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 THE LIBRARY 
 
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 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
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 CAPTAIN THOMAS MILLER.
 
 OVER FIVE SEAS AND OCEANS. 
 
 FROM 
 
 NKW YORK 
 
 TO 
 
 BANGKOK, SIAlVt, 
 
 • AND RETURN. 
 
 SOIVIE REIVIINISCENCES 
 BY 
 
 THOMAS MILLER. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 Albert Metz & Co., 22 Piatt St.
 
 DEDICATfiD TO HIS FrIENDS 
 IN THE 
 
 New York Life Insurance Company, 
 
 l'?-'7322-1
 
 DS 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 This little story of a few years residence and 
 travel in the East has been written at the solici- 
 tation of the author's friends.' It makes no claim 
 to great literary distinction, nor does it aspire 
 to rank among the chefs d\viivrcs of the world 
 of books. It is the plain, unvarnished story of 
 the experiences of a Yankee in the Orient, who 
 presents the illustrations and the printed matter 
 from memory, after a lapse of twenty-seven years, 
 which he trusts is a sufficient apology for all 
 errors.
 
 I,\ 
 
 
 2 1 
 
 
 ^ ^ ?p^,■- 'If-p
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 WITH three others, sailed from New 
 York on the 4th day of August, 1857, 
 on board of the British barque "Oak," 
 of Hartlepool. We crossed the bar 
 the next day with little or no wind, and laid our 
 course S.E. by E. from the Highland Lights, 
 losing sight of the Lights at dark that night. 
 Our voyage was very pleasant until we crossed 
 the line — the Equator ; there, for two or three 
 days, it was rather squally, but not enough to 
 reef topsails. We had a good run until we made 
 the Islands of Amsterdam and St. Paul, two lonely 
 islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The 
 next land we made was the Islands of Java and 
 Sumatra about the 20lh of November. Arrived 
 at Anjiers in the Straits of Sunda about dark the
 
 same day, atter a passage of about one hundred 
 and seven days from New York. 
 
 Here we recruited ship with fresh provisions, 
 such as yams, onions, sweet potatoes and fowls. 
 On the third day we weighed anchor, and sailed 
 out into the Straits, with the wind from S.S.W. 
 blowing up the Straits. We passed the Two 
 Brothers Island out in the China Sea. The first 
 Sunday, after we entered the China Sea, at day- 
 light, we were confronted with seventeen water- 
 spouts of huge size, some of which were over two 
 miles off. At one time it looked as if we would 
 be engulfed by them, for certainly, if one of them 
 had burst on us, our good ship would have gone 
 down. A water-Spout is a long column of water, 
 rising out of the sea. It begins with a little rip-. 
 pie on the water like a whirlwind, increasing in 
 diameter until ten or twelve feet in size ; it then 
 rises, up and up, until it reaches the clouds. It 
 ascends with a corkscrew motion. The only 
 way to get clear of it is to fire a cannon into it,
 
 Sometimes the concussion will break the column, 
 and it falls with a terrible noise and splash into 
 the sea. As luck would have it, we had no 
 guns to fire into the worst one ; therefore, only 
 by an overruling- Providence and a little main 
 strength and smartness in hauling our braces, did 
 our good ship sail clear of the nearest one, which 
 was very large. As it passed us, or we passed it, 
 the noise was almost deafening. Notwithstand- 
 ing our scare, the sight was perfectly grand. As 
 it was the Northeast Monsoon, we kept well to 
 the southward and eastward up along the coast of 
 Borneo, commonly called the Palawan Passage. 
 We passed large numbers of beautiful islands, un- 
 til we made nearly a fair wind of it, and sailed 
 direct for the entrance to the Gulf of wSiam. We 
 came to anchor off the bar about the 24th of De- 
 cember ; took pilot, and crossed the bar and drift- 
 ed up to Bangkok, 
 
 The river is so very crooked we could not sail 
 pp ; therefore, we drifted up with the tide, and
 
 lO 
 
 came to anchor in mid stream on the 27th of De- 
 cember, after a passage of one hundred' and forty 
 days. The whole distance of about seventeen 
 thousand miles could have been made in a ship's 
 boat. 
 
 We were very kindly received by our con- 
 signee and the natives. The first native of note I 
 met was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, who 
 was very friendly. After the machinery was all 
 landed and housed in the godown of the con- 
 signee, I was sent to the province of La Consa- 
 chee to finish erecting a small steam sugar mill. 
 La Consachee is northwest from Bangkok; distance 
 from Bangkok about seventy-five miles. I went 
 in a covered boat, with four stalwart oarsmen and 
 a C(jok, who acted as interpreter. We journeyed 
 at night and tied up to trees in the daytime. Went 
 ashore to get fruit and to chase monkeys, with 
 which the country abounds. We arrived at our 
 destination in the middle of the third night after 
 leaving Bangkok. Next morning the Governor
 
 II 
 
 of the Province called on me, and presented me 
 with what is called a drinking cocoanut, which 
 was very cool and refreshing. It is a fruit filled 
 with natural milk, and very sweet. This fruit is 
 a token of friendship. I lived on the very best 
 provisions the country afforded during my three 
 weeks stay with them. I started up the mill and 
 showed the natives how to run it. The day be- 
 fore I began grinding cane, 1 requested the Su- 
 perintendent of the mill to give me as large a pile 
 of cane as he gave the bull mills. He laughed at 
 the idea of my little mill of 12^ x 35 roller grinding 
 as much as the three bull mills. About six P. M. 
 we all started up, and I had to jump around to 
 show the natives how to handle cane; and they 
 handled it so that by 2 A. M. next morning my 
 pile of cane was all used up, and I helped the 
 others to get finished by daybreak, which is 
 about 4.30 the year round. Then there was great 
 rejoicing over the first steam sugar mill erected 
 in Siam. We did not grind again for three nights
 
 12 
 
 for the want of cane, so 1 had a good time going 
 round looking at the country, and seeing how 
 they cut cane. I ran the mill a week, until the 
 natives could handle it, which thev did, the third 
 night, without my assistance. They are a very 
 smart, observing people. I left La Consachee for 
 Bangkok, after a trip down stream of two nights 
 and one day. 
 
 On landing, I found one of our young men, A. 
 Sharpp, crazy. The doctor called it delirium 
 tremens, but I thought it was sunstroke. He 
 being a British subject, we turned him over to 
 the Consul, after we were worn out watching day 
 and night with him for three weeks. The Consul 
 sent him to Singapore to the hospital, and he died 
 on the passage, and was buried at sea. The cap- 
 tain never handed his effects to the authorities at 
 Singapore, including a twenty dollar gold piece I 
 put in his trunk to buy some little comforts that 
 the hospital did not supply. Sharpp's death left 
 in the gang two engineers and one carpenter.
 
 13 
 
 The carpenter, Mr. Hatch, got some kind of skin 
 disease, which compelled him to leave for home. 
 Then there were only two left, myself and Jen- 
 kins. Poor Jenkins turned out badly, and left me 
 inside of two years ; thus I was the only one left 
 at Bangkok. 
 
 My next move was with my mate to put a pair 
 of 20 X 24 yacht engines in the Prime Minister's 
 yacht, *' Meteor." I ran the yacht for some time, 
 until the natives were properly schooled. 
 
 The next job was to put in a small single en- 
 gine for Som Decht Noi's yacht, used for merely 
 a plaything round the river and canals. Som 
 Decht Noi was a very high noble. His title was 
 conferred on him for meritorious conduct. He 
 was a very old man, and was heavy, say about 
 250 pounds. He wanted me to erect the engine 
 in a saw shed, which I did. He came in the day 
 I started it, and became very much interested and 
 excited at seeing the engine run. He said it 
 was wonderful. As he was leaving the shed,
 
 14 
 
 his half-idiotic son took hold of the little fly- 
 wheel, and it threw him over on a pile of sawed 
 lumber. He had tried the trick several times 
 before, and I had stopped him ; but this time, 
 as his father was there, he put on airs, and took 
 hold of the wheel, and got what I had told him. 
 This accident and the excitement of seeing the 
 machinery running, brought on an attack of 
 heart trouble with the old gentleman, and he 
 fell dead on entering his palace. His body was 
 kept one year, and then the funeral pile was 
 built, and the body placed on the top, incased in 
 a gold box or urn. Ten Buddhist priests stood in 
 a row, having in their hands a heavy web of silk. 
 It passed from the last one to the ground. On 
 inquiring, I found that the sins of the man were 
 passing from the body during the incantations of 
 the priests, which never ceased until the pile was 
 all ready for the torch to be applied by the King. 
 This took three days and nights, during which 
 there were theatres, juggling, all kinds of shows
 
 15 
 
 with fruits and candies — a three days go-as-you- 
 please. 
 
 On the evening before the burning, the King 
 and his nobles were present, and I, with several 
 other foreigners, went up to see the grand dis- 
 play. The King saw me, and sent his page for 
 me. We all sat on mats, with the Prime Minister, 
 Lord Mayor and several others. We laughed 
 and talked until 12 o'clock; then we made our 
 salaam and left. Next day we attended the burn- 
 ing, and, as the custom is, the King scattered 
 limes (a small lemon), in which is money, from 
 one Fuang to Siluing, to a Tical, and some had 
 gold rings. The King saw me and called me, 
 " Ma Millee," to come up to him in the midst of 
 his nobles on a temporary platform. The nobles 
 were on their knees and elbows, while I stood up, 
 and the King filled my pockets with the limes, for 
 which I said, " Cop chie " (thank you), and left. 
 What he gave me contained two gold Fuangs, the 
 rest silver. During all this time the body was
 
 16 
 
 burning. When the whole pile was consumed 
 we went home. 
 
 The next job was to put up a steam saw mill to 
 saw teak wood. This was a failure on account of 
 opposition from the Chinese sawyers. 
 
 Next was a job to put in an engine in the 
 steamer '' Jack Waters " for C. A, Allen, of And- 
 over, Mass. ; A. J. Westervelt, of New York, and 
 Russell & Co., of Hong Kong. Mr. Westervelt 
 was the shipbuilder and I was the engineer. I 
 put the engine and boiler in the boat before she 
 was decked, and was ready for steam when the 
 boat was launched, except shipping the wheel, 
 which was done, and we went on a trial trip the 
 third day after the boat was put in the water, and 
 it was successful in every particular. The boat 
 was put to towing on the river, which was not a 
 success until the company built some lighters of 
 their own, which they did ; then business was 
 flourishing, and kept so for about a year, when 
 Mr. Westervelt became timid and sold his interest
 
 17 
 
 to me, with the understanding that I was to have 
 charge of the floating stock, which consisted of 
 one steamer and three lighters, with carrying ca- 
 pacity of 4,000 piculs, or about 250 gross tons. 
 Work was fair. Messrs. Russell & Co. sold their 
 interest, through Chang Lai Soon, an educated 
 Chinaman, to Williams, Anthon tS: Co., who as- 
 sumed the shore work. This went along for a time, 
 until one Sunday they took it into their heads to 
 go on an excursion down to the bar. This was 
 in violation of my agreement, which was that the 
 boat should not be run on Sunday, no matter 
 what inducements offered, as m}- men worked 
 hard six days and six nights, when called upon. 
 But my partners took the boat down the river, 
 Mr, Allen and my native assistant acting as cap- 
 tain and engineer. This act dermined my future 
 action. Next morning, Monday, I called at Will- 
 iams, Anthon's & Co.'s office, and stated my ulti- 
 matum ; namely, I was ready to buy or sell, feel- 
 ing satisfied in my own mind that they were not
 
 18 
 
 able to manage the property, and the interview 
 ended as I expected: C. A. Allen and Thomas 
 Miller bought out the entire concern. To pay 
 my interest, I borrowed $3,000 from the King's 
 brother, Prince Crom Alouing Wangsau, with- 
 out interest. We did well for over eighteen 
 months ; then business came to a stand still, ow- 
 ing to the heavy crops of rice in China and else- 
 where. We did not earn $5,000 in four months. 
 At the same time we were under heavy expense, 
 with about ninety men in our employ. This was 
 very discouraging to us. We agreed to buy or 
 sell by comparing notes. Of course, whichever 
 offered the most took the whole. Mr. Allen offer- 
 ed $1,000 more than I did, and became the sole 
 owner of the steamer "Jack Waters" and four 
 freight barges, and a schooner of about 100 tons.
 
 f^i 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 Y intention was to sail for home, after 
 I came back from my trip to Ayiithia, 
 Prabat, etc., and the interior of the 
 country on excursion. 
 On or about the 12th of January, 1861, I, with 
 two others, foreigners, started for the trip, after re- 
 ceiving a general letter from the King to the Gov- 
 ernors of the several Provinces through which we 
 might pass. This letter ordered that boats, ele- 
 phants, and all other supplies should be provided 
 for us, which made our journey very pleasant. 
 We started from Bangkok about 6 P. M., and 
 arrived at Ayuthia the next evening about sun- 
 down. We called on the Governor by invitation. 
 He met us in his audience hall, with no furniture, 
 except very handsome mats on the floor. He
 
 20 
 
 received the King's letter on a silver waiter, read 
 it, and then passed it to his Cabinet to read, and 
 then passed it back to me. Then he asked our 
 pleasure. I told him we wanted seven elephants 
 with howdahs, to carry us and our servants to 
 Prabat and back, a journey of about twelve days, 
 and we wanted breakfast early next morning, so 
 as to get off early in the cool of the day. Next 
 morning we started at six A. M., and made good 
 time crossing rivers and traveling through the 
 jungle. At night fall we came to an old dilapi- 
 dated temple, where we put up for the night. 
 Our cook prepared our rice, curry, fish and a 
 bowl of tea, after which we laid down under our 
 mosquito nets on our mats, and slept soundly till 
 daybreak. I got the cook up, and he got our 
 rice, curry and fish, with the bowl of tea. After 
 we had breakfast, we started again, and we came 
 out onto a beautiful road with a number of foun- 
 tains of spring water, where the caravans stopped 
 to water their cattle. There we met a large num-
 
 21 
 
 ber of pilgrims on their way to Prabat to wor- 
 ship, as this was the season for all devotees of 
 Buddha to assemble on the mountains of Prabat 
 round the footprint of their god. These crowds 
 of people, with their elephants and ox carts, on 
 their way to the shrine of worship, reminded me 
 of the Children of Israel going up to Jerusalem 
 in the days of old to worship. 
 
