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INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



whole kingdom of Guatimala. According to Fuentes, 

 who visited it for the purpose of collecting information, 

 and who gathered his facts partly from the remains and 

 partly from manuscripts, it was surrounded by a deep 

 ravine that formed a natural fosse, leaving only two 

 very narrow roads as entrances, both of which were so 

 well defended by the castle of Resguardo, as to render it 

 impregnable. The centre of the city was occupied by 

 the royal palace, which was surrounded by the houses 

 of the nobility ; the extremities were inhabited by the 

 plebeians ; and some idea may be formed of its vast 

 population from the fact, before mentioned, that the 

 king drew from it no less than seventy-two thousand 

 fighting men to oppose the Spaniards. It contained 

 many very sumptuous edifices, the most superb of which 

 was a seminary, where between five and six thousand 

 children were educated at the charge of the royal 

 treasury. The castle of the Atalaya was a remarkable 

 structure, four stories high, and capable of furnishing 

 quarters for a very strong garrison. The castle of 

 Resguardo was five stories high, extending one hundred 

 and eighty paces in front, and two hundred and thirty 

 in depth. The grand alcazar, or palace of the kings 

 of Quiche, surpassed every other edifice; and in the 

 opinion of Torquemada, it could compete in opulence 

 with that of Montezuma in Mexico, or that of the Incas 

 in Cuzco. The front extended three hundred and sev- 

 enty-six geometrical paces from east to west, and it was 

 seven hundred and twenty-eight paces in depth. It was 

 constructed of hewn stones of various colours. There 

 were six principal divisions. The first contained lodg- 

 ings for a numerous troop of lancers, archers, and other 

 troops, constituting the royal body-guard. The second 



