170 TRANSACTIONS OF TlIK []\IaKCII 1, 



Beneath the surface of the second terrace there are several 

 very curious cisterns, that have their mouths covered witli a cir- 

 cuhir stone, the top of wliich is on a level with the surface. The 

 cisterns are shaped like a bell, or large round bottle with a flat 

 bottom. They are 13 feet deep, and 19^ feet in their widest 

 diameter, the neck being but 18 inches wide and nearly 3 feet 

 deep. Tiiey are lined with square hewn stones fitted cloi^e to- 

 gether, and thickly coated witli line plaster, iflaking them per- 

 fectly watertight. We have found remains of stone canals about 

 8 inciies wide, by which the rain-water was undoubtedly con- 

 ducted to the large number of cisterns existing throughout the 

 city, both in terraces and highways. It is quite likely that tiie 

 inhabitants depended entirely upon rain-water, for they even 

 constructed artificial lakes that served as reservoirs ; these yet 

 exist, and are lined with hewn stones. 



The "Governor's House,^' that crowns the uppermost terrace, 

 although 318 feet long, appears quite small in comparison witli 

 the terraces. It is divided into as many rooms as the civic year 

 of the Ma3^as had months, that is twenty. The two largest 

 rooms are GO feet long, and all the ceilings form triangular 

 arches, the apex of the arch being about 2'Z feet above the floor. 

 The west side of the building is a dead wall 8 feet thick, the 

 others being 3 feet. They are faced with square hewn stones, 

 fitted so closely together that nothing whatever can be intro- 

 duced between them. The latter were covered with fine plaster, 

 as we see by fragments here and there, though the greater ])art is 

 crumbled to dust and mingled Avitli the broken concrete floor. 

 Outside, the cornice above the doorways supports a magnificent 

 entablature, that at first sight seems to be composed of incom- 

 prehensible designs, but they in fact represent the face of the 

 mastodon, the name of that American elephant, the names of 

 the founders of the city, with statues of those individuals, and 

 an account of Avhat they did. The grecque ornament tiiat in 

 ancient Egypt indicated splendor is a jirominent feature in that 

 splendid fa9ade. There are some much-mutilated statues with 

 a background of plumes surrounding them as a canopy ; others 

 have disappeared entirely, leaving only the pedestal on which 

 they once rested. Over the centre doorway we find the broken 

 statue of Prince Aac. From his waist three heads were sus- 

 pended, and beneath his feet there were three flayed bodies. He 

 was surrounded by bas-relief inscriptions telling of his great 

 exploits, and how he had van(piished or killed all who opposed 

 l)i3 wishes, slaying even those of his own family, and boasting 

 of his infamy by having heads made to the likeness of his sister 

 and brothers, suspended from the waist of his own statue and 

 their flayed bodies beneath his feet. 



