Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-08-31
Letter from Siam.

EAST INDIES.
The last letter received from home, was
written in December 1t was like 4 charm
to me, and | believe did me more good than
the doctor, for | have been recovering and
gaining strength ever since. | am now at
the famous city Of Bangkok, which knocks
every other city in this world. 1t has
been two weeks since | saw the $ IL.
She is obliged to lie some forty-fve miles
from the town, owing To 4 very shallow bar
at the mouth of the river, which forms q
complete barrier to anything drawing over
II! feet water; consequently nothing but
very small vessels can ascend tue river
The bar is only about one mile across. out
side. After that is passed, there is plenty
of water for 90 miles up the river for the
largest class of ships. Were it across the
Potomac, or any other river III our dear
country, in one week time channel would
be opened that would enable ships To come
up to town, and load ut any draft. The
foreign residents of this place have suggested
this to one of their MaeStcs, the Kings,
There are two, representing the advantage
to be gained by an increase OF commerce,
and, of course, an increase ot revenue to the
Kingdom. But it is words thrown away.
He only laughs, and says it would open a
channel for men-ol-war to come up and take
his country from him. lie says 50 long As
that bar remains, he is safe from Foreign
Invasion, and it saves him from building
Forts on the river-rathcr Il weak argument.
\ foreign fleet would open q passage III one
week.
will attempt Il description of the city.
On the left bank of the river, for about three
miles in extent, all the houses are aiiuat. and
fastened To posts driven i'll the river. They
are built of bamboo, one story high, and are
hoatcd on RATS of the same, and rise and fall
with the tide The houses generally have
three or four rooms.
After passing the floating houses, we come
to the Mobiles palaces, which are ON land,
and some of them are very costly, and make
very fine appearance, and are most clabo-
rately gildcd, both inside and out. The no.
blcs pretend To live in great style. After pass
ing the palaces of the nobility, we come to
the Temples Tor. rs they call them. Wats.)
They surpass descri ption, and are all filled
with Gods of different sizes and descriptions
from two hundred and forty feet, down
to six inches. 1t would puzzle any one to
describe them, lor they represent things net
Their in the heavens above, nor in the earth
beneath.
The first of these Temples we come to. has
a very high tower, surrounded by numcr-
Gus places of worship, all of which are filled
with Idols, of all possible sizes and dcscrlp-
marry, and are obliged to linger out a long
life of the strictcst cchbacy, and are SUPPOSED
to lead a pure md chastc life.
We have come up the west side of the
river, we will now cross over and 90 down
on the east side. The first thing that attracts
the strangers attention, are the Palaces OF
the two Kings. first and second, aS they are
styled. They are very rich in adornment,
and the Kings live I'm their way i'll grand
style. Every native who approaches their
presence is obliged to do 50 on his hands
and knees, and, when near them, fall Hat
on his face, and So remain while in the pre-
scnce of His Majesty-even the second King
must do this to the first, and 50 OH down to
the mcanest subject. The lower class are all
slaves to the Kings and Mobiles, and Il more
wrctchcd set of beings are not on earth. As
we proceed down the river, the next thing
we notice is the Kings elephants stables,
in which are collected some hundreds Of these
enormous beasts. We now come to an enur-
nous Wat, CTcmple,) in which is II statue, in
the human form, worshippcd as Il God. 1t
is one hundred and ffty-tivc (lj5J feet high
from head to foot The feet are eighteen
lSl feet long. The whole image is very
richly gildcd This Wat contains numerous
other Gods, or Idols We next come to the
European and American Consuls and mer-
chants, who have, within the last four or
five years, succeeded in building their houses
on shore, and are quite comfortable Tor this
place, after one becomes reconclcd to living |
in company with lizards, centipedes, scor-
piOnS, toads, and snakes, with mosquitoes
All of these pleasant com
paniOns are in constant attendance III every |
room on shore. These Consuls' and mgr |
chants residences extend for about three
miles along the bank of the river, and then !
we come to the American Mission, which |
has been established here over ~ years and |
during that time has not made much more |
luuu lnaI HulllDtT vi lIuc Sph'cit -, anu '''''N
few have been of their own household. One |
of the Missionaries, after having been ut /
tached to the Mission for fifteen (lj) years,
has withdrawn, and is now building steam |
boats and importing machinery, and carry !
ing on several other branches ot business. !
God help him. and all of them, and make |
them more useful in their calling. They |
have schools here where the English lam
guage is taught, and the pupils receive Il fair
English education a soon rs they obtain !
this, they flee to their Idols again.
Besides this American Mission, there is II /
Catholic Mission, with number Of native |
converts, so am told | have not been to |
the Church yet.
will tell you Of Il tragedy that took place
here about six weeks since, AZ the 2nd Kings /
palace The native religion is Budlsh, and
for one of the Priests to be found in private |
with one of the other sex, is punished with
death by decapitation. One of the md
Kings librarians, Ia Priest,) returning to
the library in the evening, found standing
in his room a young female, belonging IL
His Majesty, household, and being alarmed
by approaching footsteps, he hurried her into
another room. and secrrted her i'll chest OF
books. In few moments, q brother Priest
came in search of book for His Majesty.
and walked direct Ia this chest for 1t, when
10, and behold, the secret was dlscOS ercd,
and the alarm .iven when both were placed
in nrisnp I'm different cells. They both knew