Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/956

 780 1 he Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal. [June, covered mound, which astonished us by its vast dimensions, and, but for our In- dian assistants, would have frightened us by the size of the trees growing upon it. The wood commenced from the road- side. Our guides cut a path, and clear- ing away the branches overhead, we followed on horseback, dismounting at the foot of the Casa Grande. It was by this name that the Indians called the immense mound of white stone buildings which, buried in the depths of a great forest, added new desolation to the waste by which they were surrounded. We tied our horses, and worked away along the front." The building which the party thus discovered in the depth of the forest is an immense and remarkable one. It consists of a kind of a palace three stories or tiers in height. The lowest range has sixteen door-waj-s, opening into two apartments each. The second range has numerous door-ways sup- ported by pillars, and also stair-cases to lead up to the third range. It forms in fact a sort of triple palace, for each of the three parts is built as a terrace con- structed above the part next below it. This building is not so remarkable for the richness ofits decoration as some of the others, but is well calculated to ex- cite surprise and interest from the situa- tion in which it was found. Many of the door-ways of the ruined buildings in Yucatan are enriched with sculptures, to an .extent that can hardly be excelled in the older continent. The sculptures, it is true, often represent objects more grotesque than beautiful ; but there arc not wanting details of graceful ornament; and all of them seem to have been very carefully exe- cuted. THE BUILDING ART. CIVILIZATION presents no greater art than that of building. Man takes the materials nature presents him with, in mineral and vegetable, and, bringing the godlike power of his mind upon the question of his need, he fashions to his will the stone, the timber, and the metal, until, in combination, he pro- duces a construction to suit, not alone his wants, but his taste. The building art develops more trades than any other; in fact, it may be safely said that three-fourths of the occupations of men go to constitute that one great art of architectural construction whose development is so certain a proof of the refinement of a people. The invention of every age is taxed to make up the treasures which building displaj-s ; there is no cessation of effort ; there is no tiring out the patient industry that ever studies and constructs, and in its very constructions rinds still more food for study. The theme is inexhaustible in itself; it is only the mind that wears out in the effort to exhaust it. In fact, building is a progressive art, whose state of refinement is termed Architecture, and which is continually drawing upon the imagination, and creating worlds of fancy to aid it on its perpetual course. Nature is its ally now, as she was its prime mover when necessity demanded its existence in the beginning ; and with such an ally, ever ready with new prompt- ings, how is it possible for the great art to die of exhaustion ? Each and every age was confident that invention in the art of building could not go much farther than their mental power, their genius had advanced it ; yet we look back upon their efforts with a feeling of gratitude only, because we deem our own era still ahead. So will it be forever and forever, until the very world we seek to embellish shall itself