The Bangkok Recorder.

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A Moravian Child's Hymn.

A Christian Wife's Triumph.

Dr. Tyng gives the following incident
that occurred in his pastoral experience.
It illustrates the power of gentleness, of
a wife's gentleness, to bring her husband
near the Saviour's feet:

Many years since, a gay and fashion-
able couple lived near me and attended
my ministry. The wife was beautiful,
social, and admired. The husband was
rich and worldly, and delighted in the
admiration which, in society, his wife
received. They lived a reckless, gay,
and worldly life. Except in the worship
of an occasional Sunday morning, they
knew nothing of religion, and cared for
nothing they heard, even then.

But in the wonders of His grace, this
gay and fashionable woman was conver-
ted there, and in the most open and de-
cided manner renounced her life of folly,
and cast her lot among the followers of
the Lord. Her sudden change of life
and purpose intensely enraged her un-
converted husband, who had no sympathy
with her, and could not understand her.
He tried in every possible manner to
overthrow her plans, and drive her from
her choice. He forbade her union with
the church in any personal act. He
watched at the gates of the church-yard
to prevent her entrance by force. So
far was this hostility carried that at last
she found access to the church, for her
appointed baptism, only through the
window in the rear. Thus matters went
on for weeks, every day bringing me
some new tidings of his violence and her
sufferings. How much of their domestic
affairs were known to others, I never
knew.

The people and the generation have
passed away. Their young children are
now mature, and several of them are
parents themselves.

Some weeks of this new history had
passed, when late one evening, after I
had retired to my chamber for the night,
my door-bell was violently pulled, and a
messenger said Mrs. — desired to see
me immediately. I dressed and went,
anticipating some new scene of violence,
and simply saying to my wife where I
was going, in case I might be prevented
from returning. The streets were soli-
tary and still. As I ascended the steps
the door was quietly opened to me, and
I was directed to the parlor, where to
my surprise, I found the two sitting to-
gether on the sofa, with no other person
present. The man looked up to me in
an agony of tears, as in astonishment I
sat by his side and asked an explanation.

"Oh, sir," he cried, "Can I be saved,
can I be saved?"

"Yes, surely," I answered; "but you
amaze me - what has led you to this?"

"This angel," he replied with eager-
ness. "You know how I hated her re-
ligion. But you do not know how I
hated you. I thought you the blackest
of human beings. You had broken up
my happiness, you had destroyed my
peace, you had separated my family, you
had alienated my wife from me. I was
intensely enraged with you. I have
several times watched for you at night
with the intention of killing you. But it
is all over now. I am thankful to see
you. But this angel wife—I have cur-
sed her, I have pulled her down by the
hair; and she has received it all in silence
and meekness. She has never said one
unkind word in reply; but she has pray-
ed for me, and loved me. And I can
stand it no longer. I am miserable, be-
cause I am so guilty. I have rebelled so
horribly. I have been loved and treat-
ed so affectionately. Can I be saved?"

The wife sat silently and heard the
whole—and then gently said,

"My dear husband seemed so distres-
sed to night, that I took the liberty to
send for you."

With what delight did I preach the
Saviour's love to the lost one, thus arous-
ed by that love to see his own voluntary
and aggravated guilt.

We passed more than an hour thus to-
gether, and closed our conversation with
earnest prayer. Blessed indeed was the
result. The strong man armed had found a
stronger than he, who had taken from
him all his armor wherein he was trusted, and
spoiled his goods. He was subdued by
love, converted by Divine power. He
too came into the Saviour's flock, and on
the side of Jesus.

How changed the mad one became,
"sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and
in his right mind." He witnessed among
us for years a good confession—he was
honored and beloved in the church—a
pattern of gentleness and fidelity at home
and abroad.

After some years of earnest Christian
life on earth, his course was finished and
his rest obtained. I have since hardly
passed the house in which they lived,
without recalling to my mind this whole
remarkable scene—that popular display
of grace—that voluntary wanderer, and
the wonderful love and mercy which in
so much rebellion he received. He as-
sumed all the responsibility of the guilty
wandering upon himself. He learned to
give all the glory of his recovery to that
amazing grace, which had plucked him
as a brand from the burning, and loved
him when he was dead in sins.—PACIFIC.

The Telegraphic Girdle.

It is not surprising that the most pro-
minent features in the thought of the pre-
sent day should be its rationalistic or
materialistic tendencies. That man should
practically worship himself, and make
himself the measure or judge of the infi-
nite, in a period distinguished above all
others by the study of physical science
and the triumphs of scientific discovery, is
not so unnatural as it is sad. Has not this
generation for instance heard the assem-
bled wisdom of England denounce the
project of a locomotive railway as both
impossible and blasphemous, and yet with-
in a few years of that denunciation trains
ran at sixty miles an hour? Still more
striking is the fact that not twenty years
ago Lord Russell laughed at a Scotch elec-
trician who proposed to connect London
with Edinburgh; and in 1850 English
newspaper declared a project for laying a
cable under the Straits of Dover to be "a
gigantic swindle." Yet in twelve years
from that date Calcutta receives messages
from London a few hours old. And to aid
to the triumphs of material science, the
sixteen hundred miles which separate Ire-
land from America have been annihilated
by the Atlantic cable.

Most opportunely Mr. J. Stephen in the
last number of the FORTNIGHTLY REVIEW
sketches the various failures and successes
of electric cables. In 1850 the Submarine
Telegraph Company connected Dover with
Calais by a cable which worked only a few
hours, for a fisherman hooked it up and
offered portions of it in the streets of Bou-

logue as a rare seaweed with a core of pure
gold. In 1854 an American Company was
established to connect St. John’s, New-
foundland, with the telegraph system of
Canada and the United States, thus reduc-
ing the distance in time to Galway to five
days. Just when the company failed a re-
tired American capitalist, Mr. Cyrus Field,
met in New York with Mr. N. Gisborne of
London who wished to renew the project,
and he suddenly proposed—-“Why not
cross the Atlantic together?” The Atlan-
tic Telegraph Company was formed. Mr.
Gisborne’s right to land cables for fifty
years on Newfoundland and Labrador was
purchased, and in 1857 the sum of £350,000
was subscribed, while the English and
American Governments each guaranteed a
subsidy of £14,000 a year so long as the
line should be in working order. After
four efforts the cable was submerged on 7th
August 1858, and American, feeling herself
linked for the first time to the associations
and civilization of the old world, waved
her flags, fired her cannon and lighted
bonfires from one end of the States to the
other. But alas so imperfect was the in-
sulation that only 271 messages passed
along the cable, and these were almost un-
intelligible. Her Majesty’s congratulatory
despatch of ninety-eight words occupied
sixteen hours in transmission, and Presi-
dent Buchanan’s reply of a hundred and
forty-nine words was sixteen hours on the
way. Except when galvanised into life for
a moment on 20th October the cable re-
mained silent after 18th September. Then
came the failure of the Red Sea line in
1859, and of others at later dates, so that
in 1861 no less than 8,000 out of 11,364
miles of cable submerged in different seas,
were worthless. This led to the appoint-
ment of a Royal Commission, which was
followed by the successful cable in the Per-
sian Gulf, by an extension of the Mediter-
ranean lines, and finally by the renewed
attempt last year to lay the Atlantic cable.

