eter.

to the temple, but much smaller, and a colossal head six feet in diamOther monuments exist, even larger than those of Copan. Mr. Stephens, quoted by Mr. McGregor, for we have not his work before us, and have not read it for several years, says:

"Of one thing there is no doubt, a large city once stood there; and except for a notice taken from Mr. C.'s notes, and inserted by the Senors Payes in a Guatemala paper after the visit, which found its way to this country and Europe, no account of its existence has ever before been published. For centuries it has lain as completely buried as if covered with the lava of Vesuvius. Every traveller from Yzabal to Guatemala has passed within three hours of it-we ourselves had done the same--and yet there it lay, like the rock-built city of Edom, unvisited, unsought, and utterly unknown.”

3. Ruins of Palenque.-These, it is said, were first discovered by a party of Spaniards, as early as 1750; but the fact was not known in Europe until the publication of Dupaix's work.

"The Indians and people of Palenque say, that they cover a space of sixty miles. In a series of well written articles in our own country, they have been set down as ten times larger than New-York; and lately I have seen an article in some of the newspapers referring to our expedition, which represents the city discovered by us as having been three times as large as London!

"The Indians and inhabitants of Palenque really know nothing of the ruins personally, and the other accounts do not rest upon any sufficient foundation. The whole country, for miles around, is covered with a dense forest of gigantic trees, with a growth of bush and underwood unknown in the wooded deserts of our own country, and impenetrable in any direction, except by cutting a way by a machete. What lies buried in the forest, it is impossible to say, of my own knowledge; without a guide, we might have gone within a hundred feet of all the buildings without discovering one of them. Captain Del Rio, the first explorer with men and means at command, states in his report, that in the execu tion of his commission, he cut down and burnt all the woods. He does not say how far, but judging from the breaches and excavations made in the interior of the buildings, probably for miles around. Captain Dupaix, acting under a royal commission, and with all the resources such a commission would give, did not discover any more buildings than those mentioned by Del Rio, and we saw only the same; but having the benefit of them as guides, at least of Del Rio, for at that time we had not seen Dupaix's work, we of course saw things which escaped their observation, just as those who come after us will see what escaped ours.

The palace in which Mr. Stephens resided," he says, "stands on an artificial elevation of an oblong form, 40 feet high, 310 feet front and rear, and 260 feet on each side. The elevation was formerly faced with stone, which has been thrown down by the growth of trees, and its form is hardly distinguishable.

The building stands with its face to the east, and measures 228 feet front by 180 deep. Its height is not more than 25 feet, and all around it had a broad projecting cornice of stone. The front contains 14 doorways, about nine feet wide each, and the intervening piers are between six and seven feet wide. On the left, in approaching the palace, eight of the piers have fallen down, as also has the corner on the right, and the terrace underneath is crumbled with the ruins. But six piers remain entire, and the rest of the frout is open.

"Another portion was enclosed by a richly ornamented border, about ten feet wide and six high, of which only a part now remains. The principal personage stands in an upright position, and in profile, exhibiting an extraordinary ficial angle of about forty-five degrees. The upper part of the head seemed to have been compressed and lengthened, perhaps by the same process employed upon the heads of the Choctaw and Flat-head Indians of our own country. The head represents a different species from any now existing in that region of country, and supposing the statues to be images of living personages, or the creations of artists according to their ideas of perfect figures, they indicate a race of people now lost and unknown. The head-dress is evidently a plume of feathers; over the shoulders is a short covering, decorated with studs and a breast-plate; part of the or

nament of the girdle is broken; the tunic is probably a leopard's skin; and the whole dress, no doubt, indicates the costume of this unknown people. He holds in his hand a staff or sceptre, and opposite his hands are the marks of three hieroglyphics, which have decayed or broken off. At his feet are two naked figures seated cross-legged, and apparetly suppliants. The hieroglyphics doubtless tell its story. The stucco is of admirable consistency, and hard as stone. It was painted, and in different places about it we discovered the remains of red, blue, yellow, black, and white.

"The piers, which are still standing, contained other figures of the same general character, but which, unfortunately, are more mutilated, and from the declivity of the terrace, it was difficult to set up the camera lucida in such a position as to draw them.

The piers which have fallen are no doubt enriched with the same ornaments. Each one has some specific meaning; and the whole, probably, presented some allegory or history; and when entire and painted, the effect in ascending the terrace must have been imposing and beautiful.

"The whole court-yard was overgrown with trees, and it was encumbered with ruins several feet high, so that the exact architectural arrangements could

not be seen.

"About a mile and a half from the village, we came to a range of elevations extending to a great distance, and connected by a ditch, which had evidently formed the line of fortifications for the ruined city. They consisted of the remains of stone buildings, probably towers, the stones well cut and laid together, and the mass of rubbish around abounded in flint arrow-heads. Within this line was an elevation which grew more imposing as we approached--square, with terraces, and having in the centre a tower, in all 120 feet high. We ascended by steps to three ranges of terraces, and on the top entered an area, enclosed by stone walls and covered with hard cement, in many places still perfect. Thence we ascended by stone steps to the top of the tower, the whole of which was formerly covered with stucco, and stood as a fortress at the entrance of the great city of Utalan, the Capital of the Quichi Indians.

