New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-23
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
. GLIMPSE OF THE HABITS AND LIFE VI
THE SIAMESE.

A GLIMPSE itNDiic No.
THE SIAMESE.
rur prcrt,u CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
,su,NcToN. June 22.-General Haldermah'
Ar er,can Minister to siam, is in town lie Is mere OH
,sove NJ absence which will not expire unti inc uo
~ next August His friends say that he mas 10 "
ra,nrn 10 Siam. The climate is not heaiIny o"o W
,,oaus cannot stand 1t a stretch. 10 pecome avn
mated it seems, is only another term Tor oens Oioe
nome in a coffin at the Governments expense ana re-
Do'-N a., ,ho limited States by a committee General
I,dermap has no ambition that direction, though MS
wears stay In Bangkok does not seem 10 n.No
affected his health lie IS as "en t'
annarently as when he left tho Oni'eo SUN.
Cor Siam and the siamcse in 1882 He Is t1'i' heo
, man Of about afty-dve His bearing is soidiery'
-, oss,ve shouldcrs support well shaped head HIS
toce tanned by exposure tropical sum- is surrounoeu
by full gray beard, short The HAIR Is quite o" "
wore when saw him, ioosohttns sln' Vi o'O',o9'
English in texture French cut, and siamesein coio
An international black stoveppc covered ms mean anu
IN his rit hand he carried a quaker umbrella asked
the General to give some OF the impressions "nion WV
country and people of siam had left upon his mind
"Thc life in n country like sam" he said. Is not
Gerry pleasant and you ct tired OF f" IN d snoi'
time There is no society. Few white people remain
,hrs far amy length OF time Many OF the Europeans
,,Iod There are engaged in the disreputaDle liquor
traffic and belong to very undeSrao'e Grass Vi poot
Tho climate is hot. There is no sanaruh III inc uos
hrhood Of BANGKOK which you could retlre uurine
hats
ling conveyances II you want to traVci you nave -
your entire household along with you ana that s
extensive Servants cheap enough nut IL requires
ton siacse to do the work of one European supp"es
are not DEAR but European. and especially inc rcPe
sentative of foreign country is always charged twice
as much as native would be for the same article The
ox,a,se tn 20 to Siam is about $500 for one person.
.Uow did YOU lind the people inclined toward Amer
ieansi" ~
Every favorably indeed. The commercial possibi-
tiles are great though at present the siamese are any
thing but commercial people. They are agricutnStS.
The chief exports RICE sugar pepper Japah-Woou
and hides. China carries on larger trade with siam
than any other country"
.sTell me something about the Government
"The King is a man of about thirty-two. He Is
pleasant intelligent and well-meanng man. lie speaks
English His secretary is also his halfbrother 1t Is
easy enough to secure an audience There Is
verv little ceremony, considering that IL Is
an Asiatic court I would, for instance,
address note the secretary and say wished TO have
an audience with the King. reply would come
promptly agreeing to request would don full dress
sut present myself the gates Of the palace he re-
ceved by the guards passed by different function
aries until reached his Maestys Presence. He would
shake hands with me in ordinary European fashion,
listen to what had to say, and when had hnlshed
,roula ise and bow myself out. When told my Eng
sh and French colleagues that never AWAITED ans
rose when stated my business they were somc"ntV
but the King, lam told, liked 1t very much.
The King is very much married man. lie nhs SOM
5000 wives The establishment wn're they are hVnsu
ia cy almost IN itself They kept very close from
the ewes OF men, No Europeans anu very few natives
of the male allowed 10 enter sacred
Mrs PIlgraye. the wife of the English agent on get
permission once to visit the O1esas S %, %
merely concubines. 1t was very plainly furnishes mere
sort of thing at all The floors were marble
and the women sat on mats ana rus: iney
were chewing the betel root and constantly sptUhS
NIT SlOundcd. A
raiion the walls had The women very much IKE
the Chinese women. The head Il large the race nfoa
forehead low the cheek bones promucn the lips thick
tho eyes black though not upturre as III Tue case 2 le
Chinese There Is Of course whoie army oi ien'e AT
'e@p NnS something about Slams politics 2"
well you know 1t is absolute monarchy; Bnt
there are Two parties rather factions One headed
S sS the By k S"e ss Recent GENT wSo %
OF the present King There ex'S's sooI %e" d cl
scend by right of primogeniturc, the .r death OF
ruler gives rise always to 'erons r
had n little difficulty when the ex-Regcnt died whiGh
did not however lead any serious consequences lie
WIS n Sour old gentleman. querulous and cross paid
him visit my official capacity ana so dd me Enss
and French agents theirs lie returned their calls but
did moi return lnne When he died all the foreign repre-
sentatves halfnased their nags according 70 custom.
refused. said that man who hal shown so itte re-
spect the Dag Of the UNITED states should not De ro
ored By it when dead. Inc maiter was reported
to the King. He said nolhng bnt wnen
as 1t had taught the followers oil the eAHescnt
lesson ~, ,o.o, co,eroI Grant very we'll
Is
When left Sia charged Inc with message Tor MN
vas nreycnted through General Grants Illness IRON
deveriny II. Altogether succeeded very Wen lndccd
tn osning the Kings confidence. When he received me
in audience for the time he said: hope you VIII
come hacx General Grant had two terms You ought
10 have two terms also He presented me with iwo
decoraons and also wished TO present me with vain.
allie niece OF property. Tn s. however refused Bat
Induced him 10 IL III fee simple u Inc United
etates for the legation the rst instance IN winch
simar gift has been conveyed 10 the Uhltcd states oy
aforeign Power ~. ,,.o.,,,, .x,,r
ences in sian able to be present at Roya elephant
hunt This special invitation or the King, wno
further distinguished him by requesting the General 10
tale seat at his side. The Wild ephanis were de-
caved INTO sort OF corral sOckdc by tame elephants
over hundred were canght this OCCASION The great
es, service however, which General Htldcrnan was
allie 10 perform in breaking up "A nctariOus liquor
traffic earned under the protection OF the American
flag. OF his predecessors, u appears 10 gwen
their native aud Others TO keep liquor
shops The denoraizng influence OF these places soon
showed ITSELF 10 does not take much, says General
Ualdcriuan. lay a Siamese under the table. Ana
fhongh sone Of the thirsty Siamesc grumbcd and re-
hellrd al inc new American Minister'S course the King
and the better element among the natives were gad ana
showed their appreciation OF General Haldermans con-
duct in words well as deeds.