316 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



The part of the building which forms the rear of the 

 courtyard, communicating with it by the steps, consists 

 of two corridors, the same as the front, paved, plas- 

 tered, and ornamented with stucco. The floor of the 

 corridor fronting the courtyard sounded hollow, and a 

 breach had been made in it which seemed to lead into 

 a subterraneous chamber ; but in descending, by means 

 of a tree with notches cut in it, and with a candle, we 

 found merely a hollow in the earth, not bounded by any 

 Wall. 



In the farther corridor the wall was in some places 

 broken, and had several separate coats of plaster and 

 paint. In one place we counted six layers, each of 

 which had the remains of colours. In another place 

 there seemed a line of written characters in black ink. 

 We made an effort to get at them ; but, in endeavouring 

 to remove a thin upper stratum, they came off with it, 

 and we desisted. 



This corridor opened upon a second courtyard, eighty 

 feet long and but thirty across. The floor of the cor- 

 ridor was ten feet above that of the courtyard, and on 

 the wall underneath were square stones with hiero- 

 glyphics sculptured upon them. On the piers were 

 stuccoed figures, but in a ruined condition. 



On the other side of the courtyard were two ranges 

 of corridors, which terminated the building in this di- 

 rection. The first of them is divided into three apart- 

 ments, with doors opening from the extremities upon 

 the western corridor. All the piers are standing ex- 

 cept that on the northwest corner. All are covered 

 with stucco ornaments, and one with hieroglyphics. 

 The rest contain figures in bas-relief, three of which, 

 being those least ruined, are represented in the opposite 

 plates. 



