New-York daily tribune., 1859-12-28
BURNING THE DEAD IN SIAM

cOrrespondeuee Of The London Atheneum-
BASGEox April -.
BANGKOK the capital of Siam cannot be compared
IL afpearance to any European city. large number
ns Louses and dwellings, in lieu Of resting upon nrta
ouIdations are erected RATS OF bamboo, winch,
were they not secured by anchors, would DC ~y oi
Tie traveller up the Klong Tapau I-Iang which 10
lie of the principal canals Of the city, VIII notice on
a western bank large structure OF bricks, 80 sngu-
r in s architecture that probably the idea occurs to
IN that the architect who planned II took me rover
Babel as prototype, intending TO represent lt Al
1ngkOk on reduced scale. IL met, ike thal pie,
.iuIi.r fate for il is " rotten at the foundation.
ne ambitious design OF the builder abandoned
,etore the work had been completed, and tbs parts
reyously erected have already begun TO decay the
over walls upon which the superstrueture resIA sink
Ito the aluvlal soil GO
Tbis Wat or buddhist temple bears the of Sc
cd The grounds which appertaln TO It occupy
cry extensive space, and are divided oy cala INTO
wo PARTS the more northern OF which contains tne
uin Just spoken OF. Here number OF oomiorIAos
ouses tor the priests Taapons have been erected
aIael 10 the canal; tie grounds are aid out accord
to Slamese taste, with saas or bowers, inches, grot
s and roekwood the smaller canals or trenches are
rCssed by hgh-baeked bridges, according 10 ChinA
ssbjon; there are SHADY trees and Towering bushes
rough The whole bears the appearance that the
alaioins or Buddhist monks keep the northern part
I seked in excellent order.
large bridge leads from here across broad can'u
at now presents itself to the visitor The temples
Aitlin that space SMALL no flowers or snruDesrI
urround thtm-Only rank grass The attention s At
.seed by IA number oil structures piac.d ~ ~ k Hls
u thin regular distance each, perhaps 70 or - feet
ilh, which can only compare 10 FdmCf0ur, oflng-
~ to the mind scenes connected with funeral ntes'
esolatiOn, il seems, IL the principal feature w1len
gnIs this division OF Wal Seked.
foowlng the path constructed OF bricks ana raised
love tie inhnence Of the highest tides person lg-
oIGnt OF the pnrPort 10 which seAed Is dedicated,
il perhaps, be asionshed to nouce on the SIDES Oh
pathway heaps OF cotton, apparently the rssl-
,uee of pillow and mattrssses pIscss OF thin
.ald rlOw my Nsstiges Of their having been pasted
,er itb gded or syered paper, or ornanenlsd win
iLsel.
In some of the salas open buildings, the roofs Of
ich rest EUOn pillars, he observed structures which,
uII IearAnoe, can only compare 10 huge trays Ihey
le aTuy filed with clayey earth IN the middle OF
hcb "a sIoulderiug hre attracts attention. CURIOSITY
fNs tie visitor nearer notwithstanding the peculiar
cor which arses from the cnders, and he hnds that
lat 10 consuming consists OF the remains OF fellow
.tatuIe. lremaon has here taken place, and he be.
unier that the clothes IN rags and unseed
tards are remnants OF funeral rites.
lie mode OIL burning the dead among such nations
have adopted cremation ID various Inc eersmo-
ies followed by the Samese, when standing and
wealth permit IT, s TO embam the body after the vital
4 ark has hed keep IL in mortuary apartment
" eig ht or ten months. When the funeral rites are
y take place the reuains OF the departed are placed
a metal urn which Is set on the funeral phe or Pyrs,
,suoes Should il happen that the rites refer 10 royal
.nees or mobiles of highest distinction, the klags
" I, nemss only the hrst kngl are present. and set
to the pyre from opposite sides Inc aAhes ~ ths
eu.ans have been burnt IN metal urn are Tree from
.CnxtuTe Of any foreign substance. They are care
uy preserved or buried under temple, or under
y raI4Idical structure erected for that purpose.
may here az well observe that in Siam, white Is
lie color of mourning and that out OF respect to the
.et arted all those no served him IN his housohold
ave tEeir heads shorn OF all hair. The kalnhome,
n Prime Minister, well as the Phrakanz, or Nuns
er OF Foreign Affairs al the death OF the Somdeteh,
leir uncle who held next 10 the two kings the high
est dignity in the country, were simply dressed IN
"a lille cotton stufi without having their heads sh0rn
or as ministers the Crown, and such servants "
re kiIgs they could only have adopted that custom
I'D ole Of their maJesties departed this life.
To return how ever after these remarks 10 my visit
20 Wat Seksd: / followed from the sala, the paved
road IA tie direction Of oblong spaces, each about
100 feet in length surroundedby walls. noticed on my
light ahgh seAholdiDg ON which were percheda number
Of s-lookng yultures- kedonDing my steIsto
he Lciosnrs in front OF me, entered through the low
,oorwsy ald, horror-struek speedily retired at the
sight C number OF these eaJon birds regaling them-
selves On the dead body Of a human being.
Cremation, as have already observed, il the usual
method By which ashes are brought " ashes, dust
% dust alter the vital spark haa He'd from man.
This is however d rite which the rieh only can resort
%; tie LOOrer classes cannot pay tie expenses con-
ueced h IT, and have 10 place their dead under the
round or caFfy Tie cOrpse 70 Wal Seked throwing
thin Tie NAILED enclosures where the Eavenous vul
.Ies are IN atieLGaIce " do their othce. visited
al SekeG 10 be particular, u ws on the lith
aUuary last On landing, noticed the greatest ACTIVITY
here tempoTaTy umples were being erfftedi mere
aoss Tor ile representation OF thearcals constructed
-1euce IalatIs We're occupied, by means 0i bucket
t Of colors 10 rel resent, according 20 their Skill I'm
aaiioLs of Nature IN her swelling forests, m rocky
d mfr her river scenes and stormy oceans. What
tLe Teson OF all thus bastle was OF course, question
Mich acoresead 10 those from whom thought i
ieft receive Information was told, IN answer ina
lie ertuaiion OF the high and noble lady OF Phra Ma
aIaliet the pnLnIal wife Of the second embsssador
~ the late sI1Iiese embassy 10 England, was 10 take
ACE in a few day- she having died some months ago.
/ Iassed the scene where much life was preparing
celebrate death, and directed my steps to the walled
eosUres those representatives Of the harples Of old
tie yultuIes percbed upon the seaiioidng which
lave previously described their heads were drawn
IA III the rutnes Of feathers, their wings sun1 heav-
lIy Gown nearly 70 their ieet. They showed no mo-
- "A On nv IassIng near tbem Il was evident they
ad satIaIed themselves 1 entered through the low
oorway within the precincts OF the largest Of the two
relosures; my hrst glance noticed two human skulls
,tuek uIon poles Of bamboo their hedless trunks y
g N Tie pool of water, which, after severe rams, Is
..fue in The middle Of the dismal place. Tie yu-
iuIes lad already GOue their business. One Of the
kulls was evidently that Of man Of mature age, 90
ecuiariy formed That should recognize it again
anong a heap OF hundreds; the other was that Of q
yoUrg female.
The skull Of the man was that Of priest-ihai Of
the female, his Illicit love, young sainese woman N
attendance Al the palace Of the first King One Of Ne