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stands a pyramid, measuring five hundred and fifty feet at its base, gradually drawing in towards the summit, which presents a large platform, upon which is erected a square building, about twenty feet in height, making the whole of the structure one hundred and twenty feet high. This pyramid contained rooms, curiously constructed, and ornamented with rare carvings and architectural devices, which are detailed by our author with great mi

nuteness.

About the centre of the city of ChiChen is the Dome, a structure of beautiful proportions, though partially in ruins. "It rests upon a finished foundation, the interior of which contains three conic structures, one within the other, a space of six feet intervening; each cone communicating with the others by door-ways, the inner one forming the shaft. At the height of about ten feet the cones are united by means of transoms of zuporte. Around these cones are evidences of spiral stairs, leading to the summit."

But by far the most extraordinary ruin, as we judge from the author's description, that has yet been discovered in Central America, is the "House of the Caciques," a front view of which, through the kindness of the author, we have been permitted to present to our readers. The engraving represents merely the front of a portion of the main building. A view of the rest of this stupendous edifice, which may be found in the work, gives one the most exalted idea of the skill and wealth of its unknown architects. We do not hesitate to present Mr. Norman's description of these ruins at length:

"Situated about three rods south-west of the ruins of the Dome, are those of the House of the Caciques. I cut my way through the thick growth of small wood to this sublime pile, and by the aid of my compass was enabled to reach the east front of the building. Here I felled the trees that hid it, and the whole front was opened to my view, presenting the most strange and incomprehensible pile of architecture that my eyes ever beheld-ela borate, elegant, stupendous, yet belonging to no order now known to us. front of this wonderful edifice measures thirty-two feet, and its height twenty, extending to the main building fifty feet. Over the door-way, which favors the Egyptian style of architecture, is a heavy

VOL. XI.-NO. LIII.

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lintel of stone, containing two double rows of hieroglyphics, with a sculptured ornament intervening. Above these are the remains of hooks carved in stone, with raised lines of drapery running through them, which, apparently, have been broken off by the falling of the heavy finishing from the top of the building, over which, beautifully executed borders, encircled surrounded by a variety of chaste and within a wreath, is a female figure in a sitting posture, in basso-relievo, having a head-dress of feathers, cords, and tassels, and the neck ornamented. The angles of this building are tastefully curved. The ornaments continue around the sides, which are divided into two compartments, different in their arrangement, though not in style. Attached to the angles are large projecting hooks, skilfully worked, and perfect rosettes and stars, with spears reversed, are put together with the utmost precision.

"The ornaments are composed of small about one to one and a half inches, apsquare blocks of stone, cut to the depth of parently with the most delicate instruments, and inserted by a shaft in the wall. The wall is made of large and uniformly square blocks of limestone, set in a mortar which appears to be as durable as the stone itself. In the ornamental borders of this building I could discover but little analogy with those known to me. most striking were those of the cornice and entablature, chevron and the cable moulding, which are characteristic of the

Norman architecture.

The

"The sides have three door-ways, each

opening into small apartments, which are finished with smooth square blocks of stone; the floors of the same material, but have been covered with cement, which is now broken. The apartments are small, owing to the massive walls enclosing them, and the acute-angled arch, forming the ceiling. The working and laying of the stone are as perfect as they could have been under the directions of a modern architect.

"Contiguous to this front are two irregular buildings, as represented in the plan. The one on the right, situated some twenty-five feet from it, (about two feet off the right line), has a front of about thirty-five feet, its sides ten wide, and its height twenty feet, containing one room similar in its finish to those before described. The front of this building is elaborately sculptured with rosettes and borders, and ornamental lines; the rear is formed of finely cut stone, now much broken. Near by are numerous heaps of hewn and broken stones, sculptured work and pillars.

"The other building on the left is about eight feet from the principal front, measuring twenty-two feet in length, thirteen in width, and thirty-six in height. The top is quite broken, and has the appearance of having been much higher. The agave Americana was growing thriftily upon its level roof. On all sides of this building are carved figures, broken images, in sitting postures; rosettes and ornamental borders, laid off in compartments; each compartment having three carved hooks on each side and angle. This building contains but one room, similar to that on the right. A soil has collected on the tops or roofs of these structures to the depth of three or four feet, in which trees and other vegetation are flourishing.

"From these portions of the ruins I worked my way through the wild thicket, by which they are surrounded, to the north side of the main building, in the centre of which I found a flight of small stone steps, overgrown with bushes and vines, which I cut away, and made an ascent by pulling myself up to the summit, a distance of forty feet. This platform is an oblong square, one hundred by seventy-five feet. Here a range of rooms were found, occupying about two-thirds of the area; the residue of the space probably formed a promenade, which is now filled up with crumbling ruins, covered with trees and grass. These rooms varied in size; the smallest of which measured six by ten, and the largest six by twenty

two feet.

