of the sovereign by the "great council" of the nation-one of the primitive customs which the Siamese have preserved from the times when their forefathers wandered, a Tartar tribe, over the immense steppes of Central Asia, along with the ancestors of the Mongols, the Turks, the Hungarians, and many other less notable branches of the same widely-scattered race. To these explanations it is only necessary to add that, from internal evidence, it seems likely that the author of the document from which the following details are derived, was the new sovereign himself, assisted, perhaps, by one of the American missionaries at Bangkok, to whom he would naturally apply for aid in any literary effort. About the beginning of last year, it appears, "His late most righteous and illustrious Majesty, Phrabat Gomdet Phra Phudha Chou, was seized with a sickness which deprived him of ability to sleep, producing much nausea, and greatly impairing his appetite, so that he could not by any means adequately nourish himself." In spite of the attentions and prescriptions of the royal physicians-or, possibly, in consequence of them the illness continued to increase. At length, on the 9th of March, " His Majesty summoned the company of his nobles and his lords, in whom he placed perfect confidence, into his presence, at his bedside. Being thus assembled, he said to them, This, my present sickness, is severe, the symptoms are all bad; it is probable that it will baffle all the skill of my physicians.' The narrator, in true Oriental style, proceeds to give an account of the secret meditations of the monarch. Whereupon," we are told, "he thought within himself, saying, 'This kingdom has become large, its fame is spread abroad to all foreign countries. It would be proper for me to appoint my successor according to my own pleasure; but I fear I shall not be supported in my choice of a successor that, should I attempt it, the unity of the kingdom would be broken, the people and persons of honor who shall fill all the places of trust in the future will not be pleased, and that, consequently, it would give rise to civil commotion, and bring trouble to the illustrious princes and royal servants, both great and small, and to the Budhist priesthood, and to the people."" 66 The meaning of this doubtless is, that the dying king, seeing clearly that his subjects had set their minds upon raising his brother to the throne, made a virtue of necessity, and ordered them to choose for his successor the person who should be, as it is expressed, "the choice of all classes in the kingdom," especially enjoining them to select " a prince of middle age, possessed of wisdom and knowledge touching the duties of a king," &c.—that being exactly what he knew they had all predetermined to do. The author of the narrative, however, with loyal or fraternal terderness to the memory of the deceased, lauds the wisdom and magnanimity of this procedure in extravagant terms. "His late Majesty," we are assured, “did this because he was a man possessed of extraordinary powers of mind, having great compassion and unbounded regard for the welfare of mankind!" This praise, bestowed upon the executioner of Peer Sissifoor, may be considered to fairly rival the boldest panegyric that was ever inscribed on a tombstone. The council, however, did not proceed to elect a successor while the king was yet living. Such a proceeding would have been contrary to the custom of the kingdom. On the 3rd of April, early in the morning, King Somdet Phra Phudha Chou expired; whereupon," we are told, "all the illustrious princes and nobles, and lords, great and small, on the right and left of the throne, mourned greatly for him." Their grief, however, did not prevent them from sending at once for the Prince Chou Fa Mongkut (as he is here styled), who was "then abiding as chief priest in the temple Bowavaniwate." The people at large did not think it necessary to mourn at all, or to dissemble their delight at the change of rulers. They flocked joyfully around the prince as he was escorted to the palace, invoked blessings on him, and "brought flowers in great profusion, and presented them to him by the way." He first, accompanied by the princes and great nobles, proceeded to the hall of state, where the corpse of the late king" was placed in a sitting posture, in full kingly attire. His Royal Highness then poured water upon the corpse, according to custom; after which it was escorted to the golden urn, which was engraven, embossed, and adorned with nine kinds of precious stones." The royal corpse was then borne into an inner apartment, where it remained during the subsequent ceremonies. It does not seem to have been considered necessary to go through even the form of electing Prince Chou Faa to the vacant throne; for in the evening, when the great council met, its only act was to invite (of course, at his suggestion) his younger bro ther, Prince Chou Faa Kromakun Itsarete, | himself on the "octagon throne," under the "to rule the illustrious kingdom in conjunc- "royal circular canopy of seven stories called tion with his elder brother, henceforth and sawikrachat." This octagonal throne comfor ever." This arrangement being sa- prised, in fact, eight seats, looking towards tisfactorily settled, all the officers of gov-the eight points of the compass ;" and havernment, of every grade throughout the kingdom, proceeded to do what the same class has recently been doing-though probably with very different feelings-in a neighboring country, namely, to take the oath of allegiance. Within less than a month, it is stated more than fifteen thousand persons had thus sworn fidelity to the new sovereigns. On the day following the election, the formal "abduction" of the elder prince from the priesthood took place in the customary way. The ceremony was very simple. "His Royal Highness took his leave of the priesthood by