The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-07-18

The government of Siam Is mon.
archy and the king is called the sacred
Lord of Heads" "possessor OF all, and
all property, as well as life, is at the
will of the king; but kings have tonnd
that il is not quite "a g to bealtogel her ar
btrary, and within few years impor-
tant concessions have been made, and
now all important laws are submitted
to n council of the first class, known as
a phraya.
The government is quite unique in
many respects. There isa second king,
who has separate palace, seraglio, oili-
GERS, rctainers, as well as soldiers, very
? little inferior TO the establishment of the
first king. The second king does not
seem to take any part in the govern.
ment, but acts as a counsellor only, and
is i'm no sense co-ruler, and never be-
comes the successor. Ills opinion aud
sanction are sought in all important
questions of state policy.
The annals of Siam contain record
of the history of the country dating back
I.long before the Christian era. The
: written laws of the country are very
ancient, containing the acts and decis-
ions Of the kings; but there is an I'M
, written code of traditions and ancient
usages quite as sacred as the written
laws, both containing many absurd and
, cruel provisions, and both frequently
disregarded by the king.
The queen must be native and of
royal blood. She is supreme among
hundreds of others. She has her own
court, in which the brincesses appear.
She has great humber of female guards
who are in uniform and wear arms.
Her court is composed of about five
thousand, and by royal authority entire
: ly subject to her control. The queen
never becomes regent, or takes any
part in the political affairs of the coun-
try, but she is treated with the highest
Difference, and her opinion frequently
: has great weight.
Bangkok is the capital of the king
dom of Siam, and has a population es-
timated at five hundred thousand pco-
pie. 1t is situated on both banks of the
river Menam, about twenty miles from
its mouth. The city is curious and
unique, but is not beautiful. The river
is navigable, and about onc-fourth of a
mile broad. The city extends along
both banks, as well as on the river for
three or four miles. Some few of the
houses are of brick or mud walls, and
the rest are of wood built on posts set
in the ground, high enough SO that the
tides flow beneath the same. There re-
ally are no streets or roads in the city,
, only narrow, crooked lanes. One needs
guide to go anywhere. The river and
the numerous canals are the highways
for all kinds ofgoods as well as passen-
gers. Every one seems TO have boats,
, made very sharp and light, admirably
fitted to ascend the river. The houses
, are small and low. The most curious
J part of the city is on the rivera float
ing city erected on bamboo RATS, which
= are fastened to bamboo poles driven in.
, to the soft bottom of the river. These
houses are small and light, covered with
, palm-leaves. Both banks of the river
f are lined with rows of these little frai
-. dwellings, frequently ten rows deep
=, leaving the centre for navigation. The
f rows. s.ironting on the river are general.
= ly little shops where fruits and family
supplies are offered for sale, and where
} the customers come in their little boats
to trade. The people become so accus.
a toned to the water that they seem tc
I live in it good deal of the time. Tht
floors of their little cottages arc abou
, foot above the water, and they al
0 teen with busy multitude.
A The canals are lined with small dwell
lings, chiefly composed of bamboo
: work. They look quite fiail, but ar,
n quite strong. Trees are abundant al
over the city and are of very luxuriant
!, green. The strange architecture, with
J., hundreds of gorgeous temples and pal
aces, with thousands of queer little
7 houses OH stills or floating on the water
with all the open places ornamente,
: with beautiful trees, form view NOR,
unique than can be seen elsewhere
= Tho old part of the city is surrounde,
with a wall thirty feet high and twelv,
c feet thick, with towers and bastons
y but the wall embraces but small par
G of the city. There are some STYLES o
If architecture here not laid down in am
It of the books, but many of the building
o are strong and solid, with beautiful
l. gilded spires and roofs of many coloret
o mosaic, with curious gables and ridges
and many of them are ornamented i'm
ii gorgeous manner.
There are more than a hundred tenn
s pies in the city, some of which are smal
and PLAIN. but some are grand almos
Il mented with statues and gilded in tn
r1CIcSt IldnlltT. ne nOOT vi inc pTll
cipal one is covered with mats of silver
and contains relics that are considere
of fabulous worth and are worshippe
If by thousands. One temple contains
u Jasper statue of Buddha; one contain
IL an immense statue, aud ancient lido
nc one hundred and sixty-seyen feet bipl
N in the human form. The foes of IN
s. idol are three feet long. and tbe who
idol is covered with cold. This ore,
idol has "A magnificent temple crectc
p, and maintained expressly for il. IN
=, n place where millions have bowe
IN down and worshinped. and whore mn
ne titudes still wo shin. In all these ten
w nlos tboro o,.o daily of,or;nus Of ;ucons