The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-22
TIE RUINS OF ANCHOR.
Cambodian Moouments Unsoived Secrets
Of History.

S~S
Of History.
Sinoe King Sisowath's visit to Europe We
have had from time to time various revela.
tions concerning the singular country and
people which he rules-but as to the origin
and exact meaning Of the word Khmer.
the ancient name Of the ~Cambodians, Cam.
bodia being q name of Siamese origin; it
seems that no n can tell. When the Cam
bodians speak Of their ancestors they style
them Khmer-dom, n their ancestors
country a. Nokor-Khmer; but nothing 10
known Of It's history, its civilization or it's
aspirations. There Is no country in the
world whose past Ii moro mysterious and
no people whose traditions are moro nebu.
lous.
But Of that old mysterious civilization
there remain In Indo-China monumental
buildings 10 grand, Of 90 marvellous a con-
oeption and OF 30 imposing and harmonious
q style, that the palaces and pagodas Of
the ancient cities Of India are entirely
collapsed by them. says q correspondent Of
the London Globe. There is no exact
For o long time It was believed that they
were anterior to the Buddhist era-that 10
TO say, that they were considered TO be
<pUVO yCoAc oAu v oAtcI LILO uI0J lInpOTUd0I
explorations Vivien de Saint-Martin at.
tributed their erection to the Christian era.
Having studied the Sanskrit inscriptions
distinsuishable on the old walls. Indianists
have approximately ixed the date Of the
subsequent construction Of the temples
and pagodas Of the ancient cities dottlng
the two provinces Of Angkor and Battam.
hang a. that comprised between the ninth
81 A---lHth .--A,-s~z - A.
That land Of the Khmers must have had in
ancient times, judging from it's remaining
edihces, q civilization Of unparalleled SPLEEN
dor. Centuries ago northern barbarians
invaded it's opulent cities and devastated
life to that region, and gradually another
nation was constituted and became, ten CEN
turtles ago, the Cambodia Of to-day, with q
long dynasty Of kings whose names are un-
known to history, but who caused to be re;
civilization oflong ago known as the Golden
C~hersonesus."
It was during the reign Of these kings that
the palaces n temples Of Angkor were
built. Angkor was then the capital, a forth
fed town with monumental gates and meas
uring thirty-ive miles In circumference
Within this immense enclosure. encircling an
almost impenetrable forest, one finds at
short distances from n another the ruins
Of edifces which silently proclaim the an
cient splendor Of the city. Angkor-Nat is a
pagoda situated at about two miles and q
half south Of thu Gsy.
Its causeway is adorned with sculptured
figures representing fantastic dragons; nine
towers crown it's temple, whose central one.
rising above the sanctuary. is nearly ninety
feet high. It's galleries, It's colonnades, It,
walls are embellished with basso-reliT"os
portrayine the scenes described in the sar re.
books Of Brahminism-the 'Mahahharata
and the -Ramavana.' There is not a
single stone which has not been cut with
the sculptor's chisel. 1t ia a marvellous
piece Of lace work. It would require the
brush of q Constable to show to lovers Of
art how great was the genius, the strength
and patience, The wealth and power OF con-
ception Of the sEhmer-dom'-the Cambo'
dams Of old