Page:Incidents of travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan.djvu/372

294 cedar and mahogany-trees. The path was exceedingly soft and wet, and covered with decayed leaves, and the heat very great. Continuing through the forest toward the north-east, in three quarters of an hour they reached the foot of a pyramidal structure like those at Copan with the steps in some places perfect. They ascended to the top about 25 feet, and descending by steps on the other side, at a short distance beyond came to a colossal head two yards in diameter, almost buried by an enormous tree, and covered with moss. Near it was a large altar, so covered with moss that it was impossible to make anything out of it. The two are within an enclosure.

Retracing their steps across the pyramidal structure, and proceeding to the north about 300 or 400 yards, they reached a collection of monuments of the same general character with those at Copan, but twice or three times as high.

The first is about 20 feet high, 5 feet 6 inches on two sides, and 2 feet 8 on the other two. The front represents the figure of a man, well preserved; the back that of a woman, much defaced. The sides are covered with hieroglyphics in good preservation, but in low relief, and of exactly the same style as those at Copan.

Another, represented in the engraving, No. 36, is 23 feet out of the ground, with figures of men on the front and back, and hieroglyphics in low relief on the sides, and surrounded by a base projecting 15 or 16 feet from it.

At a short distance, standing in the same position as regards the points of the compass, is an obelisk or carved stone, 26 feet out of the ground, and probably 6 or 8 feet under, which is represented in the engraving No. 37. It is leaning 12 feet 2 inches out of the perpendicular, and seems ready to fall, which is probably prevented only by a tree that has grown up against it, and the large stones around the base. The side toward the ground represents the figure of a man very perfect and finely sculptured. The upper side seemed the same, but was so hidden by vegetation as to make it somewhat uncertain. The other two contain hieroglyphics in low relief. In size and sculpture this is the finest of the whole.

A statue 10 feet in length is lying on the ground, covered with moss and herbage, and another about the same size lies with its face upward.

There are four others erect, about 12 feet high, but not in a very good state of preservation, and several altars so covered with herbage that it was difficult to ascertain their exact form. One of them is round, and situated on a small elevation within a circle formed by a wall of stones. In the centre of the circle, reached by