Norwich bulletin., 1922-08-28

far. Annam may be called the Albania Of the east. located on the Balkan peninS1is of Asia
 "A mountain maid of Aznam Is far different from her more rugged sister oi Albania. She wears 'one-piece gown caught loosely about the waist Hei body is bare gave for two long strings e beads. one hanging beneath each brnst- She wears as many necklaces as her nscs will permit. and her forearm Is covered by a spiral metal bracelet. EaFrinet have enlarged the Iobes of her ears. buf her most striking feature at frst glance is the huge hand-carved pipe she H apt to be smoking. In her exotic appearance one factor alone stands out with uacanny familiarity to western eyes. and that it the way her hair is parted and done ur in the demWe fashion of an American girl of the Civil war period. The girls of Annam have far more freedom than , those of China and hs.ve one advantage over their occidental siSers-for in An nam the boys take care of the babies.
 Coming down from the mountains. away from the wilder reoptes of Annaza. known as Mois. the simiitude to Aihanis fades For you encounter an ancient civilization. comparable to and lareaiy patterned after that of China Hue. An. nam's capital and port. situated half war along its lengthy cosst line. discioses series of red roofed abodes. where live the mandarins. and one magnificent es-
 tablishmeat roofed in yellow. where the ! emperor dwelfs. True. the French pre-
 tectorate has curtailed his absolute sway
 in some important particulars. but to his
 millions of subjects he still is the sole and supreme ruler
 | ''The rreseDt young monarch of ancient | Annam is democratic. When he goes ] chrcai for .5f1-er-efr~4 he In
 carriage, but the naianouiH still Is em-
 Dloyed in his official travels He is not
 inaccessible when he moves about the
 vast courts of the imperial palace. usual ! ly surrounded by secretaries stewards ' and eunuohs. who are the secret service men of this oriental executive
 "Eut when he sits in state the golden
 doeC that leads to his throne room is i closed to all but the extraordinary am their venerable foreheads three times to
 the ground before they may enter the
 royal presence The young king follows [, the customs of many imperial genera tlons by amounting himself with oil and
 weighing himself down with jewels.
 Tn luxury and extent the spalaoes of Hue are comparable with those of Yer 2 sailies- The monumental gate. broad ter f races with their gigantic urns. perfume burners. rooms of gold and silver ir : rarest pattern- and cf8dreu's ballet. be-
 token high degree of culture.
 For it's influence upon the traditions
 and habits and slow-changing customs o. | Annam there b a silent city near Hue . the City of the Dead on the Plain of ths f Tonibs-which deserves to rank with ths , capital This community Is a genuine ]. city-a city of streets and houses of gar. i dens and palsoes and pagodas-it lscks l. only living beings. Here are scuipturet
 likenesses of relatives of departed kings . and even of their household servants I o casts a strange speM over the visitor witf . is evecy arrangement for living. and s4 e sign of Nfe. It connrInicates. as nethins $ else in Annam. a sense of the Annznait, L. reverence for the past and is a symbol e # that oriental nindfulness of ties with al
 that has gone before"