1 the character of ,peter the ,great4 ,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 ,anne4--,daily ,chronicle4 ,mr4 ,bain has here put together from authentic sources an interesting and useful book4 ,without attempting the picturesque1 he has written a book that attracts the reader2 his judgment is sound1 he is unprejudiced and tolerant1 and he understands the strange world that he is depicting4 ,his portraits have the great merit of fidelity1 and he has a good knowledge of contemporary ,european politics4--,manchester ,guardian4 ,an excellent piece of historical study1 founded entirely on original research1 sober1 broad1 and sympathetic in treatment1 with a fine sense of historical proportion1 and most illuminating as respects the light it throws on a dark and ill-known time and country4--,spectator4 ,a lucid and masterly sketch of the slow development of the modern ,russian ,state between the year #afig and #agdj4--;,daily ,news4 ,mr4 ,nisbet ,bain is1 without question1 the best informed student of ,northern history who now writes for the ,british ,public1 and the volume before us will add to his reputation4--,manchester ,courier4 ,,westminster ,archibald ,constable and ,co4 #b ,,whitehall ,,gardens #ahih ,,announcements ,the ,life of ,sir ,charles ,tilston ,bright ,by ,,edward ,,brailston ,,bright1 ,c4,e41 and ,,charles ,,bright1 ,c4,e41 ,f4,r4,s4,e4 ,with many ,illustrations1 ,portraits1 and ,maps4 #b vols4 ,demy #hvo1 #c #cs4 net4 7#b #bs4 net to subscribers before publication47 ,debateable ,claims ,a ,series of ,essays on ,secondary ,education ,by ,,john ,,charles ,,tarver1 ,,author ,,of ,,some ,,observations ,,of ,a ,,foster ,,parent4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,dante's ,ten ,heavens ,a ,study in the ,paradiso ,by ,,edmund ,,gardner4 ,demy #hvo4 ,a ,french ,view of ,english ,contemporary ,art ,by ,e4 ,,de ,,la ,,sizeranne4 ,translated by ,h4 ,m4 ,,poynter4 ,crown #hvo4 ,highland ,dress and ,ornament ,by ,,lord ,,archibald ,,campbell4 ,demy #hvo4 ,andre and his ,balloon ,by ,,henri ,,lachambre and ,,alexis ,,machuron ,with coloured ,frontispiece and #dj full-page plates4 ,crown #hvo4 #fs4 ,this volume contains an accurate account of the making and equipping of ,mr4 ,andre's balloon1 and a detailed account of the first attempt made in #ahif1 when1 owing to the bad weather1 ,andre and his two companions could not start1 and a detailed and authoritative account of the final preparation and start for the famous flight into the ,unknown4 ,the volume is fully illustrated1 and contains a short biography of ,andre4 ,the two authors accompanied the ,expedition to ,spitzbergen1 the one author in #ahif1 and the other in ,july1 #ahig4 ,the volume is of very great general interest1 containing as it does the only authoritative account of the expedition up to date1 and is of special value to all interested in ballooning1 as the authors are acknowledged experts4 ,this work is being published simultaneously in four different languages4 ,the ,kingdom of the ,yellow ,robe ,by ,,ernest ,,young4 ,fully ,illustrated by ,e4 ,a4 ,,norbury1 ,r4,c4,a41 and from ,photographs4 ,demy #hvo4 ,constable's ,hand ,gazetteer of ,india ,uniform with ,constable's ,hand ,atlas of ,india4 ,a ,,book ,,of ,travels and ,life in ,ashantee ,by ,r4 ,,austin ,,freeman1 ,f4,r4,g4,s4 ,fully ,illustrated1 from drawings by the ,author1 and from ,photographs4 #b ,maps4 ,demy #hvo4 ,a ,northern ,highway of the ,czar ,by ,,aubyn ,,trevor ,,battye1 ,author of ,ice-bound on ,kolguev4 ,illustrated4 ,crown #hvo4 #fs4 ,the dedication of this volume has been graciously accepted by ,his ,majesty the ,czar of ,russia4 ,our ,troubles in ,poona and the ,deccan ,by ,,arthur ,,travers ,,crawford1 ,c4,m4,g41 late ,commissioner of ,poona4 ,fully ,illustrated4 ,demy #hvo1 #ads4 ,few of the troubles we have had in ,india from time to time have assumed so serious an aspect as the recent disturbances in ,poona2 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 case4 ,the ,author of