Page:Travels in Mexico and life among the Mexicans.djvu/116

108 ever before broken the silence which reigns over these sacred tombs of a departed civilization."

It is known, however, that a portion of Montejo's army marched through here, and found the great buildings a secure defence against the assailing Indians, in the first invasion.

For seven years, that energetic archaeologist, Le Plongeon, has studied the hieroglyphs of Yucatan. A linguist of no mean attainments, adding to a knowledge of modern languages an acquaintance with the Maya, the native tongue of the peninsula, he has had unusual success in his work. It is to him that the world owes the bringing to the light of the beautiful statue of Chaacmol, now in the Mexican Museum. This monolith, "Chaacmol, the Tiger-King," was unearthed by Dr. Le Plongeon at Chichen, in the midst of a dense forest, eight metres below the surface;—found by his powers of divination, the Indians say; but by his knowledge of the hieroglyphs, the Doctor says, on the walls of the near buildings. By almost superhuman exertions, the Doctor raised the great statue, which is over nine feet in length, from its burial-place,—the story of its exhumation reads like romance, but the photographs, taken at successive stages of the work, substantiate the narrative in every particular,—and transported it to what he thought was a place of safety. Alas for his calculations, and for the scientists of the United States! While he was absent, exploring the islands of Cozumel and Mujeres, his precious discovery was seized by the Mexican government and carried to Mexico.

Of the mural paintings of Chichen, the most beautiful and unique in America, the Doctor and his wife have an extensive series of tracings, which I was fortunate enough to be allowed to examine in Merida. Chichen, though only one hundred miles from the capital, is considered rather unsafe at present, owing to its being within the territory of the unconquered Indians, and an escort of soldiers is needed for the last thirty miles of the journey, and while among the ruins.