KABAII
perpendicular
frieze,
Yucatec monuments.
like
AND
those
UXMAL.
at
37Q
Palenque,
and
in
most
T h e front, 162 feet, is almost entire and
pierced by seven openings;
two have columns and
primitive
rude capitals, corresponding to the same number of narrow low
apartments.
A s usual the ornamental wall is narrowing towards
the top. and is distinctly seen through the vegetation
covering
the roof.
S H O W I N G S T K P » A N D I N T E R I O R OI' F I R S T PA LAC L O F
T h e rear is a complete ruin.
K.V1IAK.
T r a c e s of painting, of which
tracings were made, are still visible in the ccutral chamber.
was here that I thought
I recognised
the rude drawing of a
horse and his rider, which was hailed with
but, although
I was mistaken
Homeric laughter;
in my supposition, I was
near the truth, since the fact I erroneously heralded at
was found in the north.
It
very
Kabah
T h e discovery is due to S . Salisbury,
who, in 1 8 6 1 , whilst exploring a group of mounds and structures,
near the hacienda of
Xuyum,
fifteen
miles north of
Merida,
384
THE
ANCIENT
CITIES
OF T H E
unearthed the remains of two horses
chalk,
with
bristling
hair
NEW W O K I . I X
heads,
made of v e r y
like a zebra.*
The
work
hard
shows
considerable artistic skill, and the explorer thinks that it formed
part of s o m e bas-reliefs which had belonged to the demolished
monuments.
Indeed,
it
is highly
probable
that
these
heads
w e r e placed on the edifices built by the natives between Montejo's
departure
in
aborigines
1 5 3 0 and
had
skilfully
there w a s at X u y u m
w e know.
his return
copied
one
in
1 5 4 1 ; proving
the S p a n i s h
that
the
horses, and
that
monument at least similar to those
T o comment 011 this would be sheer loss of time.
T o the left of this building is a rectangular pyramid, with
several stories,
162 feet at the base
by
1 1 3 feet.
F o u r outer
staircases led up from story to story to edifices in an a d v a n c e d
state of ruin, h a v i n g apartments e x t e n d i n g all round, and doorways, some supported by columns, while others are mere openings,
as shown
side.
In
for the
in our
this
first
drawing,
monument
time
preservation.
which
and
lintels
of
reproduces
in the second
stone,
probability
distance of
palace are found
nearly all
in
its
history and
that
landmarks
.
that
a
of
it w a s a close ally, since
five
Uxmal,
of
which
the two cities
leagues from each other, and
fate must
century
ruled o v e r
very
good
from which
were
by a plastered road, traces of which are still visible.
the s a m e
north-west
Historians h a v e told us nothing regarding K a b a h ;
nevertheless w e h a v e s o m e guiding
reconstruct
the
have
before
been
the
common
Conquest
the whole peninsula,
having
lord
in all
lie at a
connected
Consequently
to both.
the
We
of
know
Mayapan
razed to the
ground
the capitals of his vanquished rivals, amongst whom were
caciques of U x m a l , K a b a h , L a b n a , etc.
introduced
into the countrv
T h i s king of
a force of
• S a l i s b u r y , " T h e M a y a s , " p. 2 5 .
to
Mexican
Worcester, 1877.
the
Mayapan
soldiers
for
386
AMERICA PINTORESCA
X
1'alacio «!c lav Monjas.—Conjunto.—In*cripcionci.—El Cauillo.—I>cKiipcion.—MoldeM y fotografias.—Faliga*.—Xochct glaciate*.
Halos leirestre*. —Una viiita cilnili.—El Alab-$ib.—El Caracol y la eared.
E l palacio de las Monjas es uno de los mayorcs de Chichen-Itza; se lc ha convcrtido en
convento, como se hizo con el gran edificio de U x m a l al cual se di6 el mismo nombre. A l g u nos autores nos dicen al hablar d e Mexico que los aztecas tenian la costumbre de consagrar
d los dioses, por espacio de algun tiempo, niftasdedoce a trece anos, de buenas familias. L a
Oinamcnlacion del (vaUcio J< Ia» Monjaj. (De f«Xografia)
mayor parte de ellas abandonaban el templo en la <5poca de su casamiento; jxiro otras pronunciaban votos eternos. Sahagun nos dice que aquellas doncellas, llamadas saccrdotisas 6
hermanas, vivian en los edificios adscritos d los templos bajo la severa vigilancia de las matronas, y que observaban una vida mondstica, s u j e t a s d las practicas mas rigorosas. L e s cortaban el cabello; se levantaban de noche para rezar y barrer los templos; ayunaban perpetuamente y se infligian una porcion de tormentos en obsequio d e los dioses. S e
atravesaban
lengua y orejas con cspinas; dormian siempre vestidas para estar mds prontas d trabajar;
silenciosas siempre, vivian con los ojos bajos y se les imponia la pena d e muerte por cualquier infraccion de las leyes de la etiqueta religiosa. Por consiguiente, habia monjas.
%
E s t e palacio se componia de un cuerpo principal y d e dos alas; nuestro grabado representa la fachada del ala izquierda, que es muy hermosa y se conserva perfectamente: se
38?
the maintenance of his a u t h o r i t y ; *
and to ensure the good be-
haviour of the caciques he obliged them to reside at his court,
where
their state of v a s s a l a g e was made up to them by a life
of great pomp, at the e x p e n s e of the s o v e r e i g n . t
N o w as the Aztec independence only dates from the
reign
of Itzcoatl ( 1 4 2 6 ) , their conquests and subsequent power cannot
be earlier than the reign of Montezuma 1. ( 1 4 4 0 ) ;
it is obvious,
therefore, that they were not in a position to send reinforcements
before 1 4 4 0 to the ruler of M a y a p a n .
This autocracy lasted but
a few years ; a coalition of the people of the S i e r r a was formed,
war broke out, the king of
Mayapan
was vanquished, the city-
captured and sacked, when the hostage caciques returned to their
native
provinces.
