Indiscreet Memories by Edwin A. Brown

Indiscreet Memories by Edwin A. Brown

Author:Edwin A. Brown [Brown, Edwin A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789814358200
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00


11 December 1902

Yesterday we had a most interesting time visiting all round. I set off about half past nine in the morning to have a look round the place and see if I could find any of my Singapore Chinamen’s friends. The worst part about it was that the men in Singapore always have their own Chinese names for the different streets, and it was therefore of no use asking for their addresses in Bangkok as they simply didn’t know them. However, I had one man’s address and I therefore set off to find him, intending to press him into my service when found, and to make him show me around.

I therefore hired a gharry—a sort of two-pony open carriage, driven by a little Siamese boy—and set off. My way lay right along the main road, which ran for miles parallel to the river. Finally we turned down a street and stopped at the door of my man’s shop. He was a very affable chap, and was very glad to show me round. I spent the morning delivering my letters of introduction, and generally looking round.

After knocking about in the terrible heat for about three hours I began to feel rather tired. As it was nearly one o’clock, I drove back to the club where Noon and I had arranged to have tiffin.

There we met a man called Mr O’Shea, the chief electrician of the Tramways and Electric Lighting Company. He was very jolly and offered, if we had nothing to do, to show us round in the afternoon. As he has been in the country nearly fifteen years and knows everybody and everything connected with the place, you may be sure that we accepted his offer with alacrity.

After tiffin, therefore, we started in two carriages and drove along the chief road for about three miles until we came to the Electric Lighting Station. O’Shea showed us all over this, and I must say that I was exceedingly surprised to see the whole plant on such modern lines. But everything seems to be done by electricity here. The trams are driven by it, the whole town and all the houses (even down to little native shops) are lit by it, while all the clubs, palaces and private houses contain electric fans! Electric light has been penetrated into the Buddhist temples and now, by an ingenious arrangement of footlights, buddha is beautifully lit up of an evening!

After leaving the station, O’Shea said he was going to take us to a bazaar, or at least what would be a bazaar in two days. But what a bazaar! It was, like most bazaars, in aid of the church, being ostensibly to provide enough marble to cover a new temple; but in other respects it was entirely different. Fancy King Edward, with all the royal family to help him, standing in an ordinary booth and raffling his own portrait! And yet this is what the King of Siam does at these shows, which are held once a year.



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