ANCIENT MONUMENTS. 



121 



and mahogany trees. The path was exceedingly soft 

 and wet, and covered with decayed leaves, and the 

 heat very great. Continuing through the forest toward 

 the northeast, in three quarters of an hour they reached 

 the foot of a pyramidal structure like those at Copan, 

 with the steps in some places perfect. They ascended 

 to the top, about twenty-five feet, and descending by 

 steps on the other side, at a short distance beyond came 

 to a colossal head two yards in diameter, almost buried 

 by an enormous tree, and covered with moss. Near it 

 was a large altar, so covered with moss that it was im- 

 possible to make anything out of it. The two are with- 

 in an enclosure. 



Retracing their steps across the pyramidal structure, 

 and proceeding to the north about three or four hun- 

 dred yards, they reached a collection of monuments of 

 the same general character with those at Copan, but 

 twice or three times as high. 



The first is about twenty feet high, five feet six inch- 

 es on two sides, and two feet eight on the other two. 

 The front represents the figure of a man, well pre- 

 served ; the back that of a woman, much defaced. The 

 sides are covered with hieroglyphics in good preserva- 

 tion, but in low relief, and of exactly the same style as 

 those at Copan. 



Another, represented in the engraving, is twenty- 

 three feet out of the ground, with figures of men on the 

 front and back, and hieroglyphics in low relief on the 

 sides, and surrounded by a base projecting fifteen or six- 

 teen feet from it. 



At a short distance, standing in the same position as 

 regards the points of the compass, is an obelisk or carv- 

 ed stone, twenty-six feet out of the ground, and proba- 

 bly six or eight feet under, which is represented in the 



Vol. II.— -Q, 11 



