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| Johann Albrecht zu Mecklenburg |
The German Duke Johann Albrecht zu Mecklenburg travelled through India in 1882 to arrive in Siam on the evening of March 29, 1883.
As a personal guest of King Chulalongkorn he gives us a vivid description of Siam 140 years ago. Regrettably he did not have a camera with him, so I have added some photos of the mentioned persons and locations from other sources, but of the same time. Some footnotes have been added for better understanding.
Both men became good friends over time and distance, they met again 1897 and 1907 when Chulalongkorn travelled to Europe and 1910, when the King invited the newlywed Duke and Duchess Elisabeth zu Stolberg-Roßla for a honeymoon in Bangkok.
(I have added some remarks in italics where nessessary)
The visit to the King of Siam
Along this waterway, there are all sorts of shops on both sides in dense rows, which, mostly held by Chinese, have products from the East and European goods, among which 'colorful lamps' play a major role. The royal palace, the most beautiful temples and almost all consulates are also located on the river. Nobody was already expecting me in Bangkok because I had suddenly decided in Singapore. Giving up Java for now and going straight to Siam, and since there was no telegraph to Bangkok at the time. (die Einführung des Telegraphen in Siam )
We went straight to the consulate, where we met the consul, Mr. v. Krencki found amicable reception until the afternoon, until the king was notified of our arrival and the lotus palace that had been set up for me could be put in order. Prince Diss Warakumar came to the table. a younger brother of the king and commander of the bodyguard who was commanded to accompany me to greet me on behalf of his brother. The prince is a nice, funny and attentive man who always thought of everything and did his job as a Cicerone masterfully.
I drove with him in the evening, escorted by a train of the bodyguard - who didn't leave me for a moment in Bangkok - to the Lotos Palace, about half an hour from the city. The king's first secretary, Prince Damrong (กรมพระยาดำรงราชานุภาพ), and two other gentlemen who commanded me received me here. The palace, which is built in European style, belongs to Prince Pristang, a brother of the king who is currently studying in England. It takes its name from the nearby lotus garden, in which, however, the barracks of an infantry regiment have been erected for some time, from which the fragrant residents had to give way.
Now you can only find them in the canals outside the garden, red and white, in the most beautiful abundance. The red ones are much more beautiful than the white ones, and their fragrance is far more lovely.
The next day, May 1st, we now looked at this garden without flowers. Next to it is a small temple, which was a favorite place of the late king and was also decorated with a dagoba (now called stupa, in Thailand it is called chedi). The doors with raised, gilded wooden figures on a glass background are remarkable.
The walls of all Siamese temples are adorned with paintings that relate to historical or religious legends, but are drawn without perspective; mostly there are fights between giants, Kings and monkeys. The Minister of Foreign Affairs came after breakfast and also brought his Dragoman with him, although it often turned out that he spoke quite well in English. The Siamese almost all like to use the interpreter so that what they want to say can be heard by the stranger in an appropriate and binding form.
The king wanted to meet us in the afternoon, so we drove to the city at 4 o'clock in a grand gala with a red-colored escort that made horrible dust. The royal palace was only completed half a year ago and is an imposing building in which European and Siamese tastes are best combined, especially the purely Siamese roof is of outstanding beauty.
With all its hallmarks. The palace, surrounded by a strong wall, forms temples and dagobes, a city in itself. I will follow the more detailed description below on the occasion of a thorough inspection. We left the carriages in front of the gate of the inner courtyard and were received by the Foreign Minister who led us across the courtyard. When I entered the courtyard, the tones of the "Wacht am Rhein" sounded (listen), played by the music corps of a guard of honor, which was set up next to the gate. The castle rose in front of us; the King in general's uniform.
After a very warm welcome His Majesty led us into the reception room on the left hand side of the entrance; a court of well over 100 people in shiny costumes made of Indian gold cloth filled the room.
We sat around a small table and the conversation began, with Prince Damrong doing the dragoman (in Arabic-Oriental language for interpreters); because etiquette does not allow the king to speak officially other than Siamese, only when we were alone did he speak English, and very well.
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| Siamese Crown Order |
His Majesty did not miss the opportunity to hand over the medal to me straight away. The king then took us back to the stairs and we left the castle as we came. Now we visited Prince Chao-Fa-Mahamala, an old uncle of the king. He is a friendly and clever gentleman, a passionate betel chewer who does not ask much about the innovations of the young sex, which at times were rash. All royal elephants are under his command. After a long acquaintance we became very good friends. The Siamese are generally an extremely gracious and engaging tribe, so that you can quickly become friends with them; even if they are very ceremonial towards the stranger, which they also claim from him, they quickly drop it on closer acquaintance and reveal a natural warmth. Herr von Krencki was with us at the table.
