not very well drilled, nor neatly and uniformly clad;
and a band of music, execrably discordant, blew a
blast of admiration when his Majesty retired.  The
proceedings, though solemn, were also somewhat ludicrous,
from the apparent design of the whole to impress
the unappreciating subject of the audience with a sense
of awe at this barbaric magnificence.  A few minutes
after the conclusion of this public audience I visited
his Majesty in his private sitting-room.  We sat behind
a table covered by a stand, which seemed intended
for a set of decorative dinner plate, and behind the
King, on his left, were two figures about three feet
high, representing the Queen of Great Britain and the
Prince Consort, dressed in gaudy attire, and adorned
with the blue ribbon.  Before him were a number of
nick-nacks; a jade stone teapot containing sherry, and
a small gold case richly adorned and jewelled, holding
tablets and writing materials.  The room, which was
small, was filled with costly articles of European manufacture,
including a valuable astronomical clock.  His
Majesty showed us likenesses of himself and his Queen
Consort, executed in daguerreotype a short time before,
by one of the Roman Catholic missionaries; that of
the Queen Consort must have had a handsome original.
He then conversed on the feats of his ancestors, and
enlarged on the doings of one in connection with some
place the name of which I could not catch, desiring
Mr. Hunter to write down the name of Constantine
Falcon, once Prime Minister of Siam.  He asked
several questions regarding my residence at Hong
Kong, and the time I had held my appointment, &c.;
but his Majesty's mind appeared principally occupied
with hopes and fears regarding copies of his royal likeness
which were to be executed in London; and with
archaeological details in connection with the places and
dynasties of the kingdom he governs."

  The First King had a fancy for exhibiting
his dignity by keeping those with whom he
had appointed audiences two or three hours
in waiting.  It was thought necessary to put
a stop to this practice, and his Majesty was
given to understand that the British consul
had his own duties to perform, and could not
be expected to dance attendance in the royal
waiting-room, beyond a reasonable time.
When an appointment had therefore been
made on one occasion, and an unusual delay
occurred, a page was sent by the King with
a little note, written in pencil, as follows:

" Mr. CONSUL,—I am very much sorry to keep you
in waiting; but my Royal body is visited by superhuman
agency, with a fit of colic, and so I request that
you will delay until that it is ameliorated.

   "P. P. M. MONGKUT, Rex, M. S."

  Once, when the Second King invited us to
his house, according to the usual custom, a
boat, resembling those belonging to the
nobles, was sent to convey us.  The royal
canoes differ slightly from these; they are
very long, and paddled by from forty to sixty
men; over the centre is a canopy of crimson
cloth bordered with gold, and from this hang
curtains of cloth of gold, which, when drawn,
entirely conceal those within.  In these boats
there appear to be no seats, the occupant
merely reclining on a carpet, and having for
support a Siamese pillow more or less embroidered.
Such pillows are of curious construction.
The frame is composed of bamboo
and light cane-work, in a triangular form,
each end being straight and covered with
embroidery; over the sides is stretched red
deer-skin, varnished.  The back rests very
comfortably on one side of the triangle, the
base of which is on the floor.  Supports of
this kind are, of course, not fit to sleep upon;
at night, the natives use a long narrow pillow
also made on a frame, covered with polished
leather.

  To return, however, to our visit to King
Number Two.  We were received at the
landing-place by Captain K., the officer in
charge of the Second King's troops, who led
us to a sort of open waiting-room, in which
chairs had been placed for our accommodation.
We had not been there many minutes before
there was a great stir among the attendants
present, and then, suddenly, they vanished
as if by enchantment.  Captain K. then
informed us that the First King was about
to pass, on a visit of ceremony, to some of the
neighbouring watts or temples, and it being
contrary to etiquette for any person to
remain on the platform on which we were
sitting, while his Majesty passed, it would be
necessary for us to move into an adjoining room.

  The Siamese dread of being placed above
their superiors amounts to a passion.  To
such an extent is the idea carried, that no
bridges are allowed to be permanently built
in Bangkok.  Across the numerous creeks
a single plank is thrown, which on the
approach of any person of rank is removed,
that there may be no chance of such a
disaster happening as that any one should
stand above him.  For the same reason, their
houses are all built on the ground floor,
because no superior could permit an inferior
anywhere in the town to go into an upper
room while he himself was in a lower one.
Of course, the lower classes carry this practice
to a great extreme, and when we entered
the room into which we were shown, we
found them all, the women and children,
lying on their faces, although a wooden partition
separated them from the platform, and
it was impossible for them to see the King.
These women had been sent to wait on me,
and the chief, who appeared to be a kind of
female officer, wearied me with questions,
and noisy officiousness.  She seemed to have
great control over the others, many of whom,
were quite young, and some really pretty.

  The King's procession passed quite close
to us, and we were well able to see it.  It
consisted of about twelve large boats, all
having the royal canopy; but, of course, none
so richly ornamented as the one or two
occupied by the King and his ministers.
The first two contained musicians, and were
followed by two others with nobles; then
appeared the King's boat: his Majesty, by
his gesticulation, seemed to be talking most
earnestly on some subject, while four nobles,
prostrate before him, did not venture to look