"We left our dwelling at half-past eight in the morning for the palace. A twelve-oared barge, with the rowers dressed in scarlet uniforms, was furnished by the court for the conveyance of the gentlemen of the mission; another for our Indian attendants, about twenty in number; while the sepoys of the escort were conveyed in the ship's launch. It was made a particular request that our servants, especially the sepoys of the escort, should form part of the procession. About nine o'clock we landed under the walls of the palace, where we found an immense concourse of people waiting to view the spectacle. The accommodation for conveying us to the palace consisted of net hammocks suspended from poles, furnished with an embroidered carpet, and, according to the custom of the country, borne by two men only. The management of these vehicles was a matter of some difficulty, and our awkwardness became a subject of some amusement to the crowd. We passed through a street of Siamese military arranged in single file, and then came to a gate-way where we were compelled to leave our side-arms, as no person was permitted to come into the palace enclosure with arms about him. We were also compelled to dismount from our litters and leave our escort behind us.
"We passed through another street of soldiers, and finally came to a large hall, eighty or ninety feet long by forty broad. We were conducted inside, and carpets were spread for us to sit on while waiting to be summoned to the royal presence. We waited about twenty minutes, and were then taken to the hall of audience, where we were requested to take off our shoes and leave behind us our Indian attendants. As soon as we entered the gate we found a band of music of about one hundred persons drawn up to form a street for our reception. The instruments consisted of drums, gongs, brass flutes, and flageolets.
"Opposite the door of the hall there was an immense screen, which concealed the interior from view. We passed the screen to the right side, and, as had been agreed upon, taking off our hats, made a respectful bow in the European manner. Every foot of the great hall was so crowded with prostrate courtiers that it was difficult to move without treading upon some officer of state. Precedence is decided upon such occasions by relative vicinity to the throne; the princes being near the foot of it, the principal officers of government next to them, and thus in succession down to the lowest officer who is admitted. We seated ourselves a little in front of the screen, and made three obeisances to the throne in unison with the courtiers. This obeisance consisted in raising the joined hands three times to the head, and each time touching the forehead. To have completed the Siamese obeisance it would have been necessary to bend the body to the ground, and touch the earth with the forehead at each prostration.
"The hall of audience was a well proportioned and spacious saloon, about eighty feet long, perhaps half this in breadth, and about thirty feet high. Two rows, each of ten handsome wooden pillars, formed an avenue from the door to the throne, which was situated at the upper end of the hall. The walls and ceiling were painted a bright vermilion, the cornices of the former being gilded, and the latter thickly spangled with stars in rich gilding. The throne and its appendages occupied the whole of the upper end of the hall. The throne was gilded all over, and about fifteen feet high, and it had much the appearance of a handsome pulpit. A pair of curtains of gold tissue upon a yellow ground concealed the whole of the upper part of the room except the throne, and they were intended to be drawn over this also except when used. The king, when seated on his throne, had more the appearance of a statue than of a living being. The general appearance of the hall of audience, the prostrate attitude of the courtiers, the situation of the king, and the silence which prevailed, presented a very imposing spectacle, and reminded us much more of a temple crowded with votaries engaged in the performance of some solemn rite of religion than the audience-chamber of a temporal monarch.
THE KING OF SIAM IN HIS STATE ROBES.
"The words which his Siamese majesty condescended to address to us were delivered in a grave, measured, and oratorical manner. One of the first officers of state delivered them to a person of inferior rank, and this person to the interpreter who was behind us, and explained them in the Malay language, which we understood. After a few questions and answers relative to our mission, the king said,
"'I am glad to see an envoy here from the Governor-general of India. Whatever you have to say, communicate with the minister of foreign affairs. What we chiefly want from you are fire-arms.'
"His majesty had no sooner pronounced these words than we heard a loud stroke, as if given by a wand against a piece of wainscoting, and then the curtains on each side of the throne, moved by some invisible agency, closed upon it. This was followed by the same flourish of wind instruments as on our entrance, and the courtiers, falling on their faces to the ground, made six successive prostrations. We made three obeisances, sitting upright as agreed upon. The ceremony was over.
"During the audience a heavy shower had fallen, and it was still raining. His majesty took this opportunity of presenting each of us with a small umbrella, and sent a message to desire that we would view the curiosities of the palace at our leisure. When we reached the threshold of the audience-hall we perceived the court yard and the roads extremely wet and dirty from the rain, and naturally demanded our shoes, which we had left at the last gate. This was a favor which could not be yielded; and we were told that the princes of the blood could not wear shoes within the sacred enclosure where we now were. It would have been impolitic to evince ill-humor or remonstrance, and therefore we feigned a cheerful compliance with this inconvenient usage, and proceeded to gratify our curiosity."
PRIME-MINISTER OF SIAM. 
A YOUNGER BROTHER OF THE KING.
Doctor Bronson had no such ceremony to pass through as did Mr. Crawfurd in 1822; he was not required to remove his shoes at the gate-way, and he did not pass along a hall full of kneeling courtiers. The present king has ordained that persons of all ranks shall come before him erect, just as they would enter the presence of a king in Europe, and as far as possible he has made the usages of his court correspond to the European model.
Of the dinner to which the consul and Doctor Bronson were invited, the latter wrote as follows:
"The dinner was quite in the European style, and was prepared by a French cook who has been in his majesty's employ for several years. The party consisted of his majesty, six of his younger brothers, the king's private secretary, the consul, and myself. The conversation was general, and touched many topics; the king had many questions to ask about the United States, and particularly wished to know the difference between Siamese slavery of the present day and American slavery of the past. After dinner we sat on the balcony, listening to the music of the band, and breathing the soft evening air. During part of the dinner and all the rest of the evening the king threw off his reserve, dismissed his interpreter, and conversed freely in English, which he spoke easily, and with great correctness. It was half-past nine o'clock when we left the palace, and were escorted to our boat to return to the hotel."
