A WONDERFUL TEMPLE.--RUINS OF NAGKON WAT AND ANGKOR.
What with sight-seeing, writing letters to friends at home, and filling
their note-books with information for future use, the boys had enough to
occupy their time during their stay in Saigon. In the course of their
studies of the country and its characteristics, they became interested
in its ancient history, and were desirous of seeing some of the ruins
that remain from the early days of Anam and Cambodia. But as the time at
their disposal was too short, and the expense and difficulties of a
journey to the interior would be very great, they were obliged to forego
the pleasure they would derive from an actual visit to some of the most
stupendous ruins in the world.
[Illustration: CAMBODIAN FEMALE HEAD-DRESS. ANCIENT SCULPTURE.]
But the Doctor came to their relief in a great measure by giving them a
full account of the wonders they were unable to contemplate.
"It is not generally known," said he, "that Cambodia contains the ruins
of a temple that was greater in its time than the very famous one of
Thebes in Egypt."
Frank and Fred opened their eyes in astonishment, as they had always
believed there was nothing in the world that could surpass the Egyptian
temples of old.
"I will describe them to you," he continued, "and make comparison
between the work of the Egyptian builders and those of Cambodia. When I
have finished, you will be able to judge which is the more magnificent.
"The great temple I refer to in Cambodia is known as the Nagkon Wat.
Wat, in the Malay language, means temple, and the place in question is
designated by the name 'Nagkon.' The province where it is situated is
really in the territory of Siam--as it was taken from Cambodia near the
end of the last century and annexed to the rival kingdom. If you want to
find the ruins on the map, you must look in about latitude 13° 30'
north, and longitude 104° east. It is not known who built the temple, as
the inscriptions on the stones are in a language that is not understood
at the present day. The general belief is that it was erected twelve or
fifteen hundred years ago, but the estimates of its age vary all the way
from five hundred to two thousand years.
"It is far more modern than the temples of ancient Egypt, and probably
not nearly as ancient as some of the famous edifices of Syria. In course
of time some one will be able to read the inscriptions, and then we will
learn all about its age and the reasons for its erection."
[Illustration: Fig. 1. Plan of Inner Temple at Nagkon.
Fig. 2. Plan of area enclosed by outer wall of Nagkon Wat.]
"Here is a map of the ruins as they exist to-day," said the Doctor. "You
perceive that the general shape of the work is a square, and that there
are altogether three squares, the smaller inside the greater."
The boys looked at the map, and indicated that they observed the outline
of the temple.
"Well," continued Doctor Bronson, "the outer wall, which is not shown in
the plan, is more than half a mile square; if you should undertake to
walk around it you would have a promenade of nearly three miles.
"Outside the wall there is a wide ditch that was evidently of
considerable depth when first made, but it is filled in many places with
weeds and trees, and there is a forest of palm-trees between the outer
wall and the body of the temple.
"The main entrance is by a causeway, which you see extending upward from
the foot of the map. The whole length of this causeway, from its
beginning beyond the outer wall to the entrance of the temple, is nearly
two thousand feet, and more than half this distance is within the wall.
The building itself, as you see it on the map, is oblong in shape, being
eight hundred feet long by five hundred and ninety wide; it rises in
three terraces to a central tower two hundred and fifty feet high, and
there are four other towers at the corners of the inner temple that are
each one hundred and fifty feet from the ground.
[Illustration: UNFINISHED PILLARS.]
"The causeway was paved with blocks of sandstone, and the edifice
throughout is of the same material. All the stone for the work was
brought from a quarry thirty miles away, and the transportation alone
was an enormous affair. The blocks were brought in a rough state, and
were not finished until they had been put in the positions where they
were to remain. The temple was never completely finished, as there are
several columns that remain just as they came from the quarry, and a
careful observer can indicate the exact spot where the workman turned
away from his labor. It is supposed that the stone was brought on boats
in a canal, as there is no road that could have served for purposes of
transit.
[Illustration: COLUMNS IN THE TEMPLE.]
"It is impossible to describe in detail all the halls, and corridors,
and sculptured walls of this wonderful temple. There are several halls
composed of rows of solid columns, like the great hall of the temple at
Thebes. I remember standing astonished at Thebes as I looked at the
great hall, with its one hundred and thirty-four columns, and learned
that, originally, the temple contained nearly three hundred columns of
different sizes. In the Cambodian temple of Nagkon Wat, one thousand
five hundred and thirty two solid columns have been counted; and it is
estimated that there are not less than six thousand columns in the
entire mass of ruins in and around the temple. Most of these columns are
made from single blocks of stone, and all of them are beautifully
carved, just as the Egyptian ones are beautifully painted.
[Illustration: SCULPTURES ON THE WALLS OF WAGKON WAT.]
