CHAPTER V.

THE DISCOVERIES OF THE RUINED CITIES IN MEXICAN AMERICA--THEIR GENERAL CHARACTER AND GEOGRAPHICAL LOCALITIES--THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE RUINS ANALYZED, &c.

SECTION I.

THE DISCOVERERS AND EXPLORERS OF THE RUINS--DATE AND LOCALITY--PAINTINGS--MAPS AND CHARTS, &c.

In the preceding chapter, it is stated that the Fine Arts will be used as strong evidences towards the development of this epoch, and that they will be received as records. They represent what will be wanted in illustrating the Aborigines of the North--viz., _the lex scripta_--for Sculpture and Paintings must be regarded only as a more concise and impressive manner of writing. Since, therefore, Sculpture is one of the powers conjoined with Architecture to enable us to raise our historical edifice, it is necessary to prove the existence of our strength in the country illustrated--to prove that Ancient Cities have been discovered--that temples and palaces have been recovered from the depths of the forest, and that, too, in that part of America now under consideration, having reference to the Aborigines _not_ of the North. These investigations are required for the reader who may not have read "The Incidents of Travel in Central America," and even those that have, will expect an analysis or review of the discovered Ruins; it is also demanded by the character of this work, for it is essential to establish their existence before they can be produced as witnesses to support an historic argument; and like a legal document, parole evidence will not be received if the document itself can be produced.

Paintings also are a portion of the evidence to sustain our novel history. The paintings of Mexican America, though rude, contain proofs of progressive ages, whereby facts may be gathered, supported by traditions, to authorize the formation of a chronological arrangement of events. These pictorial efforts of art are on cloth of unusual thickness, in order to secure stability--for the Mexicans had no other written records--but, to which may now be added from the late discoveries--Sculpture. The paintings, it has been stated, were rude, and not unlike those of ancient Egypt; and like those of the Nile, a symbol stood for whole sentences, or parts of history,--and does not the same method exist with European art? A cross represents the Crucifixion! It is in this manner that the paintings of ancient Mexico must be translated. The colouring was far beyond the Egyptian in regard to brilliancy and variety--an important point in proving a Tyrian analogy.

The Spaniards, at their conquest of Mexico, burnt in the public market-place, pyramids of paintings, the designs of which are even lost to history; yet many others were subsequently preserved, and now adorn the royal libraries of Bologna, Madrid, and the Vatican. The National Library of England contains a vellum folio copy of the splendid work by Lord Kingsborough upon these paintings, forming, in the seven volumes, a collection of all the pictorial relics of ancient Mexico.

The skill of the Mexican painters was extended to another branch of writing, in which nautical science claimed a share--viz., Maps and Charts. This important fact will be enlarged upon in the analogies. These few remarks are only inserted in order to sustain a consecutive arrangement of evidence, for the reader must already have known of the existence of these paintings, though not of their novel application.

The several discoveries of the ruined cities will now be reviewed and established. In the ancient capital of the Mexican Empire, it has been stated, that the Spaniards acted the character of incendiaries. In 1520, every available specimen of Mexican art was consumed by Cortez and the priests. Paintings, the only manuscripts of the Mexican nation, were destroyed, and became a bonfire for the soldiery--every palace and temple of the capital was levelled to the earth, and the foundation of the first cathedral of the invaders was laid with thousands of statues--the idols of the Aborigines. Every vestige of the Mexican records was supposed to have been consumed, broken, or buried.

After a lapse of 270 years, two statues were dug up in the grand _plaza_ of the modern city of Mexico; but from the interest felt for these religious relics by the poor descendants of the Aborigines, the Spaniards secretly buried them, it was said, in the garden-court of a Convent. At the same time (1790) was exhumed a circular piece of sculpture, having reference to the astronomical calendar of the ancient inhabitants. This is still preserved in Mexico, and is quoted, and a drawing given by the illustrious Humboldt in his work upon that country: it will be referred to in the analogies.

A brief review of the discovery of the Ruins and their locality will now be required. From a record by Huarros of Guatimala, and that on the authority of Fuentes, the ruins of Copan were known in 1700. Palenque was visited by Del Rio; and by Dupaix about 1805. In the beginning of the nineteenth century, the scientific Humboldt visited Mexico; he obtained drawings of the ruins of Mitla, in the Province of Oaxaca, and others of a similar character, but especially the terraced-pyramid of Cholula, which he visited. The investigations were published by the same scholastic traveller. At a later period, Uxmal (Yucatan) was explored under a commission of the Spanish Government by Waldeck; his work (folio) is most beautifully illustrated. In compliment to the nobleman who published the great work on the Ancient Mexican Paintings, he called one of the ruins, _The Pyramid of_ _Kingsborough_--an anachronism, perhaps, allowable when the motive is considered. Copan was visited by Galindo in 1836; but he lacked the perseverance necessary for a perfect exploration. This latter desideratum was fully evinced by Stephens and Catherwood who, in 1839-40, visited and explored all of the above (excepting those seen by Baron Humboldt), and several cities before unknown in general history. As a geographical position, the localities of these dead cities are between the capital of Mexico and the Isthmus of Darien, but chiefly in Guatimala; on the borders of Yucatan, and on that Peninsula; they therefore occupy the narrow part of the Continent between the two great oceans. A reference to the map of Central America, will aid the following remarks:

The river Montagua empties itself into the Bay of Honduras, at or near, Omoa; approaching the source of this river, it branches off to the South, which branch is called Copan River; above the rapids of this branch-river, is situated on the banks the now celebrated ruined City of Copan, over _two miles_ in extant, parallel with the stream. Palenque is nearer Mexico. The ruins of Uxmal are in Yucatan. From the Architectural characteristics of the edifices, we find no difficulty in arranging the order of their being built, which, with all due respect for the opinion of others, we submit to be as follows: viz.--first, the city of Copan, then Cholula, followed by Quirigua, Tecpan-Guatimala, Quiché, Gueguetinango, Ocosingo, Mitla, Palenque, and lastly, Uxmal: and about the same period of building, the cities of Chi-Chen, Zayi, Kabah, Espita, and Ticol,--these last being in the Peninsula of Yucatan. Compared with these relics of past centuries, we consider the City of Mexico to be of comparatively modern date, _at the time of the Spanish conquest_ (A. D. 1520).

The Ruins necessary to be described for the illustration of our present subject, will be those of Copan, Palenque, and Uxmal; and for this purpose extracts will be quoted from the lately-published work on Central America, by Mr. Stephens. These extracts will be given as unquestionable authority, and the engravings in the work will be received as accurate representation of the Ruins, and upon which many of our results have been founded. On the subject of their accuracy, the fascinating traveller writes as follows:

"I will only remark, that from the beginning our great object and effort was to procure _true copies of the originals_, adding nothing for effect as pictures. Mr. Catherwood made the outline of all the drawings with the _camera lucida_ and divided his paper into sections, so as to preserve the utmost accuracy of proportion. The engravings were made with the same regard to truth, from drawings reduced by Mr. C. himself--the originals being also in the hands of the engraver. Proofs of every plate were given to Mr. C., who made such corrections as were necessary: and in my opinion they are as true copies as can be presented; and except the stones themselves the reader cannot have better materials for _speculation and study_."

Though this candid traveller acknowledges not to know the principles of Architecture, or the rules of Art, and when in Egypt amused himself by mutilating a statue of Isis,[1] yet when he came in sight of buried cities in his own country, before unknown to the history of the world, the Sculpture of which is "as fine as that of Egypt,"--feelings he must have had of which no man would rob him,--reputation by being the explorer, of which an enemy would not attempt to deprive him,--and although we are not selfish enough to covet his reputation, yet we are candid enough to admit that we have, from the heart, envied him his feelings!

[1] Vide J. L. Stephens's Travels in Egypt, &c.

He has given indeed by his pen, and the artist by his pencil, a reflection of the Ruins, but it is from a mirror of polished ebony, simply a _fac-simile_ resemblance,--light and shade only,--a specimen of Daguerreotype! No one can mistake the rapid manner in which the true copy is impressed upon the mind, and that by the most easy and agreeable means--viz., the fascination of his style; but the _colouring of life_ is not there,--_the Soul of History is wanting_! The Promethean spark by which the flame of historic truth should illuminate his work, and be viewed as a gleaming beacon from afar, to direct wanderers through the dark night of wonders, has found no spot to rest upon and to vivify! But this he has done,--he has brought the timbers of the historic bark to view:--research must build, and science place the rudder; the pilot, constant as the northern star; enthusiasm must drive her before the wind, every sail set, fore and aft, aloft, abroad and full, and it will be strange indeed if that spark will not be found upon Truth's phosphoric sea!

