At the time of the Invasion, the accuracy of the Maya chrono- 
logical calender was superior to that of the Spaniards. The same may 
be said of the Aztecs. So perfect was it that the great Humboldt, in, 
the early part of this century, could not believe that it had a native 
origin. The language of the Mayas, while harsh to the ear, like our 
own English, has much the same grammatical construction; in addi- 
tion, it is as accurate as the German and as flexible as the French. 
But it is from the standpoint of the archeologist, and not from that 
of the philologist, that Professor Holmes considers this remarkable 
people, and we must follow him. | 
The 70,000 miles of Maya territory are literally dotted with the 
ruins of therace. “ The traveler is seldom out of sight of some mound, 
pyramid, or other massive structure.” As in Egypt, the modern villages 
and towns of the Maya Peninsula are built largely from material taken 
from these ruins, and the work of spoliation continues and must soon 
result in the annihilation of these interesting remains, unless the Mexi- 
can Government interferes. 
Prof. Holmes says: “‘ Naturehas 
vied with man in the work of 
leveling the noble monuments 
_with the ground. The luxu- 
_riant vegetation which envel- 
opes the ruins sends a multi- 
tude of strong roots deep into 
the masonry at every vulnerable 
point; growing rapidly, they 
act like wedges, separating 
masses and aiding gravitation 
-and the elements in their 
-never-ceasing efforts at de- 
struction.” 
The original purposes of 
these buiidings must remain a 
matter for speculation; but 
there is no doubt that, as with 
many of the ruins of other 
lands, the builders were im- 
_pelled by the religious impulse, 
to honor when ods, eAsea 
rule, the buildings in Yucatan 
indicate, by shrine and temple 
forms, the purpose of their 
construction ; and, it may be 
added, they are unsuited for 
human habitations, and could 
not have been built for de- 
fence by a warlike race. Some 
of the more colossal build- 
ings, distinguished by many 
windowless rooms, may haye INSCRIBED STELA OR COLUMN. 
