APPENDIX. • 71 



wanting that during the early period of Spanish supremacy deserted buildings 

 of a religious character Avere frequently visited by the natives for the purpose of 

 performing their rites. Such was the case at Uxmal, as we have seen. This 

 lingering attachment to the temples bears in itself the strongest evidence that 

 the worshipers were of the same race with the builders. 



The Abbe Brasseur — whatever may be thought of his conclusions and specu- 

 lations — has brought to light, through his various publications, many facts 

 serving to elucidate the former condition of the nations of Mexico and Central 

 America. His translation of Bishop Landa's manuscript, for instance, has 

 added in no small degree to our knowledge of the Mayas, such as they were 

 about the middle of the sixteenth century, the period closely following the 

 conquista. The bishop devotes a whole chapter to a description of the buildings 

 of Yucatan, which begins with these words : " If the multitude, grandeur and 

 beauty of edifices were capable of adding to the glory and renown of a country, 

 as the gold, silver and various other riches have done for so many other regions 

 of the Indies, it is certain that Yucatan would not have acquired less celebrity 

 than Peru and New Spain ; for of all things discovered in the Indies these 

 edifices are the most remarkable. Indeed, they are found in such great number 

 and in so many districts, and they arc so well built, in their way, of cut stone 

 that they cannot fail to challenge the admiration of the world." He then draws 

 attention to the fact that the natives had no metal whatever for working the 

 stones used in their buildings, and gives very curious reasons in attempting to 

 account for their number. The people, he thinks, must have been governed by 

 princes who, being either desirous of keeping their subjects constantly occupied, 

 or particularly devoted to their idols, compelled the communities to build temples 

 for them. The populations, he continues, may have been induced by particular 

 motives to change their places of abode, and wherever they Avent, they erected 

 new sanctuaries and houses for their chiefs. As for themselves, they were 

 contented with wooden thatched dwellings, " unless the facilities for procuring in 

 the country stone and lime as well as a kind of white earth (well-suited for 

 building purposes) induced them to erect so great a number of monuments that, 

 without having seen them, one might imagine such an account a folly." The 

 untenableness of some of these arguments is obvious. 



" This country," he says, " still hides a secret, which thus far has not been 

 penetrated, and which the people of to-day are unable to disclose ; for, there is 

 no foundation in the saying that other nations had subjugated these (the present) 



apparently in the water, are also mentioned ; but the passage is rather obscure. — Itineraire da. Voyage de la Flotte 

 du Roi Catholiquc a. Vile de Yucatan dans I'Inde, jait en Van 1518, sous les Ordrcs du Capiiaine General Juan de 

 Grijalva, pp. 8, 11 and 12.— This account has been translated from the It.ilian by Tcrnaux-Compans, and is 

 contained in the volume entitled " Kecueil de Pieces relatives a la Conquete du Mexique." It has also been 

 published in Spanish by Icazbalceta. — Mr. Stephens believes the town compared to Seville to be identical with 

 Tuloom, which place, he thinks, was occupied by the natives long after the conquest (Yucatan, vol. ii, p. 406). 