The details of that attempt have a curi-
ous interest after the success of the third
cable just announced. After eight months’
incessant labour in manufacturing the ca-
ble the GREAT EASTERN left the shore end
in Foilhumerum Bay, Valentia, on 23rd
July, and steamed off on her journey of
about 1600 miles to Trinity Bay, New-
foundland. All went well, with occasional
faults owing to the escape of the electric
current to the sea through leaks in the gut-
ta percha covering, till August 2nd when,
at a distance of 1100 miles from Ireland,
serious electric leakage was discovered,
and on recovering the cable it snapped and
went to the bottom. This catastrophe was
quite unexpected. The engineers, however,
managed to hook the cable after several at-
tempts, but just when success seemed pos-
sible the wire rope and hawser by which it
was being lifted yielded to the great strain,
and the ship returned on 10th August.
Though this is termed the second it is real-
ly the sixth failure to cross the Atlantic.
The fact of nineteen thousand useless miles
of cable lying at the bottom of the sea was
sufficient to damp any but the most eager
electricians and trustful capitalists. As the
Atlantic Telegraph Company could not is-
sue preference shares the Anglo-American
Company was started and that has at last
succeeded, if we may trust the first tele-
grams, though it is suspicious that no
others have followed. Mr. Stephen de-
nounces all iron-covered cables because
“at best their safe submersion is a lottery
and their successful working, even when
submerged, very problematical.” The ma-
nagers of this new attempt, on the contra-
ry have made the cable heavier than ever,
so, that a writer in the TIMES says, the li-
mit of its breaking strain has never been
discovered. Its outer covering is compo-
sed of iron bars as thick as ordinary pa-
pers, and it weighs twenty tons to the mile.
It is nearly double the size and strength of
the largest submarine cable ever made.
That accomplished SAVAN, Professor Thom-
son, went out in the GREAT EASTERN while
Mr. Cromwell Varley remained at Valentia,
to superintend the electric communication
and work the cable by their new appara-
tus known as the curb key. It was remark-
ed as an omen of success that not a single
fault occurred during the manufacture of
the cable.

Nor will this be the only string to our
electric bow. So early as 1852 Mr. Wyld,
M.P., projected a telegraph to America
from Thurso by the Faroe Islands, Iceland,
Greenland and Labrador. Unfortunately
a Colonel Shaffner of America had obtain-
ed a right of way from the Danish Govern-
ment for a hundred years, and only on his
failure last autumn was it transferred to
Mr. Wyld, or communication might have
been realised long ago. A committee of
the ablest electricians advised Mr. Wyld
not to cover the cable with iron or any me-
tal. The North Atlantic Company was last
month in course of formation with a capi-
tal of two millions in twenty pound shares,
and we trust the success of the Valentia
route will not arrest their project. The on-
ly condition the King of Denmark has in-
sisted on are the establishment of an inde-
pendent line from that country to England,
and from Copenhagen to Norway. This
will give the Continent American news as
soon as Great Britain, and all direct tele-
grams to India will come by that way.
The course of the cable will be from Thur-
so to Thorshavn in the Faroes, a distance
of 250 miles. Land wires will run from
Thorshavn to Halderdvig, and cables from
Halderdvig to Bernfjord, in Iceland—240
miles. Land wires will run again from
Bernfjord to Reykjavik, and cables from
Reykjavik to Julianeshaab, in Greenland—
748 miles. From Julianeshaab to Hamil-
ton’s inlet, in Labrador, cables will run for
540 miles. It is probable, however, that
Labrador will be avoided, and lines run to
Belle Isle, north of Newfoundland. The
whole length will thus be similar to that of
the Valentia cable. This route has other
advantages. The depth is less than in the
Atlantic, the bottom is of fine mud, be-
tween Scotland and Iceland the cables will
be from 120 to 130 miles shorter than those
which have been in use between England
and Denmark for about seven years; whilst
the longest section—between Iceland and
Greenland-—will be about one-half the
length of the Persian Gulf line, and about
800 miles shorter than the Malta and Alex-
andria one. The speed of transmission will
be three times greater. Arctic explorers
like McClintock, Belcher and Sherard Os-
born, who know every inch of the ground,
are enthusiastic supporters of the scheme.

So man will be united with man. The
exhausted Englishman in the plains of In-
dia will be in direct communication with
the icebound inhabitants of Reykjavik, the
capital of Iceland; while, on the other
side, the day is not much further distant
when he may hold telegraphic converse
with the Russian exile in far Kamshkatka,
or the English colonist in Vancouver.—
THE FRIEND OF INDIA.

America as an Ally.

Whoever considers attentively the posi-
tion which we hold in the great communi-
ty of nations must be struck with the fact
that we have so managed our affairs as to
be almost entirely cut off from European
politics. Almost every nation in western
Europe is in arms, and no one can tell how
far their dimensions may spread, or what
may be the result of them in remodelling
the map of Europe; but to us in this coun-
try the whole quarrel is essentially matter
of indifference. Prussia is a far less pow-
erful country than England, but its influ-
ence in European affairs is probably quite
as great as our own, whilst that of France
is out of all comparison greater, and will
unquestionably continue to be so. On the
other hand, our influence in other parts of
the world is as much superior to that of
France as it is inferior on the continent of
Europe. We form the centre of four great
nations which soon will be British,
North America, South Africa, Australia,
and New Zealand, which derive from
their language, their laws, their literature,
their religion, in a word all that is distinc-
tive in their existence; and besides this,
we rule over a vast empire in India which
appears likely in the course of no very
long time to present a state of things al-
most unexampled in the modern history in
the world. If any one considers the rela-
tion of the United States to this system he
will perceive at once that it is so much
connected with it and resembles it so
closely as almost to form a part of it. It
is indeed distinguished from the British
empire only by the fact that it has already
that complete independence which our co-
lonies will most assuredly possess when
they are a little better able to stand on
their own legs, and which it ought to be
our highest hope to be able to confer with
safety upon British India. In the mean-
time, our relations with the United States
are actually closer than our relations with
any of our colonies. Our trade with them
is greater; they take a large number of
our emigrants, and they are the only civi-
lized Power in the world which is separa-
ted from our possessions by a mere geo-
graphical boundary. Add to all this the
fact that the principles on which they are
governed are nothing but the principles of
our own government applied on a larger
scale and to a somewhat different state of
society, and it becomes self-evident that
they are capable of doing us more harm
or more good than all the other nations of
the earth put together. If we cultivate
those relations with them which last for
the madness of George III. will never
have been disturbed at all, there is no
reason why a century hence the English
race, with local modifications, should not
be the predominant race of the world be-
yond all dispute or comparison. It would
indeed in that event constitute a new com-
munity of civilized States, much more ex-
tensive than Europe, at least as fertile in
all natural advantages, and possessed of
many other advantages peculiar to itself.
For instance, there are hardly any sub-
stantial grounds on which any of the Eng-
lands of the future, including, the United
States as one of the number, would have
occasion to quarrel. Human perversity
could hardly go to such a length as to pro-
duce war between Australia and South
Africa, or between Canada and New Zea-
land.

Of course the possibility of so happy a
state of things is remote, but it is a possi-
bility, and is one of the many reasons why
we should consider the friendship of the
United States as even more essential to
our prosperity than that of France. Is
there anything to say on the other side?

The more the matter is considered, the
more clearly will the contrary appear.
There are small irritating subjects which
circumstances, be on doubt might so
treated as to prejudice at a [?] , but they
are of the most trifling kind. The ques-
tion, for instance, about the fishery rights
is certainly one of which people disposed
to quarrel might make something, but it—
like the other matters connected with the
late reciprocity treaty—is just one of those
questions which can be definitely settled
by treaty. It has none of that incurable
virulence which belongs to questions of
independence or territory. Look, again,
at the relations between the States and
Canada. We do not the least mean to ex-
aggerate what, after all, is a very natu-
ral act on the part of the Americans, and
one which they were likely enough to hav
done simply for the comfort and decency
of their own frontier, and without any
particular regard for us ; but the relations
between the two States are as a whole
eminently satisfactory, and they are so
mainly because the political institutions
which prevail on each side of the line are
very unlikely to dispose those who live un-
der them to fall out with each other. Free
trade is not after all the only conceivable
bond between different nations. Identity
of race, substantial identity of government
for British North America is in all, but the
name a republic—and a mutual interest
in all that constitutes the real welfare of
the other, are the ties which unite the
United States with the British provinces;
nor do we see why anything except indis-
cretion at home should ever interrupt
them. If what we have seen is intrinsi-
cally a small matter, it will at least serve
to contradict the notion that sympathy
with violence, revolution, filibustering and
the like, is characteristic of the Americans.
We believe this to be an entire mistake.
These and other bad things were the cha-
racteristic vices of the slaveholding popu-
lation ; but now that slavery and its atten-
dant evils are at an end, we doubt if there
is to be found in the world a nation more
disposed to be orderly and in the good
sense of the word, Conservative.—-THE
FRIEND OF INDIA.

Another Anglo.Indian Gov-
ernor of Jamaica.

