Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-03-26
Ghoite aeIisfeitaus.
A Floating City.

One of the most, wonderful cities In
the world is Bankok, tho capital ofSiain.
Did you ever witness such a sight in
your life? On either side of the wide,
y majestic stream, inoored irregular streets
and alleys, extending as far as the eye
reaches, are upwards of x, 600 neat little
houses, each house floating on com
pact raft of bamboos, and the whole in
termediate space of the river presents
to our astonished gaze one dense mass of
ships, juhks, and boats of every con-
ceivable shape, color and size. AS we
glide amongst these we occasionally en-
counter stray house broken loose from
fits inoorings, and hurrying down the
streeTn with the tide amidst the uproar
and shouts of the Inhabitants and all
thespectators. We also noticed that all
the front row Of houses are neatly paint
ed shops, in which various tempting
commodities are exposed for sale; be-
hind these again, NJ equal distance, rises
( the lofty, elegant porcelain towers Ofthe
various walls and temples. On our right
hand side, as far away as We can see, ARE
three stately pillars, erected to the three
defunct kings, celebrated for some act of
,valor and Justice and little beyond
these, looming like line-of Battle ships
amongst lot of cookie shells, rise the
straggling and not very elegant palace
Of the King where his ssiamese Majesty,
with ever so many wives and children,
risides. Right ahead, were tho city ter
; inmates, and the river taking curve
flows behind the palace, Is neat look
ing fort. surmounted with top of mango
trees over which peep the roofs of two
houses and n flagstaff, from which floats
the loyal pennant and jack OF Siam-a
flag of red groundwork with q white
elephafitwOrked in the centre. This is
! the fort and palace of the Prince Chou
Eau, King Of Siam, and one of the most
extraordinary and intellectual men In
the East. or him, however, we shall see
and here more, after we have bundled
/ traps on shore and taken little rest.
Now, be careful how you step out Of the
boat into the balcony Of the floating
house. for 1t will reeede TO the force of
your effort TO mount, and II not aware
OF this, you lose your balance, and fall
Into the river. Now we are safely trans
shipped, for we cannot as yet say landed;
but we now form an Item, though very
small one, of the vast population of the
2 city OF Bankok. We take brief survey
Of our present apartments, and find
! Everything, though inconvenientlys small
clean, and in other respects comfortable.
First we have n little balcony that, over
= hangs the river, and is about twenty
yards long, by one and half broad
iCA VIC iittNu an ibotit
which serves us for parlor, dining room
Z and all then we have q little side room
for books and writing, and behind these,
extending the length of the other two a
bedroom. or course we must bring or
make our own furniture; for, though
those houses are pretty well of, on this
score the Samese have seldom anything
besides their bodding materials, a few
pots and pans to cook with, few jars OF
stores, and fishing net or two. Every
house has canoe attached to II, and no
nation detests walking SO much AZ the
Siamese; at the same time they are all
expert swimers, and both men and wo'
men begin to acquire this very necessary
art at a very early age. Withoutit Il
: man runs'a momentary risk of being
! drowned, as, when u canoe upsets, none
OF the passers by ever think II necessary
70 lend any aid, supposlng them fully
adequate 10 the task of saving their owf
lives. Canoes are hourly being upset
owing to the vast eoncourse OF vessels
and boats plying TO and fro; and owini
TO this negligence or earelessness In ren
dering assistance, MIR. Benham, nj
American missionary, lost his life, som,
twelve years ago, having upset his cano,
when IL was Just getting dusk, ant
though surrounded by boats, no on,
~. deemed 1t necessary to stop aud picI
the poor man up.