VISITING THE PRINCE OF THE ELEPHANTS.--AYUTHIA.--SOMETHING ABOUT
CROCODILES.
The party went ashore as soon as the boat was made fast. Frank was first
to scramble up the bank, closely followed by Fred; then came the Doctor
and the consul together, and behind them the interpreter of the
consulate. At the consulates generally throughout the East it is the
custom to have an interpreter, to facilitate dealings with the native
officials and others; he is usually a native who has been taught English
in some of the mission-schools, or he may be of American or European
parentage, and familiar from his youth with the language of the country
where he lives. In the present instance the interpreter was an
intelligent young Siamese, who was educated by the missionaries, and
spoke English with great fluency. He was of much service to the Doctor
and his young companions, as he could tell them many things of interest
concerning Siam and what it contained.
"We will first go," said the consul, "to call on the Prince of the
Elephants. He lives in that house you see up there," he continued, as he
pointed to a light structure of poles and matting, a hundred yards or so
from the bank.
The interpreter was sent on ahead to herald the arrival of the
strangers, and returned in a few minutes with the announcement that the
prince was ready to receive them.
The consul and Doctor Bronson went forward, while Frank and Fred brought
up the rear. Frank thought the house was not a very sumptuous palace for
a prince, especially one who had the title of the Prince of the
Elephants. Fred was of the same opinion, but said they might as well
reserve their judgment until they had seen what was within. Externally,
the house was like a rough shed of poles for a framework, with its sides
covered with matting, to allow a free circulation of air. Some of the
mats were rolled up, while others were closed; and it was certainly a
very convenient house for a climate as hot as that of Siam. They were
received in the upper story, to which they ascended by a rough stairway,
which could be removed as readily as a ladder. What the lower floor
contained they did not know, as all the mats around it were closed.
They found the prince just inside the door-way, and seated, or rather
squatted, on a bench about two feet high. Chairs had been placed for the
strangers, and they were invited to be seated. The interpreter remained
standing, and, after a moment's pause, the prince asked who the visitors
were. The interpreter explained; and while he did so, Frank made good
use of his eyes to see what the prince was like and how he lived.
[Illustration: THE YOUNG PRINCE.]
His royal highness appeared to be about fifty years old, or perhaps
fifty-five. He was dressed in the native costume, without any gold-lace
or other ornament to designate his high rank; the boys were somewhat
disappointed at this, as they had expected to see a great personage
covered with fine clothes, and ornamented with an abundance of diamonds
and other precious stones. A youth, whom they supposed to be his son,
stood near him, and occasionally leaned against the bench in a familiar
way. Servants were creeping about the floor, and it made a strange
impression on the youths to see the humble attitudes of half a dozen or
more of the attendants as they waited for orders in a corner of the
room. This is the position of respect in Siam, and, until the present
king was crowned, it would have been as much as one's life was worth to
venture into the presence of any member of the royal family in the
European manner.
When he ascended the throne, he commanded that the old custom of
creeping, and bowing the head to the floor in the presence of the king,
should cease; it was a great innovation, but, as it was by royal
command, it could not be opposed. The rule is enforced at the king's
palace, but not at the palaces of the subordinate princes; and thus it
happened that Frank and Fred were witnesses of what to them was a
curious custom, and by no means an agreeable one.
The prince in whose presence they were was the uncle of the king. His
name was Chow Phan Alah, and the boys learned from the consul that he
was a man of marked ability, who had been prominent in public affairs
for a long time. Socially, he adhered to the old customs of the country,
as was evident in the creeping and crouching of those around him; but in
politics he was progressive, and a good deal of the advancement that
Siam had made in the past twenty years was due to his energy and
shrewdness.
The interview lasted about a quarter of an hour. While the party was in
the reception-hall, the prince ordered cigars and fruit to be served,
and when they retired he sent a basket of fruit after them as a present.
The consul had suggested that Doctor Bronson and the youths would like
to see the stables of the elephants, and also wished to attend the
elephant-hunt that was to come off about that time. The first request
was granted at once; and the prince sent one of his officers to show the
stables and their occupants, and also the corral close by, where the
wild elephants were caught. He regretted to say that the hunt had been
postponed a few days on account of the swollen condition of some of the
rivers, which made it difficult to drive the animals through the
forest. The boys were disappointed to hear this, but they were consoled
with the reflection that they could see the spot where the hunt would
take place, and the Doctor promised to explain to them how it was
conducted.
