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THE ANCIENT CITIES OF THE NEW WORLD.
[Illustration: DÉSIRÉ CHARNAY.]
THE ANCIENT CITIES OF THE NEW WORLD.
Being Travels and Explorations in Mexico and Central America
from 1857-1882.
by
DÉSIRÉ CHARNAY.
With numerous Illustrations.
Translated from the French by J. Gonino and Helen S. Conant.
[Illustration]
London: Chapman and Hall,
Limited.
1887.
Charles Dickens and Evans,
Crystal Palace Press.
TO MR. PETER LORILLARD.
SIR,
When the Minister of Public Instruction entrusted me with the study of
the Ancient American Civilisations, you wished to become associated
with my labours in a truly munificent spirit. You will find in the
following pages the result of my discoveries, which, you are aware,
were attended with perfect success. I strove, during the progress of
these studies, to carry out the programme laid down by you towards the
reconstruction of civilisations that have passed away. I think I have
succeeded; and I hope to have sufficiently demonstrated that these
civilisations had but one and the same origin—that they were Toltec and
comparatively modern. If the learned world shall confirm my theory, and
success crown my endeavours; if it shall be found that I have solved
this vexed American question, so hotly controverted hitherto, it will
be mainly due to your generous support.
Pray accept the dedication of this Work as a token of my deep gratitude.
DÉSIRÉ CHARNAY.
TRANSLATORS’ NOTE.
The justification for having ventured to correct the spelling of
some proper names, and other slight emendations, is to be found in
the Author’s Preface, where he states that “he often trusted an
uncertain memory for his quotations, and that his book was written
between two expeditions.” There is more: it was deemed advisable, to
suit a restless and exacting generation, to reduce the bulk of the
volume, a task which was not undertaken without fear and trembling,
the Translator being painfully conscious of shortcomings, and that
retrenchment may have been where it should rather have expanded, and
expanded where it should have retrenched.
PREFACE TO THE ORIGINAL EDITION.
The first notice upon this work appeared in the _North American
Review_, the energetic Editor of which (Mr. A. Th. Rice) wished to be
before all his contemporaries in giving his subscribers an _aperçu_
of my labours. Unfortunately for them that publication contained
my impressions of the moment, just as I dotted them down, which,
as a natural consequence, had to be modified _pari passu_ with my
discoveries, whilst my quotations, owing to an uncertain memory, were
not much to offer readers of such intrinsic merit. A second publication
followed in the _Tour du Monde_, but although better thought out
than the first, even that was too hastily written to do justice to
the magnificent collection I now present to the public, in which the
entire design I had at heart is revealed; and if the account of my
discoveries, the issue which naturally follows, the theory I wish to
establish, are still couched in language which may appear crude and
incomplete, I ask the indulgence of my readers on the plea that this
edition received the last touch between two expeditions. On the other
hand the subject is so vast, that I only aimed at giving a broad
outline, hoping for greater leisure at some future time.
My wish has been so to write as to be easily understood by all; to
this end I have given my book the dual form of a journal as well as a
scientific account: in it I recount the history of a civilisation which
has long passed away, which is hardly known, or rather which has been
systematically misunderstood and misrepresented. My explorations led me
to the uplands of Mexico, the first establishments of the civilising
race, and enabled me to trace the Toltecs step by step to their
highest development in the various regions of Central America, and not
unfrequently to give a certain date, to re-establish historical truth.
There is nothing very extraordinary in this reconstruction, which,
at first beautifully simple, became complicated with the countless
contradictory accounts which have been published in regard to it. In
the hands of the Spanish padres, origins, however obscure, were made to
agree with the Biblical narrative both in their ponderous commentaries
and their ridiculous systems, which, starting with the confusion of
tongues, travelled on to the lost tribes of Israel, ending with the
legend which ascribes to St. Thomas the apostleship of America. Modern
historians have not been much better in this respect, and the last
century has produced a stupendous amount of the most extraordinary
publications, forming an inextricable labyrinth, of which the immense
compilation of Bancroft may serve as an example.
The cause of this confusion is twofold: first and foremost, the
destruction of nearly all the Indian documents by the conquerors; and
secondly, the small degree of interest they felt for anything that
dated before their advent. The first accounts, such as Ixtlilxochitl’s
for instance, were written from narratives more or less trustworthy,
delivered from memory by the natives, in which, as might be expected,
the most incoherent traditions are mixed up with certain historical
facts, without discrimination or the slightest spirit of criticism;
for science is but of yesterday, and archæology, anthropology, and
philology were as yet unknown. This explains why, if we except those
things which fell under their personal observation, later historians
are so infinitely superior to the ancient.
Up to the present day authentic documents have been wanting; for
without any fault or demerit on the part of the explorers, their
drawings of monuments, however carefully done, could not cope with
modern photographs and squeezes. On the other hand, each traveller
writing, it is true, from actual observation, but confining himself to
one district, could only describe a few of the principal ruins, so that
his theory respecting them was untenable when compared or applied to
the ruins of the whole country. Thus it came to pass that the various
epochs of American civilisation were dealt with as so many distinct
civilisations, producing the utmost confusion. Whereas a sound study
of American civilisation should set aside preconceived opinions and
commentaries, and confine itself to its monuments, original documents,
and such passages in ancient writers descriptive or explanatory of
the end and object of these monuments, not neglecting the powerful
aid of photography and squeezes; when a judicious and intelligent
comparison of the relation these monuments bear to one another, must
soon force the conviction that, whatever the time which divides them
or the difference in their details, they belong to one and the same
civilisation, and that of comparatively recent date—namely the Toltec.
We shall leave the question of first origins as being unnecessary for
our purpose; as also traditions, prehistoric legends, language, and
religion, confining ourselves to what may be termed history; that is,
beginning with the arrival of the cultured Toltecs in Mexico. We shall
note their establishment in the valley of Tula, their development on
the high plateaux, the disruption of their empire; how they transmitted
their industries and mechanical arts to the people who succeeded them;
and lastly, we shall follow them in their exodus and find the traces
of their civilisation everywhere on their passage and in the regions of
Central America.
With regard to my theory on the relatively recent period of American
civilisation and its Toltec origin, I am far from being the first in
upholding it, since Stephens and Humboldt affirmed it some fifty years
ago, whilst all the ancient chroniclers implied it. Is ancient Egypt
less interesting because her MSS. are now read and her origin known?
Why then should the people who raised the American monuments be less
deserving of our regard, because they built them ten centuries sooner
or ten centuries later? Does it alter the character of the monuments,
or destroy an art unknown to us hitherto?
The question of first origins has always seemed to me an idle pursuit;
and if the evolutionist doctrine is true, a perfect moral microscope
would be required to reach the remote past of man, whose countless
generations, scattered in every clime, go back to the dark period when
our rude progenitors were hardly distinguished from the brute creation.
