Cambodia
OUR COMIC SECTION 1
ffl Little
MesN
i J0
FINNEY OF THE FORCE
That Nursery Aroma
Royal Pagoda at Pnompenh, Cambodia.
(Prepared br the Netloaal Oeoarsphle
Society, Waahlniloa, P. C.I
CAMBODIA, one of the tmpor
tunt unit among Fiance's pos
sessions In southwest Asia, la
hodge podge of the unexpect
ed It Is land of forests, damp and
leech-Infested; of open savannahs, of
wide rice fields and plodding water
buffalo; of tigers and wild elephants;
of humble cottagers, all literate,
whose chief pleasure Is writing
poetry ; of gilded modern pagodas, and
temples, hoar; with age, swallowed
Ij the Jungle; of automobiles, trolley
cars, and electric lights.
The forms of an oriental kingdom
re faithfully followed; but behind
the king, bis Ore ministers, aud tit
court formalities, stands the French
resident-superior, and at his elbow
few French soldiers; for Cambodia Is
a part of French tndo-Chlna and a
protectorate of France. The country
1a slightly smaller than the state of
Missouri and has population of
bout two and half millions.
The Mekong, one of the world's
greatest rivers, Is the life artery of
Cambodia. Seagoing steamers ascend
the stream to 1'nompenb, the capital,
SOU miles from the sea ; and smaller
steamers and Junks traverse the net
work of streams and lakes hundreds
of miles farther Inland. But It Is not
only as a waterway that the stream Is
useful. On Its overflowed lands the
country's chief crop, rice, Is raised In
abundance.
Host of the civilized people are con
centrated along the river aud between
lis lower reaches and the Siamese
border. The country bouses In all
parts of Cambodia are set on posts
which raise them from six to ten feet
off the ground. This Is necessary
along the river banks because of the
high floods, and elsewhere to protect
the householders from tigers.
Love Thtlr Mekong,
tmiliig the flood season a great lake
forms In western Cambodia, Into
which the waters of the Mekong flow
until It becomes a body of water 113
Lilies long, 13 miles wide, and more
than :t5 feet deep. When the floods
recede, the waters flow from this
natural reservoir back Into the Me
kong and keep Its lower reaches well
filled. The great Imjiortance of the
river and Its Hoods Is recognized by
an annual festival on the stream con
necting the (jreat Lake and (he Me
kong. A cord Is stretched acruss the
stream and at the time of reversal of
Uie (low this Is cut with great cere
mony by the king frura the royal
houseboat.
The Datives display genuine affec
tion for the Mekong. When floods
come they put away their ox carts,
travel the old roads In boats and wait
for the water to recede. They cele
brate with boat races that attract
every Cambodian In the vicinity from
the king to the lowliest native. Con
dolullke racing boats, ranging from
twenty-live to forty-five feet long, are
rowed by score or more men, seated
two by two. If the throngs massed on
the river bank are not thrilled by the
competition, they are amused by
clown who has bis place In each craft.
The highlands to the north are oc
cupied by wild tribes of hunters who
must tight for existence against rank
vegetation, wild animals, snakes and
Insects. Slave raids from neighbor
ing countries have made them wary
and suspicious and they look upon all
outliindera as enemies. Some of them
protect their Tillage by poisoned
darts stuck op In the ground.
Practically all of the civilized Cam
bodians are literate. The country
abounds In old temples, built during
the Cambodian Golden age, some 7X
years ago. In these the Buddhist
priests conduct schools which are at
tended by all children, from those of
humble farmers to those of the royal
family.
i'nomiieuh la a colorful capital set
upon hills on the banks of the Me
kong, Its ornate temple spires and
Fox Collar
Here's a new Idea. And very at
tractive It Is. loo. The body of a fox
ts worn as a collar, high up around
the face. Then two tails are attached
."ij a silken rot about six Inches long,
and are permitted to dangle there,
separated from the collar Itself.
Yellow or White for Sport
Lemon jellnw continues to be the
siimi'tcai color (or sports outside of
Willi"
magenta- tiled roofs half hidden by
gtnnt pnlms and flowering tropical
trees. In a parklike Inclosure on a
hill top Is the palace of the kings, sur
rounded by houses for their multi
tudinous feminine retainers. The kings
of Cambodia of the past might be de
scribed as monarchs entirely sur
rounded by women. Some were wives,
some servants, and hundreds dancing
girls, trained from childhood to per
form the Intricate movements ot
dances handed down from the remote
past The present king has found It
Impossible economically to maintain
a feminine army of retainers up to
the old standards.
