Chapter I: Preface

The attention of archæologists and students of the ancient Mexican hieroglyphs has latterly been directed to the mysterious subject of the origin of the astronomical and architectural knowledge that existed in Mexico, Guatemala, and Yucatan before the discovery of America. In the United States researches have also been made for the purpose of establishing, upon a scientific basis, conclusions respecting the tribes who made the extraordinary ramparts and geometrically planned inclosures in Ohio.

It is a remarkable fact that although, since the period when Mexico was conquered by Cortes, an almost uninterrupted series of investigations have taken place into the peculiar conditions of civilization of the Mexican and Central American Indians, nothing satisfactory has yet been ascertained which explains the manner in which that civilization could have arisen amongst those exceptionally instructed races.

Las Casas who, in the sixteenth century, lived for many years amongst the Indians in his diocese of Chiapas and Yucatan and saw several of the temples in that region, declared that the land contained a secret. That secret may possibly be discovered if the hieroglyphs and symbolic characters of the Toltecs and Aztecs can be interpreted. But until trustworthy methods of decipherment are determined, all conclusions, in default of other evidence, must necessarily be conjectural.

It was with the vague expectation that I should observe, either amongst the earthworks in the North or in the constructions at Palenque and Uxmal, analogies with the works of other races in Asia or Polynesia, that the travels described in this volume were undertaken. After my arrival in England a brief paper upon the subject of those travels, so far as they related to Guatemala and Mexico, was read before the British Association in Edinburgh and was afterwards published in 1872 under the title of “The Ruined Cities of Central America.”

More than twenty years then elapsed before the approaching termination of my naval career gave me sufficient leisure to examine my journals with that exclusive attention which the complicated and perplexing nature of the subject required. This interval of time has enabled me to obtain a more vivid perception of the relative proportions of the problem, and to bring together in a more defined focus the impressions and observations which had been written during the journey. The theories then adopted have been modified or strengthened by the knowledge that has been subsequently acquired in other quarters of the world.

It will be observed, upon an examination of the illustrations of the ruins of Uxmal, that the Indians in Yucatan must have possessed great architectural capacities. Pyramids, Temples, Monasteries and other religious structures were built under most difficult circumstances, in a manner which commands admiration.

But it is not only the later civilization of the Mexican Indians that has to be taken into consideration in any attempts that may be made to solve the difficult and complex problem of this Indian advance towards higher conditions of life. Underlying the whole question are the native proclivities based upon the strange and significant practices of earlier forms of Pagan superstitions and sacrifices. Some of the profoundly interesting characteristics of these developments of the aboriginal Indian belief in supernatural influences have formed the subject of that chapter which relates to the ancient religious observances of the North American Indians.

ATHENÆUM CLUB, _May_ 15, 1894.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE.
New York. — Mr. Grinnell. — Search for Sir John Franklin. —
Southern States. — The Negroes and their prospects. — Naval
Academy at Annapolis. — Military Academy at West Point. —
Shakers. — Boston. — Professor Agassiz. — Prairies and
Glacial Action. — Coral Reefs in Florida. — Mr. Ticknor. —
Shell Mounds in Florida. — Schools. — Dr. Howe’s Institution
for the Blind. — Laura Bridgman 1

CHAPTER II.

Professor Wyman. — Indian Antiquities. — Concord. — Mr. Ralph
Waldo Emerson. — Margaret Fuller. — Note upon a visit to Mr.
Longfellow. — Saturday Club. — Dinner at Harvard
University. — Shell Mounds at Concord and Damariscotta. —
Note upon the Ancient Inscription upon the Dighton Rock 19

CHAPTER III.

Indian Reservations. — Lake Superior. — Beavers and their
works. — The Forest. — Houghton. — Ancient Indian mining pits
and trenches. — An Indian battle ground. — The Glacial
Drift. — Note regarding the Dauphin 34

CHAPTER IV.