Will it ever be possible to penetrate beyond? Besides, our ancestors
have nothing in common with the autochthones of America, whom I firmly
believe to have come from the extreme East. My reasons for this opinion
are based on the fact that their architecture is so like the Japanese
as to seem identical; that their decorative designs resemble the
Chinese; whilst their customs, habits, sculpture, language, castes,
and polity recall the Malays both in Cambodia, Annam, and Java. The
word “Lacandon,” which is the name of a tribe in Central America, is
also, according to Dr. Neis, that of a race in Indo-China, who spell
it “Lah-Canh-dong.” F. Gamier says that “the Cambodians build their
huts on piles some six or nine feet above the ground. At first sight
it might be attributed to the necessity for protecting themselves
from inundations; but as this mode of construction is found in places
where no such danger exists, it must be ascribed to the _instinct_ of
a _particular_ race” (it is the instinct of the Toltecs which caused
them to erect their edifices on esplanades and pyramids); and in his
description of the _Khmer_ monuments at Angor-Tom and Angor-Wat he
adds: “They are placed on pyramids of three to five stories high,” etc.
The analogy is also seen in the ornamentation of the buildings, where
the human figure is rudely treated, whilst great care is observable
in the other decorative designs, a point which always struck us in
American sculpture. It should also be remarked that bricks covered with
plaster, stucco decoration, cemented floors, roads, and courtyards are
common to the Malays and the Americans; whilst the corbel vault is
found in Java, Cambodia, and America. Again, some temples at Lawoe, in
Java, are built on pyramids, having a staircase on the slope leading
to the edifice, like those of the Toltecs. This resemblance has struck
every traveller, and is the more important that these monuments only
date from the fourteenth or fifteenth century, and are far removed
from those edifices which were introduced in Java by the followers of
Buddha and Brahma; but the destruction of Indian temples and Indian
beliefs was succeeded by an architectural atavism, a return to a Malay
primitive type, evidenced by the monuments at Lawoe, which I visited in
1878, a fact which I think of vital importance.
Castes are purely Asiatic and unknown among the Red Indians, but they
existed with the Toltecs, where the commonwealth was divided into
distinct classes of priests, warriors, merchants, and tillers of the
soil; whilst land was held in common, and a feudal system is apparent
with both the Toltecs and Malays. Two languages are used in Java and
Cambodia; one to address superiors, the other for the vulgar. This was
also the case with the Toltecs, and gave rise to two different written
languages. Finally, the worship of serpents as gods of wisdom, like
Quetzalcoatl, is found in India, Greece, China, Japan, and particularly
in Cambodia and Java. To us these points of resemblance are more than
mere coincidence; something better than fortuitous analogies: they
seem to point to a vast and novel field for the investigation of
archæologists.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
PAGE
VERA CRUZ AND PUEBLA 1
My former Mission—The present one—Why called
Franco-American—Vera Cruz—Railway from
Vera Cruz to Mexico—Warm Region—Temperate
Region—Cordova—Orizaba—Maltrata—Cold Region—Esperanza—Puebla
and Tlascala—The Old Route.
CHAPTER II.
MEXICO 17
Her New Appearance—Moral Transformation—Public Walks and
Squares—Suburbs—Railway—Monuments—Cathedral—S. Domingo—S.
Francisco—La Merced—Hats _à la_ S. Basilio—Suppression of
Religious Orders.
CHAPTER III.
THE INDIANS 35
El Salto del Agua—Netzahualcoyotl—Noche Triste—Historical
Jottings—Chapultepec—Indians—Chinampas—Legends—Anecdote—Mexican
Museum—Tizoc’s Stone, or Gladiator’s Stone—Yoke and
Sacrificial Stone—Holy War—Religious Cannibalism—American
Copper.
CHAPTER IV.
TULA 75
Journey to Tula—The Toltecs—Ancient
Historians—Origins—Peregrinations—Foundation of Tula—Toltec
Religion—Chief Deities—Art—Industry—Measurement of Time—The
Word _Calli_—Architecture.
CHAPTER V.
TULA. PYRAMID OF THE SUN. ANTIQUITIES OF TULA 93
Caryatides—Columns—Capitals—Carved
Shell—Tennis-ring—Tlachtli—Ancient Bas-reliefs—Toltecs
Portrayed—Historical Jottings—The Temple of the Frog—Indian
Vault—The Plaza—El Cerro del Tesoro.
CHAPTER VI.
PALPAN AND THE TOLTECS 104
Aspect of the Hill—Mogotes—The Toltecs
and their Building Propensities—A Toltec
House—Antiquities—Fragments—_Malacates_—Toltec Palace—Toltec
Organisation—Dress—Customs—Education—Marriage—Orders of
Knighthood—Philosophy—Religion—Future Life—Pulque—End of
the Toltec Empire—Emigration.
CHAPTER VII.
TEOTIHUACAN 128
Quotations—Pre-Toltec Civilisation—Egyptian and Teotihuacan
Pyramids Compared—General Aspect of the Pyramids—Cement
Coatings—_Tlateles_ and Pyramids—Idols and Masks—Description
by Torquemada—S. Martin’s Village—Pulque and Mezcal—S. Juan of
Teotihuacan.
CHAPTER VIII.
TEOTIHUACAN (_continued_) 141
Ruins of a Teotihuacan Palace—Cemetery—Bull-Fighting—Pits and
Quarries—Excavations—A Toltec Palace—Ants—Ancient
Tombs—Sepulchral Stone.
CHAPTER IX.
MOUNTAIN EXPLORATION 152
Travelling Companions—S. Lazarus Station—S.
Anita—Ayotla—Tlalmanalco—Tenango del Aire—Amecameca—A Badly
Lighted Town—Rateros—Monte-Sacro—Volcaneros.
CHAPTER X.
TENENEPANCO AND NAHUALAC CEMETERIES 163
The Rancho of Tlamacas—A Funeral Station—Great
Excitement—Ascent—Search—Tenenepanco—Camping—Tlacualero—
Excavations—Bodily Remains—Toys—A Beautiful Cup—A
Well-preserved Skull—Mispayantla Grotto—Amecameca—A Tumulus
Explored—Expedition to Iztaccihuatl—Nahualac—A Second Cemetery.
CHAPTER XI.
BELLOTE 183
Return to Vera Cruz—Toltec Cities—Quotations regarding
Ancient Cities—Rio Tabasco at Frontera—S. Juan Bautista—Rio
Gonzalèz—Canoas—Lagoons—Bellote Islands—_Kjœkkenmœdings_
—Temples at Bellote—Chronological and Ornamental Slabs—Las
Dos Bocas—Cortez—Rio Seco—Paraïso.
CHAPTER XII.
COMALCALCO 194
Description of Comalcalco—Fonda—Manners—Climate—Masks and
Figures—Ruins—El Blasillo—Old Palaces Visited—Bricks and
Bridges—Cemented Roads—Great Pyramid and its Monuments—Palace
Described—Vases and Jicaras—Tecomates—Towers—Bas-reliefs—Small
Pyramids and Temples—Reflexions—Disappearance of Indian
Populations—Return to S. Juan—Don Candido—El Carmen—A Rich
Wood-cutter.
