New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-30


beggary and pauperism are scarcely known
Parents SAYS La Loubere, know how 10 make
themselves extremely loved and respected ana
Siamese children have great docty and sweet
ness PargOx described them liberal aims
civers severe in enforcing decorum in the relations
between the sexes sharp and even witty in con-
vcrsation." These are attractive Vows OF IN"
Siamcse character in which nearly all observers
coincide.
The Samese almost as great tca-drinkers
az the Cbnese and Russians and some of the
finest tea in the world is produced in the Mckong
valley Opium Was formerly used having been
introduced hy the Chinese. but the present KING
| and his predecessor have largely suppressed "
by severe cdicts. Areca and the h'tel nut NJ"
almost universally usc;l Tobacco Is also much
chcwcd and snoscd
The craa, events in the lifr OF \ Sam"s'
are shaving the mir-tnft. reception a. bonzc
and marriage. 4 Samcsc boy Is I-ed by hi'
mother till he i two years old, aud cared Tor
hv her. in the womcns apartments. for tw" years
more During this time all his hair i allowed
70 grow But at the aRo Of about fonr years
Inc is cmanepatcd from female tut"lage, and then
ell his hair j. shaved OIL save single larg"
inf on the top Of the head. This Is allowed
IN crow rs long as il will. and is kept coil"i on
| the ton of the head, and held in pac" with
| icwcllcd pins The hair Of girl - treated IN IN
same way But at the az" If eleven or tw"lV"
| in the case Of girl, or thirteen OF fourteen III
| the cas-. Of a boy. the TUT IL TRIMMED d""n
| n the reasonable length al when IT IL there
after TO he worn, and this hair -cutina i Market
with elaborate ceremonies. 70 when irA''N'h
and friends are invited. In the ca~" of royal
prince the occasion is made a gala-day tHo'Gh'"
| the whole kingdom.
Il. ireI IN
veor or two of his life in attendance on temp
| shrine az a bone. and his reception a. such
i marked with elaborate AMI impressive rirs
! MARRIAGES are usually NEGOTIATED by frl"nI oI
the hridcoroom who makes the proposal 10 ui'
| u,,cn,s Of the bride If they r"ins" s'c"h"
| time the suit is abandoned. Bnt If they accept
4 celebration il held, and after an cnS'3'h'n'
NJ a month or two the marriage occurs IL II
a civil contract. with no 1elGIoAs "i'"'"'
though BONES, or priests, are usually inVi''o
n the wcdding-feast. SlameSc has ohiS Oh"
real le,ll wife, but may have III addition many
concubinrs 4 wife may obtain divorce 'oln
her husband for uniaihfuinrsS h'r """rN !
,hor restored 70 her. and she takes possession
NJ her child. if she hay" only one; II 'i'r'
Ina more she takes tie first, third fifth, etc, anu
,o,vo. IN her husband the second, fourth. "'c.
vhor a Siamcsr dies his family wall ana Ia
mont. the body is washed and wrapped IN Il
,Lito cloth and placed I'm a coffin surrounded W.T."
flowers and tapers day or two latcr t''
conin il borne ont, not through the door, ou'
,hrouph n hole specially mad" III the WALL an
carried at n run three times around the HOUSE, !"
order that the spirit Of the dead may ho, y"
ohIc 70 find its way back into the hou'' nv
IN. CORPSE is either given to birds oil prey VI
bmrncd--usualy the latter
The Siamcsc are greatly devoted 10 music am"
any
in a way. to mathematics. They have MANY
musical instruments. both wind and strln@'n. ~
sides drums. cymbals, etc. The " khong-nohg VI
{" r.n,t- consists Of a series of blocks of wood or
of metal, suspended, and struck by tn" player VIII"
hammers The music thus produced is by no
means unplcasne The pc" is IA finite. made oi
wood. and is the leading instrument in an or
chcstra The saw" is violin, held ana plhN'n
after the manner Of vioonccllo. tn" kHlap'
is sort of guitar the strings Of which ar str"'"
with the iingcrnails The thon' is 4 drum mao
of eortLcnware and snal<c-skin. with series "'
holes for modifying the pitch Of the tone. There
are various other instruments Of less Importance
and thcs. are all used both for orchestral mhHT
and for accompanying singing. III which the N''-
mcse are proficient.
In mathematics the Siamese have n curious benz
for odd numbers. Every house must hay" an '''
number Of rooms, Of doors, OF windows; every
stairway an odd number Of steps. The d'cIl''
system is however in universal use among th'hi
They spend much time in investigating I'll" pow
crs and properties OF numbers, and have N''I-
table passion for the construction Of mgr"
squares, in which the rows Of numbers Nei"'
cay horizontally and diagonally. all add up 10
? the same sum Naturally, therefore. they are
great chess players Their chcssDoard il lk" ofS'
except that the squares are all tho same 'o''''
The pieces each side are IA king. two minister's
two elephants, two knights, two chariots TWO
cannons and five pawns. The arrangement OF '''
5 pieces and the moves made bv them differ from
our game, but the object, checkmatc. is the same
Up THE GREAT RIvEE.
The Mekong Valley, to which France now rays
claim, comprises about two-thirds of the ei''i,'
Kingdom of Siam, and the Mekong River '''''
forms one OF the greatest trade routes Ill ',''
, whole Indo-Chinese peninsula Navigation oil '''e
. stream is. however, seriously impeded at various