Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-03-25
MAUllEE CITY, SATURDAY, MARCH Is, 1887.

which from its steepness, occasionally
rendered advance difficult. Four ter
races apparently made the circuit at re-
gular, intervals Of elevation, though oc-
casionally they were not easy to detect,
from the accumulation of rubbish.
The intermediate slopes are covered
with platforms, bastions, pyramidical
and rectangular elevations and stages,
one above the other, and other erections
OF which can neither describe the ex-
act forms nor guess their appropriation.
It's evident that all were faced with the
same uncemented stonework, and were
accommodated TO the natural moulding
of the hill, which. however far from re-
gular, was conicalini its general outlines.
Upon a platform in connection with the
highest terrace, we were obliged to leave
our horses, before we climed up steep,
stone.faced declivity, evidently pyrami-
dical in its structure, to the summit.
Thence we commanded wide view
over the neighboring hills and plains--a
scene of matchless sterility, glaring in
the MONDAY sun; and we now saw that,
in addition to the paved road from the
north which | have mentioned, there
were others of precisely the same con-
structlop, running towards the House
OF Flowers" as to a common centre,
from other points of the compass.
From the summit we proceeded 10
the northward into a halIow square, sit
uated at somewhat lower elevation,
in the centre of which we found the ru-
ins of the remarkable altar, or teocali,
which has been the principal object of
speculation or attention.
Though evidently formed upon the
same general principles with the other
ancient pyramidical structures of New
Spain, il differs from every other erec-
ion of the class hitherto discovered in
Mexico--the pyramid of Papantla ex-
epted-by being wholly constructed Of
i,sge, regularly hewn, and symmetrical
Jyad masses of hard and richly sculp-
irock, instead Of layers of unburnt
y v pf piIesof earth and stone.
n, tperlect s,nie. which itpreserved1.
-. ppafati2e recently dateait is
stories, 5iDgso coursein size, Glss
Of preclss similar construction. ii
theselna sal lm only found .,hs. lower ~ n
ry, and porliSise u - ] = =. =. 3 aih1s,
in their original position; the hsaffsal
stones composing the remainder having
been wantonly moved and carriet of,
little more than century ago by thepro-
prieiors of the sugar plantations IN the
neighborhood, for the foundation OF their
haceindas.
The base lines of the lowest square,
which correspond to the cardinal points.
may be fifty feet in length and the
height of the first story, from the present
level of the hollow square in which ii
stands, eight or nine feet
One remarkable factis, thas instead
of the wall rising at right angles from
the base, it inclines inward. to the height
of six feet, with a variation Of perhaps
fifteen degrees from the perpendicular,
when the completion Of the story is CT
fected by perpendicular masses, sculp-
tured in like manner, being placed so as
10 project out several inches from the
line of those Immediately below; rude
analogy of outline with the Egyptian
architecture, that must Immediately
strike you. 1t is TO be supposed that
every story was constructed in SINH
lar manner.
The chief characteristics of the sculp-
ture are its decision of outline and bold
ness Of relief. The hardness of the
dark basaltic stone, in which they are
cut, has preserved its freshness without
the slightest appearance of decay.
To describe the character of the lso-
lated fguares, is out Of my power
The majority Of the lhieroglyphic signs
for such they doubtless are-resem-
bled nothing in heaven or earth but IN
many parts detected theEclothed hu-
man figures, seemingly reposlng IN the
Asiatic manner.
Whether each face of the structure
bore throughout similar devices, placed
in exactly similar positions, DO not re-
collect positively--I think not; at the
same time it was certainly the case at
the angles, where some OF the richest
and most singular figures were to be
found. The ornament which has been
described as ga crocodile spoutlng wa
ter,p is Of fvery large size, and must have
been repeated eight times in each story,
by being symmetricalIy placed at either
extremity Of the inclined basement OF
| the structure.