CHAPTER XIII.
LAS PLAYAS AND PALENQUE 211
From S. Juan to Jonuta—S. Carlos—Indians and Alligators—Las
Playas and Catasaja—Stone Cross—Rancho at Pulente—Palenque—The
Two Slabs in the Temple of the Cross—First Engravings—Acala
and Palenque from Cortez—Letter to the King—Palenque and
Ocosingo mentioned by Juarros—Explorations—The Palace—Façade
and Pyramids—Ornamentation on the Eastern Façade—An Old
Relief Brought to Light—Palenque Artists and their Mode
of Working—Medallions and Inner Passage—Reliefs in the
Main Court—Apartments and Decorations—Inner Wing and
Restoration—Western Façade—Palace Tower.
CHAPTER XIV.
PALENQUE TEMPLES 245
Palenque a Holy City—Bas-reliefs—Rain and Fever—A Grateful
Cook—Temple of Inscriptions—Temple of the Sun—Temple of the
Cross No. 1—Temple of the Cross No. 2—Altars—Mouldings and
Photographs—Fire—Explorations—Fallen Houses—The Age of Trees
in Connection with the Ruins—Recapitulation.
CHAPTER XV.
YUCATAN, MERIDA, AND THE MAYA RACE 262
Early Account of Yucatan—First Explorers: F. Hernandez
de Cordova, Juan de Grijalva—Cortez—Railroad—Henequen
Estate—Merida—Historical Jottings—Destruction of
all the Documents by the Historian Landa—Municipal
Palace—Cathedral—The Conqueror’s House—Private Houses—Market
Place—Maya Race—Types—Manners and Customs of the
Mayas—Deformation and Tattooing—Meztizas—Dwellings—Suburbs.
CHAPTER XVI.
AKÉ AND IZAMAL 288
Departure—A Family Exploration—“Volan coché”—Tixpénal and
Tixkokob—Cenoté—Ruins of Aké—Historical Rectification—Small
Pyramid—Tlachtli—A Large Gallery—Explorations—A Strange
Theory—Picoté—Architecture of Yucatan at Different Epochs.
CHAPTER XVII.
IZAMAL EN ROUTE FOR CHICHEN 303
Expedition to Izamal and
Chichen-Itza—Brigands—Cacalchen—Market Place—Great
Pyramid—Small Pyramid and Colossal Decorative
Figures—Cemented Roads—The Convent of the Virgin at Izamal—A
Precarious Telegraph—Tunkas—Garrison—Quintana-Roo—An Old
Acquaintance—Citas—A Fortified Church—Troops—Opening a
Path—Native Entertainment—Arrival at Pisté.
CHAPTER XVIII.
CHICHEN-ITZA 323
Chichen-Itza—El Castillo—General Survey—A Maya
City—Aguilar—Historical Jottings—Montejo’s
Expedition—Historians—Their Contradictions—Chichen
Deserted—The Conqueror’s Retreat—The Nunnery—Impressions and
Photographs—Terrestrial Haloes—An Unexpected Visitor—Electric
Telegraph at Akab-Sib—Prison—Caracol—Cenotés—Ruined
Temples—The Temple of the Sacred Cenoté—Tennis-Court—Monuments
Described—Portico—Paintings—Low-reliefs—New Analogy—The
Tlalocs of Chichen and of the Uplands—Market-place—End of Our
Labours—Col.
Triconis.
CHAPTER XIX.
KABAH AND UXMAL 371
Departure for Ticul—Uayalceh—Mucuiche—Sacalun—An Old
Souvenir—Ticul—Excavations at S. Francisco—Failure—Yucatec
Vases—Entertainment at the Hacienda of Yokat—A Sermon in
Maya—Hacienda of Santa Anna—Important Remains—The Ruins
of Kabah—Monuments Surveyed—First Palace—Ornamental
Wall—Cisterns—Inner Apartments—Second Palace—Great
Pyramid—Ancient Writers Quoted—Stephens’ Drawings.
CHAPTER XX.
UXMAL 391
From Kabah to Santa Helena—A Maya Village—Uxmal—Hacienda—The
Governor’s Palace—Cisterns and Reservoirs—The Nunnery
and the Dwarf’s House—Legend—General View—“Cerro de
los Sacrificios”—Don Peon’s Charter—Stephens’ Plan and
Measurements—Friederichsthal—Conclusion—Our Return.
CHAPTER XXI.
CAMPECHE AND TENOSIQUÉ 414
From Progreso to Campeche—Incidents on Board—Carmen—Old
Acquaintances—Indian Guns—Frontera—The Grijalva—Tabasco
Pottery—Waiting—Carnival at Frontera—Julian’s
Success—Departure—Jonuta—Monte-Cristo—Difficulties at the
Custom House—Cabecera—Tenosiqué—Reminiscences—Monteros—The
Lacandones—Our Mules Come—The Usumacinta—Sea Fish—Setting
out for the Ruins—Route—Forest Camping—Second Day—Traces
of Monuments—Mule and Horse Lost—Cortez—Arroyo
Yalchilan—Provisions left Behind—Crossing the Cordillera—An
Old Montero—Traces of Lacandones—Yalchilan Pass.
CHAPTER XXII.
LORILLARD TOWN 430
Paso Yalchilan—Another Mule Lost—An Anxious Night—A
Wild Boar—Encampment—Upper Usumacinta—No Canoes—A
Difficulty—Deliverance—Surprise—A Mysterious Traveller—A
Canoe—Fever—Down Stream—A Votive Pillar—Ruins—I
Meet with a Stranger—General View of Lorillard—A
Reminiscence—Stephens’ “Phantom City”—Extent of the Ruins
Unknown—Temple—Idol—Fortress—Our Dwelling Palace—Great
Pyramid—Second Temple—Stone Lintels and Two Kinds of
Inscriptions—Our Return—Lacandones.
CHAPTER XXIII.
PETEN, TAYASAL, TIKAL, AND COPAN 459
Departure from Peten—The River—The Sierra—Sacluc or
Libertad—Cortez’ Route—Marzillo’s Story—Flores—Ancient
Tayasal—Conquest of Peten—Various Expeditions—The
Town Captured—The Inhabitants Disappear—Monuments
Described—Tikal—Early Explorers—Temples—Bas-reliefs on
Wood—Retrospection—Bifurcation of the Toltec Column at
Tikal—Tikal—Toltecs in Guatemala—Coban—Demolition of
Copan—Quetzalcoatl—Transformation of Stone Altar Bas-reliefs
into Monolith Idols—End of an Art Epoch—Map of Toltec
Migrations.
CHAPTER XXIV.
