TEACHING IN THE PALACE OF THE KING OF SIAM IN 1880.
The following letter from Maa Tuan, matron of the girls’ boarding-school at Bangkok, was partially translated from the Siamese and partially dictated to one of the missionary ladies. She is a most efficient, earnest Christian worker, a “living witness” among these people. She has been a Christian for years, her father being literally the “first-fruits” of Presbyterian effort in Siam.
Maa Tuan’s Letter.
A nobleman, the brother of Koon Lin, a former pupil in the school, who is now, with her sister Juan, in the royal palace—the latter being a wife of His Majesty the king—asked me to come to the palace and teach his sisters during the two months of vacation.
I lived in the royal harem for one month, and I think it will interest your friends to have me tell you some of the things I saw while there. It is said that within the palace-walls there are about one thousand women, wives, slaves and servants, as no man is permitted to live there except His Majesty the king. I should judge that about thirty of these women are wives of the king. Many of these wives, with their servants, live in a long brick building which stands near the palace. Eight of the king’s half-sisters and the only daughter of the regent of the Belur are the highest in position, and their rooms in the harem are more richly and beautifully furnished than those of the other wives. The rooms of the king’s favorite, Peahong Sawang (one of his half-sisters), are three in number. The first is trimmed with pink silk, another blue and the third green. Even the windows and door are colored, and all is very beautiful to the eye.
Peahong Sawang is the mother of the oldest son of His Majesty, who is now about two years of age. To be the mother of a royal son is quite an honor in the harem, and it is only male offspring of the king, by one of his sisters, that can inherit the throne.
I lived in the harem with the women, and saw and talked with them all very often. They were quite friendly, though they knew that I had given up their religion, and would not bow to the image of Buddha, which they worshiped every night, offering flowers and burning of fragrant wood. These women sit in idleness all the day long, unless sent for to go to the palace. They often tried to persuade me to return to Buddhism, giving me one of their books to read instead of my Bible, which I had with me, and making sport of me, saying, ‘Ah, you were once in the light, but now you are walking in the darkness.’ But my heart did not mind what they said; I told them of the religion of Jesus, and, going by myself, I prayed to Jesus to help them. My business there was to teach Koon Lin and Koon Juan to translate Siamese into English. Both these girls were pupils of Mrs. Dr. House, and speak very lovingly of her. Koon Lin still has the English Bible Mrs. House gave her, and translated from it every day. She said that when she was in school she believed its teachings, but now she was indifferent, it was all so different in the palace.
The police who have charge of the royal harem are women, and night and day close watch is kept that no one goes out or comes in without their permission. Any one not known to the guards is searched at the door of entrance. Every afternoon at four o’clock the gates of the palace are locked. On my way to the market near I could often see the king as he walked in his royal palace, which is higher than other buildings. In the courtyard below the native children played noisily, which the king did not seem to mind. This is very different from the old king, before whom all must bow or fall on their faces.