Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-01-30
A FLOATING cry.

:.
One. of tho most xoadesut-cilieiW ~ q ''''' F
world is Bankok' ftis The capital 81 Siam,
and is situated on-or rather in-tbe great
river Of Meinam. The following graphic
account is from a volume Of travels;
"The capital Of Siaml Did you ever wit
ness such sight in your life? Ou either
side Of the wide, majestic stream, moored in
regular streets aud alleys, and extending rs
far as the eye can reach, are upwards OF iO,'
900 neat little wooden houses each house
floating on a COMPACT raft Of bamboos, and
the whole intermediate space Of the river
presents to our astonished gaze one dense
mass Of ships, boats and juuks Of every con-
ceivable shape, color and size. AS we glide
along among these, we occasionally en-
counter some stray house, broken loose
from its moorings, and hurrying down the
stream with the tide, amid the uproar and
shouts of the inhabitants aud all the spec
tators We also noticed that all tue 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
us we can see are three stately pillars,
erected to the memory Of three deGunct
kings, celebrated for some act Of yalor and
Iustice; and little beyond these, looming
like linc-of-battle ship amongst a lot Of
cookie shells, rise the stragglers and not
very elegant palace of the king, where his
Siamese majesty. with ever so many wives
and children, reside.
Right ahead. where the city terminates,
and the river, making curve, flows behind
the palace, is q ueat.lOoking little fort, sur
mounted with top Of mango trees over
which peeps the roofs Of one or two houses
and flagstaff, from which floats the royal
pennant and Jack of Siam-a flag Of red
ground work, with n 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 intellec-
tual men in the East. OF him. however, wo
shall sec 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 il will recede to the
force OF your effort to mount, and il not
aware Of this yon lose yonr balance and fall
into the river Now we are safely tran
shipped, for we cannot as yet say landed
but we now form an item, though very
small one, Of the vast population Of the city
of Bankok.
We take brief survey of our present
apartments, ana una everything lncOnNeul-
emily small, cleanly, and in other respects
comfortable. First, we have a little balcony
that overhangs the river, and is about q
yards long by one and half broad. Then
we have an excellent sitting-room, whicl
serves as a parlor, dinlng-room and all, thel
we have little side room for books anI
writing, and behind these, extending thI
length of the other two, n bedroom. o
course We must bring or make our owl
furniture; for though those houses ar
pretty we'll of on the shore, the.Siames
have seldom anything besides their bedding
materials a few pots and pans to cook Will
n few Jars of stores, and fishing net or two
Every house has canoe attached TO it, an
no cation detests walking so much as lh
Siamese; at the same time they are all expel
swimmers and both men and women begi
10 scquire this very necessary art at q yer
early age. Without il man runs momen
ary risks Of being drowned, as, when q cano
upsets, none of the passers.by think il NJ
cesRary TO lend any aid, suppOsing the
fully adequate 10 the task Of saving the
own lives. Canoes are hourly being upse
owing to the vast cOncOurse of vessels az
boats plying TO and fro; aud, owing to Il
negligence and carelessness in r.nderll
assistance, Mr.. Benham, an America
missionary, lost his life some twelve ysa
ago, having upset his canoe when it VI
lust getting dusk, and though surround'
by hundreds Of boats, nat Que deemed
necessary TO stop aud pick the poor mi
mp.