832 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. III. No. 75. 



"Within a region of 150 x 50 miles, in which 

 the Uintaite all occurs in the eastern part, 

 is found nearly all of the native asphalt 

 series. The nearest neighbor is the Mineral 

 Caoutchouc, Elaterite, or Wurtzilite, which 

 in turn has at no great distance from it a 

 substance with which it is said to have 

 most intimate relations. Ozocerite, or 

 Mineral Wax, and but a short distance 

 from the latter is probablj^ the highest grade 

 asphaltic limestone in the United States. 

 Maltha also occurs in the region ; petroleum 

 springs are also known, and the shales and 

 limestones of the Green Eiver formation 

 are frequently found heavily impregnated 

 with bitumen. 



The region as a whole, therefore, offers a 

 most advantageous opportunity for the 

 study of the field relations of hydrocarbons. 



RUINS OF QUIBIGUA. 



The village of Quirigua is about 20 miles 

 to the west of Izabal, in Lat. N". 15° 15' 

 and W. Long. 89°. Nine miles away are 

 the ruins situated on the left bank of the 

 Motagua. Dense tropical forests cover the 

 hills and valleys for miles around, and the 

 only means of approach is through narrow 

 mule paths till within some two miles from 

 the ruins, when a passageway has to be 

 cut by the ' mozos,' or Indian guides, with 

 their machetes. The trees are of immense 

 size, mahogany, ebony and lignum-vitfe be- 

 ing plentiful. Creepers and vines of all 

 kinds hang down from these trees, making 

 travel both dangerous and difficult in a 

 tropical region where venomous insects and 

 reptiles abound. 



The first one sees on reaching the ruins 

 is a small lake which the Indians have 

 named ' Lake of the Idols.' An artificial 

 mound built of small stones is within 

 a stone's throw of the lake. As many of 

 these rocks are of very fine marble, they 

 probably came from the bed of the Monta- 



gua river, two or three miles away. At the 

 base of this mound there are three obelisks 

 16 to 18 feet high. Each has a human face 

 sculptured on its south side. The features 

 of these faces are generally flattened about 

 the forehead, the under lip large and hang- 

 ing, the upper quite short, flat nosed and 

 very lai'ge eyes with a staring look. The 

 mouth is open in most cases and there ap- 

 pears to be a slight growth of beard. The 

 other sides of these obelisks are covered 

 with hieroglyphics enclosed in squares, 

 many representing animals, trees, etc. 



In a southerly direction we find the 

 largest of the six obelisks, this one being 

 26 feet high, 5 feet wide and 4 feet thick. 

 It is 12i feet out of the perpendicular. It 

 is quite probable that fully 6 or 8 feet of 

 these shafts are buried in the soil. All the 

 sculptured parts of the inclined obelisk of 

 Quirigua are certainly finer and more 

 elaborate than on the others, the features 

 are more regular ; the nose, which is a foot 

 long, is much sharper and the lips are not 

 so full. The mouth is eight inches wide 

 and the left side is broader than the right. 

 The ears are square and are adorned with 

 rings. The head is covered with a species 

 of helmet shaped like a human face; the 

 south side is similar to the north side 

 already described, whilst the east and west 

 have each a double row of squares contain- 

 ing hieroglyphics to the number of forty. 



A few feet away lies an obelisk which 

 was standing a very few j^ears ago, accord- 

 ing to the guides. The face on this one is 

 different from the others ; for instance, the 

 ears are round instead of square and are 

 formed of three concentric circles. This 

 shaft is 18 feet high, 4 feet wide and 3 feet 

 thick. The present condition of the sixth 

 obelisk is not as good as some of the others. 

 The face, which is 2 feet long by li feet, 

 has lost the nose, and the mouth is almost 

 obliterated also ; the ears are square and 

 have no rings. Diagonally across the 



