Ua PICTURE- WRITING OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS. 
The description of Fig. 98 is extracted from Viages de Guillelmo 
Dupaix (a): 
Going from the town of Tlalmanaleo to that of Mecamecan, at a distance of a 
league to the east of the latter and in the confines of the estate of Senor Don José 
Tepatolco, is an isolated rock of granitic stone artificially eut into a conical form 
with a series of six steps cut in the solid rock itself on the eastern side, the summit 
forming a platform or horizontal section suitable for the purpose of observing the 
stars at all points of the compass. It is, therefore, most evident that this ancient 
Fic, 98.—Petroglyphs in Mexico. 
monument or observatory was employed solely for astronomical observations, and it 
is further proved by various hieroglyphs cut in the south side of the cone; but the 
most interesting feature of this side is the figure of a man standing upright and in 
profile directing his gaze to the east with the arms raised, holding in the hands a 
tube or species of optical instrument. Beneath his feet is seen a carved frieze with 
six compartments or squares and other symbols of a celestial nature are engraved 