On May 2, Prince Chao-fa-Mahamala paid me a brief visit again, and then we drove to the Minister of Foreign Affairs across the river in a pretty barge with 12 oarsmen who emit a kind of roar when rowing, which is a great honor should be. The official seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs represents a lotus flower, and with this in mind, the Minister has had all the decorations in his reception room decorated with the picture of this flower, which is very pretty, especially since the delicate reddish color of the flower harmonises with the gray floor Marble is right.
His lotus cult goes so far that even the cigarettes had a fresh, fragrant lotus leaf as a cover, which gave them a peculiar perfume; but unfortunately they have to be smoked fresh and only last three days. When I returned from this visit, I was still receiving visits from four ministers, two of whom were ambassadors to London and Paris 25 years ago. The Minister of War, Siam's richest man, closed the visits. He is a son of the regent, who died only half a year ago, who led the reins of the government to the blessing of the country during the king's minority.
All day a lot of people were busy scrubbing and cleaning our palace from top to bottom as the king wanted to pay me a return visit in the afternoon. Troops marched to form trellis, whatever happens when Se. Majesty shows up. The king arrived at 5 o'clock; he was wearing the white bodyguard uniform on foot. Everything had once again appeared in a grand gala, and the conversation was as it had been the day before with obligatory smoking and drinking tea, as happens with every visit.
The king, whose name is Chulalongkorn, is in his early twenties (no, he was 29 years old and the Duke 26) and makes an extremely pleasant, elegant and personable impression. He has a pretty, slim figure, which excels in the dressy uniform.
At noon on May 3, I returned his visit to the Minister of War. He also lives on the other side of the river. Like him, his sons and everything under his command are still deeply grieved. Next to his house is the regent's, in which his body was kept in a golden urn with royal honors until it was cremated. There were lamps on the steps of the pedestal. Watches and all sorts of vases and in front of them in glass cabinets all the orders and gifts of honor of the deceased, as well as the insignia of his dignity, which consist of golden, gem-sparkling vessels.
In the afternoon we went to the castle again, watching the ceremonies described above, to be received by Queen Saovabha Phongsri. After the king had first greeted me in his drawing room, he led me into his wife's apartment, which welcomed me very graciously. Her Majesty is a pretty woman, talks lively and natural, and with motherly pride she also presented her two boys, the older of whom is a delightful lad of five years.
Before we left we had to write in the king's birthday book.
Then only visited the so-called second king, an older, nice and friendly gentleman. By the way, his title says "Generalissimo" and nothing about King; this dignity is also not hereditary, and in any case one will be weaned off the Europeans to call a possible successor "Majesty". Ter Manggal - that's the name of the second king - lives in an old temple palace, in the reception hall of which there are two ancient, richly carved thrones. The vessels in which cigars and coffee were passed around were beautifully made of gold, but not as enamelled as those of the kings. (the viceroy was called Wichaichan, the name Ter Manggal could not be verified until now. Could be วังหน้า Wang Na, the title of the Uparaj, which is mostly translated as vice king.)
On May 4, we visited a large temple, which was filled in its entire length by a 180-foot long reclining statue of Buddha; the tip of the sacred flame on its head touches the roof, and the whole statue is gilded. Marble panels are affixed to the pillars of the forecourt, in which the best Siamese seals are engraved.
In the afternoon we took a ride outside, on the little cheery Siamese ponies that actually come from Sumatra; these pretty animals have a very pleasant pace, and it is said that the piebalds are the best among them. In the evening Diner was with the Minister of the Exterior, who made a very European impression, and although there was good music to be heard, only the heat was beyond description, as it showed us in Siam that we were not far from the equator . And yet I haven't suffered from it as long as I did in India.
On May 5, I was visited by a brother of the king, who is the mayor of Bangkok, so to speak. and then I went for breakfast to Prince Ongschei, the king's eldest brother, who is not in office. The table music was also excellent here. After breakfast we were shown gymnastic physical exercises; people boxed and fought with long poles, a weapon that was once very popular in Siam.
Fighting humans and animals love the Siamese very much, especially to bet; We saw each other, on different days, fighting beetles, fish, people, roosters and paper kites. The prince gave us original knives, the handles of which are made from the very hard, stone-like wood of an underwater tree.Finally we visited a temple where the ashes of the last king are kept. The frescoes in which Europeans also appear are original, in the costume of Louis XIV, which is probably still a reminiscence of the time when France and Siam exchanged legations. Even French melodies from this period have been preserved, although they have changed in Siamese taste. A coin minted by Louis XIV to commemorate the Siamese legation is in the possession of the king.
Next to this temple rises the most beautiful and imposing Dagoba in the city, adorned with small towers at the four corners and richly covered with porcelain from top to bottom. As far as you can get, we climbed terribly steep stairs, but then also had a beautiful view of the city with its glittering palaces and temples, as well as of the broad stream, on the waves of which a number of proud ships from all over the world rock. Herr v. Had the evening Krencki united almost all consulates and local Germans - including one from Mecklenburg - for dinner in the consulate.
