L28 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



is deep blue. Liquid nitrogen has a similar 

 appearance. Sulphuret of carbon is a white 

 solid at 116 C, but becomes liquid when 

 raised to 110 C. At 130 C, alcohol 

 assumes the form of a white solid, which 

 becomes viscous at 129. Carbonic oxide 

 was liquefied under similar conditions with 

 nitrogen. 



Ancient Cities in Guatemala. Mr. A. P. 



Maudslay, at one of the recent meetings of 

 the London Geographical Society, described 

 some ruined cities in Guatemala which he 

 had visited during parts of the winters of 

 18S1 and 1882. At Quirigua, not a very 

 great distance from Livingstone, the Atlan- 

 tic port of the country, the ruins consist of 

 raised terraces or mounds, usually faced with 

 stone, and elaborately carved monoliths, rep- 

 resenting human and animal figures, situated 

 near them. The upright monoliths meas- 

 ure from three to five feet across the sides, 

 stand from twelve to twenty-five feet out 

 of the ground, and bear human figures, of 

 which the heads are sculptured in high re- 

 lief, and are usually surmounted by gro- 

 tesque masks, whence spring elaborately 

 carved head-dresses. The body and dress 

 are covered with the most intricate and 

 elaborate ornament, in which small human 

 faces and grotesque forms frequently occur. 

 Of the animal-shaped stones, some had 

 curved claws and indications of armor like 

 that of an armadillo, and held a human 

 head, apparently the head of a woman, be- 

 tween their jaws. The largest of these 

 stones, which was estimated to weigh about 

 eighteen tons, represented a turtle, whose 

 head was replaced by a huge grotesque hu- 

 man head, while in place of its tail was a 

 life-sized figure of a woman sitting cross- 

 legged, and holding in her hand a manikin 

 scepter somewhat resembling the children's 

 toy of a monkey on a stick. The whole sur- 

 face of the stone was covered with a profu- 

 sion of ornaments. All of the monuments 

 bore hieroglyphics and carved tablets 

 probably symbolical of curious character. 

 At Tikal, in the extreme northern part of 

 the state, all the houses were made of stone, 

 and coated with plaster, with walls about 

 three feet thick, and the roofs built in the 

 form of gables, without any attempt at an 

 arch. The most imposing buildings are the 



five temples raised on almost pyramidal 

 foundations. Beams of sapota-wood were 

 used in supporting the building, and many 

 of them remain in various states of pres- 

 ervation, while all were elaborately carved. 

 The ruins of Usumacinta, on the river of 

 the same name, and on the border of the 

 Mexican State of Chiapas, were visited for 

 the first time. The houses are more spa- 

 cious than those at Tikal, and the lintel- 

 beams are of stone, and handsomely carved. 

 One of the houses, which is described as a 

 typical specimen, is built on a succession of 

 terraces ; the first terrace, seventy-three feet 

 long by seventeen feet broad, has three 

 doorways, each with a rather poorly carved 

 stone lintel, and is finished off with a pro- 

 jecting cornice. Above it is a second course 

 of eleven feet of stone-work, and over this 

 is a hollow superstructure, looking like a 

 pigeon-house with numerous pigeon-holes. 

 The entire height of the building is about 

 forty-two feet. The whole house has been 

 covered with stucco, and painted in various 

 colors. On the second story are three large 

 and eight small panels, which once held hu- 

 man figures molded in plaster ; and in the 

 center of the " pigeon-hole " course is an- 

 other panel, which once contained a figure 

 of more than twice the size of life. Only 

 parts of these figures now remain, but 

 enough to indicate what they were. Inside 

 the house is a great stone idol, twice the 

 size of life, well carved and sitting cross- 

 legged, with its hands on its knees, like the 

 figures of Buddha ; the remains of a can- 

 opy of ornamental plaster-work were found 

 near it. Remains of circular stone altars 

 were found in different parts of the ruins, 

 and earthen pots, partly filled with some 

 half-burned resinous Substance. The La- 

 candone Indians, who live here, speak the 

 Maya dialect of Yucatan, and were ob- 

 served to be lighter colored than Mr. Mauds- 

 lay's Indian workmen, and to have thick 

 lips, a prominent nose, and an extraordina- 

 ry receding forehead, nearly resembling the 

 foreheads represented on the carved stones. 

 Their only weapons, so far as Mr. Mauds- 

 lay could see, were stone-tipped arrows. 

 Their communities were often at war with 

 each other, generally on account of the ef- 

 forts of one or the other to carry off wom- 

 en. The pots of half-burned incense found 