This was the first appearance of strangers in Utalan, the capital of the great Indian kingdom, the ruins of which were now under our eyes, once the most populous and opulent city out of the whole kingdom of Guatemala."

In regard to the antiquity of the ruins everywhere so profusely scattered throughout Central America, speculations have multiplied, as is most natural. Different views have been held and abandoned. The subject is as yet involved in doubt and incertitude, though so far as the researches of Mr. Stephens extend, they seem to have satisfied his mind, that the vast cities, and towns, and monuments discovered, were the workmanship and habitations of the people conquered by the Spaniards, and not of any former and obliterated nation. We give his views upon this point:

66

'My opinion on this question has been fully and freely expressed, that they are not the works of people passed away and whose history is lost, but of the same race who inhabited the country at the time of the Spanish conquest, or of some not very distant progenitors. Some were probably in ruins; but, in general, I believe that they were occupied by the Indians at the time of the Spanish invasion. The grounds of this belief are interspersed throughout these pages; they are interwoven with so many facts and circumstances, that I do not recapitulate them; and, in conclusion, 1 shall only refer briefly to those arguments which I consider the strongest that are urged against this belief.

"The first is the entire absence of all traditions. But, I may ask, is this not accounted for by the unparalleled circumstances

which attended the conquest and subjugation of Spanish America? Every captain or discoverer, on first planting the royal standard on the shores of a new country, made proclamation according to a form drawn up by the most eminent divines and lawyers in Spain, the most extraordinary that ever appeared in the history of mankind, entreating and requiring the inhabitants to acknowledge and obey the Church as the superior and guide of the universe, the holy father called the Pope, and His Majesty as king and sovereign lord of these islands and of the terra firma; and concluding, but if you will not comply, or maliciously delay to obey my injunction, then, with the help of God, I will enter your country by force; I will carry on war against you with the utmost violence; I will subject you to the yoke of obedience to the Church and king; I will take your wives and your children and make them slaves, and sell or dispose of them according to His Majesty's pleasure; I will seize your goods, and do you all the mischief in my power, as rebellious subjects, who will not acknowledge or submit to their lawful sovereign; and I protest, that all the bloodshed and calamities which shall follow are to be imputed to you, and not to His Majesty, or to me, or the gentlemen who serve under me.

as

"The conquest and subjugation of the country were carried out in the unscrupulous spirit of this proclamation. The pages of the historian are dyed with blood; and, sailing on the crimson stream, master pilots at the helm, appears the leading, stern, and steady policy of the Spaniards, surer and more fatal than the sword, to subvert all the institutions of the natives, and to break up and utterly destroy all the rites, customs, and associations, that might keep alive the memory of their fathers and their ancient condition.

"The graves cry out for the old historian, and the mouldering skeletons of cities confirm Herrera's account of Yucatan, that 'there were so many and such stately stone buildings, that it was amazing. And the greatest wonder was, that, having no use of any metals, they were able to raise such structures, which seem to have been temples, for their houses were all of timber, and thatched.' And again he says, for the space of twenty years there was such plenty throughout the country, and the people multiplied so much, that men said the whole province looked like one town.'"

Let us now from the unknown proceed to the known, and take a practical view of Central America as it is presented at the present day.

The valley countries are fertile, and there are mountain elevations of from 5 to 13,000 feet. The coasts on both oceans are unhealthy. The climate varies. According to MacGregor, it freezes on the highest table-lands in winter. At Guatemala the dry season extends from November until June. The other months are rainy and stormy. The thermometer ranges between 56° the lowest to 86 the highest. On the Pacific the temperature is hotter and healthier than on the Atlantic. The population has been estimated as 1,500,000; viz. 125,000 European races, 500,000 mixed, 875,000 Indians. There are mines of gold, silver, iron, lead, and

mercury. They are much neglected.

Jasper and marble are worked. Brimstone and salt are collected. Forests of valuable woods abound. The trees are sometimes 35 feet in circumference, and 90 in height. There are very large lakes. The rivers are numerous, but short. Mr. Stephens has a most interesting description of the Usumasinta, the largest river of Central America.

On the banks of the River Dulce is a small town called Yzabel. San Juan is at the mouth of the river of the same name, and receives its produce, hides, indigo, &c. Omoa receives goods destined for Guatemala, and St. Salvador. Comayagna, Tegucigalpa, and Truxillo, are in the province of Honduras; the last named has 4,000 inhabitants.

New Guatemala, the capital of Central America, is on an undulating plain, 4,961 feet above the level of the sea. The houses are low and stout, from the danger of earthquakes, and contain a population of 40,000. The city is famed for its religious celebrations. "The processions, in honor of the Virgin and others, are frequent. All the streets, through which the processions pass, are strewn with pine leaves, and adorned with arches decorated with evergreens and flowers. From the long balconies and windows are displayed curtains of crimson silk, and flags with various devices. At the corners are erected altars within huge arbours of evergreens, and in these altars pictures and silver ornaments, borrowed from the churches, are conspicuous, and surmounted with flowers. The plain, or the valley of Guatemala, is pre-eminent for the variety and brilliancy of its floral kingdom. These flowers are in profusion devoted to the embellishment of the religious processions."

