130 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



CHAPTER VIL 



Survey of the Ruins. — Account of them by Huarros and by Colonel Galindo. 

 — ^Their Situation. — Their Extent.— Plan of Survey. — Pyramidal Structures. — 

 Rows of Death's Heads.— Remarkable Portrait. — " Idols." — Character of the 

 Engravings. — Ranges of Terraces. — A Portrait. — Courtyards.— Curious Altar. 

 — Tablets of Hieroglyphics. — Gigantic Head. — Stone Quarries.— More Appli- 

 cants for Medicine. — "Idols" and Altars. — Buried Image. — Material of the 

 Statues.— Idols originally painted. — Circular Altar. — Antiquity of Copan. 



That night there was no rain, and the next day, as 

 the ground was somewhat dry, we commenced a regu- 

 lar survey of the ruins. It was my first essay in engi- 

 neering. Our surveying apparatus was not very exten- 

 sive. We had a good surveying compass, and the rest 

 consisted of a reel of tape which Mr. C. had used in 

 a survey of the ruins of Thebes and Jerusalem. My 

 part of the business was very scientific. I had to direct 

 the Indians in cutting straight lines through the woods, 

 make Bruno and Frederico stick their hats on poles to 

 mark the stations, and measure up to them. The sec- 

 ond day we were thoroughly in the spirit of it. 



That day Don Jose Maria refused to execute the con- 

 tract. Don Gregorio was the cause. He had ceased to 

 interfere with us, but at the idea of our actually taking 

 root in the neighbourhood he could nat contain himself, 

 and persuaded Don Jose Maria that he would get into 

 difficulty by having anything to do with us ; he even 

 told him that General Cascara's passport was worth- 

 less, and that General Cascara himself had gone over 

 to Morazan. He carried his point for the moment, but 

 in the end we beat him, and the contract was executed. 



After three days of very hard but very interesting la- 

 bour, we finished tjie survey, the particulars of which I 

 intend to inflict upon the reader ; but before doing so 