laying off his yellow robes, bathing himself in consecrated water, and clothing himself in figured white cloth." The prince then at once assumed the reins of government, but did not yet receive the style of "Majesty." The more important ceremony of the coronation was appointed to take place on the 15th of May, that being the day on which the astrologers had declared that "the sixteen signs of the heavens would be most auspicious;" a declaration at which the royal reader of "Pickwick" must have chuckled a little to himself in secret. Previously, however, one of these diviners set to work, with one of the "chief scribes" and "the great Brahmin teacher," to give a new name to his Majesty. This they accomplished in a not very intelligible manner, by means of 'four series of circular shelves of three stories each;" one being of glass, another of gold, another of silver, and the fourth of plantainleaves, together with sundry plates of cakes, fruits, and flowers, a screen of silk, a sheet of gold, &c.-the whole operation bearing a considerable resemblance to one of M. Robin's most complicated feats of legerdemain. The result was, that his Majesty was to be known thenceforward under the not very euphonious appellation of "Somdet Phra Chom Klow." On the morning of the 15th of May the Prince went into the great hall of the palace, "lighted the consecrated candles, and bowed himself in worship." He then entered the shower bath, and was sprinkled with consecrated water. After bathing he put on a yellow "phanung," or waistcloth, flowered with gold, and a "golden jacket," and returned to the great hall. Here he seated ing in their centre a pillar, which formed the common back to them all. Here a singular ceremony took place. "Surrounding this eight-sided throne were eight seats, on which eight of the wise men sat, facing the throne. His Royal Highness first sat on the side of the throne facing the east, having his face eastward. The wise man seated in that direction then spoke in the Bali language, and pronounced a blessing upon him, and delivered up the kingdom of the Budhist religion to his charge. His Royal Highness then received the charge, with a goblet decked with diamonds and other precious stones of great price. Whereupon a Brahmin of high rank presented to him holy water from a shell, whose special base turned to the right, and poured it into his hand. Of this his Royal Highness drank a little, and with the remainder washed his face. He then moved to the south-east side of the throne; the wise man seated in that direction pronounced a blessing, and delivered up the kingdom, as the one before had done. The Brahmin presented the holy water, and his Royal Highness drank and washed as before. Thus did he seat himself successively on each of the eight sides of the throne, and thus did the ceremonies proceed until each of the eight wise men had pronounced a blessing and delivered up the kingdom, as before stated." The Prince having undergone the eight benedictions of the wise men and the eight lavations, must have been glad to escape from the octagonal throne to the four-sided throne, "covered with two thicknesses of fine gold," where the real coronation was to take place. He was first presented with "the most precious sawikrachat (or canopy), which is the chief insignia of supreme power of the King of Siam from ancient times." Then the Chief Justice of the kingdom, who seems to have taken the place of the Archbishop of Canterbury in this ceremony, presented the Prince first with the gold sheets on which his new name was written, then with "the crown of victory," and "the royal breast-chain, made of the purest gold," which the Prince immediately put on, then with the "royal cane" and the "royal dagger," the former of which the Prince placed on his right thigh, and the latter on his left; and, finally, with eight kinds of arms, viz., "the javelin, the spear, the bow, the Japan dagger, the sword, the cane, having a dagger enclosed, the gun, and the spear for holding in the mouth when scaling walls." The royal shoes were then placed on his feet, and, after a few minor ceremonies, the coronation was complete, and the Prince became King of Siam. The Chief Justice was the first to receive his Majesty's commands, the nature of which is not mentioned. Consecrated water was then poured upon the earth, " as a blessing upon all the animated creation. This being done, the Brahmins then sounded again their shell trumpets, in concert with other instruments of music." Then followed other ceremonies of great pomp, including a royal audience, to which, contrary to previous usage, all the foreigners of the city were admitted, as a mark of the King's special favor. The same particular attention to foreign residents was shown throughout the subsequent ceremonies and rejoicings, which lasted till the 3rd of June. They included processions by land and by water, distributions of money, and other presents, public worship, banquets of the priests, reviews of the troops, &c. Some of these ceremonies must have been of a very splendid and picturesque character. The procession of barges, for example, comprised about 240 large boats, having from 25 to 60 rowers each, besides a great company of boats of smaller size. The large boats were gorgeously gilt or quaintly carved, and bedizened with flags. The boatmen and officers were clothed in handsome uniforms of scarlet and gold, or figured silks. Several of the barges carried pieces of artillery, and gunners to man them. The details of all these proceedings are given in full in the official paper from which this account has been derived. The only part, however, which can be extracted entire, is the following rather striking account of one of the processions: jesty went into the temple of the emerald idol, and lighted the incense sticks and candles, and offered flowers and other things to the idol. Then