The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-06-27
SIAM AND ITS CUSTOMS.
A COUNTRY WHICH Is RAPIDLY BE-
COMING CIVILIZED.
Curious Customs of the PcopIe-A Re-
markably Polite Racc-RcligiOn'
Occupation and Government.

ing account of that Oriental country
timely and interesting:
The kingdom of Siam is one of those
countries in the distant East which, after
200 years of seclusion, has only recently
been compelled to surrender its retro
grade policy and opened its gates to the
commercial world of Europe and America.
Since the accession of the present King
Chualou Korn l., prince very enlight-
ened and liberal for the East, Siam has
made great commercial progress. He
abolished the ruinous monopolies, made
commerce free, encouraged navigation
and trade, gave entire religious liberty
and supported the Christian missions in
their attempts at conversion. The effects
of these wise measures soon became visi-
bic. Siam is annually growing more
fourishing, trade Is prosperous, and hun
dreds of European and American ships
visit Bangkok.
According to Bishop Pallegoix, the
population of Siam amounts to six mil
lions. As a rule, the Siamese are peace
full, cheerful and open, and there is none
of that propensity for lying which is
found in China, even in the most in
different matters.
Humanity toward human beings and
animals is characteristic of the Siamese.
Rough outbreaks of violence AMI murder
are extremely rare. Slavery is very
Widespread in siam, but the slave, are
generally treated better than are servants
in civilized countries; they are regarded
as belonging to the family. Many
Siamese are said to be so mcrciful that
they will not even kill fly that stings
them. Obedience and respect to the law
are in high degree peculiar with the
people. Great reverence is also paid to
old age, and the children treat their par
ents with the utmost attention. The
intercourse between the two sexes is ex-
tremely reserved. In this respect Siam
forms commendable exception among
the Oriental countries, where usually lax
morality prevails.
There are no public schools in the
country. The representatives of learning
and teachers are the Talapoins or priests
of Buddha, who, however, are generally
quite ignorant. Teaching does not COM
mence in childhood, but only with pu-
berty. Attaining this stage forms an i'm
portant epoch in the life of the Siamese,
and is connected with great festivities
and shaving the head. From birth up
to the fourth year the heads of children
are shaved close, in order to make the
hair strong; after that tuft is left on
the forehead of both males and females,
which is allowed to grow up to the age
of puberty. During this period children
enjoy their youth to the fullest extent
that is to say, they have nothing to do
beyond playing and amusing themselves.
When the hour for head shaving has ar
rived the parents give a grand festival.
to which all friends and relations are in
vited, who bring the child presents and
cakes. The priests wash the head of the
consecrated child with the Buddhistic
purifying water, saying prayers the while,
and then the nearest relatives cut off the
tuft of hair. After this epoch the boys
are sent to school, or rather to the
temples, in order to be instructed by the
priests in reading and writing. They re-
main there for from four to six years, and
act as serving boys to the Talapoins dur
ing the period The young Siamese,
however, learn very little from the
priests, and hence the great majority of
them can neither read or write at the ex-
pigation of the time The education of
the girls is limited to cooking and the
preparation of cigars. Most of them can
not even sew, which, indeed, is hardly
necessary here, as the few articles of
clothing are woven in one piece and have
no seam.
In spite of the low scale of education
among the Siamese, they are a remark
ably polite people. Acquaintance never
meet without bowling, and when one
passes another he never omits apologizing
to him. People of equal rank address
each other as "My elder BROTHER or
"NIy elder sister, If they are speaking
of elderly persons they call them MY
father" 1t is great breach of good
manners to address a man by his plain
name. They never say directly 81, but
"Iour servant The conversation with
men of rank is carried to ridiculous eX-
cess. In such cases the inferior calls
himself, 81 who am only a hair 81,
the animal, etc. Persons of equal rank
salute each other by raising their clasped
hands to their mouth. Lower mandaiius
are called 'benefactors; higher ones,
gracious lords of benefGctors.n To
princes they must say, II, dust of your
exalted feet" to king, ~, dust of your
sacred feet" At audiences, in the pub
lie courts, man of rank can be recog-
nized by the fact that he is sitting or
standing, while all the rest are on their
knees with bowed heads.
Polygamy is allowed in Siam, but only
the first wife is the legitimate mistress of
the house. She, with her children, is
also her husbands sole hciress.
The priests, usually called by for
cigners Talapoins (from TALBOT, a fan,
which they always carry before their
avesl arc hold in GREAT rcSnoct E,au
the king salutes them, before whom all
other subjects must throw themselves on
their face, but they 10 not return
salutation, Every temple is under the
supervision of superior who supern-
tends the internal administration. lie is
called Lord of the Temple and all the
priests attached TO the temple are under
his orders. Altogether there are in
Bangkok 10, 600 priests, in the whole of
Siam 100, O0O who all live in the tenn
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