Rambles in Yucatan, or, Notes of travel through the peninsula : including a visit to the remarkable ruins of Chi-Chen, Kabah, Zayi, and Uxmal

Front matter

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RUINS.

UXMAI

Preface

To those who intend to bestow upon the following pages the honor of a perusal, it may seem almost supererogatory for the author to mention, that it has formed no part of his purpose to prepare a book which should owe its leading interest to its literary merits. His life has been necessarily more devoted to the dissemination of books than to the study of their internal fabrication ; he has had but slender opportunities for the cultivation of letters, and little of the preparation requisite for a task, to the results of which he now solicits the candid consideration of the public.

Circumstances, however, of which all that is worthy of detail will be found in the following pages, brought under the author’s observation a portion of our continent which was strewed with gigantic and monumental ruins of ancient cities, and which, to the several departments of Cosmogony, Archeology, and Ethnography, appeared in his eyes to be of vast importance. Impressed with this conviction, althouch the author left his country without the remotest intention of making a book upon any subject whatever, or even of seeing the wonderful places he has attempted to describe, yet, with very inadequate scientific qualifications — without instruments, except a knife and compass, and without a -ompanion, save an Indian boy — entirely ignorant of the country and its people —he was enabled to explore many objects of interest and curiosity ; and he has resolved to present the substance of his observations and researches, in as succinct a manner as possible, that those who are competent to avail themselves of his labors may digest and present them to the public in such a form as

7 ac will most contribute to the advancement of true science.

4 PREFACE.

It is, therefore, to the facts which it has been the author’s privilege to witness and reveal, and not to the garniture of those facts, that he looks, for the interest which he desires to awaken in the minds of his readers, and upon which he relies for his own justification in having for once trespassed ultra erepidam into the charmed circle of literary enterprise. ‘The almost universal curiosity which has manifested itself in every quarter through which public feeling has utterance, concerning the vast and unexplained ruins of our hemisphere, found in Central America and Yucatan, has not been, in modern times at least, excelled by that upon any subject not involving some immediate and practical interest, not even excepting the discoveries of modern antiquarians in Egypt. It is neither the author’s duty nor purpose to analyze this movement, or to discern its cause ; it only concerns him to show that he had good reason for presuming that further developments of, and explorations among these mysterious relics of antiquity, could not fail to awaken some portion of that interest which the public mind, in this country at least, has already manifested.

A portion of the ruins which are noticed in detail in the following pages had never been visited, to the author’s knowledge, by any modern traveller before his arrival. Others, which had been summarily alluded to, he has portrayed as elaborately and adequately as his circumstances and scientific qualifications would admit; and, he has no hesitation in saying, far more minutely than they had ever before been described, in corroboration of these remarks, he ventures to call the reader’s attention to the chapters which include the ruins of Chi-Chen, of Kabah, Zayi, and Uxmal, of which cities, the last only excepted —to which Mr. Stephens devotes a few sentences near the conclusion of his recent popular work upon this subject—no other published accounts, it is believed, have appeared.

The author avails himself of the present opportunity to make those acknowledgments to the people of Yucatan which could not be incorporated with propriety in the body of his work. He feels himself under grateful obligations for the uniform kindness which he received at their hands; and he begs to assure those of his American friends who may feel disposed to visit the

PREFACE. 9)

province of Yucatan, that whatever inconveniences they may experience indirectly from an unfavorable climate and an unsettled political organization, they may count upon meeting, among the higher ranks of the Yucatecos, a kindliness of feeling and a spontaneity of hospitality which will compare favorably with their experience in any other portion of the globe.

In acknowledging his obligations to the friends who have assisted him in the preparation of these pages, he would be guilty of great injustice did he not tender his most sincere thanks to an American gentleman, who has long resided in Yucatan, to whom he is indebted for most of the facts connected with the political history of that country, which are embodied in the thirteenth chapter. ‘The long residence of that gentleman in the country, and his evident familiarity with its political history, give the author reason to rely implicitly upon his acquaintance with the subject, as well as upon his fidelity as an historian.

The author regrets that he is not permitted to give the name of the gentleman to whose aid he is indebted for the philological remarks contained in’ the fourteenth chapter, which he ventures to believe will prove to the scholar and the antiquarian not the least interesting feature of the work.

It has been the author’s intention upon all occasions to acknowledge his indebtedness to any preceding or cotemporary writer in appropriate modes and places in the text, and he believes that he has seldom failed in his aim; at the same time, he feels that to Waldeck, a distinguished French traveller, who spent a number of years in Central America and Yucatan, his obligations are of a character not to be passed over without a special acknowledgment.

