FURTHER EXPLORATION OF THE RUINS IN THE VICINITY OF THE RANCHO DE LAS
PIEDRAS.
Situation of the Ruins.--Their probable antiquity.--A
remarkable female head.--Description of it.--Where
found.--Brought to New York.--Another head.--Difficulty of
getting at it.--Its collossal proportions.--A particular
description.--Indians disposed to leave me, but induced to
remain.--The American Sphinx.--Description.--Conjectures of
its origin and design.--Curiously ornamented head.--Its
peculiar features.--Exploring the ruins a difficult
work.--Annoyances.--Deserted by the Indians.--A delicate
situation.--A fortunate escape.
These ruins are situated, as near as I could calculate with the primitive
instruments constructed for the occasion, in longitude 98 deg. 31' west, and
latitude 22 deg. 9' north, covering a space of several miles square, and have
every appearance of being the remains of a single town. The whole place is
completely covered with trees of the largest growth, so thickly
interspersed with the rankest vegetation, that even the sun, or daylight
itself, can scarcely find its way among them. So very dense and dark is the
forest, and so constant and extensive the decomposition of vegetable matter
going on beneath it, that it impregnates the whole region with a humid and
unwholesome atmosphere. It is true, that these circumstances have, in a
great degree, hastened the dilapidation of the works of human skill around;
but, nevertheless, they furnish indisputable evidence of the great
antiquity of those works.
[Illustration: FEMALE HEAD.]
Among these ruins, I found a remarkable head, which, with various other
relics of antiquity from the same interesting region, I had the honor of
depositing in the collection of the New York Historical Society. This head,
or rather face, a drawing of which I have the pleasure of here presenting
to the reader, resembles that of a female. It is beautifully cut from a
fine sandstone, of a dark reddish hue, which abounds in this vicinity. The
face, which is of the ordinary life size, stands out, in full relief, from
the rough block, as if it were in an unfinished state, or as if designed to
occupy a place among the ornamental work of a building. In several of its
features, the lines are decidedly Grecian, and the symmetry and beauty of
its proportions have been very much admired. How and where the artist may
have obtained his model, and how far the existence of it may be deemed to
confirm the statements of Plato and Aristotle, and favor the conjecture of
an early settlement on this continent by the Phoenician navigators, I
shall not now stay to inquire.
This striking figure I found, lying among vast piles of broken and
crumbling stones, the ruins of dilapidated buildings, which were strewed
over a vast space. It was in a remarkably good state of preservation,
except the nose, which was slightly mutilated; not sufficiently so,
however, to lose its uniformity, or destroy the beautiful symmetry of its
proportions. The fillet, or band of the head-dress, which conceals the
frontal developments, is unlike any thing found among the sculptured
remains in this country, or worn by any of the native tribes.
On discovering this remarkable piece of sculpture--remarkable considering
the place where it was found--I immediately commenced making a drawing of
it. But, before completing the sketch, I was so struck with its singular
beauty and perfection, that I determined to lay violent hands on it, and
bring it away with me; fearing that a mere drawing would not be sufficient
evidence, to the incredulous world, of the existence of such a piece of
work among the ruins of places, which had been built and peopled, according
to the commonly received opinion, by a race of semi-barbarians. It was a
work of no little labor and difficulty to secure it. But I finally
succeeded in giving it a comfortable and a safe lodgment on the back of my
mule, and so brought it to the bank of the river, where I em_bark_ed it in
a canoe. It had several narrow escapes by the way, but was, at length,
safely landed in New York.
[Illustration: COLOSSAL HEAD.]
I also discovered among the rubbish, in this place, and not far from the
spot where the above described Grecian head was found, another large
stone, with a head well sculptured upon its surface, in bold relief, as
represented in the accompanying engraving. It was buried up in a mass of
superincumbent ruins, and was only brought to light in the course of my
laborious excavations. On removing the loose stones and dust which covered
it--the labor of nearly a whole day--it stood as represented in the sketch.
The face was not so finely chiselled, nor had it the same regular classic
beauty of feature and proportion, as the one first seen and described; but
still there is much in its general appearance to attract attention. It is
different from any thing heretofore discovered on this side of the
Atlantic. The features, like those of the head which I brought away with
me, are decidedly those of the Caucasian race, bearing no resemblance to
those of any of the tribes on this continent. The ears are rather large,
and the hair is represented rather by a series of regular flutings, than by
any attempt at the wavy lines, which are ordinarily deemed essential to
grace in this capital ornament. A band, or collar, passes round from the
back of the neck, close to, and supporting the face, and meeting in a
point, a few inches below the chin.
The stone on which this figure was cut was circular, twelve feet in
diameter, and three in thickness. The head, covering more than half its
area, was of course of colossal proportions. The periphery of this mighty
wheel was geometrically accurate and regular, and smoothly chiselled off,
and would have served well, in ancient times, to fulfil the tartarean
destiny of Sisyphus, or, in these modern times, for a Yankee mill-stone. It
was a laborious task to clear away the stones and dirt that had been
accumulating about it, perhaps for ages. But the sight of it, when placed
in an upright position, amply repaid me for all the toil and fatigue, which
it cost me to effect it.
