The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-06-09
THE LAND.

1891 AN A
- ;
Az Interesting Letter From aIias BELLE
Caldwell, Missionary NJ Bangkok, slam
Tho Condition OF the country-Its
EVtis-A Talk on Idols and IdOlatFy-
~Ex.PreSidsnt Grants visit
BASKoK, SLAM, April 9Th, 1879.
Editor InteliEshreri
rcmemberh having read with interest in
the columns Of your paper, letters from
home travellers In different portions Of Eu.
rope, and Of hearing others express their
interest In the same to me, Halt the
charm Of these letters lay In tho fact that !
had seen or was personally acquainted
with the writer, which gave u reality to
the wonders described which otherwise
they would have lacked. Since my arri'
val in Siam, l have wondered II the inter.
est on the part Of your many readers Is sui.
fciently broad and elastic to take In big
Asia, and so include SIAN; II so, a few
gathered facts may not be unwelcome.
Slam Is not very extensive. One would
almost imagine she would be submerged
entirely by the broad ocean which rolls
and lashes Just at her feet, Bangkok, the
llrgest and Capital City, also the principal
residence Of the King and nobility, is
s~emt.aoating and lies near the mouth Of
the Minam, h. largest river In the Kingdom
Tue city IL almost on a level with the sea,
and were the typhoons OF the China seas
common in the Gulf OF Siam, all the city Of
Bangkok would be submerged at times.
But from the fact that the houses Of the
o]reigners and the palaces Of the King and
nobility are built high and dry on the
land, and that the majority Of the houses
Of the natives are made on floats Of BAN.
boo, the incoming tides from the near
Siam Is Il beautiful land. A land Of
bright sunshine, rare birds, and tropical
flowers aud fruits; u land, indeed, flowing
with milk and honey hut, alas, it Is as
yet, toa great extent, q land whose people
sit in the mental darkness Of idolatry,
Ignorance and sin. As a people, the
Sianesv are servilc, and for that reason
lacking in stamina OF character ; but
withal, We find them Supplemented,
Child.like, and very earnest when once
aroused from their lethargiC condition.
The population has been estimated at
5000, 900, and again at 100000. Three
hundred thousand OF these live in the
capital city. A large foreign element is
the Chinese, or imO-C Chinese.
A large aud ever changing mass, COM.
posed OF natives from many points, Bur.
nah, Japan, the different sea ports Of
India, the near islands OF the seas, &c, in.
Guiding the Chinese mentioned, throng
the streets OF Bangkok. Besides these, a
large foreign population is formed by the
Consular representative from almost every
nation. We missionaries are much in
debted for kindnesses on the part Of our
present US. Consul, Mr.. David SiCkles, OF
New York.
The mass OF the people are poor, as the
wealth OF the kingdom is in the hands Of
the king and nobility. Slavery, polygamy,
ldOlatry and gambling are the four mon.
ster evils which, unchecked by heather
law, are slowly but surely sapping the life
blood Of this fair land.
The national religion is Buddhism. The
representations Of Buddha, in thousands
OF different forms, are kept principally in
the lovely walls or temples which every.
where dot the land. The largest idol ut
present III the world is in the city Oi Bang
kok. This is estimated as being l60 feet
in length. \ few days since We took the
exact measurement OF one OF these mon
sters, which is in a small village out some
distance from Bangkok. l can best con-
vey to you some faintideaofits size by Civ
ing you the actual dimensions: Whole
length OF body l45 feet, toe nails II by
Il inches, toes, +4incheS long and 10 inch.
es wide. One foot, I feet 1 inches broad
and II feet S inches long. Length Of ear,
II feet 2inches, and width 8 feet 8 inches.
Length Of arm. from shoulder to elbow,
so feet; from elbow to end Of long finger,
~ feet. The idol rests on pillars 81 feet
in length. These images are composed
chiefly Of brick and mortar and covered
with gold foil. On the sOles Of the feet OF
this ~ in particular, are to be seen rep.
reservations Of PagOdss, royal seven sto-
ried umbrellas, royal fans, Lotus flowers,
fish, elephants, &c. Siamese tradition
tells that these figures were found on the
feet Of Buddha, at the time Of his birth.
OF late years, siam, under the rule OF
her young and progressive monarch, has
made rapid strides toward civilization.
We, who, as Christ's witnesses in this
land, eagerly mark the signs OF the work.
ings Of Him, who is the God Of the heath.
EN- in their midst. The day seems not far
distant when this on sweeping tide Of
error will be stayed. When these gilded
idols will be cast aside, and the many
beautiful PaEodas and Watts, all purified
and Cleansed, shall resOund with the
praise Q! Him who is Lord Of Lords and
King OF Kings.
An Bangkok is on the qui rirc at present
in anticipation Of the arrival Of ex.Presi.
dent Grant and party. The United States
Consul, who met the party at Singapore,
writes that His Majesty the King has in.
vited the ex.PreSident and escort 10 be his
personal guests at the royal palace during
their visit,
March and April being the summer
months, the weather at present is intense.
Is hot, but not beyond endurance.