"The most of these rooms were plastered, or covered with a fine white cement, some of which was still quite perfect. By washing them, I discovered fresco paintings; but they were much obliterated. The subjects could not be distinguished. On the eastern end of these rooms is a hall running transversely, four feet wide, (having the high angular ceiling), one side of which is filled with a variety of sculptured work, principally rosettes and borders, with rows of small pilasters; having three square recesses, and a small room on either side. Over the doorways of each are stone lintels, three feet square, carved with hieroglyphics both on the front and under side. The western end of these rooms is in almost total ruins. The northern side has a flight of stone steps, but much dilapidated, leading to the top; which, probably, was a look-out place, but is now almost in total ruins. The southern range of rooms is much broken; the outside of which yet shows the elaborate work with which the whole building was finished.

the interior of the main building. I discovered two breaches, caused, probably, by the enormous weight of the pile, and in these apertures I made excavations; but could not discover anything like apartments of any description. It seemed to be one vast body of stone and mortar, kept together by the great solidity of the outer wall, which was built in a masterly manner, of well-formed materials. The angles were finished off with circular blocks of stones, of a large and uniform size."

Mr. Norman subsequently visited the ruins of Ichmul, of Kahbah, Zayi, Nohcacab, Uxmal, and Campeachyall of which are described with great fidelity. They are all more or less to our readers a view of the ruins of striking and indicative. We present Zayi, taken by our author, with his own description of them:

"The Ruins of Zayi are situated in the midst of a succession of beautiful hills, forming around them, on every side, an enchanting landscape.

"The principal one is composed of a single structure, an immense pile, facing the south, and standing upon a slight natural elevation. The first foundation is now so broken that its original form cannot be fully determined; but it probably was that of a parallelogram. Its front wall shows the remains of rooms and ceilings, with occasional pillars, which, no doubt, supported the corridors. The height of this wall is about twenty feet, and, as near as I was able to measure around its base, (owing to the accumulation of ruins), it was two hundred and sixty-eicht feet long, and one hundred and sixteen wide.

"In the centre of this foundation stands the main building, the western half only remaining, with a portion of the steps, outside, leading to the top. This part shows a succession of corridors, occupying the whole front, each supported by two pillars, with plain square caps and plinths, and intervening spaces, filled with rows of small ornamented pillars. In the rear of these corridors are rooms of small dimensions and angular ceilings, without any light except that which the front affords. Over these corridors, or pillars, is a fine moulding finish, its angle ornamented with a hook similar to those of Chi-Chen."

Mr. Norman devotes a separate chapter at the conclusion of his detail of "I vainly endeavored to find access to the ruins to answering the three ques

tions, by whom, for what purpose, and when were these ruined cities built. To the two first he professes to have no very definite opinions, but relies chiefly upon the authority of Waldeck, De Solis, Morton, Wirt, Priest, Ledyard, Bradford, and others who have speculated upon this subject. Upon the last question of their date he differs entirely from Mr. Stephens, and we presume from the current of opinion, though we think for very plausible reasons,— in attributing to them as much as three thousand years of age. The ruins of Chi-Chen Mr. Norman thinks by far the oldest ruins that have yet been seen in Central America, and he bases his dissent principally upon his observations there. How far other travellers may be disposed to concur with him when they have visited Chi-Chen, and how far Mr. Stephens, who, we understand, subsequently went to these ruins, will see fit to modify his own previous impressions upon this subject, remains to be seen. So far as Mr. Stephens is concerned we are happy to add (en parenthèse) that this detention will not probably be long.

health. That such cannot be the case might, we think, be proved à priori, without a single experiment—that such is not the case has already been pretty clearly demonstrated by the inflexible logic of facts. The city of Guatimala is situated about five thousand feet above the level of the sea, and presents the unvarying temperature of spring from one year's end to another. The temperature is said never to oscillate more than eight or ten degrees. Add to this the country is visited by no fevers, or epidemics, or pestilential diseases; yet the people, says Dunn,-a very intelligent traveller in that country-the people are almost uniformly enervated both in body and in mind, and the average mortality is about one thirtieth annually.

