File:Incidents of travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatán (1853) (14591576038).jpg

Identifier: gri_incidentsoft01aste (find matches)
Title: Incidents of travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatán
Year: 1853 (1850s)
Authors: Stephens, John Lloyd, 1805-1852 Harper & Brothers, publisher
Subjects: Mayas
Publisher: New York : Harper & Brothers
Contributing Library: Getty Research Institute
Digitizing Sponsor: Getty Research Institute

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g Solomon seemto have been the artists. It lies in the district of country now known as theState of Honduras, one of the most fertile valleys inCentral America, and to this day famed for the supe-riority of its tobacco. Mr. Catherwood made severalattempts to determine the longitude, but the artificialhorizon which we took with us expressly for such pur-poses had become bent, and, like the barometer, wasuseless. The ruins are on the left bank of the CopanRiver, which empties into the Motagua, and so passesinto the Bay of Honduras near Omoa, distant perhapsthree hundred miles from the sea. The Copan Riveris not navigable, even for canoes, except for a shorttime in the rainy season. Falls interrupt its course be-fore it empties into the Motagua. Cortez, in his terri-ble journey from Mexico to Honduras, of the hardshipsof which, even now, when the country is comparativelyopen, and free from masses of enemies, it is difficult to ri:. Wife * I *; ■ % Bill s ? 1 if i i 5 S v V. ^ K H °- u
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EXTENT OF THE RUINS. 133 form a conception, must have passed within two daysmarch of this city. The extent along the river, as ascertained by monu-ments still found, is more than two miles. There isone monument on the opposite side of the river, at thedistance of a mile, on the top of a mountain two thou-sand feet high. Whether the city ever crossed theriver, and extended to that monument, it is impossibleto say. I believe not. At the rear is an unexploredforest, in which there may be ruins. There are no re-mains of palaces or private buildings, and the principalpart is that which stands on the bank of the river, andmay, perhaps, with propriety be called the Temple. This temple is an oblong enclosure. The front orriver wall extends on a right line north and south sixhundred and twenty-four feet, and it is from sixty toninety feet in height. It is made of cut stones, fromthree to six feet in length, and a foot and a half inbreadth. In many places the stones have been throwndown by bush

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