American Antiquities: Corroborative of the Book of Mormon (19 May 1860)

AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES,

CORROBORATIVE OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.

(Continued from page 301.)

It was 150 feet high on the slope, and about 250 feet long at the base. At the top, the mound, with the building upon it, had separated and fallen apart. . . We ascended on the fallen side, and, reaching the top, found, descending on the south side, a gigantic staircase, overgrown, but with the great stone steps still in their places, and almost entire. The ruined building on the top consisted of a single corridor, but three feet fire inches wide; and, with the ruins of Nohpat at our feet, we looked out upon a great desolate plain studded with overgrown mounds. . . Descending the mound, we passed around by the side of the staircase and rose upon an elevated platform, in the centre of which was a huge and rude round stone, like that called the picote in the courtyards at Uxmal. At the base of the steps was a large flat stone, having sculptured upon it a colossal human figure in bas-relief. . . At a short distance to the south-east of the court-yard was another platform or terrace, about 20 feet high and 200 feet square, on two sides of which were ranges of buildings standing at right angles to each other. . . Beyond this was another terrace, having on it ruined buildings overgrown with trees. . . Leaving this neighbourhood, and passing by many ruined buildings and mounds, at the distance of six or seven hundred feet, we reached an open place … in the vicinity of three mounds, … and in the open space were some sculptured monuments, shattered, fallen, and some of them half-buried. . . The mounds and vestiges of buildings were, perhaps, as numerous as those of Uxmal, but they were all ruined. . . I proceed at once to the ruins of Kabah. . . The Teocalis … is about 180 feet square at the base, and rises in a pyramidal form to the height of 80 feet. At the foot is a range of ruined apartments. . . Leaving this mound, again taking the Milpa path, and following it to the distance of three or four hundred yards, we reach the foot of a terrace twenty feet high, the edge of which is overgrown with trees. Ascending this, we stand on a platform 200 feet in width by 142 feet deep, and facing us is the building represented in the plate opposite. On the right of the platform, as we approach this building, is a high range of structure ruined and overgrown with trees. . . On the left is another range of ruined buildings, not so grand as those on the right; and in the centre of the platform is a stone enclosure, 27 feet square and seven feet high, like that surrounding the picote at Uxmal; but the layer of stones around the base was sculptured; and, on examination, we found a continuous line of hieroglyphics. ... In the centre of the platform is a range of stone steps 40 feet wide and 20 in number, leading to an upper terrace, on which stands the building. This building is 151 feet front, and the moment we saw it we were struck with the extraordinary richness and ornament of its facade. . . On the top is a structure. . . It reminded us of the towering structures of some of the ruined buildings at Palanque. … The only purpose we could ascribe to it was that of ornament. . . The facade and front apartments . . formed not more than one-third of the building. . . The whole edifice formed nearly a square; and, though having less front, with a great solid mass, nearly as thick as one of the corridors, for the centre wall, it covered nearly as many square feet as the Casa del Gobernador, and probably, from its lavishment of ornament, contained more sculptured stone. . . Descending the corner of the back terrace, at the distance of a few paces rises a broken and overgrown mound, on which stands a ruined building. . . On the left of this mound is a staircase leading down to the area of casa No. 2, and on the right is a grand and majestic pile of buildings, having no name assigned to it, and which, perhaps, when entire, was the most imposing structure at Kabah. It measured at the base 147 feet on one side, and 106 on the other, and consisted of three distinct stories or ranges, one on the roof of the other, the second smaller than the first, and the third smaller than the second, having on each side a broad platform in front. Along the base, on all of the four sides, was a continuous range of apartments, with the doorways supported by pillars; and on the side fronting the rear of casa No. 1 was another new and interesting feature. This was a gigantic stone staircase rising to the roof, on which stood the second range of apartments. . . The buildings on the top are ruined. . . The doorways of the ranges on the north side of this mound opened upon the area of casa No. 2. The platform of thi3 area is 170 feet long, 110 broad, and is elevated ten feet from the ground. . . The plate opposite represents the front of this building, and the picote or great stone found thrown down in all the courtyards and area3 is exhibited on one side in the engraving. The edifice stands upon an upper terrace; forming a breastwork for which, and running the whole length, 164 feet, is a range of apartments, with their doors opening upon the area. The front wall and the roof of this range have nearly all fallen. A ruined staircase rises from the centre of the platform to the roof of this range, which forms the platform in front of the principal building. . . The whole front was ornamented with sculpture. . . The lintels over the doors are of stone. . . Leaving this building, and crossing an overgrown and wooded plain, at the distance of about 350 yards, we reach the terrace of casa No. 3. . . This building is called by the Indians La Casa de la Justicia. It is 113 feet long. There are five apartments, each twenty feet long and nine wide, and all perfectly plain. . . Besides these, there are on this side of the Camino Real the remains of other buildings, but all in a ruinous condition; and there is one monument, perhaps, more curious and interesting than any one that has been presented. It is a lonely arch, of the same form with all the rest, having a span of fourteen feet. It stands on a ruined mound, disconnected from every other structure, in solitary grandeur. Darkness rests upon its history; but in that desolation and solitude, among the ruins around, it stood like the proud memorial of a Roman triumph. . . On the other side of the Camino Real, shrouded by trees, were the trembling and tottering skeletons of buildings which had once been grander than these. . . From observation taken from the top of the Teocalis, and passing a small ruined building with a staircase leading to the roof, we reached a great terrace, perhaps 800 feet long and 100 feet wide. . . Two buildings stood upon this overgrown terrace. The first was 217 feet long, having seven doorways in front, all opening to single apartments, except the centre one, which had two apartments, each thirty feet long. In the rear were other apartments, with doorways opening upon a courtyard; and from the centre a range of buildings ran at right angles, terminating in a large ruined mound. . . To the north of this building is another, 142 feet in front and 31 feet deep, with double corridors communicating, and a gigantic staircase in the centre leading to the roof, on which are the ruins of another building. . . All the lintels over the doorways are of wood. . . Mr. Catherwood’s eye was arrested by a sculptured lintel, which, on examination, he considered the most interesting memorial we had found in Yucatan. On my return that day from a visit to three more ruined cities entirely unknown before, he claimed this lintel as equal in interest and value to all of them together. . . The subject is a human figure standing upon a serpent. The face was scratched, worn, and obliterated. The head-dress was a plume of feathers, and the general character of the figure and ornaments was the same with that of the figures found on the walls at Palenque. . . The great interest of this lintel was the carving. The beam covered with hieroglyphics at Uxmal was faded and worn. This was still in excellent preservation; the lines were clear and distinct; and the cutting, under any test, and without any reference to the people by whom it was executed, would be considered as indicating great skill and proficiency in the art of carving on wood. . . There was no other sculptured lintel among all the ruins of Kabah. Why this particular doorway was so distinguished it is impossible to say.