Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-06

v
 Out to see the world. The king of Siam by easy stages is going to girdle the earth, and whether the potentate of this little Asiatic kingdom is actu- ated by a spirit of adventure and longing for some new sight and sensa- tion. or is moved by deep purpose to know the world better that he may govern his principality more wisely Is an open question, but one thing is cer- tain, and that is he is having a royal iy good time and is making the most of his opportunities wherever he goes. Paris has just extended the glad hand to him, and is going to help him have a good time as only the Paris fans can do. No doubt kingly honors and distinction will be showered upon him, but 1t is not just what he Is after. according to persons who are close to his majesty and who say that he specially desires to remain as much incognito as possible, as he wants to do much sight seeing and on the quiet ,"have the time of his life"
 i And after Paris is covered from center to circumference, London and other Europena cities are on his list, after which 1t is likely that he will come to America and cross to the Pa icific coast, where he will embark for the voyage back to his own land and his place at Bankok.
 There is no sovereign in the world who is accustomed to receive more abject homage than his majesty of Siam. He possesses most imposing string of titles. Among other things he Is supreme arbiter of the ebb and flow of the tides. brother of the moon, half brother of the sun and owner of four and twenty golden umbrellas. Whenever he takes an airing in his own domain his faithful subjects pros trate themselves as he passes by, no matter how muddy the streets may happen to be. Even the highest in the land when they approach his august presence must do so on all fours. His favorite wives have to kneel before him. His brothers do likewise. So King Chulalongkorn is not likely to be much impressed by a crowd that keeps on its legs before him and shouts and waves hats and handker- chiefs at him. He won't bob his head until his neck aches as European kings are expected to do when they show themselves to the public.
 As king of Siam, Chulalongkorn has a much easier billet than the occupants of European thrones. He is invested with powers as autocratic as those of the czar of Russia. but his is a pa- ternal despotsm which is not tenn pered by assassination. Siamese folk don't throw bombs, and none of them have yet reached that stage of en- lightenment in which monarchs are regarded as costly opportunities. Chulalongkorn is not required to lead the strenuous life. He can take things as easy as he pleases. His in. come Is something like s1o.00O, 900 a year. His gorgeous royal palace at Bangkok is walled and battlemented city within city. Behind the line of not very warlike sentries who guard its massive gates Is contained treas. ure far in excess of the loot obtained by the greatest feat of robbery com. mitted In modern times-the sackins ] of the summer palace of Peking in 1860. It Is really a double palace-an outer and an inner palace. Into the latter no European of the male sen has ever penetrated. It contains about 1000 women and one man. And that man Is the king The siamese call the place Rang Nal ('-The In. side.-l and SO sacred is it held that etiquette forblds any open allusion to it
 The most extraordinary feature oi the Rang Nal Is the submerged harem, situated in an artificial lake It is built entirely of gizss of varie gated colors. the plates being Joined together by an fnsoluble cement It is ornamented with quaint turTets and minarets. When net In use. t fostr on the surface of the lake. When ths