The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1873-04-23
Nonaerrnl Ruln. In Slam.
General Perrin, a Frenchman, cOmman


General Perrin, Frenchman, command
ing the land forces of the King Of Siam,
writes to French paper:
"For six days journey of an elephant,
1 have traversed the ruins of Aneor,Niat,
only penetrating them at intervals, where
explorers had been before. What have
seen of monuments, temples, palaces, col
umns, staircases, and piles of marbles, can
not be told. They would not believe me.
The people of the country say that the
ruins are spread over circle of from ten
to twelve leagues in diameter. What was
the CITY that existed there-and of what
empire was it the capitall Ihave seen the
temples in a good state Ofpreservationtex-
cept the vegetation that had sprung up
in them), which measured not less than
league round. There are forests OF mar
BILE columns-every thing Is marble, al
though much may have disappeared be-
meath the soil, what remains is far above
what we see at Versailles, or elsewhere.
In some places they are as solid as though
built yesterday. But for the underground
and the effect of lightning, these monu-
meuts, which the people say are from
four to FIVE thousand years old, might be
to-day in complete preservation. lregret
that l had no Photographic apparatus, |
assure you; and believe me or not, that
the most celebrated monuments of ancient
or modern Europe are as mere barracks
compared with these, while our palaces
and basilicas, the Vatican and Coliseum,
are little better than dog-kennels in COM
parison.
al wished to ascend to temple which
appeared to be in good state of preserva-
ton. There were eleven staircases, OF |
know not how many steps, which must be
assembled to arrive at the first of the five
peristyles. commenced my upward jour
ney at half-past six in the morning; at
halfpast seven had scarcely entered the
lower hall. Fearing that l might have
to descend the steps in the heat of the day,
was compelled to shorten my visit.
The walls are in every part sculptured and
ornamented. The first effect which the
sight of these monuments produced upon
me was one of amazement. | am no anna
teur to go into ecstasies over small things.
The next morning, climbed the winding
staircase of an immense tower, situated on
an eminence. Arrived at the summit l
enjoyed the sight of the ruins. There are,
in localities where l have not yet pene-
trated, palaces of height and grandeur
truly colossal. With feld-glass l ex-
amined the details. Their architectural
richness is unrivalled, and they extend in
to the territory of Cambodia, distance of
ten or twelve leagues.
"Picture to yourself how Paris would
appear in ruins. A few rough stones, scat
tered over a diameter of two or three
leagues at the utmost. Here there are on
the ground, and below its surface, marble,
already hewn in sufficient quantities to
build, even as the giants have built here,
all the cities of the universe have seen
the leg of statue the great toe of which
was eleven times the length of my hunt
ing rifle. 1t is in marble like the resin
fact, there is no other near, except the
pieces of colored statues, which are more
lofty and larger than the Church of Saint
German I Auxerrois. Think of octagonal
pyramids cut off at the middle, and all in
marble Who has done these things If
it was some illustrious dynasty, they can
have but little satisfaction with the obliv-
ion that has enveloped their magnificent
monument The people of the country
have no conception of the builders, although
their literature extends back into the CEN
turtles as far as ours"