THE AQUEDUCT. 



321 



stones, with a foundation- wall still remaining. Proba- 

 bly a tower or temple had stood there, but the woods 

 were as thick as below, and no part of the ruined city, 

 not even the palace, could be seen. Trees were grow- 

 ing out of the top, up one of which I climbed, but could 

 not see the palace or any one of the buildings. Back 

 toward the mountain was nothing but forest ; in front, 

 through an opening in the trees, we saw a great wood- 

 ed plain extending to Tobasco and the Gulf of Mexico ; 

 and the Indian at the foot of the tree, peering through 

 the branches, turned his face up to me with a beaming 

 expression, and pointing to a little spot on the plain, 

 which was to him the world, cried out, " esta el pue- 

 blo,' ' " there is the village." This was the only occa- 

 sion on which I attempted to explore, for it was the 

 only time I had any mark to aim at. 



I must except, however, the exploration of an aque- 

 duct which Pawling and I attempted together. It is 

 supplied by a stream which runs at the base of the ter- 

 race on which the palace stands. At the time of our 

 arrival the whole stream passed through this aqueduct. 

 It was now swollen, and ran over the top and along- 

 side. At the mouth we had great difficulty in stem- 

 ming the torrent. Within it was perfectly dark, and 

 we could not move without candles. The sides were 

 of smooth stones about four feet high, and the roof 

 was made by stones lapping over like the corridors of 

 the buildings. At a short distance from the entrance 

 the passage turned to the left, and at a distance of one 

 hundred and sixty feet it was completely blocked up 

 by the ruins of the roof, which had fallen down. What 

 was its direction beyond it was impossible to deter- 

 mine, but certainly it did not pass under the palace, as 

 has been supposed. 



Vol. II.— S s 