 We arrived at Prabat early in the evening, and 
 presented the King's letter to the Governor of 
 that Province, who received us very graciously, 
 and provided quarters for us. Our cook pre- 
 pared supper of boiled chicken, rice and curry. 
 We slept very soundly that night. Next morn- 
 ing, after breakfast, we started up the mountain 
 via steps cut zig-zag up its face. It was ab ^ut 
 I, GOO feet to the top. We met scores of pilgrims 
 coming down. When we got to the top, we en 
 tered a very large, beautiful temple, built to 
 cover over what Siamese say is the footprint of 
 Buddha, which was made in the rock when he
 
 22 
 
 made his ascent to Heaven ; and the natives be- 
 lieve it ; therefore, they erected this magnificent 
 temple. It has four walls about 40 feet high, and 
 covering a space of say 75 feet square. The roof 
 is carried without columns or supports of any 
 kind, and the spire goes up to a needle point. On 
 entering this gorgeous temple, the High Priest or 
 Pope of the Kingdom saw vis. He sent his page 
 over to where we stood, and he made his salaam 
 to us, and said His Grace wanted to see me, as 
 we had met before in Bangkok. When we drew 
 near, he came down from his throne, and bid us 
 welcome, and conducted us to the footprint, 
 which was about 6 feet long, 2 feet wide and 
 about 4 feet deep, and all covered with gold cloth 
 resting on four columns, overlaid with gold. His 
 Grace caused the worshippers to leave so that 
 we could examine it, which we did, and I found 
 about 15 inches deep of gold leaf. This leaf is 
 put in the cavity or print as an offering which 
 these people make to their gods or idols. This
 

 
 2Z 
 
 temple has several idols in it, some of which are 
 very costly. We stayed upon the mountain until 
 long after noon. The natives from all parts of the 
 Kingdom come to Prabat every February to wor- 
 ship. As there are no hotels to live in, they use 
 tents, umbrella shape, and so large that six or 
 eight can sleep under one. They do their cook- 
 ing outside. The sight to us heathen of the 
 Western Nations was very unique. Only think 
 of looking at thousands of people who go to 
 Prabat to worship as Ancient Israel went up to 
 Jerusalem to worship ! After thanking the High 
 Priest for his kindness, we took our leave, and 
 went down and mingled with the worshippers at 
 the foot of the mountain. We found bazaars, 
 market places where everything in the line of 
 vegetables and fish, together with trinkets, some 
 of which were very beautiful, were sold ; the 
 trinkets of ivory, brass and filigree silver work ; 
 also, Chinese theatres, juggling, snake charming, 
 etc.
 
 24 
 
 On the second day after our arrival at Prabat 
 we started in a westerly direction toward Noc- 
 burrie, over the beautiful road through the jun- 
 gle. We passed an old temple built by the road 
 side, in the shape of an old fashioned Quaker 
 meeting-house, with a belfry on top, out of which 
 grew a tree, say about sixty feet high, known out 
 there as the Bude Tree. We call it in our 
 country Sycamore, with heavy foliage. The roots 
 ran down the belfry to the roof, down the roof, 
 and so on down to the ground, from which it 
 took its nourisnment. It was a grand sight. 
 We arrived at Nocburrie Saturday evening. 
 The Governor placed us in an ante-chamber 
 which was half way decent. Our grub was very 
 fair. We lay up all Sunday, and Monday started 
 again on our voyage of discovery. We opened 
 up into a most beautiful level place, covered with 
 grass and shrubbery. Our guide gave us an 
 elephant race, and it was a race very exciting, 
 and full of pain and soreness next day. We
 
 25 
 
 stopped at a temple over night and dined on 
 cold rice and sugar, as our supplies were nearly 
 out. Our breakfast consisted of sugar and rice. 
 We started about noon, and we came to a Laos 
 village, where we got a supply of rice, fish and 
 palm sugar, which is very good, also a few fowls. 
 Here let me say that Laos women are, as a 
 general thing, very pretty and very tidy. The 
 village was very neat and clean. With them, as 
 with the Siamese, the women do the work of 
 buying, selling, and doing all their business. We 
 stayed in this village over night, and its sur- 
 roundings were beautiful. The houses v/ere sur- 
 rounded by clusters of bamboos, which grew ten 
 or twelve in a cluster and from two to six inches 
 in diameter and from twenty to fifty and seventy- 
 five feet high. Very beautiful. The natives use 
 the bamboo for a thousand and one purposes — 
 from ornaments to rafts to build houses on; thus 
 the floating houses we read about. Strange to 
 asy, if a man docs not like his location, he can
 
 26 
 
 pull up stakes and drop down with the tide to 
 another location. We made another start, and 
 crossed an immense paddy or rice field. When 
 in the centre of it we could not see the bound- 
 aries on either side. We traveled on out to 
 level ground, which was very picturesque, with 
 flowers and other shrubbery ; also a large herd 
 of oxen grazing. On this plain we saw rather 
 a singular sight — three stones, almost perfect 
 spheres, on top of one another, the largest in 
 the middle. What held them, I can't say. The 
 bottom stone was about one-third in the ground. 
 It certainly was curious. We passed on till we 
 came to some bamboo houses, where we stopped 
 over night. After breakfast of rice and fish and 
 tea, started on our homeward trip, and arrived 
 at Ayathua about dark. Discharged our guide 
 and elephants and gave money presents to ele- 
 phant drivers, etc. After bidding the Governor 
 and others good-by, we left for Bangkok in our 
 boat, and arrived there the next afternoon, tired
 
 27 
 
 out with our journey of about fifteen days, 
 amidst the rejoicing and congratulations of 
 friends, who gave us a grand dinner, such as 
 we did not have during our absence. 
 
 I was perfectly well satisfied with the trip. 
 It gave me a store knowledge of the country 
 and of the people; and, I am prepared to say, 
 the Siamese are just the finest people east of 
 the Cape of Good Hope. Just before we left 
 Bangkok on our trip, C. . A. Alien bet me a 
 suit of clothes he would be in America and at 
 home before I would. Of course, I being so 
 positive, and had made all arrangements for 
 my passage to Hong Kong in the " Viscount 
 Canning," a large steamer belonging to Pr Pa 
 San, a very rich Chinaman, merchant, which 
 had not yet arrived, but was expected daily. 
 So I rested very quietly, taking things easily, 
 smoking my Manilla No. 2, which I then thought 
 was very fine. Allen came to me on the second 
 day after getting back and said, "Old chap, I
 
 28 
 
 want to go home to see my sister and other rela- 
 tives whom I have not seen in thirteen years, and 
 if you will stay in my place I will give $3,000 per 
 annum and all expenses and $800 for traveling 
 expenses home." I said, " Charley, I will sleep 
 over it." Next morning I accepted his offer. In 
 less than two hours we were in the United States 
 Consulate, and a power of attorney signed, sealed 
 and delivered. On our way up to the office he 
 told me why he wanted to get away. First, he 
 was sorry I took him up in the purchase. Second, 
 as he had borrowed a large amount of money and 
 was afraid the parties would sell him out, and he 
 did not want the disgrace. The truth of the mat- 
 ter just here is, I w^as sorry I did not get the con- 
 cern. I knew there was money in it. Allen sailed 
 for Hong Kong ; from there to San Francisco, 
 where he got a new suit of American clothes, and 
 was photographed, and sent a picture, written on 
 the back of which was, " You paid for these," 
 which was the first time I had thought of the bet.
 
 29 
 
 Allen had not gone two weeks before work came 
 in, and we were all busy, night and day, for eight 
 months. Made money hand over fist, so that I 
 paid his debts, paid for a whole new set of ma- 
 chinery, paid for i4X20-inch engines and boiler 
 i^i,2oo or $6,000. Built a dock to haul vessels 
 in for repairs. Built a wharf, blacksmith shop, 
 hospital, carpenter shop, and built a new lighter, 
 no feet keel, 20 feet beam, 10 feet depth of 
 hold, to carry 3,500 piculs of rice, 206 tons, 
 and built a coal shed and put in it 300 tons 
 of Swansea coal at $10, $3,000. I did all this 
 in fourteen months, and had in hand about 
 $4,000 when he arrived out again, and for all 
 of which he was well pleased. I omitted to 
 say that I sent him drafts while at home, 
 amounting to about $3,000.
 
 30 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 N the 8th day of February, 1862, Mr. 
 Allen took charge of his business and 
 gave me a splendid dinner, at which 
 were all the Consuls of the different 
 nations. When the cloth was removed, Mr. 
 Allen arose at the table and, after eulogizing 
 me for the way I had acted since 1859 to 
 the present, more especially the last fourteen 
 months, he presented me at the close Avith a 
 Frodsham gold watch and chain, which cost 
 at Tiffany's, New York, $600. The presenta- 
 tion was unexpected to me. I replied, thank- 
 ing him for so valuable a gift. Of course, I 
 said I was not worthy of it, as I had only 
 done my dutv. Then there were speeches 
 made by all the Consuls. Sir R. Schamburg,
 
 31 
 
 in his speech, made mention of a lawsuit be- 
 tween the British Government and the Siam- 
 ese Government, he for his country and I on 
 the side of the Siamese. He terminated his 
 remarks by saying I beat him ; then I went 
 on to tell the company that two unfortunate 
 engineers were hired by Capt. Bush in Singa- 
 pore to take charge of the engines of the 
 Siamese steamer "Tiger" on her trip from 
 Singapore to Bangkok. The two men went 
 on • board to their duty immediately and 
 ordered the Siamese firemen to fire up, when 
 there was little or no water in starboard 
 boilers. The natives told the men of this 
 important fact, and still they did fire up. The 
 consequence was they burned the crown sheets 
 over the fires, thus ruining the boiler for future 
 use until thoroughly repaired. I was called by 
 the Prime Minister to survey the damages, 
 which I did, and reported the boiler unfit for 
 use. The British Consul sent the engineers
 
 32 
 
 from an English steamer to make a survey, 
 which they did. The engineers who burned 
 the boilers sued the King for their money, 
 about $60 each, through the Consulate. The 
 King requested me, through the Prime Min- 
 ister, to take up the Siamese side of the suit. 
 On the day of trial, Her Majesty's Counsel gave 
 me the seat at the right of the clerk. The suit 
 began by first appointing six assessors or jurors. 
 I told the counsel to select all from his own 
 countrymen, which he did. The reports of the 
 English engineers were read, with a long letter 
 on charity, showing that the two engineers were 
 very poor and needed what they sued for. As 
 defendant, I received the report, and the balance 
 of the letter I laid on the table, to be taken up 
 further on in the trial. All the witnesses for 
 the plaintiff were examined, after which Her 
 Majesty's Counsel rose in his seat and decided 
 the case ended in favor of the engineers, and 
 he would Sfive them the lull amount of their
 
 33 
 
 claim. Everybody was perfectly amazed at 
 such conduct. I arose from my seat and 
 checked him in his bombast. I gave him to 
 understand I was there as defendant's counsel, 
 and demanded of him, as Her Majesty's Counsel, 
 the right to be heard, and asked him where he 
 p-ot the law that authorized him to decide a case 
 ended when there were two sides to be heard. 
 I said it was not the law of any commonwealth 
 or nation. I therefore protested against his 
 action in this case, and would now proceed 
 with our side. 1 called up first one and then 
 the other of the plaintiffs and, by cross- 
 examination, proved by them that they were 
 intoxicated at the time the burning of the 
 boiler occurred, and that they were told that 
 the boiler was nearly empty of water, and 
 that they did not know what they were doing 
 —and put that in as a plea. The defendant 
 rested and gave Her Majesty's Counsel the 
 liberty to sum up his side of the case, which
 