The appointment of Sir John Peter
Grant as Governor of, Jamaica is one
which will give pleasure to Anglo-In-
dians. The ability of the wisest council-
lor of Lord Dalhousie, though the blin-
dest adviser of Lord Canning, we have
always admitted, and his high sense of
honour has never, except for a moment
in the Nil Durpul dispute, been called
in question. He did much to hasten the
destruction of that evil Indigo system
which was fast perishing from its own
rottenness, though he did it in an un-
statesmanlike way. But the experience
of questions of capital and labour, and
of class contending with class, which he
then gained at so dear a price, modified
by his subsequent obscurity and undig-
nified connexion with a Hotel Company,
will be of great advantage in an Island
like Jamaica. Like Sir Charles Trevel-
yan he has another chance. Will he use
it to complete the work which that far
greater Bengal civilian, Lord Metcalfe,
began? If so his undoubted firmness
and "pluck," which none have more ful-
ly acknowledged than the many enemies
he made in India, must be so directed by
tact and compromise in little things, that
he may prove not unworthy to walk in
the footsteps of him of whom, after a
very similar revolution, Lord Macaulay
wrote in his epitaph—-Lord Metcalfe
"calmed the evil passions which long
suffering had engendered in one class and
long domination in another."

Lord Metcalfe was Governor of Agra
and acting Governor General. Sir J. P.
Grant for five years ruled forty millions
in Bengal, as subordinate to Lord Can-
ning, and distinguished himself by a
great policy of public works which his
successor has failed to carry out. Com-
pared with such responsibility Jamaica
seems a trifling charge. Its 6,400 square
miles and 142,000 of population, of
whom not 14,000 are white, would be ab-
sorbed in the one rich county of Hoogh-
ly. The Governor will draw just one-
half of his Bengal salary and in a climate
certainly not superior to that of India.
But such is the ignorance of England,
such its want of political perspective,
that in Jamaica Sir J. P. Grant will hold
a higher position than when he ruled a
country and a people as large as that of
France. Under the new constitution
Jamaica is to be administered exactly
like Ceylon, by a despotism which strives
to be in accord with public opinion. For
such a duty Sir J. P. Grant's experience
admirably fits him, and there is not an
Anglo-Indian who will not hope that he
will meet with more success as a Govern-
or of a Colony than a recent Governor of
a Colony met with during a five years'
tenure of office in an Indian Presidency

Thoughts by the Way

CONVICTION is consciousness of GUILT.

Notice not the fact that you are not
noticed.

The ALL of every human being centres
in his self.

That which a man desires most may
be the thing he needs least.

Heaven may be defined PERFECT OBEDI-
ENCE to the divine LAW.

It is not the LAW of God, but the
violation of it, that causes MISERY.

Lose not what you might do by dwel-
ling upon what you HAVE done.

He who in blessing others forgets HIM-
SELF will never be forgotten.

On the waves of self-indulgence,
each individual steers his own barque.

Not a few who have LAUGHED them-
selves into sin have WEPT themselves out.

On the journey of life, he who over-
loads himself with BAGGAGE will sigh by
the way.

Bangkok Recorder.

There appears so be an apparent
want of information on the part of the
Siamese Government in regard to their
duties and responsibilities in connec-
tion with the several treaties entered
into with foreign powers. They are
keen sighted enough to see every ad-
vantage likely to arise from the trea-
ties, and display much tact and talent
in evading responsibilities and turn-
ing matters to their own account.
This mode of conducting affairs will
sometimes work tolerably well for a
time, but will in the end involve the
government in difficulties from which
it will be extremely difficult, if not
impossible to extricate themselves.

A foreign merchant on entering the
kingdom of Siam with the intention
of establishing himself in business,
naturally inquires whether he can do
so with a reasonable prospect of pro-
tection and security or not. Mere
verbal assurances will not satisfy a
prudent man; he must have some
written, tangible, and legally authori-
sed assurance before he will consent
to take up his residence, and bring in
the requisite capital to conduct his
business. To satisfy himself on this
point, he has but to refer to the seve-
ral treaties which the Government of
Siam has entered into with foreign
powers. If he is an Englishman, he
does not have to search long to ascer-
tain the obligations of the Siamese
government to resident British sub-
jects. The 1st Article after giving as-
surances of peace and friendship, sti-
pulates in the strongest manner, that
"all British subjects coming to Siam
shall recrive from the Siamese Gov-
ernment full protection and assistance
to enable them to reside in Siam in
all security, and trade with every fa-
cility, free from oppression or inju-
ry on the part of the Siamese."

The language used in the first Ar-
ticle of the English treaty is certainly
comprehensive, broad and strong
enough to warrant the belief that the
Siamese government are under the
strongest obligations to give "com-
plete protection and assistance" to
British subjects residing in the coun-
try. The only remaining question that
would excite any further inquiry would!
be, as to the ability of the Siamese
government to carry out these obliga-
tions. On this point there need be
no apprehension. The Throne of Siam
is well established. The legitimate
right of the present reigning royal fa-
mily to govern the kingdom admits
of no doubt. The officers and peo-
ple are content to live under it. The
country is productive, and the inhabi-
tants are sufficiently numerous and
industrious to secure a good revenue.
Although the revenue laws and cus-
toms are not very good, they yield
ample means to carry on a strong and
efficient government. The army, forts
and armaments, though not numerous
can be easily increased. With all these
facilities and means at their disposal,
any want of ability or efficiency on
the part of the Siamese government
to carry out their treaty obligations,
is their own fault.

Now what are the facts in regard to
resident foreigners in Siam, and how
has the government acted toward
them? At the commencement of the
trade under the treaties, foreign resi-
dents under the circumstances which
then existed were well protected. Both
natives and foreigners thought more of
the profits of a tolerable fair mode of
trading with each other than any thing
else. A variety of causes arose to
diminish the profits of trade; sharper
bargains were driven; over-reaching,
peculation, and questionable modes of
transacting business arose, in which
foreigners sometimes got the advan-
tage and at other times the natives.
Violation of agreements, bargains, sel-
ling goods under false pretences, theft
and robbery followed, and, as a mat-
ter of course, resulted in law suits and
developed Siamese jurisprudence,
courts, and judges, in no very envis-
ible light. According to Siamese
usages some complaints had to be
transmitted to the Foreign Office,
some to the Lord Mayor and others
to the Chief of Police. This mode of
distributing suits for adjudication did
not meet the views of the Consuls, sa-
tisfy treaty obligations, nor the de-
mands of justice. To follow up com-
plaints in the different courts, and see
that the ends of justice were carried
out was impossible; and to the praise
of the Siamese government be it spo-
ken, they appreciated the responsibi-
lity of their treaty relations sufficient
to establish a special court for the
purpose under the title of the Roy-
al Court of Equity. While this
court has not met the expectations of
the Treaty Powers, it is a step in the
right direction, and if the Siamese
government could be made to see their
treaty obligations in a proper light,
and appoint an able jurist as judge to
assist their own—one acquainted with
the language, laws, precedents and
usages of European Courts, and pro-
vide the necessary facilities for carry-
ing out the demands of justice, their
obligations in this respect would be
met. Sooner or later it must come
to this.

The old mode of guarding property
was found inadequate, and in order to
give better protection and fulfil in
some measure their treaty obligations
in this respect, a police force was or-
ganized and stationed in the city, but
too far up to give any particular se-
curity to foreigners. The protection
and benefit growing out of the police
force has been almost exclusively on
the side of the Siamese. It is what
the Siamese government should have
had, even if no treaties had ever been
made with foreign powers. The pre-
sent police force is utterly inadequate
to meet the demands of either the na-
tives or foreigners. Up to the pres-
ent time there is no government police
to protect foreign dwellings, stores,
warehouses and manufacturing esta-
blishments. Nearly every foreigner,
whether a temporary or permanent
resident, laborer, mechanic, mariner,
merchant, or Consul, has to provide
to a great extent, if not wholly for
his own security and protection. The
cost to merchants and resident for-
eigners for watchmen and other means
of protection is very great. But lit-
tle complaint has hitherto been made
on account of the want of a police
force to render better protection, and
the Siamese government seems to
have gone to sleep over the subject.
They seem to have forgotten those
maxims of prudence which lead wise
men to prepare for storms in times of
calms, and wars in times of peace.
The Buddhist command ya lak sap,
"do not steal," nor the awfully severe
laws of the kingdom against theft and
robbery, has very little power in pre-
venting them. The amount of pro-
perty lost by foreigners on account of
pilfering, theft, and robbery is im-
mense. As near as can be ascertain-
ed not more than one fourth of them
are complained of to the Siamese Au-
thorities. The loss of time, vexation
and difficulties attendant on obtaining
justice in most cases is so great, that
foreigners are deterred from making
any attempt to secure redress.

