THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[April, 



the broken walls, ceilings, and pillars still stand- 

 ing, that the opposite end had been the location of 

 the shrine or altar. The distance between these 

 two extremes is 4 "'0 feet. The walls stand upon an 

 elevated foundation of about 10 feet. Of the en- 

 trance, or western end. about one-half remains : 

 the interior showing broken rooms, and ceilings 

 not entirely defaced. The exterior is composed 

 of large stones, beautifully hewn, and laid in fillet 

 and moulding work. The opposite, or altar end, 

 consists of similar walls, but has two sculptured 

 pillars, much defaced by the falling ruins — six 

 feet Only remaining in view above them. These 

 pillars measure about two feet in diameter. The 

 waii- are surrounded with masses of sculptured 

 and hewn stone, broken columns, and ornaments, 

 which bad fallen from the walls themselves, and 

 which are covered with a rank and luxuriant 

 vegetation, and even with trees, through which 

 1 was obliged to cut roy way with my Indian 

 knife. In the rear of the pillars are the remains 

 of a room, the back ceilings only existing: suffi- 

 cient, however, tu show that they were of rare 

 workmanship. 



"The southern, or right hand wall, as you enter, is in the best 

 of preservation, the highest part of which, yet standing, is about 

 50 feet; where, also, the remains of rooms are still to be seen. The 

 other parts, on either side, are about 26 feet high, 250 long, an ! 1 

 thick, and about 130 apart. The interior, or inner surface of these 

 walls, is quite perfect, finely finished with smooth stone, cut uniformly 

 in squares of about two feet. About the eentie of the-" walls, on both 

 Slides, near the top, are pi;, red sfmip rings, carved from an immense 

 block, and inserted in the wall by a long shaft, > I projecting from it 

 about four feet. They measure about four feet in diameter, and two 

 in thickness — the sides beautifully caned. 



"The extreme ends of the side walls are about equi- distant from 

 those of the shrine and entrance. The space intervening is filled up 

 with stones and rubbish of walls, showing a connexion in the form of 

 a curve. In the space formed by these walls are piles ol stones, evi- 

 dently being a part of them : but there were not enough of them, how- 

 ever, to carry out the supposition that this vast temple had ever been 

 enclosed. At the outer base of the southern wall are the remains of a 

 room ; one side of which, with the angular ceiling, is quite perfect, 

 measuring It feet long and 6 wide. The parts remaining are finished 

 with sculptured blocks ol -t. ne of about one foot square, representing 

 Indian figures with feather head-dresses, armed with bows and arrows, 

 their noses ornamented with rings; carrying in one hand bows and 

 arrows, and in the other a musical instrument similar to those th..t 

 are now used by the Indians of the country. These figures were in- 

 terspersed with animals resembling the crocodile. Near this room 

 I found a square pill n feet of which remained above the 



ruins. It was carved on all sides with Indian figures, as large as life, 

 and apparently in warlike attitudes. Fragments of a similar kind 

 were scattered about in the vicinity. 



The Temple — Chi-cben Ruins. 



Fis 



i '. the Hoi g i i the I aciquesi— Cbi-( I 



"From this room, or base, I passed round, and ascended over vast 



piles of the crumbling ruins, pulling myself up by the branches of 



trees, with which they are covered, to the top of the wall: where I 



door-way, filled up with stones and rubbish, which I removed, 



ter much labour, effected an entrance into a room measuring 



8 by 24 feet, the ceiling of which was of the acute-angled arch, and 



perfected by livers ol Hit ston"s. The walls were finely finished with 



square blocks of stone, which had been richly ornamented. Even yet 



the heads of Indians, with shields and lances, could be distinguished 



During, 



" The square pillars of the door-way are carved with Indians, flowers, 



borders, and spear-heads ; all of which I judged to have once been 



coloured. The lintel, v. Inch supported the top, is of the zuporte 



wood, beautifully carved, and in goud preservation. One of the 



Indian head-dresses was composed of a cap and flowers. 



" Immediately in front of the door-way is a portion of a column, to 

 which neither cap nor base was attached. It measured about three 

 feet in diameter, with its whole surface sculptured : but. it was so 

 obliterated bv tune, that the lines could not be traced. Four feet of 

 its length only could be discovered. It was, evidently, imbedded in 

 the ruins to a great depth. Numerous blocks of square hewn stones, 

 and others, variously and beautifully carved, were lying in confusion 

 near tins column. 



" Of the exterior of these walls, a sufficient portion still exists to 

 show the fine and elaborate workmanship of the cornices and entabla- 

 tures, though the latter are much broken and defaced. They are 

 composed of immense blocks of stone, laid with the greatest regu- 

 larity and precision, the facades of which are interspersed with 

 flowers, borders, and animals." 



*' I cut my way through the thick growth of 

 small wood to the' House of the Cachjues, and 

 by the aid of my compass was enabled to reach 

 the east front of the building. Mere 1 felled 

 the trees that hid it, and the whole front 

 was opened to my view, presenting the most 

 strange and incomprehensible pile of architecture 

 that my eves ever beheld — elaborate, elegant, 

 stupendous, vet belonging to no order now known 

 to us. The front of this wonderful edifice mea- 

 sures 32 feet, and its height 20, extending to the 

 main building 50 feet. Over the door-way, 

 which favors the Egyptian style of architecture, 

 is a heavy lintel of stone, containing two double 

 rows of hieroglyphics, with a sculptured orna- 

 ment intervening. Above these are the remains 

 of hooks carved in stone, with rais d lines of 

 drapery running through them: which, appa- 

 rently', have been broken off by the falling of the 

 heavy finishing from the top of the building; 

 over which, surrounded by a variety of chaste 

 and beautifully executed bonders, encircled within 

 a wreath, is a female figure in a sitting posture, 

 in basso-relievo, having a head-dress of feathers, 

 cords, and tassels, and the. neck ornamented. The 

 angles of this building are tastefully curved. The 



