228 



PYRAMID OF CHOLULA. 



Longitude east Elevation above the 

 Names of places. N. Latitude from Mexico. level of the ocean. 



Ameco a village 19° 7' 40" 0° 23' 30" 8,216 Eng. feet. 



St. Nicolas de los Ranchos 19° 4' 21" 0° 32' 30" 8,087 do. 



Tochimilco 6,930 do. 



Superior limit of pines 12,544 do. 



Limit of all vegetation 12,693 do. 



Picacho de S. Guliermo 1 16,895 do. 



The most elevated border of the crater of the 



volcano of Popocatepetl .... 17,884 do. 



Rancho de la Vaqueria 10,784 do. 



Remains of Antiquity in the State of Puebla. 



THE PYRAMID OF CHOLULA. 



The vast plain of Puebla, separated from the Valley of Mexico 

 by its gigantic chain of bordering mountains, is full of interesting 

 associations and studies for the antiquarian ; but, among all of the 

 sites signalized in the history of the Aztecs or of the Spanish Con- 

 quest, no one is more generally sought by the traveller than the 

 Pyramid of Cholula. Its lofty remains lie about three leagues west- 

 ward from the city of Puebla, and are easily reached by a pleasant 

 ride over the plain. The pyramid was originally built of sun dried 

 bricks, or, adobes, rising in four stories connected by terraces. 

 Many years ago, in cutting a new road from Mexico towards 

 Puebla, it became necessary to cross a portion of the base of this 

 pyramid, and, in the course of the excavation, a square chamber 

 was opened, which was found to be constructed of stone with a 

 roof supported by cypress beams. Some idols, carved in basalt, a 

 number of painted earthen vases, and two bodies were found in this 

 cavity, but as no care was taken of these relics by the discoverers, 

 and as their explorations were not prosecuted deeper into the bowels 

 of the gigantic mound, the world is now quite as ignorant of its 

 ancient uses as it was during the possession of the country by the 

 Spaniards. The most recent publication upon the subject of Cho- 

 lula by Senor Gondra, the Curator of the National Museum, in the 

 University of Mexico, merely repeats the thrice told tales of the last 

 century. 



The top of this pyramid is reached by paths that climb its sides 

 amid masses of debris and groves of bushes which have driven their 



1 This peak which is visible from Mexico, has been thus denominated in honor 

 of Mr. Wil iam Glennie, who was the chief promoter of the expedition. 



