Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-01
He Assembled the Throne at Fiji.
teen.
HIS HAREM CONTAINS MANY WIVES
The Rulers Elaborate and PaIatiaI
Summer Home.
Is E l. EV Err IN OMENS
c. ID. II. Braine in the Lady's Realm.

C. ID. H. Braine in the Laty's Realm
Prabat Somdetch Pra Paranindr Maba
Chuialongkorn Patindr Tepa Maha Nonrkp,
FRA Chula Chom Klao Chow YIN lima kim
OF Siam.was born on September II. lSl3 ana
succeeded TO the throne on October I. ls,,s.
and, although only a youth of fifteen. he
Was already the father of two children
His majesty reads writes and speaks Eng
lish with ease and all conversation between
MIN and the Tsarewitch-the present Tsar
who visited Slam in 1881, was carried on
In that language. His earliest lessons We're
from an English governess. and these he
continued later in life under IN American
resident, who acted as tutor. In addition
to other Asiatic languages. he possesses a
knowledge of Pail. and his admirers claim
tfat he is also good Sanscrit scholar. The
kings private life is passed in utter seclu-
sion within the Khang Mai or Inside. a.
the harem is known among the Siamese.
This Inner Palace is forbidden ground TO
any man. European or native. except under
very special circumstances, and then only
when accompanied by a guard of trusted
servants. 1t is safe to assert that no man
has ever been personally acquainted, even
in remote degree, with the life or history
of the inmates.
Female Police.
sex who lives in this community OF women
one amidst thousands There is a force
Of female police for preserving order and
Furnishing any unruy members. Flogging
with a rattan is resorted TO for certain Of
fenses, and only those wives who are of
royal birth enjoy immunity from such
treatment. A few favored European ladies'
have been admitted to parts Of this Inner
Palace, and on the authority of one OF them
l can state that the first queen" under
Stands little English. This is less sur
prising from the fact that the king had for
some years an English tutor for the princes
-four of whom are now being privately
educated in England and one at Harrow.
1t is doubtful If any European could fully
explain the position of the ladies of the
harem. Even If the Siamese themselves
know, they do not impart the information:
in fact among them 1T is contrary 10 eti-
quette to make any Gllusion to the subject.
One of the wives Is known as the first
queen, and takes official precedence of all
the others. Another is often referred 10
the second. and sometimes "a third Is
mentioned. These are all near relatives Of
the king, and, with the other wives Of royal
blood take precedence of those who may
be regarded as commoners.
NumberIess Wives.
There is no limit to the number of women
that. the king may take to wife. and al
though they may be dismissed at will, to
have been admitted as a member OF the
khang Mai, far from being in any way
derogatory, is regarded an honor. All
their children are legitimate.
The kings sisters do not marry. for fear
of creating possible rivalry for the throne;
neither do his daughters, who remain all
their lives the harem: but perchancc
some future king may offer them position
similar to that held by their mothers. So
jealousy are these ladies guarded from con-
tact with the world, that in 1879 an elder
sister of the first queeI! Was allowed
drown in the presence of a number OF spec
tators, not one of whom WAS permitted To
put hand on her, even to save her from
certain Death.
In common with most of the Siame4se tho
king is firm believer in omcns. and moth
ing of Importance is done without reference
to the Brahmin Soothsaycrs and astroloscFs
who are attached to the palace. As an ex-
ample. it may he mentioned that on June
-, 1894, his majesty returned from Koh-
si-chang, his seaside residence; but as the
day was considered unpropitious by tho
astrologers. the vessel anchored near the
mouth of the Meinam until the next day.
Country Home.
The country palace of the King OF Siam is
called Bang-pa-in. About forty miles north
of Bangkok, on the MeiHam. are two is
lands, separated by a narrow channel not
80 feet wide. On the smaller of these IL
a Buddhist temple and college. and on the
other is the country residence of the King
of Siam, which consists of three buildings-
the Official the private and the Chinese
palaces. Each is separated from the other
by canals with which the island is inter-
sected, and which, in places. are enlarged
into small artificial lakes. Sluice gates are
provided between the canal and river which
serve to maintain the level of the water in
the former. and also for flushing: for, al
though some seventy-tWo miles from the
sea, the tide rises and falls between three
and four feet. Through these gates pass
the boats containing the ladies of the
household. who. to escape public notice, are
landed a few feet from their apartments.
The ko-pra, or landing stage. is a wooden
gangway, hinged at both ends, and resting
on pontoon anchored in water deep
enough to allow large launches 10 moor
alongside. At the top of the bank is a
band stand, close against portico of class
fcal design, which forms the entrance TO the
official palace. and looks down a narrow
strip of walks and lawn, shaded by mango
and tamarind trees. On the occasion of a
grand fete. this the site of enor-