420 ANTIQUITIES IN GUATEMALA. 



figure with high eartheu embankments, which I have designated as 

 Xo. 3. 



In the rear of the hill, in the plain of Guatemala, is a very deep bar- 

 ranca, and in the rear of the oblong mound is also a very deep barranca, 

 which separates the plain from the mountain ridge. 



But to return to the stones. The line on the outline sketch marked 

 thus, a, a, a, a, represents the six-sided stones. They are about 8 inches 

 in diameter and appear to be set deeply in the ground. But four of them 

 are now left standing. They are about 40 feet apart and are on the side 

 next to the hill O. On the next line, 60 feet toward the west, are five very 

 large stones, rudely worked, if worked at all, of quite a large size, and 

 standing above the surface about an average of 5 feet. They are 

 marked on the sketch b, b, b, &, b. These are about 100 feet apart. About 

 125 yards from this line of stones b, &, b, b, b, are four wrought stones. 

 They are directly in front of the central mound on the west of the plain, 

 which I have marked X in the sketch. The line is nearly parallel to 

 the others spoken of. It is marked c, tf, e,/. This line is probably not 

 more than 60 feet long. The stone on the north end of the line c is small 

 and not more than 18 inches above the surface. The next (d) is larger 

 and about 2J feet above the surface. The next (e) is very large, and 

 stands about 5J or 6 feet above the surface. It must weigh several tons. 

 I think it is about 1 foot thick, 4 feet wide, and probably 10 feet long. 

 It does not stand perpendicularly, but is slightly inclined toward the 

 east. The next stone in this line is /. It is also very large; quite as 

 large as stone e. It has a hole cut about the center of it, nearly 3 feet 

 from the surface of the earth. This hole is just large enough to admit 

 the insertion of a small man's shoulders and the passage of the head. 

 That part of the hole toward the east is cut so that the face has to be 

 horizontal when the head is passed through, aud there is a notch or cut 

 in it, so that if the head were once passed through ; the insertion of a 

 piece of wood or stone in the notch would render it impossible to move 

 or withdraw the head. 



On the same side (east side) there is a working which, if the stone was 

 so used, would make the blood flowing from the neck of a person whose 

 head was passed through the stone, and was beheaded in that attitude, 

 distribute itself nearly all over the lower part of it. I thought this 

 place might have been used for the purpose of human sacrifices, (at one 

 time common in Central America,) and for what were called religious 

 services. It seemed probable that an excavation of the oblong mound 

 X, directly in the rear of these, would yield something interesting. I re- 

 gret to say this expectation was not realized. It was cut through from 

 east to west, but nothing was found except broken pieces of obsidian 

 aud crockery. 



The plain of the stones is called by the Indians, " The palace of Mon- 

 tezuma." They say it has been there " always," but that many of the 

 six-sided stones have been dug up and carried awaj. 



