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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[April, 



the ruins. Its ornaments are few and plain; the most remarkable of 

 which is a continuous line of turtles, cut from stone of about a foot 

 square, arranged under the cornices. 



" The south-west corner has connected with it two piles of loose 

 stones, in the pyramidical form; one 80, and the other 100 feet 

 high, the sides of the bases measuring about 200 feet. Their tops 

 are broad platforms, over which, and down the sides, are scattered 

 the remains of edifices, of which these pyramids were once probably 

 the foundations. Here we found pieces of pottery, consisting of 

 broken pieces of vases, aud supposed cooking utensils. 



" Upon the main terrace stands another of smaller dimensions, con- 

 stituting the foundation of the Governor's House. The measurement 

 of this terrace is 33S feet long, ^2 broad, and 30 high, hiving a ma- 

 jestic flight of stone steps, though considerably broken at the centre, 

 in front of the entrance. 



" This majestic pile faces the east, is 272 feet long, 36 broad, and 

 24 high. The whole building is plain (unlike those of Chi-Chen) 

 from the base to the mouldings, which ran through the centre over 

 the doorwavs; above which, to the top, are ornaments and sculptured 

 work in great profusion, and of the most rich, strange, and elaborate 

 workmanship. It is divided into double ranges of rooms, from tront 

 to rear. Two of the principal are situated in the centre, 54 feet 

 long, 10 broad, and about 19 high, with an angular ceiling, occupying 

 one-half of the whole. There are 14 other rooms in the front and 

 rear; also, two rooms on each end, and one in front and rear of the 

 two recesses, of about one-half of the average size. 



"The interior of these rooms is sometimes covered with a beau- 

 tiful hard finish, and at others presents a surface of uniform square 

 blocks of smooth stone. The floors are of stone, covered with a hard 

 composition, which, together with the stone is now much broken. 

 Fig. (i— I'xmal Ruins— (Moon light.; 



Mr. Norman's work contains a sketch of the Maya language, and the 

 latter portion is devoted to speculations on the population of Ame- 

 rica, and on the history of the remarkable antiquities to be found in 

 different parts of the continent. The Maya language resembles the 

 Chole, a language of Mexico, and is of very remarkable structure, 

 the grammatical (ornis very much resembling the Engish, except that 

 suffixes arc used. A striking point is the use uf auxiliaries with the 

 verbs, a general indication of the descent of a language from one of 

 richer forms. The assumption of what we may call the auxiliary 

 state, is a remarkable and inexplicable philological phenomenon of 

 v b the instances are very frequent ; and we may mention Anglo- 

 Saxon and English, Hellenic-Greek and Romaic, Persian and modem 

 Persian, Sanskrit and Bengalee. We have neither had time nor 

 opportunity to compare the Maya language with many of the 

 American continent, but we have with the Aymara (Peruvian; some 

 of the Brazilian dialects, tie Paraguay Guarani and Abipone and the 

 Californian, and the result is no apparent resemblance with any of the 

 languages but the Aymara. The Brazilian and Guarani are .is closely 

 allied as Spanish and Portuguese, but seem to have no points of re- 

 semblance with the others, and use affixes instead of suffixes. The 

 Aymara, it is to be observed, is one very extensively spread in Peru, 



" The lintels, which are of zuporte wood, are decayed and broken, 

 to which, in a great degree, the falling of the walls may be attributed. 

 The inner sides of the doorways are pierced, and hooks attached, 

 whereon doors were prob ably swung. There are, also, apertures in 

 the walls, where beams rested, to support hammocks, some of which 

 still remain, and show the marks of the cords. There were no fresco, 

 or other painting or decorations of any kind in the interior of the 

 building to be discerned. 



"The front presents the most remarkable architectural skill to be 

 found about the building. The walls were of the most durable kind 

 of limestone ; and upwards of three feet thick, of fine hewn stone, 

 laid with the greatest care. There were eleven doorways besides 

 those of the recesses. The finish of the angles, generally, was as 

 smooth as though the material were cut with a sharp knife. 



" The ornaments were composed of small square pieces of stone, 

 shaped with infinite skill, and iuserted between the mortar and stone 

 with the greatest care and precision. About two-thirds of the orna- 

 ments are still remaining upon the facade. The most elaborate were 

 over the centre or main entrance. These have fallen, and now are a 

 heap of ruins at the base. One of them was a figure of a man, with 

 a head-dress of feathers and tassels; part of which still remains, 

 with lines of hieroglyphics underneath. The ground-work of the 

 ornaments is chiefly composed of raised lines, running diagonally, 

 forming diamond or lattice-work, over which are rosettes and stars; 

 and, in bold relief, the beautiful Chiuese border. 



" From the centre of the building to the recess, at the northern ex- 

 tremity of the building, the ornaments have mostly crumbled off, and 

 are now lying at the base in ruins; and the other parts, contiguous, 

 seem ready to follow the example. The rear of this edifice is more 

 plainly finished; the main part of the centre has fallen. 



"Over the principal doorway are the 

 remains of a female figure, in a sitting 

 posture. The hands ami legs have fallen. 

 It has a tine head-dress of cap and tassels, 

 and neck ornaments. The waist looks 

 quite natural, and the whole was finely fi- 

 nished. On each side of this figure was 

 hieroglyphical writing. The inner rooms 

 of the centre of the Governor's House still 

 show the places of excavations, made some 

 years ago, by the curate of Ticul." * * 



" A moonlight scene from the Gover- 

 nor's House is one of the most enchanting 

 sights I ever witnessed. The moon had 

 risen about half-way up from the horizon, 

 and was now throwing its strong silver light 

 over the whitened facade of our house. 

 Castles, palaces, and falling pyramids were 

 distinctly to he traced in the foreground. 

 At a distance, walls and mounds, rising 

 above the green verdure of the land, looked 

 like a multitude of small islands in a calm 

 snmmei's sea. All was quiet but the chirp 

 of the cricket, or the occasional scream of 

 some night-bird of the wood. It was a 

 scene of natural beauty such as I never 

 have seen realized upon canvass of the ar- 

 tist, or even in the pages of poetry." 



and is spoken by the Canchis, Castas, Collas, Collaguas, Lupacas, Pa- 

 cases, Carancas, Charcas, and others, being the native language of the 

 Lupacas. This language has been a good deal cultivated by the mis- 

 sionaries, as the Maya has been, and a grammar of Aymara was pub- 

 lished at Rome as early as 1603, the first Maya grammar appearing 

 in 1560. The following words seem to show a resemblance between 

 the two languages. 



May :-. Aymara. 



Father hachyum Auquihana 



Mother hachnaa tayca 



Man uinic haquenaca 



In construction there is also a considerable resemblance, the pro- 

 nouns being suffixed to the other uonls. The following is an example 

 of pronouns in the two languages. 



Maya. Aymara. 



My in na, ana, nahasa 



Ours ca cha, cass 



His u ru 



Theirs an ana 



