VISIT TO THE ANCIENT TOWN OF PANUCO. RUINS. CURIOUS RELICS FOUND THERE.
The route.--Scenery.--The wild Fig Tree.--Panuco.--Its
history.--Present appearance of the town.--Language.--Ruins
in the vicinity.--Discovery of the sepulchral
effigy.--Description of it.--Situation in which it was
found.--Resemblance to figures on the tomb of the Knights
Templar.--A conjecture.--An influence.--A
conclusion.--Extensive ruins of Cerro Chacuaco, and other
places.--Vases found there.--Probably of modern date.
During my sojourn in the interior, I made another exploring excursion, in
order to visit the ancient town of Panuco; where I was received with the
greatest kindness and hospitality, both by the white and the half-breed
inhabitants of the place. My route lay along the banks of the river, and
across the prairies; the common road being by a bridle path, through the
woods, and never successfully travelled, but with the greatest care and
watchfulness. The ranchos and milpas, (small farms) assumed a better
appearance than was expected; and we passed several fields of ripe corn and
cane, owned principally, by Indians. But even here, every thing, whether
Indian or Mexican, wears a primitive look.
Proceeding up the river, which retained its width of half a mile, we found
the scenery on either side continually improving as we went, and opening
new views of the most picturesque and romantic beauty. I visited many of
the Indian huts that lay in our way, the occupants of which were very
civil; but it was quite impossible here, as in other places, to convince
the people, that acquisition of _gold_ was not the object of my visit,--a
circumstance which may, perhaps, in some degree, account for the fact, that
I could obtain from them so little information respecting the neighboring
country.
The wild fig-tree, which bears a small fruit, resembling that of the
cultivated tree in Louisiana, grows here to a vast extent and beauty,
having, from its wide-spreading branches, suckers, which hang down and
touch the ground, where they take root and grow in size equal to the
original trunk,--thus giving to the tree, the appearance of a frame house
with supporters and rafters. This beautiful tree also resembles the Banyan
of South America, and belongs to that class.
There are, likewise, in this vicinity, many other trees of curious and rare
growth, some of which, being filled with fruit and blossoms at the same
time, present a most unusual and pleasing appearance. Others, adorned with
parasitical plants, intertwined with graceful vines and fragrant with
flowers, afford a paradise for birds of the most brilliant plumage, and
give indescribable richness and beauty to the scene.
Panuco is an old town of the _Huestacos_, and is subject to occasional
inundations during the rainy season. According to Bernal Diaz, this is the
place conquered by Cortes, at so great an expense of life and treasure. At
the period of the conquest, this was a position of much consequence, as may
be inferred from the fact, that the conqueror petitioned Charles the Fifth
to add its government to that of New Spain. This request being granted, a
garrison was accordingly placed there, and commended to the guardian care
of _St. Stephen_,--a name which holds its influence there to the present
day. It was the powerful and heroic race of the Huestacos that once dwelt
here; a race so hated by the ruthless invaders of Mexico, that, if they had
had power to accomplish their fiendish desire, not a vestige of that noble
people would have been found remaining. But, even the wasting influences of
time, and that desolating bigotry which rioted in the destruction of every
thing that was not consecrated, or, more properly speaking, desecrated to
the idolatry of Rome, has not been found sufficient to destroy the marks of
their genius, or entirely to obliterate the memory of their deeds, and the
monuments of their greatness. The remains of pyramids, dwellings, household
utensils, ornaments and weapons, all tend to convince me that the arts once
flourished upon the spot, where now dwells a listless, idle race of
Mexicans, retrograding as the year rolls on, even more rapidly than the
decay of the ruins around them.
Panuco is the only town above Tampico, on the Panuco River, and contains
only about four thousand inhabitants. It is beautifully located on the
banks of the river, in the state of Vera Cruz, about thirty leagues from
Tampico, by water, and fifteen by land. It is not laid out with any degree
of regularity. The streets of the town look deserted, and wear a
melancholy aspect. The houses are of bamboo, with mud walls, which have
been once apparently white-washed, and thatched roofs. There are no public
buildings, little or no business, and only a few shops, established chiefly
for the sale of intoxicating liquors.
