1898-99.] DECIPHERING HIEROGLYPHIC INSCRIPTIONS OF CENTRAL AMERICA, 185 
CHAPTER XII. 
THE INSCRIPTIONS FROM CHICHEN-ITZA: THAT OF THE 
CHICHANCHOB, 
The writer’s original intention was to confine himself to the Tablet 
of Palenque and the allied inscription from Copan; but three circum- 
stances led him to make additions to these. The chief circumstance 
was that, as a text book for the student of Maya-Quiche documents, 
the work was imperfect, presenting only the more elaborate and easily 
deciphered forms of the Central American hieroglyphics, such as would 
afford little help in reading the more rudely executed Maya codices. In 
Stephen’s representation of the inscription in the Chichanchob, or Casa 
Colorada, of Chichen-Itza, he found hieroglyphics mediating between 
the elaborate ones of Palenque and Copan, and the rough outlines of 
the codices. It became a duty, therefore, to connect therewith the 
hieroglyphics already described. The writer has no present intention 
of interfering with the work of Messrs. Léon de Rosny and Cyrus 
Thomas, whose main attention has been unsuccessfully given to the 
codices. The other reasons for adding to the hieroglyphic material 
already presented were to give representation to Yucatan, the land of 
the Mayas, and to set forth documents, not much indeed, but still, a 
little more ancient than those of Palenque and Copan, The writer 
claims the indulgence of the general reader for reéntering the field of 
hieroglyphic explanation, as tedious for himself to write as for others 
to read, but of the utmost utility to the careful student of Maya script. 
Mr. Stephens’ description of the edifice containing the first set of 
Yucatan hieroglyphics is as follows: “It is called by the Indians 
Chichanchob, meaning in Spanish, Casa Colorada, and in English, Red 
House. The terrace is sixty-two feet long and fifty-five wide, and is 
still in good preservation; the staircase is twenty feet wide, and, as 
we approached it on our first visit, a cow was coming quietly down the 
steps. 
“ The building measures forty-three feet front and twenty-three feet 
' deep, and is still strong and substantial. Above the cornice it was 
richly ornamented, but the ornaments are now much decayed. It has 
three doorways, which open into a corridor running the whole width of 
the building; and along the top of the back wall was a stone tablet, 
with a row of hieroglyphics extending all along the wall. J/any of them 