If these Ruins can be identified with a nation of the ancient world,--_ancient_ world?--the first word is superfluous now, for these discoveries have destroyed the opposite phrase,--_new_ world;--that expression will belong hereafter to England and parts of Europe, not America; for the former date from the first Cæsar,--the latter, if we err not, from an older and a greater conqueror! If, we say, these Ruins can be identified with a country of Asia, and of "the olden time," we shall have no regret for having turned shipwright to aid the discovery of that nation; and if our classic galley should founder ere we reach "the point proposed," we shall at least struggle in the buoyant waves of hope and pleasure, our light heart floating above the waters of disappointment; and with joyous pride will we hail those who in passing by have found and steered a truer track!

First will be given a description of such parts of the great Ruins as may be necessary in the author's own words, with such commentaries as may be required by the narration: then will follow Mr. Stephens's reflections upon all the Ruins; his arguments will be met, his errors detected, his contradictions investigated, and thereupon we shall endeavour (at least) to completely refute his deductions and conclusions.

SECTION II.

THE RUINS OF COPAN.

"They are in the district of country now known as the state of Honduras, one of the most fertile valleys of Central America." Their precise locality was stated in the last section, with the exception that their distance from the sea is about "three hundred miles."

"The Copan river is not navigable, even for canoes, except for a short distance in the rainy season."

This is a description of the River now (1843), and not as it may have appeared at the time of erecting the edifices.

"Falls intercept its course before it empties into the Montagua."

As a principle of military defence the site was well chosen, for the barrier of the falls would prevent the approach of an enemy to the city by the river from the Atlantic.

"The extent of the Ruins along the river, as ascertained by monuments still found, is _more than two miles_. There is one monument (or ruin) on the opposite side of the river, at the distance of a mile, on the top of a mountain two thousand feet high. Whether the city ever crossed the river, and extended to that monument it is impossible to say; I believe not."

So do we,--and that belief instructs us in the seeming fact of another means of military defence; for from the locality and height of the mountain it is almost evident that the "monument" was used as a watch-tower, and consequently from that elevated point a complete view was obtained of all the approaches to the city. These facts illustrate (seemingly at least) that the Aborigines had a knowledge of military security as well as that of architecture; and as we believe that Copan was the first city built in the Western Hemisphere, these considerations will be of importance in identifying. The reader will understand ("once for all") that no hint, even the most remote, is derived from Mr. Stephens's work (or any other) towards the formation of our Theory, or the establishing of this Epoch,--on the contrary, he distinctly asserts (vol. ii., p. 442),

"I shall not attempt to inquire into the origin of this people, from what country they came, or when, or how; I shall confine myself to their works and their ruins."

Our artistical or historical comments, good, bad, or indifferent, are our own, and accompany the quotations for the purpose of supporting the Analogies in a subsequent chapter. The italicised and bracketed words the reader will give especial attention to;--as we have so expressed them for facility in illustrating.

"There are no remains in Copan of palaces or private dwellings, and the principal part (of the ruins) is that which stands on the bank of the river, and may perhaps with propriety be called the Temple. The Temple is an oblong enclosure. The front or river wall ('stone and nearly _one hundred feet high_,' vol. i., p. 95) extends on a right line, North and South, _six hundred and twenty-four feet_, and it is from _sixty_ to _ninety feet in height_." The difference in height arising from several parts having fallen. "It (the river-wall) is made of _cut stone_, from three to six feet in length, and a foot and a half in breadth. In many places the stones have been thrown down by bushes growing out of the crevices. The other three sides consist of ranges of steps and _pyramidal_ structures, rising from _thirty, to one hundred and forty feet_ on a slope. The whole line of survey (of this Temple) is _two thousand eight hundred and sixty-six feet_, which though gigantic and extraordinary for a ruined structure of the Aborigines, _that the reader's imagination may not mislead him_, I consider it necessary to say, _is not so large_ as the great (Egyptian) Pyramid of Ghizeh."

We certainly do not desire to be misled, or _our_ readers either,--therefore, at once, will be compared the measurements of the pyro-temple of Copan, and the Pyramid of Egypt. Lee Bruyn gives the base side of the great edifice of the Nile at 750 feet. Greaves states it to be 693 feet; the difference between these computations is fifty-seven feet, which divided for an average, and added to the lesser sum, will shew one side to be 721 feet (and a fraction), which multiplied by four, the sum total of the entire square base will be 2884 feet,--that of Copan--viz., 2866 feet, will leave only a difference between the great Pyramidal Edifices in Egypt and Copan of _eighteen feet_! but from diversity in measurement they may be viewed as the fac-similes of each other in regard to the base. This cannot be accidental. Taking Greaves's numbers, each side 693 × 4 = 2772 feet. Stephens's sum total of Copan is 2866, leaving an increase in size over that of the Egyptian of ninety-four feet! Mr. Stephens may, perhaps, have forgotten the measurements in Egypt, although he has travelled there; but we shall have occasion to refer to the ingenious manner in which he endeavours to stay the "imagination" of his readers upon the subject of all the Ruins.

The comparative measurements have been brought forward, that the reader may not be misled in reading this work.

Another singular coincidence (we may remark) occurs in the measurement of the terraced-pyramid at Mexican Cholula; the base of that is 5760 feet!--now the base of the Egyptian, as shewn above, is 2884 feet only; this sum multiplied by two, produces a sum total of 5768; a difference only of _eight feet_, would make the Pyramid of Cholula _exactly twice_ as large as that of Egypt. An error may have occurred in reference to the eight feet--for in so large a measurement, and by different authors, it is but natural that an error might arise, and consequently these bases, as to size, cannot be viewed as accidental.

"Near the South-west corner of the river-wall, and the South-wall, is a recess, which was probably once occupied by _a colossal monument_ fronting the water--no part of which is now visible. Beyond are the remains of _two small pyramidal structures_, to the largest of which is attached a wall running along the west bank of the river. This appears to have been one of the principal walls of the city, and between the _two pyramids_ there seems to have been a gateway or principal entrance from the water. The South wall runs at right angles to the river, beginning with a range of steps about thirty feet high, and each step about eighteen inches square. At the South-east corner is _a massive pyramidal structure_ one hundred and twenty feet high on the slope. On the right are other remains of terraces and _pyramidal buildings_, and here, also, was probably a gateway, by a passage about twenty feet wide, into a quadrangular area two hundred and fifty feet square, _two sides of which are massive pyramids_ one hundred and twenty feet on the slope. At the foot of these structures, and at different parts of the quadrangular area, are numerous remains of _sculpture_, especially a _colossal monument, richly sculptured_, fallen and ruined. Behind it _fragments of sculpture_, thrown down from their places by trees, are strewed and lying loose _on the side of the pyramid, from the base to the top_. 'Idols' give a peculiar character to the ruins of Copan. One stands with its face _to the East_ [_i. e._ to the Rising Sun] about six feet from the base of the pyramidal wall. It is _thirteen feet high, four feet in front and back_, and _three feet on the sides_ [_i. e._ four-sided column] _sculptured on all four of its sides, from the base to the top_, and one of the richest and most elaborate specimens in the whole extent of ruins. Originally, it was _painted_, the marks of _red colour_ being distinctly visible. Before it at the distance of about eight feet, is a large block of sculptured stone, which the Indians call an altar. The subject of the front [_i. e._ of the Idol-obelisk] is a full-length figure, the face wanting beard, and of a feminine cast, though the dress seems that of a man. On the two sides are rows of _hieroglyphics_ [_i. e._ the sacred or religious language] which probably recite the history of this mysterious personage. Following the wall, is another monument or idol of the same size, and in many respects similar. The character of this image as it stands at the foot of the pyramidal structure, with masses of fallen stone [ruins] resting against its base, is grand, and it would be difficult to exceed the _richness of the ornament and sharpness of the sculpture_. This, too, was _painted_, and the _red_is still distinctly visible. The whole quadrangle is overgrown with trees, and interspersed with _fragments_ of _fine sculpture_, particularly on the _East side_ [_i. e._ to the Rising Sun.] At the North-east corner is a narrow passage, which was probably a third gateway. On the right is a confused range of terraces running off into the forest. Turning Northward, the range to the left-hand continues _a high massive pyramidal structure_, with trees growing out of it to the very top. At a short distance is _a detached pyramid about fifty feet_ SQUARE, and thirty feet high. The range of structures turns at right angles to the left, and runs to the river, joining the other extremity of the wall, at which we began our survey. The bank was elevated about thirty feet above the river, _and had been protected by a wall of stone_, most of which had fallen down."

The city-wall on the river-side, with its raised bank, and making allowances for what had fallen from the top of the great wall, must then have ranged from _one hundred and thirty, to one hundred and fifty feet in height_!