TUMBALA. S. CRISTOBAL. MITLA 482
Return to Tenosiqué—S. Domingo del Palenque
Revisited—Departure for S. Cristobal—First Halt—No
Tamenes—Setting out alone for Nopa—Bad Roads—No
Food—Monkeys—Three Days Waiting at S. Pedro—The
_Cabildo_—Hostile Attitude of the Natives—The Porters
Arrive—They make off in the Night—From S. Pedro to Tumbala—Two
Nights in the Forest—Tumbala—The Cura—Jajalun—Chilon—Citala—A
Dominican Friar—Cankuk—Tenejapa—S.
Cristobal—Valley of Chiapas—Tuxtla—Santa
Lucia—_Marimba_—Tehuantepec—Totolapa—Oaxaca—Santa Maria del
Tule—Ruins of Mitla.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
A VIEW OF VERA CRUZ AND THE FORT OF SAN JUAN OF ULLOA 3
VIEW OF PUEBLA, TAKEN FROM ALTO 9
TWO PANORAMAS OF PUEBLA 13
CHURCH OF SAN DOMINGO 17
EL SAGRARIO 27
CLOISTER OF THE CONVENT OF LA MERCED 32
MEXICAN MONKS 34
EL SALTO DEL AGUA (FOUNTAIN) 35
TREE OF THE NOCHE TRISTE, AT POPOTLAN 38
CHAPULTEPEC 44
CHARCOAL AND BATTEAS VENDORS 45
MEXICAN WATER-CARRIER 49
MEXICAN TORTILLERA AND STRAW MAT SELLERS 51
COURT IN THE MEXICO MUSEUM 57
TEOYAOMIQUI, GOD OF DEATH AND WAR 60
THE STONE OF THE SUN, OR OF TIZOC, MEXICO MUSEUM 61
THE TEMALACATL, OR GLADIATORIAL STONE (FROM RAMIREZ MS.) 63
WRONG AND RIGHT SACRIFICIAL COLLARS 68
HUMAN SACRIFICES 74
ANCIENT INDIAN POTTERY 75
EXTRACTING PULQUE 77
TOLTEC POTTERY 82
TLALOC, FROM A PIECE OF POTTERY 83
TOLTEC CROSSES 86
QUETZALCOATL, UNDER HIS BEST-KNOWN ATTRIBUTES 87
COTTON SPINNING 89
CALLI, IN PROFILE 91
CAPITAL, FOUND AT TULA 92
THE PYRAMID OF THE SUN, TULA 93
TOLTEC CARYATID, TULA 94
PARTS OF A COLUMN, TULA 95
TENNIS-RING, TULA 95
WARRIOR’S PROFILE, FOUND AT TULA 97
TOLTEC BAS-RELIEFS 99
YOUNG GIRLS OF TULA 102
RUINS OF A TOLTEC HOUSE 104
GROUND PLAN OF FIRST TOLTEC HOUSE UNEARTHED AT TULA
(FROM LEMAIRE) 105
PLAN OF THE HILL AT TULA (ANCIENT PALPAN) 106
GROUND PLAN OF TOLTEC PALACE UNEARTHED AT TULA (LEMAIRE) 107
VIEW OF RUINED TOLTEC PALACE 109
FEMALE DANCERS AND TECUHTLIS (FROM RAMIREZ MS. AND
FATHER DURAN) 114
YOUNG TOLTEC GIRL (FROM MODERN INDIAN TYPES AND FATHER
DURAN’S “HIST. DE LAS INDIAS”) 117
INDIAN KING (DRAWN FROM CLAVIGERO, RAMIREZ MS. AND
FATHER DURAN) 123
MURAL PAINTING OF TOLTEC HOUSE 127
PYRAMIDS OF SUN AND MOON TEOTIHUACAN 128
TERRA-COTTA MASKS AND HEADS FOUND AT TEOTIHUACAN 133
ROAD TO S. MARTIN 135
CHURCH OF S. JUAN, TEOTIHUACAN 137
MILE-STONE, OR VOTIVE COLUMN, TEOTIHUACAN 140
RUINS OF A PALACE, TEOTIHUACAN 141
GROUND PLAN OF PRINCIPAL RUINS OF TEOTIHUACAN 143
GROUND PLAN OF TOLTEC PALACE AT TEOTIHUACAN 145
VOTIVE STONES, TEOTIHUACAN 149
TOLTEC SEPULCHRAL STONE, TEOTIHUACAN 151
RUINS OF TLALMANALCO 152
SANTA ANITA CANAL 155
AMECAMECA 157
HACIENDA OF TOMACOCO 160
VOLCANEROS (MINERS) 162
BURIAL-GROUND, TENENEPANCO 163
POPOCATEPETL AND PICO DEL FRAILE 165
VASES FOUND AT TENENEPANCO 169
CARICATURE OF TECUHTLI-KNIGHT (KNIGHT OF THE EAGLE) 171
BOTTOM OF ENAMELLED CUP FOUND IN THE BURIAL-GROUND 173
CARTS, CHILDREN’S TOYS 175
VASES OF BURIAL-GROUND UNEARTHED AT NAHUALAC 177
POND OF NAHUALAC 182
QUAY OF S. JUAN BAUTISTA 183
CANOA (BOAT) OF S. JUAN 185
RANCHO AT BELLOTE 187
TEMPLE BAS-RELIEF, BELLOTE 189
TERRA-COTTA MASK, FOUND AT BELLOTE 193
VIRGIN FOREST NEAR COMALCALCO 194
PLAN OF GREAT PYRAMID AT COMALCALCO 197
BAYS OF RUINED PALACE, COMALCALCO 198
SECTION OF RUINS AT COMALCALCO 199
RUINS OF PALACE 201
ORNAMENTATION OF SOUTH-EAST TOWER, COMALCALCO 204
REMAINS OF TOWER NO. 2, AND ENTRANCE OF SUBTERRANEOUS
HALL 205
BAS-RELIEF OF WEST TOWER, COMALCALCO 210
S. DOMINGO DEL PALENQUE 211
MOULDINGS IN THE TEMPLE OF THE CROSS NO. 1 215
SCULPTURED STONES, TEMPLE OF THE CROSS NO. 1 217
OUR KITCHEN AT PALENQUE, IN ONE OF THE CORRIDORS 223
PLAN OF PALACE AT PALENQUE (NORTH SIDE) 225
BASEMENT OF PYRAMID IN THE PALACE OF PALENQUE 226
THE PALACE, OUTER FAÇADE, PALENQUE 227
SCULPTURED FIGURE ON PILLAR 230
MEDALLION IN PASSAGE OF EAST WING OF THE PALACE 231
HUGE BAS-RELIEFS IN THE PALACE COURT, PALENQUE 232
SMALL BUILDING TO THE SOUTH OF THE PALACE COURT 233
FRAGMENT OF DECORATION SHAPED LIKE A TAU, SURROUNDING
NICHES IN THE CORRIDORS AND APARTMENTS OF THE PALACE 235
FRIEZE DECORATION OF BUILDING SOUTH OF THE COURT 235
FRAGMENT OF DECORATION OVER A DOOR 235
RESTORATION OF INNER WING OF THE PALACE 237
EASTERN FAÇADE OF INNER WING OF THE PALACE, PALENQUE 239