 34 
 
 he declined. So I took our side, and showed 
 by the action of two drunken men, which I 
 proved by their own evidence in cross-exami- 
 nation, and I showed by their acts that they 
 had thrown a pall of discontent and dissatis- 
 faction over American enterprise in Siam. I 
 told Her Majesty's Counsel that by his act 
 that day, had it been carried out, he would 
 have had the Siamese believe the boiler was 
 defective. I said they were as fine a pair of 
 boilers as ever were put on a ship of its size, 
 and that Americans can build boilers and ma- 
 chinery equal to, if not superior to, any other 
 nation. With these few remarks, I would 
 place the case in the hands of the jurors, 
 hoping that they would judge the case by 
 the evidence, and not by any charitable in- 
 stincts of their good nature, but let me do 
 the charity act. The jury gave us the ver- 
 dict without leaving their seats, greatly to 
 the discomfiture of Her Majesty's Counsel,
 
 35 
 
 amid the cheers of the visitors in the court 
 room— say about 200, natives and foreigners. 
 I took my papers and left the court. The 
 counsel hardly spoke to me when I left. 
 When I got to my boat, ready to go back 
 to my office, I was met by the two engin- 
 eers, who expressed much regret that I should 
 have gone so hard against them. I explained 
 why I did it. It was to draw out in the trial 
 where the fault lay — whether it was sheer 
 negligence, brought on by drunkenness, or 
 whether the American boilers were defective 
 in their make-up ; and I was satisfied that I 
 had upheld the American mechanic, of which 
 I was one. Then I told them to get in my 
 boat and go with me to my ofifice, and I 
 would show them that tlie King did not wish 
 to wrong them. So I paid each man his de- 
 mand ($60), and took separate receipts, which 
 made them happy for the time being. Next 
 morning I reported to the Prime Minister the
 
 36 
 
 verdict. Of course he had already heard, and 
 met me at his palace door most cordially and 
 thanked me for the interest I took in Siamese 
 matters. I then told him what I had done 
 with the engineers, and he said that was right ; 
 for, said he, the money we don't care for — it 
 is the cause of the accident and what is the 
 remedy. Thereupon, he gave me an order on 
 his treasurer for $120. Thus ended the lawsuit. 
 When the steamer "Chow Phyar" arrived from 
 Singapore with the mails, she brought a num- 
 ber ot the Singapore " Times," which had an 
 editorial on the Siamese lawsuit in Bangkok, 
 in which the English were beaten by me. 
 
 During my residence in Bangkok, I made 
 several trips to Purchaburrie, the King's sum- 
 mer palace, which is built on top of the moun- 
 tain, a perfectly beautiful spot. From it can 
 be seen the Gulf of Siam and the Plankplaisoi 
 Mountains, and all the surrounding country, 
 which is very beautiful. There are several
 
 37 
 
 small temples and caves, which are fitted up 
 with innumerable idols, large and small, from 
 15 inches to 20 feet high. The largest cave is 
 a natural cavity in the mountain, with small 
 opening going out from it. The natives have 
 cut a winding zigzag stairway leading down 
 to the bottom. This cave is in the woods. 
 From this cave I got by purchase three idols 
 as curios. I was in two or three other caves 
 of less note. I always enjoyed a week or two 
 up in the mountains of Purchaburrie. The 
 river is very winding. On one of my visits 
 the water was low. We got the "Jack 
 Waters " up by handwork and, for fear the 
 boat would get stuck on some of the points 
 in the river, sent her down to the bar. and I 
 followed the fourth day. On my way down 
 in the ship's boat I saw a large herd of 
 monkeys on the beach. There were several 
 that were over two feet high when on all 
 feet, and with great teeth. I thought 1 would
 
 38 
 
 have a little fun with them, so I went on 
 shore. The monkeys ran up the hill. When 
 on top, they held a council of war, chatter- 
 ing and shaking their teeth. One of the largest 
 started for me, the rest followed. The natives 
 yelled to me to " Rhu ! Rhu ! "—run ! run !— 
 which I did with all the speed I could. They 
 told me afterwards that if I had stood my 
 ground I would have been killed, and I believe 
 it. Only think, over a hundred monkeys attack- 
 ing a man. The natives told me before I started 
 for them not to do it, as they would " Tatlow "— 
 cut me, kill me — and I was glad to get on the 
 boat again. I never troubled a lot of monkeys 
 again. T had one at my office, also a bull terrier 
 dog and an otter, all pets, and they would 
 play together as a happy family. The monkey 
 would sit on bamboo lounge at noon after I 
 had my tiffin, or lunch at one o'clock. He 
 would smooth my hair, and I would go to 
 sleep, wake up and find him lying beside me
 
 39 
 
 fast asleep, thus presenting two monkeys asleep. 
 The dog would go down and up the river on 
 the boat, and if the boat left without him, the 
 Chinamen on the lighters would come ashore 
 for him with their sanpan. He would do their 
 fiofhtins: for them. The sailors would not come 
 on the lighter without I or the pilot was there. 
 The otter was a perfect pet. He would wiggle 
 up on the piazza, then up on my lap, and kiss 
 me, no matter how clean my clothes were ; then 
 get down and play around my feet and squeal, 
 and if I spoke sharply to him, he would go 
 down and get into the river and swim around. 
 He would do anything 1 told him, such as 
 going off in the river to a fisherman's boat, steal 
 a fish, then come back to the landing and cat 
 it. Thus I passed my leisure hours with my 
 three pets. In dull times I would take a trip 
 to Ayathua, or Blank Plasoi, on the cast coast 
 of the gulf, and spend several days every year. 
 It is a fishing village, also a Baptist Mission
 
 40 
 
 station. There is a beautiful beach for bath- 
 ing. I generally took three or four outings 
 every summer — Ayathua, Purchaburrie, Blank 
 Plasoi, etc. The main cause of my success 
 was. doing just as I said, whether it pleased 
 or not. 
 
 On a certain occasion I called on the Prime 
 Minister, who owed me about $700. It was as 
 good as gold, but this time the British Consul had 
 some drafts for sale on the Royal Treasury of 
 London, and I wanted to buy to send home to 
 my family. So I called on him for what was due. 
 He asked through his Secretary what I wanted, 
 as he was a little off that morning ; that was the 
 cause of his sarcastic inquiry and his not meeting 
 me as he always had done, in a more cheerful, 
 friendly way. I told him, through the same chan- 
 nel, my errand ; that I wished to send some money 
 home, and that there was a chance for me to buy 
 some drafts, and the mail steamer was to sail that 
 day ; therefore, if he would let me have the
 
 41 
 
 amount due, he would oblig"e me. He replied, if 
 I was a gentleman I would not ask him for 
 money. I got my Dutch up, and asked the sec- 
 retary if he would tell His Excellency what I 
 said. " You will please tell him if he was a coun- 
 tryman of mine and Prime Minister, and say I 
 was no gentleman, because I asked him for my 
 just dues, I would slap his mouth." He laughed, 
 and gave me an order on his treasurer for the 
 money. He was a better friend, if possible, than 
 ever, and told the United States Consul that I 
 was a man in every way.
 
 42 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 HEN the new engines and boiler for 
 the "Jack Waters" arrived out from 
 Gardner & Mcintosh, New Cross, 
 London, and I got my dock ready 
 to dock the boat, the Prime Minister hired me 
 his yacht " Meteor " at $ioo per day, and I pay all 
 expenses until I got the " Jack Waters " ready. 
 Of course I did not pay for days she did not run. 
 She averaged four days a week, and I paid him. 
 This leads me to receiving and landing the ma- 
 chinery. I erected a large pair of shears on my 
 wharf for the purpose of lifting heavy boilers and 
 machinery out of vessels for myself and others. 
 The first to use them was the King, who had a 
 consignment of machinery from the Novelty Iron 
 Works, N. Y. In doing the work I hurt my
 
 43 
 
 ankle very badly, but did not break the skin. It 
 caused me to lay up for two months without 
 relief. I told Dr. Campbell that if I was a sur- 
 geon, I would have known what to do with 
 that leg. He asked me, " What would you 
 do?" I said, "Cut it," which he did with his 
 old saw blade. He made three cuts, and I got 
 ease. Then he put flaxseed poultice on, and I 
 went to sleep, and felt very much better when I 
 got up. During the time my leg was so very sore, 
 my own machinery arrived, and I had to attend 
 to the discharging it from the ship. One day, 
 when standing on the ship's rail, cheering the 
 men at the crab — the boiler was nearly up out of 
 the hold of the vessel— who should appear, walk- 
 ing up the wharf, but my friend Jenkins, dressed 
 with a sailor jacket and hat. I requested him 
 to go up on the piazza and take a seat, and I 
 would follow him when I got the boiler landed, 
 which I did. We shook hands. I enquired after 
 his welfare and of his future. He had no thought
 
 44 
 
 for the future, as he had done wrong in leaving 
 his ship in Singapore. He had been chief-en- 
 Sfineer on the steamer " Chaw Paar," but drink 
 ofot him out of it. To encourage him, I told him 
 I would give him work. He asked what to do. 
 "Ah," said I, "at anything I can find for you, 
 and I am ready to give you $125 per month and 
 board. This caused tears to come in his eyes, 
 for he did not expect such kindness, after treat- 
 ing me as he had. I told him that was passed 
 with me, and he must look ahead, so I kept him 
 working until I started for home. Then I put him 
 in first engineer of the " Jack Waters." When I 
 docked the " Waters " for repairs, and put the 
 new machinery in, I made him boss of the job, 
 with Mr. Jackson, my engineer, to help him when 
 he could. I was laid up with my sore leg. When 
 the " Waters " went into dock, I put new gar- 
 board planks in, also thoroughly overhauled her 
 by putting new knees and also knee braces i inch 
 by 2 inch iron, so as to strengthen her, as she got
 
 45 
 
 a powerful twisting by being put on the sunken 
 junks at the mouth of the river by a Portuguese 
 man-of-war brig we were taking out. The tide 
 was running out strong, and the pilot, to clear 
 the junk, shoved the " Waters " on the other 
 junk. We passed out of the river, and the tide 
 was too low to go over the bar. We came to off 
 Mud Point, where we grounded in the mud. 
 Dropped anchor to prevent swinging on the turn 
 of the tide. We lay there two or three hours, 
 until one of the fireman came and told me the 
 boat was making water fast, and I told the pilot 
 to cast off from the brig and make for the mud 
 fiats, and put on all steam, and drove the boat 
 high upon the mud, over two miles from the brig. 
 Next morning, about eight o'clock, we floated off. 
 We pumped the water out. Strange to say, the 
 boat did not make any water for six months after 
 — never made a drop, and we had to put water in 
 her to keep her clean. When we took off the 
 garboard plank, we found the mud so thoroughly
 
 46 
 
 packed in between the timbers, we had to cut it 
 out with hammer and chisel. This novel way of 
 calking ship with mud just shows what a Yankee 
 can and will do in emergencies. While the boat 
 was in the dock, we put her new machinery in, 
 strengthened her, put new deck on ; in fact, made 
 her a new boat. The fact is, the "Waters" was 
 always too light for the work I put her to. I 
 made her do all she could and more. She cut off 
 five crank pins in one month ; at another time, 
 broke the top cylinder head in pieces, which we 
 replaced with boiler plate. Another time the 
 boat was coming up the river with $66,000 in 
 treasure consigned to three merchants. I was 
 waiting for her ; about 2 A. M. I saw a boat pull- 
 ing up the river. When near enough I asked 
 Jackson, the engineer, where the " Waters " was. 
 He answered, " Dropping up with the tide." It 
 flashed on me that another crank pin had gone. 
 " Yes," said he, " and the c^dinder is broken from 
 one side of the steam chest to the other." About
 
 M 
 
 4 o'clock she got to the wharf, and 1 got the 
 boxes of treasure on three sanpans, with us three 
 white men, Miller, Jackson and West, one in 
 each, and we delivered the treasure to the con 
 signees. Here let me say, that I doubt very 
 much if I could go from the Battery to Four- 
 teenth street, on the North River, with that 
 amount of treasure in open boats, and not be 
 molested, here in enlightened America or Eng- 
 land. After we returned to the boat, I gave 
 orders to take the cylinder off and clear the 
 wreck. After breakfast we turned to repair 
 it. T had no experience with broken cylinders, 
 but, as I have always brought ray mind to bear 
 upon emergencies, I made two check rings of 
 brass and fitted them close, and all solid, put the 
 cylinder back, and connected it up and put 75 
 pounds of steam on. It leaked some. I was pre- 
 pared for that, and I melted about 100 pounds of 
 lead, made a coffer dam of clay, then poured the 
 lead round the cylinder. When cold, calked it,
 
 48 
 
 which made it perfectly tight. The boat did her 
 work for six months after, and, strange to say, 
 never broke a crank pin. The second day after 
 after we floated her out the dock, we got steam 
 up and I hobbled on board with my cane and the 
 assistance of one of my boatmen. 1 looked her 
 all over to see that everything was ready. I gave' 
 the engines little steam. Jenkins and Jackson 
 down below, seeing all went right, after working 
 slow for some time, I ordered the boat to be cast 
 off, and we went down the river ten miles, every- 
 thing working fine. On our return I let the en- 
 gines out to see what they would do. They 
 registered 90 revolutions per minute, which was 
 grand for new engines. I put the " Waters " to 
 work on the third day after coming out of the 
 dock. In the midst of work, one of my Tycoons 
 or captain, named Check Churie, fell and broke 
 his leg. As I had a sick hospital or room on the 
 ground, he was put in this room, and Dr. Camp- 
 bell called. Here let me say that Dr. Campbell
 
 49 
 
 received from each foreigner's house located in 
 Bangkok $200 per annum, whether there was any 
 sickness or not. The doctor set the leg, and put 
 on it the usual appliances. The Tycoon did not 
 like the English doctor's treatment, so, after two 
 weeks of complaining, I got out of patience and 
 told him to get his Chinese doctor, if he wanted 
 to, not wishing to stand in his way of getting 
 well. He sent for his Chinese doctor, who came 
 down and took off Dr. Campbell's appliances, and 
 put his own on, which consisted of what appear- 
 ed to be a putty made of lime and vermilion red, 
 and, strange to say, that in three weeks the 
 man was walking about the compound with a 
 crutch. Neither Dr. Campbell nor myself could 
 understand how it could be possible for a man 
 with a broken leg to get up and around so soon. 
 The man was at his work in about two months. 
 Any man that got sick or hurt in my employ was 
 paid for his time and fed, and a man to take care 
 of him until he returned to work.
 
