Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos (Vol. 2 of 2)

he Great)-Surrounding

OR T

and dust, and crossing a large ditch, half filled with blocks of stone, portions of columns, and fragments of s

are doors and staircases communicating with the walls, the whole building being constructed of sandstone. The outer wall is composed of blocks of ferruginous stone, and extends right and left from the entrance. It is about 24 miles square, 3 met. 80 centimet. thick, and 7 met. high, and serves as a support to a glacis which rises almost from the top. At the four cardinal points are doors,

at Lin

AT LIN

and form a labyrinth through which it is not easy to find one's way. A long shallow ditch, crossed by four roads leading to the principal entrances, surrounds it on all sides. Beyond the ditch rises the wall of a gallery, of which the exterior colonnades and the roof are only a mass of ruins, over which you must climb to reach the interior. This wall is still

gh many of them have been walled up. The gallery was connected with the main body of the building by four smaller one

central and corner towers are the largest: they are about 13 metres high. High galleries connect the centre tower

triple roof: a central one 7 metres high, resting on an outer wall, and on columns 2 metres in height; an exterior roof on a doubl

rious from the scenes and costumes they represent. These scenes are drawn more from the sacred books of the people than from their history; for men with ten heads and twenty arms, fantastic a

eated on a rich dais, with a numerous court, and surrounded by persons carrying parasols, fa

fishes disputing for the bodies of the slain. There are also in the same galleries

wives in the two others. This carriage has six wheels and two shafts, which rest on the shoulders of eight men. The chiefs are mounted on elephan

ognised. This gallery, with its sixteen towers, is connected with another only 3 metres distant; and this last has five towers on each side, of which the three in the middle face the exterior towers. The interior of the gallery with its three roofs receives no light but by the doors, and is so dark

e a turret. A colonnade supporting a roof, now in ruins, surrounds it: the columns, each of which is hewn out of a single block of stone more than 40 metres high, are still standing. Four doors lead to the interior. Outside this tower, betw

n comprehending the arrangements of the different buildings. It is only after a long examination that you perceive the symmetry of them as a whole, and that these thirty-seven towers and numerous galleries are all in regular order. Some parts are in good preservati

in place of the pointed stones ranged in courses at Ongcor, these are embellis

displaying scenes full of expression, skilfully arranged, and exquisitely delicate in detail. They represent various subjects: worshippers prostrated before their idols,

appear to be of modern date; but at their feet are assembled a number of others, some uninjured, some broken, collected from amon

he Palace of th

NT PA

gs. Within the first enclosure are two towers connected by galleries, which form four sides, like a triumphal arch. The walls ar

by the wall, is a singular building, consisting of two high terraces,

another, each representing a king seated in the Oriental fashion, with his hands resting on a broken poignard, and by his side a number of women. All these figures are covered with ornaments, such as very lo

s at the end of the terrace. The head, admirable in its nobility, regularity of feature, and gentle yet proud expression, must have been the work of the most skilful sculptor of the country, in an age when many,

at sou

D PAG

he doorways and walls are ornamented with sculpture, as in the other remains. It served, they say, as a depository for the crown jewels. The Cambodians also believe that ropes were stretched from one tower to another, on which danc

by walls formed of magnificent blocks of stone, sculptured and surrounded by staircases. The gr

the staircases, of which there are four, one on each side; but they are so steep, narrow, and worn away that it is difficult to climb them. T

ascend as the others just mentioned. Near the doors are some figures of women, standing with flo

at Fia

n these have been crossed you arrive in front of a terrace 45 metres long, and 2 metres 50 centimetres in width. Four rows of columns 1 metre high are all that is left standing. Those in the middle rows are square, the others are flute

or five metres, and supported by six high columns. All the windows have been ornamented with twisted bars, many of which still remain. By the side of each door are carved columns, every block being cut and polished with

ne Tireada, or the

ntre, and staircases. A second gallery, 30 metres long, terminated by a tower, extends from the centre of the other, and at about two-thirds of its length open out on either side porticoes and staircases. There are two other small buildings north and south

Br

BR

et and a portion of the roadway, which are a mass of ruins; but the piers and arches still remain. The piers are

ow arches, may be about 42 or 43 me

d having been altered by the shifting of the sand, which has so accumulated aro

or the Great and the high road, which, traversing the provin

sat

gant pavilions, with staircases of eight steps leading to a terrace raised nearly 2 metres from the ground; from this you pass into a low narrow gallery with numerous interior windows ornamented with twisted bars. This galle

are four smaller ones at the corners. Each tower has four porticoes with staircases, which rest on a base 7 metres high, and these towers are reached by staircases of twenty-two steps. From them a magnificent view is obtained over the surrounding forest. They, as well as their bases and staircases, are built of great blocks of gr

Proum.-Town

ED T

forming a square, almost touch each other, being only about 20 metres apart. The walls are of ferruginous stone, surmounted by

alled Pontéey Kedey (Town of Ked

enclosure, who cultivate a few rice-plantations. In the centre are the ruins of a large and splendid monument, which has suffered greatly by the hand of time, and perhaps also from barbarous invasions. The ruins are surrounded by a double wall of ferruginous stone and by deep moats; and at every entrance are galleries with porticoes. A long gallery,

the execution can be appreciated. As for the bas-reliefs themselves, they are much injured, not so much by time as by some barbarous hand, for everywhere are marks of

provinces of Ongcor and Battambong are at present occupied in taking two of them to pieces, in order to transport th

nes. At the points where they intersect are ten towers, placed, like the galleries, in an odd and unsymmetrical fashion

that of Ongcor-Wat, a double roof with colonnades. All the building is on one floor. This temple, which, after Ongcor-Wat, is the largest of all, is situated i

Province of

OF BAT

of sandstone 1 metre 50 centimetres long, forming the top of a doorway in a brick tower. The whole place is so ruinous, that one might suppose some enemy had done his utmost to demolish it, or that one gazed at the results of an earthquak

are in the form of a tower. It is built entirely of stone, and the exterior bears traces of fine carving on the tops of the doors and on the cornices; insi

idols are the sole remains of Buddhism at Bassette. The subjects, most frequently occurring over the doors, represent men with long beards, seated, and wearing

ce. Within this enclosure are some magnificent columns, some still standing, others overthrown; doorways, the upper portions of which alone are visible above the ground; here and there fragments of sc

TTE-B

odian population, which has entirely disappeared in consequence of the frequent hostilities between Cambodia and Siam, the inhabitants being led away captive by the conquerors, who often employed

t, peopled from Penom-Peuh, Udong, and other places, formed in the place now called B

untain standing somewhat isolated, but forming part of the ramifications of the great chain of Pursat. At the foot i

NE-W

. The buildings are all on one floor, and built of sandstone, and appear of the same date as Bassette. Although there is nothing a

neighbouring mountains is a deep cavern in the limestone rock, from the roof of which hang some beautiful stalactites. The water dropping from these is considered sacred by the Cambodians, who attribute to it, amongst other virtues, that of imparting a knowledge of the past

T-

ure of the galleries is full of beauty, and that of the tower very imposing; but neither here nor at Banone are you met by t

north and east by the beautiful mountains of P