TOWER IN THE PALACE 241
THE PALACE, WESTERN FAÇADE 243
MEDALLION IN PASSAGE OF INNER WING 244
TEMPLE OF INSCRIPTIONS, PALENQUE 245
TEMPLE OF THE SUN, PALENQUE 250
JAPANESE TEMPLE 251
SCULPTURED SLABS OF SANCTUARY, IN THE TEMPLES OF PALENQUE 253
SCULPTURED SLABS IN THE TEMPLE OF THE CROSS NO. 2 255
RUINS TO THE NORTH OF THE PALACE 257
STAIRCASE INSCRIPTIONS 261
MUNICIPAL PALACE AND SQUARE, MERIDA 262
MAP 264
PANORAMIC VIEW OF MERIDA 267
MONTEJO’S HOUSE, MERIDA 272
CATHEDRAL 273
DON ALVARO PEON’S HOUSE 276
FRUIT SELLERS 277
MAYA TYPES 279
MEZTIZOS’ HOUSE 283
A STREET IN MERIDA 285
HACIENDA OF ASCORRA 287
VOLAN COCHÉ 288
PLAN OF THE RUINS OF AKÉ 294
SMALL PYRAMID OF AKÉ 295
GREAT PYRAMID AND GALLERY OF AKÉ 297
PILLARS OF THE GREAT GALLERY OF AKÉ 299
CEMENTED BAS-RELIEF OF AKÉ 302
SQUARE OF TUNKAS 303
GREAT PYRAMID, KINICH-KAKMÓ, AT IZAMAL 307
SOUTH SIDE OF HUNPICTOK PYRAMID AT IZAMAL (AFTER STEPHENS) 309
COLOSSAL HEAD FORMING BASEMENT OF PYRAMID AT IZAMAL 311
MARKET PLACE OF IZAMAL 313
CENOTÉ OF XCOLAC 317
CHURCH AND SQUARE, CITAS 322
EL CASTILLO OF CHICHEN-ITZA 323
ORNAMENTATION OF THE UPPER STORY OF THE NUNNERY,
CHICHEN-ITZA 334
MAIN FAÇADE OF THE NUNNERY OF CHICHEN-ITZA 335
NORTHERN FAÇADE OF THE NUNNERY OF CHICHEN-ITZA 338
LEFT WING OF THE NUNNERY OF CHICHEN-ITZA 339
FAÇADE OF EL CASTILLO, CHICHEN-ITZA 342
TOLTEC COLUMN IN THE CASTILLO 343
TOLTEC COLUMN AT TULA 343
YUCATEC CAPITAL AT CHICHEN-ITZA 344
DOOR-POSTS IN THE CASTILLO, CHICHEN-ITZA 345
BAS-RELIEFS FROM PILLARS OF SANCTUARY OF CHICHEN-ITZA 347
BAS-RELIEFS WITH INSCRIPTIONS, AKAB-SIB PALACE AT CHICHEN-ITZA 349
CHICHAN-CHOB, PRISON OF CHICHEN-ITZA 351
SACRED CENOTÉ, OF CHICHEN-ITZA 355
SMALL TEMPLE IN THE TENNIS-COURT OF CHICHEN-ITZA 359
BAS-RELIEF IN HALL OF TENNIS-COURT OF CHICHEN-ITZA 362
TIGERS’ BAS-RELIEFS ON PORTION OF TENNIS-COURT OF CHICHEN-ITZA 363
DOOR-POSTS OF HALL IN THE TENNIS-COURT OF CHICHEN-ITZA 364
TIZOC’S STONE, IN MEXICO 365
STATUE OF TLALOC FOUND AT CHICHEN-ITZA 366
STATUE OF TLALOC OF TLASCALA (IN THE MUSEUM OF MEXICO) 367
SECOND PALACE OF KABAH 371
YUCATEC AND TEOTIHUACAN VASES 375
TRIUMPHAL ARCH OF KABAH (FROM STEPHENS) 379
RUINS OF FIRST PALACE OF KABAH 381
SHOWING STEPS AND INTERIOR OF FIRST PALACE OF KABAH 383
NORTH-WEST SIDE OF PYRAMID OF KABAH 385
BAS-RELIEFS AT KABAH (FROM STEPHENS) 389
HACIENDA OF UXMAL 391
THE GOVERNOR’S PALACE, UXMAL 395
PORTION OF THE GOVERNOR’S PALACE, UXMAL 398
PLAN OF NUNNERY OF UXMAL (FROM STEPHENS) 399
NORTH WING FAÇADE OF THE NUNNERY OF UXMAL 400
SHOWING DETAILS OF EASTERN FAÇADE OF THE NUNNERY, UXMAL 402
THE DWARF’S HOUSE OF UXMAL 403
GENERAL VIEW OF THE RUINS OF UXMAL 407
INSCRIPTION OF THE GOVERNOR’S PALACE, UXMAL 413
CAMPECHE 415
HOTEL GRIJALVA AT FRONTERA 419
TERRA-COTTA IDOLS OF TABASCO 421
A BIT OF TENOSIQUÉ 423
THE USUMACINTA AT PASO YALCHILAN 428
DON PÉPÉ MORA 429
ENCAMPMENT AT PASO YALCHILAN 430
LACANDON CHIEF AND LACANDON TYPES 433
VOTIVE PILE OF LORILLARD 435
MAP TAKEN FROM THE GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY 437
PLAN OF FIRST TEMPLE AT LORILLARD 439
IDOL IN LACANDON TEMPLE 440
FIRST TEMPLE AT LORILLARD CITY 441
LACANDON VASES FOUND AT LORILLARD CITY 443
MODEL OF ANCIENT TEMPLE 445
PLAN OF PALACE WE INHABITED AT LORILLARD 446
SECOND TEMPLE OF LORILLARD 448
SCULPTURED LINTEL AT LORILLARD 449
STONE LINTEL, SACRIFICE TO CUKULCAN, LORILLARD CITY 451
SCULPTURED LINTEL AT LORILLARD 457
LIBERTAD 459
FLORES, LAKE OF PETEN 465
ALTAR PANEL IN THE TEMPLE OF THE SUN OF TIKAL 467
TEMPLE AND STELÆ OF TIKAL (FROM ALFRED MAUDSLAY) 469
QUETZALCOATL AT COPAN 470
IDOLS OF COPAN (FROM STEPHENS) 471
MONOLITH IDOL OF COPAN (FROM STEPHENS) 476
GUATEMALTO-TOLTEC ALTAR OF COPAN (STEPHENS) 477
OTHER SIDE OF SAME ALTAR 477
ALTAR INSCRIPTION OF COPAN 479
INSCRIPTION OF LORILLARD CITY 479
STELA OF TIKAL (FROM A. MAUDSLAY) 480
INTERIOR OF AN APARTMENT IN THE GRAND PALACE OF MITLA-OAXACA 482
SNUFF-BOX TORTOISE (_Cinostemon Leucostomum_) 484
TEHUANTEPEC WOMEN 497
PLAN OF CHIEF PALACE OF MITLA 502
SECTION OF PRINCIPAL HALL OF THE PALACE 503
GREAT HALL RESTORED (MITLA) 503
GENERAL VIEW OF RUINS OF MITLA 505
GREAT PALACE OF MITLA-OAXACA 509
SOUTH SIDE OF FOURTH PALACE OF MITLA 511
TERRA-COTTA MASK FOUND AT MITLA 512
[Illustration: MEXICO.
