56 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



sculptured stone, of which, large as the engraving 

 is, the details cannot appear ; but, to give some idea 

 of their character, a detached portion is represented 

 in the engraving opposite, and, I ought at the same 

 time to remark, is perhaps the most curious and in- 

 teresting of any. It is at the left end of the prin- 

 cipal building, and in the angle of the corner are 

 the huge open jaws of an alligator, or some other 

 hideous animal, enclosing a human head. 



The reader will form some idea of the over- 

 grown and shrouded condition of this building from 

 the fact that I had been at work nearly the whole day 

 upon the terrace, without knowing that there was 

 another building on the top. In order to take in the 

 whole front at one view, it was necessary to carry 

 the clearing back some distance into the plain, and 

 in doing this I discovered the upper structure. The 

 growth of trees before it was almost equal to that 

 on the terrace, or in any part of the forest. The 

 whole had to be cleared, the trees thrown down 

 upon the terrace, and thence dragged away to the 

 plain. This building consists of single narrow cor- 

 ridors, and the facade is of plain stone, without any 

 ornaments. 



The platform in front is the roof of the building 

 underneath, and in this platform was a circular hole, 

 like those we had seen at Uxmal and other places, 

 leading to subterraneous chambers. This hole was 

 well known to the Indians, and had a marvellous 



