188G.] NEW YOKE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 175 



the lines representing water, terminate above the Qgg, in ser- 

 pent \\Ciii]s—Can-neh. 



A very interesting structure at Ohichen are two parallel walls, 

 270 feet long, nearly 20 feet thick, and 42 feet high, that once 

 served as tennis court or gymnasium. The walls run north and 

 south, and on the south end of the east wall there is a monu- 

 ment that was built by a certain queen named Moo, to the 

 memory of lier husband, as we learn from the decorations of the 

 outer wall. Although there is nothing in them that could be 

 called an inscription. Dr. Le Plongeon discovered that they had 

 a written meaning, which, interpreted in English, is as follows : 



Moo FERVENTLY INVOKES COH, THE EMINENT WARRIOR. 



Within the chamber there are most interesting mural paintings, 

 giving a pictorial account of the life of that same warrior. Unhap- 

 pily the greater portion of the precious paintings were eifacecl. 

 Those that were yet distinct enough, with all their colors, for us 

 to make a copy of them may be regarded as treasures, for they 

 are, as far as we know, the only vestiges now existing of ancient 

 American fresco paintings. They show religious ceremonies, 

 domestic scenes, and battles. The colors are red, yellow, white, 

 green, and blue, and are laid on in flat tints, the outlines being 

 dark brown. The figures vary in height between six and nine 

 inches, and show a far more skilful hand than those portrayed 

 in the paintings found m the tombs of Egypt. The copies in 

 our possession are fac-similes of the originals, and consist of 24 

 tableaux, that Avould be a unique acquisition to any museum or 

 p]-ivate collection of antiquities. 



Guided by those mural paintings and certain signs that we 

 had interpreted, we were led to search for the burial-place of 

 the individual to whose memory such a beautiful monument had 

 been erected, and we were not disappointed, for we found the 

 mausoleum, but it was in a ruinous condition. It had been a 

 quadrangular mound about 13 feet high, faced with sculptured 

 stones. At each corner there were four stone slabs with a macaw 

 {Ara militaris) carved in two of them, and a leopard on the 

 other two. All these figures had a heart in the fore paw or claw. 

 Each leopard is represented with three holes in the back ; and a 

 few steps from the mound we discovered a leopard carved in the 

 round, in a reclining position, also with three holes in its back, 

 but the head was wanting. A search among the debris brought 

 to light a human head that had evidently belonged tj the leo- 

 pard, as when applied to the neck it fitted exactly. This sphinx, 

 taken in connection with other things, made it plain to us that 

 we had found the mausoleum of Prince Coh, or Chaacmol, 

 which is the Maya word for leopard, who came to his death at 