 50 
 
 During the time I was laid up with a lame 
 ankle, I bought a large boatload of wood for 
 Starting fires on the steamer and other pur- 
 poses. Wood is sold by loo pieces, at dif- 
 ferent prices, according to length and size. I 
 agreed with the boatman to count the pieces 
 and pile the wood up in two ranks or piles, 
 as I could do nothing but growl at every- 
 thing and everybody. I watched the man 
 pitch the wood ashore, at the same time count- 
 ing the pieces. He would call out " ing, song, 
 see, hoc, jit, caw, sip" — one, two, four, six, 
 eight, nine, ten. Thus, you see, I was being 
 cheated out of three pieces in every ten. He 
 kept this up until all was on shore ; then I 
 called out my interpreter, asked him to count 
 ten. He began, " ing, song, sani, see, ha, hoc, 
 jit, bat, caw, sip." Then I told how the man 
 counted, and ordered him to go and tell the 
 man how he counted the wood, and to count 
 it over and pile it up. He declined, saying his
 
 51 
 
 count was correct. I told him if he did not 
 count it over, and give me a correct count, 
 I would have him arrested. This put the 
 quietus on him, and he recounted the wood 
 with my man keeping tally. When done, I 
 was very nearly 500 pieces less than he said 
 at first. The above is only one of the great 
 many tricks they have to cheat foreigners. 
 Of course, they are very honest with good 
 watching ; at the same time, I will say that 
 if you make a confidant of an}- one of them, 
 he will do his duty. 
 
 To illustrate : I had in mv strong box in 
 the office 5000 ticoLs and the building was not 
 strong-built of bamboo. I said to the man, 
 " ow henna heep nung, ha pan bat anny " — 
 do you see the box, 5000 ticols in it. This 
 man kept his word, so that I had the money 
 to pay my help next day. 
 
 Another instance of their shrewdness: a mate 
 of an English ship I was loading kept tally
 
 52 
 
 of a cargo of rice, and cheated me out of 
 25 bags or picols, and signed the boat note 
 or receipt for 25 bags less than its face. I 
 told the tycoon, or captain, of the lighter. He 
 said he "can do, makee all the samee good 
 next time." So he did. When he went to the 
 ship and discharged his lighter, he was 75 
 bags ahead. I compelled the mate to sign the 
 boat note 75 bags over. He did not want to 
 do it, but I told him he signed the last 25 
 less, and of course he must sign this one 75 
 over. At the same time, I knew there could 
 be none over or none less, from the fact that 
 every bag that goes on board the lighter the 
 tycoon takes the piece of bamboo that is stuck 
 in the bag when it leaves the go-down ; there- 
 fore the same number must be counted out 
 that was counted in. When I took the boat 
 notes to the merchant it was all right, for he 
 knew all about miscounts as well as I did. 
 Thus I was brousfht to learn more thorough-
 
 53 
 
 ly to count in their dialect, as follows, which 
 will be as a key to their language, as I often 
 remarked that a person must of necessity keep 
 his or her mouth full of betel nut to say: 
 
 I 2 3 4 5 (i 7 a 9 
 
 " ing, song, sam, see, ha, hoc, jit, bat, caw, 
 
 JO _ 11 _ 12 13 14 _ 15 
 
 sip, sip bet, sip song, sip sam, sip see, sip ha, 
 
 16 17 _ 18 _ 111 20 
 
 sip hoc, sip jit, sip bat, sip caw, ye slip." 
 
 This brings me to another source of my 
 success. A rich Chinaman named Poo Yin, 
 who owned several ships, came to me one 
 Sunday morning, and said his ship. Five Stars, 
 was at the outer anchorage, and he wanted 
 her towed up. I told him it was Sunday, and 
 my men wanted rest, and I always gave them 
 that day until seven o'clock in the evening. 
 Then the boat went down the river. He asked 
 my price. I told him $200. He offered me 
 $400, just double. I said no ; not but what I 
 wanted to oblige him, but I could not violate 
 principle for money. At the same time I
 
 54 
 
 asked him when he wanted his ship up. He 
 answered by sunrise next morning. I told 
 him he should have her up by that time. He 
 went off satisfied that I would do what I 
 said. I sent the boat down with instructions 
 to lay the lighters alongside of the ships and 
 then take in tow the Five Stars, and bring 
 her up to Bangkok, but if the weather is 
 fine, why wait for them and bring them all 
 up to Packet Canal, let the barges go through 
 and pick them up at the end and take the 
 ship round the big bend. Monday morning 
 about four o'clock, I heard the "Waters" whistle 
 round Petticom's Point. I hustled to get out 
 in my boat to meet them, which I did, the 
 ship and four lighters, I boarded the ship, 
 and she dropped the lighters, as we went up 
 the river to their proper consignees. Then 
 we went up opposite Poo Yims go-down and 
 dropped anchor. I moored ^hip. I left for 
 fiome, and got my breakfast, and then went
 
 55 
 
 to business, seeing the lighters were getting 
 loaded and their boat notes on board. Then 
 I let them drop down the river so the 
 steamer could pick them up. This done, I 
 returned home to Tiffin or lunch. While per- 
 forming that pleasant duty, a messenger came 
 in from Poo Yin with four hundred Mexican 
 dollars. My boy counted the money in two 
 sections or piles. One pile I kept ; the other 
 I sent back with my compliments. About 4 
 P. M., Poo Yin called to know why I sent 
 $200 back. I told him inasmuch as 1 did not 
 send the steamer expressly for his ship, of 
 course, 1 would only charge my price, $200; 
 but said 1, if I held the steamer back for the 
 lighters, of course 1 would take $400 for I 
 would lose a trip. Me went off pleased and 
 and I got all his work from that day forth. 
 This reminds me of a little matter that might 
 have proved fatal, namely, there was a man, an 
 American, keeping a sailor boarding-house up
 
 56 
 
 near San Pang or market place. He was taken 
 sick and died. He made his will, and gave his 
 sister what he had, after paying his debts. Dur- 
 ing the latter part of his sickness I had to hire a 
 man to take care of him. I hired a man named 
 Redmon from Orleans County, N. Y., who came 
 to us as a sailor, and got sick or left his ship, I 
 can't say Avhich. However, I hired him at §i 
 per day. As he was not doing anything, he was 
 glad to get it. He was an ugly character, as I 
 found out afterwards. The sick man died a few 
 days after. I told the man Redmon to call and 
 get his money, $i6, which he promised to do. In 
 the meantime 1 heard that the United States Con- 
 sul held a claim in the Consulate against Redmon 
 for $25 for killing J. S. Parker's dog. I again 
 asked him to call for his money, as I must have a 
 voucher for the money. He answered, " I will," 
 and did not until the Consul garnisheed the 
 money in my hands, which I did not pay over to 
 the Consul, thinking I might get Redmon off from
 
 57 
 
 paying the $25. He called for his money, and I 
 told the situation, but told him to go down to the 
 Consul with a letter I wrote him about the mat- 
 ter. Instead of so doing, he went off and got full 
 of arick, or samshoo, that will make one crazy 
 drunk. In this condition he went down to the 
 Consulate, and drove the Consul out of the Con- 
 sulate, with two single barrel pistols and a large 
 bowie knife, 12 inches long in the blade- When 
 he could do no more, he turned his attention to 
 me. We met on the steamer's landing. He 
 asked for his money. I told him I had done all I 
 could do until the Consul answered my letter 
 which he carried down. I then started up the 
 steps to the piazza. I heard a click ; I turned to 
 see what it was. Just then he pulled the trigger 
 the second time, and it missed fire. He threw it 
 away into the wood pile, and pulled another from 
 his pocket, and said, " Damn you ! give me my 
 money, or I will kill you." With that, he pulled 
 the third and fourth time, and missed fire. He
 
 58 
 
 threw that one in the wood pile. He then drew 
 his bowie knife, and made for me, I then slap- 
 ped him on the shoulder, and told him he was too 
 big a coward to use his knife against an unarmed 
 man. This excited him more than he was. He 
 repeated the word coward three or four times, 
 then made a cut at me, and broke his knife off at 
 the handle, by striking the rail which I was lean- 
 ing upon at the time. By this time several men 
 from the next compound came in and took the 
 knife from him. Just then the United States 
 Marshal came onto the scene, and I ordered 
 Redmon's arrest. The Marshal put a pair of 
 handcuffs on him. In less than five minutes he 
 broke them, solid iron. Captain White, of the 
 ship "John W. White," brought a set of chain 
 handcuffs which he could not break. He was 
 put in jail at the Consulate, and made so much 
 noise that the natives ran away. The Consul 
 sent for me to take him away. Not I, but I 
 cooled his fighting propensity by going into the
 
 59 
 
 jail. There he was, as wild as a madman. He 
 saluted me by asking, "What do you want?" I 
 told him I was prepared to quiet him. I said, 
 •' You came at me with pistols and bowie knife 
 yesterda}^ and I did not have a jack knife." I 
 measured across the room, went out and had the 
 natives make me a pair of stocks for his feet. 
 When done, I took them in, and made him put 
 his feet in the holes, and I screwed them up. I 
 did not have any weapon. He was kept that 
 way until he got the whisky all out of him, and 
 he got all right. Then they were taken off. He 
 was indicted for attempting my life. He pleaded 
 guilty. He was asked if any one would defend 
 him. After he was condemned, before sentence, 
 I pleaded for him. He looked so penitent. I 
 got him off with ten years in Sing Sing, and he 
 was sent to Hong Kong in double irons, and 
 from there he was sent to the United States in a 
 man-of-war. As luck would have it, the papers 
 ^cnt by the Consul were not sufificient to holc^
 
 6o 
 
 him, therefore he was let go. I gave him pipes 
 and tobacco to last him up the sea to China. 
 The next I heard of him he was in Singapore, 
 sick in the hospital with derangement of the 
 liver. I sent him some money, as I believed he 
 would never have done what he did if sober.
 
 6i 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 HERE are many little items T could 
 refer to with pleasure, such as din- 
 ners and buryings, etc. I will men- 
 tion one or two. 
 First: I had some business with Krom Aloing 
 Wang Saw, the King's brother, a large, heavy 
 man, about 300. I called with my boat on him. 
 On entering the palace grounds, I met the King 
 and his children coming out of the palace, where 
 he had been to the top-knot cutting of the 
 Prince's eldest son. What I mean by cutting 
 the top-knot is this: Male children's hair is 
 allowed to grow on the top of the head from 
 birth until they mature. Then it is cut. With 
 royalty it is a great feast, with royalty and 
 nobles assembled to do honor to the young man.
 
 62 
 
 I passed the King, who bowed with his military 
 cap lifted very graciously. I stood and saluted 
 him. I started on to the palace, and just as I got 
 to the inner gate, who should face me but the 
 Queen, with a large number of Amazons or fe- 
 male soldiers. They looked neat and tid3^ In 
 the rear was a young corporal. She looked at 
 me and laughed. I said to the corporal, '* Will 
 you take me in your army?" She laughed aloud, 
 and set the rest at it. The Queen looked back to 
 see the cause of the merriment. Of course I 
 stood as quiet as a lamb, with my face serene. I 
 told the old Prince what I passed through. He 
 laughed, and put his big fat arms around me and 
 said I was a good American. I got through with 
 my business, and left him with the usual salaam. 
 