he had the bones of both his father and grandfather brought, each in his golden urn, and made offerings of incense, sticks and candles, and flowers to them. Then he invited a company of chief priests to pronounce a series of solemn reflections on the uncertainty of human life, suitable to the occasion of making offerings to these sacred relics. This being done, he passed out of the temple by another gate than that in which he entered, and strewed silver all along the way he went, until, by a circuitous passage, he came to the Dudsidta Mahaprasat (the most splendid building of the royal palace) and made offerings to the corpse of his elder brother, his late Majesty Somdet Phra Phudha Chou, which was sitting in state in a golden urn in that place. He then invited a company of chief priests to pronounce solemn reflections suitable to the occasion, as before. After this he passed by an inner passage (to wit, the passage for females of the palace) and strewed silver everywhere as he went, and then returned to the "Mahamonthian," or inner apartment. The obsequies of the late king had yet to be celebrated. For this purpose it was necessary to erect immense buildings for the burning of the royal remains. The largest of these buildings was to have a canopied roof, rising into a spire two hundred and eighty feet high. Under this lofty canopy were to be erected another canopy and spire, and beneath the latter a building of pagoda form, on which the remains of the royal dead were to be burned. The remarks which are made on this subject, in the official document, undoubtedly by the new king himself, are deserving of quotation: "The business of preparing for and celebrating the funeral solemnities of his late "His Majesty then ascended and seated Majesty is very great. This becomes neceshimself on the royal palankeen, made of fine sary from the force of the royal custom from plated gold, and richly decked with dia- olden times. Large sums of money are almonds of nine different kinds. Being attend-ways sacrificed on such occasions from the ed by all the royal body-guard, going before and following after, he passed along the covered street. While passing through this street he strewed silver salungs (a coin worth about 3d.) by handfuls. At that time Phayaveset was ordered to conduct the company of Europeans and Americans to a gateway of the street, where they had another interview with his Majesty, who threw to them many handfuls of salungs. This being done, his Ma royal treasury; and it consequently costs much labor and time and strength to all classes of the subjects of the kingdom. It appears, indeed, to be a custom the observance of which is not followed by any advantage. But it is a very old custom of the kingdom, and by all her tributaries well known and revered. And if it should be now disregarded, passing it by with ceremonies only such as are really needed, all the In these remarks the new monarch evidently intends to explain to his European friends his motives for any other part of his conduct or policy which might seem to them not worthy of his good sense and enlightened intellect. If he listened solemnly to the eightfold benedictions of the Siamese wise men, washed his face eight times with holy water, scattered handfuls of silver in the streets, and went through other similar ceremonies with gravity and patience, it was doubtless only because they were " very old customs of the kingdom;" and because, by refusing to comply with the usages of his nation in these trivial or indifferent matters, he might have aroused prejudices that would have made it difficult for him to carry out the really important reforms which he was meditating. The " Singapore head provinces and tributary kingdoms would | tions for a liberal commercial treaty, was find fault, and attribute it to base motives strongly desired. The most amicable sention the part of his Majesty." ments, it is said, are expressed in regard to the British Government. Free Press," which gives this information, adds some other particulars of considerable interest. "The new Praklang, with whom, as Minister for Foreign Affairs, strangers come most in contact, is a nobleman of much ability, and of the most liberal sentiments in regard to commercial matters. He speaks as well as reads and writes English with fluency. A large man-of-war is on the stocks, which is intended to be used in clearing the Gulf of Siam of pirates. All the branches of the military service are well regulated; and our informant states that he was present at several reviews of different descriptions of troops, whose neat and soldierlike appearance, and steadiness and quickness on parade, reflected the greatest credit on their officers. The internal industry of the country is receiving the most fostering care of the Government, and it is the intention of the kings to restore the sugar-cultivation to its former state, and even extend it much fur That this was the object in view may be inferred from the result. The narrative (which is dated in September last) is stated in the concluding paragraph to have been prepared for the information of people ofther, by affording liberal pecuniary support foreign countries, and sent to the governor to the cultivators. It will thus be seen that of the Straits settlements, "that he may every fresh arrival from Siam brings stronger more fully understand the royal customs confirmation of the new and better order of herein described;" and it is intimated that things now prevailing in that important if the governor should see fit "to publish country, which seems to have fairly embarkthis article in the form of a book or pam-ed on a course of prosperity, which, we sinphlet," he was at liberty to do so. The cerely trust, may long flow on unchecked and document has been accordingly printed in a ever increasing.' recent number of the "Journal of the East- It is, on many