ee 
entered from the court by three doorways approached by a broad 
stairway a few steps in height. The entrance is into a g=omt 
court 56 feet wide and 130 feet in length, along the middle of 
which is a row of tapering porphyry columns six in number that 
onee supported the roof. The walls are faced outside with well 
cut stone in large blocks ,—tsedekb-eee laid to form sunken horizon- 
tal panels of varying size, in which by means of stucco a Tea pl 
series of geometric decorative patterns have been worked. The 
only carvings observed are some geometric patterns upon the large 
stones of the facade over the doorways. The.floor is paved with 
flat stones and the inner surface of the walls is of unhewn stone; 
both were originally plastered. The roof was probably support- 
ed by horizontally placed wooden beams resting midway Oh the col- 
umns. The remainder of this edifice and the nemweieime structures 
of the group need not be described in detail, as no peculiar or 
ee re have been recorded save a subterranean gallery 
underneath one of the palaces. The pyramids are reduced to shape- 
less mounds and it is not known whether or not they originally sup- 
ported temples or other buildings. According to ZapoteeStradi- 
‘tion Mitla was a great religious centre, but nothing is really 
known of its history and people and the affiniil es of 1 te avr are 
not fully made out. 
