Ii\TRODUCTOEY EEMARKS. 



Under the patronage of the Smithsonian Institution, I am enabled to publish, 

 in the present paper, the archseological and ethnological portion of mj' investiga- 

 tions prosecuted in Central and South America, and occupying a period of over 

 seven years. While these travels afforded me the opportunity of witnessing nature 

 in her simple grandeur, t'liey were also connected with hardships, not only those 

 arising from the character of the regions traversed, but others experienced from 

 my fellow-men. 



The most interesting portion of this description is that relating to the sculptures 

 discovered at Santa Lucia Cosumalliuapa, indicating tlie former existence, upon 

 the southern side of tlie mountains, of a people who had obtained a high degree of 

 culture in arts and religion, as is evidenced by the designs upon their bas-reliefs. 

 At the request of the Institution I have added a brief sketch of the regions tra- 

 versed, in so far as they will throw any light upon the archaeological and ethnolo- 

 gical facts narrated. 



In judging of the merit of my work, the reader must not censure me for wliat I 

 have left midone, my shortcomings being painfully apparent to myself, but must 

 form his opinion from that which is here set before him. 



I have endeavored to spell the aboriginal words as they are pronounced. For 

 this purpose I have used the German orthography for such sounds as have no 

 alphabetic character in Spanish, as for example the sound of w, or the English 

 sh. Whenever I use German spelling, it is specially indicated; in other cases 

 words are given as spelled in Spanish, 



(1) 



1 March, 187S. 



