Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-21
THE KING OF SIAM.
A MONARCH OF LIKIfLEss P0WER
WHOSE SUBJECTS ARE SLAVES.
His Grand Palaces, wives, and Wondrous
White Elephants-rhe Big Harem-
a Strange system Of Justice.

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A letter from Bangkok, Siam, says:
I have Just returned from a visit TO the
palaces Of the King of Siam. have
gone by the golden elephants at the por-
tails, have walked past the black soldiers
Mt the gate, and have stood upon the
throne OF his ROYAL Majesty himself !
have penetrated the reception-rooms and
the various ence-chambers, have
taken look at the bushes and trees OF
gold and silver, which are sent to him
from his provinces, have almost
handled the royal jewels, and have
with my practical American eyes
looked at his carloads of 6Tic-d-6rdc
gathered from tho four corners OF
the earth. l have visited the stables of
his sacred white elephants, have given
the ugly beasts taste OF heather grass,
have trod with my patent-leathers the
floors of his hottest temples, and have
with unwinking eyes looked at the
grandeur Of the little emerald idol My
letters from Washington gave me access
TO the Foreign Minister, and one OF the
Enelish-speaking mobiles connected with
the State Department. bright, copper
colored, black moustached young fell
low in dress half Siamese and
half European-acted as my guide.
He showed me the outside OF the great
buildings Of the harem, but have failed
10 meet any one OF His Maiesty's one
hundred wives, and His Royal Highness
himself had left the capital for SIX
weeks trip into the interior OF his realm
three days before my arrival. L have
been so fortunate. however, as TO meet
many men connected with his court,
who are well posted upon him and his
kingdom. The talks with these and
with old residents Of the country have
given me almost as good knowledge OF
his personality rs though had met him
myself and "a | write this letter his last
photograph, taken by the Court photo
grspher. lies on the table before me.
1t represents a bnght-eyed, slender
Young man Of thirty-six dressed IN the
gorgeous uniform OF Siamese royalty.
Small in stature, his head is crowned
with a golden pyramid of jewels, rising
in circular tiers, diminishing as they go
upward until they end IN long, pencil
like point, which extends nearly two feet
above the forehead OF its kingly owner
His body is clad IN gorgeous coat and vest
heavily embroidered in gold and jewels,
and in place of pantaloons he has the rich
brocaded surong of the Siameso about
his loins and waist. 1t comes down below
his knees at the front. and it looks here
not unlike a pair Of fancy Knicker-
bockers. Below these pair OF shapely
calves in white silk stockings are thrust
into iewelled-cOyered, heelless slippers,
pointed like the shoe Of the Turk, and
| the whole makes q costume brilliant and
Grand. His Majesty sits on a foreign
arr, chair and his sword lies on q table
at his side. lie is pleasant-looking
fellow, and his olive-brown face is plump
and unwrinkled. Ho has beautiful
liouid black eyes, a broad, high,
and rather full forehead, and
short. straight, black hair. I'm
der MS rather short and habitat
nose there is silky black moustache,
and below this the lips are rather thick,
and the chin plump and well rounded.
Ills hands and feet are well made, and
he is, all told, as good q specimen OF
Siamese beauty as ] have seen. lie IS
the ninth son az Maha Mongkut, the
last King Of Siam, and he was picked
ont of a family OF eighty-fOur children
to be placed upon the Slamese throne;
BE has thirty-four half-brothers and
forty-nine half-sisters, and no liked one
of lis half-sisters so well that he married
her and made her his Queen.
Looking at him, it is hard to imagine
that be is the sacred ruler OF from six to
ten millions OF people, and it is hard for
an American Prince to appreciate his alb
solute power and his holy dignity The
people of the country are his slaves. he
! has the right to call them into his ser
vice either with or without pay, and all
men in Siam are forced to give him
either the whole or q part OF their SER
vices during the year. Hisword can throw
q man into chains or put him to death /;
can deprive him of his property or rob
him OF his daughter. All the women Of
Siam are supposed to belong tothe King,
and no one is forbidden to him except
his mother. He is supposed to take one
of his sisters As his queen and the mobiles
of the country offer him their daughters
by the scores. His court IS one OF IN
trigue and plotting, and the mobiles are
Glad TO have their daughters in the
harem in that they may thus the better
attain the Kings friendship and powerful
Offices He taxes the people as he plesses
and these taxes are so heavy that
al times some men have to sell their
wives and children as slaves to enable
them TO pay him. Still his vaults are iull
OF treasure. Siam has no national debt
and be has an income OF more than ten
million dollars year. de can spend
tens OF thousands of dollars i'll crematlng
dead wife or in establishing a petty
navy. which would be of no more good
than so many boy toy-boats against the
war shiOs Of the great nations.
Still this King OF Siam IS the most
progressive the country has ever had.
He is far in advance OF his people, and
he Is doing o great deal to civillze them.
Before his second coronation IN 1870 all
natives who approached the King had
to do so on ali tours They had to raise
their hands in alteration to him and
bump their heads on the mats be-
fore him. This King did away with all
this. and he has introduced the American
hand.shake into his reception Of foreign
ers. He givesreceptions to foreigners and
he speaks the English tongue, though he
never does this when noted foreign visi-
tors have on audience with him. he
considers it beneath his dignity at such
times to speak in any other language
than the Siamese, and he has an inter
prefer who translates the English words
into Siamese and the Siamese words into
English. de has brought the telegraph
and the telephone into Bangkok, has es-
tsblished street-car line, and lights bis
harem with the electric light. Just at
present he is considering the subject OF
railways, and hs has given 500, 900 to
have survey made OF railway which
shall run from Bangkok out into his
kingdom, and shall connect with Man
dalay and Burmah. The engineers
I 80 l.. ,,,rra.y thia rottrOa1 N fau