"_There was no entire pyramid_, but at most two or three pyramidal sides, and _then joined_ on to terraces or other structures of the same kind."

The first line of this last quotation is distinctly contradicted a few lines before it--for he says, "At a short distance is a _detached_ pyramid about fifty feet _square_." Therefore this is an "entire pyramid." That of Cholula stands "solitary and alone" in a large plain, and there, at least, is an "entire pyramid," so far as its base and sides are considered.

"Beyond the wall of enclosure were walls, terraces, and pyramidal elevations running off into the forest, which sometimes confused us. Probably the whole was not erected at the same time, but additions were made, and statues erected by different kings, or perhaps in commemoration of important events in the history of the city. Along the whole line were ranges of _steps_ with _pyramidal_ elevations, probably crowned on the top with buildings or altars, now in ruins. _All these steps and the pyramidal sides were painted_ [red], and the reader may imagine the effect when the whole country was clear of forest, and priests and people were ascending from the outside of the terraces, and thence to the holy places within to pay their adoration in the Temple.

"Within this enclosure are two rectangular courtyards, having ranges of steps ascending to terraces. The area of each is about forty feet from the river. On one side at the foot of the pyramidal wall is another monument or idol, [_i. e._ sculptured obelisk]. It is about the same height as the others (in all fourteen), but differs in shape, being larger at top than below. Its appearance and character are tasteful and pleasing."

We desire to call the particular attention of the reader to the following piece of sculpture, as it will hold a conspicuous position as we advance in this volume.

"Near this [idol last mentioned] is a _remarkable altar_, which perhaps presents as curious a subject for speculation as any monument at Copan. The altars, like the idols, are all of a single block of stone. In general, they are not so richly ornamented, and are more faded and worn, or covered with moss. All differed in fashion, and doubtless had some distinct and peculiar reference to the idols before which they stood."

Each of the idols, therefore, had an altar before it, and each of the altars had its relative idol, _except_ the one about to be described.

"This altar stands on four globes (?) cut out of the same stone: the sculpture is in _bas-relief_, and it is the _only specimen of that kind of sculpture found at Copan_, all the rest being in bold _alto-relievo_."

By a reference to the map for its locality, we find that it is situated nearly in the very centre of the vast Temple. This, together with its being alone, unassociated with an Idol--the sculpture being entirely different, and "the only specimen" found there, all the others being in _alto_, but this in _basso_--(a proof of its greater antiquity)--the very stone seems to find a voice to proclaim that it was the Chief Altar of Copan. It may be "a curious subject," but certainly does not require much "speculation" to form a conclusion. The description of the detail of the sculpture seems to furnish another reason for believing it to be the principal Altar.

"It is six feet square, and four feet high; and the top is divided into thirty-six tablets [or squares] of _hieroglyphics_, which beyond doubt _record some_ EVENT _in the history_ of the mysterious people who once inhabited the city."

This we distinctly believe; and that the _sculpture_ about to be described, TRANSLATES THE HIEROGLYPHICS, and those being translated, the "event in the history" is then arrived at. Whether we have accomplished this or not, the reader will judge as he proceeds,--for we have looked upon this Chief Altar as the "Rosetta-stone" of the ruins--the Key-stone in the arch of mystery.

"Each side of the altar represents four individuals. On the West-side are the two principal personages, chiefs, or warriors, with their faces opposite to each other, and apparently engaged in argument or _negotiation_. The other fourteen (figures) are divided into two equal parties, and seem to be following their leaders. Each of the two principal figures is seated _cross-legged_, in the _Oriental_ fashion, on an _hieroglyphic_, which probably designated his name and office, or character; and on _two_ of which the _Serpent_ forms part."

The description reads "three," the engraving shews only _two_ Serpents; the later will be received as correct, from the accuracy ascribed to the drawings by Mr. Stephens, and already quoted.

"Between the two principal personages, is a remarkable cartouche, containing two _hieroglyphics_, well preserved, which reminded us _strongly of the Egyptian method_ of giving the names of the _kings and heroes in whose honour monuments were erected_. The head-dresses are remarkable for their curious and complicated form. The figures have all breastplates, and one of the two principal characters holds in his hand an instrument, which perhaps may be considered a sceptre,--each of the others holds an _object_, which can be only (?) a subject for speculation and conjecture."

We believe them to be (judging from the engravings) _spiral shells_; the application will be found in the important chapter devoted to the Analogies.

"It [the "object"] may be a weapon of war, and if so, it is the only thing of the kind found at Copan. In other countries, battle scenes, warriors, and weapons of war are among the most prominent subjects of sculpture; and from the entire absence of them here, there is reason to believe, _that the people were not warlike, but peaceable and easily subdued_."

Are not the Sculptures, the Idols, and Altars, the ornaments of a _Temple_?--and as a consequence, should be devoid of the weapons of war. A false conclusion is arrived at by Mr. Stephens, when, from the absence of battle-axes, shields, and helms, in a Religious Temple, it must follow as a necessity, that those worshipping there, must be devoid of courage. Our own Altars might be so regarded if his reasoning was admitted, yet few persons would have the temerity to say, because the Christian Altars are devoid of warlike weapons, that the Anglo-Saxon race are "easily subdued."

The hands that built those Temples on the Western Continent, could also defend them. The military position and strength of Copan, prove the builders to be of a race far from cowards, and not easily to be conquered. In these remarks we would not confound the previous distinction drawn between the courage of these Aborigines and those of the North. The Mexicans were courageous in quick assault, but had not the indomitable endurance and persevering fortitude of the Northerns.

Enough has been quoted concerning the ruins of Copan; yet it should be stated, that among those ruins was found a sculptured _Tortoise_,--this will be referred to in the Analogies.

As a summary of the ruins of Copan, they are of sculptured _stone_, with the _absence_ of _stucco_; but pyramidal structures and bases; no circular columns, but square or four-sided obelisks, or Idols; Sculptured Altars; flights of steps forming pyramidal slopes, but only on three sides, excepting _in one instance_, and all these bearing distinct testimony of having been painted or dyed with "a red colour;" a perpendicular wall nearly one hundred feet in height; and the sculpture is not only rich in detail, but finely executed. At Copan there is no vestige of wooden beams or lintels in or about the ruins, and no appearance of a roof of any description. The _arch_ is no where found, or any thing indicating that its principle was known to the Copanians.

The absence of all _metal_ is another singular feature. The quarry from whence the stone was taken, is about two miles distant from the Temple; and the supposition of Mr. Stephens seems probable--viz., that from the discovery of _flint_-stone, and of the hardest description, the softer stone composing the Altars and Idols, was cut with this flint in lieu of metal. Every thing seems to denote the great antiquity of these ruins over those of any of the other Cities; for it will be shewn that they had a knowledge of the use of metal, and that they had found it. At Ocosingo there is a wooden beam, and at Palenque; and at Uxmal, all the lintels of the doors are of wood, and so hard is its character, that a sharp knife will turn its edge upon it, as if drawn vertically upon a bar of rough steel or iron. Therefore from the facts contained in this summary, together with the "event in the history" of the Chief Altar, and yet to be given,--we have placed Copan as the most ancient, and, as far as discovered, the first architectural City built on the Western Continent.

There is one description at Copan which will be reserved for the purpose of refuting (in the subsequent pages) one of Mr. Stephens's conclusions, as expressed in his Reflections upon the collective Ruins of these Cities, "whose antiquity," in the language of the Prophet, "is of ancient days."

SECTION III.

THE RUINS OF PALENQUE.

Palenque is situated in the Province of Tzendales, Mexican America. At the distance of about eight miles from the modern village of Palenque, the now celebrated Ruins are located. They are called the Ruins of _Palenque_ from the name of the nearest village, and not from any history of their own:--like the field of Waterloo--it has given renown to an humble village adjacent. The name, therefore, of "Palenque," can be of no assistance in unfolding the history of these Ruins,--for the original name of the now desolate Temples and Palaces, has been for centuries lost and buried with its fate. Mr. Stephens writes--

"At half-past seven we left the village. For a short distance the road was open, but very soon we entered a forest, which continued unbroken to the Ruins, and probably many miles beyond. All the wreck of Empires,--nothing ever spoke so forcibly the world's mutations, as this immense forest shrouding what was once a great city. Once it had been a great highway, thronging with people who were stimulated by the same passions that give impulse to human action now; and they are all gone, their habitation buried, and no traces of them left. Fording this (river Otula) very soon we saw masses of stones, and then a _round sculptured_ stone. We spurred up a sharp ascent of _fragments_, so steep that the mules could barely climb it, to a terrace, so covered, like the whole road, with trees, that it was impossible to make out the form. Continuing on this terrace, we stopped at the foot of the second, and through openings in the trees we saw the front of _a large building_, richly ornamented with _stuccoed_ figures on the _pilasters_, _curious_ and _elegant_; trees growing close against them, and their branches entering the doors; in style and effect unique, extraordinary and mournfully beautiful. We tied our mules to the trees, and ascended _a flight of stone steps_, forced apart, and thrown down by trees, and entered the Palace, ranged for a few moments along the _corridor_, and into the _courtyard_; and after the first gaze of eager curiosity was over, went back to the entrance, and standing in the doorway, fired a _feu de joie_ of four rounds each, being the last charge of our fire-arms. But for this way of giving vent to our satisfaction, we should have made the roof of the old Palace ring with a hurrah! We had reached the end of our long and toilsome journey, and the first glance indemnified us for our toil. For the time, we were in a building erected by the _Aboriginal_ inhabitants; _standing before_ the Europeans knew of the existence of this Continent; and we prepared to take up our abode under its roof--the sole tenants of the Palace of unknown Kings."

