Weekly Trinity journal., 1873-06-14
THE ANGCOn RUINS.

Wonderful ruins are to be met with in
Laos, in the heart of Asia, testifying to
the vestiges of a former civiization.-
Those of Angcor are situated in the heart
of u dense forest. They were known to
the Portuguese at the end of the sixteenth
century, but have allen into utter neglect.
Proud statues of lions stand at the en-
trance of broad way, paved with fiat
stones, passing over deep bitches, now
changed into marshes; this leads to
long gallery, of which three half ruined
towers interrupt the architectural line.
Passing through the central pavilion, a
second paved avenue OF two hundred
yards in length opens out on an immense
edihce of wholly different style OF archi-
lecture to any that is seen in the West.
! Tower above tower seem TO rise in fan
tastic profile; but when examined, the
plan consists of two rectangular and con-
centric galleries, with paviions at the
corners and four towers in the center,
giving the appearance Of an immense
tiara. The highest, which rises to the
hight of sixty yards, dominates over tho
whole, and is tho holy OF holies, where
the BONES meet for prayer before statue
OF Buddha. Not stone of this colossal
monument is without ornament. Tho
sculptures are models due to incompara-
BILE artists. whose inspirations are forever
engraved on stone, but whose names are
effaced from the memory Of man. Ac-
cording to legendary tradition, IL WAS
built by leprous king of neighboring
city, in consequence of vow he had
made, but it is impossible to determine
the epoch. 1t cannot however be doubted
that the development OF architectural art.
Of which this temple seems TO be tho
highest expression, comedies with tho
inti oduetion of the Buddhist religion
among this people, driven, perhaps, from
India at the time of the great religious
persecution.
AS to the city itself, the walls only aro
intnct; they are nine feet in thickness,
formed of cut stones laid together without
cement, and have deied the assaults OF
time and most vigorous vegetation.
Broad roads over deep moats lead TO the
gates, guarded by fifty stone ginn;s, cnor-
nous sentnels bound together by tho
folds of monstrous serpent, which ,eems
to exhaust itself in vain efforts to escape.
A sort of trumphnl arch leads to the In
terror; the heads of elephants decorate the
summit, and the trunks uniodcd verti-
cally like columns, rest on cluster Of
large leaves. Regret is MS grent rs aston
i-hment, when, having passed through
this magnificent barrier, the thick forest
Is found to have filled up the vast inclus-
ure surrounded by the walls. Tho ves.
tiges of few ruins nrc met with In soli-
tudes peoplcd by wild animals, whose
fearful cries nre repeated by the echoes
alone. The kings palace is crumbling
under the climbing plants which divide
every stone with their roots. 1t seems to
have been conceived by II wonderfully
rich imagination, and wns formerly SUR
|
ing the heads of Buddha, which remind
the spectator of the sphinx Of Egypt.
But encumbered by ruins, 1t does not
please SO much as the temple, which is
model Of grandeur, harmony and sim
plicity. The Portuguese historians seem
to think that it was no longer n royal res
idence in 1870, and perhaps it was aban.
doned by the inhabitants at tho same
time. A similar sanctuary is met with
in most di.tant province of Laos, built
in the same style and covered with gild-
ing. One of the buildings, to which tho
BONES will scarcely allow access, con-
tains q library Of sncred books. There
they were, arranged on decorated shelves
cnveloped in rich bindings, covered with
silk, slumbering uninterrupted for not
one of the monks could decipher the Lam
guages in which they were written.-7O.
Day.