The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-04-21

wives as he can support.
! AS for the Siamese aristocracy, we had
! speedy evidence of their having not yet
| attained a cosmopolitan standard of ele-
| gance in manners and dress. Twoldays
| after the San Jaeinto had come to anthor,
| the Prime Minister came down the river on
a visit of ceremony to the ship, ATTENDED by
| several of his sons and brothers, and follow
ed by servants bearing their masters swords.
| All of them were without hats or shoes, the
mobiles wearing silk jackets over their hip
| cloths. They came down in n very small
steamer, tthe only one they have,) and an
chored near US. As they came on board of
us rather early in the morning, Capt. Bell
! had breakfast prepared, and reque sted the
missionary, DR.. Mattoom, who accompanied
them, to invite the Prime Minister to desig-
nate slch of his suite as he admitted to his
own table. He appeared to be much per-
picked, and finally designated his brothers
alone, who in turn seemed rather uneasy
at the honor paid them. An explanation
had to be offered, as we were not aware of
the punctilious custom of the country of
eating alone. An inferior is never admitted
to equality at the table, and there is an OBJ
among the nobility of the country of precise
ly the same rank, as the precedence of au-
thority is strictly respected. After having
dispatched his breakfast, the Minister ask
ed his brother for fire to light his cigar,
when the latter Immediately sank on all
fours, resting on his elbows and knees, and
present, d the cigar from his lips. This is
the fashion of all interiors when addressing
or serving their superiors. When the King
passes up and down the river in his barge,
the banks are crowded with men and women
on all-fours, while many of them run back
into the narrow lanes to close up their
houses, shutting the doors and windows,
and then PROSTATE themselves on the ground
although out of sight.
Our aristocratic visitors stopped on board
about four hours, until they had sufficiently
indulged their curiosity and exhausted their
stock of ceremonious politeness. The
greatest curiosity with US was to witness
their behavior when they returned to their
steamer, and the readiness with which they
laid aside ceremony for comfort. AS soon
as they reached their deck, they threw off
their jackets, and to cool off more peasant
ly, loosened the holds of their clouts, the
only garments they kept on. Some drew
buckets of water and sat down in them.
On another occasion than that just men
toned, the San Jacinto had the honor of an
aristocratic visit from two ''gentlemen'' of
the Princes household. One of the visitors
was dressed in a red silk jacket, green vest
and blue silk pants, reaching just below the
knee, with his feet encased in cotton socks
and common India rubber overshoes The
other was sans vest, socks or shoes. They
came to breakfast, of course. After the
meal was over and they had seen the ship,
and we were expecting them to make their
congo, the courtier in the fancy vest very
quietly betook himself to the sofa in the
cabin, where he enjoyed two maps until late
in the afternoon, when he suddenly discov-
cred that the wind was fair to bear them
back to the shore.
After series of delays, scarcely wise,
however characteristic of Siamese diploma
cy, notice was conveyed to MIR Harris of
the particular day on which the King would
receive him. His Majesty had been unusu-
ally tardy in his reception, and had delayed
several weeks, on the pretext that he had
been building house-of bamboo for
the accommodation of the Commissioner
and his suite. Our party proceeded with
Mr. Harris to the residence of the King in
large royal boats, and after landing at
Bankok, were conveyed in procession to
the Palace in chairs, borne, each, on the
shoulders of four men. The city of Ban
kok, which is the capital, is-situated about
thirty miles up the Menam River, built
partly on bamboo stakes in the river, and
with canals for streets. Many of the houses
are built on RATS of bamboo, tied up to the
shore. The buildings are generally of
bamboo or wood, but the temples and the
Kings storehouses, as we'll as the Palace,
are built of brick covered over with plas-
ter.
On reaching the place. our party were
set down, and a. m. were shown into the
Hall of Justice. His Majesty had appoint
ed 7o'clock. in TIE cool of the morning.
as the hour of our Decentralization but to
prove his contempt for time and the con-
venience of others, it was not until past the
hour of eleven that we were conducted to
the Audience Hall. We passed through
files of wretched soldiers and crowds of
people. The Hall was magnificent. In the
centre stood two thorns, one more elevated
than the rest, the explanation being offered
that there were two Kings. the Office of the
Second being somewhat analogous to that
of our Vice President, as he succeeds to the
throne in certain cases of vacation. An
audience chair, with desk. was placed in
front of the thrones, where his Majesty was
seated to receive US. He was dressed in a
blue silk robe worked with gold. and a blue