COPAN. y 



by continual revolution and civil war, Stephens devoted most of his time to the explo- 

 ration of the ruins of ancient Indian monuments and buildings, and on his return to 

 the United States published a most interesting and accurate account of his travels and 

 of the discoveries he had made. 



Stephens was accompanied during his travels by Frederick Catherwood, an English 

 artist, whose beautiful pencil-drawings add immensely to the value of the book. 



Almost all the sculptured monuments at Copan which were then to be seen above 

 ground are described and figured in Stephens's work ; but, like all other visitors to the 

 ruins, he failed to understand the nature of the ruined structures, mistaking ruined 

 houses for fallen city walls, and seeing no trace of stone-roofed buildings which might 

 have served as dwelling-houses or temples. 



In Bancroft's ' Native Races of the Pacific States ' (vol. iv.) there is a description of 

 Copan principally founded on that of Stephens. This description is accompanied by a 

 full and interesting bibliographical note, but the MSS. and publications mentioned in 

 it add nothing to our knowledge of the Ruins. 



P!ioto6ravureGoupi!£.l<i'p.Bouswd-Va!a< 



Stone Head found lung on the Southern Slopes. 



biol. centr.-amer., Archseol., December 1888. 