this book1 having a large experience of the districts affected1 has written this work in order to make the situation clear4 ,two ,native ,narratives of the ,mutiny in ,delhi ,translated from the ,originals by the late ,,charles ,,theophilus ,,metcalfe1 ,c4,s4,i4 7,bengal ,civil ,service74 ,demy #hvo1 with large ,map4 ,just ,ready4 ,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 source4 ,one is the diary1 kept daily throughout the ,siege of ,delhi in #aheg by ,munshi ,jeewan ,lall4 ,this man1 who was an official in the employ of the ,governor ,general's ,agent in ,delhi1 was all along loyal to us1 and remained1 till his death1 an honoured servant of the ,british ,government4 ,he gave the original diary to the translator on the occasion of the ,imperial ,assemblage at ,delhi in #ahgg4 ,the other narrative is by an educated native nobleman--,nawab ,mainodin ,hassan ,khan4 ,he threw in his lot with the rebels1 and had eventually to fly1 with a price on his head4 ,after some years of exile he returned to ,india1 stood his trial1 and was acquitted of complicity in murder1 and pardoned for his share in the fighting4 ,this result was brought about mainly through the influence of ,sir ,t4 ,metcalfe1 whose life he had saved during the ,siege4 ,the ,nawab subsequently drew up the narrative from materials in his possession1 and gave it in the original to the translator4 ,mr4 ,metcalfe having died before the papers were ready for publication1 they are now edited and brought out by his widow4 ,constable's ,hand ,atlas of ,india ,a ,,new ,,series ,,of ,,sixty ,,maps ,,and ,,plans ,,prepared ,,from ,,ordnance ,,and ,,other ,,surveys ,,under ,,the ,,direction ,,of ,j4 ,g4 ,,bartholomew1 ,f4,r4,g4,s41 ,f4,r4,s4,e41 c4 ,in half-morocco1 or full-bound cloth1 gilt top1 #ads4 ,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 ,india4' ,nothing half so useful has been done for many years to help both the traveller in ,india and the student at home4 ',constable's ,hand ,atlas' is a pleasure to hold and to turn over4--,athenum4 ,,now ,,ready ,,at ,,all ,,libraries ,through ,china with a ,camera ,by ,,john ,,thomson1 ,f4,r4,g4,s4 ,with about #ajj ,illustrations4 ,foolscap #dto4 ,one ,guinea net4 ,this work contains probably the finest series of pictures of ,china ever published4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,a ,,brief ,,sketch ,,of ,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,china1 ,,past ,,and ,,present4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,chinaman ,,abroad ,,and ,,at ,,home4 ,chinese ,guilds--,hong-kong--,native ,boats--,shopkeepers--,artists--,music ,halls4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,chinaman ,,abroad ,,and ,,at ,,home 7continued74 ,gambling--,typhoons--,the floating population of ,hong-kong--,north branch of the ,pearl ,river4 ,,iv4 ,,canton ,,and ,,kwang-,,tung ,,province4 ,tea--,foreign ,hongs and ,houses--,schroffing4 ,v4 ,,canton 7continued74 ,its general appearance--,its population--,streets--,mode of transacting business--,signboards--,work and ,wages--,the willow-pattern bridge--,juilin1 ,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 junk4 ,,vi4 ,,canton 7continued74 ,,macao4 ,,swatow4 ,,chao-,,chow-,,fu--,,amoy4 ,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 settlement4 ,,vii4 ,,formosa4 ,takow harbour1 ,formosa--,la-mah-kai--,difficulties of navigation--,tai-wan-fu--,the ,taotai--,his yamen--,how to cancel a state debt--,the ,dutch in #affa--,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 journey4 ,,viii4 ,,foochow ,,and ,,the ,,river ,,min4 ,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-boat4 ,,ix4 ,,shanghai4 ,,ningpo4 ,,hankow4 ,,the ,,yangtsze4 ,steam traffic in the ,china ,sea--,in the wake of a typhoon--,shanghai--,notes of its early history--,japanese raids--,shanghai foreign settlement--,paul ,sii1 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 ,yangtsze1 ,kiang--,hankow--,the ,upper ,yangtsze1 ,ichang--,the ,gorges--,the great ,tsing-tan