"It would not be at all difficult for a stranger to lose his way in
Nagkon Wat, and wander for hours, unable to find an exit. He might
spend days and days in the study of the beautiful sculptures that adorn
the place; and when I tell you that the walls are covered with
sculptures from one end of the temple to the other, and you remember the
enormous size of the building, you can understand what a gigantic
picture-gallery it is. The scenes represented are mostly from the Hindoo
mythology; they illustrate battles and triumphal processions, sacrifices
and festivals, and also the contests of some of the Hindoo deities with
each other, and with mortals. There is one gallery alone that has half a
mile of pictures cut in stone, and it is estimated that at least one
hundred thousand human figures are engraved there. Here is a picture of
some of them, and you may judge by it of the general excellence of the
work throughout."
The boys devoted several minutes to the contemplation of the photograph
which the Doctor showed them. Frank remarked that the lightness of the
wheels of the chariot would seem to indicate that it was made of metal,
and consequently the ancient Cambodians must have been familiar with the
use of iron or brass, perhaps both. The soldiers at the bottom of the
picture were marching in a manner that denoted military discipline, but
he could not make out the nature of their weapons. Certainly they were
not rifles, as fire-arms were unknown in those days, and they did not
seem to be spears or bows and arrows. The men were provided with
shields, and in this respect their customs resembled those of many
people of the present day.
The Doctor explained that the ancient Cambodians made use of spears; but
the principal weapons they employed were clubs, not altogether unlike
those of the South Sea Islanders. Sometimes the club was made straight,
and at others it was curved at the end farthest from the hand of its
owner. It was wielded with the right hand, and the shield was carried in
the left.
Fred called attention to the fact that there was an elephant in the
picture, and the man on his back was in the act of discharging an arrow
from a bow. Therefore they must have employed bowmen, and evidently they
were an important part of the service, as they were mounted on
elephants.
"You are quite right in your conclusions," Doctor Bronson responded;
"the bowmen were considered of the highest importance, and their arrows
often did great execution. The elephant had a prominent place in all the
armies of the East, as you know from history, and the Cambodians were no
exception to the rule. No Eastern king would consider his retinue
complete without a large number of war-elephants in his stables."
"There is a tradition," he continued, "that the king of ancient
Cambodia had an army of half a million of men, with a hundred thousand
elephants, which he could lead to war at a few days' notice. This is
undoubtedly an exaggeration; but he probably had a good supply of these
very useful animals, and his army presented a fine appearance when it
was called to the field."
Frank observed that the men did not wear armor, and, in fact, had very
little clothing anyway. He wondered that this was the case, as the king
was evidently very rich and powerful, and ought to have had his army
equipped and dressed in the best possible style.
Fred replied that armor, in a hot country like Cambodia, would be a very
inconvenient thing for a soldier, and render him practically useless.
Frank had not thought of that, and as soon as his attention was called
to it he quite agreed with Fred.
"A gentleman who visited the temple of Nagkon Wat," the Doctor remarked,
"has given a very good account of the general character of the
sculptures on the walls. I refer to Mr. Thomson, and cannot do better
than quote a few lines from him.
[Illustration: VIEW FROM THE CENTRAL TOWER OF THE TEMPLE.]
"The bass-reliefs," says Mr. Thomson, "which are sculptured on the walls
of the galleries of Nagkon Wat are extremely interesting. They are
contained in eight compartments, measuring each from two hundred and
fifty to three hundred feet in length, with a height of six and a half
feet, and in a square space of six and a half feet the average number of
men and animals depicted is sixty. The majority of these representations
are executed with such care and skill, and are so well drawn, as to
indicate that art was fostered, and reached a high state of perfection
among the 'Khamen-te-Buran,' or ancient Cambodians.
"The chief subjects represented are battle scenes, taken from the epic
poems, Ramayana and Mahabarata--which the Siamese are said to have
received from India about the fourth or fifth century. Disciplined
forces are depicted marching to the field, and possessing distinct
characteristics soon lost in the confusion of battle. In the eager faces
and attitudes of the warriors, as they press forward past bands of
musicians, we see that music then, as now, had its spirit-stirring
influence. We also find humane actions represented--a group bending over
a wounded comrade to extract an arrow, or remove him from the field.
There are also the most animated scenes of bravery--soldiers saving the
lives of their chiefs; chiefs bending over their plunging steeds, and
measuring their prowess in single combat; and, finally, the victorious
army quitting the field laden with spoil, and guarding the numerous
captives with cavalry in front and rear.
"Perhaps the most wonderful subject of all the bass reliefs is what the
Siamese call the battle of 'Ramakean.' This is one of the leading
incidents of the Ramayama, of which Coleman says, 'The Grecians had
their Homer, to render imperishable the fame acquired by their glorious
combats in the Trojan war; the Latins had Virgil, to sing the prowess of
Æneas; and the Hindoos have their Valmac, to immortalize the deeds of
Rama and his army of monkeys.' The Ramayama--one of the finest poems
extant--describes the scenes of Rama's life, and the exploits of the
contending foes.