[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF "CHANG."]
The elephant-stable was only a huge shed, with the earth for a floor. It
contained three or four elephants, all the others being out in the
forest with the hunting-party. The largest of the elephants was brought
out for their inspection; he was named "Chang," and was thought to be
not far from seventy years old. As the elephant lives to the age of one
hundred and fifty years and upwards, old Chang was just in the prime of
life when the boys saw him, and his step was as elastic as that of a
youth of twenty. He was not overjoyed to meet the strangers, and
flourished his trunk in a menacing way; but at a sign from his keeper he
ceased his demonstrations, and became thoroughly obedient.
[Illustration: MACEDONIAN COIN, WITH ANCIENT GOAD.]
Chang had been at work hauling timber during the cool hours of the
morning, and his harness was still on his back. It consisted of a stout
breastplate of ropes and leather, which was held in place by a pad on
his back. Just below his shoulder a stout ring was inserted in the
breastplate, and to this the ropes by which the timber was drawn were
attached. The driver sat on his neck, and directed him by means of an
iron goad that had a hook near the end. Frank could not at first
understand the use of this iron, but he soon found out. The officer
asked the boys if they would like to take a ride on the beast, and we
may be sure they assented at once. Chang was directed to a place at the
side of a high wall, to which a sloping path led. The boys mounted to
the top of the wall, and were thus enabled to take their places on the
elephant's back.
[Illustration: MODERN GOAD.]
The driver said something in Siamese, and the elephant at once moved
off. He did not go fast enough to suit the driver, and then the goad
came into play. His neck was prodded with it, and the hook was inserted
into his ear in a way that made him understand and obey. The goad has
been in use without any modification of shape for two thousand years or
more, as is shown by ancient coins of a date prior to the Christian era.
As soon as Chang found that the driver was determined to use the goad he
made no further opposition, and went along as peaceably as an obedient
horse. The elephant generally obeys through affection for his driver;
and instances have been known where one of these huge beasts has shown
great grief at the loss of his favorite keeper, and refused all food
until he literally starved to death. Very often the driver talks to the
elephant, and the beast seems to understand perfectly what is said to
him. Chang's driver did so, and hardly had he begun speaking before the
elephant swung his trunk from side to side, and gave little grunts of
satisfaction. The boys could not understand the language; but the
interpreter told them that the driver was praising Chang for his good
conduct, and asking him why he behaved so badly when the strangers came
so far to see him. And with an eye to his own pocket, he said, "They are
very nice gentlemen, and will certainly give some ticals to buy bananas
for good old Chang." Of course the interpreter told what had been said,
and the boys, when the ride was over, fulfilled the promise that had
been made on their behalf.
[Illustration: A WAR ELEPHANT.]
One of Chang's companions was led out from the stable, and assigned to
Doctor Bronson and the consul. The interpreter had mounted with the
boys, and so the officer who came by the command of the prince took a
place with the others. He told the consul that the animal they were
riding was trained for war purposes; and though he was occasionally put
at work, like Chang, whenever timber was to be hauled, he ordinarily had
nothing to do. Each of his tusks had three rings of silver encircling
it, and he was evidently proud of his ornaments. The famous white
elephants in the royal stables at Bangkok have rings of pure gold on
their tusks; they are not always sensible of the honor that is shown
them, and when the rings are being put in place they manifest their
displeasure in the most emphatic ways. On one occasion two of the court
jewellers were killed by an elephant that objected to be ornamented
after the customary manner of the country, and it was only after a long
time that he submitted to the operation.
When used for war, these elephants are equipped with a howdah, or
basket, on their backs, and two or three soldiers are seated in it. They
have a plentiful supply of weapons, and frequently so many as to
encumber them greatly when they come to close quarters with the enemy.
Elephants are not used in battle as much as in ancient times; the great
body of the beast makes a magnificent mark for a rifle, and when wounded
an elephant is more dangerous to his friends than to the enemy. Formerly
a great number of elephants was kept for fighting purposes, but since
the introduction of fire-arms the value of this huge beast for anything
in war beyond the transportation of supplies has ceased to be apparent.
