The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-02-04

ton OF tiU 'CeI onony Tor the honor a..
glory of the royal family.
The feature of the procession was the
appearance of battalions, male and fe-
male, representing the different states,
either subject to Siam or connected in
some way with her. Each band of forty
or fifty, marching four abreast, sported
the Characteristic dress of their country,
and the funereal black of the tall, 1.-THE
Shans, with their black hair reared up
into hideous cockade, was in striking
contrast with the brilliant uniforms of
the Maun girls, the gay colors of the
feudatory Malays, and the graceful ele-
gance and handsome dresses of the Siam
ese themselves. Five hundred girls, all
marching in exact time, with "a true mill
tary swing to their gait, formed the
van of the main body, and displayed the
costumes of white, black and yellow
Shans, Laosians, Pequans, Mauns, Ka-
rens and Malays, Among the battalions
of Siamese girls were full-hedged ANA
zOnian warriors, armed with swords and
rifles, marching steadily, eyes square to
the front and with the bearing of those
who had seen actual service. From four
feet and less to nearly or quite five feet
in height the ranks passed on in appar-
emily endless array, their bare, noseless
feet seeming to glide over the mat-cov-
cred flag stones, their hands joined in
suppliant attitude, and one rounded
brown shoulder shining out like FURNISHED
bronze from the folds of bright scarf or
gauzy, undulating mantle. In beauty of
figure and in the 1.-the grace of their
movements the Siamese maidens excelled
all present, and their light, almost classic
costumes, though more subdued in color
and adornment than their neighbors' :,
were in more perfect taste.
At the sides of the procession marched
mobiles clad in green and blue, sooth-
sayers in flowing white robes with tall
conical pink and white hats, sprightly
youths of high-born rank in close-ftting
costumes of scarlet and accouterments
blazing with precious stones. Then
close at their heels followed the royal
white elephants clad in gorgeous trap
pings and carefully attended by trained
servants. The male phalanx came next
in representative uniforms, which had
evidently made sensation in court cir
Giles and tickled the royal fancy. There
were dark-skinned highlanders in kits
and trews, stumpy little grenadiers APP
parently top heavy meath their bearskiu
head gear. Sappers and miners in the
uniform of the Prussian army, Goorkhas
in national rig and Sepoys in fancifu
regimentals, with scores of costumes ant
uniforms copied from all arms of military
services and representing all the prin
cipal nations of Europe. The uniform
of the United States armed forces wa,
conspicuous by its absence. Hi.
majesty of Siam had evidently tossed tn,
plates contemptuously aside as too tam'
and unpretentious for Siamese tastes.
Surrounded by the royal body guar(
was borne the royal palanquin, FOLLOWED
by ~hite-clad angels crowned with ringet
and pointed crowns and bearing sort o
thyrsus representing gold and silver flow
ers. A cloud of drummers. pipers ant
trumpeters was interspered at intervals
making the air rosound with their efforts
and half dozen brass bands rendere'