Book Read Free

Four Young Explorers; Or, Sight-Seeing in the Tropics

Page 23

by Oliver Optic


  CHAPTER XX

  A VIEW OF COCHIN CHINA AND SIAM

  The ship sailed at six o'clock in the morning, but nearly all thepassengers were on deck as soon as the screw began to turn. They werestill in the Torrid Zone; and they saw the sun rise, though the days hadbecome a trifle longer. The Menam River is the great thoroughfare ofBangkok, and the floating houses lined the river three or four deep fora considerable distance below the city. The party found plenty ofobjects to engage their attention as the steamer slowly made her waytowards the Gulf. Breakfast was served at the usual hour; and as soon asthe pilot was discharged, the company gathered at Conference Hall forthe lecture.

  The siamangs and the baby were still great favorites with all on board;and Mr. Mingo, Mrs. Mingo, and Miss Mingo, as they had been named, hadmade great progress in civilization. All of them were regular attendantsat the meetings in Conference Hall, and always behaved themselves withthe greatest propriety. The mother usually occupied one of thearm-chairs, while the baby was held in the lap of one of the ladies.They looked at the speaker just as though they understood what he wassaying. They joined in the applause when the lecturer presented himselfbefore his audience with their "Ra, ra, ra!" finishing with the squeakwhich was a part of their language.

  General Noury took his place on the platform after he had shaken handswith Mrs. Mingo, who gave him an encouraging smile as he mounted therostrum. The Sumatra lady looked at him very earnestly, and Miss Blanchedeclared that she understood everything that was going on. Mrs. Noury,the Princess Zuleima, had the baby; and the little siamang seemed totake as much interest in the proceedings as her mother. Mr. Mingo wasnot literary, and perched in the fore-rigging.

  The great map seemed to have been drawn and colored with even unusualcare, perhaps because Mr. Gaskette had had more time to attend to it. Itwas displayed on the new frame which the carpenter had built for it, andincluded the entire peninsula east of the Burmese possessions, and southof China and the Shan States. When the applause which greeted thegeneral had subsided, he directed the pointer at the map.

  "Perhaps some of you will be considerably confused by the various namesof the territory we are engaged in visiting at the present time," hebegan; and Mrs. Mingo gave a louder squeak than usual as a specialgreeting to the distinguished gentleman. "Cochin China, I think, is themost common name, though Indo-China is very generally used. It is alsocalled Farther India and Annam. Its various divisions are the ShanStates, tributary to Siam, taking their name from a race of people whoare of the same descent as the natives of China. You observe that thereare more of these states in the territory of Burma, to which they aresubject. These states tributary to Siam contain a population of abouttwo millions.

  "Next south comes Siam proper. Lying east of the Shan States and Siam isa territory called the Little Lao States, which are subject to theseveral countries around them. On the east, bordering on the China Sea,is Annam, a part of which is sometimes labelled Cochin China. A part ofAnnam is Tonquin, in the north, next to China. What is called Cambodia,next south of Siam, and appearing to be a part of it, is an indefinitefactor of Cochin China, and may properly enough be counted in with Siam.What is called Independent Cambodia, if it is independent, is atriangular country south-east of Siam. French Cochin China occupies themost southern portion of the peninsula.

  "Nearly the whole of the territory of Cochin China is under theprotection of France; and in my judgment, which you can accept for whatit is worth, the whole peninsula will eventually become French, underwhatever form it may be accomplished. Very recently the relationsbetween France and Siam were very much strained over a disputed boundaryquestion. France had ships of war at the mouth of the Menam, and sentsome of the smaller craft up the river. It looked very much like war;but before the ships bombarded Bangkok, Siam yielded, and gave up theportion of territory claimed; and no doubt it will be the same storytold over again from time to time, until Siam exists only as adependency of France.

