The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-12-28
A PICTURESQUE PAGEANT.
AN ODD CEREMONY IN THE GAP
ITAL OF SIAM.
Siamcse Mobiles Drinking the - Water
of Allcgiance''-Magn ORR
entail Procession to the Palace.

at the palace this morning to drink the
water of allegiance " was by far the most
picturesque of the many pageants that we
have witnessed since our arrival says a
letter from the capital of Siam to the
New York Times Nor is the palace
itself stage in any way unworthy of
such distinguished actors. Bankok like
Moscow, contains two smaller enclosures
representing the successive stages Of its
earlier history. The lefty proper " of
the Siamese metropolis, surrounded by a
wall of its own, corresponds to the
"Gorodskaya Tchast," or town quarter
of the ancient Russian capital, while
within it, like Siamese kremln, the
countless buildings of the first kings
palace almost a city in itself cluster be
hind the massive white battlements of
their encircling rampant.
Scarcely have we seated ourselves I'M
der the arcade upon two chairs brought
us by an attentive Siamese lackey when
a burst of martial music fills the air and
long train of soldiers, filing in through
the gates of their barracks outside the
walls, come marching up the paved walk
that divides from each other the two
green lawns forming the parade grounds.
First comes battalion Of white helmeted
infantry, in snowy frocks and blue trou-
sers, with white stripe down the side
Next appears the cavalry of the royal
body-guard, who, mounted on Austral-
ian horses, and equipped with scarlet
Jackets braided with orange, and white
helmets plumed with red horse hair.
make goodly show. Then follow the
grenadiers of the guard in dark
blue coats, looking very well in
spite of their short stature, which does
not average over five feet four Small as
they are, however, the band from the
kings yacht, who come next, are smaller
still Many of them are mere boys
though they look very neat and trim in
their clean white sailor jackets and blue
collars. After these-as if this strange
procession Of diminished height were
never to cnd-come a long line of chill
dren in the tartan kilt and plaid of the
Scottish highlander The bright hue of
the tartan (Which is that of the clan
Stewart) contrasts very prettiIy
wl'h the dark faces and coal
blacI- hair Of the little wcarers, who
certainly form an appropriate guard for
the Siamese crown prince, himself child
ground is as gay as flower garden with
this assemblage of bright colors, with
which the softer tints of the green leaves
and fresh grass blend very effectively,
while the glitter of the countless pagodas
in the glorious morning sunshine throws
an clement of barba-ic splendor into the
picture which is the one thing wanted
to complete it.
We are making a hasty tiffin Qunch)
IN one of the inner rooms of the museum,
with the stolid face of the Siamese twins
looking upon us from their photograph
on the wall, when sudden hustle out
side warns us that the procession is be-
ginning. Back we hurry to the colon
ade just in time to witness the passage
of number of Siamese dignitaries borne
in chairs curiously carved and inlaid,
with huge umbrellas of various colors
over their heads. Each is followed in
the old feudal style by crowd of white
robed retainers, and the whole effect is
very much that of a monster 9Th of
November procession, with twenty Guy
Fawkeses instead of one. And now
the "swclls" begin to come
thick and fast The kings brothers
go past one by one under their
gold umbrellas, with a very miscella-
neous retinue following the richly orna-
mcntcd chairs on which they are seated.
The broad, firm, swarthy face and deep
set eyes of the second king (named by
his father after George Washington look
out upon us for Il moment with friendly
smile as his gilded litter goes by. Then,
all at once, there comes general move
fhrnnph I'D IN no OF 90
which Mr.. Alabaster whispers to me !:
'lIere's the king coming now, Mr.. Ker,
and we shall all have to 90 down these
steps into the roadway while he passes,
for nobody's allowed to stand higher than
the king"
Down we all go, accordingly, just as
two long lines of men come round the
head of the walk and file up either side
of it, one behind the other The fore
most of the train carry bundle of rat
tans somewhat like the fasces of the
Roman lictors( balanced across the palms
of both h DIS, as a man carries a dish.
Others follow with long bamboos, and
then comes the king himself, in a chair
of gold and ivory, With three of his
children nesting in his lap, the little
crown prince being distinguished by a
coronet of diamonds around his tiny
topknot of black hair. Two other
filters follow, with seven or eight
more of the royal children, all
staring at the show with the whole might
Of their small black eyes, though the
settled gravity of their solemn little
brown faces remains quite unmoved. In
front of the peaked gateway leading
into the court yard of the great temple
the quaint ornaments of which are ablaze
with every color of the rainbow-all the
filters are set down and the royal party
enter the sacred precincts on foot To
describe the courtyard, with its carved
inches and giant statutes of stone, its
smooth pavements, its far-extending
balgstrades, and the sea of dark faces
and gllttering robes, diamond clasps and
embroidered girdles which now fill it
to overlooking, would require volume
in itself. Nor would it be easy even for
painter to do justice to the wonderful
panorama of the temple itself, with its