Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-29

very slim for me to see the feats Of this mys-
terious fraternity. The royal family OF
Siam is claimed to be native of Paklaie,
and this troop of jugglers is OF the royal
race-a branch, however, that only claims
priestly, not imperial prerogatives. They
never perform in public at all, nor in the
presence of witnesses at any time,
except upon two occasions. One of
these is the incremation of the
dead King; the other, the coronation
of the young King. This Is reported
to have been their custom from time I'M
memorial. 1 could not hear that their per-
formances had ever been witnessed by any
white man or stranger. Indeed, no one was
admitted but certain branches OF the
Siamese nobility. having either relationship
to the royal blood or certain hierocratlc
afinities, and certain persons said to be
initiated" anG holding high grades in
semi-religious confraternity akin to our
Freemasonry in purpose perhaps, but in re-
gard to which / have never been able to get
any yery definite information. These priv
ileged persons flock to the performances
whenever they take place-sometimes not
for a generation-but always in one or the
other of five of the great temples or pagodas
of Siam and Laos.
Nevertheless, when I found that the
French frigate La Refine des Ecossais was
going round from Saigon to Bangkok, to
participate in the coronation ceremonies,
and that could secure passage In her as a
supernumerary. 1 very quickly packed my
portmanteau and went aboard. Arrived at
the Siamese capital, lost no time IN call
ing to pay my respects to my amiable
friend, Prince Pha-tajac. 1 found the
household of His Royal Highness in the
greatest possible distress of mind. The cor
onation was to come off on the 10th. 1t
was now the 7th, and Mime. Liti-Mon-
datch, the Princes first wlfe-a noble
creature she is, too, fitted to adorn any circle
was laid up in all the agonies of a formld-
able bone felon, which neither the European
nor the native doctors of Bangkok could
make any head against. 1 was the very
man for the occasion, and / seized 1T. l re-
membered me of my old grandmother's
remedy for the atrocious allment-a remedy
proved infallible in thousand trials-and
proceeded to apply to 1t, with such happy
effect, that in three days, Nine. Litl was
about the house again, very nearly as well
as ever, and IN fever to give me substan-
tial proof OF her gratitude.
1t was then that broached to the Prince
my desire to witness the performances of
Tepada's troop, in the temple of Juthia, on
the morning of the 10Th. ''It was simply
impossible" be said. "The law would not
allow it. 1t was sacrilese. The initiated
would tear me limb from limb sooner than
permit such an intrusion upon
their sacred rights" Failing with
Pha-tajac, 1 resorted to Lit. She
hesitated. 1 reminded her of her
finger. She espoused my cause with the per-
sistence and intelligence for which Siamese
women are noted. do not know exactly
how it came about; L know that there was
terrible amount of diplomacy. was given
to understand that certain royal parsonage
had finally been induced to interfere, and
that the redoubtable Tepada himself, at first
decidedly hostile, had been brought to con-
sent. At any rate. was told that I was to
be permitted to witness the performances,
under certain restrictions, which it is not
necessary to mention here.
On the morning of the 18th, in company
with Woun-Tajac, the Princes favorite son,
who was TO witness the celebrated rites for
the first time, l set out up the river
in covered barge. We had a guard
of five swordsmen, quite "tail'' of
servants and attendants, and the boat
moved merrily ahead, propelled by
the strong arms Of - oarsmen, The Med