The question arises what are the
responsibilities of the Siamese Govern-
ment in relation to theft and robbery?
The treaties are explicit and emphatic
on this subjects, declaring that all for-
eigners "coming to Siam shall re-
ceive from the Siamese Government
full protection and assistance to en-
able them to reside in Siamese in all
security, and trade with every facility,
free from oppresson on the part of the
Siamese." This stipulation cannot be
limited to mean only personal pro-
tection; for what advantage would it
be to any one to be treated kindly
and protected from bodily harm when
at the same time all their property
can be taken from them. It must
mean both person and property, and
all legitimate interests growing out of
them. A foreigner on arrying in
Siam with the intention of becoming
a resident, is bound to secure a suita-
ble dwelling, store or ware-house, one
that will give him ordinary security
to his person and property. He must
also exercise due care and watchful-
ness, and when this has been done,
and his person or property suffer in-
jury or loss, he must look to the law
for redress. Suppose the following
should occur. A merchant es-
tablishes himself in Bangkok, occu-
pies a substantial building, has it filled
with valaaable goods, fastens the doors
and windows properly, has watchmen
or some equivalent mode to guard his
property, but with all his care the
building is entered by thieves and
robbers and his goods are stolen.
Under the existing treaties what is to
be done? Who is responsible? The
first step is to enter complaint and
send it to the proper Siamese Court.
If the court catches the thieves or rob-
bers, punishes them and returns the
goods or an equivalent with costs, that
ends the matter. If only a part are
caught and a portion only of the pro-
perty can be secured, the question na-
turally comes up, who is responsible
for the loss ? There are now only two
parties on whom the loss can fall; the
merchant and the government. The
merchant will of course demand in-
demnification. Now can the Siamese
government get rid of it? If the Si-
amese Authorities can show that the
government has fulfilled the spirit and
letter of the treaty touching this ques-
tion, they can. But if the Siamese
government has neglected to provide
suitable police or other protection, or
the court, judges, and officers have
been unfaithful, they must make the
loss good. This matter will be trea-
ted in the same way as in the case of
a man who allows or invites a person
to reside in his house under an agree-
ment of protection. If on the arrival
of the person, his house is not secure,
it is his business to make it so. Any
loss arising on account of the owners
neglect to provide against it, he can
and must be made to make it good.
A law of the house forbidding theft
and robbery under severe penalties
will not exonerate the owner. Most
foreigners have been too easy and neg-
ligent in this matter of Government
responsibility, and a few cases carried
out by way of example would settle
the affair and do good.

Cremation Ceremonies.

The cremation ceremonies of the
late PHYA MONTHRE SEREE-WONG were
brought to a close this P. M. by ap-
plying the torch to the funeral pyre
The body had been lying in state at
his late residence since his decease
which took place 11th of June. On the
morning of the 18th inst. it was conveyed
in procession, from the late residence to
the building which had been erected
expressly for the occasion, and placed
in position upon the funeral pyre.

This ceremony, which the Siamese
call chack sop, was conducted by His
Majesty the king in person, who came
to the place, accompanied by part of
the Royal family expressly for this
purpose. This funeral pyre consisted
of a square platform at the base about
eight feet from the ground, and rising
in the shape of a pyramid to the
hight of about fifteen feet to the apex,
upon which the body was placed in a
in a beautifully gilded urn. This was
inclosed by a white canopy rising to
a dome over the pyramidal pyre, and
having wide entrances to the centre,
on the four sides, corresponding to
the four points of the compass.

On the east and west sides of the
Mane, were platforms erected for the
theatricals. The one on the west side
was a Siamese lakon. The scenery
in the back-ground on this stage was
quite romantic, representing huge,
rough rocks piled up in wild grandeur,
having various little crevices and
miniature caverns, and covered in
many places with wild, romantic fol-
liage. The one on the east was a Chin-
ese ngew, which seemed to consist
chiefly in beating gongs, sticks and
other nameless instrument of music
making “night,”-—as well as day—-
“hideous” with their jargon.

On the south side of the Mane
were a dozen or more booths, erected
principally for the accommodation of
the family and friends of the deceased.
In one of these was a nice dining hall,
covered with a carpet, and supplied
with chairs and tables, where, at all
hours of the day, food and refresh-
ments were neatly served to all visi-
tors. Every thing about the Mane
was tastefully arranged 'a la Siamese
and there seemed to be but one thing
that was an annoyance, and that was the
great quantity of mud surrounding
the premises. This, of course, was
unavoidable, and was owing to the
heavy rains that fell during the occa-
sion. The immense crowd of natives
constantly moving to and fro had so
trodden the ground, softened with fre-
quent rains, that it became like a lake
of thin mortar, through which the
natives waded as indifferently and
contentedly as if it was their native
element.

It was amusing to see the crowd
scrambling after the lines containing
money in this lake of mortar. It
was delightful to watch them from a
distance; but this part of the sport
became very annoying to the Euro-
peans visitors on returning to their
boats the evening after the burning.

The excited crowd, all covered with
black, filthy slime, very much after
the fashion of the swine that were
wallowing in the mire, came rushing
along the dry walk that led to the
landing, and, regardless of all manners
or decency, dashed against every per-
son who came in their way, bearing
the finest silks and satins of the
ladies as well as the the spotless linen
and glittering ensignia of Consular
dignity. This rudeness, while it was
an annoyance to the sufferers, gave
great pleasure and amusement to the
rabble.

Precisely at 5½ o'clock this p. m. the
torch was applied by His Majesty's
own hands, who was followed, in this
last ceremony of respect for the dead,
by some of the royal offspring, some
of the high priests of the city, the
family and relatives of the deceased
and others. In preparation for this
ceremony, the urn containing the body
is taken down from the summit of the
pyramidal pyre, the upper part of the
pyramid removed, bringing it down
on a level with a platform, where
the urn is placed upon several layers
of wood. Over this is a canopy or
ceiling made of thin layers of the
plantain tree supported by four up-
right posts. This covering, which is
incombustible, is designed to counter-
act the flame which rises up through
the urn from the ignited wood con-
suming the body. After the pile has
been lighted every one according to
his rank, ascends the steps and offers
his token of respect for the dead, by
casting into the flame his torch, or taper,
or wax-candle. This constant adding
fuel to the fire soon causes the flames
to arise. Should the fire become too
strong there are persons stationed
near whose business it is to dampen
it with water sufficient to keep the
flames within bounds.

The body of the late PRAYA APAI
SONGKRAM was also committed to the
flames upon this same funeral pyre.
He was a half brother of the late PRAYA
MONTREE SUBER-WONG, and died only
a few weeks after his brother. It is
sad to see how the hand of death has
been laid upon these two brothers in
the prime of life. The family, the
community, and the government deep-
ly feel the loss.

The custom of burning, with
the Siamese, is one that has been
handed down from time immemorial.
It makes a very fine show for visitors,
and a grand display of taste in arrange-
ment &c. but it must be a great bur-
den of expense to be borne by the
people and government. It would be
a great relief to the people if they
could be freed from such an oppres-
sive custom.

There are many noble-
man, now, who see the folly and dread
the labor of such a ceremony, but
dare not drop it because it is an old
custom. When will there be one
brave enough to face the storm of
ridicule, and introduce a new and less
burdensome custom?

Siamese Funeral Services.

