396 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL 



the night the building fell, but, fortunately, the mu- 

 leteers escaped unhurt, and, leaving their mules be- 

 hind them, in the darkness and rain made the best of 

 their way to Nohcacab, reporting that El Demonio 

 was among the ruins of Kabah. 



On the left of this mound is a staircase leading 

 down to the area of Casa No. 2, and on the right 

 is a grand and majestic pile of buildings, having no 

 name assigned to it, and which, perhaps, when en- 

 tire, was the most imposing structure at Kabah. It 

 measured at the base one hundred and forty-seven 

 feet on one side and one hundred and six on the 

 other, and consisted of three distinct stories or 

 ranges, one on the roof of the other, the second 

 smaller than the first, and the third smaller than the 

 second, having on each side a broad platform in 

 front. Along the base on all four of the sides was 

 a continuous range of apartments, with the door- 

 w^ays supported by pillars, and on the side fronting 

 the rear of Casa No. 1 was another new and inter- 

 esting feature. 



This was a gigantic stone staircase, rising to the 

 roof, on which stood the second range of apart- 

 ments. This staircase was not a sohd mass, resting 

 against the wall of the mound, but was supported 

 by the half of a triangular arch springing from the 

 ground, and resting against the wall so as to leave 

 a passage under the staircase. This staircase was 

 interesting not only for its own grandeur and the 

 novelty of its construction, but as explaining what 



