The ancient cities of the New World : being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882 . se at Chichen, and recalling to mind thegigantic superimposed wooden idols met in the islands of thePacific. The ornamentation of this monument is so elaboratethat the architecture entirely disappears under it. Two salientcornices form a frame to immense friezes which, in their details,would compare favourably with our proudest monuments. Theadvanced state of ruin in which the structure is found, makesit difficult to judge of its original plan ; but enough remains to * We looked
The ancient cities of the New World : being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882 . se at Chichen, and recalling to mind thegigantic superimposed wooden idols met in the islands of thePacific. The ornamentation of this monument is so elaboratethat the architecture entirely disappears under it. Two salientcornices form a frame to immense friezes which, in their details,would compare favourably with our proudest monuments. Theadvanced state of ruin in which the structure is found, makesit difficult to judge of its original plan ; but enough remains to * We looked in vain for the iriumpiial and solitary arch mentioned by Stephens,a unique specimen of this kind of monument in America. It is 20 feet highby 14 feet wide; and we shall see later that it could only have been erected tocommemorate a victory of the sovereign of Kabah. The reader will notice thatin this monument the corbel vault is more convex, and recalls that of a ruinouspalace at Palenque. Kabaii and Uxmal. show how unHke other monuments were the decorations whichextended over the whole facade, some 162 RUINS OF FIRST PALACE OF KABAH. This palace, like all Yucatec monuments, rises on a two-storied pyramid ; fronting it is a vast esplanade, which had acistern on each side, while the centre was occupied by a picote. 382 The Ancient Cities of the New World. Over the front, narrowing towards the top, was a decorative wall,usually found in Indian structures. Another peculiarity of thesemonuments is their facing south and west, and north and east,instead of the four cardinal points. The interior of this edifice hasa double range of apartments, the finest we have as yet seen,measuring 29 feet long by 9 feet wide, and 19 feet high, supportedby half arches of overlapping stones. One of the inner chambersis entered from the front apartment by three steps cut from asingle block of stone, the lower step taking the form of a walls at the sides, although half demolished, s
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