A funeral service always affecting,
is rendered much more so, when the
deceased is a father of a large family
who have always looked up to him for
support and protection. And this is
strikingly the case with Siamese no-
blemen whose wives and children may
be reckoned by tens and sometimes
scores. Such a scene we witnessed to-
day at the funeral of two Siamese no-
blemen, sons of the late Somdeteli Ong-
yai, the one titled Phya Montree Soo-
riwonga, own brother to His Excellen-
cy Chow Phya Kalahome Prime Minis-
ter, the other Phya Apai Songkram a
half brother. The weeks and months of
preparation for the cremation while
their bodies lay in state at their late
respective homes, had past. The great
white dome for a covering to the fu-
neral pyre and the many accompany-
ing buildings for the ceremonies, had
been completed. The splendid urn
for the one and rich coffin for the oth-
er had been on the summit of the high
pyramidal seat under the dome bril-
liantly and tastefully adorned with
fancy articles—-natural and artificial
flowers and fruits with festoons, wreaths
and garlands suspended from the dome’s
high ceiling, had been on exhibition full
three days. The exterior of the urn
with all its rich adornings, together
with the greater part of the upper sto-
ries of the splendid pyramid had been
removed, and a small pile of fire wood
neatly arranged had taken the place
thus vacated. The corpses thus dis-
robed of their glory had just before
our arrival been placed on the wood.
And the multitudes who had attended
the many exercises of preaching, pray-
ing, incantations, feasting, and theat-
ricals, were waiting in suspense for
His Majesty to come and ignite the fu-
neral pile which was now screened
from the public gaze.

Within the enclosure on two sides of
the dome were seated priests, princes,
noblemen &c. On another side were
the female mourners and friends, to-
gether with nearly all the European la-
dies residing in the city. On the fourth
side where His Majesty was to approach
the dome, were the European gentle-
men comprising mariners, merchants,
consuls, clergymen, etc. Without the
enclosure on all sides were vast mul-
titudes of both sexes and of all classes.

The hour of 5 o'clock P. M. had now
arrived, which was the time appointed
for the ignition of the funeral pile.
Presently the royal heralds announced
the approach of the king by their trum-
pets and conch shells. All eyes were
consequently turned to the quarter at
which His Majesty was to enter, and
a few strains of “God save the King”
from the brass band introduced him
very quietly into the presence of the
dead, where he seated himself with a
large number of his children before
him or a dozen Buddhists priests ar-
ranged in a line sitting on a carpet.
These went through with certain re-
hearsals and incantations for the dead,
barely audible, but not to be under-
stood, while His Majesty poured sa-
cred water from a little teapot into a
basin, it being a symbol of blessings
craved for the departed spirits as well
as for all the remaining friends.

The screen which had hidden the
dismantling and humiliation of the
bodies on the wood was now drawn
aside. His Majesty then snapped an
instrument, peculiar to the Siamese,
which ignited a little powder, and
then a taper, which, the King, having
assembled the steps, applied to the fu-
neral pile. Immediately the nearest
mourners stepped up and placed each
his wax candle and sandal sticks un-
der the wood; and then the princes
and lords in rapid succession did the
same, until all order of rank was lost
in the desire to manifest the same re-
spect for the dead before the flames
should become too hot to admit of
approach. The fire increased with
unusual rapidity.

There was no outburst of grief, but
manifestly silent, solemn weeping a-
mong some of the mourners. We
could not but weep with them when
we considered that they were weeping
without one ray of the glorious hopes
which the gospel affords to them who
believe in Him who is "the resurrec-
tion and the life".

His Majesty, having ignited the
pile, immediately retired to a royal
plappla or sala which had been made
and set apart for his own exclusive
occupation, and gave gifts of silver
and gold to his princes officials
and others. Before this was com-
pleted we directed our steps home-
ward as it was getting late, wish-
ing to become disengaged from the
immense crowd before it broke up and
to breathe a pure air once more on the
noble Menam. We have only inten-
ded to give a birdseye view of what
we saw, leaving a more full discrip-
tion to an abler pen.

LOCAL.

In the last issue of our Siamese
Recorder we published a strongly at-
tested report of murder which occur-
red at temple Sankachai in this city
early in the month of last May. The
matter had been so hushed up that the
foreign community had heard nothing
of it. The circumstances of the case
as reported were briefly, that a pupil
of Pranookrom a head priest at tem-
ple Sanchahai was charged with steal-
ing a salver and watch from priest
Doonng. The latter caught pupil Daang
and had a hard struggle with him for
the purpose of binding him. And
while engaged in the tussle in the
darkness of night about 8 o'clock p. m.
Daang drew a sailors knife and stab-
bed the priest in the side who fell
dead on the spot. The murderer was
arrested and his case tried by judge
Koon Klang. The culprit confessed
his guilt in the matter and informed
against another fellow pupil as being
an accomplice with him in the act.
Daang was kept in close confinement
with fetters in the day time and was put
in stocks at night. But Pran the accom-

pliœ was not put in confinement at
all. Doonng was on the eve of being
sent to the state's prison, when Pra-
nookrom the chief priest of the tem-
ple prevailed upon the judge by a
bribe of 120 ticals to withhold the
culprit from prison. Consequently the
fetters were taken from the ankles,
leaving the iron anklets on, just enough
to make believe he was still in some
sense a prisoner. He spent the most
of his time with priest Pranookrom
and a small portion of it with the
judge. As to the accomplice P'an, he
escaped entirely by paying the judge
Koon Klang 40 ticals and his keeper
20 ticals, and this money is said to
have been provided by priest Pranoo-
krom. These bribes being paid, the
judge said he would stay proceedings,
and that Phya Booroot would inter-
cede for the criminals and secure their
discharge.

It appears from the report, that
these two rascals with two associates
had long before been in the habit of
robbing orchards, and of stealing
goods from the boats of the natives
in the canal Bangkok-yai between the
temples Hachasit and Moolecloke
while moored at night time waiting
for favoring tides—that they would
pretend to be fishing for prawns—and
wading in the water by the side of
the boats, would steal any thing they
could lay there hands on. For such
conduct they were twice on the eve
of being complained of to the authori-
ties, but the proceedings were in both
instances stayed by the influence of
priest Pranookrom. It is said that
at one time he did it by a bribe of 20
ticals and at another time by 28 ticals.
Twice they were on the point of being
reported to the king, but the influence
of priest Pranookrom prevented it.
Such it is said is a brief history of
the two scoundrels before they mur-
dered priest Dooang. And seeing
that they were in all probability to be
let loose upon the community as be-
fore, a number of the neighbors deter-
mined they would report them in the
Siamope paper.

His Siamese Majesty's Gun-boat
“Impregnable” returned yesterday
from a cruising trip in the Gulf where
she had been several weeks looking
out for piratical vessels. We presume
Capt. Walroad has had no engage-
ment with pirates or any thing of par-
ticular interest to report, or we should
have heard something about it. The
influence of the Impregnable cruising
up and down the Gulf must be good
in protecting country trading vessels
and others, though she never find oc-
casion to throw a shot at a pirate.
And we are glad to learn that she is
to be continued in the same useful
service, and hope that we shall never
have occasion to report that she ever
dodges a piratical craft.

WEATHER.—-The nights for the
most part since our last issue have
been remarkably rainy and the days
cloudy and drizzling. The great cre-
mation ceremonies that have been
held within that time in this city have
consequently been robbed of much of
their splendor. No one seems to have
any doubt that a bountiful harvest of
rice is to reaped at the end of this
wet season.

The Second King of Siam.

The position of Second King in our
view seems of little consequence. It
has little executive power yet the very
freedom from active service gives time
and opportunity for discipline, study
practice, making a reserve power for
an exigency. The Second King just
passed away has added much to the
dignity, respect and power of the pre-
sent reign. He commanded honor
abroad and respect and fear at home.
Every one felt that power was cen-
tered in him adequate to an exigency
and this belief gave stability to the
reigning king. Such will always be the
effect of the office of the Second King
when well sustained. During the fif-
teen years of the present reign there
has not been one serious misunder-
standing between the two kings. All
has moved on with distinguished har-
mony.

It should be the policy of the coun-
try to give to the Second King every
facility for discipline and progress as
a reserve power. The last reign has
stood very high in this respect, and if
it had stood as high morally as politi-

cally it would have a high place in the
annals of the world.