May 6 brought us the very popular spectacle of the kite fight mentioned above. Not far from my house, thousands of people had gathered on one level, because here too there are high bets. There are two types of kites that fight each other. The one, probably eight feet long and held by a strong rope, is called the male, and several people are necessary to conduct such a monstrosity. The others, called female, are smaller, with a long tail, and are held by a string.
The important thing now is that the big kite gets involved with a small one. As soon as this is done. is pulled on both. If the big one brings the small one to earth via a certain goal, then he has won, and this is often helped by his superior strength; however, due to its fluttering and shooting around, the small one often forces the big one to fall to the ground in its area. Sometimes the little one freed himself again and the fight started again.
On May 7 we first visited Prince Ognoi, the second brother of the king, who has all postal matters under his belt. ( Prince Bhanurangsi Savangwongse, who was Chulalongkorn's second and youngest full brother (hence Ong Noi, "Little Prince"). In 1881 Chulalongkorn appointed him to set up Siam's own postal service which only started operations six months after this meeting.) He lives in a pretty palace where he showed us all of his treasures and weapons, which are tastefully displayed in glass cabinets. The first thing that struck me about him was a passion for the Siamese that he seemed to cultivate most, namely that of collecting diplomas; Diplomas of all kinds of orders and exhibitions in beautiful gold frames cover the walls. Even the Siamese hang their medals on the wall in glass containers when they are not wearing them, so that they can always be seen. As soon as I got home from breakfast at the consulates, Prince Ognoi returned the visit.
In the afternoon we took a boat out of one of the canals to a temple, where the cremation of the body of a high priest and former teacher of the king was to take place. In Siam the cremation takes place a long time after death, the higher the rank of the deceased, the later, with the king only after one year. The bodies are embalmed and kept in an urn or coffin until the solemn cremation in the house of the deceased.
The cremation gives rise to a folk festival, which begins several days before the cremation act and is celebrated with theater, illumination and all kinds of fun. The effort involved is, of course, based on the wealth of the family. The body is brought to the cremation site and the coffin, the bottom of which forms an iron lattice, is placed under a small canopy from a kind of altar, inside of which the funeral pyre, made of sandalwood, is hidden. Above this funeral pyre is a building made of poles, cloth, paper and tinsel, which resembles a palace in magnificence and grandeur for the noble persons, especially members of the royal family.
Soon after us the king appeared with many princes, and after our greeting we all sat on a dais, the king on an elevated throne under a golden canopy. After the conversation had allowed some time, Sr. Majesty was given a silver fuse, by means of which he ignited the beginning of a wire in the throat of a silver dragon, which at the end set the pyre on fire. Now all the friends of the deceased went to the coffin and placed small bundles of fragrant sandalwood among them in the embers, which are limited by water to such an extent that they only consume the body without being much visible. After the burning process of this shape takes a few hours, only the ashes are finally left of the body, which is collected, put in a golden urn and displayed in the family crypt. The whole act gives the impression of a solemn fire victim; the long line of grieving friends who donate their donations to the flames, the priests in their yellow robes, who are solemnly singing their prayers while the smoke whirls in the sky - all contribute to the solemnity. Bags of fruit containing small pieces of money were distributed to those present, and other silver items were also donated to us. In the evening, the temple and the associated garden were illuminated brilliantly.
The next day May 8 was dedicated to the tour of the royal palace; As already mentioned above, it forms a small town on its own, and within its walls lie audience halls, residential buildings and temples in a colorful mixture. First we visited the actual castle, the king's apartment, on both sides of which there are old audience halls adorned with sculptures. On a double staircase you climb up to the entrance door, after passing through it you enter a vestibule decorated with weapons. To the left of the vestibule is the room where the king had received me, and the walls of which are adorned with the life-size paintings of the kings of the present dynasty, the mother and wife of the king, while the busts of European princes rise on consoles; the most beautiful piece in this room is an armchair carved from ivory. The king's cabinet adjoins this hall, with many pictures, the marble busts of the Italian royal couple and pretty furnishings. On the other side of the lobby is the hall where the State Council meets twice a month; the walls of this room are decorated with portraits of members of the royal family and those of senior civil servants.
Opposite the entrance door, just through the entrance hall, you enter the throne room, a beautiful room that receives its illumination from the skylight: on the side opposite the entrance, the throne rises from five marble steps, made of gold in rich Thai style adorned with precious stones: above it hangs the ninefold parasol, which only belongs to the king and Buddha, while the other noblemen perform 7-, 5-, 3-, 1-fold in terms of their respectable range. The ceiling behind the throne, made of yellow silk, is covered with an embroidered golden network and bears the royal coat of arms in the middle; it is held by golden, diamond-shining figures, above which the sparkling crown rises.
