Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-16
THE INSIDE oF SIAM.
An Elk Governess Shows up the Court
and its Welcomes.

and its Welcomes.
From, a 5ieuis,o IN tie CiaeiaaIti Eaq Hi'er.
Mrs. Leon Owens, who was the govern
ees of the young princes of Siam, pub
lished a sketch ofthe prime minister oil
that country as follows:
He was the sctual ruler Of that semi
barbarous realm and the prime contIlver
Of its arbitrary policy. Black, but come
ly, robust and vigorous, neck short and
thick, nose large and nostrlls wide, eyes
inqustiYe and penetrating; his was the
massive brain proper TO an lntellect Qe-
hOerate and systematic. Neil-founded
IN the best idiOms of his native tongue, be
expressed strong and discriminating
thought in words at once accurate ana
abundant. His only vanity was his Eng
lish." She also sketches his harem.
1--WE discover IN the centre Of the hall a
long line Of girls with skins OF olive,
creatures who in years and physical pro-
portions are yet but children, some TWEEN
" in number, with transparent draperles
with golden girdles, their arms and bos-
Oms wholly nude and covered with bar
barrie ornaments Of gold. Their only gar
meuts the lower skirt, floating in light
folds about their limbs, is one OF very
costly material bOrdered heavily with
gold. On the ends Of their fingers they
wear long nails of gold, taperng sharply,
like the claws of a bird" She described
a dance in this hsrem while the prime
minister sits stony and grim, his huge
hands resting on his knees in statu-
esque repose. His department to his fe-
male slaves was studiously ungracious
and mean.
In the midst of BANGKOK is a sort OF
sanctuary for criminals, where Turk fugi-
tiYes Of every class. Women disguised
as men, men in the attire of women, hi
ding phases Of every vileness and crime
OF every enormity, at once the most dis
gusting, the most appalling, and the most
unnatural the heart of man has conceived.
Most of the women who composed the ha-
rem Of the king, who died in 1868, were OF
gentle blood, the fairest of the daughters
of the Siamese mobiles and princes OF the
adjacent tributary states. The queen
consort was his own half-sister. Beside
many choice Chinese and Indian girls
purchased annually for the royal harem
by agents from Bangkok and Bengal,
enormous sums were offered year alter
year at Bangkok and Singapore for an
English woman of beauty and good pa
rentage to crown the sensual collection
French women offered themselves for the
harem, but the king would not accept
them. Although religious ceremonies
were held at this court, Mrs. Leon Owens
says
"The king of Siam was more systemati-
cally educated, and more capacious de-
vOurer of books and news than perhaps
any man of equal rank in his time. In in
born integrity and steadfast principle he
had no faith whatever. He sincerely be-
lieVed that every man strOye to compass
his own ends, and when sometimes l ven-
tured TO disabuse his mind Of his darling
scorn for motive and responsibility | had
the modification to discover that / had
but helped him to an argument against
myself. 1t was simply my pecuniary in
terest to do so. Money, money, money.
That could procure anything. The love
of children was the constant and hearty
virtue of this forlOrn despOt. They APP
pealed to him by their beauty and their
trustfulness; they refreshed him with
the bold innocence of their wavs. At
| O'Clock be retired to his private apart
ments. whence issued Immediately pecu,
/ liar domestic bulletins, In which were
/ named the women whose presence he par
/ ticuarly desired in addition to those
! whose turn it was to wait that night. His
spies penetrate into every family o.
wealth and influence. Every citizen sus
! poets and fears always his neighbOr
sometimes his wife,"