Restful to the Eyes.
Most travelers from the West who
visit I'nompenh are on their way to
Angkor, venerable city ot 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
Slam, 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 harbor
like so many water beetles.
When a boat with tourists aboard
docks there Is a rush for the "Permis
sion Ollice" where "permissions" are
granted to visit the king's palace. But
those who expect to see a richly
adorned abode of an eastern potentate
are soon disillusioned. Without, the
several buildings culled the palace
are unpretentious, and within there Is
Utile that would attract more than
ordinary attention except a life-sized
Ruddha of solid gold studded with
diamonds and a hallway floor laid
with engraved silver tiles.
Cambodian won, en present a strik
ingly modern appearance with their
short hair and what might be mistak
en at first sight for knickerbockers.
This Dether garment Is the "snmpot"
In making It a 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 aampot, and It Is
often dllticult for a Westerner to dis
tinguish between them. The men, how
ever, wear a sort of Jacket above the
sompot, while the women for the most
part wenr a cloth or scarf draped
over one shoulder and under the other
arm.
The West Introduced.
But though the capital Is soaked In
eastern atomsphere, the west has been
Introduced by the handful of French
ofllclula and business men. Electric
street lights twinkle among the bang
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 temple
and palace of the old capital city of
Angkor-Thorn, now deserted and sur
rounded by forest and Jungle. The
terraces and walls of the old struc
tures abound In excellent stone work,
Intricate carvings, and highly artistic
sculpture. Despite the difficulty of ao
cess, thousands of visitors go anna
ally to see the wonders of this old
capital city.
Summer Bag
To carry with summer frock and
hold all the odds and end so vital
to feminine comfort, there are large
pou h bags mnde of material resem
bling awning striping and featuring
the same brilliant colors.
Petticoat Are Back
Petticoats are back and some of the
younger women are wearing their first
lace-trlmmed, bow-knotted underskirts,
a correspondent writes from Pari,
TOO MUCH TO BEUEVEI
The chauffeur wo holding forth In
the village Inn, -
"I'us, my young guv'nor rowed for
Ooxford a little while back, 'e did."
Ill audience stared.
"Vus, 'e wins Wired of races,"
went on the chauffeur, warming to bis
task. "An 'e always 'as the name an'
the date painted on 'Is scull."
But this was too much for one
listener.
"On 'is skull)" be echoed Indignant
ly. "I.utnme, 'e must 'ave an 'end Ilk
an elephant 1" London Answers,
Snappy
A young man walked Into a baker's
shop and asked for two dozen loaves.
The rhopkeeer looked surprised.
"Have you a tea party onl" be In
quired. "No, said the man. "I'm working
at the menagerie, and the kangaroo
has kicked the elephant, so I want to
make a bread poultice."
CANT FOOL 'EM ANYMORE
"Young man, 1 dont believe you
could even buy my daughter's clothes."
"Why sure I could I She don't wear
hardly none at all."
Patriotic
Our father slipped upon the Ice
Became he couldn't stand;
Bo eaw the (lortoue 8iri end Strip'
We saw our father land.
A Nutty One
"My cow bus run away; did you see
anything of It around the villager
asked the farmer who lived on the
edge of town.
"No," grinned the village halt-wit,
"but why don't you borrow a locomo
tive from the railroad; It has a cow
catcher?" Slight Mittahe
"My little boy wants one of those
cross-word puzzles."
"They are some old checkerboards,
madam."
"So they are. I haven't seen one la
years."
NUT SO FAR OFF
"Say, Jim, Is that fellah a notr
"Not so loud Bill I tie's one of
today' most popular song writers."
Rtminitcence
Fond memoriae cause etrante unrest.
Though festive be the present mood;
And Just when we are happiest,
A little 'ear will still Intrude.
Taken to Tak
"Are you a registered pliurmaclstj"
"Yes."
"Kxpert at compounding!"
"I hope so."
"Then why do you put cream dress
Ing on a lettuce sandwich?"
Impatient Patient
"How Is the patient?"
"He died during the night, doctor."
"I feared It The medicine I pre
scribed does not take full effect uutll
after a month."
Mutt Put Up With It
Mother Yes, my daughter Is study
ing the violin. She has a real old In
strument Visitor (sympathetically) "Well,
perhaps sh can have new one some
day."
In Modern Termt
City Banker (visiting the farm)-'
I suppose that's the hired man?
Farmer (who had visited banks)
No, that's (he first vice president In
churge of cows.
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