The times., 1897-04-25

so elaborate as its large octave forn Woulh
suggest, for the paper ON which 1T is
printed is handsomely heavy and the type
agreeably large.
In so limited a srace il is hardly to be
expected that all the wonders OF TINS IN
teresting country could he set out MT.
Sonlmerville has restricted himself 10 the
cities of BANGKOK, the modern capital and
Avutbfa the eancicntcapital, and the water
scenes along the Meinam, the Mississippi
of the Oriental Kingdom, whichis the trav-
eler'S highway between them. He writes
with the correctness and unima 2inative eN-
ac1itude OF a scientist, TO whom facts only
are essential and musing and moralizlny
are foreign. He has observed witha sharp
eve and ready pencil; nothing escaped
him, and the reader who is denied the
measures of travel viii find this hook on
Siam a photographic reproduction of the
Siamese their domestic and religious hie'
and their remarkable cities. tbs scarcely
a description; tits a record of facts. The
readers own Imagination must put To-
gether the hits offered and, with the ana
OF the fifty large handsome Photographic
Illustrations, dCduce his own impressions
of Siam.
In Bangkok all thevaried elements oflfe
and commerce eXist-churcheS, schools,
ktores-but instead of being divided up 10
meet the convenience of the scattered III
hahitants, each has its unified cluster. In
one portion OF the city are all the pawn
shops, in another all the baZaars, in an
other all the temples, and so ON through
the classification OF all that contributes to
the conveuiences and necessaries Of life
The visit To the watts is mere interesting
than any other chapter, because the re-
ligious life OF the Slamese, who are Bud
dhists. is so different from our own. The
watts are Enclosures in which are the tenn
pies, theological schools, priests houses
and al that pertain TO the religious life
Eachi several acresin extent Every where
on the approaches 10 or III the vicinity of
the waits dealers in gold leaf congregate,
Beeking to sell little books or packages OF
gold lvafto the devout whoare on tleir way
to the temple. The purchasers, on enter
ing a shrine, remove whatever spots they
may find on their favorite deities by
attaching the sheets Of gold; thus the
images are kept richly gilt; in fact, the
amount Of gold laid on some of the images
must be considerable. These same dealers
sell little talismanic finger rings made
from the hairs Of the tails and names Of
the sacred horses. Candies, millions of
them, are sold, also dimnutive Buddhss for
a Journey, and, for the decoration of the al
tars, ingeniously-cut paper streamers,
mounted on slight bamboo stems.
The principal residents OF the watts are the
homes, or priests. and the noVices, or theo-
logical students, whom Mr.. Sommerville eT
runeously calls ''novitiates," confoundins
the container for the contained.
The BONES all dress in wrappings OF
yellow cotton cloth. Whatever they have
on, they seem always to be pulling at it
and adjusting their garments. Blessed un-
rest, The sCant robes are prescribed by
the law Of BUddha himself, who must aye
thought his religion adapted only TO the
climate OF his country, or he would certainly
have made Some pro vision for cold weather.
Toprevent the COnta minaton OF their lObes,
homes are not permitted TO die in them.
The material continues Of service in the
temples and finally ekes out its eXistente
on tail, slender bamboo poles.
No one can procure government employ
ment who has not served at least proba
tionary term in one of these watts; there
No matter what the position of his family,
the boy must share the lot OF the plehian.
A taste for idleness is created by this sys-
tenn; and, although they must procure food
by receiving aims, and must not eat solid
repast after the sun has reached the zenith,
yet too large a proportion are tempted by
the indolent life.
in the temple P'hra Chu p on, in Wat Poh,
IS the renowned colossal sleeping Buddha.
The top Of its head, although reclining, is
raised about thirtv-eight feet from the
plane on which the image is recumbent.
Its length is fully one hundred and fifty
feet. The enormous feet are inscribed with
incidents i'll the gods life. On the nails
of the ten toes are inscribed the attributes
of Buddha. The beautiful grounds of the
waits are the rendezvous Of superannuaued
dogs, cats, and even swine. The aversion
of Buddhists TO take the life of any living
creature makes every quiet nook an asylum
for decrepit animals.
Mr Sommervile devotes especial chap
tcrs to the museum, library, prison, thea
tiers and gaming-houses Of Bangkok, which
description answers for all similar insti-
tutions in Siam. A chapter is given to
NAN@N~ ~
food for thought, as the traveller stands
IN the wilderness amidst underbrush, BRAN
hles. and deSolaton, looking up at the
deities of the long-departed citizens of
the ruined metropolis. But he misses his
opportunity to suggest what the mind s
eye might see, and only records that the
ruins Of the A yuthian temple has traces of
Greek architecture grated upon it. The
one weakness Of Mr.. Sommerville's ether
wise attractive and valuable book S the
absence of the varying quality, the gentle
flavor of that with which the impression
able mind embelll shes what the corporal
eye brings it.
Three little sketches, written by the
author of the balance of the book, are ap-
pended. They are pleasant fictions ere
atcd to illustrate phases of Siamese life
ard custom, combined with the history
OF the River Meinam and of the people II
the northern Provinces
Mr.. Sonlncrville's ''Siam" is valuable
addition to the literature of travel in the
Orient. He has observed ScrupulouSly, and
has recorded minutely and probably &c
curatclv. and his desert is a large audi-
ence of Intelligent readers, who viii ap-
preciatc the care he has taken and the
scarcity of kindred experiences to enlighten
the untraveled Of the wonders OF the land OF
the White Elephant Philadelphia: Lip
pinoott. Washington: Woodw ard & 10th
rop.
And who is the author Of The Descend
anti" 1t comes anonymously, unheralded,
mpro1nising and surprising. 1t is rad
ical novel of vital present questions of so
ciology as affecting the individual. Tie
writer seems brave In her dt reads as if it
,oahoon i.rit+a, nv q woman not necessa-