The illness of the writer during the time the following pages were passing through the press, must constitute his apology, should inaccuracies be found to disfigure the work.

The Map is intended to show the geographical position of the ruins, and of the towns passed through before arriving at them ; and the Plans to define the relative locations of the structures : neither of them, however, is laid out with scientific exactness ; it is hoped, nevertheless, they will still be found sufficiently correc* to illustrate the descriptions,

PREFACE.

If the public shall find the work now submitted to them possessed of sufficient merit to deserve their regard, or if others shall be induced, by reading it, to extend their researches in a similar direction, or shail, through its aid, eliminate one new ray of light to illumine the dark mystery of its subject, the author will feel amply compensated for the trouble he has taken, and will think himself entitled to indulge the assurance that his life has not been altogether without profit.

New Orteans, November, 1842.

Chapter I. Page

Setting Out — Accommodations — Arrival at Sisal — Geographical and Political view of Yucatan — A Christening — Lady Smokers — Off for the Interior — Merida — A Feast-day — Christmas Eve — Christmas Day— Conclusion of a Feast— Holy Unction — Indian Character — Soldiers’ Return —Holy Days—Gaming- 13

CHAPTER II. Description of Merida, Geographical and Historical— The City

Public Squares — The Market— Trade — Habits and Customs

— Health — The Public Buildings — A way to get a Husband —

New Year Eve— New Year Day — The City and Environs —

A Touch of Music — A Country Seat — Congress of Yucatan —

Franciscan Ruins — More Holy-days — Cock-fighting — A Drill — The Bishop at Home — The College — Miracles : - 34

Mechanical Pursuits -— The Circulating Medium —A Ball—A Remnant of Franciscans — Signs of Decay in the Suburbs — The Cemetery — The Weather — A Whole Congregation Flogged — The Wise Men — The Gentlemen — Extra Civilities — The Appearances of Trade — Products of the Soil — Education — Language of the Indians—The Ancient People— We.ideck’s Opinion of them — The Maya Language — The Lord’s Prayer in Maya — Grammars of that Dialect — Difficulties in Speaking at — Traits of the Indian Character - - . “ - 63

CONTENTS.

Chapter IV

Preparations for the Interior — Outfit, &«.— The Indian Boy — Departure from Merida — Arrival at 'Tixcoco— Calcachen -— A Feast-day — Isamal at a distance — Arrival there — Our Pa- Jace— A Procession— Ancient Mounds— The Church—A striking Indian — Wrong Impressions — Tuncax — A Dilemma — Philosophy of the Road-side — A Dinner — Visit to a Curate —A Touch of Comfort — Mail Carrier — Sitax— An Indian Alcalde —Tinum— An Allusion— Valladolid—A Mistake rectified in time - - - - - - - -

Chapter V

Festival of the Purification — A Factory discovered — New Quarters— Appearance of Public Buildings — Church — Singular Display of Taste — Population and Health — The Town — Its Suburbs — Monastic Ruins — Remarkable Sonato — Amusements — The Riband Dance — The Market Place — Cotton — Ancient Ruins — Difficulties of Strangers — A Norther — Kaua — The Churlish Curate — End of a Feast — The Route — Approach to Chi-Chen — A Glimpse of the Ruins - - -

Chapter VI

A Visit to the Ruins — Reflections — Indian Visiters — Detail of the Ruins of Chi-Chen — The Temple — The Pyramid — The Dome — The House of the Caciques — General Ruins — Mounds — Foundations — Characteristics of the Ruins — Materials and Manner of Building — The Finish — Fresco Paintings - -

Chapter VII

An Arrival — Unexpected Honors — Usurpation of Office — Prices of Labor — Indian way of Living — A Sonato— An Incident — Departure — Yacaba —Sonato at Tabi— Arrival at Sotuta — «Las Ruinas” — A Benediction — Cantamayec — Turn Physician — Successful Practice — The Reward of Merit — Route to Teabo — Its Curate— Mani — Arrival at Ticul — Description of Ticul—The Church — Curate — Market-place — Pretty

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CONTENTS. G

Pacer.

