The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-10-08
Our 0lio.
Cremation of a Siamese Princess.

You have not forgotten the proposed
visit of the King of Siam to the United
States last year, nor how suddenly thai
visit was postponed. A great sorrow fel
upon the King, in the death of the prin
cess, drowned in the river Ghownaval
The royal remains were kept in state unit
last March, when they were disposed Of
by cremation. These ceremonies are es
sentially the same from generation to gen
Grafton. because all is ordered to "be done
according to the ancient royal custom.
| will not, therefore, send you an original
Oae, but rely upon an account by the Rev
tN. A. Mcdonald, in his little book
"Ssam: Its Manners and Customs"
The body of the princess was embalmed
and then placed in copper urn, in a sit
ting posture. This copper urn was placed
inside of golden urn. These urns have
oseniugs at the bottom, so that bodies ex-
posed in them become perfectly dry. The
urn was placed on an elevated platform.
While it was being placed there eonch.
shell blowers and trumpeteTs were perform
ing Justify on their instruments. This
trumpeIiug is called the "invitation to the
corpse to be seated on the platform.
When thus seated, all the insignia Of
ROYALTY to which the princess had been &C.
eustomed during her life, were brought
and arranged in order at the foot of the
urn. The bend Of trumpeters came at
early dawn, at noon and at dusk, every
day, to perform the funeral dirge.
There were also wailing women, who
chanted the excellence of the deceased.
The women spent an hour each day in
this service; and in the intervals, CON.
pauy Of priests, seated upon a platform
near the urn, ehanted aud recited moral
lessons 10 the Pail language. These ser
vices we're kept up daily until the burning.
In the meantime preparations were
made for the erection Of the temporary
building for the cremation, which they
call Pra uaane. Royal orders were sent
to ali the provinces, aud even to the trib-
utary States where large timber grows,
requiring thsm TO furnish posts for the
Fra maae, especially four enormous tim
bers, which were to form the central pill
lars Of the building. Timbers which have
once been used IN I'ra asaRo cannot be
used again, all must be new. These large
pillars we're cut in the forest, dragged to
the river BY elephants, aud aoatsd at high
water 10 the capital When they arrived
st the city a geaeal levy was made al
over The country for workmen, aud those
huge logs we're drawn up TO the place
mainly BY human strength, as it would b
contrary TO custom to employ any labor
saving machine.
They we're dressed, aud then planted
about thirty feet deep 10 the ground, and
/ In the form Of q square, about 100 feet 10
eireumfcrunce. The logs inelined litsle
toward each other, forming 4 kiad oi
/ trunea,ed pyramid having four sides. Ga
the top Of these pillan vas erected pa
| CODA shaped spire, addiag many more feet
10 the height The spire was covered
with gilt paper, aud at distance looked
/ ike Furnished gold 81 each side Of the
eenlral pyramid was erected wing, about
forty feet long, and facing the four eardi
nal points Of the compass, and each wing
was also capped with = pagOda splre
7 The whole vas covered With basketwork
of splis bamboo, aud this was concealed
by giI; and sinsel paper snd other spark
/ ling ornaments, such as bits OF glass,
paper aud flowers The building vas
surrounded b high bamboo fence, 60
clO<ing, perhaps, two acres Of ground, and
entered By large gates
Ga the west side Of the Pfa rsaas vas
the building for the King aud the roya
I family. The roof was made of crimson
cloth, with gilt edges, aad the sides wers
covered with curtains, which ia front wer'
drapcd gracefully to the posts AZ each
sud Il the comb Of the roof was an oddly
shaped hora, which IS peculiar TO roya
/ buildings and temples. The ground Of ;
part Of the enclosure was covered with |
| split bamboo floor, neatly woven, At tshe
| foot Of the FRA psaHe were artificial
fountains, Images, flowers, shrabbery, auC
every other thing the Siamese consider or
nameB,al.
| On the outside Of the Pra name enclos
are we're houses bailt for the princes, no
bles, and foreigners who wished to attend
and who were al entertained at the roya
expense. There were tables set, aud
regular meals served, with all the deliea
eies Of the season; aud vegetables, fruits
ice cream, cake, lemonade, and even wiaei
aud liquors for those who indulge 10 suel
sinful drinks.
The ceremonies lasted for over week
and there was rope daneins, jugglery, pan
lomime plays, side shows, teasting, preach
7 ing, praying, chanting, 6e., oil going OF
I in a juHlble. At night, too, those brill
ant fireworks, in which the Siamese excel
were touched of by the King himself, ans
we're continued till late hour.
10 the centre Of the Pra mane buiidin,
vas erected what may be called the Pro
naaRs proper A floor was laid over th'
whole building, about twenty feet from
the ground; aud upon that floor, direcil,
under the tail spire, was erected an oetag
onal pyramid, about sixty feet 10 eireum
ference. Il diminished by right-angle'
sradations, to the height Of about thirt,
feet, and terminated in truneated top
where the urns are placed.
On an appointed day the royal remain
we're brought out in procession, and pu
upon the Pra name. The Governors o
the provinces aud the Kings Of the tribu
tary States are usually ordered to be pres
ent at the royal erematiOns. Early in tn
morning of the day of the procession, tn
chief princes, mobiles, rulers and officer
assembled at the palace. The golden urr
containing the royal remains was place,
on an elevated seat, upon huge and un
wieldy car, drawn by two horses, assiste'
BY crowds Of men. The funeral car wa
preceded in the procession by two Others
In the first sat the high priest of th
kingdom, alone, reading as he went tn
moral lessons from the sacred books in tn
Pail language. The second car was oceu
pied by near relatives of the deceased
A string Of silver cloth, about six inehe
wide, extended from the body of the hig
priest to the scat occupied by those in tn
next car, and thence to the funeral cal
where it was attached to the urn. Thi
forms, they think, the mystical union be
tween the dead, the sacred books, and tn
living. In the next car was the sands
wood for burning the corpse. These car
were all drawn by horses, assisted b