The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-07
ZINC NORODOM,s COURT.
A Curious Country In the East and It's Queer
Old Potentate.
From the London Times.

From the London Times.
The night after my arrival In Pnom-penh there
was a reception in state at the French resi-
dency. 1t was known that the King was to be
present, and twenty-three Of his loyal subjects
crouched in the shade opposite the residency to
witness his reception. A body of native militia.
the Milliciens Cambogians, kept untidy guard
in the street, and when the King drove up in a
victoria. escorted by eleven Cambodians on
ponies and followed by the victorias of q selec-
ton OF his sons, there was considerable enthusi-
asm. His Majesty was received with present
arms!" and the fanfare of a cornet that was not
in tune. Music was played during the reception
by the royal band Of Manila, men who would
have played, perhaps. with more spirit had
their wages been less in arrears.
King Norodom is quite a curiosity; he is a lit
tie. wizened;up man. with gray hair and r.
t tuge W shd T't Is f nsua Heeuf'a write fnpF with that Ra lf re-
spect-associated with the higher anthropoid
apes, Al the royal family live in Pnom,pehn:
disjointed buildings of different shapes. scat
tered over q large enclosure, snrr9nnded by a
ter it is falling of In flakes. where there is wood
it is worm-eaten and rotten. where there is any
for such a king. At the main entrance to the
palace two Cambodinn militiamen keep guard
with their hats awry, their Khaki coats In rags,
their rifles held like brooms. On the river bank
in front of the palace there is an old flagstaff.
royal state barge. with dragon head and seven-
forked tail. but the paint has peeled off, and the
craft is no longer seaworihy.
King NOrodom has reigned In his own peculiar
way in Cainbodia since 1850. but since 1887 he
has had the advantage, of being directed and
which she agreed that the two provinces Of
S!amese possession, and by the SANE treaty
Siam formally recognized the French protect
always told that Siamese influence was with
drawn from the councils of Cambodia. AS an
sSanss i for s a%%siir, s'9 shoush 'n ths fpe sliil
will not allow that y is 70. in the
e eH'Ho0 sesrs i GouT Bangi NSr0d .nd s P"issa s,a mis-
ese before he spoke Cambodian. 1t was
Siam which gave the crown of Cambodia to his
fnther, -Duong, and 1t was Siam which
elected him King on the death of his father.
Tns kl hs has is mot 1rosa BTTinG Dsx of high n I neral n,nd C, char a
cape from the trammcls of his environment; he
viii even on occasions mock at Buddha: but
none the less he cannot forget that for him the
highest living object OF religious veneration
must DO the King OF Siam. In Prom PENN there
IN p n"Htny I"r ~ m n,o%es Se et es.e SSSead Sy tHe and Mthf
have IL on authority which is beyond cavil that
The The m"'l int!mH,s personal friends of the King
siame.o IN tho Language which the royal lips
bis establishment comprising at least 300
wives and concubines. He has ~ffty;six sons
Nsnoh as nl' lawful progeny. OF this number
more than half are sons, so that the succession,
"NN' ~" F'"hUn permit MIN TO nave q sue
tAssrr, Ia vol assured. King Norodom came 10
the throne la 1890. and tho same year a statue
In his hnn"r was erected In Prom penn. 1t is an
equestrian statue and Is the only public monu-
InAnt In Tho city. 1t was. of course, made in
France. and represents the, King dressed
"a a French General. mounted on a charger,
1hh s"ln'lng, tho armed hosts of Cambodia.
Rarely have Hcon a more impressive work of
art and It Ia unfortunate that, left neglected I'm
."toa waste land, IL has become ovcrgrown with
JnnE,e on tbs pedes.el there is an Inscription
h"toh"'n by HIS " grateful mandarins and sub
lr'fs 1he statue, we are told. was the spon-
tahs"us Offering Of n grateful people, and one
oah well behave II. though 1t surely has not
often happened that indigenous tribes in Asia
their newly Drowned kings.