Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-05-27

ted drawing OF temple n. Conan which
seems TO have been on AN extensive scale,
one front Off being in length abou: 23O feet,
! and its side face about 1870 feet. The into
rior of the temple is laid out with all the skill
and regard to convenience, of the most prac-
tised architect, and the exterior prosentinr
an elaboration oil ornament as we'll as re-
hnement In sculpture. which altogether as
! TOMS he'd iha travellers, as in fact SO did the
drawing astonlsh those before whom it was
| placed at the lecture. There were many sim
! gls :c'nmns most deliberately wrought, the
"ork @as deeply cut, and all in mastery
style. Mr.. Catherwood, in pointing out these
remarkable specimens, of course stated some
what concerning the most probable conjec-
lures; of which, anon.
From Copan the travellers proceeded to
! kuirgui, where they found many monu-
menis chiefly Of the same character as those
| at Copan, only the latter were much longer
than those which were first visited Prom
thence they proceeded 10 Santa Cruz del
Cuiche, to Guequetenango, to Ocosingo, to
Palenque, and to UXmal. The whole form
ing circuit of nearly three thousand miles
In Permeter, and the grestcr part of which
was thckly studded with extensive ruins, all
oil which were perfectly analogous 10 each
other, although the variations in extent, or
nament, &C., were numerous. They were all
evidently the labors Of a people of common
origin, of apparently the same political, reli-
gious, and social principles, of the same hab-
its and association of ideas, and certainly far
advanced in civilization and refinement. In
Vulnerable square columns orobelisks Of stone
were found in the course of their investiga-
tons, all of which We're carved OF every side
with either hieroglyphics, or with figures of
animals or human beings; the former i'm all
hal dc, al.
could be decyphered would 90 far to explain
the history of the people who had thus exc
cuted them; and the latter executed with such
regard to the due proportions o. figure as ac-
tually 10 astonish the travellers who had not
the most remote expectation TO find any
branch Of the fine arts in SO forward state.
What added TO their establishment was the
TACT that all these monuments were found in
the deepest recesses of forests of gigantic
and closely planted trees; proof of their an
iiquiiy altogether rreiraglble, as it must have
required centuries 20 bring such trees 20 their
maturity and enormous growth, and it must |
have been after those cities were ruined and |
gene to desolation that the forest was per-
United to take root in their precincts at all.
These considerations, unaided by any other,
must carry Inc mind back IL period of tho
world altogether startling to think OF.
An erroneous notion has got abroad, that
these antiquities in the colossal magnitude of
their parts, throw those of Thebes, LuXoc,
aud other Egyptian monuments into the
shade, and that the latter may now .'hide
their diminished heads - it is believed also
that In architectural elegance as well as in
extent these American remains far exceed
those of Balbec, Palmyra, or even ancient
Babylon itself These surnises receive no
coGntenance from the accounts given by
MessrS. Stevens and Ca.herwood. The eX-
tent OF the American monuments has rather
regard to them as one mass promiscuously
and almost every where spread within a cir
conference of three thousand miles, than to
| the extent or magnitude of any one specimen
or set of ruins; and nothing but either
| complete misunderstanding of the true de-
tails, or an intense love of the marvellous
| can have brought about those false compari-
sons.
But the most important point to be ascef-
| tanned is that of referring these monuments
truly 10 any OF those in the old world. At
first glance at some of the mere colossal fl
cures, their costumes and their grouping,
there was for moment similarity to those
OF ancient Egypt, but the practised eyes of
our travellers soon corrected the momentary
error of their thoughts. There was not one
OF those monstrous heads which 50 essenti-
ally belong to Egyptian mythology, religious
rites, and occult writings; the proportions OF
the figures Were III every respect better in
! those before them, and no where did they
| find that inherent regard for great magnitude
or peculiar position in the stasuary and sculp-
ture. The heroglyphics too, though iiber-
! ally scattered and every where homogeneous,
were altogether different from those upon the
| Egyptian monuments. From the intricacy
OF their designs and from many grotesque
subjects OF their sculpture. these monuments
might be referred to Il more oriental source
than that OF Egypt; and the similarity seems
TO increase, the Farther they are referred to
the eastward China and Japan, present
many OF the images and groups which are
found on these monuments; and, although
: with much that is grotesque in the latter,
; there is much also that is beautiful and SYM
meirlcaliy correct, while in China and ia.
pan, particularly the latter, the monstrous
prevails in an exorbitant degree, there is re-
ally much that is common to The East Of ASH
and 10 the west OF America,
With data like these before us then, car
Q there be much difficulty in terrifying tina
= most received hypothesis. that America was
, first peopled from the Eastern part OF Asia
: the passage being made across Belring'
4 straits This is not matter at present t.
/, be insisted on, although the belief receive
n considerable aid from the circumstances her
: brought TO light.-What another Cfampoiio
y may effect for the world, by decypheriDg til
# yet hidden writings on these monuments
II IS not for us TO surnise. but we doubt nc
y that they could settle the question.
II in the meantime where is the difficulty !;
l. assuming the theory that mankind, consini
e ally radiating from the primitive se$is of fir:
o creation, and continually advancing beyon
IT previous confines, should gradually arrive d
oh 1T &c .bp mo-
d pie the islands there, should cross the marrow
y $50 narrow that at midway both shores ina
&C DC seen from the same posi!:on,--shoul
!. trayel southwark and rive a human ponul;