Landa
places
this
event
Herrera g i v e s 1 4 6 0 as the probable date.
justifies his
elapsed
chronology, since
between
the fall of
he
writes
Mayapan
in
1420,
whilst
W e think the latter
4,
that
seventy
years
and the coming of
the
Spaniards, varied by years of plenty, storms, pestilence, intestine
wars, followed by twenty years of peace and
to the arrival of the
prosperity down
Europeans."}
1 l e further states that each cacique took away from M a y a p a n all
•
Eligio Ancona writes:
"The
k i n g of M a y a p a n , w h o m w e will c a l l
Cocom,
d i s t r u s t i n g b o t h his g r e a t v a s s a l s a n d their a l l i e s , s o u g h t t h e s u p p o r t of f o r e i g n e r s
against them.
H e e n t e r e d i n t o n e g o t i a t i o n s w i t h the A z t e c m i l i t a r y a u t h o r i t i e s of
T a b a s c o a n d X i c a l a n g o " ( h e p r o b a b l y m e a n s G o a i z a c o a l c o , f o r it is c e r t a i n that the
A z t e c d o m i n i o n d i d not e x t e n d b e y o n d that l i m i t ) , " a n d it is s a i d that the M a y a p a n
r u l e r p r o m i s e d to q u a r t e r the t r o o p s t h e y s h o u l d
s e n d to his c a p i t a l .
p r o p o s a l s w e r e a c c e p t e d , a n d a s t r o n g N a h u a g a r r i s o n e n t e r e d the city.
of the M e x i c a n l e a d e r s g i v e n in the M a y a M S . a r e
Taxed I, Pontc-Mit Jlttccnat
and
Kakaltecat"
Cocoms
T h e names
Ahiiti-Tyut-Chan humt<cum>
A l l the t r a d i t i o n s a r e a g r e e d o n
a r r i v a l o f the M e x i c a n s in the p e n i n s u l a , a n d t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n s ol D o n J u a n
show that the w i t n e s s e s h e
e x a m i n e d s w o r e t h a i his a n c e s t o r s
M e x i c o b y o r d e r o f M o n t e z u m a the E l d e r . — C .
Merida,
1878.
t C o g o l l u d o , lib. i v . c a p . iii.
X H e r r e r a , D e c a d e I V . lib. x . c a p . iii.
ANCONA,
U
had
come
Hist, de
Kami
from
Yucatan,''
the
388
THE
ANCIENT
CITIES
OF T H E
NEW W O K I . I X
the scientific books they could conveniently carry, and that on
their return home they erected
temples and
palaces, which
the reason w h y so m a n y buildings a r e seen in Y u c a t a n ;
following
on
the
division
of
the
territory
into
is
that
independent
provinces, the people multiplied exceedingly, so that the whole
region s e e m e d but one single c i t y . " *
ments were built
Landa says
by the natives in possession of
41
the monu-
the country
at the time of the Conquest, since the bas-reliefs represent them
with their
going
types,
through
their arms,
the
and
woods and
palaces of marvellous
forests, groups
construction
ciently clear, and whether these
their d r e s s ; and
14
that
on
of houses
were found.'' t
and
T h i s is suffi-
monuments w e r e inhabited or
not at the coming of the Spaniards, is beside the question.
the other hand, the prosperity mentioned by H e r r e r a and
On
Landa
found expression in the peculiar monument, which in its original
plan represented the florid style, a l w a y s observable at the end
or the brilliant beginning of a new art, being the reproduction of
an older style, varied by elaborate ornamentation of questionable
taste.
It
is usual
dependence
monuments.
the two
for a
by
nation to commemorate
the erection
That
remarkable
of triumphal
this w a s
a return
arches,
the c a s e at K a b a h
bas-reliefs in our drawings,
to
statues,
and
is shown
which
inin
were
probably part of a monument raised in honour o f the victory
obtained
by the allied caciques.
L i k e the T i z o c stone, these
bas-reliefs represent a conqueror, in the rich Y u c a t e c costume,
receiving
the sword
of a captive
Aztec;
the latter is
recognised
from his plainer head-dress and the
his loins.
His
head dress
is identical
to those
maxtli girding
described
* H e r r e r a , D e c a d e I V . lib. x . cap. ii.
t
Landa,
14
easily
R e l a c i o n d e las C o s a s d e Y u c a t a n / ' sec. x. p. 59.
by
K A B A I I AND
Lorenzana
in his letters
unlike those which
UXMAL.
to Cortez
it is fashioned out of the head
HASKKLIEFS
manuscripts.
the
V.,
and
not
T h e other bas-relief has the s a m e
characteristics, but the head-dress
life of
Charles
the M e x i c a n conquerors sometimes e x a c t e d
from their v a n q u i s h e d foes.
Mexican
and
37Q
vanquished,
is e v e n more significant, for
of an animal like those of the
AT K A B A H (FROM
STEPHENS).
In this relief the conqueror spares
bidding
him
depart
in peacc.
the
It is
obvious, nay, w e affirm, that this is a representation of a battle
between Y u c a t e c s and M e x i c a n s dating s o m e w h e r e between 1 4 6 0
25*
390
THE
ANCIENT
CITIES
OF T H E
NEW W O K I . I X
and 1 4 7 0 ; * since w e know that M a y a p a n was the only city which
implored the aid of the Aztecs, and that after its
the inhabitants obtained
permission
to establish
destruction
themselves
in
the province of Maxcanu. east of Merida. where their descendants
are found to this v e r y day.
T h e s e repetitions were necessary to
convince a class of archaeologists who claim for these monuments
a hoary antiquity.
* C o m p a r e the striking r e s e m b l a n c e b e t w e e n the Aztec warrior in our T e m a l a catl d r a w i n g , c h a p . iii. p. 42, a n d the kneeling figure.
HACIENDA
OF
UXX1AL*
CHAPTER
XX.
UXMAL.
From K a b a h to Santa H e l e n a — A M a y a V i l l a g e — U x m a l — H a c i e n d a — T h e G o v e r nor's P a l a c e — C i s t e r n s and R e s e r v o i r s — T h e X u n n e r y and the D w a r f s H o u s e —
l e g e n d — G e n e r a l V i e w — " C e r r o d e los Sacrificios
Don Peon's C h a r t e r —
Stephens' Plan and M e a s u r e m e n t s — F r i e d e r i c h s t h a l — C o n c l u s i o n — O u r Return.
