436 



INCIDENTS OP TRAVEL. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



Exploration finished. — Who built these ruined Cities? — Opinion of Dupaix.— 

 These Ruins bear no Resemblance to the Architecture of Greece and Rome. — 

 Nothing like them in Europe. — Do not Resemble the known Works of Japan 

 and China. — Neither those of Hindu. — No Excavations found. — The Pyramids 

 of Egypt, in their original State, do not resemble what are called the Pyramids 

 of America. — The Temples of Egypt not like those of America. — Sculpture not 

 the same as that of Egypt. — Probable Antiquity of these Ruins. — Accounts of 

 the Spanish Historians. — These Cities probably built by the Races inhabiting 

 the Country at the time of the Spanish Conquest. — These Races not yet extinct. 



I have now finished the exploration of ruins. The 

 reader is perhaps pleased that our labours were brought 

 to an abrupt close (my publishers certainly are) ; but I 

 assure him that I could have found it in my heart to be 

 prolix beyond all bounds, and that in mercy I have been 

 very brief; in fact, I have let slip the best chance that 

 author ever had to make his reader remember him. I 

 will make no mention of other ruins of which we heard 

 at more remote places. I have no doubt a year may 

 be passed with great interest in Yucatan. The field of 

 American antiquities is barely opened ; but for the pres- 

 ent I have done. 



And here I would be willing to part, and leave the 

 reader to wander alone and at will through the laby- 

 rinth of mystery which hangs over these ruined cities ; 

 but it would be craven to do so, without turning for a 

 moment to the important question, Who were the peo- 

 ple that built these cities ? 



Since their discovery, a dark cloud has been thrown 

 over them in two particulars. The first is in regard to 

 the immense difficulty and danger, labour and expense, 

 of visiting and exploring them. It has been my object 

 to clear away this cloud. It will appear from these 



