Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-10-09
A VENICE IN SLAM.
The Great City of Bangkok With
Canals for Streets.

Canals for Streets.
It is no wonder that travellers have so
much to say about the capital city of
Siam, for of all strange cities it is the
strangest. Covering an enormous amount
Of ground, it stretches for eight miles on
both sides Of the Menam River and has q
population of from 500, 900 to 600, 900
people. So hard is it to take census
that the government has not as yet taken
the number of its people since 1870, but
good authorities who have lived for years
in the city place the number approximate
ly as above.
There is not single street in all the
great city of Bangkok leading into the
country. No, nor even trail that an
elephant could follow. In the city proper
are many good streets, however, and of
late years the natives have taken to driv-
ing horses and ponies, and now almost
any afternoon one or more of the
numerous princes can be seen driving
about the city in stylish turnouts with a
half-dressed groom standing up behind
In place of streets the Siamese have grea.
natural waterways and canals leading to
all parts of the kingdom.
The Menam River, running through
the centre of the city, is the great bust
ness street and thoroughfare. On both
sides are hundreds of stores and shops
where you can buy everything from a
needle to steamboat. Leading into the
country, at right angles from the river,
are the great canals of Bangkok
of them'being over hundred miles in
length. They lead everywhere, and upon
them is brought to market the great rice
crop of Siam, as we'll as the entire pro-
duct of the land. Some of these canals
are not more than ten feet wide, while
every few hundred feet smaller ones lead
through the bamboos and low growing
banana trees to the homes and grounds
of the natives.
Many of the larger canals, however,
are almost rivers in size, and the largest
steam launches tow as many as a. dozen
grain boats fifty and sixty miles inland.
Bangkok being so near the sea, the tide
leaves these canal-boats high and dry at
least once day; but, strange as it may
seem, the tide here has a way of acting
not in accordance with almanac rules and
regulations, and sometimes there is no
tide at all at Bangkok for the entire
twenty-four hours.
The people use the canal waters as
public bathing places also, but the ma
tives do not now, as formerly, ointo the
water naked, late order of the king
compelling them to wear at least small
garment. Along these canals are located
many of the great watts of the city, where
all day long hundreds of lazy, yellow
dressed Buddhist priests can be seen loaf
ing about, while near many of these
places of worship are sacred hogs wallow-
ing in mire and filth, says writer in the
Kansas City Times. Wat Chang, one of
the great sights of Bangkok, is located
on the river bank, nearly opposite the
kings grounds.
1t is an immense affair, towering nearly
100 feet into the air, and is surrounded
by spacious grounds, but all parts Of the
main temple as well as the smaller ones
and the hundreds of stone images of
Buddha throughout the grounds are fall
ing to pieces, and in few years many of
the now celebrated watts of Siam will be
simply tumbled down ruins. About all
the Siamese watts is singular mixture of
dirt, filth and gold Somehow in this
country one always goes with the other.
The King of Siam lives in handsome
palace within walled enclosure inside
the double city walls, and he lives and
enjoys life as much as any of the kings
of history. At the present time his
wives are said to number not fewer than
one hundred-his queen and second wife
being his half sister. In fact the queens
Of the kings of Siam are always his half-
sisters, there being no one else in his
kingdom of sufficient rank to fill that
place.