FROM
Kabah to Santa Helena we travel at last on a good road,
wide enough to secure us against collisions, smooth enough and
shady enough to make locomotion highly agreeable ; a sensation
which
is
increased
rather
than
diminished
on
reaching
the
beautiful native village of Santa Helena, extending over a wide
expanse divided in square blocks like a modern town.
Each
392
THE
ANCIENT
dwelling is planted
of
flowers,
CITIES
OF
THE
NEW W O K I . I X
with ciruclos> with orange-trees, a profusion
and encompassed by a fencing wall.
N e a r the huts
a r c aerial gardens, made by means of jx)les fixed in the ground
supporting twined branches covered o v e r with a few inches of
earth, where the cottagers grow
flowers
and v e g e t a b l e s ;
the y a r d is occupied by multitudes of cackling
ducks, and grunting pigs.
while
hens, quacking
T h e church stands in the centre of
the village, on the site of an ancient temple.
»
T h i s hamlet w a s like a vision of the past, for from all we had
seen and knew, it w a s e a s y to conjure tip what it had been in
former times.
N o r will it seem unnatural that little or no modifica-
tion should be observable in an Indian village, if it be considered
what jxnverful factors are traditions, instincts, and surroundings,
particularly with a rural population.
W h e n the S p a n i a r d s imposed
their religion on the M a y a s , they did so by the sword
than persuasion ;
but
the natives
rather
retained their culture,
their
customs, and their national dress, whereas the conquerors forgot
their own language, were modified at the contact of the subdued
race, and adopted their ancient institutions, the better to replace
the caciques.
Yucatan, as
government
we h a v e seen, was
before
encomiendas."
the services
thousand
the
giving
of
the
to each
under a
Conquest,
the
when
S]>aniards
natives
to
the
cavalier according
it
the
feudal s y s t e m
of
was
by
followed
right
number
of
to
one
enforce
or
to his importance.
two
The
marks of this system are observable in all great buildings which
formerly
were
a centre
or
a
manor-house;
whilst
from
the
number of pyramids m a y be surmised the p o w e r of the cacique
once the lord of the locality.
centres
are few
treatment of the
At
in number, and
natives
by
the present
d a y . it is true,
in consequence of the
the conquerors, they
have
cruel
fallen
to a tenth of their primitive numerical strength ; yet cities, ham-
a
UXMAL.
393
lets, and haciendas are e v e n now standing witnesses of how far
superior was the condition of the M a y a s before the coming of
the Europeans.
Nothing is changed, s a v e that the ancient lords
h a v e fallen into servile condition, that haciendas and
Spanish
structures h a v e superseded
the mansions of the gentry,
and
the
that
princely
Moorish-
palaces
the straight
and
American
doorway and triangular arch are replaced by the A r a b - H i s p a n o
arch ; but if the ancient palaces are a ruinous
mass, the huts
of the peasantry cluster now as of old around the
manor-house.
Religion alone has changed ; the church has succeeded to the
temple
without
replacing
it;
the Christian d o g m a
seems cold
and arid to a singularly mystic people, who in the d a y s of their
national life peopled the forests with votive chapels and mysterious
voices.
T o continue : we reach safely S a c - A k a l . a wretched hacienda
lost in a trackless wilderness, when we disappear in the* dense
vegetation
which
completely
invades
our
path,
and
after
much difficulty we arrive at the hacienda of U x m a l late in the
evening.
We
are
received
by
the mayor-domo,
Don
Perez,
and, under the auspices of his charming daughter, an excellent
supper
is soon got
and a
pleasant
ready ;
talk
when,
with our
with
host,
of the journey are soon forgotten.
the dismal
an
habitation
imposing
pile
of
of
building,
to a
it with
the mill.
large
the sugar
All
fatigues
the
and
table,
harass
T h e hacienda is no longer
former d a y s ;
surrounded by open cloisters.
ment
the
feet under
on
containing
A
sugar
its site is
lofty
reared
apartments,
factor)- g i v e s
employ-
number of hands, while a tramway connects
plantations,
and
facilitates the transj>ort
is bustle, movement, and n o i s e ;
is now as unhealthy as ever, and
but
the mayor-domo
the
to
place
himself
is
a martyr to f e v e r and ague.
T h e ruins are some
two thousand
yards beyond.
W e set
394
THE
ANCIENT
CITIES
OF T H E
out the next day to visit them ;
palaces, which
but
the aspect
I had looked forward to visiting
anticipation, w a s most disappointing.
which
NEW W O K I . I X
is suffered
to
clothe
of these old
with so much
O w i n g to the
everything
with
vegetation
its thick
green
mantle, the general outline of the city, nay, an entire structure,
is no longer discernible.
From
their state of good
preserva-
tion some monuments at U x m a l seem to belong to the revival
we noticed
at
Kabah,
and
to be
more
recent
than
those
at
Chichcn.
T h e place has been so often visited and written about that
•
we
will limit ourselves with describing the palaces
in our cuts, noticing, at the s a m e
time, any
reproduced
fresh
indication
in support of our theory.
The G o v e r n o r s
terraces,
most
is
the
most
magnificent
mentation
is
heads,
divided
line of 3 2 5
in
relief, and
effect.
of
three successive colossal
the
panels,
best
Central
turns simple or v e r y
runs in a
its
extensive,
monument
in
which
high
Palace, reared on
elaborate.
palace
looks
a
alternately
diamond or lattice-work,
The
new,
and
America;
feet, having
filled
known,
The
row
with
is
its
of
the
orna-
frieze,
colossal
grecques
in
most striking
in
although
it
has
been
abandoned for o v e r three hundred y e a r s ; and it would be entire
had
it
not been
for the vandalism
of
its owners,
who
used
the stones of the basement for the erection of their hacienda.
T h e youthful appearance of this edifice is obvious to
observer,
age
for monuments,
men,
carry
more
or less
their
011 their countenance, which a thoughtful mind can easily-
read.
T h e i r wrinkles
in their stones eaten
the
like
the
trees, and
the
are seen
in the
fissures
of their
a w a y by the elements, whilst
lianas mantling o v e r
them,
the
complete
walls,
moss,
their
hoary exterior.