 This brings me to a little affair I had with the 
 second King. The second King could talk good 
 English. He was taught by Mr. Jones and 
 other American missionaries. The King built 
 himself a very nice steam yacht, and put the en-
 
 63 
 
 gines in the boat. He did ver}' well, except 
 some little things. He sent his royal barge with 
 60 paddlers for me. Of course I went up to his 
 palace, which is very beautiful, neat and trim, 
 with beautiful gardens. He met us at the King's 
 landing. At first the sentry on the landing would 
 not permit me to land on the King's landing, but 
 I insisted on doing so. Finally, the King came in 
 sight, and he told the sentry to let the barge 
 come into the landing. We met, and we had 
 some refreshments, such as drinking cocoanuts, 
 coffee and cakes. We talked awhile, telling me 
 many things about the counti-y and himself. His 
 heir apparent was named Prince George, after 
 our own George Washington, as he was always a 
 great admirer of Washington. We went on 
 board of the boat. I packed, and showed his 
 men how to pack the engines, and wanted to 
 know where he should put the clock, meaning 
 the steam gauge and the whistle. I set a drill 
 and set his men drilling a hole in the steam drum,
 
 64 
 
 and when done, I tapped the hole. In doing so I 
 wanted a screw wrench, and said to one of the 
 men " Kon kie me." The King said, " Hold on, 
 what did you ask for?" I answered, " Kon kie 
 me." " Well," said he, "you are a better Siamese 
 than I am " He persisted in calling it kon, which 
 means hammer. Kie means something to turn a 
 screw with. So I put the two together, and called 
 it kon kie. The King gave in I was right. I put 
 the gauge and whistle up. We got up a little 
 steam, and turned the engines over at the wharf, 
 and I blew the whistle, which pleased him very 
 much, and the gauge he watched with interest. 
 First I had to explain how the steam turned the 
 screw round to the figures. I told him he could 
 carry 70 or 80 pounds, if he wanted to. He 
 thanked me for the service I rendered him. 1 
 saw him many times on the river with his yacht. 
 
 Another rather laughable affair took place. 
 The Prime Minister, Cala Holme, called at my 
 place of business. When he arrived I was at din-
 
 65 
 
 ner. As it is the custom of the country never to 
 disturb or be disturbed while eating, he took a 
 seat. The mail steamer "Chow Phyar " arrived 
 that afternoon, and the captain sent me a piece 
 of American ice. Just as I came out from din- 
 ner the Prime Minister asked me what it was. 
 I told him it was ice, or nam now nuck, not 
 knowing any other name for it. I gave him a 
 piece in his hand. He said it was ron nuck, 
 because it stung his hand. I said, " Plan now 
 nuck " — it was cold, so 1 put a piece in a glass of 
 water. After shaking it quite some time, I gave 
 it to him to drink. Then he found it was cold, 
 and said it was dee nuck, and wanted a piece to 
 take home with him. That was the first ice he 
 had seen. 
 
 This brings me to anotlier matter, different 
 from the above. One evening I was preparing 
 to go out to dinner, when two of my lighter men 
 came to my room and informed me my men and 
 Pekenpack's men were fighting. To explain : My
 
 66 
 
 men belonged to the clan of Hoinan-Chinamen, 
 while the others came from the Canton district, 
 and spoke a different dialect from that spoken by 
 the Hoinan, the Tea a Choo ; so, when the cause 
 is given, no matter how trivial, they come to 
 blows, something like the Corkonians and Far- 
 downs in Ireland. 1 hastened down the river to 
 the lighter. There I saw a bloody fight between 
 the two factions, One man had his head cut 
 open with an ax. I took in the state of things 
 and concluded there would be more killed. I 
 said to Mr. Pekenpack, " Why did you not stop 
 this fight in the beginning instead of sending for 
 me." He said he was afraid to interfere. With 
 that I took off my coat and picked up a piece of 
 Sappan wood, and watched for a lull, and in I 
 went between the contending parties. I struck 
 out right and left. I drove my men on board of 
 their lighter, and Pekenpack's men into their 
 houses. On the way, I made them pick up the 
 dead man and carry him into his house. By this
 
 6; 
 
 time the King's police came on the scene, and 
 wanted to arrest my men for killing the man. I 
 stopped them by telling the officer to come to- 
 morrow morning and I would give them the man 
 that did the deed. After all was made quiet, I 
 learned the cause, namely, the cook of my lighter 
 was splitting some wood on the jetty or wharf to 
 cook supper with, and one of Pekenpack's men 
 got a splinter in his foot. Thereupon, he threw 
 the cook, ax and wood into the river. Both sides 
 being very excitable, they came to blows. Next 
 morning I went down to the lighter, and found 
 both parties at work, just as if there had been no 
 difference with them. When they stopped for 
 breakfast I got my men upon deck. I talked to 
 them upon the enormity of the crime that had 
 been committed by one of them, and as 1 passed 
 by each one, they all looked me in the face and 
 smiled, except one man, who hung his head and 
 looked guilty. I took him by the hand and led 
 him out, and passed him over to the captain
 
 68 
 
 of police. He was tried and condemned to 
 have his head cut off. When I heard of it I 
 called on the Prime Minister, and had the case 
 opened. As these men were working for me, 
 they were under American protection, and should 
 have been tried only by American law and before 
 the American Consul. The trial commenced, and 
 I defended my man, and the case closed by giv- 
 ing him nine months with ball and chain, and 
 work when wanted. I sent him from time to 
 such things as he needed for comfort, and he got 
 his pay up to the time of his death, which was 
 in the third or fourth month after conviction. 
 
 I am reminded that on a return trip from 
 the bar, I sent the lighters through Paclet 
 Canal. When the men were poling them 
 through, some drunken natives began throwing 
 bricks and stones at the men, and struck 
 several of them. This caused anger, and my 
 men went on shore and chased the others, 
 and they ran into the Governor's yard. There
 
 69 
 
 they had a fight, and one of the drunken men 
 was hit so hard that he died in a few days. 
 My men were arrested, and were tried . by the 
 Lord Mayof, and fined 7200 Ticols or ,^4, 320.00. 
 I left the matter in the hands of the U. S. 
 Consul. He, not being posted in such matters, 
 and not wanting to offend the Siamese, let 
 matters take their course. When I got back 
 from the outer anchorage, I was informed of 
 the decision of the Court, and of the fine 
 placed upon my men. I went up to the Minis- 
 ter of Foreign Affairs, and insisted on having 
 the case opened up so my men could be 
 heard. He refused. I then told him I should 
 write home to my Government, and lay the 
 case before our Secretary of State, as all I 
 asked was justice, and if it was then decided 
 that my men should pay jet Pan Song Roy 
 Bart, seven thousand two hundred ticols, I 
 would willingly do it, but not till I was sat- 
 isfied that they had had justice done them.
 
 70 
 
 The case, was appointed for Saturday, as that 
 was the only day I could attend in person. 
 After all interested had assembled, the case 
 was called on, and he examined his witnesses. 
 1 cross examined them as they came along, I 
 had my interpreter take notes. At first, his 
 Lordship would not let my man put my ques- 
 tion, and give their answers. He said one in- 
 terpreter was enough. I said no, my man 
 was in my place as interpreter, and I propos- 
 ed using him. When he saw I was deter- 
 mined to have justice, he went on with the 
 case, and I proved by their own side that 
 my men were going along quietly and not 
 disturbing anybody, and they threw bricks and 
 stones at my men, and struck several of them, 
 and made a number of dents and marks on 
 the cabin of the lighter. When my men were 
 called upon to giy^ testimony, his Highness 
 objected ; but I insisted that they should be 
 heard in their own defence. I proved by them
 
 71 
 
 that they were passing through the Canal, and 
 when they got half way through, several 
 drunken men began to stone them with bricks 
 and stones, to the injury of their persons and 
 property, which was nothing more than the 
 plaintiffs stated in their testimony. My men 
 said they got very angry, and got on shore 
 and ran after the men, and they ran into the 
 Governor's yard, and in the fight, the man got 
 fatally hurt; but could not say by whom, 
 whether by 'them, or whether he fell and got 
 hurt. Thus, by both sides, I proved that my 
 men were right in protecting my property, a 
 property that was paying into the Siamese 
 treasury thousands upon thousands every month, 
 and why should my property and men be in- 
 jured by a lot of drunken Siamese? "Why" 
 said I, " your Lordship ought to make these 
 men pay me 5000 ticols for the loss of time 
 of my men and the lighter." At the conclusion 
 of my speech, he said that the \vid(nv of the
 
 72 
 
 dead man was very poor, with three children, 
 and inasmuch as he had not got the whole 
 case as he now understood it, he would say 
 that my men ought to give the widow two 
 hundred ticols for the loss of her husband. 
 Thereupon I increased it to two hundred and 
 fifty ticols, showing thereby that I wanted to 
 do the right thing. So I sent my interpreter 
 to the steamboat office for the 250 ticols, 
 and paid it then and there. This whole trial 
 shows what a little pluck or cheek will do. 
 
 I had many cases of running down boats at 
 night, when the darkness was so intense that 
 a boat could not be seen coming up the river, 
 as they never carry lights. Calling at the U. 
 S. Consulate became so frequent, that I told 
 the Consul that if any native preferred charges 
 against the "Jack Waters" for running him down, 
 for him to p^' the damages, not exceeding 
 twenty-five ticols. That wound up the boat 
 business, for as I told him if a boat carried
 
 73 
 
 a light, and the "Waters" ran her down, I 
 would pay the damages, but if the boat car- 
 ried no light, not one cent would I pay.
 
 74 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 AM reminded of a dinner I attended. 
 A high noble invited me to dine with 
 him, which 1 did, and was met and 
 cordially received by His Highness. 
 In due time, we sat down to dinner, we two 
 with six or eight servants to wait upon us. 
 Course i, was soup; No. 2, fish; 3, boiled 
 chicken; 4, roast pork, very fat; 5th, grub 
 worms (or looked like them). I, of course, 
 partook of everything I saw him eat. After 
 I had swallowed two or three of the last, I 
 imagined I felt them squirm inside of me, 
 6th, roast duck ; 7th, roast peacock which was 
 very fine ; 8th, rice and currv ; 9th, fruit of 
 eight or ten different kinds from the Man- 
 gosteen and Lichees to the Durian. The
 
 75 
 
 Durian is a fruit very obnoxious to the olfac^ 
 tory organs. The odor can be detected half 
 a mile off, but the pulp inside is perfectly 
 grand, and if a new comer will hold his nose 
 and eat the pulp of one seed, he will untie 
 his nose and eat the pulp of half a dozen 
 seeds. This was my case. I was in the coun- 
 try nearly a year, and the Rev. S. S. Smith, 
 Baptist missionary, invited me to tiffin with 
 him and his good wife. Tiffin consists of 
 roast chicken, fruit, tea and cake. On the 
 table was my inveterate enemy, the Durian. 
 He invited me to partake of it. I declined, 
 but he insisted, saying, " if you don't like it I 
 will never set it before you or ask you to 
 eat it again." I did eat the pulp of one seed, 
 and I found it like a singed cat, far better 
 than it looked ; before I moved from the 
 table, I ate the pulp of several seeds. loth, 
 tea, coffee and cake, and Siamese candy which 
 is very good; nth, segars, which I enjoyed
 
 76 
 
 very much. We separated about 9 P. M., 
 and thus ended the dinner. 
 
 This brings to notice a little affair that hap- 
 pened when I was building the large barge 
 and ' had some two hundred Chinamen and 
 Siamese to work, ship carpenters and joiners, 
 blacksmiths, calkers and laborers. One evening 
 while at dinner, and all the workmen had 
 gone home, there was one man lurking around, 
 and the watchman saw him pick up some 
 small scraps of copper, and he stopped him 
 and reported it to me. I told him Ped de O 
 con kin cow low — wait a little until I eat, 
 then I would see him — which I did. I asked 
 him what he was doing there, and Avhen he 
 had told me I looked at the scraps of cop- 
 per. They were of no value to me, inasmuch 
 as I had never to the value of a pin lost 
 anything. I made an example of him by tak- 
 ing his tickets from him and tearing them 
 up. These tickets are given in the evening at
 
 ;; 
 
 five, when work stops. They pass in the mar- 
 ket the same as cash. At the end of the 
 month all tickets are paid, no matter who 
 brings them in. On some pay days I would 
 have as many as twenty fish and other vend- 
 ders to receive their money for tickets. After 
 I destroyed iiis tickets (^three in all), I told 
 my interpreter to put him out of the gate, 
 which he did. A few days after the watch- 
 man went down into the market for some 
 eatables, and the discharged man pulled him 
 and beat him shamefully, cut his face and 
 head. He came to me with the blood on his 
 face, and under the impulse of the moment, 
 my sympathy was enlisted for Chick Heah, 
 the watchman. I called my six boat boys, 
 each with a club, and we started for the 
 market, with me ahead. Just as we entered 
 the market, 1 saw the man with others enter 
 into a gambling den. We followed and went 
 up to the man, and took him ^y the arm,
 
 78 
 
 and led him out, and fifteen or twenty others 
 followed, yelling and hooting after us as we 
 went on up to our compound. I put the man 
 in the center with three of my boys ahead, 
 and three behind. I took the rear with Chick 
 Heah with me. I then sent him with a body- 
 guard up to the Lord Mayor with instruc- 
 tions to my interpreter to tell His Excellency 
 what the man had done. Chick Heah went 
 with them with the evidence still on his face. 
 Strange to say, if one man draws blood from 
 another, the injured man never washes the 
 blood off until it is seen by an officer, when 
 the truth of his assertion is estabhshed beyond 
 a doubt. His Highness looked at Chick Heah 
 and sent him back to me to do what I 
 thought proper. Next morning the man's wife 
 came to my office and pleaded for her hus- 
 band on the ground of drunkenness. As I 
 did not have any sympathy for drunkards, I 
 referred the matter to Chick Heah to settle.
 