rapid--,mystic fountain lights--,a dangerous disaster--,kwei-fu--,our return--,kiukiang--,nanking2 its arsenal--,the death of ,tsing-kwo-fan--,chinese superstition4 ,x4 ,,chefoo4 ,,pekin4 ,,tientsin4 ,,the ,,great ,,wall4 ,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 roads1 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--,remarkab le cenotaph--,a ,chinese army--,li-,hung-,chang--,the inn of ,patriotic ,perfection--,the ,great ,wall--,the ,ming tombs4 ,problems of the ,far ,east ,,japan--,,corea--,,china ,by the ,,rt4 ,,hon4 ,,george ,n4 ,,curzon1 ,m4,p4 ,with numerous ,illustrations and ,maps4 ,extra crown #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,this volume1 written by the ,under-,secretary of ,state for ,foreign ,affairs1 is of unusual value at present1 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 ,east4 ,certainly the influence of ,mr4 ,curzon's thoughtful generalizations1 based as they are upon wide knowledge1 and expressed in clear and picturesque language1 cannot fail to assist in solving the problems of the ,far ,east4--,manchester ,courier4 ,the ,popular ,religion and ,folk-lore of ,northern ,india ,by ,,william ,,crooke ,with numerous ,full-page ,plates4 #b ,vols4 ,demy #hvo1 #bas4 net4 ,the book is in every respect an admirable one1 full of insight and knowledge at first hand4--,the ,times4 ,the ,household of the ,lafayettes ,by ,,edith ,,sichel4 ,demy #hvo4 #aes4 net4 ,may be warmly commended to every student of social history4--,globe4 ,a work of notable ability and strength4--,world4 444 ,a volume of deep and pathetic interest4444 ,we scarcely know any book which presents a more vivid picture of the ,french ,revolution4--,glasgow ,herald4 ,every one who takes any interest in the ,france of the last quarter of the eighteenth century should read this well-written book4--,publishers' ,circular4 ,medals and ,decorations of the ,british ,army and ,navy ,by ,,john ,,horsley ,,mayo 7,late ,assistant ,military ,secretary to the ,india ,office74 ,dedicated by ,permission to ,her ,most ,gracious ,majesty ,,victoria1 ,,queen ,,and ,,empress4 ,with ,fifty-five ,plates ,printed in ,colours and many ,illustrations in the text4 #b vols4 ,super-,royal #hvo4 ,over #fjj pp4 #c #cs4 net4 ,of the manner in which the work has been carried out it is impossible to speak except in terms of warm praise4 ,the medals and ribbons are beautifully reproduced4 ,to produce such a work1 so beautifully illustrated1 has necessitated much expense and a corresponding price2 but we can scarcely imagine a barracks or a ,queen's ship that will be long without it4--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,an exhaustive record1 and it will be strange if the inquirer searches its pages for information on a particular medal or decoration and is disappointed4--,scotsman4 ,for beauty and fidelity the coloured reproductions of ,army and ,navy medals and decorations surpass anything of the kind we have ever seen4--,daily ,news4 ,one cannot too highly praise the numerous illustrations4 ,the letterpress1 too1 is extraordinarily full and elaborate4 ,altogether the work is a mine of authoritative information on its subject1 and should abundantly satisfy at once the military enthusiast and the specialist in numismatics4--,glasgow ,herald4 ,these two volumes appeal powerfully to all who cherish the great patriotic traditions of the ,english race1 and their value for official reference is1 moreover1 incontestable4--,leeds ,mercury4 ,the ,principles of ,local ,government ,by ,,george ,,laurence ,,gomme1 ,f4,s4,a41 ,statistical ,officer of the ,london ,county ,council4 ,demy #hvo1 #bhd pages1 price #abs4 ,this volume is of very great value to all interested in various questions of ,local ,government1 especially in view of the forthcoming ,county ,council elections4 ,mr4 ,gomme is acknowledged as one of the greatest living authorities on the subject4 ,the ,statistical ,office of the ,county ,council has produced a work of great value in the ,principles