The sun., 1893-07-19
A TIsIT TO BANGKOK.
How the Onieers OF the United States ship
Alert Were Entertnined There

| Alert Were Ertertnined There
Whites In Bangkok and othor Siamese citic,
| dread bonbardmen ent by any Eurorcan powor
| not only because OF the damage that may bs
| done by shot aud shell. but because OF the an.
archy that may ensuo within the city. siam
| has largo population OF Chinese. men OF all
| classes. including the lowest The Chinese
arc n more energetic people than the Siamese.
and strong socret socictios among tho Chinese
residents Of Bangkok havo made them feared
alike by European residents and native Siam
| ese. mbardme ont would weaken the Siamese
Government. and probably result In the loot
ing OF shops and warehouses by tho mob.
The somewhat rnre visits Of United States
mon Of war to Bangkok arc made partly with
q Wow TO encouraging the few American resi-
dents. At all ordinary times. however. what
ever European man-of-wnr may be In the
Moinam. imme iiatoly below Bangkok. may be
depended upon to care for Americans, along
with other whito residents. In case OF any dis
United states ship Alert when she visited
bangkok some yeara ago. gives nm interesting
Of aPoa have SS
lions q tie second King no of aHa Siam. S but % he main:
lew soldiers. His title nv IN the @ siSmsse Ian.
gunec is translated front palace" The Alert
visited tho city in two detachments. going un
dozen oflicsrs. ali in iu inP Uniform % and pron.
erly escorted, paid u visit Of state flrat to his
Majesty. ChulaIongkorn. the prosent SOW
snSe euf chapberr q the bamboo and stucso
latter including many plate glass mirrors and
much n, Hl gliding seemed t9 indicate the inipepss NJ e
Ministers. received the strangers .graciousiy,
but conyersed with them through an inter
they psw that his
tsSnsSs s;; would be insoasistentr ny, with tSs
expressions OF mutual regard between
%d Rs a ndens
pa, passed to the officers. Everybody aeeepted.
ent, however who stood at the bottom OF the
rsay literally @ and II lis cigar HmsSS IFS SrotSsr @
officers were, aghast put as the audncious
everyboey includnr The "eS Captain soon fol
T&e Xisit 70 the second King wa, less for.
than that of Chulalonek orn. and he turned out
TO be fat and extremely good-naturod person
himself to make everybody feel at home. ~
. A courtesy shown the visitors was an invita-
lion to ntend e. the OF OF
'nsion was tempered by the fact that the de-
,eased had been year dead before the crema- |
ion. The United States Officers. clad all in. |
hetr whit uniforms. went to the place OF cre- |
nation nlonR with great crowd of Bnngkoks |
lolyglot population, Everybody mnde way for |
lose to Ihe hambo temple. Within FAY tho !
corpse doubled up In box about two feet |
'nuare. There was much beating OF drums. |
md a speech by The King. Then his MajeatY
applied a match to the pyre. and not only the
,oly but the temple itself wns consumed. |
Everybody who could got near added fnsl to
he iiames; The ceremony included the scatter
Vi Of many small coins and little round objects
hat looked exactly like horse chestnuts. The
King. seeing one OF the officers o few feet
way. tossed him a horse chestnut. A native
tanding by eNpl nino cd that II the officer would
pen the horse chestnut he would find some
{ paper inscribed with Siamese characters.
he officer would follow him the strip Of paper
vould procure gift. Following the native to
counter hard by. the stranger presented the
trip OF paper and received little silver bon
on box. Each horse chestnut was provided
7ith such an order upon the attendant behind
nd handsome. The showeriIg OF coin and
eemfngly for the purpose OF procuring their
ray yers for the dead or promoting among them
ood will toward the royal family.
The officers o. the Alert saw evidences Of
ery different Siamese funeral ceremony upon
isiting a temple-crowned hill near the city.
rotected, and soon eaten BY the dogs and
ultnres that swarm shout the place. Tho
.Oric vegetation OF the hillside contains tons
cleau-picked human bones.