The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-08-03

form the intricate movements of
dances handed down from the remote
past. The present king has found 1t
impossible economically to maintain
a feminine army of retainers up to
the old standards.
RestfuI to the Eyes.
Most travellers from the West who
visit Pnompenh are on their way to
Angkor, venerable city of Khmer cul-
ture, which lies farther north. A brief
stop at the capital is welcome, for the
little Cambodian city among its trees
is restful to the eyes Of the river-boat
passengers after monotonous miles of
rice fields, thick jungle growths and
swamps that border the river bank
nearly all the way from Saigon. And
it is a relief to be out of the cruising
radius of persistent Mekong mosqui-
toes.
Stevedores literally swarming over
cargo boats at the quay indicate that
the capital is important commercially.
AS the town is situated at the junction
of a branch from the Great Lake of
Cambodia and the main channel of the
Mekong from the Tibetan hills, large
quantities of fish, rice, indigo and cot
ton from Upper Burma, portions of
Siam, Laos, and northern Cambodia
are brought there for marketing. In
addition smaller cargoes from nearby
farms and paddy fields arrive in the
hundreds of sampans and smaller
craft that dart about the tiny harb0r
like so many water beetles.
When a boat with tourists aboard
docks there is a rush for the "Permis-
sion Office" where ''permissiOns" are
granted to visit the kings palace. But
those who expect to see richly
adorned abode of an eastern potentate
are soon disillusiOned. Without, the
several buildings called the palace
are unpretentious, and within there is
little that would attract more than
| ordinary attention except a life-siZed
| Buddha of solid gold studded with
| diamonds and hallway floor laid
with engraved silver tiles.
CambOdian women present strik-
| ingly modern appearance with their
| short hair and what might be mistak-
en- at first sight for knickerbockers.
| This neither garment is the "sampot."
| In making it width of cloth is girded
| about the waist, then the ends are
folded between the legs and tucked
| in at the waist line. Both men and
women wear the sampot, and it is
ga 70 10
tinguish between them. The men, how
ever, wear sort of jacket above the
sampOt, while the women for the most
| part wear cloth or scarf draped
over one shoulder and under the other
| arm.
The West introduced.
But though the capital is soaked in
eastern atmosphere, the west has been
| introduced by the handful of French
| officials and business men. Electric
street lights twinkle among the hang
| ing flowers of tropical trees; tram
cars lumber by; and one may book
| passage to outlying towns in motor
busses that ply over well metaled
roads.
Evidence of the high culture and
power of the Cambodians at the height
of their Khmer empire, from the
| Eighth to the Fourteenth centuries is
seen in the remarkable ruined temples
and palaces of the old capital city of
AngkOr-Thom, now deserted and sur
rounded by forest and jungle. The
| terraces and walls Of the old struc-
! lures abound in excellent stone work,
| intricate carvings, and highly artistic
sculpture. Despite the difficulty of ac-
cess, thousands of visitors go annu-
| ally to see the wonders of this old
capital city.
The culture of the CambOdians dur
| ing their Golden age was owing in
| large part to their leadership by Hin
| du colOnists and cOnquerorS.
Near the palace in Pnompenh is the
| Khmer museum with collection of
| sculptured stones, implements of war
and jewelry; the weather-beaten royal
pagoda, and an ancient temple APP
preached by long flight of steps with
| stone railing representing Maya, the
| sacred seven-headed cobra. Tails of
the sacred reptile adjoining the roofs
of some of Pnompenhs buildings re-
semble crooked lightning rods on
| American farm houses.
The one thoroughfare in Pnompenh
f! that has right to be called an ave-
| nue. leads from the palace to the pub
| lie park. Two hotels bordering it of
fer excellent accommodations for
small eastern city save for their or
chestras that dispense impossible
nocturnal jazz. The rest of the street
is cluttered up with open-front native
shops, some Of which make an at
tempt to duplicate French pastry.