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252 they were found, and the explorers hurried to his side. He was right; they could distinctly make out two great blocks of stone, nearly hidden in the soil. The parts exposed, though frayed by storms, and having clearly suffered from violence, nevertheless bore evidences of having been elaborately sculptured. A demand was made for the pickaxes of the men, and they were not long in removing enough of the earth to discover that the supposed blocks were large and well-proportioned statues, of superior workmanship, and of a larger size than any which they had yet encountered. The discovery was an exciting one, and the Indian sailors were scarcely less interested than themselves. They crouched around the figures, and speculated earnestly concerning their origin. They finally seemed to agree that the larger of the two was no other than the famous "Montezuma," for the name of the last of the Aztec emperors is cherished by all the remnants of the Indian tribes, who still indulge the belief that Montezuma will some day return, and re-establish his ancient empire.

By dint of alternate persuasions and threats, they finally succeeded in getting the smaller of the two statues completely uncovered. It represented a human male figure of massive proportions, seated upon a square pedestal. Above the head rose a heavy and monstrous representation of the head of an animal, below which could be traced the folds of a serpent. Above the head, too, was found the sacred sign of Tochtli of the Mexican calendar, and corresponding with the painted representations of the ancient Mexican manuscripts. This afforded conclusive proof of the assertion of the old chronicles that there was a Mexican colony in Nicaragua.