DISCOVERY OF A STATUE. 



349 



ed by its size ; our guide said it was not sculptur- 

 ed ; but, after he had shown us everything that he had 

 knowledge of, and we had discharged him, in passing it 

 again we stopped and dug around it, and discovered that 

 the under surface was carved. The Indians cut down 

 some saplings for levers, and rolled it over. The oppo- 

 site engraving represents this monument. It is the only , 

 statue that has ever been found at Palenque. We were 

 at once struck with its expression of serene repose and 

 its strong resemblance to Egyptian statues, though in 

 size it does not compare with the gigantic remains of 

 Egypt. In height it is ten feet six inches, of which 

 two feet six inches were under ground. The headdress 

 is lofty and spreading; there are holes in the place of 

 ears, which were perhaps adorned with earrings of gold 

 and pearls. Round the neck is a necklace, and pressed 

 against the breast by the right hand is an instrument 

 apparently with teeth. The left hand rests on a hiero- 

 glyphic, from which descends some symbolical orna- 

 ment. The lower part of the dress bears an unfortu- 

 nate resemblance to the modern pantaloons, but the 

 figure stands on what we have always considered a 

 hieroglyphic, analogous again to the custom in Egypt 

 of recording the name and office of the hero or other 

 person represented. The sides are rounded, and the 

 back is of rough stone. Probably it stood imbedded in 

 a wall. 



From the foot of the elevation on which the last- 

 mentioned building stands, their bases almost touching, 1 

 rises another pyramidal structure of about the same 

 height, on the top of which is the building marked No. 

 3. Such is the density of the forest, even on the sides 

 of the pyramidal structure, that, though in a right line 



