ee eer tees 
at ek ctl, aa een = el — 
extra height, repeats in a measure or continues the decorative features 
of the entablature zone below.” 
Professor Holmes discourses, with characteristic clearness, on the 
pillars, arches and ornamentation of this old Maya architecture, and | 
then coming to the keynote of the whole question he says: “The 
housing of gods and men is a simple thing and requires little more 
than walls and a roof, but the demands of symbolism and estheticism 
make building a complex and wonderful art, adding three-fourths to 
the labor and cost of construction, and imposing nearly all there is 
of elaboration and display.” 
As in Egypt, a striking feature of the Yucatan and the other 
Mexican ruins is the hieroglyphics that are found on nearly all the 
walls. ‘These hieroglyphics have attracted the attention of students 
like Stephens, Charnay, Maudslay, Siler, Thompson and Brinton, 
and though the prospect is not promising, it is hoped that some Rosetta 
stone may be found to give a key to these sealed inscriptions. 
A glance at the map which we reproduce will show the reader 
that not only the peninsula of Yucatan, but also the encircling islands 
abound with these prehistoric ruins, a detailed account of any one of 
which would give material for a good-sized volume. The most inter- 
esting of the northern islands is that of Mugeres, or Women’s Island. 
_ Here the ruins are numerous, but unimportant as to size. Cortez, 
_whose fleet stopped at this island on the way to Vera Cruz, found a 
number of small temples with female idols in them, hence the Spanish 
name ‘“ Mugeres.” 
The islands of Cancun and Cozumel to the south are far more 
interesting. The latter has never been thoroughly explored, but enough 
is known of its wonders to make the student eager for more light. ‘The 
early Spanish records tell of imposing temples crowded with worship- 
pers; but four hundred years, in such a climate, must necessarily be 
_ destructive of the works of man. San Miguel was found full of inter-— 
est to the archeologist, but the party with which Professor Holmes 
was connected had not, unfortunately for him, time for an extended 
exploration. 
The most interesting place visited was Uxmal, on the mainland, 
and about fifty-five miles southwest of the seaport of Merida. 
Thirty-five miles of this journey is made by rail and the rest by | 
volan coche. The region about Uxmal-is full of miasma, and for 
this reason the stay of even the most enthusiastic student is neces- 
sarily limited. This is much to be regretted, for at this place is 
found one of the grandest groups of ruins on the continent. The 
panoramic sketch, reproduced from Prof. Holmes’ original drawing, 
gives at a glance a better idea of these ruins than chapters of mere 
verbal description. 
The ruins at Uxmal cover about three hundred acres, but. 
there is on all sides evidences of more extensive structures. The 
forests and gigantic vines have invaded the ruins, but enough is 
visible to indicate their magnificence when the encircling plain was 
cleared and cultivated. It is believed that Uxmal in its glory was 
the grandest city in Yucatan, but it has a great rival in Chichen- 
Itza. 
There are five great structures, or groups of structures, at 
Uxmal that take high rank as specimens of the most advanced Maya 
architecture. These are known to students as the “Pyramid and 
Temple of the Magician,” the quadrangle called “‘The Nunnery,” 
the “ House of the Turtles,” the ‘“‘ House of the Pigeons,” and the 
“* Governor’s Palace.” 
The material of these structures is a light, yellowish limestone 
much resembling marble, and in all there is a seeming uniformity of 
purpose. Not only are the buildings artistic in design, but “the 
facings and ornaments are all cut and sculptured with a masterly 
handling.” ‘The stones were set in mortar, but so perfect are the 
joints that no sign of mortar appears on the surface. The details of 
the raouldings and sculpture were covered up with white plaster in the 
most painstaking manner, and finished in colors of varying hues. 
ER 
