CHICKEN ITZA. 21 



Not only are the angles and sides of this upper foundation unequal, but none of its 

 sides are parallel to the sides of the lower foundation. The stairway, by which the 

 terrace is reached, is on the west side. 



The balustrade on each side of it is in the shape of the twined body of a rattlesnake, 

 the head and tail resting on the ground. 



Near the top of the stairway, but not quite in the centre, is a projecting block of 

 masonry, with a niche probably intended for a sculptured figure. 



The building which these foundations support is circular, and measures about 

 36 feet in diameter. Four doorways, nearly equidistant from one another, give access 

 to a circular chamber, but not one of these doorways directly faces the stairway or the 

 sides of the foundation. 



Alternating with these outer doorways, four others lead through the inner wall to 

 another somewhat smaller circular chamber, in the centre of which stands a solid core 

 of masonry between seven and eight feet in diameter. The vault of the outer chamber 

 is divided into four sections by four transverse walls resting on stone lintels which span 

 the chamber at the level of the wall-plates. 



These divisions of the vault occur also in the inner chamber, but the dividing walls 

 are supported by rongh wooden beams in place of stone lintels. Both chambers retain 

 a very few traces of wall-paintings. 



The ground-plan and section of the building is shown in Plate XX. 

 In the upper part of the central core of masonry, where it trends outwards to form 

 one side of the vault of the inner chamber, at about the height of 12 feet from the 

 ground (above the spot marked "X" in the ground-plan), there is a small opening 

 which apparently gives access to a winding passage or stairway passing round an inner 

 core of masonry. It may have been possible for a small man to ascend the stairway, 

 but owing to the falling and fallen stones, it is now dangerous for anyone to make the 

 attempt to do so. 



The stairway is broken away after one spiral is nearly completed, and now ends in 

 an opening which can be seen amongst the broken masonry. It seems probable that 

 it formerly connected with one of the small cross-passages in the superstructure. 



The outer wall-surface of the building was quite plain and was surmounted by a 

 heavy double notched cornice. Above this the wall appears to have sloped inwards 

 and was probably capped by another notched cornice. Above this, again, was a level 

 platform, on which stood an upper storey furnished with what looked like six small 

 doorways facing outwards. Of these the doorway immediately over the lower doorway 

 "A" is the entrance to a small passage, 3 feet high, which probably passed right across 

 the building to a doorway on the other side. 



Whether the other small doorways gave entrances to similar passages I could not 

 satisfactorily make out, but am inclined to think that they did not and that they were 

 merely ornamental recesses. 



