34 TJTATLAN AND IXIMCHE. 



in reaching Cuzcatlan, a town in what is now the Eepublic of Salvador. By the month 

 of July he was back again in Iximche, and the ceremony then took place of founding 

 there the city of Santiago as the capital of Guatemala, but before building was 

 commenced a new site had been chosen for the capital at the foot of the Volcan de 

 Agua and Iximche was abandoned. 



Interesting as Alvarado's letters are in showing us his method of procedure in 

 dealing with the Indians and the nature of the resistance he met with, they give us 

 very little information about the natives themselves, the way in which they lived, or 

 the culture to which they had attained. For these particulars it has been usual to 

 rely upon later writings, and especially on the ' History of Guatemala,' written between 

 1S08 and 1818 by Domingo Juarros, who, in his turn, relies for much of his information 

 on the ' Eecordacion Florida,' a manuscript account of the kingdom of Guatemala 

 written, in 1690, by Francisco Antonio Fuentes y Guzman, and still preserved in the 

 city of Guatemala. 



The following description of Utatlan is taken from Baily's translation of Juarros : — 

 " The history of this place is singular, as it was once the large and opulent city of 

 Utatlan, the court of the native kings of Quiche, and indubitably the most sumptuous 

 that was discovered by the Spaniards in this country. That indefatigable writer 

 Francisco de Fuentes, the historian, who went to Quiche for the purpose of collecting 

 information, partly from the antiquities of the place, and partly from manuscripts, has 

 given a tolerably good description of this capital. It stood nearly in the situation that 

 Santa Cruz now occupies, and it is presumable that the latter was one of its suburbs ; 

 it was surrounded by a deep ravine that formed a natural fosse, leaving only two very 

 narrow roads as entrances to the city, both of which were so well defended by the 

 castle of Besguardo, as to render it impregnable. The centre of the city was occupied 

 by the royal palace, which was surrounded by the houses of the nobility ; the 

 extremities were inhabited by the plebeians. The streets were very narrow, but the 

 place was so populous as to enable the king to draw from it alone no less than 72,000 

 combatants, to oppose the progress of the Spaniards. It contained many very 

 sumptuous edifices, the most superb of them was a seminary, where between 5000 and 

 6000 children were educated ; they were all maintained and provided for at the charge 

 of the royal treasury ; their instruction was superintended by 70 masters and professors. 

 The castle of the Atalaya was a remarkable structure, which being raised four stories 

 high, was capable of furnishing quarters for a very strong garrison. The castle of 

 Resguardo was not inferior to the other ; it extended 188 paces in front, 230 in depth, 

 and was 5 stories high. The grand alcazar, or palace of the kings of Quiche, 

 surpassed every other edifice, and, in the opinion of Torquemada, it could compete in 

 opulence with that of Moctesuma in Mexico, or that of the Incas in Cuzco. The front 

 of this building extended from east to west 376 geometrical paces, aud in depth 728 ; 

 it was constructed of hewn stone of different colours ; its form was elegant, and 



