| 441 attainable only on one side, by a flight of steep steps, the remaining three sides being very precipitous. The whole structure is still distinguishable. In the distance are seen portions of the massive walls or battlements, of which the drawing gives a representation. From a Spanish Priest, with whom the lecturer met in his travels, he learned that a cave in this vicinity had been discovered, containing skulls of a size much larger than the natural head, with many relations to the conformation of the skull of the Indians who are found in that country, of whom en passant, it was remarked that many had embraced the Catholic faith, but had intermixed therewith some of their own heathenish rites. The lecturer also observed, that in that neighborhood the same language was used, as in Yucatan and Central America.
Leaving the City of Santa Cruiz del Quiche, the travellers [travelers] arrived, after several day's journey, at Guique tenango, which, like the former city, was found to be of considerable breadth. Here were found pyramids, which there was some reason to believe contained spacious chambers; but on attempting to dig through the side of one of them, stone and morter [mortar] alone were met with. In a small adjoining stone cave, or sepulchre [sepulcher], several Terra cotta vasses [vases] were discovered similar to those found in Italy, called the Etruscan vases. The sepulchre [sepulcher] was not sufficiently spacious to contain a body laid out at length but there were the remains of a skeleton which had evidently been doubled up. Other sepulchres [sepulchers] were opened, but no skulls were discovered by which a correct judgment could be formed of the people or the race by whom these places had been designed and occupied. For what uses these vases had been intended, the lecturer could not conjecture. He exhibited them to his audience, and there were still observable, painted ornaments inside, and outside, as a part of the vase, where manufactured representations of foilage [foliage] and the grape.
They next passed to Ocosingo with much difficulty, the native Indian tribes being exceedingly reluctant to visit these ruins, and without a guide the journey was almost hopeless. Chance, however, threw a guide in their way; and the journey was made on horseback through a dense forest, in which the lemon tree was very abundant. At Ocosingo, there are five spacious terraces, and a pyramidal structure, 50 feet in front, and 35 feet deep, with door ways ten feet wide.-Over these door ways are stucco ornaments, which reminded the travellers [travelers] of the winged globe found over Egyptian portals. These doors led to an ante-chamber, and opposite to them was another door, which was blocked up with rubbish, in which was a large quantity of wood, as hard as lignum vitae. This door way excited much interest. The Indians believed that beyond it was a cavern which, if an entrance would be effected, would lead the travelers to Palenque in three hours-a distance otherwise of 150 miles. The travellers [travelers] vigoursly [vigorously] engaged in the enterprise, and gained access through the doorway, but they found it was merely an entrance to an apartment ten feet square, ornamented with stucco and painted figures. The place, however, was so hot, and close, and offensive, that they could not long remain to examine its structure; but they remained long enough to ascertain that at the bottom was a bituminous substance, like the bitumen used by the Egyptians to embalm the bodies of their dead.
The great object of their research was Palenque, which is situated in the province of Chiapas, and is distant about a hundred miles from the Atlantic coast; it stands on the bank of a small river, and near a range of lofty hills. The ruins which the travellers [travelers] here visited, consisted of a group of six buildings, or edifices, and an aqueduct. The palace stands on a pyramidal base, 300 feet in front, 260 in breadth, and 60 feet high. The building of the palace itself, properly so called, is 228 feet in breadth, facing towards, the east, The front is divided into fourteen door ways, with fifteen on the eastern front, each pier being ornamented with one or more figures in stucco, beautifully sculptured and painted. A double corridor, nine feet wide, and twenty feet high, extends all round this building, and altogether, in admeasurement, it is 800 feet. The roofs are a sort of arch, which come nearly to a point, and are constructed of stones which overlap each other, the summit being covered with stones that are large and flat. They are built on the same principle as the Cyclopean structures, which are met with in Greece and Italy.
Passing into the structure, of which a ground plan was exhibited, there is found a court yard, 80 feet by 70, with descending steps, 30 feet wide, which are flanked by nine colossal figures in stone, each thirteen feet high and in good preservation. Opposite to them are similar figures; all the piers of this court were ornamented with painted stucco figures (of admirable consistency and nearly as hard as stone,) some consisting of groups, and some of single figures only.
Their bodies are painted of a red color, which appears, in that country, to have been the color universally used in painting bodies. This is the case also with Egyptian figures, the Egyptians always represented their own nation as red, Europeans as white, and Africans as black. Their Divinities were all represented of a red color. Of these sculptured piers there are many still remaining, the figures of which are surrounded by richly ornamented borders; they are about ten feet high, and six feet wide.
The second court is then seen, and like the principal court, is encumbered with trees, large stoues [stones], and rubbish. This court yard is eighty feet by thirty, and is ornamented with stone figures and hieroglyphics.-On the western side of the edifice several of the piers are in good preservation, with stucco ornaments. A tower is found in the interior of this structure 30 feet square and about 40 feet high, the two upper stories of which have fallen down; it has a smaller tower, however, inside, which may be ascended by a stone staircace. [staircase]. Near to this is a long narrow chamber, 70 feet in leugth [length], on one side of which is a richly sculptured tablet, suriounded [surrounded] with stuccoed verdure. Passing
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