There are golden and silver trees on the walls, which are offered every three years by the tributary states; In addition, state umbrellas and precious weapons still stand and hang around, and the most beautiful swords and lances studded with gemstones, insignia of royal dignity, are grouped around the throne from equally precious racks. From the throne room you can access the dining room and the concourse on the left and the queen's chambers on the right.
We had breakfast in the museum, where some beautiful carrying chairs and huge elephant teeth are particularly noticeable. Then we looked at the various temples, which are more remarkable for the splendor and preciousness of their furnishings than for their architectural forms. Mainly the temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is actually made of a piece of green jade that is over two feet high, must be mentioned; the floor of this temple is made of bare brass plates, and the Buddha figure stands under a canopy made from the top of a golden, jagged pyramid.
Every year it is washed and dressed three times by the kings themselves. In front of her are two larger-than-life Buddhas made of solid gold, the robes and jewelry of which sparkle from precious stones. This temple is adjoined by a row of glass and gold mosaic dagobes. One of them is gilded all over; it was sourced from Germany and has 10,000 Pstr. cost; its interior is also gold-plated, with the exception of the floor, which is covered with a wire of silver wire.
In the middle is a small dagoba containing a relic of Buddha. We were also shown the prince's chapel, the rear wall of which was taken up by a glass cupboard; here the ashes of the deceased rest in golden, cup-like urns. The one-time narrow dwelling of his dust is already kept ready for each of the living there.
The greatest sanctuary is the house chapel, called the Temple of the Crystalline Buddha; it can only be shy with the express permission of the king, even for his brothers, and only in very rare cases is it made accessible to a European. The approximately one foot tall figure of the Buddha consists of a piece of rock crystal and, according to legend, was found by a hunter in a cave 600 years ago. On the way home the hunter broke the stick on which he carried the figure, so that it fell to the ground and lost an ear. The hunter worshiped the figure as his patron saint, and if he had killed a game, he smeared it with his sweat. When the King of Laos heard of this, he took the figure. After the conquest of this country, the crystalline Buddha came to Bangkok. Next to this temple is the house where the king had to spend his daily priesthood before rising to the throne. The furnishing of the latter is kept in a prestigious form, but according to the material used it is also appropriate for royal dignity.
Every Siamese must have spent a certain amount of time as a priest, but this is absolutely required of every royal prince, twice every four months. In exceptional cases, as was the case with the young kings, since his father died suddenly, this time can be shortened. Until a prince has been a priest for the second time, he cannot get a higher rank.
It is impossible to list all the temples that the royal structure contains; you couldn't even remember everyone; keep that we walked in quick succession; the eyes finally ached from all the blinding splendor. Perhaps it was because the sight of an ancient temple touched me comfortingly, the walls of which were colored black; golden figures, drawn in light lines, stood out against the dark background. Next to this temple room is a four-foot high reliquary, carved from a piece of dark sandalwood, in an adjoining room.
Deadly tired and half blind from all the splendor we saw, we returned to our quiet lotus palace in the afternoon. In the evening there was a big garden party, for which His Majesty had invited almost all Europeans who could only be involved. It was only very interesting that we were all shown the famous white elephants about which so much is fabulous in Europe.
Their color differs little from the gray of ordinary elephants, only they must have red eyes, whitish hair and white toes; the Siamese name for these animals may be translated as ???? (unclear, because albino elephants are called ช้างเผือกin Thai)
There are also reddish brown elephants, but they are not valued as valuable. The white elephants are also not worshiped, but only symbolize the power of a king who is able to protect them from lustful enemies, because most of the bloody wars waged over the centuries, the fertile realms of the peninsula for the possession of these rare animals have devastated and depopulated.
One of the elephants we saw had splendid tusks, the tips of which were probably three feet above one another at the front, so that the entire length of a single tooth could be estimated at 9 feet. Fencing games were then performed until it got dark. Last was Souper; the king and princes were served in a special tent, but apart from His Majesty only his two right brothers and I were sitting, and all the other princes had to stand.
On May 9 we went to a big ceremony in Gala again. A prince, brother of the king, should be given a higher rank which enables him to take part in the state council; he hereby enters the lowest of the five highest ranking classes, the top one of which is occupied by the king. Only the king, the second king, Prince Chao-fa-Mahamala, the ministers, the king's brothers and I were allowed to enter the hall where the ceremony took place, the rest of the princes were to the right of the entrance, the nobles at the left side of the same. After the king appeared, he prayed in front of a small altar, the candles of which he lit himself.
