Mr. Ranking on Ancient Guatemala, 325 



throne, covered with four canopies of plumage, and the ascent 

 "was by several steps. It contained the treasury, court '^ 

 justice, the armory, gardens, aviaries, and menageries. The 

 fourth and fifth divisions were for the queens, and royal concu- 

 bines, who were maintained most magnificently. The sixth 

 division was for the king's daughters, and others of the blood 

 royal (pp. 85 — 88). There were many other considerable cities 

 in this, said to be the most populous portion of America at the 

 Spanish conquest. 



After Mitlan* was taken by the Spaniards, they marched to 

 Esquipulas and to the city of Copan ; the name of the 

 Cacique was Calelj. There was a great circus near this 

 opulent and populous city. Calel had 30,000 veteran troops 

 armed with bows, slings, and swords with stone (flint) edges. 

 His entrenchment was defended on one side by a mountain, 

 and by a deep fosse formed of strong beams, the interstices 

 filled with earth, in which were embrazures and loop holes, for 

 the discharge of their arrows at the enemy. A shower of pikes, 

 stones, and arrows, obliged the Spaniards to retreat precipi- 

 tately ; the next assault lasted the whole day. The Indians 

 had shields of tapir skinsj, and with pikes hardened in the 

 fire, obliged Hernando de Chaves again to retreat. In the 

 next desperate conflict, a part of the palisade gave way, and the 

 cavalry entered: the Indians fled. Calel quickly returned 

 reinforced, and was defeated, but escaped. He afterwards sent 

 ambassadors with a present of gold and a mantle to Chaves, 

 and was received into protection with great distinction. Near 

 this place, on the farm of Penol, some gigantic skeletons 

 were found, the shin bones of which measured near two 

 varas in length, a vara is thirty-three inches English (pp. 45, 

 303.) In the valley of Petapa near Old Guatemala, a molar 

 tooth was found, as large as a man's two fists, (p. 492). (Here 

 is a chief with a Mogul name, elephants' bones, and a stockade 

 like those of the Burmese and Assamese. The writer has 



* There are ruins of some elegance at this place, which are not supposed to be of 

 an older date than the thirteenth or fourteenth century. Humboldt, ii. 158. 



t This is a Mogul name ; Cn/j/was grandson and successor to Tamerlane. 



J Tapirs are often mentioned by Juarros, as very numerous in Guatemala. This 

 noble region is the Italy of America. Some of the cedars are seven fathoms in 

 circumference (p. 233). 



