The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-02
SIAN AND ITS PEOPLE.
The Rich Country That France
Is Seeking to Annex.
LOOK At the CITY OF BANGKOK
Oar H1sss BuSdAtss Lsgatieo-Gress
Wealth aad Enormous Revenus
II the King.

WARRINGTON SffY. June ~ Speciat
Corresrondence.T Recent dispatches from
BANGKOK. Siam. tell of French aggression.
The ancient city is threatened with total
destruction by French warships. The
Siasnese governments idea in establishing
allegation in the United States 10 to es-
tahiish relations with the great powers
which viii enable it 10 escape conquest by
France. Siam Is one Of the least known
OF the great countries of Asia, and the
society people here are reading up that
they may talk intelligentiy to these
princes Of the far east. 1t lies. you know,
at the lower part of the peninsula of
farther India. and it is cut mp by the Gulf
OF Siam. The mighty river Menam runs
through 1t from north to south, and the
Whole country IS a network Of canals. In
the winter large part Of il is covered
with water. and the people go from house
to house and from place to place IN boats.
The city of Bangkok, which lies on the
Menam, about twenty-five miles from its
mouth, IS the Venice Of the far east. It
contains 10000 inhabitants, and loo, 900
OF these live in houses which toa,
upon the water. Bangkok is. in fact,
sort of river city, and it is stretched for
distance Of ten miles up aud down the
banks OF the Menam. Siam is about four
times as big as the state of New York:
it contains about 10, 600 Goo people. ana the
country and the people. body and soul,
belong to the king. The king has the right
to every mans labor. and any woman
whom he calls upon must enter his harem.
He has the most arbitrary power of any
king Of the east. and he is one of the rich
monarchs Of the world. His palace in
Bangkok is = magnificent structure, with
golden elephants guarding its entrances.
II has twenty-five acres of ground about
it, and it is said that 500 people live
within the palace walls. The king Is said
to have 300 wives. but the queen. who is
the chief Of these, is his majesty's half
sister. She is very bright woman and
has made herself noted for her charity.
She rules she harem, and when was in
Siam was told that she smoked cigarettes
and chewed the betel nut
The new Siamese legation will I'M
doubleday be betel chewers. Every one in
Siam is addicted to this habit, and there il
. bis store just opposite to the palace of
the king in Bangkok in which was shown
during my stay there q lot of little china
spittoons about the size of shaving mug.
This store supplied the palace with goods
and these little spittoons were used by the
ladies' Of the harem for the expectoration
Of betel juice. The bctel nut is q native of
Siam. 1t is about ~ big as black walnut
and 1t has . green skin. 1t is sold in
pieces the size Of 4 hickory nut. and il is
OF soft, spongy nature. having q bitter,
astringent taste. The Siamese mix tho
nut with lime and tobacco. The lime 10
colosed red aud 1t is carried about in green
Al As1xye = n q 49,
chews aid spits end spits and chews all
day long. 1t makes the teeth black and
the juice which the people expectorats is
~ red as blood. / saw both men and
women using it when was in Siam and I
was told that babies were given it almost
as soon as they were weaned. Both women
and men smoke in Siam and children arc
taught TO puff cigarettes as soon n they
are old enough to crawl. Ii any ladies
come with the legation they will probably
be smokers and betel chcwers, and of the
kings harem half Of the women have black
teeth. The Siamesc say that any dog can
have white teeth, but only those who are
rich enough TO buy the besel nut can have
black ones.
This legation will be the first foreign
mission OF pure Buddhists which has ever
come to Washington. The ministers from
Europe are to q large extent Catholics.
The Chinese are Confucianists. The ia
panese are liberal free-thinkery. and the
Koreans about the same. Buddhism 10
the religion of Siam, and every man Of any
prominence there has been at some time Of
his life Buddhist priest. The king him
self was one time priest, and he once
shaved his head and gave IN his crown
and harem TO wear q yellow cotton scarf
about his waist and go about fasting and
praying. Any one who wants to become
priest in Siam can do SO upon mo-
At Il
man gets into financial difficulties he en-
tiers the priesthood. and in this way his
debts are forgiven him. After they have
remained here for some time they come
out and start into business anew. When
a man has done anything very wicked he
goes into the priesthood for certain
humber of years to cleanse himself. and
this becoming Buddhist priest is one Of
the simplest methods Of S.amese divorce.
The man who enters the church has the
right to dismiss his wife. and when he
comes out again at the end OF . few
months or . year he can marry her again
or not. as he chooses.
Siam is the home Of Buddhism. and
while was in Bangkok saw the purest
OF the Simon pure article. There are
%. go Buddhist priests in the Siasnese cap
ital, and these are of all ages from III to 50.
They go about with shaved heads and yei-
low strips of cloth wound about their half
naked bodies. and they chew the betel and
smoke cigarettes as they go begging from
house To- house. The city Is divided up
among these beggars. Each priest has has
beat and n every door he gets an Offering
o. rice or OF something else of this kind.
I visited the Buddhist temples while
was in BANGKOK. They are costly beyond
description. There is one right near the
kings palace which has 500. 90 worth OF
gold leaf on one Of its spires, and IN
another temple there is an idol made OF
jewels and pure gold. I, is aboa. foot
high and eight inches vide. When IL Has
being made, v lille the nIetal was yet IN
the cruciole. crystals. topazes. sapphires.
rubies ana diamonds we're stirred into 1t,
and before thus idol the king comes every
morning And worshIps. | could til this
paper with descriptions Of the Won
deriu. temples Of Siam, and Ia
one Buddhist temple l found the floor
covered with = mating Of woven SILVER
wire II was dirty from the hare fee; OF
the priests. and as l went out | noticed
that the door wss ebony inia.i with
molaer-of-peari. In another temple
found an image of Buddha asleep Inls
insag Was 10 feet long and the soies oil as
feet by actual measurement were II :ees
from toe To heel. two-ssory cottage -
often not more than II feet high. ii thts
Baddha lay outside such . one on his back
his bag toe would be on parallel with the
lightning rod. OF late years nampes Oh
infldeis have sprung up IN sam, anu y
mar Re that our new legation VIII not te.a
fast IL their faiio Their religion, 80 10 y
taught a. Bangkok. Is fail OF error, ana !
vas told there that the people believed tae
earth TO be Hat and THAI their explanation
OF the lightning fash vas that 1T came
from the ha;ene. OF . giant OF tfa@ eiooas.
who. sngry as his sises. was ihsosing
haieness AZ them through the ar.
The sending Of . legation 10 " ashing-
soa City Is another evidence o. TIE pro-
x.sx.ara. .r.srtt If i-hasiuiAn karr- lie Is