It was only with the greatest difficulty that I could keep my Indian allies
at work. The influence of presents and coaxing was exhausted, long before I
had attained my purpose with regard to this colossal figure-head. I then
turned preacher, and addressed myself to their superstitious notions with
some effect; calling up my little stock of proverbial wisdom, to stimulate
them to new exertions, and giving them to understand that I expected to
find something better than loose and broken stones, in turning up the soil,
and rummaging among the ruined sepulchres of the departed. They did not
comprehend the drift of my oracular discourse; but, like many other
sermons, too profound for the comprehension of the hearers, it increased
their reverence for the preacher, and made them more submissive to my
orders.
The next object which arrested my attention, was one, the sight of which
carried back my imagination to ages of classic interest, and to the marvels
of human art and power, on the banks of the river of Egypt. It was not
perhaps a Sphinx, in the language of the critical and fastidious
antiquarian; but sure I am, that no one, however scrupulous for the honor
of oriental antiquities, could see it, without being strongly reminded of
the fabulous monster of Thebes, and secretly wishing that he was so far an
Oedipus, as to be able to solve the inexplicable riddle of its origin and
design. It was the figure, as represented in the accompanying engraving, of
a mammoth _turtle_, with the head of a man boldly protruded from under its
gigantic shell. The figure of the amphibious monster measured over six feet
in length, with a proportional width, and rested upon a huge block of
concrete sandstone. The back was correctly and artistically wrought,
displaying the exact form, and all the scale lines of the turtle in good
proportion. There were also, in many parts distinctly visible, fainter
lines, to show that the peculiar arabesque of that ornamental shield had
not been overlooked by the artist.
[Illustration: THE AMERICAN SPHINX.]
All the other parts were equally true to nature. It was much broken and
mutilated, especially the human protuberance; but not sufficiently so to
destroy the evidences of the skill with which it had been designed, and of
the masterly workmanship with which it had been wrought. This head must,
originally, have been an unusually fine specimen of ancient American art.
Like all the others found in this region, it has the Caucasian outline and
contour, and in its finish and expression, is strongly marked with the
unmistakable impress of genius. It is rare, among these works, to meet with
an entire head, like this. They are generally half buried in the rock from
which they were hewn, as if designed to be placed in some conspicuous
position in the facade, or interior wall of a building. This work gives the
head complete, and the posterior developments of the cranium, as the
phrenologist would say, are those of an intellectual and moral cast--that
is to say, they are quite subordinate to the frontal developments. The
forehead was originally high and broad, though the mutilated appearance of
the upper part, as given in the plate, would leave a different impression.
The nose, as far as it remains is beautifully shaped and finely chiselled,
as are also the lips, the chin, and the ears.
It is only for me to describe things as I saw them, leaving it to others,
more profound than myself in antiquarian researches, to frame appropriate
theories for their explanation. But I could not avoid the temptation to
pause a little over this singular curiosity, with a lurking disposition to
catechise conjecture, respecting its probable signification and end. But it
was all in vain--a mere reverie of guess-work, without beginning or clue.
Whether it was the offspring of a simple freak of the imagination of the
artist;--whether it was one of the symbols of the worship of that unknown
race, for whom the artist exercised his unholy craft of making "gods which
are yet no gods;"--whether it was a quaint hieroglyphical memorial of some
remarkable epoch in their history--some luckless Jonah half swallowed by a
turtle, and for ever struggling to escape;--whether it was the emblematic
device of a club of artistic gourmands, the sign to be placed over the door
of their banqueting hall, designed to acknowledge and illustrate the
intimate union and sympathy, the identity of nature, between man and beast,
in those who "make a god of their belly;"--these are alternatives of
conjecture, upon which we may speculate as we will, but from which it is
neither safe nor easy to make a definite choice.
The probable history and design of "the American Sphinx"--for such I have
taken the liberty to name it--will, I trust, be made a matter of more sober
and successful enquiry by some future traveller, more skilled than I can
profess to be in antiquarian researches. It is an ample field, strewn on
every side with subjects of the deepest interest. And he who shall first,
by means of these only records that remain, scattered, disconnected, and
crumbling into hopeless decay, decypher some legible tale of probability,
and unravel a leading clue to the history of these now inexplicable relics,
will win and deserve the admiring gratitude of all, who are curious to
investigate the ever changing aspects of human society.
I had scarcely met with any thing, in all my rambles, more full of exciting
interest, than the field I was now exploring; and I never so much regretted
being alone. For a well read antiquarian to talk with--for a curioso in
hieroglyphical lore to trace out the mystic lines, and give an intelligent
signification to the grotesque images about me--I would have given my last
maravedi, and the better half of my humble stock of provisions. Fragments
of various kinds, and of every size and form, lay scattered around me, on
every side, in the immediate vicinity of this "American Sphinx," affording
in their shapes, though mutilated and imperfect, and in the lines of
sculpture still traceable upon many of them, satisfactory _prima facie_
evidence of having once composed the ornamental decorations of immense and
splendid edifices, which now lay in utter ruins at my feet.