MAP OF
TOLTEC MIGRATIONS
after the Explorations of
DÉSIRÉ CHARNAY]
THE ANCIENT CITIES
OF THE NEW WORLD.
CHAPTER I.
VERA CRUZ AND PUEBLA.
My former Mission—The present one—Why called
Franco-American—Vera Cruz—Railway from
Vera Cruz to Mexico—Warm Region—Temperate
Region—Cordova—Orizaba—Maltrata—Cold Region—Esperanza—Puebla
and Tlascala—The Old Route.
When I started for Mexico in 1880, I already knew something of the
country, having, in the year 1857, been sent out as delegate for my
Government to explore parts of it. At that time I was rich in hopes and
full of grand intentions, but poor in knowledge and light of purse, and
I soon learnt that the work I had undertaken was of so difficult and
complicated a character, that the whole thing was beyond my powers;
and, finding that from want both of money and of technical knowledge I
was unable to carry out the great schemes I had imagined, I contented
myself with simply photographing some of the monuments as I visited
them, without even venturing to add any comment thereto. Now all was
different. Better prepared in every way: with additional knowledge,
backed by influential supporters, and with the aid of numerous
documents which I had collected, I felt I might reasonably hope to
be able to throw some light on one of the most obscure corners of the
history of man.
But at the very moment when the Minister of Public Instruction, on
the advice of the Commission for Missions and Travels, was again
entrusting me with the exploration of Mexico, that I might study
its monuments, it so chanced that a rich American, Mr. Lorillard,
of New York, was also minded to fit out a scientific expedition for
the same purpose, and that I was the man he had fixed upon to direct
it. The latter had already set apart a considerable sum of money for
the expedition, so that I found myself placed in a somewhat delicate
position, for, by refusing Mr. Lorillard, I should have risked a
dangerous competition in the very country and the very places I was
to explore; and, by accepting, I should have seemed to give up my
nationality, and to deprive my own country of many precious documents
and interesting collections. I felt myself, therefore, fortunate in
being able to combine the two rival expeditions, and, under the name of
a Franco-American Mission, to carry out the important work, and in this
I was assisted by the unparalleled generosity of Mr. Lorillard, who
gave up to France all the fruits of my labour, my researches, and my
discoveries. It was under such circumstances that I started on the 26th
of March, 1880, and taking New York on my way, to pay my respects to my
generous sleeping-partner, I reached Vera Cruz at the end of April.
The aspect of Vera Cruz, seen from the sea, is anything but pretty,
consisting of a monotonous line of houses, blackened by heavy rain
and the driving _Norte_. Built on a sandy shore, surrounded by barren
hills stripped of all vegetation, and low-lying lagoons, Vera Cruz
may safely be pronounced the most unhealthy place in Mexico. Yellow
fever is never absent from its shores, and with every new batch of
immigrants it becomes epidemic and violent in the extreme, fastening
on the new-comers with unusual severity. We learnt that to our cost, at
the time of the war of intervention, when our soldiers were literally
decimated by this fearful scourge. It became necessary to replace the
white troops by negro battalions, the latter withstanding better than
Europeans the fury of the epidemic.
[Illustration: A VIEW OF VERA CRUZ AND THE FORT OF SAN JUAN OF ULLOA.]
Vera Cruz can scarcely be said to possess a harbour, having only an
indifferent anchorage, in which ships are far from safe. Fort St. Juan
affords the only shelter, but in bad weather vessels frequently break
from their moorings, and are thrown or driven on to the coast. A storm
here is synonymous with north wind, and when it blows no words can give
an adequate idea of its violence; it is not a straightforward, honest
tempest, such as every good manner knows how to cope with, but it comes
in terrific and sudden squalls, carrying whirlwinds of sand, which
penetrate the best-closed houses; consequently, on the first indication
of its approach, every dwelling is securely fastened, barges are taken
in and chained up, vessels lower their double anchors, the harbour
becomes empty, all work is suspended, and the place wears the aspect of
a deserted city. The thermometer falls suddenly, the porter, with teeth
chattering, wraps himself in his blanket, a woollen overcoat is quickly
substituted for the ordinary white holland jacket, and every one goes
about shivering with cold. The pier is soon hidden by the huge waves
raised by the disturbed element, in the harbour vessels get foul of one
another, and steamers to avoid shipwreck get up steam, ready to take
their station outside.
Vera Cruz welcomed us with one of these strong north winds, which
obliged us to stay for three days in the roadstead, unable to leave
our steamer; and when I _did_ land, I was so glad, so happy at once
more feeling the ground under my feet, that I failed to notice, as I
had done before, the very uncomfortable pavement of the town, which
consists of sharp pointed stones; but just as a sheep has a portion of
his fleece torn from him by every bramble he passes by, so does every
traveller leave some portion of his individuality in every country
which he visits—and on seeing again the places he has known before, he
thinks to himself that he will be welcomed by the same impressions,
the same friendships, nay, the same adventures as before will be
there. He believes he will find everything exactly as he left it, he
looks forward to shaking hands with a particular friend, to revisiting
a certain spot, to entering a certain house, whose kind inmates had
always had a warm welcome for him. He arrives, but the scene is
changed, the old well-remembered spot is laid waste, the house a heap
of ruins, friends dead, and Time, alas! has done its fatal work.
After two-and-twenty years’ absence, I eagerly looked forward to
shaking hands with the friends I had left. The returning traveller
looks back on two-and-twenty years as but a day; to him it seems but
yesterday that he left the place; every one will, of course, know
him again; every one will come forward and warmly welcome him back.
Heaven help him! The quarter of a century, which he has hardly taken
into account, has in reality weighed heavily on him, as upon all; even
should he be fortunate enough to recognise a few acquaintances, they
have completely forgotten him, and like Rip Van Winkle, he seems to
awake from a hundred years’ sleep—to find all changed, and everything
about him strange and new. In my own case, the only friend I found was
the oldest of all, whom I thought I was never likely to see again. But
it was not until I had told him my name that he recognised me; for
at first he saw nothing but a perfect stranger standing before him.
I inquired after A—he was no more; and B?—dead; and C?—dead also. I
stopped, I was afraid to go on. It was under the burden of impressions
such as these that I found myself once more in Vera Cruz.
And yet Vera Cruz, situated at the extremity of the Mexican gulf, is
not commonplace, but rather an Eastern city, and her origin is marked
everywhere; in her cupolas, painted white, pink, and blue, her flat
terraces, and ornaments mostly of a pyramidal form. But cities live
longer than men, and I found Vera Cruz rejuvenated, younger and more
animated than of yore.