Now, sliding on his knees, the prince to be exalted, wearing only a white loincloth, came out of a dais built for this purpose in front of the hall, on which stood a golden bucket, with the water of which he washed himself; then the king poured holy water over him from vessels of clay, shells, silver and gold; this was followed by the older princes, the ministers, the queen and the older sisters of the one to be exalted. The ceremony means that all dirt from his previous life should be washed off before he is introduced to his new position. It was only a brief moment in which I saw the princely ladies, since they were not in the hall but in an adjoining room; some of the princesses seemed very pretty.
After we took our seats in the hall again, the prince appeared in the Galarock, a green leaf behind the right ear. A clerk in white, gold-embroidered gown reads in a nasal, singing tone the document which was recorded on the completion of the ceremony, whereupon the prince knelt on the steps of the throne, anointed by the king and then with the insignia of his new dignity - hat, clothes , Sword, cigar box, box, the latter all made of gold - was given.
Finally His Majesty for the new dignitary. Now the prince in turn presented gifts: to the kings u. a. two small trees made of gold and silver.
The other gentlemen received flowers, lights, and gold things; a golden cigarette box and smelling bottles became part of me. The heat that prevailed in the hall during the act was almost unbearable: one could almost envy the delinquent who was bathed so coolly.
In the evening we dined with Prince Mahamala (unclear, Maha means the sublime) and also saw on this occasion the first Siamese theater performance, called Lakon, a kind of pantomime with singing that left nothing to be desired in uniformity, and in which giant, Starring monkeys and kings. The actors of the first two wear masks, and those of the roles of women and kings have yellowish-white painted faces and long silver nails on their fingers, which is supposed to indicate that they are overworked; the costumes were shiny and in old Siamese style.
The course of the action is read out in singing tone during the pantomime. The orchestra, which is set up on one side of the stage, consists of a carillon and other peculiar Siamese instruments; on the other side is a female choir, whose songs sound disharmonious to a European ear; the women beat pieces of wood against each other or against a hollow bamboo trunk, which can tear the ears. We saw only a small part of the play, invented by the second king of the present dynasty and lasting seven days and nights from start to finish.
May 10 was initially dedicated to the ascent of the so-called golden mountain, which is made of imitation bricks on a rock a few miles away from Bangkok and offers a beautiful view from its top.
Then we visited the temple where the largest sitting Buddha figure in the city is made of bronze. The doors to the sanctuary are carved from a powerful tribe and are of outstanding quality: beauty, particularly in the lifelike depiction of birds and other forest animals.
In a temple next to it is the statue of Buddha surrounded by his 80 students; all figures are made in life-size from painted clay and wrapped in real priestly clothes; the whole society looks very scary. Mythological and Christian pictures hang on the walls, e.g. B. the resurrection of Lazarus; the engravings of an old Berlin parade, as well as a battle from the Danish war in 1849 - which are miraculously located among these temple treasures - were naturally greeted with cheers as homegrown reminiscences. It should also be mentioned that in almost all the temples we visited, tables with fruit and cigars were set up for our refreshment by the priests.
At table I saw some gentlemen with me, u. A. the German and English consul. The Queen's concert was announced at 9 o'clock; here too we mainly got to know Siamese instruments and melodies. Both majesties, in turn, were the kindness themselves, and after a long lively conversation the king led us into the rooms in which he exhibited all his curios and coronation gems - an honor he had never before paid to a visitor.
The whole collection is arranged in a practical and clear manner in glass cabinets and harbors an inestimable value of old porcelain, golden vessels and jewels. The queen's golden, artificially enamelled toilet is magnificent. On this occasion, the king gave me a tasteful tea service and silver smoking utensil with embossed gold decorations, a work that is only made in Siam; also small gilded wax figures and the model of a state barque. Since the Queen had previously withdrawn, I was alone with Sister Majesty after the supper, and we were now talking without Dragoman, the King inquiring in depth about the German and especially our Mecklenburg situation. He only released me after 1 a.m.
On the 11th we ate at the Minister of War; previously we had a good thunderstorm with rainstorms. On the way there, our vehicle ran into another boat, whereby a large block flew to my head - but without disadvantage, since my head proved harder than the wood. After dinner, we boarded a small paddle steamer, the mast of which proudly waved the Mecklenburg flag - an attention that was given to me all the time in Siam - and drove down the river through the night to spend the summer in the King in Petschebori visit.
On the 12th we kept our eyes on the land all the time and reached the mouth of the Pechebori (เพชรบุรี) river in the afternoon. With great effort and a lot of pushing, we finally came into the river over the sandbar that closes the mouth. On the banks, magnificent bamboo thickets alternate with temples and larger towns, the brown population of which enlivens the river on light boats. In the evening we arrived at the landing point and continued the journey on foot, which was a pleasure after the extremely uncomfortable water ride despite the soaked rice fields.
