, 1888-03-14
SIGHTS IN
Graphic Description of What C~hicaso's
ES-Hayor Saw in an Oriental City.

Graphic Description OF What Chicago's
ES-Hayor Saw in an Oriental City.
Bangkok is entirely different from all
other eastern cities l have seen. Else
where the houses are compacted together
so as to cover as little space as possible,
and the people massed as in hives. This
city, however, with its $50, 900 people,
covers more ground han Canton, with
its Leo, 600. There are but few streets,
but they arr quite broad. The annals run
in every direction. and are so numerous
that the Siamese are proud to call their
capital the Venice of the east. Houses
project over these canals, with open bal
comics, and both sides of the river for six
or more miles are lined with floating
houses, used not only for residences, but
for business.
People do their shopping in boats, and
while n woman sells to her customer in
open view-for all houses have open
fronts-her lazy husband fishes, sitting
upon q box of goods, and his children
battle and swim around the house. In
rowing or being rowed about there was
never n moment that l could not see
somewhere a bather; and just at sun
dow all the common world seemed am
pmbious. Thu panoong is retained on
when in the water, inc is then either
exchanged for a dry one or left on to
dry. Rivers and canals are always filled
10y freight boats, forty to sixty feet long;
by small peddler boats; by canoes of all
sizes, from ten feet, barely holding a
man, up to 100 or more feet, with fifty or
more paddlers moving in state with some
high official. Isaw one long canoe with
nearly 100 rowers. Each one would dip
his paddle and then lift it on high-a
curious sight thus to see nearly 100 pad
dies in air at the same time. There are
quite n large number of small steam
Earges in the city. These dart about very
rapidly. In fact, all boats seem to do SO,
for the tide runs very swiftly, and boats
going with its current move in the chan
mel, while those going against it stick to
the eddies. This makes the river a very
lively one, especially toward the cool of
the day.
Trees abound throughout the town,
along the streets, along the canals and
about the houses-many of them of good
forest size. Looking down from a high
pagoda one can scarcely realize oneself in
the heart of a great city. The ordinary
house is almost entirely lost in the mass
of green. Here and there one peeps out,
lNbhALh Nbbl anu HlldAlti. bul inc lOllN,
snow white pagodas, the tall, steep rooted
templcs-roofed in tiles of many colors.
many of them in gilt-the beautiful kiosk
turrets of the palaces, the gilded royal
wat and cenotaph, and the white palaces
themselves, make the city from an emil
renee look like u vast royal garden, with
princcly palaces and oriental temples
nestled among ornamental tropical trees.
Tho mot 70 a.agrF lF ,,,,a,.t,-- iii.
is temple and kiosk and lodging house
Of the priest within n single inclosure.
There are a great many of these in tho
city, and many of them of wonderful
richness. Some of the temples and pa
sodas are made up entirely of gilt and
glass mosaic. in small pieces inlaid in
cement walls and flashing in the sun
LIGHT like mountains of gold and dia-
monds. The royal wat makes the locker
on feel that Aladdin's lamp is close by,
revealing to him scenes Of fairy wonder
rather than scenes of actual reality. 1t
Is within and without-its several temple
buildings and its five or six lofty, round
pointed pagodas-made up of gold and
gems. Tic gold is of burned gilded pot
terry in small squares of an inch, bril-
liantly glazed: the gems of glass of diff
fcrent culors and set like rose faced dia-
monds, sapphires and rubics. Looking
upon the pile of these buildings, covering
several acres, just as the sun goes down,
with n gentle breeze causing the thou
sand tiny bells which hang to c~ornice,
frieze, and projecting point to tinkle, 1
almost felt as if l had been carried off by
some flying genie epd gently dropped
upon a scene of oriental fable.
Unfortunately all of the temples, pago-
das and kiosks are of brick, succeed
with Portland cement, and the gems and
gold planted into it will last only for a
short time. Many thousands of dollars
are required each year to keep the entire
fabrics of beauty from tumbling into
decay. A change of dynasty will bring
quickly the glory of Slams capital into
n heap of debris.-Carter Harrison in
Chicago Mail.