e river. Their father has been some
time dead, since which they lived with their mother in a state of
poverty. They were confined within certain limits, by order of the
Siamese Government, and supported themselves principally by taking
fish. Their exhibition to the world was suggested to the mother as a
means of bettering their condition; to which proposition she acceded
for a liberal compensation, and the promised return of her sons at a
specific time. She accompanied them on board the ship and, as it was
not about to sail for some time, she was invited to remain on board;
but she declined, observing that she might as well part with them
then as a few days hence. They were first exhibited at Boston, and
subsequently at New York, in the United States. At Boston, Dr. Warren
was appointed to report on them; and such of his observations as are
free from anatomical technicalities, and otherwise adapted for our
pages, will be found in the subsequent pages. In the meantime, we
shall proceed with a more popular account of their present appearance,
which has some of the most interesting characteristics of human
nature.

They are two distinct and perfect youths, well formed and straight,
about eighteen years of age, and possessing all the faculties and
powers usually enjoyed at that period of life. They are united
together by a short band at the pit of the stomach. On first seeing
them, it may be supposed, so closely are their sides together--or
rather, they over-lap a little--that there is no space between them.
On examining them, however, they are found not to touch each other,
the band which connects them being, at its shortest part, which is the
upper and back part, about two inches long. At the lower front part
the band, which is there soft and fleshy, or rather like soft thick
skin, is about five inches long, and would be elastic, were it not for
a thick rope-like cartilaginous or gristly substance, which forms the
upper part of the band, and which is not above three inches long. The
band is probably two inches thick at the upper part, and above an inch
at the lower part. The back part of the band, which is rounded from a
thickening at the places where it grows from each body, is not so long
as the front part, which is comparatively flat. The breadth or depth
of the band is about four inches. It grows from the lower and centre
part of the breast of each boy, being a continuation of the
cartilaginous termination of the bre