The reader will excuse the preceding introduction--its graphic style will find its own apology; and though not _descriptive_ of the Ruins, _yet the approach to them_ seems to form a part of this historical Romance of the Wilderness.

"As at Copan, it was my business to prepare the different objects for Mr. Catherwood to draw. Many of the stones had to be scrubbed and cleansed; and as it was our object to have the _utmost possible accuracy in the drawings_, in many places scaffolds were to be erected, on which to set up the _camera-lucida_. That the reader may know the character of the objects we had to interest us, I proceed to give a description of the building in which we lived, called the _Palace_. It stands on an _artificial_ elevation of an oblong form _forty feet high, three hundred and ten in front and rear, and two hundred and sixty feet on each side_."

Here, then, is distinctly stated--a pyramidal elevation having _four sides_, and detached from any other structure. Its measurement around the base is 1140 feet!

"_This elevation was formerly faced with stone_, which has been thrown down by the growth of trees, and its form is hardly distinguishable. The building [we say _Temple_--not Palace,] stands (on this pyramidal elevation) with its face to the _East_, and measures _two hundred feet front, by one hundred and eighty feet deep_. Its height is not more than twenty-five feet, and all around it had _a broad projecting cornice of stone_. The front contained _fourteen doorways_, about _nine feet wide_ each, and the intervening piers [_i. e._ square columns] are between _six and seven feet wide_. On the left (in approaching the palace) eight piers have fallen down, and as also the corner on the right, and the terrace underneath is cumbered with ruins. But six piers remain entire, and the rest of the front is open. The building was _constructed of stone_, with a mortar of lime and sand, and _the whole front was covered with stucco and painted_."

We believe this last manner (stuccoing) to have been ages _after_ the original structure was erected, and for the purpose of promulgating a new Religion. This important point will be investigated in a subsequent volume. It is only remarked here, that the reader may not be perplexed at _stone_ being covered with _stucco_, since in building, ancient or modern, it was only usual to cover _bricks_ with plaister or stucco.

"The piers were ornamented with _spirited figures_ [in stucco] in bas-relief. On the top of one are _three_ hieroglyphics _sunk in the stucco_. It is enclosed by a richly ornamented border, about ten feet high and six wide, of which only a part remains. The stucco is of admirable consistency, _and hard as stone_. It was _painted_, [stained?] and in different places about, we discovered the remains of _red_, _blue_, _yellow_, _black_, _and white_."

We have already called this edifice the _Temple_, believing it not to have been originally a palace. This distinction is nearly defined from the fact that _hieroglyphics_ are found upon the edifice: for hieroglyphics (_i. e._, sacred and symbolical writing) constitute the Religious language of nearly all the ancient nations,--but of Egypt especially. The language of Religion and the Hieratic (that of the priests) were placed upon the _sacred_ edifices, and being so placed, proved them to be Temples. Those languages were, also, painted upon mummy-cloths and coffins, or sculptured upon the outward granite Sarcophagii,--the Egyptians holding the rights of Sepulture in the most sacred estimation; for those rights were only granted upon a public investigation of the character of the deceased, and a general verdict in his favour. This _post-mortem_ examination of character even the king was not exempt from, and the poorest subject of Egypt could bring his accusation against the deceased monarch; with the privilege of sustaining his charges by facts and argument,--for by the laws of Egypt every Egyptian was considered equal and noble with his countrymen,--Character and Talent being the only distinctions to entitle the deceased to sepulture, and the hieroglyphical inscriptions to perpetuate a name. The King of Egypt might (and it was a custom) build his own monument and Sarcophagus, inscribe them with his victories and virtues; but his body (after death) would not be placed within, unless at the public ordeal upon his life and character the _People_ should grant permission.

If such a custom obtained at the present day, how many lying tomb-stones and monumental effigies would escape the charge of falsehood; and how many unrecorded possessors of talent and character, would breathe in marble for the imitation of their posterity!

The Enchorial language (_i. e._ the common or spoken) was not placed (alone) on sacred edifices: therefore its absence on a building almost demonstrates that building to have been erected and adorned for sacred purposes. Upon this consideration we shall view the great edifice of Palenque,--as the Temple, and not the Palace. And, it might naturally be asked if this is a Palace, where is the Temple?--for in all ancient nations the Temple of worship was always the grandest edifice of a metropolis: the same custom is still continued in more modern times,--Rome has its St. Peter's, and London its St. Paul's.

The hieroglyphics on the Altar and Idols of Copan (_vide_ last Section) in a similar manner demonstrate those sculptures to be of a Religious character, but that fact does not preclude the association of Historical events,--they were so introduced and incorporated by the Egyptians and the ancients, in order to _deify_ those events;--and by thus rendering a sacristy of character to the hero, or the glory, to give them both (in their belief) an earthly, or rather a celestial immortality!

Herodotus states (ii. § 36) that the hieratic (priests) and the demotic (common) were the two written languages of Egypt,--these two were apart from the hieroglyphical or _symbolical_ language. Diodorus Siculus (iii., § 3) supports his predecessor, and says that the former (hieratic) was used _only by the priests_,--while the latter (_i. e._ the Enchorial or demotic) was used in common by all the Egyptians,--_i. e._, that it was the _spoken_ language of the country, and, as already shewn, not used upon _sacred_ edifices. From these facts, derived from ancient custom, may be gathered why the ciphers of the common language of the Mexican Aborigines are not found upon _their_ Temples; and as a consequence, the absence of the spoken language upon those Temples proves them (from the ancient custom) to have been erected at a period when that peculiar custom was practised; and therefore, (apart from other considerations) the time of their erection must be viewed at a remote antiquity.

"It (the stucco) was painted, and in different places about we discovered the remains of _red_, _blue_, _yellow_, black, and white."

In the language of the Fine Arts "black and white" are not received as colours--they are merely accessories. Red, Blue, and Yellow, are the three; and the only primitive earth-colours, and by their amalgamation in certain proportions (aided by the subordinates, black and white) all secondary colours--or _tints_ strictly speaking--are produced. The Rainbow possesses but _three_ primitive colours; but by their juxtaposition and refractions, the purple, orange, green, and violet are produced.

Titian painted a picture in which he used only the three primitives; but taking the Rainbow for his mistress in colouring, he so arranged the juxtapositions of the original and "divine three," that the cloud-created Iris might well be jealous of the triple tints of Titian!

No greater proof could be given of antiquity, than the discovery that the Mexican Aborigines were ignorant of the art of mixing colours--for the three primitives only, and not the secondary colours--are found upon the Temples. The "Tyrian dye" or purple, was not extracted from the earth, but from the Sea, from a shell-fish, since called the _purple murex_.

For ages it was believed that the Rainbow possessed _seven_ colours. Science has proved that it contains but _three_. Nature has no more: and without even alluding to other religious opinions--the Trinity is even figured in the Rainbow: and the Divine Arch viewed in this figurative manner, has indeed the Eye of the Almighty upon it--_the Three in One_--it is not only the "Covenant," but the Type of Salvation from the Father to his children!

