Ill 



» 



greatly struck with the polish and the cut of the 

 stones, all of which are parallelopipeds ; the care 

 with which they have been arranged, without 

 cement between the joints ; and the execution of 

 the reliefs, with which the stones are decorated. 

 Each figure occupies several stones ; and, from 

 the outlines not being interrupted by the joints 

 of the stones, we may conjecture, that these 

 reliefs were sculptured after the construction 

 of the edifice was finished. Among the hiero- 

 glyphical ornaments of the pyramid of Xochi- 

 calco, we distinguish heads of crocodiles spout- 

 ing water, and figures of men sitting crosslegged 

 according to the custom of several nations of 

 Asia. ' As the edifice is placed on a plain, ele- 

 vated more than thirteen hundred metres above 

 the level of the ocean,, and since crocodiles haunt 

 only the rivers which are near the coast ; it 

 seems strange, that the architect, instead of imi- 

 tating plants and animals belonging to moun* 

 tainous countries, should have employed, in these 

 reliefs, with extreme industry, the gigantic pro- 

 ductions of the torrid zone. 



The ditch, with which the hill is surrounded, 

 the covering of the terraces, the great number of 

 subterraneous apartments dug in the rock on the 

 northern side; the wall that defends the ap- 

 proach to the platform, concur all together to 

 give the monument of Xochicalco a military 

 aspect. The natives even to this day designate 