A tradition derives the name of U x m a l from a word meaning
B i b 11 o t c c a
m n c
r . ' P r n
P A v n r j
396
AMERICA
PINTORESCA
ornamentacion exterior; pero el interior era de gran riqueza, y las columnas y paredes estan
cubiertas d e bajos relieves en los que se ostentan largas filas de personajes, tan c o r r o i d o s p o r
el tiempo que no podemos copiar ninguno. P o r fortuna, encontraremos otra sala del mismo
g e n e r o mejor c o n s e r v a d a . E n medio d e las dos g r a n d e s paredes habia empotradas, una enfrente de otra, dos g r a n d e s anillas d e piedra por cuyo a g u j e r o habia d e p a s a r la pelota o bala
d c los j u g a d o r e s , anilla semejante d la que representa el g r a b a d o d e la p a g . 294 descubicrta
por mi en T u l a y que procedia del J u e g o d e pelota de la antigua ciudad tolteca. L a s anillas
de Chichen, una de las cuales esta todavia en su sitio, son poco mas o menos d e las mismas
dimensiones que la d e la T u l a .
L a sola existencia d e este gran monumento destinado al j u e g o nacional del que nos hablan
todos los historiadores y al cual Hainan Tlachtli y T l a c h c o , e s y a una prueba h a r t o convincente
de la influencia tolteca en el Yucatan, por cuanto representa las construcciones que tenian el
mismo dcstino cn las tierras altas. L a s enormes proporciones del Tlachtli d e Chichen-1 tza,
la riqueza ornamental del monumento, del cual s e pueden admirar algunos detalles, nos
demuestran que el j u e g o nacional
de las altas
mesctas 110 habia desmerecido en el Y u -
catan.
A j u z g a r por los f r a g m e n t o s de escultura que nos quedan, como basas, fustes d e columna
y bajos relieves, podemos suponer que cstc magnffico edificio estaba dedicado d Quetzalcoatl
6 Cuculcan, que representan el mismo personaje deificado. E n efecto, h a y en el e x t r e m o sur
d e la pared oriental un monumento en el cual se v e su imagen simb61ica por doquiera.
E s t e monumento se compone d e d o s p i e z a s d c rica ornamentacion, la p r i m e r a d e las cuales
que tenia un portico como las que y a hemos visto, descollaba con proporciones inucho mas
g r a n d i o s a s : la fotografia que d e ella d a m o s bastard para que se j u z g u e d e su importancia. L a
cabeza d e serpiente que s i r v e de basa a la columna y cuya lengua maciza sale d c su boca
entreabierta, tiene mas de tres metros de l a r g o ; cl asunto estd bien tratado, la escultura muy
a c a b a d a y el conjunto lleno d c gracia y majestad. L a serpiente e s la imagen c o n s a g r a d a d e
Quetzalcoatl. E l estilo de esta cabeza es enteramente igual a las que debian adornar el gran
templo d e M e x i c o , acabadas d e descubrir al abrir unas zanjas delante d e la catedral, y que
datan de 1 4 3 4 a i486.
E n la parte superior d e este mismo monumento y mirando al S u r , h a y un bonito friso con
u n a s e r i e de tigres que tienen las patas levantadas, dc h e r m o s o cardcter, c u y o friso debe representar tambien a Quetzalcoatl: lo cual viene d corroborar mi aserto d e que los toltecas dedicarop cn Chichen este J u e g o d e pelota a dicha divinidad, puesto que no tan s61o la encontramos bajo la imagen simbolica de la serpiente cubierta d e plumas, sino que tambien bajo la d e
los tigres del friso, los cuales deben recordar una leyenda que encontramos en M e n d i e t a y
que mds adelante reproduciremos.
E n este mismo edificio, la pieza recntrante del portico arruinado del que hemos presentado la imdgen contcnia hace veinte aftos los documentos mas preciosos; era una serie d e
pinturas que reproducian varios episodios d e la vida l'ntima y de la vida publica de los m a y a s .
E s t a s pinturas han desaparccido hoy, destruidas por exploradores barbaros 6 por l o s a n t i g u o s
UXMAL.
14
thrice
built;"
whether
397
the town was demolished and
recon-
structed, or whether its monuments were built three times, does
not appear.
T h e latter version would indicate the Indian method
of building.
In fact, this is seen in all our drawings of the palace,
where the fallen edifice shows that the inner wall is in a perfect
state of preservation, forming an independent work.
T h e s e inner
walls formed the apartments of the edifice, and in all probability
were perpendicular to a height of some 6 to 9 feet, when the side
walls began to approach each other so as to form the false vault
(triangular
arch) of
the double
range of
apartments
of
the
palace.
T h i s was the shell or first construction.
T h e n the interval
between the arches was filled by layers of stone, whilst the outside
walls, resting on the arches, were solid masonry.
second construction.
T h i s was the
T h e n c a m e the third, when the outer walls
were covered with tenons and sculptures.
It should
be added
that this mode of building is applicable to all stone structures,
and may h a v e been generally adopted.
T w o cisterns and a picote are found 011 the esplanade facing
the palace.
T h e entrance or mouth to each cistern is a circular
opening, 9 feet deep by 16 feet in diameter.
Similar excavations
arc of frequent occurrence throughout the city of U x m a l and the
vicinity, where they w e r e chiefly used by the lower orders.
There
were also great artificial reservoirs, with cisterns at the bottom
for collecting rain-water.
T h e decoration on the main entrance of this palace d e s e r v e s
particular mention.
T h e wooden lintels h a v e been removed, the
projecting cornice has fallen ; but a b o v e it the walls were covered
with ornamentation in high relief of infinite skill and magnificence,
which, a l a s !
plorers.
has been destroyed or carried a w a y by early
H i g h e r still are three eagles with half-spread
ex-
wings,
followed by a circular pedestal supporting the mutilated bust of
a human figure, without arms, and whose head, now deficient, was
surmounted by a lofty plumed head-dress.
In the plinth are three
heads of Roman type, beautifully executed ; while on each side
of the main figure are the inscriptions which we reproduce.
