“In the province of Battambong, forty or fifty miles south-west from Siamrap town, there are also ruins, temples, monasteries, and palaces, and indeed the whole valley of the Makong river to the very borders of China is spread with ruins of more or less magnitude, beauty, and interest. Near the monastery of Phrakeoh is an artificial lake called Sasong (the royal lake), built by the kings of Pentaphrohm, and surrounded with pleasure-houses for their recreation. Dr. Bastian thinks that it must have been a work of immense labour, and the whole population of Cambodia of to-day would scarcely be able to raise such a gigantic structure. “The lake of Sasong he describes as being ‘of oblong shape, about 2,000 feet broad and 4,000 feet long, and surrounded by a high embankment of solid masonry. Some of the blocks are fourteen to sixteen feet long and highly finished. In convenient places square platforms were built overhanging the water, with broad flights of steps leading down to it, and in such places the huge masses of stone laid on each other are embellished by delicate chisellings, bearing the figures of serpents, eagles, lions (in their fabulous shapes as Naga, Kruth, Sinto) on the ends. In the middle of the lake is a small island with the remains of a former palace upon it. Of all the figures used for ornaments, that which recurs most frequently is that of the Naga; and the Chinese officer who visited Cambodia in 1295 describes already ‘the pillars of the stone bridges adorned with serpents, each of which had nine heads.’ “About half a mile north-west of Nagkon Wat there are the ruins of an observatory, built upon the summit of a hill perhaps 500 feet in height. A foot-path leads up this hill through the thick jungle. The first indication of any antiquities thereabouts is two immense stone griffins, one standing on each side of the path; and next we pass a small image with the head of an elephant and the body of a human being; it is the elephant-headed Ganesh—the god of wisdom of the Hindoo mythology. This hill is cut in five terraces paved with stone, and having staircases, each about twelve feet in height, ornamented with stone lions upon their balusters; and at the corners of each terrace are small image-houses. “The building is quadrilateral, and covers the entire crest of the hill, there being four entrances; the central spire is now an unshapely mass of large boulders, all overgrown with trees, shrubs, and vines. From the summit we obtained an extensive view of the surrounding country. To the north there extended from east to west a range of low blue hills; to the south-east we could just discern the placid waters of Lake Thalaysap; to the south lay the quaint old town of Siamrap, and to the south-west there was another large lake of bright, clear water.” On his arrival in the southern portion of the peninsula beyond the Ganges, the great Lawgiver evidently set his followers to execute the wonderful monuments above described.