ANCIENT INDIAN MOUNDS AND EARTHWORKS IN OHIO. — Earthworks of the
Mound Builders and their geographical position. — Miamisburgh
Mound. — Grave Creek Mound. — Ages and contents of burial
mounds. — Rectangular, circular and octagonal Inclosures near
Newark. — Marietta Earthworks. — Discoveries made in a burial
mound. — Fortifications near Portsmouth. — Encampments in the
valley of the Scioto 55

CHAPTER V.

MOUNDS AND EARTHWORKS IN OHIO. — Ancient Fortified Inclosures at
Circleville. — Discoveries in a Burial Mound. — Alligator
Totem near Newark. — Fort Ancient. — Age of Trees growing
upon the Ramparts at Fort Hill. — Traditions. — Geometrical
Ground Plans of Indian Inclosures. — Conclusions 79

CHAPTER VI.

The burning of the Steamer Stonewall. — Indian Mounds and
Earthworks at Cahokia. — Confluence of the Mississippi and
Missouri. — Sacs and Foxes. — Education of Indians. —
Nauvoo. — Winona. — Sioux Encampment. — Ancient Mounds near
St. Paul’s. — The Sioux War in Minnesota. — Note upon the
Ogallalas 104

CHAPTER VII.

Prairies in Minnesota and Iowa. — Boulders. — Glacial Drift. —
Wild Rice. — Snow Storm. — Nebraska. — The Pawnees. — Human
Sacrifices. — Note on Indian Customs in War and
Cannibalism. — Prairie Fires. — Prairie-Dog Villages. —
Rattlesnakes. — Variations in the succession of growths of
Trees. — Causes of absence of Trees upon Prairies. — Shoshone
Indians on the Western Deserts. — Note upon Ute Indians and
Fuegians 124

CHAPTER VIII.

North American Indians. — Diversity of Languages. — The
Iroquois. — Dialects. — Descent of Iroquois chiefs through
the female line. — Pagan Indians. — Belief in a Great
Spirit. — Ceremonies. — Dakotas. — Superstitions. — Dreams. —
Fasts. — Sun worship. — Medicine men. — Customs of mourning
by widows. — Supernatural influences. — Lightning. —
Transmigration. — Worship of Spirit rocks. — Serpent
worship. — Human sacrifices. — Burial customs. — Method of
curing sickness by steam. — Note upon analogies between the
customs of the Indians, Maoris, and the natives of the
Sandwich Islands 149

CHAPTER IX.

The Golden City. — Coast of California — Cape San Lucas. —
Manzanillo. — Alligators and Sharks. — Acapulco. — San José
de Guatemala. — Escuintla. — City of Guatemala. — Indian
pilgrims from Esquipulas. — Ancient mounds on the plains of
Mixco. — Insurrection of Indians. — Decapitation of their
leader. — Preparations for the journey across the Continent
to Palenque and Yucatan 176

CHAPTER X.

Mixco. — La Antigua Guatemala. — Volcanoes of Fire and Water. —
Comolapa. — Ancient Indian Ruins of Patinamit. — Kachiquel
Indians. — A Dominican Priest. — Barrancas. — Las Godinas. —
Panajachel. — Human Sacrifices to the Lakes and Volcanoes. —
Lake Atitlan. — Sololá. — Orchids. — San Tomas. — Quiché
Indians 194

CHAPTER XI.

Barrancas. — Santa Cruz del Quiché. — Padre Andres Guicola. —
Ruins of Utatlan. — Report of Don Garcia de Palacio upon
human sacrifices to the gods in Central America, Statement
of Bernal Diaz, about the sacrifices in Mexico. — Burning of
the Quiché Caciques at Utatlan. — Worship of idols by the
Quichés. — Sierras. — Gueguetenango 216

CHAPTER XII.

