No. 484.
Mr. Halderman to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Legation of
the United States,
Bangkok
,
April 30, 1883.
(Received June 25.)
No. 30.]
Sir: I have the honor to report, as notified in my
dispatch No. 29, that I left here on the 14th April, and after steaming a
southerly course 420 miles as the crow flies, landed at Tuluban in the Malay
Peninsula, latitude 6° 40′ north, longitude 101° 40′ east, on the morning of
April 22.
The rajah, who is the Malay and Mohammedan governor of Saiburi, a protected
state of Siam, waited upon me on my arrival, and expressed a desire that the
gifts of the United States to him should be publicly presented at his palace
on the following day at eleven.
At an early hour next morning the Tuluban River, in the mouth of which the
Yolante was anchored, was covered with small craft filled with men, women,
and children, awaiting evidently our departure for the town of Tuluban,
further up the stream.
Shortly before the hour named I boarded the state barge, canopied and
cushioned with green and crimson silk, manned by twenty oarsmen, and started
for the palace, followed by an escort of scores of canoes of all sizes and
patterns, filled with Malays, who honored the occasion by salvos of
musketry, din and outcry, music, song, and chant.
At the palace landing, which was swathed in parti-colored cloths, and
otherwise rudely ornamented, I was met by the rajah and conducted within,
where, surrounded by his nobles, and in the midst of his people, I sought in
fitting phrase to make formal presentation of the gifts of the United States
Government. He wore the court uniform of a Siamese phya, or high nobleman.
In his hands I placed the magazine rifle, and on his left breast I fastened
the medal of honor. He seemed proud of his distinction, and expressed his
warmest thanks and acknowledgments.
At the Malay banquet which followed, I proposed two sentiments, one to His
Majesty the King of Siam, and the other to the President of the United
States. I need hardly say they were drank with enthusiasm.
On board the steamer at a later hour I entertained the rajah, who expressed
with feeling his admiration for the great American Republic, and for all who
called themselves Americans.
In the afternoon bull-fights and buffalo races, Malay theatricals, and dances
were served for our delectation.
At night-fall the Volante weighed anchor and started northward; the rajah and
his fleet meanwhile convoying us to the outer sea, where, amid firing guns
and dipping standards, we waved adieus and separated.
At Singora and Champou we called for supplies. The governors satisfied our
wants and tendered courtesies.
The last-named point, where the Champou River debouches into the China Sea,
is the eastern terminus of the projected French ship-canal through the
peninsula. Its prospects are now even more dubious than Panama.
After a fifteen days’ absence, and a sunny view of what to most travelers is
a terra incognita, I arrived at my post this morning
and make report hereof.
It may be proper to add that His Majesty the King of Siam has taken especial
interest in my mission, and has expressed great pleasure that one of his
governors has been thus honored.
[Page 758]
It is believed now throughout tropical Asia that the United States will hold
in grateful memory that sovereign or subject who may befriend shipwrecked
American seamen.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure in No. 30.]
General John A. Halderman, United States
minister.
Extracts from local journal.
The United States Government sent on to its minister here some valuable
and useful presents, to be by him presented to the rajah of Tuluban.
Tuluban is a small Malay province on the east of the Gulf of Siam, under
the jurisdiction of the larger Malay province known as Saiburi, which is
tributary to Siam, and on the west it is washed by the Bay of Bengal.
When the presents were received the United States minister brought the
subject to the notice of the Siamese Government. The Siamese Government
was manifestly pleased that the great United States Government had thus
signally honored one of its petty provincial governors, and placed the
steam-yacht Vo-lante at the disposal of the United States minister to
enable him to visit Tuluban and personally hand to the governor the
presents from the United States Government. Such tokens of appreciation
to the officials of native states for their kindness to shipwrecked and
distressed foreigners cannot fail to produce the best of impressions and
dissipate the piratical tendencies of barbarous races to plunder and
maltreat the unfortunate, the helpless, and the distressed.
The governor of Tuluban, as well as the Siamese Government, was highly
pleased with this flattering token of appreciation from a mighty nation.
Our readers will be pleased with the sketches of an eye-witness of the
trip and the ceremonies.
united states minister’s visit to
tuluban.
Many of our readers will remember that in November, 1880, the American
bark Coringa was wrecked on the coast of Siam, between Patani and
Kalantan, near a small village called Tuluban, under the authority of
the governor of Saiburi. The shipwrecked crew received every kindness at
the hands of the people of the place, and the governor of the province
took into his own house the master and his family, and entertained them
most hospitably. In recompense of these kindnesses to distressed
citizens, the Government of the United States had struck a very handsome
gold medal, with a clasp of the same metal, bearing the inscription,
“Presented to his highness the rajah of Tuluban, for services rendered
the officers and crew of the American bark Coringa.” On the reverse was
the figure of liberty, and the words “From the President of the United
States.” An express rifle of 50 caliber, manufactured in their best
style by the celebrated Winchester Arms Company, beautifully decorated
with rich gold chasing, and bearing similar inscription, with case and
all the usual fittings, was also prepared. These presents were to be
bestowed on the kind-hearted Siamese who had so handsomely entertained
and cared for the distressed mariners, as a token of the gratitude of
the United States for kindness rendered to her citizens when required.
These gifts were sent to his excellency, General Halderman, the United
States minister, for presentation to the official for whom they were
designed. The place of the governor’s residence being out of the usual
course of travel, His Majesty the King placed at the disposal of his
excellency the United States minister, the dispatch steamer Volante, to
enable him to proceed to the village and cany out the instructions of
his Government, and his excellency embarked with his suite on the 14th
instant. The steamer was under the command of Captain Yah, one of the
oldest and most experienced commanders in the Siamese navy, and well and
faithfully did the old veteran discharge the difficult and onerous
duties confided to him. The Siamese Government was represented by Kun
Bin, a younger son of the prime minister, a young gentleman of great
promise and one likely to achieve future eminence in the King’s service.
Mr. A. Balfour, superintending engineer of the Siamese navy, also
accompanied the expedition. The Volante arrived at the Isthmus of Kraw
on the morning of the 16th, and after some necessary repairs to her
machinery [Page 759] left for Singora on
the 17th, arriving on the afternoon of the 19th April. Here a delay of
some three days took place, to allow the dispatch of an express to
Tuluban to warn the governor of the coming of his distinguished guest
and enable him to make suitable arrangements for his reception. The
minister and his retinue took up their quarters at the palace of his
excellency the kralahome, situated on the beach within the inner harbor,
where they received every attention at the hands of the venerable
governor and his two grandsons. The lieutenant-governor of Singora was
detailed to accompany his excellency the minister to Tuluban. Leaving
Singora on the 21st the Volante arrived at Tuluban on the 22d, and
entered the river, lying at anchor about one-half a mile inside. The
governor came on board at once to pay his respects to the minister, and
the visit was returned at his official residence later in the day. On
the 23d the official presentation of the gifts took place after a few
appropriate remarks from the minister. A grand banquet was served in the
Malay fashion, to which the guests did ample justice, and at which the
healths of His Majesty the King of Siam and the American President were
drank with enthusiasm. The governor revisited the steamer in the
afternoon, and after refreshments had been served invited his excellency
and suite to a grand bull-fight, which took place on the esplanade
bordering the river. The same evening the Volante left the river on her
return trip, arriving here on the morning of the 29th after an absence
of eleven days.
