Page:Appleton's Guide to Mexico.djvu/71

Rh of the infancy of the art. They have neither base nor capitals. . . . Their total height is 16 feet, but their shaft is of one piece of amphibole porphyry. Broken-down fragments, for ages heaped together, conceal more than one third of the height of these columns. . . The distribution of the apartments in the interior of this singular edifice bears a striking analogy to what has been remarked in the monuments of Upper Egypt drawn by M. Denon and the savans, who compose the institute of Cairo. M. de Laguna found in the ruins of Mitla curious paintings representing warlike trophies and sacrifices.". ..

Jeffreys states that the buildings at Mitla were probably erected by either the Mixtec or Tzapotec Indians.—( Vide p. 169.)

The teocallis may now be mentioned. They are to be found principally at Cholula, San Juan Teotihuacan, and Papantla. They may be described in the following order:

This town lies seven miles west of the city of Puebla. Its pyramid is by far the largest, oldest, and most important in Mexico. The original dimensions were as follows: Height, 177 feet; horizontal width of the base, 1,423 feet; and area, 45 acres. It is built of alternate strata of brick and clay, and the sides correspond to the direction of the meridians and parallels. At present three terraces can be distinctly seen, and the outlines of two others may be traced. A winding road, which is paved with stone, leads up to the summit. The latter is about 200 feet square. It affords a fine view of the valley of Puebla. A chapel has been erected by the Mexicans on the platform of this great mound. It is built of brick and stone, with a dome and two towers; and the interior contains ornamental frescoes and decorations. It is called San Tuariol de los Remedios. Some vegetation