up. The procession was closed by four other
boats containing nobles and attendants.
This was comparatively an unimportant
visit, but once a-year both kings visit all the
temples, and the processions are conducted
with great pomp and state.

Not long after his Majesty had passed,
having received word that the Second King
was ready, we followed Captain K. and the
messenger into the inner palace.  All
preconceived notions of such a habitation were
dispelled by surprise at finding a pretty
commodious and well-built house, neatly and
elegantly furnished in the English style.
The King met us at the drawing-room door,
and on my introduction to him, bowed and
shook hands, with the ease of an English
gentleman, and with much grace and dignity.
Inviting us within, after a little conversation,
he showed us his rooms, appearing greatly
pleased when we admired anything which
afterwards proved to be his own design, as
executed by the native workmen.  Every
part of the house had been planned by himself,
and built under his personal superintendence,
and considering that all his ideas
of English architecture had been gathered
from pictures in the Illustrated London
News, and that he had to contend with
Siamese idleness and stupidity, no small credit
is due to him.  In the dining-room the
wainscot was divided into panels, upon each
of which was a carved group of fruit and
flowers; the designs for these had been taken
from those engraved in the Art-Union Journal,
and were wonderfully well executed.

The King spoke but little, yet expressed
himself well and correctly when he did say
anything.  I was pleased by his manners,
which were peculiarly courteous and gentlemanly,
and at the same time unassuming.  His
Majesty does not chew betel, so that he is
not disffigured, as other Siamese are, by black
teeth and red-streaked mouth.  He is a man
of about five-and-forty, stout and well-made,
very upright, but not tall.  His countenance
is very pleasing, and from his kind smile I
should judge him to be of very amiable
temper.  A little circumstance which occured
during our visit confirmed this opinion.  A
female servant, who had come with us in
charge of my little girl, was taken ill during
our visit and fainted away.  I knew nothing
about the matter until one of the female
attendants took my hand and dragged me to
the place where she lay, surrounded by about
a dozen women, who all seemed to be much
distressed at her condition.  I immediately
applied cold water, and in a little while she
could sit up; by this time the King had
come to see what was the matter.  He was
much concerned about the woman, and with
his own hands gave her camphor and rubbed
her palms, not resting till he saw her
thoroughly restored.  I must add, that the
damsel in question was a negro, anything but
young or pretty.

I was introduced to the King's favourite
wife, a stout, good-natured lady of eight-and-
thirty, who must, in her time, have been a
well-looking dame.  She had with her one
of her children, a fine, intelligent little girl of
six years old, who had as her companion a
half-sister, daughter of the king by another
wife, and born on the same day with herself.
Both were very pretty bright-looking little
things, and it was amusing to watch them
chattering together like two little birds,
moving their tiny hands with much grace, as
if to give life to what they said.  These little
creatures were covered with jewels and
chains of all sorts; one of them had on no
less than eight gold chains, four of which
were set with precious stones.  The tiny
fingers, too, were adorned with fairy rings,
all of which looked pretty and bright, but to
our ideas, of course, unnatural.  The reigning
favourite was an intelligent woman, and
seemed quite at her ease in the company of
foreign gentlemen, betraying neither awkward
nervousness, nor any forwardness.  In the
presence of the King, she remained on her
knees, never presuming for a moment to
stand; and during luncheon, while we were
seated round the table, she, with the King's
eldest daughters and their attendants, remained
at a wide distance, sprawling on the
ground after the most approved Siamese
custom.  We were waited upon by servants
standing, and the dishes were handed round
just as at an English table.

All the table appointments were very
handsome and well-chosen, even to the fine
damask table-cloth and napkins.  His Majesty
made tea and coffee for us at the head of his
board, using for this purpose a very handsome
service, which nad been amongst the
royal presents sent from England to the
Kings of Siarn.  He appeared to be diffident
about speaking English, but his accent was
particularly good, and everything he said
was expressed in well-chosen words.  He
showed us with great pride over his
museum, in which were collected a variety of
models of machinery, and a miniature steam-
engine, kept in exquisite order.  The most
striking fact on entering the house was the
beautiful cleanliness and order, with which
everything was arranged.  Nothing jarred
upon the eye as incorrect or out of place,
and to those who are acquainted with the
peculiarities of the oriental character, this
will be appreciated as an uncommon trait.

There can be no doubt that the Second
King of Siam is a most interesting and
remarkable person, and that he far surpasses
his royal brother, not only in literary and
scientific attainments, but in moral character.
His present position in the country is a very
anomalous one, and for this reason he keeps
much in the background.  In the event of
his succeeding the throne, the interests of
foreigners will doubtless be much advanced.
At present, they stand upon a somewhat