[Illustration: GALLERY OF SCULPTURES.]
"In the sculptures of Nagkon Wat, many of the incidents of the life of
Rama are depicted; such as his final triumph over the god Ravana, and
the recovery of his wife Sita. The chief illustration of the poem,
however, is the battle scene which ensues after the ape-god Hanuman had
performed several of the feats which formed the every-day incidents of
his life, such as the construction of what is now known as Adam's
Bridge, between Ceylon and India. This he accomplished by a judicious
selection of ten mountains, each measuring sixty-four miles in
circumference; and being short of arms, but never of expedients, when
conveying them to Ceylon, he poised one of them on the tip of his tail,
another on his head, and with these formed his celebrated bridge, over
which his army of apes passed to Lanka.
"In another compartment the subject appears to be the second Avatar of
Vishnu, where that god is represented as a tortoise supporting the
earth, which is submerged in the waters. The four-armed Brama is seated
above. A seven-headed snake is shown above the water, coiled around the
earth, and extending over the entire length of the bass-relief. The gods
on the right and the _dinytas_ on the left are seen contending for the
serpent. Hanuman is pulling at the tail, while above a flight of angels
are bearing a cable to bind the reptile after the conflict is over.
"In another compartment we find various mechanical appliances that are
in use to-day. There are double-handled saws; and there are knives,
levers, wedges, pestles and mortars, and a number of other contrivances
that are more or less familiar to us."
The boys listened with much interest to the reading of the preceding
account. When the Doctor concluded, Frank ventured to ask if the temple
was in a good state of preservation, and whether it was in use at the
present time.
[Illustration: ANCIENT TOWER OVERGROWN WITH POH-TREES.]
"It has greatly decayed," replied Doctor Bronson; "but there are so many
of its walls and galleries standing, that the most careless visitor
cannot fail to be impressed with its grandeur, and be able to trace out
every part of the original plan. In many places the weeds and grass and
other vegetation are so luxuriant that the work of the architects is
concealed, and can only be found by searching. There is one tree, called
the 'poh,' that is a great destroyer of walls and stone floorings. The
whole temple was constructed without the use of cement, and in many
instances the junction of the stones is so perfect that only a slender
line can be perceived. The roots of the poh-tree insinuate themselves
into the smallest crevice; then they grow and expand, and by so doing
they gradually force the stones apart. This tree has been of great
injury to the temple we have been considering, and to many other
edifices in these tropical countries of the East.
[Illustration: HUTS OF THE PRIESTS.]
"In reply to your second question, I can say that the temple is still
used, though not to the extent it was in its early days. A few priests
live there, and perform services at regular periods; they are supported
by the contributions of the followers of Buddha, who visit the place,
and by donations from the inhabitants of the country round there. They
do not live in the temple itself, but in small huts erected inside the
enclosure that surrounds the great building. These huts are of thatched
grass, and stand on posts as a security against the snakes that abound
in the neighborhood. They are shaded by the palm-trees that have grown
up in what was once a clear space around the temple, and in hot
afternoons their protection is very grateful."
Fred inquired about the other ruins in Cambodia, and wished to know how
extensive they were.
"As to that," the Doctor explained, "I cannot speak positively, and I
doubt if there is any one who can. About three miles from Nagkon Wat
there are the ruins of a city which was known as Angkor, which was
evidently a very important city in its day. It was the capital of
Cambodia, and, according to the description of a Chinese official, who
visited it in the year 1295, it was something remarkable. It was then in
the height of its glory; but three hundred years later, when it was
visited by a Portuguese missionary, it was almost in ruins, and had
ceased to be of any consequence. Then there was another period of nearly
three hundred years in which nothing was heard of or from Angkor; it was
not till the year 1855 that any writer seems to have gone there, and as
for the Cambodians themselves, they are sublimely ignorant of the
history of this once great city.
"In the year I last mentioned, M. Mouhot, a French explorer, passed
through Cambodia and made a careful survey and description of the ruins.
He subsequently died in the northern part of Siam, and it was feared
that the result of his labors would be lost, but fortunately his journal
was saved and has since been published. Since Mouhot's time several
persons have written about the ruins, so that a fair amount of knowledge
concerning them is accessible. But every year new remains are discovered
among the trees of the thick forest, and it is difficult to say when
all of the ancient walls and statues and temples will be brought to
light."
At the conclusion of the Doctor's remarks, a servant entered with the
announcement that dinner was on the table. Thereupon the mental feast on
the antiquities of Eastern Asia was abandoned for the more practical
feast on the edible productions of the country. Frank thought that the
dinner would receive a high compliment if it proved as enjoyable as
their talk about Nagkon Wat and the ruins of Angkor--an opinion which
Fred lost no time in sharing.
[Illustration: STONE WITH ANCIENT SCULPTURES.]