602 THE INSCRIPTIONS AT COPAN. 
Chai Fish. Otot House. 
Guina Hunger. Uitsir Hill. 
Jacatiniti Thirst. Noja River. 
Aingtie To eat. Inté ie 
Unchi To drink. Chaté 2: 
Inguaian To sleep. Uxteé ai 
Inchamai To die. Chanté 4. 
Te res Joté i 
Ucabte Branch of a tree. Uakté 6. 
Tajte Ocote-pine. Uaxikté! Fh 
Txim Maize. Ukté 8. 
Ajan Ear of green corn. Boronté 9. 
Uchigtun-cha Grindstone. Launté IO. 
Tun Stone. 
-In the orthography of the indigenous languages of Central America, x has the 
same value as the French ch. 
The climate of Copan is excellent, and the site of the city has all the advan- 
tages which the ancient Americans generally chose for their principal towns. Copan 
is located 770 yards above the level of the sea, and consequently has a temperature 
similar to that of Amatitlan. 
Now that the governing class of this hemisphere has a direct interest in its 
fame and a filial love for its history, the ancient history of America will begin to be 
properly considered and written. The study of the history of their own country 
will give to the people of Central America a more refined patriotism and a character 
peculiarly its own. 
Probably the founding of.the Empire of Copan was contemporaneous with 
that of Peru, that is to say, about the eleventh century of the Christian era. 
The Spanish conquerors invariably assert with pride that the indigenous 
nations of the continent spontaneously offered themselves as vassals of their king 
on the first intimation or hint given them. This is undoubtedly afirmed, to justify 
their invasions, but that such an assertion is false is inferred from the long wars 
that they always waged with the natives. 
The well-known expedition which marched against Copan was under the com- 
mand of Fernando Chaves, who came from Guatemala some time in April 1530, 
with an army of Europeans and native allies. He advanced not without opposition, 
through Jalpatagua, Mita, and Esquipulas, and then laid siege to this city. No 
person could point out the place of the victory of Fernando Chaves over the King 
of Copan. These inhabitants do not know that such a battle took place. The 
ignorance and apathy concerning the origin and history of the ancient monuments 
are really surprising. The owner of the adjoining ranch, Ornillos, who, being a 
prominent and wealthy gentleman in this part of the country, was supposed to be 
somewhat intelligent, does not seem to know anything at all. The Spaniards 
taught all of them to look with hatred and contempt on the works of the natives, 
because the latter were not instructed in the mysteries of our holy religion, and it is 
still difficult to eradicate and destroy this feeling. 
Four or five leagues from Esquipulas 1s the place popularly called ““Conquest”’ 
(see figure No. 26). It is a peninsula formed by the Lempa River, and in part by a 
brook which unites with that river to the south, the waters running through a very 

1Galindo has evidently interchanged the words for 7 and 8 here. The Maya word for 7 in the Books of Chilan 
Balam (northern Yucatan) is uuc, and for 8, waxac, which are very similar to the Chorti words Galindo gives for 
these two numbers, waxikté and ukté respectively, only reversed. The t#é is an unessential difference, being only a 
particle used in counting, as pel and even ¢é itself in northern Yucatan, for example, hunp’el haab, 1 year; oxp’el 
haab, 3 years, and te hunté Pop, the first of Pop. 
The corresponding forms in the Books of Chilan Balam are: 1, hunp’el; 2, cap’ el; 3, oxp’el; 4, canp’el; 5, hop’el; 
6, uacp’el; 7, uucp'el; 8, uaxacp’el; 9, bolonp’el; and 10, lahunp’el. 