While the king was a great lover
of European arts he did not seem in-
clined to centre his hopes of heaven
in the God which the European recog-
nizes as the one, only living and true.
There seems a great gulf between an
eastern king and christianity. As I
told the king during his last days, of
the support and comfort of the chris-
tian hope, I felt more than ever
how difficult for an eastern king to
accept of its truths.

"How hardly shall a rich man," says
the scriptures. But with an eastern
king it is the upturning of all the cus-
toms that gives him influence, and se-
curity, and external importance. Let
him accept Christianity, and all the im-
portant officers in his house-hold
have no longer ties to secure their fidel-
ity. Polygamy must be given up, and
the daughters of the nobles of the
land can no longer be with him, hold-
ing a relation that makes them hos-
tages identifying the hopes and inte-
rests of the nobles with the king.

What! shall a king accept Christiani-
ty and acknowledge as a consequence,
that not one, perhaps of his great fami-
ly of children have an honorable
name-—that not one of the great cir-
cle that have been truest and best to
him have a claim to virtue? His hon-
or and the honor of his household are
a great wall of partition between him
and christianity. A new king with a
new basis and new customs, might
make the acceptance of that religion
as ye which now severs the relations,
which give seeming security in life,
and rivet connections that will secure
lasting memory when they are dead.
But shall an old king cling to his
customs and lose his sons? "What is a
man profited if he gain the whole
world and loose his own soul, or what
shall a man give in exchange for his
soul?"

What king shall accept the God
which the West worship and prove, as is
really true, that while the arts of the
West are unrivalled, their God is the
only God, and their religion the one
true and the only sure basis of a pros-
perous government.

State Liberality in Siam.

Those who know any thing of this
country—-and who in these days has not
heard of it?—-are accustomed to regard
it as one possessed of the most liberal
views and institutions, among the native
states of Asia—-we may add, proverbially
so. And this trait, it is pleasing to find,
is becoming almost daily more and more
developed, under the enlightened system
of its present government. Nor is it say-
ing too much to pronounce it an exam-
plar o' Asia: rule altogether; and speak-
ing of it markedly, to say that there is
but one Siam on the map of the world.
The deduction from reflection is, the
wish that we had more countries with a
similar degree of civilized enlightenment
and liberality. Considering our proximity
to the model state, and the prospect of
an increased connection with it, in early
course of events, it must naturally com-
mand an interest in British Burmah, which
we hope no circumstance will arise to
lessen-—a change of rule being the only
thing to be apprehended. These remarks
have been induced by reading of the
erection, near Bangkok, under the King's
auspices, of a convenient and comforta-
ble retreat for "the European commun-
ity who may from time to time require
change of air to recruit their health."

Such spontaneous thoughtfulness on the
monarch's part, for the European pro-
moters of the trade of his country, carries
its own comment, and will ensure a suit-
able appreciation from every right-think-
ing European, in any part of the world,
who becomes aware of the kindly fact,
and who can at all calculate the sterling
value of such an arrangement in a trop-
ical country.—-MAULMAIN ADVERTISER.

The Priests and Idols of Siam.

"Like priests, like people," is an
old adage. The priests of Siam are a
class that uniformly appear what they
are not. They take the manner of
sanctimony, while all mischief is still
rank in their heart. Their conversion
is confined to their clothes. These
must be yellow when they enter the
priesthood.

The priests get their living without
rendering an equivalent for their food,
or clothing, or dwellings; and they
have the very best the country affords
in all these respects, except idols. For
the idols are selected the very best
locations in the country. All the
taste the country can command is
combined in laying out, arranging and
ornamenting grounds, and then in
erecting substantial, stately buildings,
and fitting them up after the most ap-
proved standard of taste for the idols.

This latter habit may have some
sense in it. For while images of wood
and stone cannot appreciate beauty,
they can no more deface it. So these
beautiful temple grounds are inoffen-
sive to the most fastidious, while all
living habitations are besmeared and
polluted with varieties of filth, and
thus most obnoxious to all sensitive
organs. In the pictures of Siamese
temples and their accompanying build-
ings, you will notice large brick ed-
ifices, surrounded by other smaller
buildings. These are devoted to the
idols, great and small, arranged as
fancy or custom may dictate.

The priests live in the suburbs of
the-temples, if I may so speak. They
live in these buildings in a sort of
club, as convenience dictates. They
live, I say; it is not boarding, as at our
institutions at home, but boarding
themselves and begging their rice day
by day the whole year round.

A gong or bell calls them up early
in the morning; not, as at home, to
give the best hours of the day to study,
but to go forth with a sanctimonious
face and a dish, and in the highways
receive from seekers after merit a
portion of food, cooked and assorted,
that shall serve them for the day. So
the morning passes in begging their
bread from house to house.

Breakfast over, they read a little,
teach a little in a most slack, inefficient
way, to little purpose and with little
consecutiveness. Interruption is the
order of the day in Siam. The holi-
days are without number, and he that
would pursue a given plan for a single
month, must make up his mind for a
struggle, if he carry it out in any
department whatever.

The priests can have but little time
after breakfast, at any rate; for dinner
comes at eleven o'clock, and then the
eating for the day is finished, if I ex-
cept tea and any little drinking diet.
Most of the long morning is spent in
begging food and eating it; and when
this is well over, in the heat of the day
they can do little but sleep and idle
away the time. The cool of the eve-
ning is a fine time for recreation and
visiting. Morning and evening they
repeat Bali prayers, and the learning
of these is almost the only hard dis-
cipline for the intellect in the country.

The priests have duties abroad at
funerals, weddings, and on holiday
occasions. At these places they go in
companies, and only confound with
their jargon, doing no good to the soul,
and draining the good things of those
who entertain them, to no purpose.
They feast upon the luxuries of their
entertainers, but give in return husks
for the soul. Even when the priests
really preach, their preaching is but an
idle tale, at best, cold morality. There
is nothing in all the teaching of the
country that stirs up the spirit for
greater and better things.

We long for a radical reform in
these heathen temples. We would
have the idols demolished, and the holy
Bible put into the hand of every priest
and pupil. We would have study
take the place of food-hunting, and
leave this department to other hands.
We would have good books, made
and translated, and all the temples
furnished with them, and the priests
well paid for teaching, and looked af-
ter by vigilant committees, to see that
their work was well done; that the
vigilant and effective were promoted,
and the negligent and inefficient re-
proved.

Something must be done, and done
immediately for this people, or the
riches that are pouring in upon them
as the result of their treaties with the
western nations, will be their ruin by
giving them increased means for dis-
sipation.

I am now on a visit to Petchaburi,
a pet town of the king, where he for
the past few years has often had a
thousand men at work on a mountain,
building a country palace, with the
et ceteras to make a visit to this town
delightful. He usually comes twice
in the year.—Money here is being
turned comparatively to good account.
It is being made to afford rational
pleasure at any rate. There is a fine
road to the mountains, and carriages
and horses for morning and evening
rides, which cannot yet be said of
even the capital of the country.
The Vice Governor was of the em-
bassy to England, and believes in inter-
nal improvements. He is actually
laying the foundation for a college at
Petchaberi, where he says he designs
to give the teachers salaries, and re-

ceive tuition of the pupils. And he
proposes to prove to parents that it
will be more efficient, and cheaper ev-
en, than giving their children to serve
the priests to be taught to read and
write. I am afraid even the Vice
Governor of Petchaburi will not change
the customs immediately. I found
him, at any rate, feeding the priests
most zealously this morning There
are a hundred "Wats" in Petchaburi,
and priests in proportion. What a
great work, if these one hundred wats
could be made seminaries, to teach
the true religion and sound learning.

[*That noble purpose of the Vice Gov-
ernor's, long talked about with lively hopes
of success, we are sorry to say appears to
have come to naught. It could not have
been for the want of a good offer from
abroad to furnish a superintendent teach-
er and on quite reasonable terms, for such
an offer he had at the beginning of the
present year. We suspect that the true
reason will be found to have sprung up and
become strong in the fear felt by Buddhists
generally, and even published in our Siam-
ese Recorder more than a year since from
the pen of one of their Champions that such
institutions under the teaching of men or
women from Christian lands would soon be-
come essentially Christian seminaries and
would not long hence convert all the land
to Christianity. Such a result the lead-
ers of Buddhism in Siam cannot contem-
plate with the least approbation.] Ed.