The reader will pardon this slight digression, and the writer makes the following assertion for the investigation of the curious, without any fear of a negative being produced. The conclusion is from many years of observation; viz., _That every thing in Nature of the Animal or the Vegetable kingdom; the Rainbow and the Elements; that all the works of Art embraced in the comprehensive term_, Architecture (Edificial or Naval): _in the Arch itself, and even in Mechanics; that in all these productions of Nature or Art there are_ ONLY THREE GRAND PARTS! And many of those parts contain within themselves _three_ subdivisions. Those subdivisions are only accessories, holding the same relation to the whole, that the secondary colours do to the primitives of the Rainbow. We will give a few illustrations from Nature and Art. For instance,--the Fruit-tree,--the three primitive parts are the roots, trunk, and branches, these are composed of fibrum, sap, and bark; the accessories are the leaves and fruit; the leaf consists of the stalk, fibres, and the web; the fruit, of the rind, the apple, and the core. The Human form will bear the same test; viz., head, trunk, and limbs--nay, the very principles of life, brain--lungs, and heart; and also the great combinations in Chemistry! The sublime science of Astronomy also supports the conclusion. For the illustration from Art--a Temple. The three grand divisions are the foundation, body, and roof; the front of the edifice is in three parts--viz., columns, entablature, and pediment; these being subdivided, and three parts again appear: 1st, a Column,--the shaft, capital, and abacus; 2d, the Entablature,--the architrave, frieze, and cornice; 3d, the Pediment,--the apex, and the two corners, forming a triangle. The triangle is, also, the facial characteristic of a square Pyramid, and its square base contains two triangles; but the true Pyramid contains only three sides, each, with the base, present triangles. If man's efforts in Art have produced by accident the

TRIA JUNCTA IN UNO,--

we must feel that nothing in _Nature_ can be accidental, and investigation will prove that the Divine "three" pervade all! We are not aware that the above assertion has ever been made by any author, but we are convinced from years of observation, that although original and startling, it is no less the truth--for being founded in Nature it could not be otherwise. In the third volume this subject will be enlarged upon; for the present we claim the discovery of this great philosophical principle--the true active one of Nature and of Art, with the possession of which a man has the key to the _arcana_ of both.

The Mexican Aborigines then had, apparently, no knowledge of the art of mixing colours, from which fact a strong proof is gained of their great antiquity.

"The piers (_i. e._ the square columns of the Temple) which are still standing, contained other figures of the same general character, but which unfortunately are more mutilated, and from the declivity of the terrace it was difficult to set up the _camera lucida_ in such a position as to draw them. The piers which are fallen were no doubt enriched with the same ornaments. _Each one_ had a specific meaning, _and the whole probably presented some allegory or history_, and when entire and painted, the effect in ascending the terrace must have been imposing and beautiful."

This "allegory or history" we have endeavoured to decipher in the Analogies. The sculpture of this Temple, like the metopes of the Parthenon, should not be viewed in separate parts, but as a whole; for the parts, like single letters, are useless in themselves, but when placed together in proper and consecutive localities, they instantly express a word, or sentences, and thence convey to the mind the full intelligence of the subject.

"The tops of the doorways are all broken. They had evidently been square, and over one were large niches in the wall on each side, in which the lintels had been laid. The lintels had been all fallen, and the stones above formed broken natural arches [angles?]. Underneath were heaps of rubbish, but there were no remains of lintels. If they had been single slabs of stone, some of them must have been visible and prominent, and we made up our minds _that the lintels had been of wood_, and perhaps we should not have ventured the conclusion, but for the _wooden lintel_ which we had seen over the doorway at Ocosingo, and by what we saw afterwards in Yucatan (Uxmal), we were confirmed beyond _all doubt_ in our opinion. I do not conceive, however, that _this gives any conclusive data_ in regard to the age of the buildings. The wood (lintels) if such as we saw in the other places (_i. e._ Ocosingo and Uxmal) would be very lasting, its decay must have been extremely slow, and _centuries_ may have elapsed since it perished altogether."

The decaying of the lintels at Ocosingo and Palenque, and their existence and _preservation_ at Uxmal enables a data to be formed in reference to the order of their erection; for the _non-appearance_ of any wooden lintels at Copan authorizes the placing of that city first in chronological order, followed by the cities of Ocosingo and Palenque, and from the argument, and the preservation of the wood, Uxmal was built _after_ the foregone.

"The building has two parallel corridors running lengthwise _on all four of its sides_. In front these corridors are about nine feet wide, and extend the whole length of the building, upwards of two hundred feet. In the long wall that divides them there is but one door, which is opposite the principal door of entrance, and has a corresponding one on the other side, leading to a courtyard in the rear.

"_The floors are of cement_, as hard as the best seen in the remains of Roman baths and cisterns. The walls are about ten feet high,--_plastered_,--and on each side of the principal entrance ornamented with _medallions_, of which the borders only remain,--these perhaps contained the busts of the Royal family. The separating-wall had apertures of about a foot, probably intended for purposes of ventilation. _The builders were evidently ignorant of the principle of the_ ARCH, and the support (ceiling) was made by stones (blocks) lapping over as they rose, as at Ocosingo, and as among the Cyclopean remains in Greece and Italy." * * * * "From the centre door of this corridor a range of stone steps, thirty feet long, leads to a rectangular courtyard, eighty feet long by seventy broad. On each side of the steps are grim and gigantic figures _carved on stone_ in _basso relievo_, nine or ten feet high, and in a position slightly inclined backward, from the end of the steps to the floor of the corridor. They are adorned with head-dresses and necklaces, _but their attitude is that of pain and trouble_. The design and anatomical proportion of the figures are faulty, but there is a force of expression about them which shews _the skill and conceptive power of the artist_. On each side of the courtyard of the Palace (Temple) are divided apartments, probably for sleeping. (?) On the right, the piers have all fallen down. On the left they are still standing and ornamented with _stucco figures_. In the centre apartment, in one of the holes, are the remains of a _wooden pole_, about a foot long, which once stretched across, but the rest had decayed. It was the only piece of wood (worked) we found at Palenque, and we did not discover this until some time after we had made up our minds in regard to the wooden lintels over the doors. It was much worm-eaten, and probably in a few years not a vestige will be left. At the farther side of the courtyard was another flight of stone steps, corresponding with those in front, on each side of which are carved figures, and on the flat surface between are single _cartouches of hieroglyphics_." * * * * * * "In the further corridor the wall was in some places broken, and _had_ SEVERAL _separate coats of plaister and paint_. [Proofs of different periods] In _one place we counted six layers, each of which had the remains of colours_. This corridor opened to a second courtyard, eighty feet long, and but thirty across. The floor of the corridor was ten feet above that of the courtyard, and on the wall underneath were _square stones_ with _hieroglyphics sculptured_ upon them. On the piers were _stuccoed figures_, but in a ruined condition. On the other side of the courtyard were two ranges of corridors, which terminated the building in this direction. The first of them is divided into three apartments, with doors opening from the extremities upon the western corridor. All the piers are standing excepting that on the north-west corner. All are covered with _stucco ornaments_, and one with _hieroglyphics_. The rest contain _figures_ in _bas relief_." * * * "There are several distinct and independent buildings. [Within the confines of the Temple] The principal of these is the TOWER, on the south side of the second court. This Tower is conspicuous by its height and proportions: the base is thirty feet square, and it has _three stories_. Entering over a heap of rubbish at the base, we _found within another Tower, distinct from the outer one_, and a stone staircase, so narrow that a large man could not ascend it. The staircase terminates against a dead stone ceiling, closing all further passage. _The whole Tower was a substantial stone structure_, and in its arrangements and purposes about as incomprehensible as the sculptured tablets. East of the Tower is another building, with two corridors, one richly decorated with _pictures in stucco, and having in the centre an elliptical tablet_. It is four feet long and three wide, _of hard stone, set in the wall_, and the SCULPTURE is in _bas relief_. Around it are the remains of a rich _stucco border_. The principal figure sits cross-legged (_i. e._ orientally) on a couch, ornamented with two leopards' heads: the attitude is easy, the physiognomy the same as that of the other personages, and the _expression calm and benevolent_. The figure wears around its neck a necklace of pearls [beads of gold?] to which is suspended a small medallion containing a face, perhaps for an image of the Sun."

From the positive radii around the medallion (as presented by the artist) there can be no hesitation in distinctly stating that it was intended for an "image of the Sun." This is essential in identifying the analogy of Religious worship: it also gives further authority for the belief that this edifice was a Temple, and not a Palace. The _Tower_ of Palenque also aids this belief, for from its locality it would seem to have been used as a modern oriental minaret, from which the priests summoned the people to prayer.

"Like every subject of sculpture we had seen in this country, the personage had earrings, bracelets on the wrists, and a girdle round the loins. The head-dress differs from most of the others at Palenque in that it wants the plume of feathers. Near the head are _three hieroglyphics_. The other figure, which seems that of a woman is sitting cross-legged [kneeling?] on the ground, richly dressed, and apparently in the act of _making an offering_. In this supposed offering is seen a plume of feathers, in which the head-dress of the principal personage is deficient. Over the head of the sitting personage are _four hieroglyphics_. _This is the only piece of Sculptured Stone about the the Palace_ (Temple) except those in the courtyard. Under it formerly stood a table [altar?] of which the impression against the wall is still visible."

