Morning journal and courier., 1884-07-16
The King of Cam bOdIa and His People
LErnm the Courier DIES EtatS IIniSl

From the Courier des Etats Uns.
NJ De1aporte, lieutenant on board a
French war vessel, gives an account of a
cent visit to King Norodom of Cambodia.
1.-The royal residence" he says, sis a town in
itself. Several thousand people are lodged
in the enclosure, all of whom are attached to
the service of the King. At the end of the
first courtyard, surrounded by different kinds
of buildings, stands the European palace,
which is quite similar to the dwellings of the
rich merchants of Saigon. Behind that, in
another enclosure, is the native habitation,
gardens, and huts This is the division set
apart for the harem, and is closed to the pro-
fame. The mandarins are the most energetic
purveyors of the harem. They hope to OBJ
tain favor by giving their best-looking
daughters to the King. The women are al
lowed to go out, and by one of those strange
caprices common enough among the mon
archs of the East, who are by turns cruel and
paternal, they are allowed to marry, the King
giving up all his claims at the request of the
lovers. But, on the other hand, any attempt
to enter the sacred harem surreptitiously is
punished with the utmost severity. The first
time I visited Cambodia, young bronze, in
high favor at the court was discovered firt-
ing with one of the prettiest wives of Moro
dom. The latter, according to the usual Gus
tom, ordered the two lovers to be buried alive
The accused, however, escaped the punish
ment through the Intervention of the old
queen mother, who is Jealous Buddhist de-
votee. Since that time it appears that the
fair sex have not become wiser, but their
punishment has been changed. On returning
from our expedition, the King, who had come
to visit the chief of the French protectorate,
asked for some details as to the European
method of executing, or rather shooting Grim
inals. M. Moura, without attaching much
10 thn Eo1 &c
Majesty's curiosity. But what was our
constituent when two hours afteIward we
learned that four young women of the harem
had been shot in the European military STYLE
and their heads taken off and hung up for the
encouragement of the other ladies of the
household
''The King received us cordially, and
promised to facilitate to the utmost of his
ability our archaeological researches. After
ward he asked for one of our doctors. He
was famed by recent fall, and it is arti-
Gle of faith in Cambodia that an infrm or
lame king is unfit to govern. He told US in
confidence that he was obliged, in conformity
with the superstitious customs of his subjects,
to consult innumerable quacks astrologers,
and OWNERS. None of them was able to cure
him, and all agreed in imputing to evil spirits
the persistence of his trouble. Our doctor
Immediately placed himself at the disposition
of his Majesty; ceremony required that the
august invalid could only be examined through
the intermediary of one of his wives, but the
doctor convinced him of the insufficieney of
this method and close examination of the
hurt was made and the remedies applied.
"On going out of the palace we found at
the door group of bronzes on their knees,
praying for the recovery of the King. Others
were going through the streets chanting and
singing psalms. Public prayers had been
| ordered throughout the kingdom Around
the pagodas and in front of every house tall
| bamboo canes were placed and dressed with
ribbons of various colors. Beside the statues
of Buddha, at the cross roads and in the in
terror of the Chinese dwellings,, odoriferous
torches were kept burning. Trade was sus-
pended. The people appeared outdoors in
their holiday costumes. In the evening and
late at night the streets were filed with peo-
pie carrying torches or lanterns. The sounds
of the gong and of the tam-tam were mixed
with the constant detonations of fre-crackers,
and the sky was continually streaked with
rockets, whose explosions and brilliancy were
intended to drive away the bad spirits that
were bent on tormenting the sovereign.
''The next day we met a sort of cortege,
composed of about twenty natives, who were
marching in file, and before whom the crowd
of people opened passage with great respect.
This was the escort of the little son of Moro
dom, who was out for an airing. The child
was seated upon the shoulder of little digni-