Siftings.

SEVEN PIRATES were executed in
two batches on Wednesday morning
and seemed fully conscious of the dis-
agreeable fate which had overtaken
them. On Tuesday Wogo Qui Fook
the murderer of Miss. Mervyn and her
child underwent the penalty of his
atrocious crime protesting with his
latest breath that he was only the ac-
cessary and that a friend had actually
done the deed. The cold blooded atro-
city of which make one wish that
English law permitted the infliction
of some more painful death than
hanging. CHIEK ATÁI the notorious
pirate leader has at length been caught.
He was identified in the most satis-
factory manner by the Captain of the
Cæsar and that his name will be ad-
ded to the list of those cut off by the
(now) stern arm of the law is more
than probable.

THE GUNBOATS have not been idle
lately; two are now cruising and ano-
ther is ready to go out if required.
The Naval Authorities seem to be
really in earnest in their wish to give
all the help to suppress piracy they can.

YELLOW FEVER—-A case is said
to have occurred within the last week
on the public roads, but no very seri-
ous alarm exists about the matter. It
was probably a case of aggravated
Hongkong fever if not the true vomi-
to prieto; there seems to be a remark-
able similarity between them, if in-
deed the former be not a mild type of
the latter.

AT NEWCHWANG—-The U. S. Cor-
vette Wachusetts has been doing good
service. Her commander, setting at
nought the quills and foolscap of di-
plomatists, landed a body of men and
seized some 25 notorious scoundrels
of those parts, including their chief,
who had been implicated in the late
attack upon the American Consul.
They have been delivered into Chin-
ese custody and will we fancy be kept
securely, the authorities having found
out by this time the difference be-
tween English talks and American
dahlgrens, the latter having when
cause exists a violent way of talking
which renders household property in
the line covered by their muzzles an
undesirable investment. After all we
have heard and read of Newchwang—-
woodracks, authorities and populace
put together, we could pardon the
Wachusetts a “multitude of sins”
for such energetic action.

FROM PEKING we learn that there
has been a rising of the Poles in Sibe-
ria and that the Russian Government
has requested the Chinese to aid them
in preventing insurgents from crossing
the Mongolian Frontier. The Bear
asking help from the Dragon! This
is a new step in the way of admitting
China into the comity of nations which
will gratify our Peace Party most
thoroughly.

LI FUTSI’s “ever defeated” train of
troops have been getting another
thrashing on the North bank of the
Yangtze. Their opponents this time
were a mob of peasantry who manag-
ed to “wipe out” about one third
and of them

THE AMERICANS have also some trouble
to settle with the Chinese authorities of
this province, and the “Wachussetts” is
expected to return in about a fortnight
to complete the arrangements for com-
pensation demanded by the United States
Government of the cowardly and sacreli-
gious conduct of the Chinese at Tung-
Chow-foo. The inhabitants assaulted the
American missionaries who have been
living there most peacefully for the last
five years and actually broke and defaced
the tombstones that had been erected to
the memory of some deceased brethren.

It is to be hoped that they will receive a
salutary lesson for such conduct, and the
Commander of the “Wachussets” who
exhibited such firmness in settling matters
at Newchwang, will doubtless arrange
things here in a similar manner. Every
step taken by Western nations to vindicate
the liberty of action of their subjects in
this empire, is a step in advance for as-
similating the people of China to our
civilisation; and every foreigner in China
will reap the benefit of a perfect under-
standing being established that no Chinese
mandarin, of whatever grade he may be,
can insult the feelings of Europeans
without meeting the penalty of such mis-
conduct.

We subjoin the following statement of
Missionary labours in China from the
Missionary Directory of which we have
just received a copy and for which we
have to return our thanks to the compi-
ler:—-

The number of Missionaries given re-
presents, as near as possible, those on the
field, June 15th 1866. The other statistics
are to the close of 1864.

In addition to the 9 members received
in 1865 by the London Missionary Society
at Hongkong, the Rev. Dr. Legge also
baptized 7 prisoners at the gaol. Of the
22 members received by the Evangelical
Missionary Society of Basel, 9 were at
Hongkong, 9 at Li-long, and 4 at Chong-
lok. Of the 200 members in connection
with that Mission, 49 are at Hongkong.
66 at Li-long, and 85 at Chong-lok.

The 347 members reported by the
American Reformed Dutch Mission at
Amoy do not include 14 at Chang-chau,
who disappeared when the rebels held
that place, and whose fate is not certainly
known.-—EVENING MAIL, AUGUST 3.

New Ministry.

The Earl of Derby has succeeded in
forming a new Ministry which is now
composed as follows:—-
Prime, Minister ……… Earl Derby.
Minister for Foreign Affairs. Lord Stanley
Lord High Chancellor…. Lord Chelmsford.
Chancellor of Exchequer.. Rt. Hon. B.
Disraeli.
Secretary of State for India, Earl
Cranbourne.
Secretary for the Colonies. Earl Carnarvon.
" for Ireland…. Lord John Manners
" of State for the Home Dept…. Rt.
Hon. S. Walpole.
First Lord of the Admiralty. Sir J.
Pakington.
President of the Board of. Trade Sir
Stafford Northcote.
" Poor Law Board…. Mr. Gathorne
Hardy.

The LEGITIMATE result of unrestricted
sin is unmitigated self-condemnation—
which is HELL.

To pardon a TRAITOR while glorying
in his TREASON is TREASON in its highest
degree and in its DARKEST FORM.

The Seven days' War.

So fast are the movements of modern
war, and so quickly are its issues decided,
that it may be said, almost literally, that
the ancient rivals in Germany, who, a
century ago, waged a wearisome bloody
war with each other in Bohemia and
Silesia for seven long years, have now
fought as much, done as much, and de-
cided as much in seven days. That
Austria would have been so soon and so
completely beaten was against all reason-
able expectation. Now that the war, or
at least the first act of the war, is over,
it seems as if nothing could have been
simpler. The First Prussian Army issued
out of Saxony, and soon found itself op-
posed to large forces of the enemy. Af-
ter various turns of fortune, it finally
established itself in its desired position
by the storming of Gitschin. The Sec-
ond Prussian Army issued out of Silesia,
had a bloody battle at Nachod, still pres-
sed on, and effected a junction with the
First Army, having been aided by the
arrival of the Prussian Guards, who came
by an intermediate route, and gained a
decisive victory over the Saxons and the
Austrians under Clam-Gallas. The Prus-
sians must have had in the field, after
their two armies were united, a force of
not much less than two hundred thousand
men. An equal force of Austrians was
resting on the fortresses of Königsgrätz
and Josephstadt, and protected by the
Elbe and one of its tributaries. At
length, on Tuesday the 3rd of July, a
day for ever memorable in the history of
Europe, that great battle was begun that
was to decide the fate of so many men,
and the destiny of so many nations. At
six o’clock in the morning the first shot
was fired, and at seven in the evening
the great Austrian army, under the re-
nowned Benedek, was in utter rout,
broken, disheartened, powerless.

The following calendar of events is
published in the MEMORIAL DIPLOMA-
TIQUE:—-

“June 14.—-Federal execution decreed
by the Germanic Diet.

“16.—-Entry of the Prussians into
Leipsic, Giessen, and Cassel. Occupa-
tion of Föòsu.

“June 17.-—Entry of the Prussian
General Vogel into the Hanoverian cap-
ital.

“June 18.-—Occupation of Marienthal,
Ostritz, and Lauban, in Bohemia, by two
Prussian regiments, and occupation of
Dresden by the Prussians.

“June 19.-—Evacuation of Port Wil-
helm by the Hanoverian troops. Prince
William of Hanau made prisoner. Caval-
ry encounter between the Austrians and
Prussians upon the Rumburg road.

“June 22.—-Nixdorf occupied by 7,000
Prussians.

“June 23.-—Occupation of Rumburg
by the Prussians.

“June 24.—-Armistice between the
Hanoverian and Prussian troops.

