Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1896-05-29
KING NoAopoMs couRT.
A Curious Country In the East and It's
Queer Old Potentate.

A Curious Country In the East and II
Queer Old Potentate.
Tho night after my arrival in Prom
pehn thsie was reception in state at tn
French roeidency. IL was known hat 1 b
king was to bu present. and % Of his lOga
subjects CfOuched in the shade OPPOSITE
the residoLcy TO witness his reception
body Of native militia, the Milliciens Cam
bOdians Kept uatidy guard in the street
and whom the king drove up In a Victoria
I escorted by II Camhadinns on ponies an,
I followed ~ the yicto-iaS Of selection o
! his sons, there was considerable onthusi
/ asn. His majesty was received with" Pro
/ sent armsl' and the fanfare cs corne
/ TINT was not in tune Music WAS playcC
/ during thu reception by the royal band Of
/ MANILA mon who would have PLAYED, par
/ haps, with more spirit had thor wa <oi
1 been less in arrears.
King Norodon IS quito curiosity. II,
= littls wizcnej up man, with gray hail
and a stoOp and with thi{ peculiar expires
sion of feature which Is USUALLY write
with that respect associated with the
higher anthropoid apes. All tho royal fam
lily live In Pnom-pehn, in Kind Of mock
palace, a rambling pile Of disjointed build
ings Of different shapes, scattered over a
large Enclosure, surrounded by "a wall OF
brick R0d l,l;lSter Whore there is plaster
It Is falling of In flakes where there is
wood It IS worm eaten and rotten, " here
there is any iron It IS rust!ng and useless.
1t is q palace Ut for such king. At the
main entrances to the palace two CambO-
dian militian;en keep guard with their
hats awry, their khaki coats in rags their
rifles held like hroOms. On tho river bank
In trent OF the Taluce thoro is an old flag
staff, while dawn above tho water line
there IS royal state barge. with dragon
head and seven furkcd tail; but tho paint
has peeled off and the craft is no longer
seaworthv.
King Norodom has reigned in lis own
peculiar way in Canbodia since 1860, hut
since 1867 he has had tho advantage OF be-
ing directed AID protected By the French
1t was IN 1867 that France entered into a
treaty with Siam, by which she agreed
that tho two provinces OF Angk0F and
Batambang should relnalu IN Siamesa pos
session, and by the same treaty Siam for
mally recognized tho French proteotOrate
In CAmhudia. Since 1867, then, we arc
always told that Siamoso influence was
withdrawn from the councils Of CambOdia.
AS an actual fact, however, Slamese in1u-
ence still counts for something, though tho
French will not allow that it is so In the
Cambodian court Norodom passed his
early years in Bangkok and spoke Siamesa
before he spoke CambOdian. II was Siam
which gave tho crown pf Cambodia TO his
father, Ang-Duong, and it was Siam
which elected him king on the death Of his
father. The king is not prince OF high
moral character IiO has probably never
attempted 10 escape from the traminols Of
his environments. IIo will oven on Ooca-
sions mock ut Bnddha, but, mono the less,
he cannot forget thHt for him the highest
living object II religious yenoWtion must
be the hingUf Slain In Pnnm pohn there
are nearly 10 Siunes0 employed by the
king In positions Of moro or less confidence,
and have it on authority which Is beyond
cayll that tho most intimate personal
friends of the king and his only cOnfidants
are Siamese, and that Siamoso is tho Kan
guage which the royal lips speak from
choice.
King NorOdom is a very much married
man, his establishment comprising at least |
800 wives and concubines. He has 80 sons
and daughters, who arc recognized by the |
French as his lawful progeny. OF this !
number more than half arc sons, SO that |
The succession, If ever tho French permit |
him to have a successor, is well assured. |
King NorOdGm came to the throne IN 1860, |
and the samn year statue In his honor |
was erected in Pnom-pehn. 1t is an eques-
lrian statue and is the only public monu-
ment in the city. It was of course made |
IN France and represents the king dressed /
As French general mounted ON charger !
and saluting tho armed hosts Of Cambodia.
Rarely have l seen n more impressive work
If art, and it is unfortunate that left /
in some waste land, 1t has be-
,omo ovcrgown with Jungle On the
PEDESTAL there is an inscription which tes-
si1os that the statue was erected to Moro
iom by his grateful mandnrins and sub
cots. p" Tho statue, we are told, was the
pontaneOus offering of grateful people,
md one can well believe it, though it
urely has not often happened that in
ligenous tribes in Asia have ordered from
Paris equestrian otIgies Of their newly
rOwned kings.-I4nndon Times.