warm, but the room was kept moderately cool by a system of penekahs or large fans swinging from the ceiling, which kept the air in circulation.

After they had been at the table about three hours there was a pause and a signal. The fans stopped, the music paused, and Mr. Alabaster, as interpreter, took his place behind the King. His Majesty then arose, and the company with him, and, in a clear accent heard all over the saloon, made the following speech in Siamese:

"YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, Now ASSEMBLED: I beg you to hear the expres sion of the pleasure which I have felt in receiving as my guest a President of the United States of America. Siam has for many years past derived great advantages from America, whose citizens have introduced into my kingdom many arts and sciences, much medical knowledge and many valuable books, to the great advantage of the country. Even before our countries were joined in treaty alliance, citizens of America came here and benefited us. Since then our relations have greatly improved, and to the great advantage of Siam, and recently the improvement has been still more marked. Therefore it is natural that we should be exceedingly gratified by the visit paid to us by a President of the United States. General Grant has a grand fame, that has reached even to Siam, that has been known here for several years. We are well aware that as a true soldier he first saw glory as a leader in war, and, thereafter accepting the office of President, earned the admiration of all men as being a statesman of the highest rank. It is a great gratification to all of us to meet one thus eminent both in the government of war and of peace. We see him and are charmed by his gracious manner, and feel sure that his visit will inaugurate friendly relations with the United States of a still closer nature than before, and of the most enduring character. Therefore I ask you all to join with

me in drinking the health of General Grant and wishing him every blessing."

When the King finished, Mr. Alabaster translated the speech into English, the company all the time remaining on their feet. Then the toast was drank with cheers, the band playing the American national air.

General Grant then arose, and, in a low but clear and perfectly distinct voice, said:

"YOUR MAJESTY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: am very much obliged to Your Majesty for the kind and complimentary manner in which you have welcomed me to Siam. I am glad that it has been my good fortune to visit this country and to thank Your Majesty in person for your letters inviting me to Siam, and to see with my own eyes your country and your people. I feel that it would have been a misfortune if the programme of my journey had not included Siam. I have now been absent from home nearly two years, and during that time I have seen every capital and nearly every large city in Europe, as well as the principal cities in India, Burmah and the Malay Peninsula. I have seen nothing that has interested me more than Siam, and every hour of my visit here has been agreeable and instructive. For the welcome I have received from Your Majesty, the princes and members of the Siamese government, and the people generally, I am very grateful. I accept it, not as personal to myself alone, but as a mark of the friendship felt for my country by Your Majesty and the people of Siam. I am glad to see that feeling, because I believe that the best interests of the two countries can be benefited by nothing so much as the estab lishment of the most cordial relations between them. On my return to America I shall do what I can to cement those relations. I hope that in America we shall see more of the Siamese, that we shall have embassies and diplomatic relations, that our commerce and manufactures will increase

with Siam, and that your young men will visit our country and attend our colleges as they now go to colleges in Germany and England. I can assure them all a kind reception, and I feel that the visits would be interesting and advantageous. I again thank Your Majesty for the splendid hospitality which has been shown to myself and my party, and I trust that your reign will be happy and prosperous, and that Siam will continue to advance in the arts of civilization."

General Grant, after a pause, then said:

"I hope you will allow me to ask you to drink the health of His Majesty the King of Siam. I am honored by the opportunity of proposing that toast in his own capital and his own palace, and of saying how much I have been impressed with his enlightened rule. I now ask you to drink the health of His Majesty the King, and prosperity and peace to the people of Siam."

After a round of receptions, entertainments and excursions, the General bade adieu to Siam, having passed delightful week.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

GENERAL GRANT IN CHINA.

On April 25, General Grant arrived at Saigon in the French mail steamship Irawaddy. He and his party were invited by Rear-Admiral La Fond, Governor of French Cochin China, to sojourn at the Government House. They passed the night there, and next day visited public buildings and places of interest. A public levee was given on the evening of the 26th. The guests returned to the ship about midnight, and the voyage was resumed on the 27th. They reached Hong Kong on the evening of April 30. The ship was immediately boarded by United States Consuls Mosby, of Hong Kong; Lincoln, of Canton; Charge d'Affaires Holcombe, and deputations of citizens of various countries, including Japan. The same evening the visitors proceeded to the United States ship Ashuelot, where they were received with a salute of twenty-one guns.

After partaking of refreshments, they went ashore in the Colonial government launch. Salutes were fired by batteries all along the river.

General Grant arrived at Canton on the evening of May 6, and was received by the Consular officials, and conducted to the Viceroy's yaman, three miles from the point of debarkation. Canton is situated on the Pearl River, thirty miles from the coast. The Viceroy sent a gunboat out as escort up the river. This vessel, bearing the Ameri

can flag at the fore out of compliment to the General, followed all the way.

At various points in the river-wherever, indeed, there were forts salutes were fired and troops paraded. These lines of troops, with their flags and nearly every other man in a Chinese army carries a flag-looked picturesque and theatrical as seen from our deck.

It was nine o'clock in the evening before the lights of Canton were seen. The Chinese gunboats, as the General and party came to anchorage, burned blue lights and fired rockets. The landing was decorated with Chinese lanterns, and many of the junks in the river burned lights and displayed the American flag. The whole city had been waiting all the afternoon, and had now gone home to dinner. Next morning salutes were exchanged between the Ashuelot and the Chinese gunboats. The General remained at home during the morning to receive calls. The coming of General Grant had created a flutter in the Chinese mind. No foreign barbarian of so high a rank had ever visited the Celestial Kingdom. As soon as the Viceroy learned of the visit, he sent word to the American Consul that he would receive General Grant with special honors. The Viceroy ordered all the houses closed, streets cleared and the troops paraded. A placard issued, that a foreigner was coming to do the Viceroy honor, and that the people must do him honor. We give a translation of one of these extra bulletins:

“We have just heard that the King of America, being on friendly terms with China, will leave America early in the third month, bringing with him a suite of officers, etc., all complete on board the ship. It is said that he is bringing a large number of rare presents with him, and that he will be here in Canton about the 6th or 9th of May. He will land at the Tintsy ferry, and will proceed to the Viceroy's palace by way of the South gate, the Fantai's Nga