But at last we gave in to the falling night and the overwhelming dirt and rain and climbed on our ponies, which brought us to the governor's house after an hour, completely soaked. In the absence of other clothing - our things had not yet been replenished - our costume at the dinner consisted of linen skirt and the Malay Surang, a kind of woman's skirt that extends to half a calf - as you can see, not much. (the Thais call this garment Pakama)
On May 13 we rested, then rode through the town and watched a race organized with ox carts, in the style of the ancient Roman bige. The horned draft animals run very well and are spurred on by the charioteer with a long pole. The fist fights that followed the race were just as interesting and probably even more exciting. As fighters, usually magnificent figures presented themselves full of strength and agility. The audience, counting after hundreds, of course bets and is passionate about the spectacle. Both competitions were repeated over the next few days.
On May 14 I should see something that can be imagined when listening to a beautiful fairy tale or in a dream, but never thought that it really existed and possible on this prosaic earth. A densely forested mountain lies not far from the village. Even with the first steps you take on the ascending path, you feel like you are in a magical land. Old gnarled trees spread their shady branches over the rocky, densely overgrown ground, while thousands of white, fragrant flowers are strewn on the way, as if to the welcome of delicate elf hands. Suddenly, after we were born around a corner, there is a lush green meadow in front of us, surrounded by ancient deciduous forest that covers the surrounding rocks. We walk across the meadow and take a few more steps through the thick bushes; there opens up a rock gate in front of us deep down, to which one descends on slippery stairs. But we modestly slip through a dilapidated back gate into these mysterious underground rooms, as it is for mortals when they enter the palace of the powerful earth spirits.
If you were to bend down deep at the entrance, you would be standing in a high dark room; but before us it is getting light. On the descending path we come to a wide hall made of stalactites, into which a cascade of rubble, green tendrils and sun rays seems to tumble down through a wide column. As a counterpart to this, we see a "stone waterfall" in a dimly lit niche, which is always shimmering with a bluish glow from ghostly light. Ancient images of god decorate the walls.
But this is just the lobby; we walk through a small gate and stand in a high and wide hall, as the boldest imagination of a human builder could not have imagined, and in which the exuberant mood of a temple prevails. Daylight shimmers through an opening high up in the vault, illuminating the vast space, but the outermost parts remain enveloped in unanimous darkness. In front of us, the Buddha towers in gigantic size as the ruler of this kingdom. On the left side wall there are three ancient Dagobes and a number of other Buddha statues. To the right is the main entrance, to which some weathered steps lead up. At its foot a stone picture rises, resembling a frozen human figure. The room communicates with the outside world through a column portal, through the arches of which we once again climb up to the green, blossoming nature. But for a long time I couldn't part from these great halls, the sight of which had taken me so wonderfully.
In the afternoon we visited the castle, which the deceased king built together with a dagoba and a temple on the three peaks of a mountain. The view is beautiful on the wide plain, which is surrounded on one side by the sea, on the other by rugged rocks. On the 15th we visited another cave, but there was not much to see because of the deep darkness; it extends so deep into the mountain that one has not yet found its end.
On May 16 morning I rode again with Prince Diss to my underground magic castle, to let all his miracles work for me again in complete calm. Then in the afternoon we went back on board and we went down the river. The soft top looked like a vegetable market from the gifts of the rural people who had been donated to us. After walking a short distance across the sea, we came to the mouth of the Maklon River in the evening. (Mae Khlong)
The next morning we were bothered early from the best of sleep because the governor of the city of Maklon, (Mae Khlong, Samuth Songkhram province) had an appearance of pyramidal embon point (ball belly) to pay his state visit; this city has become an international celebrity as the birthplace of the Siamese twins. (They were in Germany in 1870 and were introduced to Dr. Virchow. The twins died in 1874 at the age of 63)
Then it went up the river, which is said to be one of the most beautiful on earth; the most magnificent forests of coconut trees accompany him on both sides and let their feather crowns rustle in the wind. But here too, numerous temples and populous localities are preserved. In the evening we arrived in Roosborie (Ratchburi) and again took quarters in a palace of the late regent, in which he used to spend half of the year in his time.
S. even slept in his bed. My room rose freely over the flat roof of the house with a lovely view on all sides, especially the not high, but beautifully shaped and forested mountains. Otherwise the stay in Roosbori was not particularly entertaining; In the evening, however, we were regularly presented with a lacon, which was quite pretty and interesting as a drama, if only the accompanying music hadn't caused our eardrums to vibrate too seriously. At one time there was also a race, with a race between two small, completely naked boys causing great cheers among the spectators.
After we had to survive a little storm on the way back, we happily returned to Bangkok on the 21st.
On May 23 we were again given the spectacle of a prince's ceremonial elevation; Often years pass without such an act, while coincidence allowed us to attend two such ceremomas. This time I got a very pretty openwork cassette made of gold-plated silver. In the evening, the last one in Bangkok, Prince Ognoi gave me a big soiree in honor of which the beautiful rooms of the fine palace were particularly suitable.
