The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-12-26
QUEER CUSTOMS OF SLAM.
Boys Rise at Dawn TO Take Bath
Fishing Favorite Sport.

Fishing Favcrite Sport.
The Siamese boy rises at early
dawn and goes to the river to
battle. He uses no soap, pOurs
the water over his head with a
bucket, then plunges in the
stream and finally runs about to
dry himself if he is not the happy
pOssessOr of a towel or its equiv
alent, says the Montreal Herald.
He takes his breakfast of rice,
salt fish and fruit from brass or
earthenware vessels, sitting on
the floor as he does, and using his
fingers in lieu of spoons and forks.
After breakfast he has to spend
the day in play and sleep, for
school inspectors are unknown
and schools are both few and in.
efficient.
Fishing is a favorite sport. A
bit of cane, some thread and a
worm on a pin will serve quite
we'll enough TO capture a few fish
out of the thousands that abound
in the canals and rivers. At low
tide, when the canals that thread
the country with an intricate net.
ting of water passages are mere
valleys of Shiny mud, they 90
into the oozy dirt and catch
prawns with coarse sleeves.
These prawns are allowed to ri.
pen in the sun, and when they are
sufficiently "high" and spicy they
are eaten with a mixture of very
strong vinegar and fiery pepper.
This is a diet that is said to be
stimulating to the appetite. AS
a change from fishing, they in
dulge in 'mud-balling," the Siam
csc equivalent for snowballing.
Neither children nor adults are
fond of active exercise for them.
selves, but they are keenly excited
by the exhibition Of physical en-
ergy in others, especially if the ex.
hibition is in any way combatiye.
Hence they delight in cock fights.
Al night they search for crick-
cts, and, having collected a mum
Der, they place them, two and two,
in little jars of hard-baked mud
and by skillful application of a
small piece of wood urge the little
creatures to engage in warfare.
They also catch Fighting fish,
These they feed on mosquito lar
vac, and then train them to fight.
The fish become very pugnacious
and + exceedingly skillful in
their attempts to dispose of their
enemies.
Everybody smokes. from baby
TO grandfather. The native to-
bacco is very strong, but Europe
an tobacco rolled in lotus leaves
makes a cigarette with a flavor
that is by no means to be despised.
Siamese girls marry when
about IA and men at 20. Whena
young man is in love he gets an old
woman to propose for him. The
proposal is made to the girls par
ents, and not to herself. The
chances are she has never seen her
wOuld-be husband. If the pro.
posal is f%avorably entertained
there are many formalities to be
gone through.
The astrOlOger must be consult
ed to see what the stars say, for A
man who was born in "the year Of
the rat" would most likely lead a
very unhappy life with a woman
whose natal year had been presid.
ed over by the "dog." A sufficient.
ly large bride to the as%trologer
will generally be found to prove
that the stars are favorable.
Then there is the question Of
dOwry. The young man pays
to the brides parents a certain
amount of money called "the price
of the mothers milk This is re-
turned to the bride on the birth Of
the first child. All gifts and mes
sages between the two young peO-
pie r conveyed by the parents.
They indulge in no courtship and
there is no demonstration of affec-
ton until after the marriage. The
marriage ceremony partakes of the
nature of a feast and is attended
by a priest, who sprinkles holy wa
ter, scatters holy rice and pro-
nOunces a holy blessing. A man
can have as many wives as he can