This bridge, with its fourteen narrow arches, may be about 42 or 43 metres in length, and 45 metres wide.
The river, instead of flowing under its arches, runs now along the side, its bed having been altered by the shifting of the sand, which has so accumulated around the piers and fallen stones, that a great portion of the former is concealed.
This bridge must have served as a communication between Ongcor the Great and the high road, which, traversing the province from east to west, took afterwards a southerly direction.
Prea sat Kéo.
Two hundred metres from the bridge rise, amidst the forest, the imposing ruins of Prea sat Kéo, to reach which you have to cross a deep moat. This done, you arrive at the exterior wall, which has four entrances formed by elegant pavilions, with staircases of eight steps leading to a terrace raised nearly 2 metres from the ground; from this you pass into a low narrow gallery with numerous interior windows ornamented with twisted bars. This gallery surrounds the building, and you ascend to it by a staircase leading to a second terrace. Three other terraces, each more than 3 metres 50 centimetres wide, rise one above another, supported on blocks of well-cut sandstone.
Each terrace forms a perfect square, the sides of the first measuring each 30 metres in length. A staircase, 15 metres high and 3½ metres wide, leads to the top; and a wide parapet to the staircase serves as a pedestal for four statues of lions, more or less injured. In the centre of the upper terrace is a lofty tower, and there are four smaller ones at the corners. Each tower has four porticoes with staircases, which rest on a base 7 metres high, and these towers are reached by staircases of twenty-two steps. From them a magnificent view is obtained over the surrounding forest. They, as well as their bases and staircases, are built of great blocks of granite arranged in regular tiers, and joined together in the most perfect manner. There is little sculpture, and the doorways have been left unfinished. The towers are without roofs, and perhaps never had any. The whole building appears very ancient, judging by the condition of the stone, which in many places is falling to pieces.
Pontéey ta Proum.—Town of Ta Proum.
RUINED TOWNS.
On the road before mentioned are two towns containing some remarkable buildings. These towns, each of which is enclosed by walls forming a square, almost touch each other, being only about 20 metres apart. The walls are of ferruginous stone, surmounted by a coping of carved sandstone resembling a cornice, above which are serrated stones, giving a very finished appearance to the wall.
The smallest of these towns is called Pontéey Kedey (Town of Kedey); the other, Pontéey ta Proum.