At
U x m a l , all
the
lintels
the
doorways
over
are
of wood, of which
a large proportion
is in a perfect state
of
preservation
— a clear proof of
PORTION OF T H E GOVERNOR'S PALACE, UXMAL.
j
walls
n
the
beams which have not completely disappeared.
ends
We
of
a n d
the
have said
in a former chapter that doors were unknown to the aborigines ;
here four rings or stone hooks are found inside the doorways
near the top, from which it is easy to conjecture that a wooden
board was placed inside against the opening, and kept in place
UXMAL.
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l
if ih #
y
m
399
^
^
i
,
^
p
j
p r l
+
r
H
1
r
[ H B
H
j44
i
i
f i n
m
i
E
B — 4 a
.
T
J L ,
.
.
.
T
, - J U
-
X
c L ,
3
j J
F
r
X
[ L
T
H e r f
r - ' U
i
n_jU
J f =
•
P L A N O F N U N N E R Y OP U X M A L ( F R O M
STEPHENS).
by two transversal bars entering the stone
hooks.
It is the
only place where I have observed this innovation, which seems
to indicate a later epoch for Uxmal.
Phallus worship was recognised and practised both on the
4<x>
THE
A N C I E N T C I T I E S OF
TIIF
NEW
WORLD.
plateaux and in Yucatan, and numerous traces have been found
everywhere ;
Governors
The
whilst
is to
magnificent
is the
largest
than the Governor's
exceedingly
NOKTll
WINO
building at
Palace,
rich, varied,
seen
FA£AI>E Or HIT.
NUNNCKY
This
on
forms
superimposed
consisting of
terraces,
four wings of
a court 25S feet by 214
feet.
long,
is
while
the
centre
Uxmal ;
in
the
if less
its ornamentation
and elaborate.
Stephens' plan and measurements.
three
I)e
Palace.
Nunnery
throughout
here, a collection
OF
We
is
give
I'XMAL.
monument, supported
vast
quadrangle
different dimensions,
surrounding
The
occupied
a
southern
by
front is 279 feet
the
main
entrance,
1 0 feet 8 inches wide, with a triangular arch some 20 feet high.
This
side
is
less
richly
decorated
than
the
rest.
Facing
40I
this
entrance
tion
of
stands
which
the
is
northern
wonderfully
wing,
the
diversified,
ornamenta-
consisting
grecques, lattice-work, and bas-reliefs, representing
human beings,
with
the
where.
whilst small porticoes, intersected
usual
The
is reached
and about
superimposed
southern
by
25
a
front
stairway
feet h i g h ;
great
is
264
idols,
reared
feet
on
long
it is pierced
birds
by
and
pavilions
are
found
every-
a
terrace
which
by
by
of
95
feet
thirteen
wide,
openings,
corresponding to a range of thirteen small apartments two deep.
T h e western wing, almost entirely destroyed, g i v e s nevertheless
a k'ood idea of its fine ornamentation.
divided
into panels with
It consisted of a frieze
the usual devices, and
huge
Indian
statues in high relief; two immense feathered serpents wreathed
the panels occupying the whole length of the facade, 1 7 3 feet
from
end
tails
with
rattles, met at the extremities, like those on the table-land.
The
eastern
to
end,
whilst the
heads,
wing is entire and almost
158 feet, having an elegant
work, intersected
and
intact;
the front
This
by serpentine
side
is s e v e r e
better taste than the rest.
measures
frieze com|>osed of stone
trophies
disposed
fashion, while towards the top are symbolic
treated.
the
figures
trellis-
in fan-like
admirably
in design, more simple, and
in
The Nunnery consisted of eighty-
eight apartments, of all dimensions, v a r y i n g from 1 9 feet to 3 2
feet long.
T h e D w a r f ' s House, also the C a s a del Adivino, the P r o p h e t s
House, is a charming temple crowning a pyramid with a verysteep sloj>e 1 0 0 feet high.
It consists of two p a r t s : one reared
on the upper summit, the other a kind of chaj>el lower
facing the town.
It was
dedicated to a great deity.
led to these buildings.
richly ornamented, and
down,
presumably
T w o stairways facing cast and west
Padre Cogolludo, who visited this temple
in 1656, is the first to complain of the steep staircase, which caused
26
402
THE
ANCIENT
his head to swim.
CITIES
OF T H E
NEW W O K I . I X
H e found in one of these apartments offerings
of cocoa and copal which had been burnt very recently;
con-
sequently, fifteen years after the Conquest the natives were still
sacrificing to their g<xls, and practising their su|>crstitions in their
own temples.
That
these edifices were entire in Cogolludo's
SHOWING U K ? A I L S OF E A S T E R N F A C A D E OF T H E N U N N E R Y , U X M A L .
time is beyond doubt, since the G o v e r n o r s Palace, the eastern
and southern
appeared
sides of the Nunnery, are still standing.
new to Lizana,
who ( 1 6 1 6 ) s a y s :
They
" T h e s e buildings
are alike both in style and architecture; all arc reared on supporting mounds (/•//, plural fines), which
inclines one to think
that they were built at the same time, by the order of one guiding
head, seeing that they are similar.
S o m e look so new and so
UXMAL.
IKK
l>\VAKF
H O U S E OK
403
t'XMA
clean, their wooden lintels so perfect, that they do not seem to
have been built more than twenty years.
These palaces must have
been used as temples and sanctuaries, for the dwellings of the
404
THE
natives
were
ANCIENT
thatched,
CITIES
and
OF T H E
always
NEW W O K I . I X
in
the
depths
of
the
forests." *
T h i s quotation is not indicative of very early
monuments,
while it shows that the similarity of the monuments was noticed
and recorded by the first explorers ; it will not, therefore, appear
unnatural that aided by documents, when we write the history of
one monument should be equivalent to writing the history
of
all ; and that the architectural manifestations which are identical
throughout Central A m e r i c a should be ascribed to one people,
the Toltecs.
T h e culture of
a
nation
is
gauged
by
their
monuments; if so, where are the structures marking the existence
of
the
Toltecs ?
