The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-09-02

people, of unique manners and
customs, which are peculiarly in
teresting and often picturesque.
The people are Buddhists, and
guard Stheir religious beliefs jeal-
ously. Many believe the Siamese
to be of Malay origin. Europeans
regard them as Monaghan, but
they are lighter complexioned than
the Chinese, and have neither the
almond eyes nor fiat noses of those
people. They trace their own
genealogy up to the first disciples
of Buddha, and are probably a
branch of the great Iudo-European
stock.
The king of Siam resides in
Bangkok. He is popular with his
subjects, for he always seems
anxious for the best welfare of his
people. He is great admirer of
Abraham Lincoln, and long before
ne came to the throne he vowed his
country should be muang Thu
that is, a free country. All
children born in the year in which
his majesty was crowned shall be
free at the age of twenty-one--so
says this gracious king. He wears
a crown of solid gold, weighing
many pounds, and carries the title
of Para Bard Somdech Phra Para
mendar Maha Mongkut Phra Cham
Klau Chauyu Hua, with a few
additions which we have forgotten.
The royal family is large one.
The custom of polygamy has al.
ways been practised, and in con-
sequence of this custom the royal
concubines of the King of Siam
have ever been numerous, num-
bering upwards of hundreds
even thousands. 1t is a Gus
tom when a prince ascends his
throne and becomes established
in his reign, that each of his mobiles
and lords present his most beauti-
full daughter or niece to the king,
to serve as a nang ham-literally
lady forbidden that is, forbidden
to 90 out of the palace. In former
reigns persons of this class have
been vigorously confined in the
royal palace, but in this reign they
are allowed much more freedom.
Their royal husband is their lord
indeed, and they may not go away
from home without permit. This
favor must not be sought very
often, and then only on extraor-
binary occasions.
These ladies are not allowed to
be idle; they all have re cha kan,
or royal business, assigned them,
some of them being appointed to
superintend others, some perform
ing the services of servants
GGRY3ler mistresses, and all hav-
ing some daily duties. Prepar-
ing beetle-nuts in soft, round
balls, the size of a marble, for his
majesty to eat, is one of the occu-
tions; rolling the spicy ciove-leaf,
which is plastered over with lime,
to be eaten with this nut, is another.
They also prepare wax and put it
into little gold boxes for lip-salve,
to say nothing of the making OF
tea and dainty sweetmeats for the
royal palate.
There are two queens-the right
hand and the left hand. These
ladies do not appear on state occa-
sions, and seldom participate In
festivities. Now and then one of
the queens will visit a temple with
her children, in a closely covered
carriage and with a body-guard.
The first queen rs closely related by
blood to the king. AS there is no
more honorable family, he must
seek a wife from family of equal
ly honorable parentage. The king
does not WOO his own wives. If he
sees a pretty girl of noble stock
whom he desires, she is conducted
to the royal palace, and trained
and schooled as a Nang ham. 1t
is also quite common for the rela-
tions of a girl to make an offering
of their handsomest daughter,
grandchild, or niece, thinking it
would be great good to have the
king for a family prop.
The browning act of choosing a
queen is the bathing of her whom
the king delighteth to honor. The
priests put in the water the leaves
of certain tree which are thought
to have a healthful and purifying
influence. A platform is erected,
ascending by three gradations to a
height of six feet. On the top OF
this is placed throne on which
the woman is to sit while bathing,
and directly over the throne is a
white canopy through which the
water is to be showered. The con-