We drove on a boat, and in front of the house a great firework was burned when we arrived, the smoke of which was unfortunately blown into the windows by the wind. Above the stairs, the Mecklenburg coat of arms, masterfully executed in flowers, was emblazoned, and little girls strewed flowers on the steps as I entered; I was also hung with a garland, braided with gold tinsel and fragrant flowers, around my shoulders; flags hung in all columns, in the Siamese, German and Mecklenburg colors, and my coat of arms reappeared on the souper table, beautifully executed in flowers.
Prince Ognoi brought my well-being at table, which I replied with a cheer for King Chulalongkorn. It was especially nice that I had the opportunity that evening to meet all the German compatriots who were all invited.
On the morning of May 24th, my special friend, Prince Mahamala, sent me very nice Lakhon masks - king, giant and monkey - as a gift, and a small elephant in excellent replica from Thon.
Then we got picked up by one of the princes, who practices photography as an amateur, and put on the Siamese gala costume that the king had given us. The suit that I had received, and how the princes of the Siamese royal dare it, consists of a single-breasted European-style tunic with brightly patterned Indian gold brocade, decorated with golden cords on the collar and on the cuffs; this includes a blue silk surang, a long strip of stuff, which, skillfully wrapped around the lower body, forms elegant breeches; also shoes and knee-high socks according to European fashion. The headgear is the Anglo-Indian cork helmet, covered with white cloth and gold-trimmed; the princely award on it consists of a real golden lace in rich Thai work. ( It is a pity that these photos must be buried somewhere in an archive, I wasn't able to locate them until today.)
At lunchtime we sadly left our lotus palace, where we had spent such nice days. Namely, the famous elephant catch should begin at Ajutia (Ayutthaya) in two days, which, taking place only every 5 to 6 years, will not be carried out on a grand scale all over the world as here. I therefore followed with special thanks the invitation of the king to attend this event, in which not only the majesties themselves participate with all the princes and the whole court, but also to which the Europeans flock in great numbers.
Driving up the Menam, we arrived in Bangparain (Bang Pa In), a summer stay of the King, in the dark under pouring rain. The journey was not without obstacles; we got stuck in the river once, but were released again, while the royal women and their ship had to sit on the same sandbar all night.
A friendly villa of Prince Mahamala on the river was directed to our apartment; next to it were some huts in which we could observe the Siamese in their domestic life.
On the 25th we took a boat trip early, passing a temple that was strangely built in the Gothic style.
(Wat Nivet Thammaprawat built in 1878 by Joachim Grassi)
In the afternoon, the king sent for us and received us with his wife in his private pavilion, right inside the palace. The two majesties were again extremely charming and the two little princes were also present during the visit. Then the king led us through the palace, which was built entirely from the beautiful teak wood and was completed not long ago; finally we climbed a lookout tower to the top of which 99 steps lead up. The summer palaces of the kings of Ajutia, in whose memory the king had a rich and artfully carved Siamese-style pavilion built in the middle of a nearby pond, stood in the same place.
On the 26th of the morning, like the following days, we drove to Ajutia to return to Bangparain every evening. The distance was covered with a good steamer within 1/2 hours. Ajutia is the country's old capital; but when it was destroyed by the Burmese in the previous century - and the king also lost his life - the first king of the new dynasty moved the residence to Bangkok.
First we visited a temple, the gigantic seated Buddha statue of which touches the roof with its head. He is one of the holiest in the country; even the water that flows past it is considered sacred, and it sprinkles your head every time you pass the temple; that should bring good luck. Instead of paintings, the walls of this temple are covered with dense rows of small niches, each with a small Buddha. Consecration flags hang from the ceiling, the drawing of which is strikingly reminiscent of that of medieval paintings. Incidentally, the temples of Ajutia have pillars, while the ceilings of those in Bangkok are supported by pillars. Then we visited the oldest sanctuary in the city, the age of which is equal to that of the city and is estimated to be 600 years. The Dagoba rises here in the form of a high tower, around the top of which a white cloth is wrapped every year. On the sides of the tower there are niches with sacred statues of old age.
At 4 o'clock we went according to the instructions of Prince Mahamala - of which it was mentioned above that he was the commander of the elephants - after the "Tang", a square room surrounded by strong walls, so that the animals did not come to the walls are ten steps from these strong tree trunks rammed as a pallisade fence. Such trunks also form the "funnel" through which the game is led into the catch and the open side of which faces the river. Already months before you start to gather the wild elephants from the interior of the country, which happens tame, whose riders try to hide in every conceivable way.
On the other side of the river are fields that are bordered about a mile from the forest. Finally a gray mass slowly emerges from the shadow of the forest. All in all there are 245 wild elephants, surrounded by over 50 tame animals and led by a leading elephant. The train advances slowly, since the wild animals do not always show a desire to hold onto the particular direction.
