Mr. Ranking on the Ruins of Palenque. 147 



The heads and ears are common with Mongols and Turks. The 

 early Parthians cut off also the hand. The head and right hand 

 of Crassus were presented to Arsaces Orodes. — {Hist. Parthian 

 Emp, by Lewis, p. 111.) Thus all these customs and allu- 

 sions may be referred to Tartary in the year 544. 



II. — An ornament, probably in bas-relief — two human figures, 

 one with an animal's head, rather like a wolf, two human arms 

 and two eyes, as if plucked from a criminal. Another ornament of 

 a female half-figure, with a helmet and necklace. This head has a 

 high skull. 



Remark. — The eyes prove this plate to allude to a custom 

 common in Upper Asia. The Emperor of Bochara's eyes 

 were put out, A.D. 998. Daw's Hindostan, i. 39. 



III. — ^A man in a decorated kind of helmet-head-dress, with a 

 weapon in each hand, upon one of which is a small bird : a human 

 head is upon his girdle ; another man is upon his knees, with his 

 hands joined, imploring for mercy : they have both long or high 

 skulls. The neat border to this plate is merely ornamental, by its 

 uniform design. 



IV. — A man in a helmet with a long necklace ; a weapon in his 

 right hand, and with the left holding another man by the hair, 

 perhaps to behead him : the latter is. seated. Under him is a skull, 

 and a head which has been cut off. There is a register-border 

 three inches long. Both of the men have long heads. 



V. — Several large designs like border- writing ; with one oi 

 them there is a human profile, with a ram's head upon the forehead. 



Remark, — There were no sheep in America. Usbecs (i. e, 

 Mongols) are distinguished by ensigns with black and white 

 sheep. [Sir R. K, Porter's Travels in Persia, vol. i. p. xix.) 

 The Peruvians and Siberians had figures of sheep in gold and 

 in stone. The sheep was sacred with the Mongols in their 

 sacrifices.— (Marco Polo, p. 253, Conquest of Mexico and 

 Peru, p. 221.) 



VI. A warrior in a large fanciful helmet, upon which is a human 

 head, and two others upon his girdle ; a decorated staff in his left 

 hand, with a bird at the top of it : a net-work shoulder-covering, 

 and a kind of buskins on his feet. Two slaves are seated at the 

 feet of the warrior, with their legs crossed under them, and on© 

 of them with terror expressed in his features, 



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