Consequently, they are not at all numerous; and probably, if the Siamese
were to indulge in war at the present time, they would not bring a
single elephant into the battle-field.
Thus mounted, our friends went through the ruins of the ancient capital
of Siam. It was a novel promenade, and one that the boys were not likely
to forget in a hurry.
"The funniest thing yet," said Frank. "We went through Tokio and Kioto
in jinrikishas; we rode on a wheelbarrow in Shanghai; we were carried in
sedan-chairs in Canton and Hong-kong; and here we are seeing the ruins
of Ayuthia from the back of an elephant. Wonder what we shall do next in
the way of novel travelling!"
But though greatly enjoying their ride, they did not forget that they
were out for an excursion through a city, or rather through what was
once a city. And the magnitude and extent of the ruins impressed them
greatly, and showed what a magnificent place Ayuthia must have been in
the days of its glory.
[Illustration: NEAR THE PALACE.]
The streets and yards, and even the houses, were overgrown with tropical
trees that had been undisturbed for a hundred years and more; that they
had made good use of their time, was everywhere apparent in the
crumbling walls and the fallen towers that rose before the eyes of the
visitors wherever they were turned. In several instances the bushes and
climbing plants had completely covered the towers of the temples, and
made them appear more like a great mass of verdure than a structure of
brick and mortar.
[Illustration: IN THE RUINED CITY.]
At one place the party descended from their elephants and went to the
top of a wing of the former palace of Ayuthia. From the summit the view
was extensive, and of a character not easy to describe. Frank thought it
was not greatly unlike the view from the tower of Wat Seh Kate at
Bangkok, as the abundance of trees made it difficult to see much more
than the spires of the pagodas; and this was the most that could be seen
in Ayuthia. But as he looked directly below him, he saw that the streets
and court-yards were desolate, and he missed the throng of people that
made the streets of Bangkok alive. Many parts of the palace were in a
good state of preservation, and it seemed a pity that the city could not
be repaired and peopled as it was of old.
It is said that when the Burmese overran Siam and captured her capital
in 1769, the walls were so massive, and the buildings so excellent in
construction, that the destruction of Ayuthia occupied nearly two
months. Many parts of the walls are still in existence, and it is not at
all difficult to trace the boundaries of the city. The distance it is
necessary to travel to pass around the city by following its walls, is
variously stated at from five to ten miles; and as our friends did not
make the journey, they have left the question undecided.
A ruined city is a melancholy spectacle in any land and under any sky,
and the boys were not at all sorry when the excursion through Ayuthia
was over. They had more reasons than sentimental ones, as they found the
motion of the elephant was not particularly agreeable when continued for
a long time, and it required a good deal of attention to keep from
falling off the back of their new-fashioned steed. When they dismounted
at the stables, they were obliged to stretch themselves two or three
times to make sure that their backbones were in the proper place, and
both were positive that they had all the elephant-riding they cared
for--for that day at least.
"It is nothing when you get used to it," said the consul. "If you had a
journey of several days or weeks to make on an elephant, you would
become accustomed to the motion in a short time, and could then endure
it indefinitely."
The Doctor confirmed this view of the matter, and said the motion of the
elephant was not nearly as hard as that of the camel for a beginner, and
much easier to endure. "A camel," said he, "shakes you violently forward
and back without cessation, while the motion of the elephant is not
unlike that of a horse at a walk. If you have not mounted a horse for a
long time, you will find yourself very sore and stiff after your first
day's travel on the gentlest steed that was ever used, and this feeling
will continue for two or three days. By degrees you get accustomed to
it, and then you pay no farther attention to aches or pains, for the
reason that you do not have them. It is just the same with an elephant
or a camel, only the camel is much the worse.
"In some respects the elephant is a most remarkable animal. He possesses
great intelligence, and can be taught to do many things that border upon
reason. Books of natural history are full of incidents of the elephant's
high order of intellect; the stories may sometimes be exaggerated, but
there is no question that the majority of them are correct. In nothing
is this more apparent than in the capture of his wild kindred; and it is
a curious fact that the elephant, after being thoroughly domesticated,
manifests no desire to return to his forest-life, and seems to take
pleasure in assisting at the capture of others. We will talk about this
business by-and-by, and meantime will complete our study of Ayuthia."