  "Though you see mountains laid down on Mr. Gaskette's map, theelevations hardly deserve that name; for nearly the whole of CochinChina is low ground, almost flat. The Mekhong River is the largest inthe peninsula, being 2,800 miles long. It rises in Thibet, and isnavigable only in its lower waters. On account of the low level of thecountry there are many canals, or bayous as you call them in Louisiana,which connect many of the rivers. Let us now return to Siam. By the way,I find the latest map I have seen of this region in Chambers's,published last year; and it is quite different from the one before you."

  "But not from the one that will be before you in half a minute more,"interposed Mr. Gaskette, as he unrolled and hung up a smaller one whichhe had just completed. "I made this one this morning, after thecommander had shown me the one to which you allude; and you can see thatit is a very crude one."

  "I thank you, Mr. Gaskette, for the new map; and though you took it froma book not more than a year old, I am afraid that it is not entirelycorrect for to-day. You observe, my friends, that Siam occupies nearlythe whole of the peninsula east of Burma. Annam is cut down to a verythin slice on the China Sea; and Tonquin, where France has kept manysoldiers employed for several years, is swelled into a considerableterritory. I doubt if the last change in the boundary of Siam is shownbefore you. The limits of Cambodia are closely defined.

  "Nearly the whole of the peninsula was included in the ancient kingdomof Cambodia, existing at the Christian era; and Buddhism is believed tohave been introduced into it in the fourth century. Some remarkableruins, with interesting sculptures, have been found as testimonials tothe greatness of this ancient country. The Temple of Angkor had 1,532columns, and the stone for the structure was brought from a quarrythirty-two miles distant. Massive bridges, so solidly built that theyhave resisted the ravages of time and the inundations of more than athousand years, are still to be seen. One of them is four hundred andseventy feet long, and has thirty-four arches. An account of thesewonders was given by a Chinese traveller of the thirteenth century, andthey seem to bear some comparison with the works of the ancientEgyptians.

  "The native name of Siam is _Muang Thai_, which you will please toremember; and I mention it only to tell you that it means 'The Land ofthe Free,' and it must be a first cousin of your country, Mr. Commander;but I suppose you will not accept the relationship because 'The Home ofthe Brave' is not included. Siam has an area of about 250,000 squaremiles, as estimated by geographers; and one authority gives it apopulation of 6,000,000, and another 8,000,000, but they agree in givingit 2,000,000 Siamese, and 1,000,000 Chinese. The rest of the number ismade up with Malays, Laosians, and other tribes.

  "The Menam River is six hundred miles long, and it has several branches.On the banks of these streams very nearly all the people live, for theregions away from them are a wild jungle which is not cultivated. Thecountry is healthy enough for a tropical region, though malarial feversare very trying to European residents and visitors. The wet season isfrom May to November, when it rains about every day; and the rest of theyear it does not rain at all. The average rainfall is fifty-four inchesa year, and the average temperature 81 deg., though the glass goes up to 94 deg.in April; but New York beats that in summer.

  "Agriculture stands at a low ebb; but the abundant rains and the richsoil produce very large harvests of rice, the principal crop, and allthe productions of the Torrid Zone thrive. The labor of Siam is done byChinese coolies; for the native workers are hampered by a law whichrequires them to give one-fourth of their labor to the state. Domesticelephants are used in hauling timber,--for teak is one of the productsof the forests,--and also for travel and as bearers of burdens. Wildelephants are hunted and trapped in Siam; and tigers, bears, deer,monkeys, and wild pigs abound in the jungles. Crocodiles live at themouths of the rivers; and the cobra, python, and other reptiles areplentiful enough.

  "The Siamese are peaceable people, lazy, and without what you call'snap.' They are fond of jewelry and high colors. They are rather smallin stature, and very like the natives of the several isl
ands you havevisited. They live for the most part on rice, used largely in variouscurries, dried fish in small quantities, though the rivers and sea swarmwith fish. Tea is the favorite beverage, taken without sugar or milk.Though they distil an intoxicating liquor from rice, a tipsy person israrely seen. They chew betel-nut, males and females; and their teeth arealways black, which is their ideal of beauty, and they use othermaterials to make them black and shining.