 79 
 
 The three agreed to abide my decision. There- 
 upon I decided that the man should pay Chick 
 Song Sip ha Leon $25, to which husband 
 and wife demurred, and offered Song Sip 
 Leon $20 which was accepted. As I knew 
 their propensity for Jewing down, I made 
 it $25 with a view of a cut down. Then 
 the wife wanted the man to go for the money, 
 and she stay until he came back. I said 
 Plow — no — the wife must go and get the 
 money, as I knew the man would never come 
 back, and I could not hold the wife. So she 
 went. In a short time she came back with 
 $20 and handed it to me. 1 refused it and 
 told her to pay it to the man her husband 
 had nearly killed, which she did, and then 
 they left. 
 
 The following Sunday, Chick Heah gave the 
 amount to the poor fund of the little Baptist 
 Church of which he was an honored deacon 
 and a good man, none better in an}- country,
 
 a converted heathen, and proved himself one 
 of the salt of the earth. What man in this 
 country would do the same thing — put money 
 in the treasury of the Lord, that which he 
 received for being cut and slashed to pieces ? 
 The little Baptist church consisted of thirty- 
 one converted heathens, and I tell you of a 
 truth they were all consistent Christians, main- 
 ly fishermen. They would come from differ- 
 ent points of the surrounding country on Com- 
 munion Sunday, every two months, and such 
 a meeting ! The Rev. R. Telford, Missionary, 
 presided over the church of which he was 
 ver}- proud. I have seen thirty-one ticols or 
 $18.60 put in the poor box for the poor of 
 the church, and other needy Chinamen. A 
 ticol looks as big as a grape shot in the e3'es 
 of a poor Chinaman, and fish is their princi- 
 pal diet. Notwithstanding they use light diet, 
 they are very strong. Only think, a man of 
 about 130 lbs. or 140 lbs. will carry piculs of
 
 rice 133 lbs. on his shoulder in turn with 
 others, for two and three hours, until they 
 discharge 12 or 1500 piculs of rice out of the 
 lighter up on board of the ship, sometimes in 
 a rough sea when they can hardly keep their 
 feet.
 
 82 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Y understanding of the trouble be- 
 tween France and Siam is that it is 
 owing principally to France's grasp- 
 ing disposition to overpower the 
 small independent kingdoms in the East. 
 
 I think it was about i860 the French made 
 a demand on the King of Siam for a cer- 
 tain piece of territory over in Anam, in fulfill- 
 ment of an agreement made by one of the 
 sons of the old king of Anam. This young 
 Prince, after the death of his father, agreed 
 to give the French the territory named if the 
 French would put him on the throne in place 
 of his brother, who was the legitimate heir. 
 The work was consummated ; and then the 
 new King told the French that the King of
 
 83 
 
 Siam must consent to his giving the land as 
 it was tributary to Siam. Then the French 
 took up the cudgel of might against right, 
 and began to intimidate the King of Siam, by 
 bringing one of their gun boats up the River 
 with flags flying and drums beating. The ship 
 passed Packnam, which is a custom house, 
 with their guns and cannon on board, which 
 was a violation of the treaty obligations made 
 with Western nations. Up the River came 
 the gun boat with Count Castlenau on board. 
 The demand was then made with all the bom- 
 bast that a Frenchman can command, and it 
 was refused. The King referred the matter to 
 the Kalaholm, Prime Minister. He gave Count ' 
 Castlenau an audience. After listening to the 
 Count's demand, the Kalaholm asked "By what 
 authority do you come here to treat with 
 Siam for land ? Where is your exequatur to 
 act?" The Count said he had none. "Well," 
 said his Excellency, "you had better go home
 
 84 
 
 and ask your Royal Master to give you some 
 authority to act, and not come here with your 
 gun boat and guns past Packnam in violation 
 of treaty which says all guns shall be sent on 
 shore, when a vessel is bound up the River." 
 The fortification of Packnam consists of only 
 one fort on right hand side of the river as you go 
 up. This fort was built more for appearance 
 than anything else. An American 6-inch gun 
 would knock spots out of it. The river at its 
 mouth is very wide at high water, and about a 
 half mile wide at low water. The channel is 
 very narrow, with two sunken junks on either 
 side. They were sunk there, loaded with stone, 
 to keep the Burmese from entering the river. 
 Bangkok, the capital of the Kingdom, is situated 
 about 25 miles up, and, in my opinion, a very 
 beautiful city as compared with other oriental 
 cities. The people are very friendly, and, for 
 aught I know, strictly honest and straightfor- 
 ward in their dealings with foreigners, except in
 
 85 
 
 a few instances, such as I have named — the wood 
 dealer is one. 
 
 July 4, 1 86 1. — Four or five of us Americans got 
 up a Fourth of July celebration, consisting of a 
 grand dinner, the best edibles that Singapore and 
 Bangkok could give us. The table was set for 65 
 guests, in which there were Siamese nobles, Chi- 
 nese of high grade. We sat at table and enjoyed 
 the dinner, while a Siamese band gav£ us the best 
 music they could, which means the fellow who 
 can make the biggest noise is the best musician. 
 After the cloth was removed toasts were given 
 and drunk in water-champagne. The King of 
 of Siam was represented by the Lord Mayor ; the 
 President of the United States by the writer ; the 
 Queen of England by Her Majesty's Consul. 
 Everything went off just as wc intended it should. 
 We began the day by hring a national salute with 
 the largest firecrackers we could get ; and I tell 
 you we made the welkin ring, for the crackers 
 made a noise like small cannons. We fired 41
 
 86 
 
 guns to salute our flag, 21 to salute the Siamese 
 flag, and kept firing at intervals all clay saluting 
 everybody's flag. Thus the day, evening and 
 night passed off very grandly with lots of fun. 
 The natives enjoyed it as much as we did. We 
 closed the grand fandango about 2 A. M. on the 
 5th, by S. P. Goodale proposing a toast to the 
 writer, to which we responded with good cheer, 
 although very tired. It took nearly all next day 
 to clear up the debris and get in the flags, for we 
 borrowed all the flags from the American ships at 
 the outer anchorage, and all the captains came 
 up to the dinner and had a good time. 
 
 Before leaving for home, the King sent his 
 messenger, a noble, for me on Sunday morning, 
 requesting an audience. I told the messenger 
 that inasmuch as Sunday was a day of rest, and 
 I had been in his country nearly five years, and 
 had not violated one of my Christian princi- 
 ples, and as I was about taking my leave of 
 Siam, I did not wish to violate or trespass upon

 
 87 
 
 the good examples I had tried to inculcate in 
 the minds of his subjects ; but added in my 
 note that I would meet His Majesty at lo next 
 morning. He answered by note, saying my time 
 was too early in the morning, but would meet 
 me at 2 in the afternoon. When it was time 
 to start for the Palace, I called away my gig 
 (boat) and took with me the Rev. S. Matoon 
 and Rev. R. Telford. When we arrived at the 
 Palace we were conducted to the reception apart- 
 ment, in front of which there were two elephants 
 with all their fixings on, and also about 50 soldiers 
 drawn up in line. Music was furnished by the 
 King's brass band, with a French leader, who 
 played " Star Spangled Banner," " Yankee Doo- 
 dle," etc. Finally, the King came out and bid us 
 welcome, and talked of many things pertaining to 
 my stay in his Kingdom, and of the many regrets 
 expressed by his brother, Prince Crom Alouing 
 Wang-Sau, the Prime Minister, and other nobles, 
 and closed the interview by requesting me to
 
 send him, at his expense, two boxes of American 
 tobacco called Honey Dew. During the inter, 
 view or audience, the King took off and put on 
 his finger a magnificent ring. I began to think 
 he intended to present it to me as a souvenir of 
 his best wishes, but he did not. 
 
 He took this occasion to invite us to the crown- 
 ing ceremony of his eldest son and heir to the 
 throne of Siam, but as he had learned from Ma 
 Millee that he did not participate in anything on 
 One Ah Tit (Sunday), and Sunday would be the 
 first day, he hoped we would all come on the 
 other two days. We thanked His Majesty, and 
 made our salaam, and were escorted to our boat, 
 and left for home. On the day appointed we 
 went to the crowning, and were given the best 
 seats at the show and feast. The crowning of an 
 oriental prince was something grand. To me it 
 was a grand sight; in fact, it was to all of us 
 who came from the far off western nation. The 
 second day, the young prince was ^irrayed in gor-
 
 YOUNG PRINCE, NOW KING OF SIAM. (Page 89.)
 
 89 
 
 geous apparel, and carried on a very handsome 
 sedan chair by four native noblemen, with two 
 nobles to steady him, as the gold decorations on 
 the young man would certainly weigh twenty 
 pounds. They were interwoven with diamonds 
 and other precious stones. The procession stop- 
 ped in front of the writer, so I got a good look 
 at the young prince as he was taken down from 
 the sedan chair and was conducted into the tem- 
 porary throne room where he was divested of 
 his gorgeous apparel. Then he was taken up 
 winding stairs to the top of a very high artificial 
 mountain built of bamboo, and covered with 
 green paper, and having miniature trees up the 
 sides and on top. The whole thing was worthy 
 of the occasion. The writer was ver}' much 
 pleased with all he saw. After the ceremony we 
 were conducted to the banqueting hall, and sat 
 down to a bountiful feast, gotten up in true Ame- 
 rican and English style, with beer, wine and other 
 liquors for those who drank. The whole thing
 
 90 
 
 passed off in a manner worthy of an oriental 
 King. The then young prince is now the reign- 
 ing monarch of that Kingdom, 
 
 On my arrival in New York I called on John 
 Anderson & Co., 1 14 Liberty street, who very read- 
 ily said they would put up a dozen boxes or six 
 gross of tobacco into very handsome boxes, and 
 forward them free of charge, for the privilege of 
 of advertising the order received from the King 
 of Siam, I dictated the order to his agent, which 
 made about one-fifth of a column in the daily 
 papers. The tobacco was put up in grand style. 
 First it was put into very handsome paper boxes, 
 then into a perfectly beautiful mahogany case, 
 with this inscription in gold letters : " For the 
 first King of Siam and Sovereign of Laos." This 
 case was on exhibition for some time. Then it 
 was put into a strong pine box and shipped to 
 Bangkok via Hong Kong, care Messrs. A. A. 
 Low Bros., Chinese merchants ; from Hong Kong 
 Bangkok, care of the Rev. S. Matoon, of Presby-
 
 91 
 
 terian mission, and forwarded by him to the 
 Palace. The King received the shipment and 
 expressed his thanks. 
 
 Last, but not least, the steamer " Viscount 
 Canning " arrived, and I got all ready for my de- 
 parture for Hong Kong and home. Some of my 
 friends waited upon C. G. Allen to charter the 
 " Jack Waters " to take me down to the bar. He 
 declined, saying he had made all arrangements 
 to take me down at his own expense, which he 
 did in noble style.
 
 92 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 |^^^?22^E started from Bangkok about 9 o'clock 
 . ^Sim o" t*^^ ^^^^^ o^ March, 1862, and ar- 
 pltillH rived alongside of the steamer about 
 I o'clock. Captani Ah Choon was up 
 to all good things, for he had the cabin table 
 spread with a grand collation, which we all en- 
 joyed. 
 
 After doing full justice to the good things 
 which Captain Ah Choon had provided, the cloth 
 was removed. S. P. Goodale, the United States 
 Consul, rose in his seat and proposed the name of 
 our guest (the writer), to which Mr. C. G. Allen 
 responded, eulogizing the writer in the highest 
 degree. Then there were several other speeches 
 from the Portugese, ex-American, Russian, Brit- 
 ish and the Hamburgh Consuls. All spoke in
 
 93 
 
 about the same strain, by crediting me for more 
 than I thought I deserved. At the conckision of 
 S. P. Goodale's remarks, a boy handed him two 
 bags containing about 600 Mexican dollars. This 
 amount he said was contributed by my friends in 
 Bangkok for the purpose of purchasing a set of 
 silver, and to be kept to remind me of the friends 
 I left behind me in Bangkok, and also to refresh 
 my memory of the many happy days I passed 
 with them during my four and a half years resi- 
 dence in that city. He said my friends were 
 legion ; he did not know of a man, woman or 
 child but what respected me for my manhood 
 and Christian character, from the King down to 
 the Cooley population. In fact, I think he eulo- 
 gized me too highly to my face. If I had been 
 dead, then he could say what he pleased. At the 
 close of his remarks he presented me with the 
 two bags of treasure. After considerable talking, 
 laughing and crying, the entire escort returned 
 to the "Jack Waters," and cast off their lines and
 
 94 
 
 started for Bangkok, and left me alone with my 
 own feelings, for I certainl}^ did feel bad at part- 
 ing with so many staunch friends. I watched 
 the receding "Jack Waters" until she passed 
 around Mud Point and entered the river. My 
 mind began to run over my past four and a half 
 years with the natives, and I saw nothing in my 
 career amongst them but what was of the most 
 friendly character ; and I will say the Siamese 
 are today a kind, generous people. I traveled 
 through a large part of their country, and met 
 with nothing but kindness. In some places where 
 we passed, the natives, who never saw a white 
 man, and to whom we looked strange and ate 
 strangely with knife, fork and spoon, would ob- 
 serve us very closely and watch how we handled 
 the tools. Why should I not feel sad at leaving 
 so many people, native and foreign, whom I 
 loved ? \ 
 
 The captain went back to the city with the 
 steamer.
 