Although
of
great
solidity, and
not four
hundred years old. had they entirely disappeared at the
of
the
the
Conquest, and
remains
of
ancient
are
the
buildings
monuments
unknown
we
to
now
time
behold
them ?
such a conclusion is belied by history and tradition.
But
W e will
terminate these discussions with a few words from Cogolludo.
who says of
these edifices: " They
arc
about
the
Ihose in New
Spain, described by Torquemada in his
same
4
as
Indian
Monarchy/ " t
Stephens has a legend relating to the D w a r f s House, which
we reproduce:
" A n old woman lived alone in her hut, rarely
leaving her chimney-corner.
S h e was much distressed at having
no children ; in her grief, one d a y she took an egg,
wrapped
it up carefully in a cotton cloth, and put it in a corner of her
hut.
She
looked at it e v e r y day with great anxiety,
but no
change in the e g g w a s observable; one morning, however, she
found the shell broken, and a lovely tiny creature was stretching
out its arms to her.
T h e old woman was in raptures ; she took
• Lizana, chap. ii. T h i s author does not take into consideration the a b a n d o n ment of the cities by the natives at the C o n q u e s t .
t C o g o l l u d o , tome i. lib. iv. cap. vL
UXMAL.
405
it to her heart, g a v e it a nurse, and was so careful of it, that at
the end of a year the baby walked and talked as well as a grownup man ; but he stopped growing.
T h e good old woman in her
j o y and delight exclaimed that the baby should be a great chief.
O n e day, she told him to g o to the k i n g s palace and
him in a trial of strength.
engage
T h e dwarf begged hard not to be
sent 011 such an enterprise;
but the old woman
his going, and he was obliged
to o b e y .
When
insisted on
ushered
into
the presence of the sovereign, he threw down his g a u n t l e t ;
latter smiled, and asked
(75 l b ) .
three
arobes
T h e child returned crying to his mother, who sent
him back, s a y i n g :
it too.'
him to lift a stone of
the
1
If the k i n g can lift the stone, you can lift
T h e king did take it up. but so did the dwarf.
His
strength was tried in many other ways, but all the king
was as easily done
by the dwarf.
Wroth
by so puny a creature, the prince told
at being
did
outdone
the dwarf that
unless
he built a palace loftier than any in the city, he should die.
The
affrighted dwarf returned to the old woman, who bade him not
to despair, and the next morning they both awoke in the palace
which is still standing.
The
king saw
with
amazement
the
palace ; he instantly sent for the dwarf and desired him to collect
two bundles of cogoiol (a kind of hard wood), with one of which
he would strike the dwarf on the head, and consent to l>e struck
in return by his tiny adversary.
The
latter again returned to
his mother moaning and lamenting ; but the old woman cheered
him up, and placing a tortilla on his head, sent
the king.
him back
to
T h e trial took place in the presence of all the State
grandees ; the king broke the whole of his bundle on the d w a r f s
head without hurting him in the least, seeing which he wished
to save his
head
from the
impending
ordeal,
but
his
word
had been passed before his assembled court, and he could not
well refuse.
20*
The
dwarf struck, and at the second blow,
the
406
THE
ANCIENT
CITIES
OF T H E
king's skull w a s broken to pieces.
proclaimed
the
victorious
the old woman
dwarf
disappeared;
NEW W O K I . I X
T h e spectators
their
immediately
sovereign.
but in the v i l l a g e of
After
this
Mani,
fifty
miles distant, is a d e e p well leading to a subterraneous p a s s a g e
which e x t e n d s
as
far a s
Merida.
In
this p a s s a g e
is an
old
woman sitting on the bank of a river shaded by a great tree,
having
a
serpent
by
her
side.
She
sells
water
in
small
quantities, accepting no money, for she must h a v e human beings,
innocent babies, which are d e v o u r e d
woman is the d w a r f s
by the serpent.
T h i s old
mother."
U x m a l is the only city w h e r e the monuments are so grouped
a s to m a k e it possible to take a panoramic v i e w , which the reader
can follow one
by
one
in* our drawing.
To
the left, in
distance, is the " C a s a de la V i e j a , " the Old W o m a n ' s
next c o m e s the G o v e r n o r s
• about
the
House ;
Palace, s h o w i n g the west side and
three-fourths of the e d i f i c e ;
more in front, to the right,
the " C a s a dc las T o r t u g a s , ' T u r t l e H o u s e , so called from a row
of turtles occurring at regular intervals a b o v e the upper cornice.
T o the rear, a great pyramid crowned b y a vast platform, without
monuments,
Sacrifice.
known a s
14
Cerro
de los
Sacrificios," M o u n d
of
It is on the plan of the M e x i c a n temples, which con-
sisted, like this monument, of a p y r a m i d with small wood chapels
containing idols and the terrible tcchcatl.
T h e Toltecs, w h o did
not practise human sacrifice, had real temples on
the
of their pyramids, like those in Y u c a t a n , w h e r e they
this kind of architecture.
met a m o n g
the
Mayas,
summits
developed
Consequently, if human sacrifices are
they
must
influence, and all writers a g r e e that
be attributed
to
Mexican
the monuments devoted
to
this horrible practice date from the fifteenth century ( 1 4 4 0 ) , and
are of A z t e c origin.
T o the right of this mound is another pyramid, h a v i n g several
stories like the Castillo at
Chichen, and similar monuments
at
AMERICA PINTORESCA
que se Servian, y esto vendria a explicar esa muchedumbre de edificios construidos con rapidcz asombrosa, d j u z g a r por el gran templo de Mexico.
E s t e templo, cuyo patio embaldosado tenia cerca de doscientos metros de Iado, encerraba
tantos edificios que s e 1c comparaba d una ciudad; su pirdmide maciza, que tenia cien metros
de base por treinta y cinco de altura, estaba enriquecido con enormes piedras
esculpidas:
pues bien, tan gigantesca obra quedo terminada en seis anos.
