Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-19

member of the International Postal Union.
saw the postmen delivering letters. and I
was able to register mail which I sent to
America There is now an electric railroad
in Bangkok. and within the past few years
several steam railroads have been con-
structed. A number of new roads have
from Bangkok to Korat, about les miles
Into the interior Connection will eventual
ly be made with Burmah. and at no dis
tant date we shall be able TO travel
throughout Farther India by rail. At,pres-
ent a large part of the interior transporta-
ton has to be done upon elephants. the
only beasts which are able to make their
way through the thick jungle. The kang
speaks English fuently and reads It With
ease. 1t is not etiquette. however. for him
to use anything else than his own language
during his audiences. and for this reason
he will have an Interpreter during his tray-
els in this country.
The Land of the White Elephant.
The elephant is the royal beast of Siam.
You see elephant pictures on all the fiass.
The old coins had an elephant printed on
them. ard the white elephant. in fact.
forms what you would call the coat-of-arms
of the king. The Siamese are Buddhists.
They believe in the transmigration Of souls.
They think that the souls of their heroes
or greatest men go into elephants, and or
the very greatest into the white elephants.
1t was for this reason that white elephants
were worshiped In times past Today The
king keeps q number Of white elephants in
his palace stables. / asked to be shown
these beasts during my visit to the palace
+ expected to find the animals decorated
with gold and purple and fastened
with golden chains. l was shown some
thing far different. The stables were dirty
wooden sheds, and the elephants were tied
with rough ropes to wooden posts The
keepers In charge Of them were dirty and
there was no sign Of royalty about them.
The elephants themselves looked freckled.
They we're not pure white by any means
and have since learned that the white ele-
plant is a diseased elephant. His white
ness is more like that of leprosy than ma
ture, ard he is the ugliest beast of the ele-
plant kind.
Where the King Worships.
spent some time in the wonderful Budd-
hists temples of Bangkok. There was one
right next to the palace Of the king. in
which hts majesty daily worships during
his stay in his capital This temple has
spire hundreds of feet high made Of coil
after coil of masonry plated with gold.
There is, was told, more than 100000
worth Of gold upon it. 1t has doors OF
ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and ii
is lighted with candles of all sizes, some as
big around as your finger. others OF the
size of your waist. These candles are In
candlesticks plated with gold. They will
burn for weeks and their pickering flames
are supposed to dispose Of a multitude of
sins. In this temple there is one room the
floor of which is covered with a carpet of
woven silver wire. Its chief idol Is the
famed emerald god.
This god is about a foot high. 1t is made
Of pure gold. mixed with jewels. 1t Is set
with diamonds, topazes, sapphires and ru-
money. The idol is placed high up above
the door Of the temple, almost under the
roof. 1t L. SO high that 1T Is hard to APP
preciate its value. but so holy that the
Y-Sy mr. n
the hundred ladies Of the harem come in
now and then. and. bending their naked
knees upon the cold floor. pray to 1t. Siam
has hundreds Of other temples. They are
by all odds the finest buildings in Bang
kok. The contributions to them and the
priests do much to keep the people DOOR,
There Is no city of the world that has so
many Buddhist priests as Bangkok. Siam
is the home of Buddhism and Bangkok is
the central station for its worship. There
are 23,OO0 Buddhist priests in the city.
These are of all ages. from sixteen to
eighty, and the religion Is such that any
man can be a priest IL he chooses. Every
Siamese man is expected to become priest
Ior certain part Of his life, and King
Chulalongkorn has. 1 am told, served two
terms In the priesthood. This being a priest
changes mans relations to his fellows for
the time. He Is then considered holy to his
iemily as well as to others. / saw mothers
oowlng down to their boys sons who were
acting as priests. The priests shave their
heads. They go about with nothing but
yellow strips Of cloth wound around them.
relying upon the gifts Of the people for
food. They have certain times In the morn
Ing and evening during which they 60 from
house to house for rice. The people bring
out the rice in pots. ready cooked. When
me priests come along they drop on their
knees. and. folding their hands, as though
praying. they ask the priest to accept their
gifts l was told that the priests never
make direct requests for aims, and that
the ouer1ngs to large extent are volun-
tary. FRANK G. CARPENTER.