Another item of interest was of a different sort. Having learned that the original home of the Siamese twins was in the village of Meklong, near the head of the Gulf of Siam, the Americans sought out the family. They found only one brother living there, and learned that a sister was living in Bangkok, while the mother had died a year previously. The brother expressed a longing to see his brothers again or to hear from them; and at the doctor’s own suggestion he wrote a letter to the absent twins, dictated by the brother. It told of the pious wish of the dying mother for them “to do merit for her spirit.” Some years later, when Rev. Daniel McGilvary visited the twins in their home in South Carolina, they spoke of receiving this letter. TO PRABAT In the winter of 1849 Dr. House and Mr. Hemmenway made a trip to Prabat, about one hundred miles to the northeast of the capital. This place is the site of a watt erected over an imprint in the rock, reputed to have been made by the footstep of Buddha. At that particular season of the year multitudes come from all parts of the kingdom to do homage to this “shadow” of Buddha. The doctor gives quite a detailed description of his experiences: “A rocky mount, covered with a pagoda, rose before us to the height of three hundred to four hundred feet. On a lower elevation in front of this peak is the famous foot print; over which stands a very beautiful tho excessively ornamented structure, with elegant pillars on a side supporting a pagoda-like gilded roof, towering up seven stories, gracefully diminishing till they terminated in a handsome golden spire. On a rocky summit on the left stood a small pagoda, and on the right a higher eminence was crowned with a similar sightly structure. Before it was a long flight of stone steps leading up to the platform on which it stood. We ascended these steps, crossed a little court, entered another a little higher—and without ceremony entered the half-open door of the sanctuary before we were forbidden. Had we delayed a moment perhaps we should have lost the opportunity and had the gates closed against us. But we were in and made as good use of our eyes as we could during the few moments we were allowed to continue. More than one voice was raised in the silence that had prevailed within, saying to us we must go out, go out, or else kneel down and worship. One man with an air of authority came up and took us by the shoulder, ordering us roughly to take off our hats and shoes. So we went out.