 95 
 
 14th. — The captain came on board and ordered 
 steam up, and the anchor hove short. At 9 A. M. 
 we started, everybody bustling about, getting the 
 ship ready for sea. We passed Cape Liant out 
 into the open Gulf of Siam. Farewell to Siam ! 
 I came to you with my forebodings four years, 
 six months and fifteen days ago ! I now go 
 away with many heartfelt feelings of respect. 
 May God grant that the day is not far distant 
 when you may all see the beauties of the re- 
 ligion of Jesus Christ, and turn from your idol 
 worship to the one living and true God ! 
 
 19th. — Passed Pulo Cordore, 12 miles distant; 
 wind N.E. by E., with very bad coal. 
 
 20th. — Kept off two points to let the sails 
 draw. 
 
 2 1 St: — Fresh breeze, with heavy sea running. 
 Sighted the Island of Pulo de Moore — large 
 island, inhabited by a very industrious class 
 of Cochin Chinese. 4 P. M. — Ever)^ prospect of 
 a very dirty night.
 
 96 
 
 22d. — Heavy sea running. Ship heading N.E. 
 by E. Heavy weather, with rain. No sun to- 
 day. 5 P. M.— Put the ship on the port tack, and 
 stood in for the Gulf of Tonquin. On account of 
 bad coal could not make steam. 
 
 23d. — Doing well for us — about 6 knots; ship 
 heading E.N.E. 
 
 24th. — No wind, with long rolling sea. Kept 
 close up to the Parasels Shoals in 4^^ fathoms. 
 Lat., 14 N. Ship rolling like a log. No steam. 
 With such weather the ship, with good coal, 
 could make 12 knots. This is all on the Owen 
 Pher Py San. This is the Northeast Mantzoon 
 season, and we may expect a snorter from N.E. 
 at any time. If we do get it, good bye, John, for 
 we will hand in the number of our mess. Lat. 
 1 5-40. 
 
 26th, 6 A. M.— Stopped the engines to clean 
 tubes and back bridges all right. Lat., 17 N.; 
 long., 113 E. 
 
 27th.— All right, making 7 knots. Wind N.
 
 97 
 
 half E. Stopped two hours to get clear of the 
 land. 
 
 28th, 6 A. M. — We made the Leana Island. 
 Weather thick and hazy, and to me very cold. 
 Quite a number of fishing junks outside fishing 
 with their long seines, end of which are made 
 fast to two junks, and they sail about 150 feet, 
 dragging the seine with them. After a certain 
 time, they come in and take the fish out of the 
 net. About 9 o'clock passed the Ass's Ears, and 
 came to in the harbor of Hong Kong, after a very 
 tedious passage of 14 days. 
 
 Hong Kong is an English colony under 
 British rule, and is a very fine city, built on 
 the side of a hill, very high, the top of which 
 is called Victoria Peak, which has a marine 
 telegraph station. There are some very fine 
 granite buildings belonging to the English and 
 Americans and other foreign merchants, Rus- 
 sell & Co., Augustine Heard & Co., Oliphant 
 & Co., Thomas Hunt & Co. It is a very
 
 98 
 
 lively city. x\t this writing, there are say 
 fifty sail of ships of various nationalities at 
 anchor, 
 
 29th. — I took a sail up to Wampoo and Can- 
 ton on the American steamer, White Cloud. 
 Wampoo is a place for mechanical work. 
 There are three very fine dry docks, and a 
 machine shop. The ship N. B. Palmer, belong- 
 ing to A. A. Low cS: Bros., of New York, I 
 went on board of, and engaged passage and 
 state room for New York, $400. Everybody is 
 getting rich. 
 
 30th. — The City of Canton is a walled city 
 of about 5,000,000 population including the 
 white population; about 1,500,000 live on the 
 water. I saw about one-eighth of the city and 
 I was in the great Confucius temple of five 
 hundred gods. I went inside of the wall and 
 met nothing but friendship and kindness from 
 the Cantonese. I was carried in a sedan chair 
 by two coolies up on top of a high hill where
 
 99 
 
 I could see all over the city, all a bustle, 
 everybody busy. Streets very narrow, about 
 nine feet from curb to curb, principal business 
 tea and silk, no loafers or idle men or women. 
 
 31st. — I again started for Hong Kong on the 
 White Cloud. The Canton river is beautiful, 
 having clusters of islands, and the banks of 
 the river presented high mountains, very pic- 
 turesque. 
 
 April ist. — Nothing but going about. 
 
 3d. — Breakfasted with Capt. Treadwell on 
 board of the American clipper ship, Sagamore. 
 
 4th. — Breakfasted with Capt. Rowe on the 
 American Barque, Homer, and dined on board 
 the British Barque, Alicia, Capt. Morse. Be- 
 tween the 5th and loth I did as 1 pleased, 
 visiting the various Chinese shops, and buy- 
 ing trinkets, silk for dresses, and getting my 
 wardrobe, such as all kinds of linen, etc., ready 
 for a long voyage. I went to dinner on board 
 of the American ship, Golconda, Capt.
 
 100 
 
 I have forgotten his name, and I ought to 
 know it for I had business with him after- 
 wards. The " Golconda " had two large paint- 
 ed eyes round her horse pipes. The only way 
 I could make my Sanpan man, Boston Jack, 
 understand what ship I wanted to go to — I 
 said " Jack, you savy that piece of Melican 
 ship have got eye ? " He answered, " I savy 
 plenty." Then I asked, " Jack, why that ship 
 have got eye?" He asked, "You no savy?" 
 I said no ; then he said, " No got eye, no can 
 see ; no can see, no can savy. How can ? " 
 That is to say, if a ship has no eyes, it can't 
 see where to go. 
 
 14th. — I sent my baggage on board of the 
 Palmer, consisting of 14 packages. I am just 
 tired out walking, and being carried about in 
 a sedan chair, and feasting, as my friendly 
 captains of many American clipper ships in- 
 sist on my breakfasting and dining with them, 
 so that I ate only a few meals at my hotel,
 
 lOI 
 
 the Oriental up on the hill, a very fine Ameri- 
 can Hotel kept by Theo. Andrews & Com- 
 pany. 
 
 19th. — I paid my bill, and left for the ship. 
 After passing the night with my friend Capt. 
 Treadwell of the American ship, Sagamore, 
 here I am on board of the Palmer, and the 
 Chinese pilot in command, who ordered the 
 anchor hove short, and loose the topsails. We 
 were lying nearly inside of all the ships, the 
 pilot backed the fore topsail to give the ship 
 stearnway, and backed the ship out through 
 the other ships with her head pointed outward.
 
 10^ 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 PRIL 20th. — Sunday, all right. Ship 
 doing well, and better than we ought 
 to expect at this season of the year. 
 Just on the change of Montzoon from 
 N. E. to S. W. which makes it hard for ships 
 bound down the sea, and good for those bound up. 
 2 1 St. — All right, while everything set from 
 mainsail to skysail. The ship is in first rate 
 trim, and everybody happy, from Capt. Chas. 
 P. Low and lady, Mrs. Parker and two child- 
 ren, of Mass., Rev. Mr. Talmadge and four 
 children, of New Jersey, Mr. E. E. Webber 
 of Mass., T. Barnard of Mass., and Thos. 
 Miller of New York. The Rev. Mr. Talmadge 
 is returning with his children after laying his 
 wife away in her grave. S.S.W. 130 miles.
 
 103 
 
 22nd. — The ship going along steady as a 
 pump bolt, 130 miles S.W. x W. 
 
 23d. — And all's well ; ship off course two 
 points. 12 M. tacked ship and stood off 138 
 miles. 68 miles on her course due south. 
 
 24th. — 6 A. M., beautiful morning, and good 
 breeze ; the ship off two points on the port 
 tack S.W X S. Made the Island of Pulo Con, 
 a small island to the south of the mainland 
 of Cochin China. Tacked ship and stood off 
 to clear the Island. 5 P. M., tacked ship on 
 the port tack ; passed the Island on the star- 
 board beam. 9 P. M., tacked ship and stood 
 out to sea. 49 miles due south. 
 
 25th. — Wind dead ahead. 65 miles on our 
 course. 
 
 26th. — Wind still dead ahead. 35 miles on 
 course. 
 
 27th. — Sunday. All is well. Wind ahead. Very 
 dull day on shipboard. No work but working 
 ship. We have 35 Lascar sailors, all Mahome-
 
 I04 
 
 tans, headed by a Surang, who is a high man in 
 their religious faith. He is looked up to by the 
 sailors. They have held their worship on ship^ 
 board. 49 miles. 
 
 28th. — Doing very well. 35 miles. 
 
 29th. — x\ll is well, and now having the first fair 
 wind. 9i knots. Wind very light, with stud- 
 ding sails. 134 miles. 
 
 30th. — All is well. Fair wind, very light. 1 50 
 miles. 
 
 May I St. — Beautiful morning for the first of 
 May. Opposite the Gulf of Siam. 140 miles. 
 
 2d. — Here we are, down among the Midorus 
 Islands — a group of islands governed by a Ra- 
 jah ; a very fine hospitable man. 
 
 3d. — Very calm ; nothing doing. 
 
 4th.— Lat., 1-15 N. In full view of a large 
 group of islands called Saddle, Campbell and 
 Meguan Islands. 
 
 5th. — My birthday ; 40 years old today. We 
 landed a boat, and the first mate, Mr. Joseph Steel,
 
 105 
 
 Mr. Webber, Barnard and jNIiller went ashore. 
 As I thought I ought to have some excitement 
 on my birthday, so I went ashore on Campbell 
 Island. The island is about two miles long, half 
 mile wide, shaped like a camel's back ; desert 
 island. Did nothing today. 
 
 6th. — Very calm, to almost suffocation. Ther- 
 mometer 91. We saw steamer astern, coming 
 down the sea with a vessel in tow. 9 P. M. — She 
 is off our starboard beam. 
 
 7th. — The steamer we saw last night is far 
 astern of us. We had a little breeze during the 
 night, and sailed away ahead of the steamer. No 
 wind, and the steamer is passing on one side of 
 the island of St. Barba and we on the other. 
 
 8th. — No wind, with lots of islands in sight. 
 
 9th. — No wind. Ten squalls in the morning ; 
 very calm in the afternoon. 
 
 nth. — We are now in the Java Sea. We pass- 
 ed through the Straits of Jasper last night. Lat., 
 4-20 S.
 
 io6 
 
 1 2th. — Still calm. 
 
 13th. — Very calm, with the Islands of the 
 Brothers and the North Watchers in sight. 3 
 P. M. — Squally, with rain. Passed the North 
 Watchers, with two of the One Thousand Islands 
 in sight. 
 
 14th. — Here we are at anchor in the Harbor of 
 x\njier in the Straits of Sunda, 26 days from 
 Hong Kong. We went, on shore on the Island 
 of Java, saw the harbor master, and then took a 
 stroll over the town, which I found very much 
 improved since I was there in 1857. We went 
 out to the coffee plantations and saw the natives. 
 Lat., 6-20 S. Coffee is hulled with a concave 
 and convex roller. The coffee is put in the con- 
 cave roller and the convex one crushes the hull 
 off, after which it is winnowed by hand in the 
 old primitive way, with shallow baskets or 
 trays. 
 
 15th. — Still at anchor, and getting fresh water 
 and provisions. The captain and I went on shore
 
 I07 
 
 here. Let me say that all the islands are of coral 
 formation. I have some fine specimens. 
 
 i5th. — We again got under way about ii 
 o'clock last night, and stood out of the straits 
 between Java and Sumatra. Wind hauling ahead, 
 and caused us to pass between the Islands of 
 Cockatoo and Princess. 
 
 17th. — Java head still in sight. Very little 
 breeze from S.S.E. Lat:, 6-48 : long., 104 E. 60 
 miles. 
 
 1 8th. — All right. Light winds and squalls. 
 Lat., 8-55 ; long., 102 E. 58 miles. 
 
 19th. — All right. Good breeze. 30 days out 
 from Hong Kong. Distance 206 miles from 
 Java. 
 
 2oth. — All is well. Lat., 10-10; long., 98-54. 
 
 2ist.— Lat., 11-35 ; long., 96 E. 190 miles. 
 
 22d. — Lat., 12-32; long., 94-17 E. Distance 
 130 miles. 
 
 23d.— Lat., 13-48; long., 92-51 E. Distance 
 138 miles.
 
 io8 
 
 24th. — Lat., 15-04; long., 89-40 E. Distance 
 161 miles. 
 
 25th. — Grand breeze, and Mr. Talmadge gave 
 us a talk from Hebrews, iii,, 16. Lat., 16-4; 
 long., 84-45. 188 miles. 
 
 26th. — Good heavy breeze. This is the first 
 day we had to take any sail off on account of 
 wind. Lat., 17-34; long., 82-08. 282 miles. 
 
 27th.— This is a grand day for the ship. All 
 are happy but me. I have a fearful heartburn 
 caused by doing a big lot of nothing, with heavi- 
 ness over the eyes. Lat., 19: long. 77-44. 288 
 miles. 
 
