Smyrna times., 1870-03-23
The Siamese Twins.
TIE TRUTH ABOUT THEM


These " great twin brethren were born about
the year 1925 at Bang Meklong, village of
fisherman situated at the mouth of the river
Meklong, and distant about thirty miles from
the populous capital of Siam The father was
a Chin4man, aud their mother was OF Slamcsc
descent only on her maternal side. The Twins
are therefore, three quarters Chinese by blood,
and one quarter SiameSe. Any one familiar
with the 0hliqup eye, and other strongly mark
ed features which characterize the MongOian
race, will at once notice how thoroughly the
Twins hetray by the cast OF their counteaance>
their Chinese origin.
Perhaps in other countries such twins
may have been born, hut they have prob
ably been destroyed. or Severd by surgeons
knife. to take their chance Of living or dying,
as the Fates might determine. But in Siam,
maternal affection, being strengthened by the
maxims of religion, allowed no interference
with this whimsical freak of nature and so
the Twins, who belonged to the humblest ranks
of life, grew up to the age OF seventeen or
eighteen years amidst the fishermen of their
native village. In those days, the gates OF
| Siam were closely barred against foreigners
no trade with the white-faced strangers was
permitted and the rulers Of his little kingdom,
trembling with hatred and fear sat watching
| the progress of English arms in Blrmab, with
a conviction that they themselves, too, were
one day to be swa.owled up by the pale, gray
eyed invaders.
! In the midst of these agitations there arrived
an American vessel in the roadstead at Bang
kok, laden with large quantity OF condemned
guns and other military stores, which the as
tute Yankee had bought up in a Government
auction at Calcutta, and expected to sell al
high prices to the Siamese authorities, who
as he imagined, would be only too glad to pro
cure European weapons to turn in case of neeC
against European invaders. 1t was then hi
plan to invest the purchase money in rice, il
those days abundant and cheap in Siam, an,
scarce and dear in China But the Jealous ru
lers of the land would not buy his guns, am
they displayed their malice in torbidding any Q
their people to sell the stranger rice.
BY some piece of good luck the disapponte
mariner fell in with the Twins, and, havin
once enticcd them on board his craft, he wa
not long in weighing anchor, and went whist
ling down the Gulf of Siam, quite alive 10 tn
value of the prize he had secured. By exh
biting those Twins in the civilized world, h
made a fortune for himself and for them; an
when they had accumulated sufficient means
the SiamcSe brothers settled in North Carolin;
Il where they have been peacefully residing #
many years They each of them married, an
! have each of them family. 1t was only vel
Il recently that their parents in Siam died
: consequence of prcuniary lOs>ess sustain g du
: ing the late troubles in the Southern State
}, it became expedient for these Twins again
y appear before the public They therefore wei
; to London, during the early part of last yeal
and the discussion which then arose in some
I the current journals in connection with PR
posed surgical operation, was probably nothiI
1 more than puff, cleverly got up to " draw
. a wonder loving public. No severance by Il
knife of a surgeon was ever seriously contcr
i plated