94 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



ries of time, and tells the story of a greater and a 

 sadder fall. 



In one of the lower cloisters going out from the 

 north, and under the principal dormitory, are two 

 parallel corridors. The outer one faces the princi- 

 pal patio, and this corridor has that peculiar arch so 

 often referred to in my previous volumes, two sides 

 rising to meet each other, and covered, when within 

 about a foot of forming an apex, by a flat layer of 

 stones. There can be no mistake about the char- 

 acter of this arch; it cannot for a moment be sup- 

 posed that the Spaniards constructed anything so 

 different from their known rules of architecture; 

 and beyond doubt it formed part of one of those 

 mysterious buildings which have given rise to so 

 much speculation ; the construction of which has 

 been ascribed to the most ancient people in the Old 

 World, and to races lost, perished, and unknown. 



I am happy thus early in these pages to have an 

 opportunity of recurring to the opinion expressed in 

 my former volumes, in regard to the builders of the 

 ancient American cities. 



The conclusion to which I came was, that " there 

 are not sufficient grounds for belief in the great an- 

 tiquity that has been ascribed to these ruins ;" " that 

 we are not warranted in going back to any ancient 

 nation of the Old World for the builders of these 

 cities ; that they are not the works of people who 

 have passed away, and whose history is lost ; but 

 that there are strong reasons to believe them the 