It was a strange picture when the whole herd pushed down from the high bank into the river. Some small elephants often made very funny jumps when they were pushed down a little by a large one. After a while the whole herd had been led through the river and into the funnel; and now there was a raging, pushing and pushing of these colossi with their proboscis, and in addition a cry of prayer that; one should think that everything would be pressed to mus.
A series of tame elephants pushed behind, another led in front and led them through the narrow entrance into the catch. Since only one person can get through the entrance at a time, the greatest brawling took place there, because usually several animals wanted to go through at once or none at all, or one that was halfway through turned back at once; but it was then usually carried back by the pursuing forces with double force. After hard pushing and puffing, the whole company was finally locked up and could calm down for the evening.
An elephant chick was too badly taken and died the night. But another was born overnight, which was then protected with touching love by his mothers and two old aunts against any ruthlessness of the non-family fiends.
May 27 was the main day of the festival, because for Siamese it is elephant fishing. The walls around de Fang, in which the elephants now await their fate, are densely populated with people; on the side opposite the entrance is the royal box, next to that for the princes, in which the consuls are also found.
The majesties advance with large entourages, the military and even two cannons advance; the supreme rulers sit on open sedan chairs carried by eight people; three of his children were seated at the kings. Se. Your Majesty greets us very kindly, and after taking a seat in the courtyard box, the catch begins.
Several elephant catchers, whose animals have the most beautiful tusks, ride through the entrance next to the box. At the first sight of them, the wild elephants retreat to the other corner of the square and are then driven around the square three times so that you can choose the ones you want to catch. The exquisite ones are wrapped in strong ropes made of buffalo skins around the back of their feet, which of course does not go without rude puffs. Even the best animals hide as soon as they realize that they are particularly targeted, usually in the middle of the herd. After three to four elephants have been moored, the rest of the company is driven out through the gate next to the box onto a meadow so that the animals can refresh themselves by a river bath; the same tumultuous scene takes place here as when driving in on the previous day.
The tied-up elephants only become aware now that their comrades have departed, fully aware that they have become bonded, and they go out of their way to free themselves, screaming for tears, and some of their companions are also trying to help them ; one really managed to pull away, and several others had not been able to be tied up because they always loosened the noose from their feet. When the king left after breakfast, a very drastic scene happened. A small elephant was pinched and ran among the spectators, with whom he then chased between the stakes; at night he went wild again, smashed a boat that he wanted to board and killed a man.
In the evening we joined together with some German families who had also come to catch and lived in a temple for a dinner that was very pleasant. On the 28th some elephants were caught again, but this time in the free space behind the box, which actually gave a nicer spectacle since the animals had more freedom; We fed some of the colossi that came close to the box with bananas. A young, very beautiful elephant broke loose five times before he could be tied up, and another was crushed in the crowd.
The elephants were prevented from running away by a circle of tamers, whose riders carried long lances. Unfortunately, no white elephant was caught during this hunt, as was the case 6 years ago.
In the afternoon the royal couple welcomed me in a farewell audience in Bangpain, unfortunately a gala dinner that was intended could not take place because my ship was one day early for my departure.
In order to pay attention to the king, I had put on the Siamese gala costume together with my companions, which he seemed very happy about. Both majesties gave us their photographs. Then we said goodbye and the king led us through the whole garden. We also said goodbye to the princes here, unless that had happened the morning after the hunt.
We left May 29th at 4 ½ in the morning, so that we reached Bangkok at 10am. In the consulate the minister of the second king was waiting for us, who brought me a silver jar from his master as parting. After having had our last breakfast on Siamese soil, we climbed the steamer "Radjanath" in the afternoon at 3:30 p.m. - so called like the ambassador who brought the Siamese order to Kaiser Wilhelm a few years ago to Koblenz - and took heartfelt touches Farewell to the friendly Siamese gentlemen, especially to Prince Diss, who had been such an amiable and faithful guide for four weeks.
The gentlemen waved goodbye to us from their small steam barge for a long time. While our steamer, from whose top the Mecklenburg flag was waving again, was steaming down the river.
The month of May spent in Siam will remain unforgettable for me, both because of the extremely interesting country and because of its gracious residents, whose king precedes them as a shining example in all good things.
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The king's return visit took place on August 30, 1897, on the occasion of his European trip the monarch visited the Duke in Willigrad.
The next two meetings are covered with photos: from August 11 to 13, 1907, the king stayed in Braunschweig, the ducal couple from January 26 to February 10 in Bangkok. Johann Albrecht was Duke Regent in Braunschweig from 1907 to 1913.
The author of this blog is from Braunschweig where his mother's family can be traced back until 1732. His grandmother must have seen the king of Siam 1907 because she lived just one street behind the palace.
There is also a lecture from this blog.
