Travels in the central parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos : during the years 1858, 1859, and 1860 . wetting, tried to imitate Franconi, by standingon my saddle; but, unluckily, according to the customof the country, this was fastened on by two pieces ofstring, and in the middle of the stream it turned andsent me head foremost into the water. But there wasno worse result from the accident than my having toremain for half an hour afterwards dressed in Siamesefashion. Penom-Wat is an interesting temple 36 metres long by40 wide, and the plan resembles a cross with tolerableexactness. I
Travels in the central parts of Indo-China (Siam), Cambodia, and Laos : during the years 1858, 1859, and 1860 . wetting, tried to imitate Franconi, by standingon my saddle; but, unluckily, according to the customof the country, this was fastened on by two pieces ofstring, and in the middle of the stream it turned andsent me head foremost into the water. But there wasno worse result from the accident than my having toremain for half an hour afterwards dressed in Siamesefashion. Penom-Wat is an interesting temple 36 metres long by40 wide, and the plan resembles a cross with tolerableexactness. It is composed of two pavilions, with vaultedstone roofs and elegant porticoes. The roofs are fromseven to eight metres in height, the gallery three metreswide in the interior, and the walls a metre thick. At eachfacade of the gallery are two windows with twisted bars. This temple is built of red and grey sandstone, coarsein the grain, and in some places beginning to decay. Onone of the doors is a long inscription, and above aresculptures representing nearly the same subjects as thosat Ongcor and Chap. XVII. PENOM-WAT. 119 In one of the pavilions are several Buddhist idols instone, the largest of which is 2 metres 50 centimetreshigh, and actually covered with rags. You might here easily imagine yourself among theruins of Ongcor. There is the same style of architecture,the same taste displayed, the same immense blockspolished like marble, and so beautifully fitted together,that I can only compare it to the joining and planing ofso many planks. The whole building is, without doubt, the work of theKhmerdom, and not an imitation, and must be as old asthe illustrious reigns which have left the traces of theirgrandeur in different parts of the empire. The exterioris not equal to the interior. Penom was the templeof the Queen, so say the Siamese; that of the King,her husband, is at Pimaie, a district about 30 miles eastof Korat. To consult any existing maps of Indo-China for
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1864