So far as the actual inspection of the ruined city was concerned, the
study to which the Doctor referred was already completed, and the party
returned to the boat.
Frank asked if it was not possible to go farther up the river, and make
a general exploration of Siam. Fred seconded him in the question, which
was anxiously propounded to the consul and Doctor Bronson.
"There are several reasons why we cannot do it," the former answered.
"In the first place, we are limited for time of using the steam-launch
and barge; secondly, I cannot spare the time to go farther; thirdly, we
have not the necessary provisions and equipments for a wild journey;
and, fourthly--"
"Never mind the other reasons," said the Doctor; "those you have given
are quite sufficient. We will go back, and be thankful that we have seen
so much. Only a few visitors to Siam ever have the opportunity of coming
to Ayuthia and seeing its wonderful ruins."
As the boat moved off, on her return to Bangkok, the consul explained to
the boys that the Menam was about nine hundred miles in length, and had
a general course from north to south. It flows through an exceedingly
fertile country, and the Siamese are very proud of it. Its name in
Siamese means "Mother of Waters;" and though it is not to the country
what the Nile is to Egypt, it is certainly of great importance. From the
source of the river to its mouth, the forest is dense and luxurious,
except where clearings have been made for purposes of agriculture. Teak,
sapan, and other tropical trees grow to a great size, and the underbrush
is so thick that it is next to impossible to walk about until a path has
been opened.
Fred thought it would be nice to have a bath in the Menam; and proposed
that they should try a swim in its waters the first time they had an
opportunity.
[Illustration: CROCODILES AT HOME.]
"I would advise you not to try it," the consul answered. "It is safe
enough at Bangkok, where there is so much movement of boats, and you
might bathe there without danger. But in this part of the river there
are plenty of crocodiles, and the higher up you go the more of them do
you find. M. Mouhot, who explored the Upper Menam in 1861, and died at
the village of Louang Prebang in that year, says that in some instances
he found the banks covered with crocodiles basking in the sun, and they
were so unused to attacks that they were not at all disturbed by the
presence of his boat. They frequently swallow incautious swimmers who
venture into the parts of the river where they abound; and sometimes
cattle going to the river to drink are seized by them. In such fights
the crocodile is generally the victor, as he is thoroughly at home in
the water, and his jaws have an enormous amount of strength."
[Illustration: TAKING A BITE.]
"What is the difference between the alligator and the crocodile?" one of
the boys asked.
"There is no material difference," the Doctor answered, "between the
two. The alligator is American, and the crocodile Asiatic; and there is
a slight difference in the formation of the head, and in the number and
arrangement of the scales. The habits of the two are similar; they live
in the water for the greater part of the time, but do not suffer any
inconvenience when removed from it. They live mainly on fish, but have
no prejudice against swallowing other game. Hence their fondness for
men, and also for pigs, sheep, dogs, cattle, and anything else that
comes in their way. The tastes of both are identical; and I presume that
if you brought a crocodile and an alligator together, and put them to
live in the same tank, they would acknowledge their relationship, and
dwell in peace and quietness. On the other hand, they might indulge in a
deadly combat; and in this, again, their similarity would be shown, as
they are not always of an amiable disposition, and often indulge in
fierce battles."
Fred asked if it was possible for them to stop on the way down the river
and have a hunt for crocodiles.
Frank retorted that they had no fire-arms for shooting this kind of game
or any other; and it was his opinion that their captures would not be
numerous under the present circumstances.
[Illustration: THE DOCTOR'S CRACK SHOT.]
"To shoot a crocodile," said the Doctor, "you must first have him where
you can shoot, and then you must have the weapon ready. It must be a
powerful rifle, carrying a large ball; and there are very few places on
the reptile's body where your shot will have any effect. If you are an
expert with the rifle, you may hit him in the eye when he is swimming
across a stream; the bullet penetrates the brain, and causes speedy
death; but if you strike him an inch away from the eye, your shot is
wasted. I once killed a large alligator in this way; it was the first I
had ever shot, and I was very proud of my achievement. The next day and
the next I tried to repeat the performance, and I kept it up for a week
without result. I was unable to get a similar chance, as not one of the
reptiles made his appearance, though the bayou was full of them.