Nuestros pconcs han abierto de un inodo muy rudimentario el camino que va a parar d
Dctallc del j»alacio dc Katah. (Dc folygia(ia)
las ruinas; a cada paso tropezamos con rocas y troncos de drboles en los que esta expuesto
cien veces a volcar nuestro carruaje, y por mds prudencia q u e recomendamos, los malditos
cocheros no hacen c a s o ; al contrario, corren, la v o l a n t a d a u n salto, y un tronco mas voluminoso que halla al paso es causa de que todos rodemos por el suelo. N o s levantamos sin g r a v e dafto,
habiendose estropeado unicamente el techo de la volanta, y como nos hallamos a dos pasos
de las ruinas, nos trasladamos a ellas a pie sin mds pcrcance.
L o s historiadores apeuas hacen mencion de las ruinas de K a b a h , como tampoco de las de
L a b n a h , S a c b e y , L a b p h a k , Iturbide, etc., grupos de ciudades antiguas a treinta y cuarcnta
leguas al S u r de M e r i d a , pero cuyos principes designan incidentalmente, ddndoles el noinbre
de
getilcs% dc Li Sierra,
porque dichas ciudades estaban situadas al otro lado de la cadena de
eolinas que atraviesa el Yucatan.
4°9
Palenque;
it w a s crowned by a beautiful temple, now in a v e r y
ruined condition.
Still
to the right, but more in front, is
the
curious building known as " C a s a de las P a l o m a s , " P i g e o n H o u s e ,
o w i n g to immense p e a k s terminating the d e c o r a t i v e wall, pierced
by large o p e n i n g s a r r a n g e d in horizontal rows, which may well
h a v e s e r v e d as a
pigeon-house.
It
should
b e added that
at
U x m a l the decorative wall is only found in the most dilapidated
monuments deficient of any stucco mouldings, s h o w i n g an earlier
epoch.
F r o n t i n g these buildings, on the second plan, a r c more
ruins;
the most conspicuous b e i n g the Tlachtli or Tennis-court, and the
south side of the N u n n e r y with its main entrance, which g i v e s
access to the inner court, w h e r e traces of p a v e m e n t arc still visible.
An
official document
views respecting these
the papers of the
given
by
Stephens
monuments.
will
confirm
otir
S t e p h e n s found it a m o n g
Peon f a m i h , in a petition
from D o n
Lorenzo
E v i a to the K i n g of S p a i n ( 1 6 7 3 ) , p r a y i n g a grant of four leagues
of land
from the
injury could
very
great
buildings
result
service
establishment
it
to a n y third
to
God
would
from worshipping
of U x m a l , " s i n c e , "
the
otir
prevent
devil
person,
in
but
Lord,
he says,
on
the
because
"no
contrary
with
that
the
Indians
in
those
places
the
ancient
buildings
which
are there, h a v i n g in them their idols, to which they burn copal
and perform other detestable sacrifices, as Ihey arc
day
notoriously
and
publiclyAnd
further:
"In
doing
aery
the
place
called the edifices of U x m a l a n d its lands, the 3rd d a y of the
month of J a n u a r y ,
1 6 8 8 , " etc.,* c o n c l u d i n g :
"In
virtue of the
power and authority g i v e n me by the G o v e r n o r , I took the hand
of the said L o r e n z o , and
and
he walked with me all o v e r
its buildings, o p e n e d and
•
Stephens,
41
Uxmal
shut s o m e doors, cut within the
I n c i d e n t s of T r a v e l s in Y u c a t a n , " t o m e 1. p . 3 2 3 .
4io
TIIE
spacc
some
ANCIENT
trees,
CITIES
picked
up
OK T H E
NEW
stones a n d
WORLD.
threw
them
down,
d r e w water from one of the a g u a d o s , and p e r f o r m e d other acts
of
possession." *
T h i s was
1 5 0 y e a r s a f t e r the C o n q u e s t ;
hut b y this time
the reader must be convinced that edifices, notably at
Uxmal.
w e r e inhabited b e f o r e and a f t e r the c o m i n g of E u r o p e a n s ;
that
they w e r e recent, and that, broadly s p e a k i n g , the m o n u m e n t s of
Y u c a t a n w e r e the work of the existing race, erected at
various
e j x x h s by the T o l t e c conquerors.
W e will end these long discussions by a quotation from B a r o n
Friedrichsthal, r e g a r d i n g the probable a g e of these ruins, s h o w i n g
that our theory w a s promulgated s o m e forty-three y e a r s a g o , not
only b y S t e p h e n s , but also by the illustrious G e r m a n
"Historians
a r e unanimous
in ascribing all
structures to the T o l t e c s or the A z t e c s .
did
not i n v a d e
New
Spain
scholar:
the e x i s t i n g
T h e latter,
until the middle of the
stone
however,
thirteenth
century, while no traces are found of their h a v i n g m i g r a t e d south.
A z t e c architecture is quite distinct from the T o l t e c , which a comparison
of
Mexican
sufficiently s h o w ;
buildings with
the latter
being
T o l t e c s by all ancient authorities.
those
found at
generally
Palenque
ascribed
to
T h e evident a n a l o g y
the
which
e x i s t s b e t w e e n the edifices at P a l e n q u e a n d the ruins in Y u c a t a n ,
f a v o u r s the assumption of o n e origin, although different e p o c h s
must l>e a s s i g n e d to each, by reason of the p r o g r e s s visible in
their
treatment.
To
fix
these
epochs
with
some
show
of
probability s e e m s to us, if not impossible, at least v e r y difficult.
A thorough exploration. sup|x>rtcd by a minute and e x h a u s t i v e
comjxurison of the s t a n d i n g remains, coupled with a careful observation of the c a u s e s and circumstances which h a v e produced o r
contributed to the state of dilapidation wherein these ruins are
• S t e p h e n ^ " I n c i d e n t s of T r a v e l * in Y u c a t a n , " t o m e 1. p. 3 7 4 .
4II
found, could alone throw some light across the darkness which has
settled o v e r these monuments for so many centuries."
( T h i s is
exactly what w e h a v e done.)
" T h e solidity of these edifices is not equal to that of monuments of other nations, which were built throughout the thickness
of their walls with stones of different size ; whereas the inside
of the American wall is a rude mixture of friable mortar and
small
irregular stones.