Old Guatemala is at an elevation of 5,817 feet. It was the capital, but destroyed by an earthquake in 1773. The old inhabitants and their descendants cling to the ruins, and are in number 15,000. Mr. Stephens says:

"On each side were the ruins of churches, convents and private residences, large and costly, some lying in masses, some with fronts stil standing, richly or namented with stucco, cracked and yawning, roofless, without doors and windows, and trees growing inside above the walls. Many of the houses have been repaired. The city is partly repeopled, and presents a strange appearance of ruiu and recovery. The inhabitants, like the dwellers over the buried Herculaneum, seemed to entertain no fears of renewed disaster. The great volcanoes of Agua and Faego look down upon it. In the centre of the plaza there is a large stone fountain, and it is surrounded by magnificent buildings. The former palace of the Captain-General, displaying the armorial bearings granted by the Emperor Charles V. to the loyal and noble city,' and surmounted by a statue of St. James on horseback, armed and b andishing a sword, and the roofless and dilapidated cathedral, a vast edifice 300 feet long, 120 broad, nearly 70 feet high, and lighted by 50 windows, are monuments which tell us that La Antigua was one of the most superb cities of America, and to which Alvarado gave the name of 'the city of St. James of Gentlemen.'"

Totonicapan contains a population of 12,000, and manufactures earthenware, utensils, woollen cloths, &c. Quezaltenango contains 140,000, with some coarse manufactures. Coban has 14,000. Salame, 5,000. Gualan, 10,000. Mr. Stephens describes the last :

"Towards evening we strolled through the town. It stands upon a table of breccia rock at the junction of two noble rivers, and is encircled by a belt of mountains. One principal street, the houses of one story, with piazzas in front, terminates in a plaza or principal square, at the head of which stands a large church with a gothic door, and before it, at a distance of ten or twelve yards, was a cross of about twenty feet high. The population is about 10,000, chiefly mestizoes. Leaving the plaza, we walked down to the motagua; on the bank a boat was in process of construction, about fifty feet long and ten wide, entirely of mahogany; near to it a party of men and women were fording the stream, carrying their clothes above their heads, and around a point three women were bathing. There are no ancient associations connected with this place, but the wildness of the scene, the clouds, the tints of the sky and the setting sun reflected upon the mountains, were beautiful. At dark we returned to the house. Except for the companionship of some thousands of ants, which blackened the candles and covered everything perishable, we had a room to ourselves. Early in the morning we were served with chocolate and a small roll of sweet bread. Toward evening the whole town was in commotion, preparatory to the great fête of Santa Lucia. Early next morning the firing of muskets, petards and rockets announced the arrival of this lady, one of the holiest saints of the calendar, and next to San Antonio, the most renowned for working miracles."

Realejo is a seaport on the Pacific, and exports mahogany, cedar, etc., to Peru and Chili. The harbor is most capacious. Leon is the capital of the State of Nicaraguay; and, from a population of 30,000, has greatly declined. The population, in 1820, was 14,000.

"In walking through its streets," says Mr. Stephens, "I observed palaces in which nobles had lived, dismantled and roofless, aud occupied by half starved wretches, pictures of misery and want, and on one side an immense field of ruins, covering half the city. I must confess that I felt a degree of uneasiness in walking the streets of Leon that I never felt in any city of the East. My change of dress did not make my presence more acceptable, and the eagle on my hat attracted particu lar attention. At every corner was a group of scoundrels who stared at me as if disposed to pick a quarrel. With some my official character made me an object of suspicion, for in their disgraceful fights they thought that the eyes of the whole world were upon them, and that England, France, and the United States were secretly contending for the possession of their interesting country."

Seba and Valladolid are unimportant. In the neighborhood of Tegucigalpa are mines of gold, silver, copper, and iron. St. Salvador has 16,000 inhabitants, who are industrious, and manufacture iron and cotton. In the vicinity of St. Vincent are plantations of indigo and tobacco. St. Miguel is noted for its fairs. Sacatecoluca contains 8,000 inhabitants. Fancy shell-work is manufactured at Sonzonante, on the banks of the Rio Grande, and exported. Sugar is also grown in the neighborhood, and exported. Aguachapa has 8,000 population. In the vicinity of Santa Anna are plantations of indigo and the best sugar; also, iron mines, which are worked. Metapa, Managua and Masaya are unimportant. Granada, on the banks of the Nicaraguay Lake, has 14,000 inhabitants. Cacao is raised about the city of Nicaraguay. Segovia and Comitan are small towns.

The roads through Central America are execrable.

The agricultural productions are various. Wheat, barley and fruits abound on the table-lands. Indian corn is the principal article of food. Rice is grown. Sugar-cane, indigo, cochineal, tobacco