It will be observed that the above _Sculpture is the only one in Stone_ in the interior of the Temple; and from the image of the Sun suspended from the neck of the principal figure, whose countenance is "calm and benevolent," and the richly-attired kneeling figure making an offering, the Sculpture seems to represent the Apollo of the Aborigines receiving a tributary gift. The "Table" underneath and in front, is in the very position of an Altar-table, upon which may have been placed the votive offerings of the living, in imitation of the Sculpture above the Altar. In a similar manner the more modern altar of the Christians is placed, for it is stationed beneath the artistical object of worship or the tables of the Decalogue. A painting over a Christian altar, of the Magii adoring the Infant SAVIOUR, and thereby calling for similar worship from the living, will completely illustrate the sculptured altar-piece of Palenque. We think that this will be admitted, and being so it establishes that this great edifice was one of the chief Temples of the Aborigines, erected by them for the worship of their God of light and heat--viz., the Sun.

This may then have been the Mecca-shrine of the Kingdom, to which all the nation made their annual pilgrimage; and especially do we believe this to have been the case, from the fact of the _stucco_ being placed upon the _stone_, and the former illustrating a later Religion than that proved by the stone-sculpture; and the Religion being partially changed (as will be shewn hereafter), still it was the chief Temple for the assemblage of the people, and from which, perhaps, from the Tower of the Temple, was promulgated not only any change in the form of Religious worship, but also in the Laws of the country. Every thing indicates that this edifice was the Aboriginal Temple of the Sun: if it was the Palace, again would we ask, where is the Temple? for in all ancient nations, the edifice in which was performed the Religion of the country, was of more importance than any earthly residence. Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome, possessed the Temple, the Parthenon, the Capitol, and the Pantheon; Tyrus, Carthage, and Palmyra, their gorgeous Temple to Apollo (_i. e._ the Sun); Italy, England, and France, justly boast of their Churches sacred to St. Peter, St. Paul, and the Mother of the Saviour!--and the great Mahommedan family point with religious joy to the Shrine at Mecca; and why then should the Aborigines of the Western Hemisphere be an exception?

The jewelled Temples of the Sun (_i. e._ of Apollo), that in Mexico and Peru tempted the blood-stained feet of Cortez and Pizarro, were but the types of the original at Palenque; for the latter was in ruins when the Spanish pirates landed, and none of their historians even allude to the desolation of past ages, so engrossed were they with that of their own!

Another description of a piece of Sculpture (in stucco) upon a building near the Temple of Palenque, will be reserved for illustrating a powerful similitude to a Tyrian branch of worship. This will receive a full investigation in the chapter devoted to the national Analogies.

On the map of the Ruins of Palenque, and in the descriptions (as furnished in Mr. Stephens's work), the Temple, and _five other_ edifices, all rise from a pyramidal base, having _four sides_; this fact will again be brought forward in refutation of one of his architectural conclusions.

SECTION IV.

THE RUINS OF UXMAL.

These monuments of antiquity are situated in Yucatan, the great Peninsula of Mexican America.

"Emerging suddenly from the woods, to my astonishment, we came at once upon a large open field strewed with mounds of ruins, and vast buildings on terraces, and _pyramidal structures_, grand, and in good preservation, richly ornamented, without a bush to obstruct the view; and in picturesque effect, almost equal to the Ruins of Thebes. [Egypt] Such was my report I made to Mr. Catherwood on my return, who, lying in his hammock unwell, and out of spirits, told me I was romancing; but early the next morning we were on the ground, and his comment was, that the _reality exceeded the description_!"

It should be remembered that the above distinguished artist (Catherwood) had visited and copied the Ruins of Thebes and Egypt generally, and consequently his testimony is of more than common authority.

"The place of which I am now speaking (Uxmal) was, beyond all doubt, once a large, populous, and highly _civilized city, and the reader can nowhere find one word of it on any page of history_. Who built it?--why it was located on that spot, away from water, or any of those natural advantages which have determined the sites of cities whose histories are known, what led to its abandonment, no man can tell. The only name by which it is known, is that of the Hacienda [_i. e._ farm-plantation] on which it stands. In the oldest deed, belonging to the Peon family [_i. e._ the owners], which goes back a hundred and forty years, the buildings are referred to in the boundaries of the estate as _Las Casas de Piedra_ [_i. e._ the stone-houses]. This is the only ancient document or record in existence, in which the place is mentioned at all. The Ruins were all exhumed: within the last year the trees had been cut down and burned, and the whole field of Ruins was in view." * * * * "In attempting a description of the Ruins, so vast a work rises up before me, that I am at a loss where to begin." * * * * "Drawn off by mounds of ruins and piles of gigantic buildings, the eye returns, and again fastens upon a lofty structure. It was the first building I entered. _From its front doorway I counted sixteen elevations_ [buildings], _with broken walls and mounds of stones, and vast magnificent edifices_, which at that distance seemed untouched by time and defying ruin. I stood in the doorway when the Sun went down, throwing from the buildings a prodigious breadth of shadow, darkening the terraces on which they stood, and presenting a scene strange enough for a work of enchantment. This building [_i. e._ in which he viewed the scene] is sixty-eight feet long. The elevation on which it stands, is built up solid from the plain, entirely artificial. _Its form is not pyramidal_, but _oblong_, and rounding, being two hundred and forty feet long _at the base_, and one hundred and twenty feet broad, and it is protected all around, _to the very top, by a wall of square stones_."

The terms of the last sentence are in direct opposition to the description,--for the elevation is distinctly _pyramidal_. It does not require a square base only rising from their corners to a central apex, to be essentially pyramidal,--for a _cone_ is pyramidal, or an "oblong" rising and diminishing from a broad base; all walls on _an inclined plane_--no matter at what degree of elevation or declivity, possess the chief essential of a pyramid.

The cone, oblong, and square,--even a triple-sided or octagonal pyramid, would be, one and all, correct phrases in the language of Architecture, to express the character of the pyramid; and are so used in contradistinction to walls (one or more) of a perpendicular description,--and the instant such walls lose the facial of the plumb-line, they become _pyramidal_, from the principle of the wall rising from its base, and falling to a centre, which, we repeat, is the chief essential of the pyramid. The number of sides, or none at all (_i. e._ a cone), has no part in the pyramidal _principle_; as the key-stone is to the Arch, so the apex is to the Pyramid; but if the latter _is only half reared_, yet approaching by the inclined walls _towards an apex_, it is as much a pyramidal structure as if the sides had reached the apex itself. It is to be regretted that Mr. Stephens should have been ignorant of the Fine Arts and their rules--(we make this remark on his own honest confession[2])--because by the confusion of terms he not only often contradicts himself, but misleads the general reader in forming conclusions from his graphic descriptions.

[2] Vide J. L. Stephens's Travels in Egypt.

It will, however, be our duty not to pass any such contradiction, but by the rules of art endeavour to translate the language of the Ruins. Mr. Stephens has, however, a _motive_ in destroying all resemblance between these edifices and those of Egypt, _or their neighbours_. In the next chapter that motive will be unfolded in his own words.

"On the East side of the structure is a _broad range of stone steps_, between eight and nine inches high, and so steep, that the greatest care is required in ascending and descending: of these we counted _one hundred and one in their places_. _Nine were wanting at the top_, and perhaps _twenty_ were covered with rubbish at the bottom. At the _summit_ of the steps is a _stone platform_ four feet and a half wide, running along the rear of the building. There is no door in the centre, but at each end a door opens into an apartment eighteen feet long and nine wide, and between the two is a third apartment of the same width, and thirty-four feet long. _The whole building is of stone; inside the walls are of polished smoothness_; outside, up to the height of the door, the stones are plain and square; above this line there _is a rich cornice or moulding_, and from this to the top of the building, _all the sides are covered with rich and elaborate sculptured ornaments, forming a sort of arabesque_. The style and character of these ornaments were entirely different from those of any we had seen before, either in that country or any other; they bore no resemblance whatever to those of Copan or Palenque, and were quite as unique and peculiar. The designs were strange and incomprehensible, very elaborate, sometimes grotesque, but often simple, tasteful, and beautiful. Among the intelligible subjects, are squares and diamonds (_i. e._ forms), with busts of human beings, heads of leopards, and compositions of leaves and flowers, and the ornaments known every where as _grecques_. The ornaments which succeed each other are all different; the whole form an extraordinary mass of richness and complexity, and the effect is both grand and curious; and the construction of these ornaments is not less peculiar and striking than the general effect. There were no tablets or single stones, each representing separately, or by itself, an entire subject; but every ornament or combination is made up of separate stones, on each of which _part_ of the subject was carved [sculptured], _and was then set in its place in the wall_. (?) Each stone by itself was an unmeaning fractional part; but placed by the side of others helped to make a whole, which, without it would be incomplete. Perhaps it may, with propriety, be called a species of sculptured _mosaic_."

