SUPPOSED ANTIQUITY oIf THE RUINS. 437 



pages that the accounts have been exaggerated ; and, as 

 regards Palenque and Uxmal at least, the only places 

 which have been brought before the public at all, there 

 is neither difficulty in reaching nor danger in exploring 

 them. 



The second is in regard to the age of the buildings ; 

 but here the cloud is darker, and not so easily dispelled. 



I will not recapitulate the many speculations that have 

 already been presented. The most irrational, perhaps, 

 is that of Captain Dupaix, who gives to the ruins of Pa- 

 lenque an antediluvian origin ; and, unfortunately for 

 him, he gives his reason, which is the accumulation of 

 earth over the figures in the courtyard of the palace. 

 His visit was thirty years before ours ; and, though he 

 cleared away the earth, the accumulation was again 

 probably quite as great when we were there. At all 

 events, by his own showing, the figures were not entire- 

 ly buried. I have a distinct recollection of the condi- 

 tion of those monuments, and have no scruple in saying 

 that, if entirely buried, one Irishman, with the national 

 weapon that has done such service on our canals, would 

 in three hours remove the whole of this antediluvian 

 deposite. I shall not follow the learned commentaries 

 upon this suggestion of Captain Dupaix, except to re- 

 mark that much learning and research have been ex- 

 pended upon insufficient or incorrect data, or when a 

 bias has been given by a statement of facts ; and, put- 

 ting ourselves in the same category with those who have 

 furnished these data, for the benefit of explorers and 

 writers who may succeed us I shall narrow down this 

 question to a ground even yet sufficiently broad, viz., a 

 comparison of these remains with those of the architec- 

 ture and sculpture of other ages and people. 



I set out with the proposition that they are not Cyclo- 



