140 Mr. Ranliihg on the Ruins of Palenque, 



blades of razors, probably used as such by these uncivilized 

 people*. They are numbered 23j 24. No. 25 is an earthen 

 pot, containing a number of small bones, grinders, and teeth, 

 found in the same excavation. 



No. 26, and those that follow, denote the quality of the 

 lime, mortar, and burnt bricks, used by the inhabitants. It 

 may be inferred that the latter were used very sparingly, as all 

 that could be found were brought away. On this second ex- 

 amination of this ruined city, no exertions have been spared 

 to illustrate the points contained in the last royal mandate. 



*' Father de Soza describes other ruins between the curacy 

 of Mona y Ticul and the town of Nocacab, twenty leagues 

 from the city of Merida, (in Yucatan). One is a large build- 

 ing in good preservation, upon an eminence twenty yards high, 

 and 200 yards on each fa9ade. The natives name it Oxmutal. 



*' The apartments, the exterior corridor, the pillars with figures 

 in medio relievo, of serpents, lizards, &c., formed in stucco ; 

 beside which are statues of men with palms in their hands, in 

 the act of beating drums and dancing ; — all resemble, in every 

 respect, those in the buildings at Palenque. 



" At a town called Mani, there is a conical stone pillory, 

 (pillar ?) and on the south a very ancient palace resembling 

 that at Palenque. These and other buildings on the road from 

 Merida to Bacalar, evidently jprore the identity of the ancient 

 inhabitants of Yucatan and Palenque J ^ — Page 6. 



Regarding the origin of the inhabitants of Palenque, Captain 

 Don Antonio del Rio says — " The conclusion must be, that 

 the ancient inhabitants of these structures lived in extreme 

 darkness ; for in their fabulous superstitions we seem to view 

 the idolatry of the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, and 

 other primitive nations most strongly portrayed. On this ac- 

 count it may reasonably be conjectured, that some one of these 

 nations pursued their conquests even to this country, where 

 it is probable they only remained long enough to enable the 

 Indian tribes to imitate their ideas, and adopt, in a rude and awk- 

 ward manner, such arts as their invaders thought fit to incul- 

 cate."— Page 19. 



• These are such as the Mexicans made their swords with. — See Clavigeeo, 

 Plate xii. 