This last sentence cannot be entertained,--for _mosaic_ is an arrangement of COLOURED stones, to represent a _painted floor_, wall, or ceiling,--their shape is not material, but they must be possessed of different colours. Now this does not appear upon the walls of Uxmal [_i. e._ of the edifice now in review], and the absence of _coloured_ stones gives the negative to their being even "a species of mosaic." Nor were the stones _first_ sculptured, "and then set in their places in the wall;" that is entirely a modern custom; but by applying the history of ancient sculpture to the preceding description, the means whereby the accuracy of facial sculpture of the wall was obtained, is at once defined and established. The Greeks placed the stones of their friezes and pediments upon their Temples in their _rough state_,--_they were sculptured afterwards_, and consequently the greatest accuracy in the connecting lines from one stone to another was obtained, and could be by that manner only. The fluting of a column (of one or more blocks of marble) was always sculptured _after_ it had been erected in its rough state. This was the only practice in that branch of art, and without doubt it was (it must have been) so practised upon the beautiful and unique walls of Uxmal.

In perusing the foregone descriptions, the reader may almost ask himself if his perceptive powers are not betraying him?--whether he is reading of an Athenian display of Sculpture, or really of an ancient edifice on the Western Continent! Well might it have appeared to the bewildered traveller as "a work of enchantment." He then proceeds to describe another building of the same character and sculpture: an edifice supposed to have "some reference to the Vestals, who in Mexico were employed to keep burning the sacred fire." It is thus sketched:

"It is situated on an artificial elevation about fifteen feet high. Its form is quadrangular, and one side, according to my measurement, is ninety-five _paces_ in length. It was not possible to pace all around it, from the masses of fallen stones which encumbered it in some places, but it may be safely stated at _two hundred-and-fifty feet square_ [_i. e. one thousand feet_ in the entire measurement!]. It is built entirely of _cut stone_ [like the other buildings] and the whole exterior is filled with the same rich, elaborate, and incomprehensible sculptured ornaments. The principal entrance is by a large doorway into a beautiful _patio_ or courtyard, grass-grown but clear of trees, and the whole of the _inner façade is ornamented more richly and elaborately than the outside_, and in a more perfect state of preservation."

This may be accounted for from the apparent fact, that the interior sculpture was executed _after_ that on the outward walls; for it appears to be far more beautiful and elaborate, and thence more time would be required for its completion, and as a consequence, it could only be finished at a later date; added to this a greater protection from the weather is given to the _inside_ of quadrangular walls than on the outside, and that without any reference to roofs or coverings: for a strong wind striking, for instance, an easterly wall on the outside, the force of the wind is destroyed, and consequently reaches the opposite wall _in the area_ with a greatly diminished power. The same argument would apply to the wind from any quarter, blowing upon unroofed quadrangular structures, and this these builders seem to have completely understood by making the Sculpture more refined and delicate upon the inside.

"On one side the combination [of the Sculpture] was in the form of diamonds, simple, chaste, and tasteful: and at the head of the courtyard _two gigantic serpents_ (with their heads broken and fallen) were winding from opposite directions along the whole façade"--[_i. e._ one thousand feet].

It will be remembered that the Chief Altar at Copan has sculptured on it _two serpents_: in the Analogies we shall endeavour to read these wily hieroglyphics.

"In front and on a line with the door of the preceding edifice, is another building on a lower foundation of the same general character, called _Casa de Tortugas_, from the sculptured _turtles_ over the doorway."

That the reader may not be misled, these "turtles" are not as defined in Scripture (_i. e._ young doves), but the _tortoise_, the well-known shellfish; and in the splendid illustrations of these Ruins in Waldeck's work (folio, 1838) the _tortoise_ is distinctly given, and without doubt is so meant by Mr. Stephens. There are _four of them_ in a group, their heads approaching to a centre, _each tortoise_ is in a square, and in the two external angles of each square is an _Egg_. The _tortoise_ and _the egg_, are both National emblems, and the Nation claiming them will be proved in the Analogies.

"In the front was a broad avenue with a line of ruins on each side, leading beyond the wall to a great mound of ruins: and beyond this a lofty building in the rear. Between the two was a large _patio_, or courtyard, with corridors on each side, and the ground of the courtyard sounded hollow. In one place, the surface was broken, and I descended into _a large excavation, cemented_, which probably had been intended as a granary. [Rather as a _water_ reservoir] At the back of the courtyard, on a high, broken terrace, which it was difficult to climb, was another edifice more ruined than the others, but which from the style of its remains, and its commanding position, overlooking every other building [except the first described] and apparently having been connected with the distant mass of ruins in front, must have been one of the most important in the City, perhaps the principal Temple. The whole presented a scene of barbaric (?) magnificence, utterly confounding all previous notions in regard to the Aboriginal inhabitants of this Country; and calling up emotions which had not been wakened to the same extent by any thing we had yet seen."

"There was one strange circumstance connected with these ruins--viz., no water had ever been discovered, and there was not a single stream, fountain, or well, nearer than the Hacienda, a mile and a half distant. It is supposed that the face of the Country had not changed; and that somewhere under ground must exist great wells, cisterns or reservoirs [perhaps acquaducts] which supplied the former inhabitants of the City with water." * * * * * "While I was making the circuit of these ruins, Mr. Catherwood proceeded to the _Casa del Gobernador_; it indicates the principal building of the old City, or _royal_ house. (?) It _is the grandest in position_, the _most stately in Architecture and proportions, and the most perfect in preservation_ of all the structures remaining at Uxmal."

The same argument brought forward in the last Section, to prove that the chief edifice of Palenque was the _Temple_, and not the Palace, will apply to this supposed "royal house." As to the phrase _"Casa del Gobernador_"--or Governor's house,--it is the name by which it is called in the neighbourhood, and can have no bearing upon the true character of the edifice,--but the very superior preservation of the building would point it to be one held Sacred from any rude assault by the people; while its Architecture, importance of its position, and magnitude, at once justify the name of Temple being given to this edifice, and as such we shall view it. Mr. Stephens appears to be so strict a Spartan Republican, that every large, or magnificent building in the Ruined Cities, he considers to be a _Palace_,--he seems to have thought less of mind, than of matter.

"This edifice [Temple] stands on three ranges of terraces. The first terrace is _six hundred and forty feet long, and five feet_ high. It is walled with _cut stone_, and on the top is a _platform twenty feet broad_, from which rises another terrace _fifteen feet_ high. At the corners this terrace is supported by cut stones, having the faces rounded so as to give a better finish than with sharp angles. The great platform is flat. At the south-east corner of this platform is a row of {ROUND} _pillars eighteen inches in diameter_, and three or four feet high, [_i. e._ broken pillars] extending about one hundred feet along the platform; and these were the _nearest approach to pillars_ or _columns_ (circular) that we saw in all our exploration of ruins of that country."

What "nearer approach" was necessary to prove the existence of circular columns, than his own description? Of this hereafter,--again he writes:

"In the middle of the terrace, along an avenue leading to a range of steps, was a _broken round pillar_, inclined and falling, and with trees growing around it. In the centre of the platform, at a distance of two hundred and five feet from the border in front, is a range of stone steps, more than a hundred feet broad, and thirty-five in number, ascending to a third terrace, fifteen feet above the last, and thirty-five feet from the ground; which being on a naked plain, formed a most commanding position. The erection of these terraces alone was an immense work. _On the third terrace_, with its principal doorway facing the range of steps, stands the noble structure. [Temple] The façade measures _three hundred and twenty feet_. Away from the regions of dreadful rains, and the rank growth which smothers the Ruins of Palenque,--it stands with all its walls erect, and almost as perfect as when deserted by the inhabitants. The _whole building is of stone_, plain up to the moulding that runs along the tops of the doorway, and above filled with the same rich, strange, and elaborate Sculpture; among which is particularly conspicuous, the ornament before referred to, as _la grecque_."

By a reference to the illustrated folio of Waldeck, it is found that this ornament is chiefly the meander, or the Grecian square border, used in the embroidery of the mantles and robes of Attica.

"There is no rudeness or barbarity in the design or proportions; on the contrary, the whole wears an air of Architectural symmetry and grandeur; and as the stranger ascends the steps, and casts a bewildered eye along its open and desolate doors, it is hard to believe, that he sees before him the work of a race in whose epitaph, as written by historians,[3] they are called ignorant of Art, and said to have perished in the rudeness of savage life."

[3] Dr. Robertson and others.

