The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1886-03-04
THE INSIDE OF SIAM.
An Ex-GOverncss Shows Up tho Court and
Its Wickedncs5.

Mrs. Lconowcus, who was govcrness
of the young Princes of Siam, published
sketch of the Prime Minister OF that
country as follows. lie was the actual
ruler OF that seTli-barbarous realm and
the prime contriver of its arbitrary poll
cy. Black, but comely, robust and Wig
crous, neck short and thick, nose large
and nostrils wide, eyes irquisitive and
penetrating; his was The massive brain
proper to an intellect deliberate and sys-
temaiic. Well founded in tho best
idioms of his native tongue, he expressed
strong and discrnlinativo thought in
words ut once accurate and abundant.
His only vanity was his English" She
also sketches his harem.
ave discover in the center OF the hall
long line of girls with skins Of olive,
creatures who in years and physical
proportion are yet children, some twen-
ty in number, with transparent draper
bosoms wholly nude and covered with
barbaric ornaments of gold. Their on
! ~ garments the lower skirt, floating in
| light folds about their limbs, is one OF
very costly material bordered heavy
with gold. On the end OF their fingers
they wear long nails Of gold, tapering
sharply like claws OF a bird" She de-
scrbes dance in this haren while the
Prime Minister sits stony and grim, his
huge hands resting on lis knees in sta
tuesque repose. His department to his
female slaves WIS studiously ungracious
and mean.
'.In the midst o: BANGKOK is sort Of
sanctuary for criminals, where lurk fIgi-
tives of every class. Women in disguise
as men, men in the attire of women.
hiding phases Of every vilcness and
crime OF every enormity, at once the
most disgusting, the most appalling and
the most unnatural the heart of man
has conceived. Most of the women who
died in 1853, We're Of gentle blood, the
fairest OF the daughters of the S:amese
nobles and Princes of the adjacent tri-
butary States; the Queen cCnsoIt was his
own half-Sistar. Beside many choice
Chinese and Indian girls purchased an
nually for the royal harem by agept IS
from Bancock and Bengal. enormous
SUMS were offered year after year at
BANGKOK and Singapore for al English
woman of beauty and good parentage
to crown the sensua! collection. French
women offered themselves for the hareIi,
bat the King would not accept then."
Although religious ceremonies were
held 1T this c0urt hirs. Loonowens says:
THE King OF Sam was more syste-
matically educate6, and more capa-
cicds devor,rer of hooks and news than
rorha3s any man CT equal rank in his
time. In inborn integrity ana steadfast
principle he has no faith whatever. He
sincerely believed that every man atroye
10 conl ,ass Els own enGs, and when
sometimes | veltured 10 disabuse his
mind Of his daring scorn for motive and
responsibility | had the modification to
discover tia. had but helped him tc an
ar rrmeni against myself. Ii was simply
my pccuniary interest 10 do so. Money,
money, money. That could procure
anything. The love OF children was the
constant ana hearty virtue of this despot.
They appealed TO him By their beauty
and Their trusifElness; they refreshed
him with bold innocence of their ways.
at 9 O'Clock he retired TO his private
apartments, whence issued Immediately
peculiar domestic bulletins, in which
were named women whose presence he
particularly desired in addition to those
whose turn ii Was to wait that night.
His spies penetrate into every family Of
wealth and influence. Every citizen
suspects and fears alwaya his Geighbor,
sometimes his wife. -Cisciussd:s En-.
Qasysr.