Chapter I: Preface

In his "Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan," the author intimated his intention to make a more thorough exploration of the ruins of the latter country. That intention has since been carried into effect, and the following pages are the result. They describe, as the author has reason to believe, the most extensive journey ever made by a stranger in that peninsula, and contain the account of visits to forty-four ruined cities, or places in which remains or vestiges of ancient population were found. The existence of most of these ruins was entirely unknown to the residents of the capital;--but few had ever been visited by white inhabitants;--they were desolate, and overgrown with trees. For a brief space the stillness that reigned around them was broken, and they were again left to solitude and silence. Time and the elements are hastening them to utter destruction. In a few generations, great edifices, their facades covered with sculptured ornaments, already cracked and yawning, must fall, and become mere shapeless mounds. It has been the fortune of the author to step between them and the entire destruction to which they are destined; and it is his hope to snatch from oblivion these perishing, but still gigantic memorials of a mysterious people. The descriptions are accompanied by full illustrations from Daguerreotype views and drawings taken on the spot by Mr. Catherwood, and the engravings were executed under his personal superintendence.

CONTENTS
OF
THE FIRST VOLUME.

* * * * *

CHAPTER I.

Embarcation.--Fellow-passengers.--A Gale at Sea.--Arrival at Sisal.--Orinthological Specimens.--Merida.--Fete of San Cristoval.--The Lottery.--A Scene of Confusion.--Principle of the Game.--Passion for Gambling.--A deformed Indian.

CHAPTER II.

Housekeeping.--Description of a Bull-ring.--A Bull-fight.--Spectators.--Brutal Torments inflicted on the Bulls.--Serious Accidents.--A noble Beast.--An exciting Scene.--Victims to Bullfighting.--Danger and Ferocity of Bull-fights.--Effects on moral Character.--Grand Mass.--A grand Procession.--The Alameda.--Calesas.--A Concert, and its Arrangements.--Fete of Todos Santos.--A singular Custom.--An Incident.

CHAPTER III.

An Old Friend.--Brief Account of Yucatan.--Early Voyages of Discovery.--Columbus.--De Solis and Pinzon.--Expedition of Cordova.--Voyages of Grijalva.--Expedition of Cortez.--Mission of Montejo, who receives a Grant from Charles V.--Discoveries, Conquests, and Sufferings of Montejo and his Companions.--Efforts to convert the Natives.--Contreras.--Farther Particulars relating to the Conquest of Yucatan.

CHAPTER IV.

Political State of Yucatan.--Alliance with Texas.--Presentation to the Governor.--His Character and Personal Appearance.--A Cordial Reception.--An Arrival of Strangers.--A Citizen of the World.--Another old Acquaintance.--Population of Merida.--Climate.--General Aspect of Merida.--An interesting Edifice.--Mode of naming Streets.--Sculptured Figures.--Churches.--Franciscan Convent.--A Memorial of the Past.--Ruined Cities of America.--Former Conclusions confirmed.

CHAPTER V.

Daguerreotype Apparatus.--Set up as Ladies' Daguerreotype Portrait Takers.--Preparations.--A pretty young Lady to begin with.--Preliminaries.--A Chapter of Contingencies.--Success of the first Experiment.--Other successful Experiments.--A Change of Fortune.--Give up this Business.--An Incident.--Take up the Practice of Surgery.--Operation for Strabismus.--Details.--First Subject.--A great Gathering of Squint Eyes.--A troublesome Patient.--A little Hero.--Extraordinary Instance of Fortitude;--A Military Patient.--A Female Patient--Practice of Surgery abandoned.--Instability of Fame.

CHAPTER VI.

Departure from Merida.--Map of Yucatan.--Timucui.--Tekoh.--Human Skulls and Bones.--Church of Tekoh.--Convent.--A revolting Spectacle.--View from the Top of the Church.--Cura of Tekoh.--Journey continued.--A curious Basin.--Telchaquillo.--A subterraneous Well.--An extraordinary Cave.--Hacienda of Joaquin.--Ruins of Mayapan.--A remarkable Mound.--Curious sculptured Remains.--Another extraordinary Cave.--A circular Edifice.--A double Row of Columns.--Ranges of Mounds.--Arches.--Derivation of the Word Yucatan.--Ancient City of Mayapan.

CHAPTER VII.

An Accident.--Journey continued.--Hacienda of Xcanchakan.--An Indian Dance.--Whipping an Indian.--Hacienda of Mucuyche.--A Bath in a Senote.--Hacienda of San Jose.--Arrival at Uxmal.--First Sight of the Ruins.--Changes since last Visit.--House of the Dwarf.--House of the Nuns.--Casa del Gobernador.--Residence at the Ruins.--Unpromising Appearances.--How to make a Fire.--Instance of Perseverance.--Arrival of Luggage on the Backs of Indians.--First Night at Uxmal.

CHAPTER VIII.

Perplexities.--Household Wants.--Indian Mode of boiling Eggs.--Clearings.--A valuable Addition.--Description of the Ruins.--Casa del Gobernador.--Hieroglyphics.--Ornaments over the Doorways.--Ground Plan.--Doorways.--Apartments.--Great Thickness of the back Wall.--A Breach made in the Wall.--Prints of a Red Hand.--Sculptured Beam of Hieroglyphics.--Wooden Lintels.--Loss of Antiquities by the Burning of Mr. Catherwood's Panorama.--Terraces.--A curious Stone.--Circular Mound.--Discovery of a Sculptured Monument.--Square Stone Structure.--Sculptured Heads.--Staircase.--House of the Turtles.

CHAPTER IX.

