352 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



The principal personages will be recognised at once as 

 the same who are represented in the tablet of the cross. 

 They wear the same dress, but here both seem to be 

 making offerings. Both personages stand on the backs 

 of human beings, one of whom supports himself by his 

 hands and knees, and the other seems crushed to the 

 ground by the weight. Between them, at the foot of 

 the tablet, are two figures, sitting cross-legged, one bra- 

 cing himself with his right hand on the ground, and with 

 the left supporting a square table ; the attitude and ac- 

 tion of the other are the same, except that they are in 

 reverse order. The table also rests upon their bended 

 necks, and their distorted countenances may perhaps be 

 considered expressions of pain and suffering. They are 

 both clothed in leopard-skins. Upon this table rest two 

 batons crossed, their upper extremities richly ornament- 

 ed, and supporting what seems a hideous mask, the eyes 

 widely expanded, and the tongue hanging out. This 

 seems to be the object to which the principal personages 

 are making offerings. 



The pier on each side of the doorway contained a 

 stone tablet, with figures carved in bas-relief, which are 

 represented in the two following engravings. These 

 tablets, however, have been removed from their place 

 to the village, and set up in the wall of a house as or- 

 naments. They were the first objects which we saw, 

 and the last which Mr. Catherwood drew. The house 

 belonged to two sisters, who have an exaggerated idea 

 of the value of these tablets ; and, though always pleas- 

 ed with our coming to see them, made objections to 

 having them copied. We obtained permission only by 

 promising a copy for them also, which, however, Mr. 

 Catherwood, worn out with constant labour, was entire- 

 ly unable to make. I cut out of Del Rio's book the 