[Illustration: ALLIGATOR AND CRANE.]
"The alligator makes great use of his tail in fighting, and in sweeping
his game into his mouth. A blow of the tail from even a small alligator
will break a man's leg, and I have known it to cut off a tree two inches
in diameter. When the fellow wishes to capture anything, he tries to
creep along-side, and when within reach he opens his mouth and sweeps
his great tail around at the same instant, and the prize disappears down
his capacious throat. Once I saw an alligator lying on a bank where some
cranes were feeding not far away. He was motionless as a log--which he
much resembled--but I could see that he had his eye open, and was on the
lookout for a breakfast. By-and-by one of the cranes wandered near him,
and like a flash his tail swept the bird into his mouth. Then he
stretched out and 'set himself again,' as my guide said, for another
crane.
[Illustration: THE TROCHILUS.]
"It is a curious circumstance, mentioned by Herodotus, and greatly
discussed since his time, that there is a small bird called the
_trochilus_ that fearlessly enters the mouth of the crocodile, and
relieves it of the leeches and flies that disturb it. The bird and the
crocodile seem to be on the most friendly terms; and it is thought by
some writers that the bird performs the additional service of sentinel
to its huge friend, and warns him of the approach of danger."
[Illustration: TROCHILUS AND CROCODILE.]
Fred suggested that it was just possible that the bird was only an
inquisitive fellow, and finding the crocodile's mouth open, he looked in
to see what sort of a house it would make. And the crocodile, on his
part, did not think the little bird was large enough to pay him for
shutting his jaws on it; and so the intruder escaped solely on account
of his diminutive size.
"When you see a crocodile or an alligator asleep on a bank," the Doctor
continued, "you can, perhaps, get a good shot by creeping near enough to
send a bullet under his fore-leg. The skin there is not protected by
scales, and a bullet will penetrate it. Especially if you have explosive
balls that burst on the moment of concussion, you can tear a great hole
inside your game, and seriously interfere with his digestion. I shot one
once in this way on a sand-bar in the Nile, a few miles above the first
cataract; he was nearly twenty feet long, and it took my men a whole day
to remove his skin. I was within thirty paces of him when I fired, and,
as I had good aim, I sent the bullet exactly where I wished, he gave a
few convulsive movements with his tail, and then stretched out stiff and
dead."
The Doctor paused; and the consul took up the conversation with an
account a friend had given him of a fight between a bear and an
alligator in Western Louisiana.
"My friend was out hunting one day," said the consul, "and was suddenly
startled by a loud roaring in the bushes not far off. He cautiously
crept near, expecting to see a couple of bulls preparing for combat;
what was his astonishment to see a large bear and a full-grown alligator
eying each other, and poising themselves for an encounter.
"Bruin was on his hind legs, his mouth was covered with foam, and there
were several streams of blood on his black coat. The alligator was on
the tiptoes of all his legs, and he lashed his tail furiously, and kept
his great jaws moving as if trying their ability to close on the bear at
the proper moment.
[Illustration: THE ALLIGATOR AND THE BEAR.]
"The bear growled, and the alligator roared like a bull; and it was his
roaring that had attracted my friend's attention. They had evidently
indulged in a clinch before he saw them, and were making ready for a
second round. For fully a minute they remained in the attitudes in which
he first beheld them, and neither could make up his mind how to take the
best hold. Finally Bruin dropped on all fours, and ran at the alligator;
the latter met him by throwing his head and body to one side, and
delivering a blow with his tail that knocked the bear over on the
ground, and rolled him several yards away. The blow sounded as though it
had been given with a club with the force of half a dozen men, and it is
safe to say that the strongest man would have been killed by it.
"The bear was not discouraged, for he picked himself up and ran once
more at the alligator. He did it three times in succession, and with the
same result; the alligator knocking him over each time.