In justice to those historians, it should be stated, that they did not know of these architectural wonders; for if they did, no excuse can be rendered in extenuation of such an "epitaph"--thence has arisen the necessity of a New History of Ancient America; to, at least, the landing of Columbus; and even that will now wear another aspect. Mr. Stephens, in the last sentence quoted, justly reasons upon, and correctly censures the false conclusions of those historians;--yet a few pages before, he, himself, calls the _tout ensemble_ of the Uxmal Ruins, with all the beautiful Sculpture, and Classical ornaments, "a scene of _barbaric_ magnificence!" He seems afraid to combat with even the assertions of those Historians, whose "epitaph" upon an entire people, was written in ignorance of their works of Art. He says, "_it is hard to believe_" that they "perished in the rudeness of savage life,"--why, with such a gorgeous "scene" as that of Uxmal before him, _it was an impossibility_ that they could so have perished, either in the mind, or in history. The Ruins and Temple of Uxmal, he says, present "a scene of _barbaric_ magnificence!" _if they do_,--either to himself or his readers, then were Athens and the Acropolis barbaric, and Pericles and Phidias barbarians!

"But there was one thing which seemed in strange want of conformity with all the rest. I have mentioned that at Ocosingo [Ruins] we saw a _wooden beam_, and at Pelanque, the remains of a wooden pole; at this place [Uxmal] _all the lintels had been of wood, and throughout the ruins, most of them were still in their places over the doors_. The lintels were heavy beams, eight or nine feet long, eighteen or twenty inches wide, and twelve or fourteen thick; the wood like that of Ocosingo, was very hard, and rang under the blow of the machete."

From a further description, it appears that this peculiar wood was brought from a distance of three hundred miles. Waldeck says, that it is more durable than _lignum vitæ_, and is called by the natives _jovillo_. The strength of this wood is thus shewn by Mr. Stephens:

"The position of these lintels was most trying, as they were obliged to support a solid mass of stone wall, _fourteen or sixteen feet high, and three or four feet in thickness_."

From a calculation of the measurements around the base of the principal terrace, or pyramidal elevation, the entire distance is _two thousand five hundred and sixty feet_. The Temple, which stands upon a third terrace, is fronting to the East,--_i. e._ to the rising Sun,--the chief object of Worship.

"In the centre [of the Temple], and opposite the range of steps leading to the terrace, are three principal doorways. The middle one is eight feet six inches wide, and eight feet ten inches high; the others are of the same height, but two feet less in width. The centre door opens into an apartment sixty feet long, and twenty-seven feet deep [wide], which is divided into two corridors by a wall three and a half feet thick, with a door of communication between, of the same size with the door of entrance. The _plan is the same_ as that of the Corridor in front of the Palace (?) of Palenque, except that here the Corridor does not run the whole length of the building, and the back Corridor has no door of egress. The ceiling forms a _triangular Arch_, without the Key-stone, as at Palenque."

The term "triangular _Arch_" cannot be admitted by the language of Architecture; he might as well have written _triangular semicircle_, terms distinctly opposed to each other. It is essential to notice this inaccuracy here, otherwise the reader may be under the erroneous impression, that the _Arch_ does exist in the ancient Ruins in America,--this is not the fact; but _the entire absence of the Arch, or its principle_, enables us to form an Architectural conclusion in reference to their identity; and the fact, _that the Arch does not exist_ in any of the Ruins of Ancient America, cannot be too forcibly impressed upon the reader's mind; for it demonstrates that these buildings were erected _before the Arch was known_, and as a consequence, is a direct proof of their great antiquity. Mr. Stephens has already written in reference to Palenque, and previously quoted, "The builders were evidently ignorant of the principles of the Arch."

"The ceiling, &c.: but, instead of the rough stones overlapping or being covered with stucco, (as at Palenque) the layers of stones are bevilled as they rise, _and present an even and a polished_ surface. Throughout, the laying and the polishing of the stones are as perfect as under the rules of the best modern masonry. In this apartment we determined to take up our abode, and _under a roof, tight_ as when sheltering the heads of its former occupants." * * * * * "We were not buried in the forest as at Palenque. From every part of the terrace we looked over a field of ruins." * * * * "From the centre apartment, the divisions on each wing corresponded exactly in size and finish; and the same uniformity was preserved in the ornaments. Throughout, the roof was tight, and the apartments were dry. In one apartment, the walls were _coated with a very fine plaister of Paris_, (?) equal to the best seen on walls in this country. (United States) The rest were all of _smooth polished stone_. There were no paintings, stucco ornaments, Sculptured tablets, or other decoration whatever."

Mr. Stephens then relates the finding in a ruined Chamber, of "_A beam of wood_, (_i. e._ the jovillo) about ten feet long, and very heavy, which had fallen from its place over the doorway. On the face was a line of characters _carved_ or stamped (?) almost obliterated, but which we made out to be _hieroglyphics_; and so far as we could understand them _similar to those at Copan and Palenque_. I cannot help deploring the misfortune of not being assured of the safety of this beam. _By what feeble light the pages of American History are written_! There are at Uxmal no Idols as at Copan,--not a single stuccoed figure, or carved tablet, as at Palenque. Except this beam of _hieroglyphics_, though searching earnestly, we did not discover any one absolute point of resemblance."

The _hieroglyphics_ of all the ruins bind them together as one People; the difference in the finish of the edifices, and their varied states of preservation, at once point to different ages in which they were erected. A principal ornament at equi-distances in the outward cornice is important, and is thus described by Stephens, and strictly agrees with the folio work by Waldeck.

"It is the face of a death's-head, _with wings expanded_, and rows of teeth projecting, in effect somewhat like the figure of _a death's-head on tombstones with us_. It is two feet across the wings, and has a stone staple about two feet long, by which it was fastened to the wall."

In Waldeck's beautiful illustrations of these ruins, some feet below this winged death's-head, are the cross-bones distinct, and below these, is a human figure (male) in full maturity, and naked, except the shoulders and head, standing with his arms _crossed_ "in sorrow's knot." These Sculptures appear upon, what Waldeck calls the Pyramid of Kingsborough,--so named, as before stated, in compliment to Lord Kingsborough, for his costly work upon the Paintings of Mexico. [7 vols. folio.] Well may Stephens say, there are no "Idols" here as at Copan. _Heathen_ language is not seen in the Sculpture of Uxmal; the _Christian_ language alone can translate the above emblems of the Resurrection! The translation of the above Sculpture seems as easy, as if a DANIEL had already read the handwriting on the wall! as thus--The human figure, in full life and maturity, together with the sex, presents mortality; over the figure the _cross-bones_ are placed, portraying the figure's earthly death; while the skull supported by expanding wings, (and this Sculpture being placed above those of life and death,) presents the immortal Soul ascending on the wings of Time, above all earthly life, or the corruption of the grave! "On tombstones with us" a better design could not have been formed by Art to enforce the belief in the Resurrection. The beauty of this subject has led us into digression, for it belongs to the third volume. Campbell will apologize for us--

"Coming events cast their shadow before."

Mr. Stephens continues:--

"The reader will be able to form some idea of the time, skill, and labour, required for making them [the edifices]; and more than this, to conceive the immense time, skill, and labour required for carving [sculpturing] such a surface of stone; and the wealth, power, and cultivation of the people who could command such skill and labour for the mere decoration of the edifices. Probably all these ornaments have a symbolical meaning; [they certainly have] each stone is part of an _allegory_ or _fable_ (?) hidden from us, inscrutable under the light of the feeble torch we may burn before it, but which, _if ever revealed, will shew that the History of the World yet remains to be written_."

With all humility we have attempted to "reveal" one portion of the Sculpture, (others will follow)--but the emblems of Christianity and the Resurrection, can form no part "of an allegory or fable;" and truly has the History of the World yet to be written, when historians in ignorance of the Ruins, have traced the Aborigines, who built the gorgeous edifices of Palenque and Uxmal, to have lived and perished in a savage life! From the character of the Sculpture, and its devices, Uxmal is placed by us as the last built of all the Ancient Cities as yet discovered on the Western Continent.

Having made sufficient extracts from Mr. Stephens's work on "Central America," in illustration of Copan, Palenque, and Uxmal, the principal Cities of Ruins; the Traveller's reflections upon his explorations will now be given, and his conclusions met and refuted. We desire, before we commence the following Chapter of refutation, to impress the reader's mind with the importance of a complete removal of the conclusions, arrived at by Mr. Stephens in regard to these Ruins;--for if he is right, we are stopped at the very threshold of our History. We confess this with all honesty, and desire thereby to arouse the minute attention of the reader to the several points of refutation,--to analyze them critically, and to yield nothing,--but from conviction of foregone errors and false conclusions.

In conformity with the rule of argument with which this volume was commenced, we presume that the preceding Chapter completely establishes in the mind of the reader, that Ancient Cities and Ruins have been discovered in Mexican America; in this belief, the History will be continued, and the Builders and Architecture identified.