8 CHICHEN ITZA. 



the surface plastered over with them, and there still are in places survivals of the 

 plaster-work, so strong is the cement which they made there. 



" There was in front of the stairway, to the north a little way off, two small theatres 

 built of stone with four stairways, and paved with flagstones on the top, on which they 

 say they played farces and comedies for the solace of the public. 



" There runs from the patio in front of these theatres a beautiful broad causeway to 

 a pool about two stone throws off. In this pool they have had, and had at that time, 

 the custom to throw into it live men as a sacrifice to the Gods in time of drought, and 

 they hold that these men do not die although they are never more seen. They threw 

 in also many things made of precious stones and other things which they prized, so 

 that if this land has had gold in it, it would be in this pool that most of it would be, 

 so greatly did the Indians revere it. 



" This pool has a depth of fully seven fathoms to the surface of the water, and is more 

 than a hundred feet across and is round in shape, and it is a wonder to look at, for it 

 is clean cut rock down to the water, and the water appears to have a green colour, and 

 I think this is caused by the trees which surround it — and it is very deep. 



" There is on the top, near the opening, a small building where I found Idols made 

 in honour of each of the principal buildings of the land, almost like the Pantheon of 

 Rome. I do not know if this was a contrivance of the ancients or one of the people of 

 to-day, so that they might meet with their Idols when they went to the pool with their 

 offerings. 



"I found lions worked in high relief, and jars and such other things, that I do not 

 know whether anyone will say that these people had no iron tools. 



" I also found two men of great size carved in stone, each in one piece, naked except 

 for the small covering which the Indians wear. Their heads were by themselves, with 

 earrings in their ears as the Indians wear them, and there was a spike in the back part 

 of the neck, which fitted into a deep hole made for it in the neck itself, so that when it 

 was fitted in the whole shape became complete." 



Landa, in other passages, mentions Chicheu Itza and Cozumel as the two principal 

 religious centres of Yucatan. 



In the year 1579, thirty-four years after the founding of Valladolid, a circular 

 despatch was sent from the Spanish Foreign Office to the various Colonial Governments 

 asking questions with regard to the discovery and conquest of the provinces, nature of 

 the soil, position of towns, &c, and also asking for information regarding the condition 

 of the native inhabitants, and explanation of the names of the towns, &c. 



A few years ago Dr. Sebastian Marimon, of Seville, was fortunate enough to discover, 

 in the Archives of the Indies, the answer to this despatch sent from the town of 

 Valladolid, written by three of the original ' conquistadores ' who were appointed by 

 the Municipality as a Committee to draw up the report. In it is the following 

 description of Chichen Itza : — 



