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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



century, sadness and penitence gave way to the greatest hilarity, the 

 beginning of the feast being signalized by the priests, who, with the 

 aid of two dry sticks, ignited a tire which was carried far and wide in 

 token of the continuance of the world's existence. 



Placed near by is a cast of an immense head, which is supposed to 

 have occupied a position in the great Aztec temple. Some archaeolo- 

 gists believe that it rep- 

 resents the lost Atlantis, 

 with her head-dress of 

 water dotted with shells. 

 In the Mexican town of 

 Tenango was found a 

 stone about five feet ten 

 inches high, upon which 

 are sculptured the four 

 fatal epochs in Nature 

 which the Aztecs assert 

 had taken place. These 

 epochs are Atonatiuh, or 

 water-sun (corresponding 

 to our deluge) ; Ehecato- 

 natiuh, or wind - sun ; 

 Tletonatiuh, or fire-sun ; 

 and Tlaltonatiuh, or 

 earth-sun. A cast of this 

 stone is among the series. 

 We also notice a cast of 

 the " Cross of Palenque." 

 The use of this symbol 

 by the Mexicans of remote date is by some advanced as an argument 

 to prove that, at that time, Christianity was established, or at least 

 taught, in their country. Others, however, regard the symbol merely 

 as an astronomical sign, indicative of the four seasons, four winds, 

 etc. On this cross is represented a priest offering up a child to the 

 sacred bird, which is perched on the top. At the bottom of the 

 cross is a large face with open mouth and an ornament hanging 

 from its nose. The " Palenque Divinity " is represented by the fig- 

 ure of a god on whose head is a diadem of plumes. On the fore- 

 head is typified " Eve's Serpent," in the form of a star, whose pres- 

 ence in the heavens is significant of harvest-time. This is the god 

 that creates and is opposed to the destructive genius. The serpent 

 referred to was Serapis among the Egyptians, Wischnou with the In- 

 dians, Vitzlipultzi in Mexico, Fohi in China, Esculapic with the 

 Greeks, and Thor among the Scandinavians. There is also a cast of 

 a bas-relief supposed to have come from Palenque. On it is depicted 

 a man being punished in some way, his hands tied behind him, and 



Colossal Head op Tenango. 



