The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-01-16
A Floating City.

-tilt EIttb IiNSl hO AohOWhhB
graphic account is from volume of trav-
els - Hv II' HH NtN
"The capital of Siam Did you ever
witness such a sight in your life ? On either
side of the wide, majestic Sstream, moored |
in regular streets, and alleys, and extend |
ing as far rs the eye can reach, are upwards |
of seventy thousand neat little wooden |
houses each house floating on compact |
raft of bamboos, and the whole interme-
diate space of the river presents to our
astonished gaze one dense mass of ships,
iunks and boats of every conceivable |
shape, color and siz. As we glide along |
among these, we occasionally encounter
a stray house, broken loose from its moor
ings, and hurying down the streaem with |
the tide, amid the uproar and shouts of the
inhabitants and all the spectators. We
also noticed that all the front row Of houses
are neatly painted shops, in which various
tempting commodities are exposed for
sale behind these again, at equal distances
rise the lofty and elegant porcelain towers
of the various watts and temples. On our
right hand side, far away as we can see,
are three stately pillars, erected to the
memory of three defunct kings, celebrated
for some act of valor and justice and a
little beyond these, looming like line-of-
battle ship amongst lot of cookie shells
rise the stragglers and not very elegant
palace of the king where his Siamese maj
esty, with ever so many wives and children
resides.
" Right ahead, where the city termin-
ates, and the river, making curve, flows
behind the palace, is neat-looking little
fort, surmounted with a top of mango trees,
over which peep the roofs of one or two
houses and a flagstaff, from which floats
the royal pennant and jack Of Siam-a flag
of red ground work, with white elephant
worked 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. OF him,
however, we shall see and hear more, after
we have bundled our traps on shore, and
taken a little rest Now, be careful how
you step out of the boat into the balcony
of the floating house, for it will recede to
t the force of your effort to mount, and if
|, not aware of this, you lose your balance
) and fall into the river. Now we are safely
r transhipped, for we cannot as yet say land
ed but we now form an item, though a
very small one, of the vast population OF
= the city of Banlok.
/. ave take brief survey of our present
apartments, and find every thing, incon-
j veniently small, cleanly, and in other re-
3 spects comfortable. First, we have little
n balcony that overhangs the river, and is
d about twenty yards long by one and a hall
. broad. Then we have an excellent sitting.
y room, which serves as Il parlor, dining
II room and all; then we have little side
/ room for books and writing and behind
these, extending the length of the Other
@ two, and bedroom. Of course we mus
/. bring or make our own furniture; fol
c though those houses are pretty well off OF
v the score, the Siamese hae seldom anything
l. besides their bedding materials few pot
), and pans to cook with, few jars of stores
+ and fishing net or two Every house hai
,r q canoe attached to it, and. no nation detest
It walking so much as the Siamese at thu
" same time they are all expert swimmers
o and both men and women begin to acquire
d this very necessary art at very early age
@ Without it a man runs momentary risks o
d being drowned, as, when canoe upsets
10 none of the passers by ever think it neces
N sary 70 lend any aid supDOsiup them full
= adequate to the task of saving their owl
lives. Canoes ae hourly being upset
owing to the vast concoourse Of vessels an'
Ie boats plying to and fro and, owing to tli
n negligence or carelessness in rendering as
70 sistance, Mr. Benham, an American mis-
S, sionary, lost his life some twelve years ago
l. having upset his canoe when it was jus
getting dusk, and though surrounded b.
le hundreds of boats, not one deemed it neces
sary to stop and pick the poor man up"
ETg- Clerk" said tall Kentuckian t.
is a hotel official, "this young lady and m
have eloped. Have you any marryin' facil
y tiles 'rourd here?"
The clerk replied in the Affirmative, am
10 the two were "spliced" in less than a
hour The bridegroom was evidently no
yet satisfied, and fingered around the hotel
book.
"Clerk," said he confldentially, at length
mr. "hadnt ye better change the register, an
, give us one room now we're marriedP'
i'd cts already DONE" replied the clerk