1843.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



135 



ornaments continue around the sides, which are divided into two 

 compartments, different in their arrangement, though not in style. 

 Attached to the angles are large projecting hooks, skilfully worked, 

 and perfect rosettes and stars, with spears reversed, are put together 

 ■with the utmost precision. 



" The. ornaments are composed of small square blocks of stone, cut 

 to the depth of about one to one and a half inches, apparently with 

 the most delicate instruments, and inserted by a shaft in the wall. 

 The wall is made of large and uniformly square blocks of limestone, 

 set in a mortar which appears to be as durable as the stone itself. In 

 the ornamental borders of this building I could discover but little ana- 

 logy with those known to me. The most striking were those of the 

 cornice and entablature, chevron and the cable moulding, which are 

 characteristic of the Norman architecture. 



" The sides have three door-ways, each opening into small apart- 

 ments, which are finished with smooth square blocks of stone ; the 

 floors of the same material, but have been covered with cement, 

 which is now broken. The apartments are small, owing to the mas- 

 sive walls enclosing them, and the acute-angled arch, forming the 

 ceiling. The working and laying of the stone are as perfect as they 

 could have been under the directions of a modern architect." 



Another description we take from him is that of the ruins of Zayi. 



" The Ruins of Zavi are situated in the midst of a 

 succession of beautiful hills, forming around them, on 

 every side, an enchanting landscape. 



" The principal one is composed of a single struc- 

 ture, an immense pile, facing the south, and standing 

 upon a slight natural elevation. The first foundation is 

 now so broken that its original form cannot be fully de- 

 termined ; but it probably was that of a parallelogram. 

 Its front wall shows the remains of rooms and ceilings, 

 with occasional pillars, which, no doubt, supported the 

 corridors. The height of this wall is about 20 feet, 

 and, as near as I was able to measure around its base, 

 (owing to the accumulation of ruins,) it was ascertained 

 to be 2G8 feet long, and 116 wide. 



" In the centre of this foundation stands the main 

 building, the western half only remaining, with a por- 

 tion of the steps, outside, leading to the top. This 

 part shows a succession of corridors, occupying the 

 whole front, each supported by two pillars, with plain 

 square caps and plinths, and intervening spaces, rilled 

 with rows of small ornamented pillars. In the rear of 

 these corridors are rooms of small dimensions and an- 

 gular ceilings, without any light except that which the 

 front affords. Over these corridors, or pillars, is a fine 

 moulding finish, its angle ornamented with a hook si- 

 milar to those of Chi-Chen. Above this moulding is a 

 finish of small plain round pillars, or standards, inter- 

 spersed with squares of fine ornamental carvings; the 

 centre of the facade showing the remains of more ela- 

 borate work, concentrated within a border, the arrangement of which 

 is lost. There is an evident analogy existing between these orna- 

 ments and those of Kahbah, but order is less apparent. I could dis- 

 cover no resemblance whatever to those of Chi-Chen. 



" Over these rooms of the main building is another terrace, or 

 foundation, in the centre of which is a building in similar ruins to 



Fig. 5.— Plan of the Ruins of Uxmal. 



those under it; having, also, broken steps leading to the top. It 

 stands upon a foundation, apparently, of six to eight feet in height, 

 occupying about two-thirds of the area; the residue, probably, form- 

 ing a promenade. There are three doorwavs yet remaining, the 

 lintels and sides of which are broken, and which have caused the 

 walls above to fall down. The w.dis of this part of the edifice are 

 constructed of hewn stone, without any signs of ornament. A plain 

 finished moulding runs through the centre; portions of the cornice 

 still remain, with three or four pieces of flat projecting stones, which 

 formed a part of the top finish. 



" The whole extent of the rear is covered with confused piles of 

 ruins, overgrown with trees. Near by these are fragments of walls 

 and rooms, with a few ornaments yet remaining about them. Some 

 of the rooms appear to have been single, and apart from all other 

 buildings. There are also various mounds in the vicinity. 



" A few rods south are the remains of a single high wall, with nu- 

 merous square apertures, like pigeon-holes, its foundation is ele- 

 vated ; around which the broken walls and ceilings are to be seen. 

 The summits of the neighbouring hills are capped with gray broken 

 walls for many miles around. I discovered no hieroglyphics or paint- 

 ings of any kind ; neither the extraordinary skill displayed in the 

 ornamental carvings, as at Chi-Chen. On my route to these ruins I 



Fig. 4.-Zayi Ruins. 



« a. Ruins ; 6, Governor's House ; e, Nun's House ; d. Snake ; e, Ring ; /. Pond 

 voir ; h, Pigeon House ; i i i, Pyramids ; m, Hacienda ; n, Sepulchres ; o, Mound. 



made digressions from the road, and found, or. al! sides, numerous re- 

 mains of walls and ceilings ; also, mounds and small pyramids, co- 

 vered with the wild vegetation of the country." 



Of Uxmal he gives a copious description, from which we extract 

 the following. 



" The Governor's House is a vast and splendid 

 pile of ruins. It stands upon three ranges of terraces ; 

 the first of which is a slight projection, forming a finish. 

 The great platform, or terrace above it, measures up- 

 wards of 500 feet long, and 415 broad. It is encom- 

 passed by a wall of fine hewn stone 30 feet high, with 

 angles rounded, still in good preservation. In the centre 

 of this platform, upon which trees and vegetation grow 

 in profusion, stands a shaft of gray limestone in an in- 

 clined position, measuring twelve feet in circumference 

 and eight in height; bearing upon its surface no marks 

 of form or ornament by which it might be distinguished 

 from a natural piece. ' Near by is a rude carving of a 

 tiger with two heads; also, I saw excavations near them 

 with level curbings and smoothly finished inside, which 

 are conjectured to have been cisterns or granaries. 

 Along the southern edge of this platform are the re- 

 mains of a range of small pillars, now broken and in 

 confusion. 



" Upon the north-west corner of this platform is an 



edifice, which was, no doubt, from its location, connected 



j, Reser- vtith the Governor's House. It is the smallest of all 