This
heterogeneous
composition
must
have produced the rupture or dislocation of the outward facing
a s soon as the whole was under the influence of atmospheric
moisture, and
its upper
the rapid infiltrations which
portions.
these buildings
seen
by
the
the
is
Moreover,
considered a s
progressive
buildings which
arc
wind, and
vailing
Nor
all
northern
a very
exposed
produced
by-
stone used
in
inferior material,
as
calcareous
decom|>osition
the north-east
rain.
the
were
to
of
those
the
direct
the consequent action
is this all.
In
structures, examples
portions
influence of
of
the
the wood used in
are
met
of
of
pre-
almost
resinous
wood
having lain buried or submerged, in a semi-state of petrifaction,
o v e r a thousand years.
N o w in the Y u c a t e c ruins the cornices
and
lintels of the doorways, of zapote wood, were exposed to
the
open
resinous
air.
This
like cedar,
this reason
it does
wood, although
is
attacked
not seem
by
very
hard,
devouring
probable
not
being
insects.
For
that these
more than six or seven hundred y e a r s old.
woods
are
If this supposition
be called purely hypothetical, the thoughtful reader has a perfect
right
to form his opinion from more solid data, while I claim
the same
to express
mine;
— f o r , s a y s the G e r m a n
not that I deem
proverb,
4
myself
infallible
Truth is only attained
repeated tumbles on the rocks of error.' " *
B a r o n F r i c d r i c h s l h a l , a p p . to C o g o l l u d o , b o o k iv.
Campeche, 1842.
after
412
THE
American
rude
ANCIENT
CITIES
monuments,
manifestations of
idle to e n d o w
plans are
with
OF T H E
NEW W O K I . I X
considered
artistically,
a semi-barbarous
intrinsic
value,
seeing
wanting both in accuracy and
materials are ill-cut,
their j o i n t s
race,
are
hut
which
the
it
that their
were
original
s y m m e t r y , while their
far apart
even
in
bas-reliefs,
w h e r e the intervening spaces are filled up with cement.
Con-
sequently these buildings cannot c o m p a r e with Indian, E g y p t i a n
or
Assyrian
monuments:
for here
the whole course of their political
centuries,
because
around
some
produced
they
had
them
to
happier
modelling,
general.
draw
their
for
one
neither
mood
The
interest
but
chief
the
merit
emitted
traditions
whether
is
of
archaeologist
sound ;
civilisation
in sculpture
these
and
one
here and
too rare e v e r
there
or
cement
to h a v e
become
buildings
the
in
several
higher
although
who
over
but
nor a
And,
is seen,
h a v e a nation
life, e x t e n d i n g
note,
from.
occurrence
we
lies
in
intelligent,
their
who
are
necessarily few ; and this explains the silence of the conquerors
respecting them.
on
the
hearing
my
H o w well I r e m e m b e r my s e r v a n t s strictures
exclamation
first time before
for m y
part,
French
bricklayer
Francois,
delightful surprise
the G o v e r n o r ' s
see anything
on his
of
so
who couldn't
return
home,
of recounting of the wonderful
11
Palace:
wonderful
in
1
stood
Well, I
can't,
it;
as
there
isn't
a
d o quite a s well and
better."
would
dreamt
no
buildings
more
have
he had
seen
in
the
N e w W o r l d , than did the S p a n i a r d s three hundred y e a r s before.
It is with something of the
parting
from a long-cherished
feeling which is e x p e r i e n c e d at
friend that
we
take
leave
of
the curious, barbarous, yet withal charming ruins, thrice visited
with delight
ever
I h a v e succeeded
them,
and
if on
fresh, with interest
in
all
lifting the d e e p
that .account
they are
the more
shroud
vivid
which
no longer
that
covered
surrounded
with mysterious a w e , they will not be less interesting.
UXMAL.
We
set out, d i r e c t i n g o u r march
413
through
a fine well, s e e m i n g l y of Indian construction.
M u n a , which
A
has
n a t i v e feast is
being held, a n d here, a s t h r o u g h o u t the S t a t e , it means a g r a n d
opportunity for g e t t i n g d r u n k .
down
hovel
called
Abala,
W e push on, s l e e p at a
and
the
next
day
we
more c o m f o r t a b l y settled a m o n g o u r household g o d s .
INSCRIPTION O F TIIF. G O V E R N O R ' S
PALACE, UXMAL.
broken-
are
once
CHAPTER
CAMPECHE
AND
XXI.
TEXOSIQU&
F r o m P r o g r e s o to C a m p e c h e — I n c i d e n t s on H o a r d — C a r m e n — O l d A c q u a i n t a n c e s —
Indian G u n s — F r o n t c r a — T h e Grijalva—Tabasco
at
Frontera—Julian's
culties
at
the
Monteros—'The
Fish—Setting
Pottery—Waiting—Carnival
S u c c e s s — D e p a r t u r e — J o n u t a — M o n t e - C r i s t o — Diffi-
Custom
House—Cabecera—Tenosiqud- — Reminiscences —
Lacandones—Our
Mules
Come—The
out for t h e R u i n s — R o u t e — F o r e s t
Usumacinta—Sea
Camping—Second
Day—
T r a c e s of M o n u m e n t s — A M u l e a n d a H o r s e L o s t — C o r t e x — A r r o y o Y a l c h i l a n
— P r o v i s i o n s left B e h i n d — C r o s s i n g the C o r d i l l e r a — A n 0 ! d
of L a c a n d o n e s — Y a l c h i l a n
HERE
we
Pass.
take our p a s s a g e for C a m p e c h e
diminutive,
Montero—Traces
small steamer,
having
but
four
the Astnria,
on
Liliputian
A
berths;
luckily enough w e are the only passengers ; had it been otherwise,
we must h a v e kept on deck d a y and night.
T h e sea
is like
an immense sheet of glass, the heavens radiant with stars ; our
boat d r a w s v e r y little water, so that w e skirt close to the shore,
and are able to follow the graceful panorama which linfolds before
us;
and
in the morning
early
w e cast anchor
four miles ofi
C a m p e c h e because of the high surf, but the outline of which is
plainly visible.
Campeche
was
built on the
site
of
an
Indian
city,
and
visited by A n t o n i o C o r d o v a in his first ill-fated expedition ( 1 5 1 7 ) " T h e natives," s a y s Diaz, " were friendly, and took us to ex-
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