Indian Art and Letters

Author(s): India Society
Publisher: India Society

Page 63

P'ra Vihán (Vihara) forms the boundary between Siam and the French territory of (what is called on the Siamese side) Lower Cambodia. These 100 kilometres have hitherto been the stumbling-block in the way of travellers, for the region is very sparsely populated by jungle tribes of Sui and ancient Khmer stock, and the way leads in many parts through thick jungle, the home of tiger, elephant, and panther. Yet the jungle holds, it is said, a far more dangerous foe than any of these, and the whole district has a bad reputation for malaria. One or two Siamese officials, hardier spirits than their fellows, have in the past made the trip, but have returned home only to die of fever, and the people say that it is the wrath of the gods descended upon them for disturbing their sleep.
But the Governor of Srisaket was an energetic man and with great determination had cut a track, wide enough to take a lorry, through the jungle right to the foot of the hills. By leaving Srisaket at half-past six in the morning, we managed to arrive at the foot-hills at three in the afternoon, having covered the distance inside nine hours. Not much of a pace, 12 kilometres an hour, but, bearing in mind the sand and the lorry, it was a wonder that we ever reached our destination at all. The radiator leaked badly and, both going and returning, we had to refill it with water every quarter of an hour and what water, too very often from stagnant pools covered with thick green slime! Also, on one stretch, before we dived into the jungle proper, the sand was so thick that it took us three hours to travel 25 kilometres.
From the foot of the hills we had a good two hours' climb, in many places over extensive outcrops of sandstone, to which I will refer again later, and finally reached our camp on a ridge of the hill at the foot of the temple at half-past five in the evening. After a short halt, although the light was already fading, I went on with a young Siamese friend, and together we climbed to the topmost temple hall and, going beyond it, found ourselves suddenly on the edge of a precipice, gazing out upon the whole wide world. We also had defied the gods! We returned by the light of the stars to our camp, and slept soundly under our mosquito-nets in shelters formed of a leafy roof with walls on three sides, but open at the front. Our only refuge against the wrath of the gods was quinine, and plenty of it.
Now, how to describe this temple accurately, and in such a way as to excite your curiosity but allay your suspicions ?
Imagine yourself on a jungle hillside about 1,500 feet above sea level, with thick forest on one side and open outcrops of rock on the other. No sign of habitation or life within miles. You suddenly dive down a path, cross the rocky bed of a tiny stream and clamber up the other side, to see in front
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