Page:Peterson's Magazine 1843, Volume III.pdf/7

ACMA G A EL.

BUTLER 4 THE LADY'S

HOUSE OF THE CACIQUES.*

CHI-CHEN RUINS.

BY B. M. NORMAN.

SITUATED about three rods south-west of the ruins of the Dome are those of the House of the Caciques, a sublime pile, and in the most perfect state of preservation of all those of Chi- Chen. We cut our way through the thick growth of small wood, and reached the eastern front of the buildings by means of the compass. Here we felled the trees that hid it, and the whole front was opened to our view in good condition, forming a most strange and elaborate piece of workmanship, entirely beyond our comprehension-no order of architecture with which we were acquainted being perceptible. This front measures thirty-two feet, and its height twenty ; extending to the main building fifty feet.

Over the door-way, which resembles, in a very slight degree, the Egyptian, is a heavy lintel of stone, containing two double rows of hieroglyphics, with a sculptured ornament intervening. Above these are the remains of carved hooks of stone, with raised lines of drapery running through them; which, apparently, have been broken off by the falling of the heavy finishing from the top of the building ; over which, surrounded by a variety of chaste and beautifully executed borders, among which is the unique Chinese, encircled within a wreath is a female figure, in a sitting posture, in bassorelievo; having a head-dress of feathers, cords and tassels, and neck ornaments. The angles of this building are tastefully curved. The ornaments continue round the sides, which are divided in two compartments; being different, however, in the arrangement, although the style is similar throughout. The large projecting hooks skilfully worked, and perfect rosettes and stars, with spears reversed, are put together with the utmost precision.

The ornaments are composed of small square blocks of stone, cut to the depth of about one to one and a half inches, apparently with the most delicate and perfect instruments, and inserted or held by a shaft in the wall. The wall is made of large and uniformly square blocks of concrete limestone, set in mortar, which appears to be as durable as the stone itself. In the ornamental borders of this building we could discover but little analogy with those known to us. The most striking were those of the cornice and entablature, "chevron,"

excited much attention. The ruins of cities discovered by him prove, beyond a doubt, the former existence of a powerful and refined nation in the heart of Yucatan. But no traces of this once mighty people now remain except the crumbling and half buried edifices and temples which they reared. Mr. Norman has kindly furnished us with a drawing, accompanied by a description of the most remarkable of these ruins. We have had the drawing engraved to illustrate this paper.
 * The travels of Mr. Norman in Yucatan have lately