The Washington times., 1902-10-11
COURTS AND CAPITALS
OF THE OLD WORLD.

SVUNlS AMI Lax llALC
OF THE OLD WORLD.
Slams crown prince. who reaches
these shores today. offers perhaps the
very highest type OF Western civiiiza-
tion grated upon that Of the Orient.
Not even any of the Japanese princes OF
the blood who have visited the United
States can bear any comparison with
Uncle Sans new royal guest. For he
has been educated wholly abroad. at
Eton, at the University Of Oxford, and
at the Royal Military College OF Sand
hurst. He talks English perfectly, Is
great shakespearean scholar. possesses
| profound knowledge of all the Greek
and Latin classics and has written and
published very clever work on the In
tricate. bu. rather romantic. question
OF the Polish succession, which has
been accepted as standard work at
most of the leading educational institu-
tions in England, and is now being. by
his permission, translated with sim
liar object of view into German and
French. His manners are excellent, and
he has spent the last nine months In
visiting the various European courts.
where he made himself so agreeable as
to be received as one of the family cir
Gle. especially at Copenhagen. At vi
emma the old Emperor went In person
to the railroad station to receive him
and gave grand review in his honor.
and everywhere he has been received
with analogous distinction.
1t is only fair TO say that even as a
child. before he went to Europe, his
surroundings were to a great extent
Western. for his fathers palace at
Bangkok, designed partly by an English
and partly by an Austrian architect,
and In which the Italian style of archi-
lecture is pleasingly blended with that
of Siam. is furnished throughout In the
best European fashion at the cost. it
Is said, of about a million of dollars.
the library being lined with books on
almost every subject. while all the lead
ing American and English periodicals
are found on the tables.
The touch of the Orient. however. is
given TO the palace by the harem. the
royal bodyguard of Amazons. and by the
many queer Asiatic customs that have
been retained, including, for instance
the cutting OF the topknot which sig
nalizes the coming of age OF every
Siamese child, and which In the case OF
the crown prince was a magnificent and
picturesque state function. the fes,ivi-
ties extending over an entire week.
Siamese children invariably have
their heads shaved, with the exception
Of round patch on the crown of the
head, this topknot being wound round
into coil fastened by large jeweled
pin. When the boy attains his major
ity, which in Siam is at fourteen, or
the girl reaches marriageable age,
namely. her thirteenth year. this top
knot is formally cut off by the high
Buddhist ecclesiastics with consecrated
scissors, the remnant being shaved off.
AS soon as this formality had been
complied with in the case of the crown
prince, to the tune Of the Siamese ma
tional anthem, he was led from his
throne at the head OF the grand stair
case to the foot of AN artificial noun
tain at the farther end OF the court
yard of the palace. Upon its peaks,
glittering with artificial SHOWS Of hima-
phan. were seen angels and demons, the
fabulous tree. Kaipapruk, bearing gold.
silver and precious stones, mischievous
apes and the evil serpent. Naga.
a quarter of the way up the mount
of Anodalt, in which the crown prince
underwent the ordeal of the bath. on
the termination of which he was con-
Quoted to the top of the mount where
he received the five insignia OF Siam
csc royalty. the sword, the crown, the
fan. the slippers and the several sto-
ried white umbrella. Thereupon lie was
conveyed back in solemn procession to
the throne beside his father. the King.
at the head of the staircase of the
grand palace.
With regard to the Amazon bodyguard
of the King of Siam, 1t numbers about
$50. and is recruited mainly from the
Maun provinces. The girls range in
height from four to five feet. are armed |
with rifles and knives. glide rather than
march with bare feet, and invariably
have one brown shoulder shining out
like FURNISHED bronze from the folds |
of a bright scarf or gauzy mantle.
Let me add that the King of Siam |
and his queen-who shows herself IN |
public unveiled. arrayed ip knicker-
bockers-entertain very strict ideas as
to proprlety. and when the late Duke |
of Sutherland. at that time one of the |
most powerful peers of Great Britain, |
visited Bangkok on board his magniil- |
cent sea-going yacht. with lady on !
board who was not then his wife. the
King not only declined to receive the
duke. but actually insisted on his i'm
mediately weighing anchor and leaving
Siamese waters.
Oriental potentates. such as the pres
ent King of Siam and his son. are dis
tinctly refreshing after such barharians
.l.ol, DfD FGfI