8 COPAN. 



of Guatemala, and there is no reason to doubt that he is quoting accurately from the 

 MS. of Fuentes : — 



" Copan was in former times the wealthy city and court of the Cacique Copan-Calel, 

 who was conquered, after much labour and difficulty, by the Capitan Hernando de 

 Chaves. 



"The historian of this country, Don Francisco de Fuentes, asserts that in his time 

 (that is to say, in the year 1700) the Circus Maximus of Copan was still entire and 

 perfect ; this was a small circular plaza surrounded by pyramids, six or seven yards 

 high, built of very well-worked stone. At the foot of the pyramids were some life-sized 

 figures of men and women beautifully sculptured, and the colours with which they were 

 enamelled still well preserved ; but the most curious thing about these figures is that 

 they are clothed in the Castillian costume. 



" In the centre of this plaza, above a flight of steps, is the place of sacrifice. 



" The same historian says that at a short distance from the Circus is a doorway also 

 of stone, with columns representing the figures of men, like those in the Circus ; these 

 figures are also clothed in Castillian costume, with hose, frilled collar, sword, cap, and 

 short coat. 



" Entering by this gateway one admires two fine stone pyramids, broad and high, 

 with a hammock slung between them, and in the hammock two human figures, one of 

 each sex, dressed like Indians. But the most surprising thing is that, although it is 

 of such great size, there is no joint or rivetting to be seen, and, notwithstanding its 

 being all of stone and of such enormous weight, it swings with a slight touch of the 

 hand. 



" A short distance from this hammock is to be seen the cave of Tibulca ; this appears 

 to be a large temple of great size and capacity, dug out of the foot of a hill, adorned 

 with columns, with bases, capitals, and crowns, all perfectly adjusted by the principles 

 of architecture. 



" In the sides of the temple are a great number of windows ornamented with skil- 

 fully worked stone. All of which things persuade and convince one that in the times 

 of the ancients there was communication and commerce between the inhabitants of the 

 Old World and the New." 



The Report of Colonel Juan Galindo, who was commissioned by the Government of 

 Guatemala to examine the ruins, appears never to have been published in full, and the 

 short notices sent by him to foreign scientific societies and periodicals do not add much 

 to our knowledge. The most important passage in his letter will be quoted hereafter 

 when the detailed description of the ruined structures is given. 



The next description of Copan is from the pen of John L. Stephens, who, in the 

 year 1839, was despatched on a special mission from the President of the United States 

 to the Government of Central America. Finding it impossible to carry out his diplo- 

 matic mission, owing to the state of anarchy to which the country had been reduced 



