The ancient cities of the New World : being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882 . monuments at T-hoo were entire, but its history has been lost. 272 The Ancient Cities of the New World. space is intolerable. When I visited it some twenty years ago, if not so symmetrical it was certainly more picturesque. In the plaza are found the municipal palace and the cathedral, of monumental pro- r^~\— ZIm ^^^^^H portions for a place of 30,000 souls ; itnumbered, pro-bably, only thethird of this whenit was built in erection cost thepious Meridans^60,000, equiva-l
The ancient cities of the New World : being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882 . monuments at T-hoo were entire, but its history has been lost. 272 The Ancient Cities of the New World. space is intolerable. When I visited it some twenty years ago, if not so symmetrical it was certainly more picturesque. In the plaza are found the municipal palace and the cathedral, of monumental pro- r^~\— ZIm ^^^^^H portions for a place of 30,000 souls ; itnumbered, pro-bably, only thethird of this whenit was built in erection cost thepious Meridans^60,000, equiva-lent at the presentday to fifteen timesthat sum, but it isdoubtful if evenwith its greaterpopulation so largea sum could nowbe raised. Thefront, 179 feet wide,is occupied by acentral pavilion inwhich the princi-pal entrance inter-venes, ornamentedby an indifferentCorinthian portico, over which, at a height of some 97 feet, agreat vaulted arch sui^ports an elegant gallery ; on each side ofthe pavilion are two steeples with a number of galleries narrow-ing in ui)ward succession, forming with their balustrades a. {-^..i ;gA. fe71<=g;=^ MONTRJOS HOUSE, MERIDA. IIIIH in