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concern as they walked about among them* Picking up a big snake 
by the back of the neck, one man held the reptiles, while the other 
put a glass slide into its mouth. Its teeth and fangs crunched 
down on the glass, and a teaspoonxarf full of thi ck yellow poison 
trickled out. The attendant carelessly tossed the snake into 
the narrow moat of water that surrounds the 4dge f the pit, and 
they both came out, and proceed to the next pit. Here were the 
ordinary cobras - dozens of there. Many of the little shelters 
were lifted, so that the place was simply swarming with the 
menace of death. The Siamese stood in front of one cobra, made a 
gesture toward it, and it rose and spread its hood* Still facing it, 
he bent over, grasped it six inches below the head, moved his 
hand steadily upward, closing the hood as he did so, until he had 
the cobra by the neck. Then it, too, was milked. It was the most 
incredible, and nonchalant, handling of poisonous snakes that we 
had ever seen. Only with the Russell 1 s viper was any particular 
caution shown. These reptiles were handled with long metal tongs. 
We had lunch at the Legation, then took our gibbons over to 
Dr. Jones. Later in the afternoon we had tea with Phya Jolamark, 
head of the Department of Agriculture, and there we met Bill f s 
old friend, Nai Aab, now Phya Salwidhan. They met for the first 
time in 23 years, and it seemed to be e happy reunion. Kungying 
Jolamark was very chprming end hospitable, let us watch the Siamese 
pancakes which she served us being prepared - on charcoal braziers 
the batter was spread very thin, cooked to a crispness that crackled, 
spread with shrimp, coconut and seasoning, and folded over - a 
rick but delicious dish. 
July 2Z - 
Phya Selwidhan took us, in the morning, to the Wat Phra Keo, 
the Temple of the Emerald Buddha - an amazing fairy land of golden 
pagodas, glittering temple roofs, gless-studded walls that glitter 
in the light, surrounded by a wall and corridor, the inside of which 
is frescoed the entire length with scenes from the Ram ay ana - small 
figures, detailed landscapes, lots of gold paint, an infinite 
amount of work* The temple itself is a beautiful building, with 
doors inlaid with mother-of-pearl on lacquered teak, and with 
hundreds of little bells tinkling overhead. A great golden 
altar inside has a high reliquary in which is the famous Emerald 
Buddha, a figure 60 cms. high, cut out of a solid piece of green 
jasper. It is clad in vestments of gold and jewels, and is so 
high that in the dim light one cannot get a very good view of it . 
Around the temple grounds are many grotesque guardian figures, with 
grimacing masks and high pointed head-dresses; bronze elephants; 
statues of the bird God (Kinarm ?), demons, and all the complicated 
mythological figures of the Buddhist tradition. Hindu and Chinese 
figures have also been brought in, and carved stone statues of 
indubitable antiquity mingle with the more modern representations 
of the gods. One of the sights of the Wat Phra Keo is the model 
of Angkor Wat, a reminder of the beautiful ruins that Si am lost 
to the French. 
Phya Salwidhan then took us to the stebles where the royal 
white elephants were kept. He wanned us in advance that they were 
white in name rather than in appearance. One of them h?d a blotched 
and pinkish appearance; one very tall one had a pink trunk and 
pink mottlings on his ears. We fed them both sugar cane, and 