of ,local ,government4--,london4 ,there is much to be learned from ,mr4 ,laurence ,gomme's historical and analytical lectures4--,daily ,mail4 ,his criticisms on the existing system show a thorough mastery of a complicated subject4--,daily ,chronicle4 ,problems of ,modern ,democracy ,by ,,edwin ,,laurence ,,godkin4 ,crown #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,the most noteworthy book on ,democracy since ,mr4 ,lecky's4--,glasgow ,evening ,news4 ,reflections and ,comments ,by ,,edwin ,,laurence ,,godkin4 ,crown #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,mr4 ,godkin's book forms an excellent example of the best periodical literature of his country and time4--,the ,daily ,news4 ,,constable',s ,,library ,,of ,historical ,novels and ,romances ,edited by ,,laurence ,,gomme4 ,crown #hvo1 #cs4 #f;d41 cloth4 ,after a ,design by ,a4 ,a4 ,,turbayne4 ,with ,illustrations of all the principal features1 which include reproductions of royal and historical signatures1 coins1 seals1 and heraldic devices4 ,just ,published4 ,westward ,ho6 ,by ,,charles ,,kingsley4 ,with numerous ,illustrations4 ,to be followed by ,reading ,abbey ,,charles ,,macfarlane4 ,already ,published4 ,harold3 ,the ,last of the ,saxons ,by ,,lord ,,lytton4 ,the ,camp of ,refuge ,,charles ,,macfarlane4 ,now we are to have for the first time a fairly complete edition of the best historical novels and romances in our language4 ,messrs4 ,archibald ,constable ,co4 have had a happy idea in planning such a scheme1 which is likely to have an enthusiastic reception4--,national ,observer4 ,farthest ,north ,by ,,fridtjof ,,nansen ,a ,few ,copies of the ,library ,edition of ,farthest ,north ,by ,,fridtjof ,,nansen #b ,vols4 ,royal #hvo1 #b #bs4 net1 are still for sale4 ,the ,library ,edition contains3 ,,over ,,one ,,hundred ,,full-,,page ,,and ,a ,,large ,,number ,,of ,,text ,,illustrations4 ,,three ,,photogravure ,,plates4 ,,sixteen ,,coloured ,,plates ,,in ,,facsimile ,,of ,,dr4 ,,nansen',s ,,own ,,water-,,colour1 ,,pastel1 ,,and ,,pencil ,,sketches4 ,,an ,,etched ,,portrait ,,of ,,the ,,author4 ,,three ,,maps4 ,a masterpiece of story telling4--,times4 ,a book for everybody who loves a story of romance and adventure4--,westminster ,gazette4 ,the genius of ,defoe could scarcely contrive a more absorbing story than we have in the second volume of the book4--,spectator4 ,dr4 ,nansen's ,great ,book contains over #ajj ,full-page ,illustrations1 a large number of ,text ,illustrations1 sixteen ,coloured ,plates1 four ,large ,maps1 two ,photogravure ,plates1 and an ,etched ,portrait4 ,sir ,henry ,wotton3 ,a ,biographical ,sketch ,by ,,adolphus ,,william ,,ward1 ,litt4,d41 ,,ll4,d1 ,principal of the ,owens ,college1 ,manchester2 ,hon4 ,fellow of ,peterhouse1 ,cambridge4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 #cs4 #f;d4 ,a delightful monograph entirely worthy of its admirable subject4--,glasgow ,herald4 ,english ,schools4 #aedf-aedh ,by ,a4 ,f4 ,,leach1 ,m4,a41 ,f4,s4,a41 ,late ,fellow of ,all ,souls'1 ,oxford2 ,assistant ,charity ,commissioner4 ,demy #hvo4 #abs4 ,a very remarkable contribution to the history of secondary education in ,england1 not less novel in its conclusions than important in the documentary evidence adduced to sustain them4--,the ,times4 ,this is the most valuable book on the history of ,english ,education that has seen the light for many a long year4--,the ,journal of ,education4 ,spenser's ,faerie ,queene ,complete in ,six ,volumes4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth1 #is4 net4 ,edited by ,,kate ,m4 ,,warren4 ,volumes ,i41 ,,ii41 and ,,iii4 now ready1 #as4 #f;d4 net each4 ,also cloth gilt extra1 with ,photogravure ,frontispiece1 #bs4 #f;d4 each net4 ,for school use especially and as a pocket edition this reprint is just what the general reader requires4--,liverpool ,daily ,post4 ,miss ,warren1 however1 really explains all that is necessary to an intelligent understanding of the text4--,leeds ,mercury4 ,the text is good1 there is a full