When the news of the trouble in Siam was telegraphed, the King declared that he knew nothing of the affair. If he is as clever as they say, he probably keeps himself thoroughly acquainted with everything that is happening in his kingdom.
The chances are that he knows all about the matter, but does not want it mentioned until his pleasure trip is over.
A sad story of a wrecked steamer has just reached us.
The vessel, the Aden, was one of the steamers which carry passengers from Europe to India, passing through the Suez Canal.
Heavy winds and storms have been raging in the Indian Ocean for some weeks past; in fact, the storms and the earthquake about which we told you came at the same time.
The unfortunate steamer was caught in one of these tempests, and driven on a reef off Socotra Island.
Socotra is at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden. It is into this gulf that the Red Sea flows.
As soon as the accident occurred the life-boats were launched, and some of the passengers and crew were put aboard them.
Unhappily the sea was running so high that the boats could not live in it. They were soon overturned and their occupants drowned.