The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-03-16
Miscellaneous
Ny Visit TO the Birthplace yf the Siamese
Twins


our Oriental tour, my husband and sought
out these famous twins, and learned from
them where they were horn and the place
where their parents were still living, deter
mined If possible, to see both Soon after
we were domesticaied in the. country We he
gan our search; and it was to me quite
little gala day, still remembered with pleas
ure, that spent in the early home ut Chang
and Eng, dining in the front room of the lit
tie cabin where these boys had so often
romped in childish glee; handling the queer
little suits of blue nankeen, the first the
twins had ever worn after their baby gar
ments, and which the loving mother had
preserved rs reminders OF her wonderful
children; and plucking roses from the very
trees the boys had planted and called by
their own names, before leaving their native
land forever
1t was about thirty miles southwest OF
Bangkok, the capital of Siam, in little fish,
ing village called MaKlaung, that these
twins were born. The house, thatched
cottage of bamboo, fronting on the Great
Canal" which gives name to the village.
was still standing at the time of our visit.
and thr very spot where the cradle of Chang
and Eng used to hang on the long, low yer.
anda was pointed out to us. From this
house the family removed to Bangkok, when
the twins we're in their second year. and the
boyhood of the boys was passed in their lit
tie cottage four miles from the city, where
we found their parents. The house was one
of the sort known in Siam rs "tiosting hou-
ses," one story buildings, moored on the
river bank, and kept in place by large poles
on each side. driven firmly in the river
bottom.
The little cot was built of teak boards,
and rooted With attap leaves and coptIh-
ed, besides the long yerands overlooking the
river, four pleasant rooms, of which the
front ws shop as well ss sittingroom, and
IN the occasion of our visit served likewise
AS Il dining. hall. Here, the father piled his
trade of catching ftsh, and the young moth
er sold wares in her shop. Occasionally the
twin brothers went out with their father in
his tishing.boat, and, like all Oriental chill.
dren learned TO swim, and spent much of
their time in the water.
One day, while swimming in front OF their
cabin, they were observed by Mr.. Robert
Hunter, Il Scotch merchant who resided in
Bangkok Astonished at seeing the children
keep always so close together and perfectly
alike were the movements of the two, Mr..
Hunter stopped to ascertain the cause. One
can imagine his surprise at the strange sight
the twin boys came up from the water and
stood before him. This was in the year
1924, when the lads were about twelve years
old, and from that time Mr.. Hunter never
gave up the hope of being able to get them
off to Europe for exhibition.
AT first the parents would not hear of be-
ing deprived of their wonderful children,
even for time but the lads themselves be-
came interested in the glowing accounts they
heard of the "outside world, and grew anx-
ious to take Il peep at its wonders. 1t is not
strange that they should have felt such de-
sire tor, bound as they were, of course they
were cut off from most of the boyish sports
that they saw their young companions en-.
joying, and their life promised, at best, but
painful monotony.
Finally, when in the year 1929 an Ameri-
can vessel, commanded by Captain Coffin,
arrived at Bangkok, such offers were made
as induced the parents to part with their
twin boys 'for few years." and before they
had time to change their minds the vessel
had sailed for Europe and the United States.
met Mr. Hunter frequently during my
stay in Siam. and from him learned of his
finding and sending of the twins. He said
they were quiet, well-behaved boys, who
gave no trouble during the voyage, nor ever
seemed sorry that they had set out on so
long journey.
The 'Siamese Twins" as we call them,
were not Siamese, after all, but the sons of
Chinese father, who spoke the Tai Chen
dialect, and mother, one of whose parents
was Chinese, and the other Siamese. So in
regard to parentage, Chang and Eng were
really three-fourths Chinese, and only one
fourth Siamese. We always heard them
spoken Of in Bangkok, as the "Cainese
twins" even by their parents, who never
seemed to remember either the boys birth
place, or their mothers nationality. The
twins always wore the Chinese dress and
had their hair braided in the Chinese fash.
ion, as do always the male children of Chi
nese fathers, live where they may. Chang
and Eng had also begun to study the Chinese
language before leaving the home of their
parents,-i G., the written language ; but
being born.in Siam they spoke the Siamese
more tluently than they did Chinese. Their
mothers language was also the one they re-
tanned longest; for after my return saw
the twins, when they had been more than
thirty years away from their native home,
and they could still understand much that I
said to them in Sianese, but every word OF
Chinese was forgotten.
The parents of Chang and Eng were
healthy, wel.informed intelligent people,
belonging to the iaboring class seemingly
good-natured and atIectio. ate to each other
and toward their children, Of whom there
were nine living at the time of my visit
The mother, a fair, comely, gentle-spokeu
woman, nearly overwhelmed me vita ca.
resses when | told her of her long.absen
boys and ran eagerly to call her husband
that he might participate in the joy Of look
ing at and listening to one who had so re
Gently seen their children. She told us
great deal about the childhood of Chan
and Eng; aud was just as eager to hear al
that / could tell her of their later year,
She said these twin boys were smaller a
their birth than any of her other children
and We're rather puny until nearly yea
old, Eng, especially, who was never quite a
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