Women — Convent — Occupations — Health — Roads — Sugar

Estates — Ruins of Ichmul— Departure — Cross the Cordil- PEERS | oe oe Ril yh UT PT oe 7 oa ae agg AD

Chapter VIII

The Ruins of Kahbah— Those of Zayi—Scattered Ruins — Church at Nohcacab — The Padre — The Town — Departure for Uxmal — Arrival at the Hacienda — Quarters and Arrangements — The Scenery — General Character of the Ruins of Uxmal — The Governor’s House — The Nuns’ House — The Pyramid— Other Remains— Pyramids, Walls, and Mounds — Reservoir — Moonlight - a, eet, $e ewe a

Chapter IX

Introductory Facts — Ruins of Yucatan and other parts of Mexico — Ruins of North America — Mississippi and Missouri — Look- Out Mountain — Ohio River — Mount Joliet and others — Indian Races — Ledyard — Bradford — Dr. Morton — Diversity of Opinions — Pyramids of Egypt — Speculations — Vassalage — Comparison — Traditions — Embalming — Priesthood — Siamese — Japanese — Astronomy and Mythology - - -

Chapter X

Waldeck’s Remarks on Uxmal— Ancient Tools—Soil and Health — Ancient Customs -—— End of Time — The Coronation of an Emperor — Religious Beliefs — Marriage Ceremony — Infant Baptism — Origin of those Rites — Horse Worship — Amusements — Markets — Idols — Candidates for Matrimony — Their Worship Varies — Refinements’ - - . - - -

Chapter XI

Departure from Uxmal—Abala—The Road—The Curate’s Hacienda — Arrival at Merida — Hotel de Diligencias — Bishop Preaching — Strange Scenes — Parting with José — Departure from Merida — Coach and Passengers — Scenes of the Road — Zibackchen— Accommodations — Arrival at Campeachy -

10 CONTENTS.

Chapter XII

Reception at Campeachy—The City — Public Buildings — The Convent—The Market—Charity—An Ancient Custom — Population— The College— Foundations of the City —Subterraneous Caverns— The Suburbs—The Harbor— Climate and Health—Various Ruins—The Author’s Collection of Idols — Dr. Morton on the Archeology of Yucatan — Other Ruins— Reptiles and Insects—A Concealed Nation—The Brothers Camachos - . - - : - : -

Chapter XIII

Political History of Yucatan — The Rochelanos — A Civil Revolution—-A Tumultuary Movement in the Interior —Santiago Iman — Attack on Espita — Retreat to San Fernando — Quiet Restored for a Time — Colonel Roquena — Attack on Tizimin — Return of the Troops — Attack on Valladolid — Capitulation —Succession of Events—A New Constitution —'The New Congress— New Party — Opinions — Physical Incapacity for Independence — The Press of Yucatan - - - -

Chapter XIV

Remarks on American Languages in general — Conflicting Opinions of Philologists — Religious Zeal a Stimulus that has produced the Grammars and Vocabularies of the American Languages—Sketch of the Grammar of the Maya Tongue — Concluding Observations respecting its Origin - - -

Appendix

Tradition of the Mexican Natives respecting their Migration from the North

Traits of the Mosaic History found among the Azteca Nations - .

Origin of Fire-Worship * . a & 4 . of 3 a Great Stone Calendar of the Mexicans” - - - - - : - Scientific Acquirements of Ancient Builders in the West - ~ . Predilection of the Ancients to Pyramids - - . ° . 4 The Remains of Cities - - - . x - . = 2 Ruins of the City of Otolum, discovered in North America - - Ancient Languages of the First Inhabitants of America - . .

Historical Sketch of Mexico < ‘ = £ 2 ib A

Pack.

LIST OF EMBELLISHMENTS.

Map ° - - - - - - Moonlight— Uxmal Ruins—FRonTisPIEcE - Vignette Title-page . - - : Indians of Yucatan -

The Plantain Tree

Yucateco Indian Hut

The Road-side -

Sonato near Valladolid

Pian or THE Ruins oF CuHI-CHEN

The Temple - - - - Ornaments of Buildings -

The Dome “ . - - -

The Front of the House of the Caciques The House of the Caciques = - - Ornaments of Buildings .

The Agave Americana -

Ruins of Zayi_- - +

PLAN oF THE Ruins oF UxMAL

Facade of the Governor’s House

The Governor’s House - .

Ornaments of Building

The Nuns’ House -

Ornaments -

The Pigeon Houses’ - . “

Yucatan Coach crossing the Mountains

Campeachy - - - - -

Plate No. I. — Idols -

Plate No. II. — Four Idols -

Plate No. III.— Four Idols” = - - - Plate No. 1V.— Fragments of Idols or Ornaments Plate No. V.— Vessels’ - - - - .

Plate No. VI. — Turtle and Household Utensils - Vignettes, Xc., &c. - - = “ = =

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RAMBLES IN YUCATAN.