 28th. — We are doing well, and I feel better, 
 thanks to a good dose of medicine. Lat., 20-10; 
 long., 74-14. 214 miles. 
 
 29th. — Breeze continues, and I feel better to- 
 day. Lat., 21-05 ; Long., 70-35. 200 miles. 
 
 30th. — Good breeze, and I feel better than I 
 have for some days. Lat., 21-37; long., 67-35, 
 182 miles.
 
 109 
 
 3 1 St. — Six weeks out to-day. Almost calm, 
 Lat., 22-30; long-., 65-47. 125 miles from first 
 Sunday, and very calm. 3 P. M. — Squally, with 
 rain. Mr. Talmadge gave us a talk from Ephe- 
 sians. 43 days out. Lat., 22-23 ; ^ong., 64-24. 80 
 miles. 
 
 June 2d. — All well. Bitter wind. Occupied 
 my time overhauling my trunk. Lat., 22-51; 
 long., 61-46 W. by W. half N. 150 miles. 4 days. 
 
 3d.— Nearly calm. Lat., 23-12; long., 59-51. 
 70 miles. 45 days out. 
 
 4th. — Wind unsteady. My boy's birthday ; 6 
 years old. Lat., 23-41; long., 57-51. 70 miles. 
 46 days. 
 
 5th. — Wind light. Sent down skysail yards. 
 Lat., 24-11 ; long., 56-48. 72 miles. 47 days out. 
 
 6th. — All right. Lat., 24-48; long., 55-14. 94 
 miles. 48 days. 
 
 •7th. — Doing well. Lat., 24-03 ; long., 53-14. 
 1 19 miles. 49 days. 
 
 8th. — And a fair prospect of a good breeze.
 
 110 
 
 Preaching by Mr. Talmadge, from Deuteronomy, 
 9th chapter. Lat., 25-33 ; long., 51-26. 114 miles. 
 50 days. 
 
 9th. — Strong breeze all night, with heavy thun- 
 der and sharp lightning. 12 M. — The ship was 
 under close-reefed topsails. Lat., 26-46 ; long., 
 48-44. 164 miles. 51 days. 
 
 loth. — All well, but no wind. Lat., 26-45 ; 
 long., 47-30. 65 miles. 52 days. 
 
 nth. — Very calm. Lat., 27-40; long., 46-50. 
 68 miles. 53 days. 
 
 I2th. — Lat., 27-40; long., 45-16. 80 miles. 54 
 days. 
 
 13th. — Heavy wind from N.W. Ship under 
 every sail. Heavy sea running. Lat., 28-06 ; 
 long., 44-15. 68 miles. 55 days. 
 
 14th. — Eight weeks out today. Wind moder- 
 ate. Lat., 27-40 ; long., 43-33. 54 miles. 56 
 days. 
 
 15th. — Lat., 27-13; long., 41-59. 88 miles. 57 
 days.
 
 Ill 
 
 i6th.— Lat., 27-29 ; long., 40-46. 68 miles. 58 
 days. 
 
 17th.— Lat, 28-34; long., 39-05- Strong breeze 
 from N.W. 
 
 1 8th. — Heavy gale from N.W. Ship under 
 every canvas. Lat., 29-41 ; long., 36-02. 170 
 miles. 
 
 iQth. — Heavy gale from S.VV. Laid to under 
 close-reefed topsail and fore skysail. Heavy 
 sea. Water flying like snowdrifts. Lat., 29-24 ; 
 long., 34-42. 70 miles. 
 
 2ist.— Lat., 31-47; long., 30-50. 220 miles. 
 Doing well. Saw a large Dutch ship, deep 
 loaded, from Batavia, homeward bound. 
 
 22d.— Strong gale from W.S.W. Lat., 32-51; 
 long., 29-02. 112 miles. 
 
 23d.— Lat., 33-30; long., 29-09. Leeway 29 
 miles. Gale continues from W.S.W. Every- 
 thing snug, and ship riding like a duck, and 
 we have lost our Dutch friend astern out of 
 sight.
 
 112 
 
 24th.— Lat, 33-12 ; long., 28-52. Land in sight 
 starboard bow. Weather fair. 210 miles. 
 
 25th.— Lat., 34-45; long., 25-11. Saw three 
 ships. 120 miles. 
 
 26th.— Lat., 34-47; long., 23-118. 67 days. 
 Head wind. Close-reefed topsails. 
 
 27th.— Lat., 35-06; long., 22-S9. Blowing a 
 snorter from W.S.W. 
 
 28th.— Lat., 35-16; long., 22-07. Head wind. 
 Ship under easy sail. Two ships in sight. 
 
 29th.— Lat., 35-31 ; long., 20-56. Four ships in 
 sight. Spoke the British barque "Wellington," 
 83 days from Bombay, bound to Liverpool. 
 
 30th.— Lat., 25-34; long., 20-50. Heavy gale, 
 with close-reefed main topsail. 
 
 July ist— Lat., 34-35 ; long., 20-40. With the 
 Table Lands in the east coast of Africa in sight. 
 Distance about 20 miles. 
 
 2d.— Lat., 34-51; long., 20-24. All becalmed 
 on the Lagulis Banks. All hands fishing ; caught
 
 113 
 
 i,20o pounds of beneta, long' fish, some which 
 weighed 25 lbs. 
 
 3d. — Lat., 35-34; long-., 19-28. Sighted nine 
 ships. Cape Lagulis light in sight. 
 
 4th. — Lat., 35-07; long., 19-12. Two brigs in 
 sight. Heavy gale ; laid to ; wind north. 
 
 5th. — Lat., 34-13; long., 17-48. Gale still pip- 
 ing. 
 
 6th. — Lat., 33-39; long., 17-38. Saw large 
 British ship, 87 days out from Akyah, bound to 
 London. 
 
 7th. — Lat., 33-13; long., 17-28. 
 
 8th. — Lat., 33-13; long., 17-28. Nothing of 
 interest to-day. 
 
 9th. — Lat., 33-13; long., 17-28. 
 
 loth. — Lat., 32-54 
 I ith. — Lat., 31-05 
 1 2th. — Lat., 30-23 
 13th. — Lat., 29-44 
 14th. — Lat., 29-03 
 15th. — Lat., 28-10 
 
 long., 16-23. 
 long., 16-17. 
 long., 16-03. 
 long., 14-50. 
 long., 13-50. 
 long., 13.
 
 114 
 
 i6th.— Lat., 26-19; loiigv 10-27. 175 miles; the 
 first day of the S.E. trades. 89 days out. 
 
 17th.— Lat., 24-12 ; long., 6-18. 264 miles. 
 
 1 8th. — Lat., 22-9; long., 3-9. 216 miles. 91 
 days. 
 
 19th. — Lat. 19-45 ; long., 41 W. 265 miles. 
 
 2oth. — Lat., 17-43; long., 3-47. 220 miles. 
 
 2 1 St. — Lat., 15-55; long., 5-30. 150 miles. 94 
 days.
 
 •M Ji 
 
 1^ ^ # 
 
 
 
 
 r 
 
 
 -# 
 
 ■J* ^ 
 

 
 115 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 ULY 22d.— Sighted the Island of St. 
 Helena at daylight, and about 8 A. M. 
 came to anchor in roadstead. The 
 island is nothing but a large lonely 
 island in mid ocean. Jamestown is an English 
 garrison, settled by soldiers and their families 
 and others. Some are tradespeople, who came 
 to the island to make money out of the soldiers 
 and natives. The natives, by the way, are a very 
 small race of people, and talk half English, half 
 Indian. They have a very yellow cast of counte- 
 nance, more of the Mala}- color. After getting 
 water and some fresh provisions on board, a num- 
 ber of us went on shore and hired two carriages, 
 and we all started up a very rough mountain 
 road for Long Wood, the home of the great Na-
 
 ii6 
 
 poleon. We passed through all the rooms of the 
 house, even into the room where Napoleon died. 
 There is an iron fence built round the spot where 
 the bed stood. Everything is in a good state of 
 preservation, and is kept by Frenchmen, as it is 
 the property of the French by purchase. There 
 is a fish pond near the house. The house and 
 surroundings are on the top of the highest moun- 
 tain, a bleak sort of a place, with guns of large 
 size set with their muzzles pointing seaward. All 
 this ado to keep one man a prisoner on a lonely 
 island in mid ocean ! We saw the house called 
 Brier where they put him at first on landing on 
 the island, and we saw the grave where he was 
 buried, down in a lonely valley between two high 
 hills, with a lonely little weeping willow tree at 
 the head of the grave. The tree was dead, and not 
 more than six inches in diameter and fifteen feet 
 high. Just such a place as a man of his great 
 brain would have selected for a resting place. 
 Here let me say that there have been more sprigs
 
 117 
 
 of willow brought to this and other countries by 
 sailors than would make a tree three feet in 
 diameter. All his surroundings tell of the iso- 
 lated life of the great French chieftain. I entered 
 my name in the visitors' register on the very 
 table where he amused himself playing a game 
 called " Solitaire." We left Long Wood for James- 
 town, and, after looking over the place, saw, in 
 many places, terrible devastation to buildings 
 caused by the white ant. On inquiring I found 
 that a vessel came in and landed a load of African 
 pine and other wood, in which were white ants. 
 The white ant is very destructive to some kinds 
 of wood. So much for Jamestown and the Island 
 of St. Helena. We again boarded cnir good ship 
 " N. B. Palmer," and sailed about 8 P. M. Lat.. 
 16-03 ; long., 7-06. 
 
 23d. — Lat., 14-02; long., 10-20. 198 miles. 
 
 24th. — Lat., 12-19; lottf?-' 12-14. 160 miles. 
 
 25th. — Lat., 11-06; long., 14-16. 140 miles. 
 
 26th.— Lat., 9-56 ; long., 16-33. 152 miles.
 
 Ii8 
 
 27th. — Lat., 8-46; long-., 19-33. 196 miles. 100 
 days out from Hong Kong. 
 
 28th, — Lat., 7-28 ; long., 22-02. 174 miles. 
 
 29th. — Lat,, 5-54; long., 24-37. 180 miles. 
 
 30th. — Lat., 4-01 ; long., 27-18. 190 miles. 
 
 31st. — Lat., 1-36; long., 29-40. 200 miles. 
 
 August ist. — Lat., 1-49 N.; long,, 32-14 W. 
 235 miles. 
 
 2d.— Lat, 3-45 ; long., 35-05. 
 
 3d. — Lat., 4-55 ; long., 36-40. 105 miles. 
 
 4th. — Lat., 6-47; long., 37-10. 100 miles, and I 
 am five years away from home to-day. 
 
 5th. — Lat., 9-25 ; long., 38-20. 170 miles. 
 
 6th. — Lat., II ; long., 40-02. 140 miles. 
 
 7th. — Lat., 12-42 ; long., 40-42. 160 miles. 
 
 8th. — Lat., 13-10; long., 42-36. 140 miles. 
 
 9th. — Lat., 14-22 ; long., 45-26. 180 miles. 
 
 loth. — Lat., 15-02; long., 48-1. 160 miles. 
 
 nth.— Lat., 15-36; long., 49-08. 62 miles. 
 
 1 2th. — Lat., 16-07; long; 49-15. 35 miles. 
 
 13th. — Lat., 16-49; long-' 50-15- 72 miles.
 
 119 
 
 I4th. — Lat., 18-30; long,, 52-39. 170 miles. 
 Boarded the British barque " S. Hardy," from 
 Cork, Ireland, bound to Barbadoes, I got a bar- 
 rel of beef, 
 
 15th. — Lat,, 19-46; long., 55-40, 185 miles, 
 
 i6th. — Lat., 21-34; long., 57-40. 160 miles. 
 
 17th. — Lat., 23-56; long,, 60-52, 228 miles, 
 
 i8th, — Lat., 26-12 ; long., 63-30. 200 miles. 
 
 19th. — Lat., 27 58; long., 65-59. 170 miles. 
 
 20th. — Lat., 29-58 ; long., 67-51. 160 miles. 
 
 2ist, — Lat,, 31-20 ; long,, 68-46, 96 miles. 
 
 22d, — Lat,, 32-38 ; long,, 69-42, 92 miles. 
 
 23d,— Lat., 33-55 ; long., 70-07. 84 miles. 
 
 24th. — Lat., 35-12; long., 71-26. 104 miles. 2 
 P. M.— Entered the Gulf. 1 1 P. M.— Brought 
 the ship down to topsails. Ship in sight, bound 
 south. 
 
 25th. — Lat., 37-55 ; long., 73-38. 190 miles, 
 
 26th, — Lat,, 40; long., 74. 100 miles. 130 days 
 from Hong Kong. 3 P. ^L — Took pilot from 
 Boat No, 13. Came to anchor off the bar, wait-
 
 T20 
 
 ing for high tide. Everybody very happy at 
 seeing our native land, after an absence of many 
 years, some longer than others. Next morning 
 took a tow boat from the bar up to the City of 
 New York, and docked the ship. Then I went 
 ashore, and did some business, and started for 
 
 Home, sweet home, 
 Be it ever so humble, 
 There's no place like home !
 
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