Journey to Jalacho.--Execrable Road.--Sight of Ruins at Sennisacal.--A motley Multitude.--Village of Becal.--The Cura.--Breakfast.--Ruins.--Arrival at Jalacho.--A great Fair.--Fete of Santiago.--Miracles.--Figure of St. James.--Bull-fight and Bull-fighters.--Horse-market.--Scenes in the Plaza.--Gambling.--Primitive Circulating Medium.--A Memorial of Home.--A Ball.--Search for Ruins.--Hacienda of Sijoh.--Mounds of Ruins.--Remarkable Stones.--A long Edifice.--Hacienda of Tankuche.--More Ruins.--A plastered Wall covered with Paintings.--Annoyance from Garrapatas.--Return to the Village.--Ball.--Fireworks.--Condition of the Indians.

CHAPTER X.

Sunday.--Mass.--A grand Procession.--Intoxicated Indians.--Set out for Maxcanu.--A Caricoche.--Scenery.--Arrival at Maxcanu.--Cave of Maxcanu.--Threading a Labyrinth.--An Alarm.--An abrupt Termination.--Important Discovery.--Labyrinth not subterraneous.--More Mounds.--Journey continued.--Grand View.--Another Mound.--An Accident.--Village of Opocheque.--View from the Sierra.--More Ruins.--Return to Uxmal.--Change of Quarters.--An Addition to the Household.--Beautiful Scene.

CHAPTER XI.

Superintending Indians.--The Storm El Norte.--Arrival of Don Simon.--Subterraneous Chambers.---Discovery of broken Pottery and a Terra Cotta Vase.--Great Number of these Chambers.--Their probable Uses.--Harvest of the Maise Crop.--Practical Views.--System of Agriculture in Yucatan.--Planting of Corn.--A primitive Threshing Machine.--News from Home.--More Practice in Surgery.--A rude Bedstead.--A Leg Patient.--An Arm Patient.--Increasing Sickness on the Hacienda.--Death of an Indian Woman.--A Campo Santo.--Digging a Grave.--An Indian Funeral.

CHAPTER XII.

Means by which the City was supplied with Water.--Aguadas.--A delightful Bathing-place.--Manner of Living at the Ruins--How to roast a Pig.--Nameless Mound.--Excavations made in it.--Great Exertions.--A bitter Disappointment.--An Attack of Fever.--Visit from the Cura of Ticul.--Departure for Ticul.--A painful Journey.--Arrival at the Convent.--Arrival of Dr. Cabot, ill with Fever.--Gloomy Prospects.--A simple Remedy for Fever.--Aspect of Ticul.--The Church.--Funeral Urn.--Monument and Inscription.--Convent.--Character of the Cura Carillo.--The Date of the Construction of the Convent unknown.--Probably built with the Materials furnished by the Ruins of former Cities.--Archives of the Convent.

CHAPTER XIII.

Another ruined City.--Relics.--Ruins of San Francisco.--Proved to be those of the Aboriginal City of the name Ticul.--A beautiful Vase.--Search for a Sepulchre.--Discovery of a Skeleton and Vase.--An Indian Needle.--These Cities not built by Descendants of Egyptians.--Their Antiquity not very great.--Examination of the Skeleton by Doctor Morton, and his Opinion.--Mummies from Peru.--These Cities built by the Ancestors of the present Race of Indians.--The Seybo Tree.--The Campo Santo.--A quiet Village.

CHAPTER XIV.

Departure from Ticul.--The Sierra.--Nohcacab.--Ruins of Nohpat.--Return to Uxmal.--The Campo Santo.--Work of Mr. Waldeck.--General Description of the Ruins.--Two ruined Edifices.--Great Stone Rings.--House of the Nuns.--Dimensions, &c.---Courtyard.--Facades.--A lofty Edifice.--Complicated Ornament.--Painted Facades.--Sculptured Doorways.--House of the Birds.--Remains of Painting.--An Arch.--House of the Dwarf.--Building loaded with Ornaments.--Long and narrow Structure.--Tasteful Arrangement of Ornaments.--Human Sacrifices.--House of the Pigeons.--Range of Terraces called the Campo Santo.---House of the Old Woman.--Circular Mound of Ruins.--Wall of the City.--Close of Description.--Title Papers of Uxmal.--Of the Antiquity of Uxmal.

CHAPTER XV.

Attacks from Fever and Ague.--Final Departure from Uxmal.--Newyear's Day.--Fate of Chaipa Chi.--Painful Journey.--Chetulish.--Arrival at Nohcacab.--Concourse of Indians.--A Casa Real.--Plaza.--Improvements.--The Church.--A Noria, or Well.--Municipal Elections.--The Democratic Principle.--Installation of Alcaldes.--Illness of the Cura of Ticul.--Set out for Ticul--Intoxicated Carriers.--Accident.--Arrival at Ticul.--A wandering Physician.--Changed Appearance of the Cura.--Return to Nohcacab.--Take up Quarters in the Convent.--Ancient Town of Nohcacab.--Ruined Mounds.--Ruins of Xcoch.--A Mysterious Well.--Fine Grove.--Circular Cavity.--Mouth of the Well.--Exploration of its Passages.--Uses of the Well.--Return to the Village.--Fatal Accident.--A House of Mourning.--Ceremony of El Velorio.

CHAPTER XVI.

Ruins of Nohpat.--A lofty Mound.--Grand View.--Sculptured Human Figure.--Terraces.--Huge sculptured Figure.--Other Figures.--Skull and Cross-bones.--Situation of Ruins.--Journey to Kabah.--Thatched Huts.--Arrival at the Ruins.--Return to the Village.--Astonishment of the Indians.--Valuable Servant--Festival of Corpus Alma.--A plurality of Saints.--How to put a Saint under Patronage.--A Procession.--Fireworks.--A Ball.---Excess of Female Population.--A Dance.