Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1841-08-12
VOLUME 6.--NUMBER 20.
From Stevens Ruins in Central America
CITY COPAN.

and in good state OF preservation. we
assembled by large steps, IN some places
perfect, and in others thrown down oy
trees which had grown up between the
crevces, and reached terrace, the form
Of which it was impossible TO make OUT
from the density ofthe 70 rest in which,
wasl developed. Our guide cleared the
way with his matchote, and we passed, 40
it Law half buried in the earth. large
fragment Of stone deliberately sculptured,
and came to the angle Of q structure with
steps on the sides, in form and appear
ance, so far as trees would enable US 10
make it out like the sides Of pyramid.
Diyerging from the base, and working our
way through the thick woods, we came
upon q square stone column, about four
teen feet high and three feet on one side,
sculptured in very bold relief, and on all
four of the sides from the base to the top.
The front was the figure ola aancurlous"
ly and richly dressed, and the face eyl.
IDENTIFY portrait, solemn, storm, well INT.
ted to excite terror. The back was Of
different design, and unlike any thing we
had ever seen before, the sides were CO.
vered with hierogiphics. This our guide
called an IDOL and before it at dis
lance of three feet, was large block OF
stone, also culptured with figures and em-
blematcal devices, which he called an al
tar. The sight Of this unexpected mon
ument put at rest at once and forever, IN
our minds, all uncertainty in regard to
I.L Of Ana
and gave usthe assurance that tue objects
we we're in search Of were interesting,
not only as the remains of an unknown
people, but as works Of art, proving, like
newly discovered historical records that
{. the people who occupied the confident OF
America were not savages.
With an interest perhaps stronger than
we had ever felt in the wanderlngs among
the ruins OF Egypt, we followed our guide,
who, sometimes missing his way, with a
constant and vigorous use Of his machete,
conducted US through thick forest, among
half buried fragments, to fourteen mon
uments Of the same character and appear
ance, some with more el'quent designs,
AMI some in workmanship equal to the
finest monuments OF the Egyptians one
displaced from its PEDESTAL by enormous
, roots another locked in the close ems
brace of branches of trees, and almost
lifted out of the earth another lifted out
; oil the ground, and bound down by huge
vines and cree ers and one standing viii
before it, IN a grove of trees which grew
around it, seemingly to shade and shrodd
it as a sacred thing ; in the solemn still
ness Of the woods, it seemed divinity
mourning over fallen people. The on
y sounds that disturbed the quiet OF this
buried city were the noise OF monkeys
moving among the tops OF the trees and
the cracking Of the dry branches broken
by their weight. They moved over our
heads in long and swift possessions, forty
and fifty at time some with little ones
wound in their long arms, walking out
to the end OF the boughs, and holding on
with their hind feet or curl OF their tail,
spring to branch Of the next tree, and,
! with noise like a current Of the wind,
> passed in the depths Of the forest. 1t was
the first time we had seen these mocker-
les of humanity, and with the strange
monuments around US, they seemed like
wandering spirits OF the departed race
guarding the ruins Of their former hab'
y tatonS.
We turned TO the base Of the pyraml'
E dal structure, and assembled the regular
!, stone steps in some places forced part
by bushes and saplings, and IN others
5 thrown down by growth Of large trees,
u while some remained entire In parts
: they were ornamented with scul ptured
q figures and rows of deaths heads. Clin-
bIng over the ruined top, we reached
J terrace overgrown with trees, and cross
u ing it, descended by stone steps into all
: area so covered with trees that at first we
e could not make out its form, but which on
!. clearing our way with our machete, we
u ascerlaned to be square, and with steps
u on the sides almost as perfect as those oil
5 the Roman amphthealre. The steps
IS were ornamenled on the south side, about
u half way up, forced Out OF lis place oy
N roots, was colossal head evidently a
l. portrait. We assembled these steps, and
80 reached broad terrace one hundred
feet high, overlooking the river, aud sup
10 ported by the wall which we had seen
N from the opposite bank. The whole ter
r. race was covered with trees, and even at
this height from the ground were two 81
is qantic Celbas or wild cotton trees OF India
IN abou. twenty feet in circumference, ex-
SC tending their half naked roots rom fifty TO
IS hundred feet around, binding down the
ruins, and shading them with their wide
at spreading branches. We sat down on the
ar very edge of the wall, and strove in vaIn
t to penetrate the mystery by which we
4. we're surrounded. Who were the people
=; that built this city ; la the ruined cities
in OF Egypt, even in the long lost Petra, the
ne stranger knows the story Of the people