“June 25.—-Action near Jungbunzlau
between the Austrians and the Prussians.
The Prussian troops occupied Reichen-
berg, Trautenau, and Aicha (Bohemia).

“June 26.—-Engagement near Turnau.

“June 27.—-The army of the Crown
Prince of Prussia fought the battle of
Nachod. Engagement at Oswiecin. Fight
between the Prussians and Hanoverians
near Langensalza. General Steinmetz
throws back the Austrian CORPS D’ARMÉE
(Ramming) upon Josephstadt. Engage-
ment of the same corps with the 6th
and 8th Austrian corps under the Arch-
duke Leopold.

“June 28.—-Action near Trautenau.
The troops of Prince Frederick Charles
engaged near Münchentgrätz.

“June 29.—-The Hanoverian army
surrendered at discretion. Capture of
Gitschin by the Prussian army.

“June 30.—-Actions at Kort, near
Turnau, and at Chwalkowitz, between
Kalitz and Königshof. An Austrian
army corps under General Clam-Gallas
compelled to retire upon Königgrätz.

“July 1.—-Action at Gitschin.

“July 2.—-Arrival of King William at
Gitschin. Junction of the Crown Prince’s
army with that of Prince Frederick
Charles’.

“July 3.—-The battle of Sadowa.”

THE FLOATING DOCK AT Saigon is now
ready for use and the largest ships can
be repaired in it—-a fact that gives the
official Courier’s matter for five large
columns of rejoicing. But things have
lately not been quite so satisfactory in
the French colony as is represented.

One of the aspirants to the throne of
Cambodia, residing under the protection
of the French, suddenly collected a num-
ber of men and on 7th June appeared
before the fort of Tay-ninh and killed
the two French officers with several of
the soldiers. Reinforcements were sent
from Saigon and came up with the enemy,
who far outnumbered them, at 3 P. M. of
the 14th. After a desperate hand to
hand fight in a marsh, the French, who
could not remain in such a place and
had no provisions, returned to the fort
of Tay-ninh which they reached at 3 A.
M., leaving the enemy enfeebled and
“immobilized.” Lieutenant Colonel Mar-
chaire, the commander of the expedition,
fell mortally wounded in the fight; 10 of
his men were killed with him.

As LORD STANLEY was favourable to
the Bill introduced into Parliament by
the Russell-Gladstone Ministry for mak-

ing the Straits Settlement a Crown Col-
ony, there is little doubt that it will pass
this Session. At first the Act will con-
tinue all existing laws, administrative
establishments and officials' rights as they
are.

THE SUPREME COURT of Natal is, an
compelled by the English decision, up-
holding the proceedings of Bishop Colen-
so. The Dean has been commanded to
receive an order from Dr. Colenso as a
Bishop of the Church and refuses to do
so. One of the churchwardens, although
not elected in due form, has forcibly en-
tered the cathedral by an order from the
Court and it is rumoured that the next
move will be the seizure of the com-
munion plate. It is a pity that such a
scene should be inevitable and the fall
of the ministry is likely to postpone the
passing of Mr. Cardwell's Bill which
would prevent more scandal.—-FRIEND
OF INDIA.

THERE is a rather unpleasant state of
affairs at Bangkok. The King has built
a palace in the midst of the soldiers' bar-
racks for the heir apparent and has taken
other measures, that look as if he wanted
to depart from the custom of an elective
monarchy and secure the succession for
his son. A rumour has got about that a
French Company has applied for the
concession of a belt of land, 25 miles
broad, across the Kraa isthmus in the
Malayan Peninsula, for the purpose of
making a ship-canal. We hope they will
succeed in carrying out a scheme often
urged upon the Indian Government by
engineer officers, but which would be of
very little advantage to navigation even
if practicable, which we doubt. The
long disputed question as to whether the
province of Chiangmai is subject to Bur-
mah or Siam has been decided in favour
of the latter.—-STRAITS TIMES.

[When was it ever questioned by any one
in Bangkok whether the Province of Cheang-
mai properly belonged to Siam or to Burmah?
During all the 31 years of our residence in the
city we have never before heard the question
mooted. The correspondent of the "Straits
Times" must have had a vivid dream of it,
and written with a strong impression that
such a question had long been agitated; or
he must have written with as little regard to
truth as did the author of Neale's residence
in Siam.] Ed.

Japan.

"Our readers will probably remember
the name of Kubota Sentaro, lately in
command of the Japanese Garrison here.
He was, on the occasion of the review
and sham fight on March 21st, the guest
of Colonel Brown of H. M. XX. Regt.
and directed the movements of the Jap-
anese troops on that day. He was well
known and much liked by many officers
of the regiment which has just left us. It
is with much regret that we have to tell,
as we are sure it is with sorrow that his
friends in the XX. at Hongkong will
hear, the sad end to this able and prom-
ising officer's career."

"It appears that about eighteen months
ago a private convention was entered in-
to between the Yedo authorities and the
French Minister here, by virtue of which
military instructors were to be sent out
to train the armies of the Shogoon.
Meanwhile, the native troops had com-
menced drill on the Dutch and French
model. Kubota, some months ago, how-
ever, asked from Col. Browne the ser-
vices of an officer of the XX. Regiment
to drill a body of about 1000 or 1200
troops, which request being granted,
these men were soon brought into a high
state of discipline. Kubota had mean-
while translated the English drill-book,
and every thing was going on very satis-
factorily until about three or four weeks
ago, when he was suddenly sent for to
Yedo, and summarily degraded, his
English drilled officers dispersed amongst
other regiments, and his men relegated
to the French drill. His house here was
given up to loot, his property confiscated,
his pay reduced to 100 kokus of rice and
himself condemned to confinement in
his own house. At Yedo, it seems, that
his drilling troops in the English manner
and translating the English drill-book
had been complained of as a breach of
the contract with the French. His trans-
lating the book without orders was made
the pretext for his punishment. His fail
having been thus contrived, this high-
spirited officer, unable to bear his dis-
grace, attempted to commit the Hara-kiri.
His friends prevented him from carrying
out his intention, which, however, was re-
ported to the Government, who ordered
him to be beheaded, for the offence of at-
tempting the Hara-kiri without permis-
sion. By this time, however, the unfor-
tunate man's reason was upset, according
to the reports of his friends, and power-
ful intercession being used, his life was
spared; but he remains now, it is said, a
hopeless lunatic. This latter point may
be an exaggeration or an invention by
his friends to save his life, but the main
facts of the case are indubitable. Such
is the end to the career of one of the
most intelligent and able Japanese officers
whom we have ever had the fortune to
meet—-a courteous, highspirited gentle-
man and with the making of a good soldier
in him. Who cannot but sympathise
with him in this unhappy fate and with
those Japanese who complain bitterly to
us that the yoke of their gallant "allies" is
becoming more than they can bear!"—-O.
C. Mail.

Slavery Dead.

Mr. Beecher includes not only the col-
ored race, but women in the policy of uni-
versal suffrage which he advocated in this
sermon,-—a sentiment which was received
with "moderate applause," according to
the reporter. The following telling com-
parison was introduced towards the
close:—

"I have an etching at home of which I
am now reminded. It is a picture of a
dead boar, near whom are two great dogs,
in at the death. The boar lies in stiffness
of unmistakable death. He is dead in the
eye, dead in the snout, dead in his limbs,
dead all over. One of the mastiffs stands
at a little distance distrustful and appre-
hensive—-his eye never leaves the carcasS
of his ancient enemy, and he trembles at
every disturbance of his hair by the play-
ful wind; the other dog is stretched upon
the grass, his nose resting upon his paws,
and his eyes closed as if in sleep, but a
careful observation shows that he keeps
one eye just enough open to enable him to
watch the dead body before him, in whose
death he is but a doubtful believer. Just
so there are people who don't believe in
the death of slavery. Dead! Why, it's
dead in eye, in snout, in body and limb, in
every hair and fibre of frame, and yet they
watch, and fear, and grumble. [Tremen-
dous applause.]

Watch, mastiffs, watch, but there is no
resurrection for slavery."—-PACIFIC.

CORRECTION.

In the Tide Table of the
Bangkok Calendar for
1866 for May, June, Au-
gust, and October, for High
read Low, and for Low
read HIGH.