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INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



Ruins of Uxmal.— A lofty Building.— Magnificent View from its Doorway.-— Pe- 

 culiar sculptured Ornaments. — Another Building, called by the Indians the 

 House of the Dwarf. — An Indian Legend. — The House of the Nuns. — The 

 House of Turtles. — The House of Pigeons.— The Guard-house.— Absence of 

 Water. — The House of the Governor. — Terraces. — Wooden Lintels — Details 

 of the House of the Governor.— Doorways.— Corridors. — A Beam of Wood, in- 

 scribed with Hieroglyphics. — Sculptured Stones, &c. 



In the mean time I returned for one more view of the 

 ruins. Mr. Waldeck's work on these ruins had appear- 

 ed before we left this country. It was brought out in 

 Paris in a large folio edition, with illustrations fancifully 

 and beautifully coloured, and contains the result of a 

 year's residence at Merida and eight days at Uxmal. 

 At the time of his visit the ruins were overgrown with 

 trees, which within the last year had been cleared away, 

 and the whole was laid bare and exposed to view. In 

 attempting a description of these ruins, so vast a work 

 rises up before me that I am at a loss where to begin. 

 Arrested on the very threshold of our labours, I am un- 

 able to give any general plan ; but, fortunately, the 

 whole field was level, clear of trees, and in full sight at 

 once. The first view stamped it indelibly upon my 

 mind, and Mr. Cather wood's single day was well em- 

 ployed. 



The first object that arrests the eye on emerging from 

 the forest is the building represented on the right hand 

 of the engraving opposite. Drawn off by mounds of 

 ruins and piles of gigantic buildings, the eye returns 

 and again fastens upon this lofty structure. It was 

 the first building I entered. From its front doorway 

 I counted sixteen elevations, with broken walls and 



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