"Bruin now saw that he must change his tactics. He made his next run in
such a way as to avoid the tail, and he was fairly on the alligator's
body before the blow could be given. The great tail was lashed furiously
from side to side, but to no purpose, as it could not hit the bear
either way. The force of the charge upset the alligator, and turned him
completely over; the bear's jaws closed on one of his fore-legs, while
the shaggy paws were clasped around the scaly body. The reptile was in a
bad way, as his great weapon of warfare, the tail, was useless; and his
neck was not flexible enough to enable him to bite. He roared in
despair, and then bethought himself of a new trick.
"His tail, as he lashed it around, happened to hit a small tree; he
pushed against this tree as with a lever, and by using it as a fulcrum
he managed to wriggle along to the bank. Then another convulsive
movement threw him and his antagonist into the water.
"The bank from which they fell was about four feet high, and they
tumbled in with a loud splash. They disappeared below the surface, and
were out of sight for nearly two minutes. The bear came up, and, after
scrambling to the shore, he gave a brief glance at the stream, to make
sure that there was no chance of renewing the combat; then, shaking the
water from his skin, he hurried off into the forest. My friend could
have shot the bear with the utmost ease, but in consideration for the
courage and determination he had shown he did not do so."
"He was right," said Frank; "such bravery should command respect."
"But how about the alligator's part of the fight?" the Doctor asked.
"As to that," responded the youth, "the alligator deserves no credit.
When he found he could not conquer the bear on equal terms, he sneaked
into the river. He could live in the air or in the water, while the bear
could not fight below the surface of the stream, and could not even live
there. All the alligator had to do was to sink in the water, and the
bear must drown or let go his hold. I like the bear's bravery, but don't
think much of the other fellow."
"No more do I," Fred chimed in; "and it is a pity that the alligator
could not have been shot before he rolled from the bank. All the race of
crocodiles is a cruel one, and ought to be exterminated."
"They are fast being driven from existence," said the Doctor.
"Twenty-five years ago they were numerous in the Nile below Luxor; while
to-day they are rarely seen below the first cataract, which is more than
a hundred miles above Luxor. They are also becoming scarce in the rivers
of India; and the alligators in the southern parts of the United States
are not nearly as numerous as they were. Still, there are enough for all
the demand that is likely to be made for them, and anybody who will
invent a way of killing them rapidly will confer a benefit upon the
human race."
[Illustration: JUST HATCHED.]
"In regions where these reptiles abound, the natives have adopted the
sensible plan of destroying the eggs whenever they find a nest. The
nests are made in the sand or on a bank of earth, and the female
alligator usually lays from twenty to forty--rarely more than the latter
number. They are hatched by the heat of the sun: the mother does not sit
on the nest like a hen, but she stays in the neighborhood and fights for
their protection. When the chicks emerge from the shell they hurry off
to the water, or to a hiding-place in the mud; and they seem to
understand that they will be subject to many dangers until they get
large enough to defend themselves. Cranes and fish are fond of them in
their tender youth, and even the fathers of the alligator family seem to
mistake them for frogs, and eat them with apparent delight.
"In some parts of India the natives dig a circular pit, and cover it with
sticks and leaves. The pit surrounds a little island or mound of earth,
and is close to a stream where crocodiles abound. On the mound they
fasten a young goat, and his bleatings during the night attract the
crocodiles, who break the slight floor of sticks with their heavy
bodies, and fall into the pit prepared for them. Heavy stakes are set in
the bottom of the pit, and as the reptile falls he is generally impaled
on one or more of them.
"I have read of a famous old crocodile who defied all the ordinary
modes of capture, in one of the rivers of India. Finally an English
officer hit upon a trick that was successful. He put a pound of powder
in a can, and attached it to an electric wire, so that he could explode
it at pleasure; then he placed this can inside the carcass of a sheep,
and by means of a rope floated it over where the crocodile lay. The
crocodile rose and swallowed the bait; the officer, who was standing
ready with his electric battery on the shore, completed the connection
of the wires, and an instant afterwards the reptile that had been a
terror to the neighborhood had ceased to exist. The can of powder
exploded in his stomach, and his body, when it came to the surface, was
so torn and distorted that it could hardly be recognized as the remains
of a crocodile."
[Illustration: COMING OUT TO SUN HIMSELF.]