The Sierra Madre. — Todos Santos. — Evening Prayer (La
Oracion). — Indian domestic habits. — Religious devotion. —
Goitre. — Jacaltenango. — Indian Festival. — A Temblor. —
Indian Idolatry. — Custom of ancient inhabitants to serve the
parents whose daughters they wished to marry. — Doubtful
fidelity of my guide. — Condition of Mule. — Mexican
Frontier. — Comitan. — Note on President Juarez, and the
Execution of the Emperor Maximilian 238

CHAPTER XIII.

Camping on the plains. — A night amongst the hills in Chiapas. —
Lopez. — Indian Sun worship. — Ocosingo. — An ancient idol. —
Proposed expedition through the unknown region occupied by
the Lacandones to British Honduras. — Bachajon. — Tzendal
Indians. — Chilon. — Indian Carnival. — Yajalon. — Carnival
amongst the Tzendales. — Drunkenness. — Dances. — Horse
races. — Ruined Churches and Convents. — Influence of the
Priests over the Indian Tribes. — Las Casas. — Forced
labour. — The Presbitero Fernando Macal 259

CHAPTER XIV.

An Indian steam bath. — Tumbalá. — Sierras and Forests. — San
Pedro. — Desertion of guide. — Alguazils. — Construction of
Indian huts. — Habits of Indians. — Cargadores. — Crossing a
River. — Forests beyond San Pedro. — Powers of endurance of
Indians. — Arrival at San Domingo del Palenque 278

CHAPTER XV.

Palenque. — The Forest. — The Palace or Monastery. — Night at
Palenque. — Brilliancy of the light of the fireflies. —
Pyramidal Mounds and Temples. — Tablet of the Cross. —
Hieroglyphs. — An Indian Statue. — Antiquity of the
Buildings. — The Tower. — Stucco Ornamentation. — Action of
the tropical climate upon the Ruins. — Note upon the
decipherment of the hieroglyphic characters 297

CHAPTER XVI.

Mounds in the valley of the
Usamacinta. — Lacandones. — Catasaja. — Canoe voyage. —
Rivers and Lagoons. — Alligators. — Jonuta. — Cortes’s March
to Honduras. — Cannibalism. — The Mexican Emperor
Guatimozin. — Palisada. — Laguna de Terminos. — Island of
Carmen. — Campeachy. — Yucatan. — Pyramidal Altar. — Human
sacrifices. — Tzibalché. — Maya Indians. — Arrival at Uxmal 318

CHAPTER XVII.

Uxmal. — Extent of ground occupied by the Ruins. — Teocallis. —
Burial places at the foot of the Pyramid of the Dwarf. —
Evening Service at the chapel of the hacienda. — Casa del
Gobernador. — Sacrificial customs. — Preservation of the
wooden lintels. — The Nunnery or Casa de las Monjas. —
Religious customs of the Indians. — Emblem of the Serpent. —
Sculptures. — Conjectures respecting the possibility of
Moorish, Spanish, or Oriental influence upon architectural
design. — Methods of construction. — Note upon a fall of rain
supposed to be caused by the fires of the Indians 339

CHAPTER XVIII.

Departure from Uxmal. — Indian officials at Abalá. — Indian
Ceremonies. — Worship of demons. — Baptismal customs. — Laws
of the Emperor Charles V. for the government of the natives
in Yucatan. — Superstitions. — An Indian Well. — Halt at
night. — Merida. — Convent of the Conceptionistas. — Sisal. —
The Basque brig Aguinaga. — Departure for Cuba and Florida. —
Tampa. — Cedar Keys. — Buccaneers. — Shell Mounds. — Ancient
Burial Mounds. — Florida Indians 360

CHAPTER XIX.

Mounds and Earthworks in North and Central America. — Migrations
of the Toltecs and Aztecs. — The Quichés. — Aboriginal
races. — Palenque. — Hieroglyphs. — Temples. — Desertion of
the Temples and stone buildings in Yucatan. — Conquest of
Yucatan by the Aztecs. — Antiquity of Palenque and Uxmal. —
Aztec custom of imprisoning captives in cages and sacrificing
them to the gods. — Civilisation of the Toltecs. — Note upon
the symbol or Totem of the Serpent 378