The language spoken by the Indians, in this region, might, with much
propriety, be termed an amalgamation of many different dialects, in which
that of the Huestaco predominates. Father Tapia Zenteno, made an effort to
render it into form;--but, he did not succeed very well,--the confusion of
tongues being more than a match for his etymological skill. Indeed, I
imagine there are few in this region, who would not faint under the task.
It might well be taken for a modern representation of Babel, or, perhaps,
for an abortive attempt to harmonize the discordant elements of that
ancient Pandemonium of Tongues.
The learned Mr. Gallatin, the venerable president of the "New York
Historical Society," and of the "Ethnological Society of New York," has
recently published in the "Proceedings" of the last mentioned body, a
dissertation, in which he shows conclusively, that the languages of North
and Central America, belong, grammatically, to the same family, however
much they may differ in words.
We have reason to be grateful, that the researches of the Antiquarian in
our own country, have furnished the lovers of Ethnological lore, with much
valuable material for the development of a science which has, within a few
short years, arrived at an eminent degree of importance.
[Illustration: SEPULCHRAL EFFIGY.]
In the vicinity of the town of Panuco, are ruins of ancient places,
scattered over an area of several miles. Their history is entirely unknown
to the inhabitants; nor do any of them, as far as I could learn, manifest
the slightest curiosity to ascertain who were the builders, or in what
manner they have been exterminated from their ancient inheritance. I could
not discover the trace of a tradition, or conjecture, on the subject, among
any of the people, though I sought for it with great diligence.
Several days were employed in exploring this neighborhood, our toils being
lightened, occasionally, by the discovery of things new and strange. Among
the rest, there was one, which I deem a very remarkable curiosity; so much
so, that I shall satisfy myself with presenting that to the reader, as the
sole representative of the ruins of this interesting spot. It was a
handsome block, or slab of stone, of this form,
[Illustration]
measuring seven feet in length, with an average of nearly two and a half in
width, and one foot in thickness. Upon its face, was beautifully wrought,
in bold relief, the full length figure of a man, in a loose robe, with a
girdle about his loins, his arms crossed on his breast, his head encased in
a close cap, or casque, resembling the Roman helmet, (as represented in the
etchings of Pinelli,) without the crest, and his feet and ankles bound with
the ties of sandals.
The edges of this block were ornamented with a plain raised border, about
an inch and a half square, making a very neat and appropriate finish to the
whole. The execution was equal to that of the very best that I have seen
among the wonderful relics of this country, and would reflect no discredit
upon the artists of the old world. Indeed, I doubt not, that the discovery
of such a relic among the ruined cities of Italy or Egypt, would send a
thrill of unwonted delight and surprise through all the marvel-hunting
circles, and literary clubs, of Europe, and make the fortune of the
discoverer. The figure is that of a tall, muscular man, of the finest
proportions. The face, in all its features, is of the noblest class of the
European, or Caucasian race. The robe is represented as made with full
sleeves, and falling a little below the knees, exposes the fine proportions
of the lower limbs.
This block, which I regarded with unusual interest, and would by all means
have brought away with me, if it had been in my power, I found lying on the
side of a ravine, partially resting upon the dilapidated walls of an
ancient sepulchre, of which nothing now remains but a loose pile of hewn
stones. It was somewhat more than four feet below the present surface of
the ground, and was brought to light in the course of my excavations,
having accidently discovered a corner of the slab, and the loose stones
about it, which were laid open by the rush of waters in the rainy season,
breaking out a new and deep channel to the river. The earth that lay upon
it was not an artificial covering. It bore every evidence of being the
natural accumulation of time; and a very long course of years must have
been requisite to give it so deep a burial.
I caused the stone to be raised, and placed in a good position for drawing.
The engraving on the opposite page is a correct and faithful sketch of this
wonder of ancient American art, as I left it. Those of my readers who have
visited Europe, will not fail to notice a resemblance between this, and the
stones that cover the tombs of the Knights Templar, in some of the ancient
churches of the old world. It must not be supposed, however strongly the
prima facie evidence of the case may seem to favor the conjecture, that
this resemblance affords any conclusive proof, that the work is of European
origin, or of modern date. The material is the same as that of all the
buildings, and works of art, in this vicinity, and the style and
workmanship are those of the great unknown artists of the Western
Hemisphere.