accounts, satisfactory to ern Archipelago." At the same time, the find that, while in the neighboring state of Singapore papers have announced that very Birma an appeal to arms has been thought considerable reductions had already been necessary in order to check the insolence of made in the tonnage-duties levied on foreign | unenlightened and despotic power in Siam, ships, that a "most gracious reception" had on the contrary, a wise and generous forbearbeen given to the supercargo of the first ance has allowed time for the arts and literaEnglish merchant-vessel which arrived after ture of Europe to achieve a peaceful victory the commencement of the new reign, and over the prejudices and suspicions which are that the renewal of the English embassy, for natural enough, and not altogether inexcusathe purpose of recommencing the negotia- ble, in those semi-barbarous Governments. LEIGH HUNT'S DESCRIPTION OF TOM MOORE. | -"Moore's forehead," says Leigh Hunt, "was bony and full of character, with bumps' of wit, large and radiant enough to transport a phrenologist. In this particular he strongly resembled Sterne. His eyes were as dark and as fine as you could wish to see under a set of vine leaves; his mouth generous and good-humored, with dimples; and his manner as bright as his talk, full of the wish to please and be pleased. He sang and played with great force on the pianoforte, as might be supposed from his musical compositions. His voice, which was a little hoarse in speaking-at least I used to think so-softened into a breath, like that of a flute, when singing. In speaking, he was emphatic in rolling about the letter r, perhaps out of despair of being able to get rid of the national peculiarity.' From the Edinburgh Review.' THE POLICE SYSTEM OF LONDON. beat certain constables are specifically assigned, and they are provided with little maps called beat-cards. The business of the constable on duty is to perambulate his beat in a fixed time according to an appointed route; as soon as he has gone over it, he immediately begins his rounds again, so that the patrolling sergeant knows at any moment where the constable ought to be found unless something unusual has occurred. So thor THERE are few subjects more important | and the limits carefully defined. To every and interesting than the combined arrangements for the internal security of a nation comprehended in the term, System of Police. This is especially true in the case of a great metropolis, where there is a vast accumulation of property, where a large population live under the constant pressure of want and stimulus of appetite, and where the immense aggregation of human beings necessarily affords opportunities of combination as well as facilities for concealment. In London, how-oughly is this arrangement carried into effect, ever, the arrangements are so good, the security so general, and the complex machinery works so quietly, that the real danger which must always exist where the wealth and luxury of a nation are brought into juxtaposition with its poverty and crime, is too much forgotten; and people begin to think it quite a matter of course, or one of the ordinary operations of Providence, that they sleep and wake in safety in the midst of hordes of starving plunderers. * We will now endeavor to explain the actual organization of the great living machine which keeps guard over our Metropolis, with its ten millions of rateable property, and watches at night in order that two millions and a half of people may sleep in safety, although six thousand professional thieves are constantly on the watch for opportunities to plunder. It consists, besides the two Commissioners, of 1 chief superintendent, 18 superintendents, 124 inspectors, 585 sergeants, and 4797 constables, in all 5,525 persons. About 3,700 men are on duty all night, and about 1,800 all day. During the night they never cease patrolling the whole time they are on duty, being forbidden even to sit down. The police district is mapped out into divisions, the divisions into subdivisions, the sub-divisions into sections, and the sections into beats, all being numbered, The Commissioners are Magistrates for the seven counties into which their district extends; viz., Middlesex, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire; and the police are constables for all these counties. that every street, road, lane, alley, and court, within the Metropolitan Police District, that is, the whole of the metropolis, (except that small part the City of London) the county of Middlesex, and all the parishes (218 in number) in the counties of Surrey, Kent, Essex, and Hertfordshire, which are not more than fifteen miles from Charing Cross, comprising an area of about 700 square miles, 90 miles in circumference, and with a population of two-and-a-half millions, is visited constantly day and night by some of the police. The beats vary considerably in size; in those parts of the town which are open and inhabited by the wealthier classes, an occasional visit from a policeman is sufficient, and he traverses a wide district. But the limits of the beat are diminished, and of course the frequency of the visits increased, in proportion to the character and density of the population, the throng and pressure of traffic, the concentration of property, and the intricacy of the streets. Within a circle of six miles from St. Paul's the beats are ordinarily traversed in periods varying from seven to twenty-five minutes, and there are points which, in fact, are never free from inspection. Nor must it be supposed that this system places the wealthier localities at a disadvantage, for it is an axiom in police that you guard St. James' by watching St. Giles'. The district is divided into 18 divisions containing, including the Thames, 121 police stations, each station being the place from which the police duties are carried on within |