Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1842-11-12
by Nlasser s. Eisely.
Central America,

region, is also in press at New York. from the
pen of Mr.. NORMAN, another American travel
Ter. Messrs Harper will publish the first and
Messrs Langley the last named work.-Speak-
lug Of them, the New York Herald says
There will, of course be great competl-
ton between these publishers and great con-
troversy between the respective friends Of
these gentlemen, as to the relative merits of
their works and which is most deserving OF
appreciation and patronage. Mr.. Stephens
ght be supposed to have had the advantage,
| inasmuch as this was his ssecond trip to Cen
! tral America, and he had the assistance Of Mr..
! Cathcrwood.-Bu on the other hand, Mr.. Nor
man. although he travelled alone, is a most cx
| cclent draughtsman, and has visited place
! ofwhch we had no previous record we mean
| the stupendous ruins Of Chi-Chen. Other tra-
velcrs, French and English, had seen and
! written about Palanque and uxmal before Mr..
! Stephens, but Mr.. Norman is the fist visitor
to the ruins of Chi-Chcn who has given to the
world any written record OF his visit.
We have seen the illustrations to both these
splendid works, and can only say that society
is greatly indebted to these entnrprlsing and
talented young men, for such valuable additions
to our National Literature. We think that
probably the work ofMr Norman will be read
with the greatest interest, from the fact that the
subject he speaks Of is entirely new. Indeed,
it was by mere accident that Mr.. Norman
heard ofthcse great ruins. He had been to Gu
ba for his health, and crossed to Merida, in
Yucatan Whilst here. he heard Of festivities
&c. going on at Isalnel, i'll the interior. He
passed through TicoXo and Calcachen to Isa-
mel and then determined to 90 to the next
large town, Nalladolid, which he did, passing
through Tuncax and Sitax. At Nalladold he
heard of some ruins lying between that city
and the South coast, opposite the island Of Cozu-
mel but after great toll, and cutting his way
through the woods for three days, he was oblI-
ged To give up the task. He returned to Val
ladolid, and then accidentally heard of the ru,
Ins at Ch-Chcn, lying ON or near the pathroad
to Campeachy, but none could say that the had
seen them
After travelling from one Indian hut to ano.
thcr, accompanied only by an Indian boy. at
last on the third dav, and about iorty miles
from Valladolid, he came in si2ht Of the beau.
uful and stupeodous ruins Of Chi-Chen. Here
lie found the remains Of city probably the lar
gcst the world has ever seen. For circuit O
many miles ih diameter, nothing could be dis
# covered but the walls of palaces and temples
+ and pyramids more or less dilapidatcd: and the
J. earth as far os the eye could reach, was strcw
. Cd with beautif,l columns, some nearly per
feet One tcmnle was $50 fee, long and bull
|. ofcarcGullv bewn stone. Within it was on,
IS room, fourteen feet long, and six wide, an,
/ those parts Of the room not in ruins wer,
O furnished with sculptured blocks Of stone, a foo
/ SQUARE, rcprcsen,ino Indian fpures. with faa
thcr head.drcsses. armed with bows and arrows
d their noses ornamented with rings, carrying il
!. one hand bows aud arrows, and in the other
g musical instrument; and these figures wer
Is intcrspersed with animals representing the +
l. gyptian crocodile.
u \ few rods to the South of the Temple q
. Chi-Chen stands pyramid measuring 500 fee
l. at lis base, gradually drawing IN towards tn
e summit. which presents large platform. up"
, which is erected a square building, about twrr
it ty feet high. md all carved and orn.meute
Is with rare architectural devices. approachin
re the Egyptian and Ilndro STYLE. But the mo-
~ extraordinary part of mo ruus i the "IIousr