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STUDIES, SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL 



and conquered the country more than four hundred years 

 before the Christian era, found it inhabited by two races, 

 one dark and more allied to themselves, others lighter 

 coloured of Mongolian type. The former would probably 

 become partially civilized and intermingled with their 

 conquerors, while both may have been trained to con- 

 structive work under the teaching of the superior race. 

 The wide area over which the ruins are spread, as well as 



Fig. 79. — modern Cambodians or khmers. 



the enormous labour that must have been expended on 

 them, show that the whole area of the south-eastern 

 Asiatic peninsula must have been densely peopled by a 

 civilized nation, although consisting of distinct tribes only 

 partially amalgamated. It is interesting to note that 

 some of the sculj)tured figures in the ruins bear a 

 considerable resemblance to the existing Khmers (Fig. 80). 

 The radical djfference from the Mongolian races around 

 them is also indicated in the Khmer language, which 



