it may seem an unnecessary precaution
to preserve rain-water. The river being,
however, thick and muddy, its water cannot be
used even for washing, until it has stood for
a day. When the sediment has fallen it is
bright and clear, and some people prefer it.
The Roman Catholic bishop, Monsieur Pallegoix,
told me he considered it the best, both as
to taste and wholesomeness. If his reverence
often partook of it, he must have ignored the
fact that the entire population of Bangkok is
perpetually bathing, and that the river also
forms the one great drain of the city and
surrounding country, so that the water must
necessarily be impregnated with much noxious
matter,—though, to be sure, the current is
swift, and clean water is perpetually coming
to be dirtied. Indeed, the natives own that
drinking river-water causes diarrhoea.

The cool season begins in November. I
had only experience of it for a few days, but
throughout December and January the air
is exhilarating and healthy; it resembles
that of soft spring days in England, with the
addition of the brilliant sky of the tropics.
All the foreigners to be observed in and
around the city, even those who have resided
there for years, look healthier and more
robust than the majority of those at Hong
Kong or in the northern ports of China.
Fevers, except in connection with ague, are
unknown; but one disease there is, peculiar
to the climate or soil,—the much dreaded
dysentery. If it attack the European here,
it proves almost invariably fatal. Should
the patient be removed in time, recovery
may possibly result, but alarming symptoms
seldom appear until it is too late
for any change to restore health and life.
The natives hold it in like dread, but their
fear does not prevent them from eating fruit
without any precaution, and in unlimited
quantities. The few foreign children in
Bangkok, appear to enjoy health, and to feel
less languor, than the generality of those in
the hot climates of the East. The epidemic
diseases incident to childhood, if known at
all, assume their mildest forms, and occasion
little suffering or inconvenience.

Small-pox is the worst scourge of the
country, and vaccination has only been introduced
lately by the missionaries. The difficulty
in obtaining good vaccine matter, has been
an impediment in their way; but, now that
the communication with Singapore has
become much more regular and easy, we may
hope the use of lymph will become general.
The two kings, with their favourite wives and
children have been vaccinated, and the natives
readily submit to the operation, under the
impression, that the good derived from it is
supernatural. The study of medicine is to
some extent pursued, and the native doctors
have no mean opinion of their own skill.
Each selects some form of disease to which
he devotes his sole attention. They use
their own medicines, which are principally
herbs; but I saw a prescription of which
two ingredients were deer's horns and toads'
skins.

It is always an interesting experiment to
commence housekeeping in a new country,
without the resources usually at command in
civilised places. Of such experience I had
the full benefit at Bangkok. The house
required that every arrangement and appointment
should be made in it for the comfort
and supply of a family, and this without any
one appliance or apparent means at hand.
There were no pots or pans, none of the
numerous conveniences the value of which
is scarcely known or heeded till the want of
them is understood. On first essaying to
make some pastry, my dismay was great
at finding that there was neither board
nor roller to be had; and, when their place
was, for the time, supplied by the lid of
a packing-case and an empty beer-bottle, a
new difficulty arose because there was no
oven. In my necessity I was proud to invent
one in which two large unbaked earthen
pans were the main feature, and which did
duty for six weeks in a manner not to be
despised. To keep up a certain amount of
appearance was, in our position, of course
necessary, and it was impossible not to find
interest and amusement in the absurd shifts
to which we were sometimes reduced. The
market, though abundantly supplied with
necessaries, offered so little variety of food
that the task of keeping a good table was no
easy one. Of chickens, ducks, eggs, yams,
and fruit, there was unlimited allowance.
Venison was also easily procured during a
great part of the year; but the demand
having been uncertain, the natives met it
with a like uncertainty. On one occasion,
when a dinner-party was in contemplation, I
endeavoured to provide against any mishap,
by seeking the assistance of the king's head
cook (Angelina was her name). Through
the interpreter—a Portuguese half-caste,
named Victor—it was arranged that she
should have a bullock killed, on condition
of my taking one quarter of the animal—a
formidable joint. Victor himself faithfully
promised to bring a supply of pigeons; a
friend on whom he could rely having engaged
to catch them at daybreak. When the day
arrived, the cook received his morning orders,
with the list of dishes required—all, or nearly
all, to be compounded of the beef and pigeons.
At eleven o'clock I received a message. No
meat of any kind had appeared. Victor was
therefore immediately despatched to Angelina,
also to his friend who was responsible
for the pigeons. After nearly an hour's
absence, he returned, highly excited, to
announce that Angelina had forgotten her
promise, but had just sent into the country to
catch a cow! With regard to the pigeons,
the friend had been unsuccessful in all efforts
to catch them; in fact had been too idle to
take the trouble. This was a dilemma for