Page:Researches in the Central Portion of the Usumatsintla Valley.djvu/18

10 Southward from the cluster of buildings of La Reformaa, a small mountain range is visible, the crest of which forms an extensive plateau, on which the ruins of a little ancient city lie hidden among the high forest trees. Although the monteros had found nothing of importance there, as the ruins lay within easy reach I deemed it advisable to explore them. Following the road to Tzendales for two kilometres, and then turning to the right where the road is crossed by a small stream and a giant ceiba lifts its top to the sky, we entered the forest. Ascending the slopes, we soon reached the ruins, which were quite numerous and often quite imposing, — foundation walls, levelled areas, heaps of ruins, etc. Finally, we also discovered the principal temple, which crowned the platform of a massive, well-preserved substructure about six metres in height. It was still possible to determine the position of the various apartments of this edifice. I thoroughly explored these ruins and their neighborhood for sculptured stones, but in vain. All I found was a large, thick stone slab (sacrificial table?) on which, however, there was no drawing of any kind.

I called these ruins "Las Ruinas de La Reforma."   II.

CHINIKIHÁ.

The name Chinikihá (Tsinikihá), or Chinikilhá, admits of a twofold interpretation: chi-nīkil-há (tši-nikīl-há) = "mouth or opening of the disappearing water," in allusion to the river passing through a rocky tunnel not far from the ruins. Or it may also be that there is in this region a tree named chinikil (nic, nicté, in names of plants always signify "flower"). Hence the name — without putting too much emphasis on the second i — can also signify "water where the chinikil tree grows."

I had long known that there was a large ruined city on the Chinikihá River, but it was not until the middle of January, 1898, after making my headquarters in La Reforma, that I was able to undertake the thorough exploration of these ruins. To reach them we first took the camino de Tzendales, and after travelling for about two leagues (or for two hours), we turned off to the left, following the path of an abandoned montería, El Clavo, and by turning still farther to the left, we soon crossed the Chinikihá and reached the camino viejo de Tenosique, a road which passes straight through the ruined city. Here on this path, which is now seldom used, we built a small palm-leaf hut, champa, at a spot convenient for bathing in the river and for providing ourselves with water.

We first explored all the remains on the right of the road, but found nothing but remnants of walls and terraces, with the exception that in one