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HE sultan of Kedah, a funny little province In
81am not much larger than Rhode Island, has
Just witnessed the most magnificent wedding
ceremony ever performed In the mystical land
of the orient.
It takes twelve days to marry & prince; but
the sultan of Kedah had five sons and he ar
ranged for one wedding. Therefore it took
For sixty days and one day more the people of
a vacation that was one continuous round of
sixty days.
Kedah had
oriental gayaty and magnificence.
The whole of Kedah's population, from the wealthiest
nabob to the humblest and most ragged beggar, were there
as Invited guests and there are 30,000 subjects of the sultan
at Kedah.
Put rhe ceremony was so unique and the preparations on
no great a scale that everybody in the Straits Settlements
who could spare the time and money went to see it. So there
wit European guest from Bangkok, Singapore, Hongkong,
and Canton, Mlaco, and Colombo.
. Guests Come on Elephants.
The event was of so muoh political Importance that the
king of Siam sent one of his sons. Prince Charan, as his per
sonal representative. Prince Charan and his suite traveled
overland from Bangkok on a troop of elephants, and added
much to the splendors of the wedding ceremony by his pres
ence. The ceremonies began on June 14 with the wedding of
Tunker Ibrahim, the cro.wi prince, with his first cousin,
Tunker Ayshah, daughter of the sustan's brother, the Rajah
Mild a of Kedah. Up to tlhe morning of the first day's cere
mony the crown prince had never seen his bride.
The first dny opened with a solemn religious service, and
at 4 o'clock In the afternoon the marriage ceremony was
performed In public. That evening every subject of the
sultan sat down to a marriage feast. Refreshment bars In
the open air were ready night and day. free to everbody who
was thirsty and everybody was. The European guests, and
the highest olass natives were served In the palace.
Bridal Parties Visit Entire Province
From the second to the seventh day a round of Junket
ings was given, beginning as early as 9 o'clock In the morn
ing and lasting till 1 o'clock the next ninrnlng. Each day
there was a feast and each night flrewVks. Stages were
erected In all parts of the little province where free open
air performances were given for the entertainment of the
people. Each class of inhabitants and there are Malays,
Siamese, Hindus, and Chinese had Its own stage and IU
own favorite notional performers.
While the common people were thus enjoying themselves
the sultan entertained his royal and European guests with
hooting parties, elephant hunts, and other more dignified
entertainments.
On the eighth day the program was changed. A pro
cession around the town entertained the crowd with all man-
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which filled the European women among the guests with
consternation and indignation, for It left them drenched to
the sktn.
Lime Bath Surprises Europeans.
The celebration of the lime bath was held In a beautiful
little pavilion surrounded by a high brick wall with only two
gatesn each of them guarded by soldiers. At 8 o'clock In
the afternoon all the European guests were admitted to the
pavllron, where the sultan and the whole royal family had
assembled. Then the gates were 'locked and the ceremony
began, the European women as yet Ignorant of what woe to
follow.
The bride was carried into the pavilion and the bridegroom
walked fn supported by two princes. The bride and groom
were seaited together on a little platform In the center of the
pavilion, dressed in slfks and literally flashing with gems.
When they were seated twelve Malay girls began wanting
round and round the couple, first on the highest step of the
platform, then lower and lower until they reached the boV
torn and disappeared.
Two girls then mounted the platform and drew a curtain
around the prince and his brkle, concealing them from all
present. Then the prince and his bride took off their silks
and Jewela and put on plain light garments, and the curtains
were again drawn back. Without an Instant's warning ths
two huge gilded serpents whose heads were raised high above
the royal married pair began to belch out great volumes ol
lime water, drenching them to the skin.
Guests Drenched with Others.
Roars of laughter filled the pavilion which were quickly
changed to shrieks of dismay when each native seised
bucket, filled It from great tubs of scented water, and pro
ceeded to drench his neighbor with its contents. The Euro
pean guests tried vainly to escape and while the natives
were as careful as possible many a costly gown of silk was
splashed with the scented water, which, however, as after
wards proved, left no discoloring stain.
That ended the ceremony It might be supposed that
everybody in Kedah was tired of feasting and merrymaking,
but there were still four more princes to be married, and
after a day of. rest the ceremony began all over again. For
forty-eight days longer the celebrations continued. Now
peace and quiet once more rule In Kedah.
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ner of quaint and curious things. There were floats carried
on the shoulders of men and made to represent grotesque
birds and animals each float carrying members of ths
. Kedah royalty and some of the European guests.
Groom Waits Long to See Bride.
Afer the procesHlon came one of the Interesting and
(most vKal parts of the ceromony-the picking of the enal.
This consisted of the entire proc melon paining seven times '
around a garden planted with gorgeous) artificial flowers.
hTtien the great ones, walking to the center of ths garden.
picked handfuls of the leaves of the enal trees. These leaves
jr jti taken to the house of the bride and bride-
gro. sprinkled over them, an address being delivered
to each . parately, for even as yet they had not seen each
other.
The crown prince and his bride met for the first time on
the tenth day of the ceremony. After their greeting they
were carrk-d through the town on a gorgeously gilded throne,
borne by 200 natives.
Two more days were given up to feasting and merry,
making, and then on the thirteenth and last day came the
most curious ceremony of all ths Urn bath ceremony
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