  "The worst vice of the Siamese is gambling; but it can be practised onlyin houses licensed by the government, though on certain holidays, NewYear's in April especially, the people are privileged to gamble at home,or even in the streets. Marriages are arranged by women of mature age.The birthdays of the contracting parties must be agreeable; for thepeople are superstitious, and consult the stars for their horoscopes.The old ladies agree upon the amount of money the parents of the brideand groom must pay to set up the young couple in life. The ceremonieslast three days or more; and the principal observance is the chewing ofbetel, winding up with a feast to all the friends. Priests are sometimescalled in to say prayers, and sprinkle the couple with consecratedwater.

  "The Siamese believe that the arteries of the body are filled with air,and that disease is caused by some disturbance in these internalbreezes. A wind blows on the heart, and bursts it, causing death by'heart failure.' Almost everything is pressed into the _materia medica_for service, including such things as cats' eyes, the bile of snakes,sea-shells, horns, and probably dogs' tails, kittens' teeth, andmonkeys' tongues. Doctors are paid by the job, and not by the number ofvisits. The price of a cure is agreed upon; and if the patient dies, orfails to get better, the physician gets nothing.

  "After poor people, dying, have been kept a few days, they are cremated,as in India; but they keep a high noble nearly a year before they commithis remains to the fire. When called upon, a Siamese farmer or otherperson is compelled by law to furnish transportation and board totravelling officials. The law of debit and credit is curious, andamounts to actual slavery. A man may borrow money, and give his personfor security. If he fails to pay as agreed, the creditor can put him inirons, if need be, and compel him to work for him till the debt isdischarged,--the principal only, for his labor is the equivalent of theinterest.

  "Missionaries are sent here from America, including many femalephysicians; and they have a great deal of influence among the natives.

  "The present king of Siam is Chulalongkorn I. The former system ofhaving the country ruled by two kings has been abolished, and thepresent monarch is the only king; and I never could find out what thesecond king was for. The throne is now hereditary, but the king formerlyhad the privilege of naming his own successor. Chulalongkorn is anamiable and dignified ruler, well educated, and speaks English fluently.The laws are made by the king in connection with a council of ministers.The forty-one provinces of the kingdom are in charge of commissionersappointed by the king. Such a thing as justice is hardly known, and whatthere is of it is very badly managed. Thieving and plundering arecarried on almost without check in Bangkok, which includes about allthere is of Siam except a great deal of spare territory, and property isvery unsafe there. I think I have wearied you, Mr. Commander, and ladiesand gentlemen."

  "Not at all!" shouted several.

  "Did you ever see the Siamese twins, General Noury?" inquired UncleMoses.

  "I never did; but I have read about them, and looked them up thismorning," replied the lecturer. "They were born in Siam in 1811, buttheir parents were Chinese. I don't quite understand in what manner theywere united."

  "There was a ligament, which looked something like a small wrist,reaching from one to the other at the breast-bones. Their garments wereopen enough to enable the spectators to see this connection. There was agreat deal of speculation among the doctors about them, I remember, andit was even proposed to separate them with the knife; but that was neverdone, for it would have spoiled the exhibition business," the trusteeexplained.

  "They were purchased of their mother at Meklong by an American in 1829,and taken to the United States, where they were exhibited all over thecountry, and then taken to England. It was a good speculation to Mr.Hunter and to Chang and Eng, the twins; for they all made theirfortunes. They were married to two sisters, and settled in NorthCarolina, where they had children. They lost their property in the CivilWar, and again exhibited themselves in England in 1869. They died in1874, one living two hours and a half after the death of the other."

  The general retired from the rostrum; and the party separated, Mrs.Mingo ascending the fore-rigging, while the others went to various partsof the ship to see the shores, which were still in sight.

 

‹ Prev