A slight breath of French activity seems to have crossed the seas and
to pervade everything. The houses are freshly painted, the steeples
whitewashed, cupolas enamelled, and new blocks of houses and monuments
meet the eye in all directions. The square, which was formerly squalid
and intersected by watercourses, is now a charming place, paved with
marble and planted with trees, in which squirrels and ouertitis gambol
and play the whole day long. The centre is occupied by a fountain, and
the sides by arcades, giving access to magnificent _cafés_, beautiful
shops, the Cathedral and the Town Hall inlaid with gleaming tiles.
In the day-time the shade is deep and the air cool, whilst in the
evening numerous loungers and fair women, their hair chequered with
phosphorescent _cucuyos_, fill the green walks, and give it the
appearance of a huge hot-house. Vera Cruz, to those who are used to
its climate, is a very pleasant abode, and though in some respects not
so desirable as many European cities, life here, on account of the
great heat, is easier, fuller, more satisfying. Wines are not dearer
than in Paris; fish is both plentiful and excellent; tropical fruit of
every kind is to be found in the market, as well as all the feathered
tribe, varying from the laughing-bird and the parrot to the beautiful
red and green Aras of Tabasco. Add to this the constant incoming and
outgoing of every nation in the universe, eliciting a daily interchange
of news with the outer world, and in a sense annihilating the distance
which divides you from the mother country. Then, too, there is the
Gulf with its blue waters, tempting to the most delightful dives man
ever had; the jetty, which, insignificant though it be, is none the
less a favourite resort, where in the evening people go for a little
fresh air, beneath a magnificent canopied sky; and where in the day
they can watch on the horizon the white sail disappearing out of sight.
Picture to yourself this marvellous sky, filled with innumerable noisy
sea-birds and small black vultures dotting it at a dizzy height,
whilst far below, hoary, venerable pelicans, quite at home in the
harbour, from long habit seem to spend their lives in diving and
rising solemnly, then come and perch on the Custom House flag, with a
grotesque kind of dignity, as though conscious of having fully done
what was expected of them.
But the great feature about Vera Cruz is the innumerable flights
of black vultures, which fill the streets, and cover every roof
and pinnacle. They are so tame as to be scarcely disturbed by the
passers-by, and when servants throw out house refuse, there follows a
general rush and a fearful fight, in which dogs take part, without,
however, always getting the best of it. These dogs, like those of
Constantinople, are the ædiles of both town and country, which without
them would be intolerable.
Beyond Mexico Gate, a fine public walk, planted with large cocoa-trees,
leads to a suburb which has within the last few years grown into a
little town; it is the great rendezvous for sailors and coolies who
come to dance and flirt with the damsels of the place, and the evening
is generally wound up with a hot dispute with their less favoured
companions.
The coast along the Atlantic is a vast sandy plain, diversified by
marshes peopled with herons, wild ducks, iguanas, and serpents,
which are almost impervious from thickets of aromatic shrubs and
wild flowers, in the midst of which tower magnificent trees; but the
sound of no voice ever breaks on this wilderness in which lurks the
_malaria_, save the hoarse cry of a wild animal, the passing of an
eagle-fisher, or the whirling of a vulture in quest of some easy prey.
The journey from Vera Cruz to Mexico is now performed by railway, which
has replaced the once cumbrous diligence, and traffic has increased to
such an extent that the English Railway Company is unable to convey
inland goods which have come by sea.
We start on our journey with an escort, even now a necessary
precaution, for five-and-twenty years have not modified the manners of
the natives, and highway robbers are still a flourishing institution in
Mexico.
Pressing westward, we go through the sandy, marshy zone, and leaving
behind us Tejeria, Soledad, Paso Ancho, and Paso del Macho, we reach
the famous Chiquihuite bridge, when a glorious region succeeds to the
flat country and parched vegetation of the coast; we continue to ascend
through grander and grander scenery and more luxurious vegetation,
having on our left the river Atoyac with its precipitous course,
between deep ravines, and presently we come in sight of the iron
viaduct, which is considered one of the best works on the line.
Still pressing upwards we reach the temperate zone, where we find
coffee, tobacco, and banana plantations, spreading their broad green
leaves under the shade of great trees which shelter them against the
fierce heat of the sun; while little houses, embowered in orange-groves
and creepers, peep out coquettishly from leaf and foliage.
And now the grand outlines of the Sierra are about us, and at every
bend of the road charming views unfold before our enraptured gaze; a
dazzling light colours all things with the richest tints, and Orizaba
rears its magnificent head straight before us. Orizaba is, with the
Popocatepetl, the highest mountain in Mexico; its snowy peak is visible
for many a mile at sea. At its foot may be seen the city of the same
name, extending over a large area, with her numerous and once gorgeous
churches, now falling into decay, amidst a vast plateau, circled
by mighty mountains, once gleaming with volcanic fires and grand
summits. Mills and factories, greatly on the increase, are worked by
water-power, which is brought by aqueducts or mountain torrents.
After Orizaba, the road becomes very steep; we enter the gorges of
Infiernillo (small hell), where, along roads coasting deep ravines
and unfathomable precipices, spanned by stupendous bridges, we reach
Maltrata, where the train stops to change engines, when we ascend the
heights, or _cumbres_, leading to the plateau.
[Illustration: VIEW OF PUEBLA, TAKEN FROM ALTO.]
And now the road opens out in long windings, rounding the steepest
declivities; bridges and tunnels succeed each other with dazzling
rapidity, and the huge engine puffs and hisses, sending out long,
curling volumes of white smoke over the most glorious landscape; and
our journey, which has lasted three hours, brings us to Esperanza,
at an elevation of some 1,200 metres,[1] and here we breakfast at
an excellent buffet. After Esperanza, the country becomes a dreary,
monotonous, dusty plain, contrasting painfully with the brilliant
colouring of the warm zone; not a tree is to be seen, hardly any
vegetation; some rare fields of stunted maize and wheat, a few
meagre cactuses, with here and there a white hacienda, are the only
indications that this forlorn region is not wholly uninhabited.
Nevertheless, the monotony of this immense plain is relieved by the
grand outline of mountains which bound the horizon, and the sand
mounds, which are visible everywhere, give the landscape a peculiar and
somewhat severe aspect.
The railway, strange to say, has deprived this region of its few
inhabitants, and steam has done away with the _arriero_ and the long
lines of heavy carts, panting mules, and muleteers in picturesque
costumes, and the tinkling bells of _madinas_ (mules heading the
trains) are no more.
Then, also, these dusty roads were enlivened by the presence of
small cottages, whence the cheerful hand-clapping of _tortilleros_
reminded the hungry traveller that here his honest hunger might be
appeased, during which the muleteer would ogle or distribute somewhat
questionable compliments among the belles of the district; all is gone,
even to the _meson_, in whose vast courtyard weary mules were put up
for the night. The cottage has left no trace behind, the walls of the
_meson_ are a mass of ruins, and the courtyard deserted.