According to Gomara, it was customary with the ancient Americans, to place
the figure of a deceased king on the "chest" in which his ashes were
deposited. Is it improbable, when we take into view the progress which the
arts had made among these unknown nations, as evinced by the ruins I have
recently visited, and others scattered over all this region, that this
"chest" was sometimes, nay generally, of stone? That it was in fact, in the
language of oriental antiquity, a sarcophagus? And is it not possible, that
the tablet which I have here brought to light, is that of one of the
monarchs of that unknown race, by whom all these works were constructed? I
am strongly of opinion that it is so, and that a further and deeper
exploration in the same vicinity, would discover other relics of the same
kind, and open to the view of the explorer, the royal cemetery of one of
the powerful nations of Anahuac.
If I am justified in this conjecture,--and it is impossible to convey to
the reader any adequate impression of the collateral and incidental
evidences, which, to one on the spot, spring up at every step, to give
color and support to such a conjecture,--then may I venture one step
farther, and infer that the ruins of this vicinity, are those of a capital
city, a royal residence of one of those ancient empires--the seat of its
court--the place of the sepulchres of its kings. There is nothing either in
the magnitude and extent of the ruins, or in the traces of elaborate art
expended in their construction and finish, to throw a shade over such an
inference. The area occupied by them is sufficiently vast for the
metropolis of any empire, ancient or modern. The ruins are those which
might have belonged to palaces and temples, as magnificent and extensive as
any that have yet been discovered in the Western World. The style and
finish of those that are sufficiently preserved to justify an opinion, are
as elaborate and complete, as the most perfect specimens of ancient
American art that have fallen under my observation. While the evidences are
not slight, that a vast area of similar remains lies buried under the soil,
which, for ages has been accumulating upon them, by natural deposit during
the rainy seasons, and the gradual abrasion of the adjacent mountains.
If the above inference be deemed admissible, it cannot be thought
extravagant to conclude, that these ruins are of very ancient date, and
belong to the history of a people, much older than any respecting whom we
have any authentic records--a people who had probably passed away before
the era of the Spanish conquest. It seems to me impossible to come to any
other conclusion. And I cannot avoid expressing my surprise, at the
apparent ease with which some writers have arrived at a different result.
As an argument on the subject may not be acceptable to all my readers, I
will not cumber this part of the work with any further speculations, but
reserve them for a closing chapter, which can be omitted by those whose
minds are made up, or who do not feel interested to go below the surface,
in order to unravel the enigmas of time.
There are other ruins, situated south of Panuco, at the distance of about
three leagues. They are known as the ruins of "Cerro Chacuaco." They are
represented as covering an extent of about three leagues square, with
unquestionable evidence that they were all comprised within the bounds of
one vast city. I may also mention those of "San Nicholas," distant five
leagues on the south west, and those of "A la Trinidad," about six leagues
in nearly the same direction. There are also other ruins, of which I
obtained some information, at a still greater distance. Indeed, it would
appear that the whole region is full of them, on every side--melancholy
memorials of the immense numbers, as well as of the mighty power and wealth
of the ill-fated race, that once flourished here. As far as I could rely
upon the information received, all these ruins present the same general
features, as those which I have already described. It is probable that they
all belong to the same period, and were built by the same race; and the
evidence is clear to my mind, that that race was much more ancient, and
further advanced in the arts of civilized life, than any of the American
races now remaining, or any whose history has come down to us.
It was among the ruins of "Cerro Chacuaco," that the two vases represented
below, were found. They are made of the common clay of the country, well
wrought and handsomely formed, and could not have been made as they are,
without some mechanical contrivance. The head on the first and larger one
is decidedly that of the negro, with low, retreating forehead, flat nose,
and thick lips. From this circumstance, I should judge it to be of recent
origin, as there is no evidence that any of the African race were ever
found in America, till they were introduced there as slaves in the
sixteenth century. The natives, degraded as they are at the present day,
are not unskilful in the manufacture of pottery, for common uses; and
these, though of a higher finish than any that I have seen there, might
have been lost, or left among the ruins, by some passing traveller. I am
the more inclined to this opinion, from the circumstance that the people
here take no interest whatever in examining the ruins, and would never
think of going beneath the surface, to find anything that might be buried
under them. I therefore conclude that these must have been found in some
open place, above ground, where they could not have lain many years,
without crumbling into decay.
[Illustration]