and accurate glossary1 and the notes are clear and to the point4 ,the introduction1 too1 is neatly written4--,catholic ,times4 ,some ,observations of a ,foster ,parent ,by ,,john ,,charles ,,tarver4 ,crown #hvo4 #fs4 ,a very excellent book on the education of the ,english boy4 ,the book is one which all parents should diligently read4--,,daily ,,mail4 ,the ,chronicle of ,villani ,,translated ,,by ,,rose ,e4 ,,selfe4 ,edited by the ,rev4 ,p4 ,h4 ,,wicksteed4 ,crown #hvo4 #fs4 ,the book1 picturesque and instructive reading as it is1 is not less interesting and still more valuable for readers of ,italy's greatest poet4--,scotsman4 ,perhaps no one book is so important to the student of ,dante as the chronicle of his contemporary ,villani4--,athenum4 ,at all ,libraries and ,booksellers4 ,adventures in ,legend ,tales of the ,west ,highlands4 ,by the ,,marquis ,,of ,,lorne1 ,k4,t41 ,m4,p4 ,fully ,illustrated4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,just ,ready4 ,the ,dark ,way of ,love ,by ,,charles ,a4 ,,goffic4 ,translated by ,e4 ,,wingate ,,rinder4 ,crown #hvo1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,by the ,roaring ,reuss3 ,idylls and ,stories of the ,alps ,by ,w4 ,,bridges ,,birtt4 ,with four ,full-page ,illustrations4 ,crown #hvo1 #es4 ,odd ,stories ,by ,,frances ,,forbes ,,robertson4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,written for the most part in graceful and vigorous ,english1 veined with a pretty sentiment1 and not seldom rising to dramatic power4--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,charming are the short sketches ,miss ,frances ,forbes-,robertson has reprinted4--,illustrated ,london ,news4 ,bright and artistic1 some of them original1 none commonplace4--,sketch4 ,the book is steeped in an atmosphere of fantasy1 which makes us feel as if we had been to the edge of the world and smelt the flowers which grow there4--,literature4 ,dracula ,by ,,bram ,,stoker4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,one of the most enthralling and unique romances ever written4--,the ,christian ,world4 ,the very weirdest of weird tales4--,punch4 ,its fascination is so great that it is impossible to lay it aside4--,the ,lady4 ,the idea is so novel that one gasps1 as it were1 at its originality4 ,a romance far above the ordinary production4--,st4 ,paul's4 ,much loving and happy human nature1 much heroism1 much faithfulness1 much dauntless hope1 so that as one phantasmal ghastliness follows another in horrid swift succession the reader is always accompanied by images of devotion and friendliness4--,liverpool ,daily ,post4 ,a most fascinating narrative4--,dublin ,evening ,herald4 ,in the ,tideway ,by ,,flora ,,annie ,,steel 7,author of ,miss ,stuart's ,legacy1 ,on the ,face of the ,waters1 etc474 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,it is too late in the day to speak of ,mrs4 ,steel's position4 ,this is assured1 but this book adds greatly to an established position4 ,it is profoundly impressive4--,st4 ,james's ,budget4 ,wonderfully bright and lively both in dialogue and incidents4--,scotsman4 ,,new ,,books ,,for ,,children ,the ,king's ,story ,book ,edited by ,g4 ,,laurence ,,gomme4 ,with numerous full-page ,illustrations by ,c4 ,,harrison ,,miller4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth gilt1 #fs4 ,mr4 ,gomme has hit upon a happy idea for a 'story-book1' and has carried it out with signal success4--,publisher's ,circular4 ,mr4 ,gomme's selection is of great interest4--,st4 ,james' ,gazette4 ,the book is most informative1 as well as full of interest4--,vanity ,fair4 ,we give honourable mention to ',the ,king's ,story ,book4' ,it is a book of stories collected out of ,english romantic literature4 ,this is a book that will thrill more than any modern effort of the imagination2 a more striking collection of stories of daring and valour was never got between two book covers4--,pall ,mall ,gazette1 ,nov4 #bc1 #ahig4 ,the ,laughter of ,peterkin ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,a ,re-telling of ,old ,stories of the ,celtic ,wonder-world4 ,a book for young and old4 ,by ,,fiona ,,macleod4 ,this latest and most excellent piece of work of ,miss ,macleod's4--,spectator4 ,to no more skilful hands than those of ,fiona ,macleod could the re-telling of these old tales of the ,celtic ,wonderland have been confided4--,morning ,post4 ,the writing is full of beauty and passion4--,st4 ,james' ,gazette4 ,the book is a charming fairy tale4--,athenum4 ,this book has so much charm of style and good writing that it will be eagerly read by many other than the young folk for whom it is intended4--,black and ,white4 ,a ,houseful of ,rebels ,a ,fairy ,tale4 ,by ,,walter ,c4 ,,rhoades4 ,illustrated by ,,patten ,,wilson4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth gilt1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,it is exactly the sort of story which will interest4--,weekly ,sun4 ,a charming story1 well told1 and is beautifully illustrated by ,patten ,wilson4--,manchester ,courier4 ,readers will laugh till they cry over the first fifty pages of a ',houseful of ,rebels4'--,manchester ,guardian4 ,songs for ,little ,people ,by ,,norman ,,gale4 ,profusely ,illustrated by ,,helen ,,stratton4 ,large ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,miss ,stratton has headed1 and tailed1 and bordered the verses with a series of exquisitely pictured fancies4--,bookseller4 ,simple1 charming little verses they are of fairies1 animals1 and children1 and the illustrations are strikingly original4--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,london ,riverside ,churches ,by ,a4 ,e4 ,,daniell ,profusely illustrated by ,,alexander ,,ansted ,imperial #afmo1 #fs4 ,a little time ago ,mr4 ,daniell gave us a book on the churches of the ,city of ,london4 ,he has now turned his attention to ',london ,riverside ,churches4' ,he takes the ,thames from ,greenwich to ,kingston1 and tells the stories of the various notable churches touched by this line4 ,the book is fully illustrated from sketches by ,alexander ,ansted4--,daily ,chronicle4 ,,by ,,the ,,same ,,author ,london ,city ,churches ,with ,numerous ,illustrations and a ,map showing the position of each ,church4 ,imperial #afmo1 #fs4 ,mr4 ,daniell's work will prove very interesting reading1 as he has evidently taken great care in obtaining all the facts concerning the ,city churches1 their history and associations4--,london4 ,the illustrations to this book are good1 and it deserves to be widely read4--,morning ,post4 ,the ,books of the ,bible ,,in ,,separate ,,volumes ,printed in ,red and ,black4 ,cloth1 paper label1 uncut edges1 #as4 net2 cloth gilt1 #as4 #f;d4 net2 whole leather1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,the ,,psalms ,,st4 ,,matthew ,,st4 ,,mark ,,st4 ,,luke ,,st4 ,,john ,,the ,,four ,,gospels ,in ,one ,volume ,cloth1 paper label1 #bs4 #f;d4 net2 purple cloth gilt1 #cs4 net2 white cloth gilt1 #cs4 net2 whole leather1 #ds4 net4 ,others to follow4 ,very tasteful in appearance4--,glasgow ,herald4 ,exquisite volumes4--,the ,globe4 ,the edition is very attractive4--,westminster ,gazette4 ,the idea is excellent4--,the ,record4 ,,constable1 ,,westminster ,,three ,,notable ,,reprints ,boswell's ,life of ,johnson ,edited by ,,augustine ,,birrell ,with ,frontispieces by ,,alex4 ,,ansted1 a ,reproduction of ,sir ,,joshua ,,reynolds' ,portrait4 ,six ,volumes4 ,foolscap #hvo4 ,cloth1 paper label1 or gilt extra1 #bs4 net per ,volume4 ,also half morocco1 #cs4 net per ,volume4 ,sold in ,sets only4 ,far and away the best ,boswell1 ,i should say1 for the ordinary book-lover1 now on the market4--,illustrated ,london ,news4 ,the volumes1 which are light1 and so well bound that they open easily anywhere1 are exceedingly pleasant to handle and read4--,st4 ,james's ,budget4 ,constable's edition will long remain the best both for the general reader and the scholar4--,review of ,reviews4 ,,constable',s ,,reprint ,,of ,the ,waverley ,novels ,the ,favourite ,edition of ,,sir ,,walter ,,scott ,with all the original ,plates and ,vignettes 7,re-engraved74 ,in #dh ,vols4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 ,cloth1 paper label title1 #as4 #f;d4 net per ,volume1 or #c #abs4 net the ,set4 ,also cloth gilt1 gilt top1 #bs4 net per ,volume1 or #d #afs4 net the ,set2 and half-leather gilt1 #bs4 #f;d4 net per ,volume1 or #f net the ,set4 ,this is one of the most charming editions of the ,waverley ,novels that we know1 as well as one of the cheapest in the market4--,glasgow ,herald4 ,the ,paston ,letters1 #adib-aeij ,edited by ,,james ,,gairdner1 of the ,public ,record ,office #c vols4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 ,with #c ,photogravure ,frontispieces1 cloth gilt extra1 or paper label uncut1 #afs4 net4 ,this edition1 which was first published some twenty years ago1 is the standard edition of these remarkable historical documents1 and contains upwards of four hundred letters in addition to those published by ,frere in #ahbc4 ,the reprint is in three small and compact volumes1 and should be welcome to students of history as giving an important work in a convenient form4--,scotsman4 ,one of the monuments of ,english historical scholarship that needs no commendation4--,manchester ,guardian4 ,,poetry ,selected ,poems ,by ,,george ,,meredith ,crown #hvo4 #fs4 ,a volume which abounds in imaginative vision as well as intellectual strength4--,standard4 ,his poems are achievements of the intellect 444 there is wit in them and genius4--,scotsman4 ,we hope that a large public will wake up to the high and serious beauties and the real genius of ,mr4 ,meredith's finest poetry4--,st4 ,james's ,gazette4 ,these ,selected ,poems are a literary store4--,scotsman4 ,songs of ,love and ,empire ,by ,e4 ,,nesbit ,now ,ready4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth gilt4 ,new ,poems ,by ,,francis ,,thompson ,fcap4 #hvo1 #fs4 net4 ,there is in these new ,poems a wider outlook1 a greater breadth of sympathy than were discovered in their predecessors4--,globe4 ,a true poet4444 ,at any rate here unquestionably is a new poet1 a wielder of beautiful words1 a lover of beautiful things4--,i4 ,,zangwill1 in the ,cosmopolitan1 ,sept41 #ahie4 ,at least one book of poetry has been published this year that we can hand on confidently to other generations4 ,it is not incautious to prophesy that ,mr4 ,francis ,thompson's poems will last4--,sketch4 ,mr4 ,thompson's new volume will be welcomed by all students and lovers of the more ambitious forms of poetry4--,glasgow ,herald4 ,whitman4 ,a ,study ,by ,,john ,,burroughs #abmo4 ,cloth gilt1 #fs4 net4 ,altogether the most complete1 the most sympathetic1 and the most penetrating estimate of ,walt ,whitman that has yet been written4--,daily ,mail4 ,fidelis and ,other ,poems ,by ,c4 ,m4 ,,gemmer ,foolscap #hvo1 cloth gilt1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,it has undeniable beauty1 and it would have been a pity if this and some of the shorter poems included in the same collection had not seen the light4 ,distinction of tone1 careful craftsmanship1 and a rich vocabulary characterise most of them4--,manchester ,guardian4 ,touched with a dainty grace is ',baby-,land4'444 ',a ,reverie' in whose tender pathos and stately movement we find an abiding charm4--,literature4 ,a ,tale of ,boccaccio and ,other ,poems ,by ,,arthur ,,coles ,,armstrong4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth gilt1 #es4 net4 ,the ,cyclists' ,pocket ,book ,for the year #ahih4 ,,full ,,of ,,information ,cloth boards1 #as4 ,leather1 #as4 #f;d4 ,a special feature of the #ahih edition of ,,the ,,cyclists' ,,pocket ,,book is a list of ,hotels offering advantages to ,cyclists in town and country1 also the ,,cyclists' ,,telegraph ,,code 7enlarged and improved74 ,a very handy little volume 444 in size and shape most convenient 444 an excellent little work4 ,can highly recommend it to our readers4--,the ,irish ,cyclist4 ,the most useful pocket book for cyclists we have yet seen4--,westminster ,gazette4 ,should be read and digested by all riders 444 very useful1 a valuable handbook1 and one long wanted4--,land and ,water4 ,cyclists will pronounce it to be in its way a gem 444 appears complete in every respect4--,scotsman4 ,a wonderfully compact and handy volume--a mass of useful information 444 quite a novelty4--,daily ,mail4 ,neatly arranged 444 a handy little volume4--,the ,field4 ,the telegraphic code 444 a very valuable feature4--,england4 ,the ,art and ,pastime of ,cycling ,by ,r4 ,j4 ,,mecredy and ,a4 ,j4 ,,wilson ,with ,numerous ,illustrations4 ,paper1 #as42 cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 ,a very useful and well-compiled guide to cycling4--,wheeling4 ,the treatise is written in simple language1 and its directions are clearly expressed4--,sporting ,life4 ,will be of great value both to beginners and devotees of the wheel4--,whitehall ,review4 ,the ,game of ,polo ,by ,t4 ,f4 ,,dale 7,stoneclink of ,the ,field7 ,demy #hvo ,fully ,illustrated ,one ,guinea net ,a handsome volume4444 ,the author1 ',stoneclink1' of ,the ,field1 is one of the recognised authorities of the sport1 and what he does not know about it is not knowledge4--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,a book which is likely to rank as the standard work on the subject4--,morning ,post4 ,the author writes in a pleasant1 spirited style1 and may be taken as an admirable guide4444 ,a really charming addition to the library of those who are devoted to the game4--,the ,globe4 ,illustration ,new ,popular ,edition ,,of ,,the ,works of ,george ,meredith ,crown #hvo1 #f_/- each ,with ,frontispieces by ,,bernard ,,partridge1 ,,harrison ,,miller and ,others4 ,the ,ordeal of ,richard ,feverel ,ready4 ,rhoda ,fleming ,ready4 ,sandra ,belloni ,ready4 ,vittoria ,ready4 ,diana of the ,crossways ,ready4 ,the ,egoist ,just ,ready4 ,evan ,harrington ,the ,adventures of ,harry ,richmond ,beauchamp's ,career ,one of ,our ,conquerors ,lord ,ormont and ,his ,aminta ,the ,amazing ,marriage ,the ,shaving of ,shagpat ,the ,tragic ,comedians ,short ,stories ,poems ,,footnotes3 ,footnote ,a3 ,chulakantamangala4 ,captain ,gerini4 ,footnote ,b3 ,see ,chapter ,x4 ,footnote ,c3 ,the ,wheel of the ,law4 ,alabaster4 ,footnote ,d3 ,siam ,repository4 ,footnote ,e3 ,siam4 ,miss ,cort4 ,footnote ,f3 ,lightning4 ,footnote ,g3 ,siam1 ,bowring4 ,footnote ,h3 ,see ,buddhism1 ,rhys ,davids4 ,footnote ,i3 ,a ,siamese chang or catty is equal to about #b-b_/c lbs4 avoirdupois4 ,footnote ,j3 ,siam4 ,miss ,cort4 ,footnote ,k3 ,light of ,asia4 ,arnold4 ,footnote ,l3 ,light of ,asia4 ,arnold4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes ,minor punctuation errors have been silently corrected4 ,some hyphenation inconsistencies have been standardized4 ,the two pages of ads at the beginning of the book have been moved to the ads section at the end of the book4 ,lo,i3 ,added ,fishing ,lugger1 page #agd4 ,lo,i3 ,changed ,klong to ,khlong to match illustration caption4 7,orig3 ,klong near ,petchaboorree47 ,page #b3 ,changed suceess to success4 7,orig3 new sovereign owed much of his suceess47 ,page #ah3 kharki may be a typo for khaki4 7,orig3 postmen in their yellow kharki uniforms7 ,page #aae3 ,deleted duplicate of4 7,orig3 cut into rectangular pieces of of the same size7 ,page #bfa3 ,changed foo to food4 7,orig3 they must not partake of solid foo of any description47 ,page #bfh3 ,changed obselete to obsolete4 7,orig3 these counsels are so many obselete laws17 ,page #bgj3 ,changed he to be4 7,orig3 his mind should he well controlled47 ,page #cbe3 ,changed carcases to carcasses4 7,orig3 better spent in burning dead dogs' carcases47 ,page #cce3 ,changed the to he4 7,orig3 ,with mingled joy and grief the parted with his long-loved7 ,page #cch3 ,changed he to be4 7,orig3 ,whatever he ordered to he done in his own provinces7 ,page #ceh3 ,changed estabished to established4 7,orig3 afterwards definitely estabished as annual occurrences7 ,page #cie3 ,changed on to one4 7,orig3 ,on of them was7