And now we travel in a north-west direction; we pass Huamantla,
round Malinche, and leave Puebla some twenty leagues on our left,
and crossing Apizaco we reach the Llanos of Apam, famed for its
_pulque_, or Mexican wine, which is made of the juice of aloes (_Agave
Americana_), to be found everywhere; but Apam pulque is as superior
to other pulque as Chambertin is superior to ordinary claret. Aloe
plantations are everywhere to be seen, and at each station a huge train
calls daily for the casks full of the liquor so dear to Mexicans.
This intoxicating beverage is not tempting in appearance, for it
is yellowish, thick and stringy, with a most repulsive smell, yet
when a taste for it has been acquired even Europeans drink it with
pleasure after a day’s trip. Here I am reminded how much the railway
has destroyed the picturesqueness of the road. If in former times the
traveller went over the ground at a slower pace, he had leisure to
linger over the plain, admire the mountain round which the railway
now twines, to stop at Amozoc, a time-honoured haunt of brigands;
and though he missed Tlascala, the faithful ally of Cortez, and the
hereditary enemy of Mexico, he had the opportunity of visiting Puebla
de los Angeles, which lies at the very foot of great Malintzi or
Malinche, faced by the snowy peaks of Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl.
The city of Puebla de los Angeles was founded by the Spaniards soon
after the conquest, on the site of an insignificant village a few miles
east of Cholula. After Mexico, which it rivals by the beauty of its
edifices, it is the most important city of New Spain. Like ancient
Cholula, she is remarkable for the number and the magnificence of her
sacred buildings, the multitude of her priests, and the pomp of her
religious ceremonies, and her cathedral, in an architectural point of
view, ranks as high as that of Mexico, whilst her treasures are perhaps
even more considerable than those of her rival—her grand chandelier of
massive silver having alone cost £14,000. The innumerable steeples of a
hundred churches, and the gleaming cupolas, give a remarkable character
to the panorama of this city, which has sustained many a siege, while
her last defence under Ortega was simply heroic.
In the time of the diligence the road led to ancient _Cholula_, and the
traveller had the opportunity of visiting her pyramid, on which stands
the temple dedicated to Quetzacoatl, “God of the air,” who was pleased
to dwell among men, and, during his visit in Cholula, which extended
over twenty years, he taught the Toltecs the arts of peace, a better
form of government, and a more spiritualised religion, in which the
only sacrifices were the fruits and flowers of the season. It was in
honour of this benevolent deity that this stupendous mound was erected.
The date of its erection is unknown, for it was found there when the
Aztecs entered the plateau; but it has been variously ascribed to the
Olmecs, the Toltecs, and even to a race of giants, who wished to save
themselves from another deluge. Clavigero observes very naturally, that
the builders were rather stupid in taking so much trouble to raise an
artificial mound, when they had within reach the highest mountains in
the world where to take refuge in any such emergency.[2] It had the
truncated, pyramidal form of the Mexican _teocalli_ (temple), its four
sides facing the cardinal points, and divided into the same number of
terraces. The original outlines, however, have been effaced by the
action of time, while the growth of shrubs and wild flowers, which
cover its surface, gives it the appearance of one of those symmetrical
elevations thrown up by Plutonic agency rather than the work of man.
The height of this pyramid is 60 metres;[3] its base, which is square,
covers about forty-four acres, and the platform on its truncated summit
embraces more than one. Cholula was of great antiquity, and was founded
by the primitive race which occupied the land before the Aztecs. At the
time of the conquest it was one of the most populous and flourishing
cities of New Spain. “Nothing could be more grand than the view which
met the eye from the truncated summit of the pyramid. Towards the
north stretched the bold barrier of porphyry rock which nature has
reared round the valley of Mexico, with the huge Popocatepetl and
Iztaccihuatl standing like two sentinels to guard the entrance of this
enchanted region. Far away to the south was seen the conical head of
Orizaba soaring high into the clouds, and nearer, the barren, though
beautifully shaped Sierra de Malinche, throwing its broad shadows over
the plains of Tlascala. Three of these volcanoes, higher than the
highest peak in Europe, and shrouded in snows which never melt under
the fierce sun of the tropics, at the foot of the spectator the
sacred city of Cholula, with its bright towers and pinnacles sparkling
in the sun, reposing amidst gardens and verdant groves. Such was the
magnificent prospect which met the eye of the conquerors, and may
still, with slight change, meet that of the modern traveller, as he
stands on the broad plateau of the pyramid and his eye wanders over the
fairest portion of the beautiful plateau of Puebla.”[4]
[Illustration: PANORAMA OF PUEBLA.]
[Illustration: PANORAMA OF PUEBLA.]
Cholula was the holy city of Anahuac, the Mecca, Jerusalem, and Rome
of the Indians; in it the kindred races had temples of their own, and
ministers for the service of the deity to whom they were consecrated.
The sanctity of the place brought pilgrims from the furthest corners
of Anahuac, who came to offer up their devotions at the shrine of
Quetzacoatl and other divinities. Here Quetzacoatl had dwelt, and
on his departure for the countries of the East, he had bidden his
followers to keep fast his teaching, promising that he and his
descendants would return, to reign again over them. This remarkable
legend, which was popular with all the Indian tribes, was one of the
most powerful auxiliaries of the Spanish conquerors, in whom the simple
Indians thought they recognised the lofty stature, noble mien, clear
complexion, and blue eyes, of the deity they had so long expected.
But talking of Cholula has made us forget that the train is going to
start: the guards, hurrying in every direction to look for us, summon
us into our carriages, the signal is given, and we speed away.
And now we notice on the platform of every station, detachments of
soldiers, with large felt hats, trimmed with silver ribbons and
tassels, whilst their horses, ready saddled, are stationed close by.
In spite of their baggy trousers and slouching hats, these men have a
military bearing, which shows them to be a picked body of troops, and
in fact they are the “rural guard,” lately formed, but already of the
greatest service; thanks to their vigilant intelligence, the country
is almost safe. This guard is recruited among the class described as
“having no occupation and no permanent abode,” and the Government gave
proof of its sagacity when it availed itself of this turbulent element,
which after having been the scourge of the country, now keeps it quiet.
It is a case of setting a thief to catch a thief; for the “rural,”
acquainted for twenty miles round with all the “old customers,” whose
accomplice he used to be, knows better than any one how to track an
escaped convict, or discover a secret haunt; and thanks to telegraphs
and railroads, _pronunciamentos_ have gone out of fashion, nipped in
the bud before they are given time to assume any large proportions.
From Apam, where we got out to look at the view, we proceed to Palma;
then Otumba, where Cortez, a few days after his evacuation of Mexico,
obtained a great victory over the Aztecs, in which their chief was
slain; and leaving Teotihuacan with its pyramids on the left, we reach
Mexico and St. Cosme Station.
[Illustration: CHURCH OF SAN DOMINGO. (_See p. 30._)]