The place where I stood had evidently been the site of a large city,
thronged with busy multitudes of human beings, whose minds were cultivated
and refined, whose hearts throbbed high with human affections, and human
hopes, and who doubtless dreamed, as we do, that their works would make
their names immortal. But where are they? A thousand echoes, from the hills
and walls around, answer--_where_?
[Illustration: AN ORNAMENTED HEAD.]
Proceeding with my excavations, and turning over large masses of earth, and
stones of every size and shape, I was at length rewarded with the discovery
of another figure, somewhat resembling, but in many respects unlike, those
which I have already shown. A sketch of it is given in the above engraving.
It was merely the face, standing out in full relief from the block, which
was entirely cut away from the top and bottom, but left, in two nearly
circular projections, at the sides. The head ornaments are striking and
peculiar. They are not, as might be supposed from their appearance in the
reduced scale of the engraving, miniature heads. If they were, I should
venture to find in them another item of Grecian mythology, and boldly
assume that the head was that of Jupiter, with three young Minervas in the
act of issuing from his pregnant brain. Nor would the appearance of three,
instead of one, in any manner stagger my faith, since it is well known,
that America exceeds all other parts of the world in human and animal
fecundity, as well as in the fertility of its soil. And why not equally so
in its mythological reproductions? But, alas! for one of the most promising
theories that ever was conceived, these ornaments are only balls, with
slight indentations, connected together by a band running across the top of
the head, and terminating at the sides, just above the ears. A phrenologist
might possibly discern in them, the overgrown diseased developments of the
intellectual organs residing in that part of the cranium.
The ears of this figure are monstrous, being nearly half the size of the
face. The features, and the whole contour of the face, like the other two,
will be seen to be entirely Caucasian, having no element of the Indian or
American, in any of its lines. It is seventeen inches in length, twenty one
in breadth, including the huge ears, and ten in thickness. It was found in
the side of a large pile of ruins, the remains of dilapidated walls and
buildings, of which it had evidently formed one of the ornamental parts.
There were fragments of others of the same general character, but none in
so good preservation as this, which require a distinct description.
It required but a few days to examine this part of the country,--and I was
really glad when the time expired;--for, besides the immense labor of
cutting every step of our way through a dense shrubbery, which covers most
of the country, and a wilderness of trees and thickets, matted and woven
together with thousands of creepers, together with plants, rendered almost
impenetrable by their thorns, which, like spears, would pierce at every
movement,--we had also to contend with myriads of insects of which the
reading world has already heard so much from learned travellers, that it
might be deemed a work of supererogation to speak of them again, and which,
it will be observed are herein named, only in connection with other
obstacles of greater magnitude,--such as the poisonous tarantula, which is
often disturbed from its stony bed, and the tiger of the country, sometimes
started from the thickets! But, to be _deserted_ in this extremity, is a
thing not easily to be borne. Yet so it was. My recently enlisted Indian
comrades, being entirely out-done and astonished, gave me up as a wild or
crazy man, and fled to their homes! Thus forsaken,--but not until after a
week of research, I returned in safety to "the lady's room," where I found
my Indian allies had arrived some days before me.
While pursuing my solitary researches, after my aids had absconded, I was
obliged to satisfy myself with such objects of curiosity as lay upon the
surface, without any effort to remove obstructions, or excavate among the
ruins. There was little to be gained in this way. Moreover, as I have
hinted above, there was much discomfort, and no little danger, in remaining
alone, as will be seen by the following incident.
[Illustration: A SITUATION.]
I had swung my hammock, as usual, between two trees, and, having lighted my
watch-fires in the open space around, had passed a comfortable night, with
no other intrusion than dreams of home, and the musical hum of musquitoes.
Very early in the morning, I was startled by a rustling in the thicket near
by. Lifting myself up, in some alarm, I was by no means gratified, or
quieted, by the appearance of a full grown tiger, creeping stealthily along
through the rank growth of grass and weeds, which skirted the thicket, and
peering at me, as if he had not yet provided himself a breakfast. Happily,
my fires were still burning, and the sight of them brought the intruder to
a pause. I seized my gun, and made ready to give him the best reception in
my power, in case he should show any disposition to cultivate a further
acquaintance. In this situation, certainly not very agreeable to me,
whatever it might have been to my unwelcome forest visitor, we remained
more than two hours, intently eyeing each other, as if preparing for the
deadly contest. They were hours of as painful and absorbing suspense, as
any that I ever experienced. I had little doubt that one or the other of us
must fall a sacrifice to this ill considered and unexpected meeting. But I
was disappointed. Whether it was want of appetite, or a disrelish for the
smoke of my watch-fires, or an instinctive apprehension of other fires, and
a more distasteful smoke, in reserve for him, I know not, and did not care
to ask him. But, after several times changing his position from side to
side, as if seeking a favorable point of attack, he slunk away, as
cautiously as he came, turning wistfully round several times, in his
retreat, as if half resolved not to leave me, or somewhat suspicious that
his escape would be interrupted. I had many misgivings about his return
during the day, feeling that I would rather risk such a meeting in my
hammock, guarded by the watch-fires, than in my solitary and unprotected
rambles through the forest.
[Illustration]