The situation of the city of Lima has also been distinguished for the uniform temperature of its climate. Dr. Archibald Smith, who resided for a long period in that country, and published the result of his experience, in a book entitled "Peru as it is," tells us that the effect of this equability of temperature was "to enervate and degrade." Which shall eventually prove the Indeed the inhabitants of Lima seem true theory we do not yet presume even to pride themselves upon the subjugatto have an opinion. We have great ing influence of their climate, claiming respect for Mr. Norman's candor and its influence as a part of their national fidelity. We grieve, however, for all discipline. A writer in "Blackwood," that, that these people could not have speaking on this subject, says that left us something to mark time when a European arrives among them with-something the age of which in what is vulgarly called rude health we know, that we might have com--and rude it does certainly appear to pared these ruins with it. As it is, the effeminate Limeno-they survey we can only conjecture. We never him with a smile, and a "Dejale; before appreciated so fully the import- luego caerá," which may be Englished ance and extent of the poet's mission. in the words of the old song, There were more brave men than Horace ever thought of who lived before the time of Agamemnon,

"Sed omnes illachrymabiles

Urgentur ignotique longa
Nocte, carent quia vate sacro."

Mr. Norman appears to have but one opinion about the unfavorableness of the Yucatan climate to longevity. Nor does he recommend it to valetudinarians, under any circumstances. We regret that he had not extended his researches in this direction, for we think he might have found more unmistakable proof of the absurdity quite prevalent with us of looking to climates of uniform temperature for good

"Never mind him, let him beBy and by he'll follow thee." When that ferocious and truculent

old Viceroy Amat arrived in Lima, the following pasquinade was put up in the public square, "Aquí se amansan leones," "Lions tamed here," and it is said that they one day brought the matter to the test by throwing a line across the street where his carriage was waiting at the palace gates so as to stop his way. But how tame and how patient was the lion become! He merely ordered his coachman to turn around, and take the opposite direction.

In the city of Lima, says Mr. Smith, one twentieth of the population die annually-a most alarming average.

It is very rare that one encounters an aged native of any climate of an equable temperature. It is to be regretted that statistics upon this subject are at present so deficient.

In the second place, we have no doubt that such a climatic condition is equally adverse to the activity of the mental forces. For a glaring illustration of this, observe the population of the uniformly hot climates of Southern Asia and Central Africa, and unless they live upon islands, or near the sea, where the temperature undergoes va riation, they are scarcely more intelligent than brutes. Or take the people residing in the polar regions, where the climate is uniformly cold. We look in vain in either of these quarters of the world for great thinkers, for invention, or for discovery. The reasons are so obvious that we could foretell the fact if it had not already passed into history. To say nothing of the debilitat ing effects of an unchanging temperature upon the physical energies, and thus indirectly upon the mind, making it indisposed to labor-the same variety of sensations, and therefore the same amount of experience, is not acquired by the inhabitant of such a climate as of one like ours, subject to frequent and severe changes. He does not acquire as much of that untaught knowledge which constitutes by far the largest portion of man's real learning. Every change should give us a new idea; but to remain for a long time before one class of objects, and subject to a single class of impressions, will inevitably debilitate some other faculties which are not provoked to activity. "Adeo sentire semper idem, et non sentire, ad idem recidunt," says Hobbes. It is a familiar fact to the physiologist, that keeping a limb for a long time in one position will end in paralysing it. It is precisely thus with the mind: unless the subjects of its activity are frequently changed it will become paralysed. Who shall pretend to measure the influence wrought upon our judgment, our tastes, our moral character, our wills, &c., by the frequent changes and annoyances of our uneven climate? One should be a very close student of the phenomena of his own nature that could detect any percep tible accretion to the volume of his

character from any single change of this kind, or who could attribute any new sensation, impression, or capability, to any such external accident in particular; but when we reflect how incessantly these influences are operating upon us by night and by day, at our labors or our amusements, sitting or walking, consciously and unconsciously to ourselves, it will be very obvious that these educational influences cannot be spared, and that their absence should be looked upon as a calamity.

The plates, of which there are some thirty or forty in this volume, do great credit to Mr. Norman, who sketched them himself upon the spot. They represent all the important ruins which the author visited the city of Campeachy from the water-the port of Sisal, "the Dome" and "the Pyramid," at Chi-Chen, "the Governor's House," " the Pyramid," " the Pigeon Houses," at Uxmal, &c.

In referring to the plates we are reminded of one of the most interesting and valuable features of the work, which had nearly escaped us. While in Yucatan Mr. Norman informs us that he found a collection of twelve or fourteen idols, which he supposes to have been worshipped by the original inhabitants of this country. They were found among the ruins which he visited. They are composed of clay, apparently hardened by fire, and resemble the pottery of the present day. They are hollow, and contain little balls, about the size of a pea, which are supposed to have been formed of the ashes of victims sacrificed to the god they inhabit. Careful copies of these idols have been made, and will be found among the other engravings with which this work is illustrated.

We regret that we have no more space to devote to this very interesting work; but no adequate idea of the extent and magnificence of these ruins can be presented within the limited range of a magazine. It is a book which all will desire to read, and we should do injustice, both to the author and his readers, by dissipating the enjoyment which may be anticipated from a careful perusal of the "Rambles in Yucatan."

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