Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-10-13
An Ancient City Discovered in
Mexico.


Gently made here has been published in
i the newspapers, and carries one back TO
b the romantic days Of the conquest. Ten
= or twelve leagues TO the east Of Huachi-
: nago, between this city and the coast at
f Tuxpan, the remains of an ancient city
= have come to light. 1t belonged to a
b period anterior to the conquest, and to
: the famous Kingdom of the Cbchmecas,
S whom Cortes subdued. The discovery
7 was made by the sub-prefect of Huachi-
P nongo, and a party formed for the pur-
=. pose of looking up the boundaries OF a
4 certain estate about which there was a
r dispute. Ancient deeds and records re-
: lating 10 this estate, of the time of the
early .Spaniards made mention of certain
boundary marks Of which nothing was
now known, and which, il was supposed,
/, must be adventure in almost impenetra-
BILE bosque, O r mountain thicket, into
which no one had been known to pene-
trate. The Indians never entered it, as
they had been taught to regard it with
, superstitious dread.
The sub-prefect and party, however,
worked their way through it, and were
well repaid for their trouble. They
came upon a beautiful table-land, in the
midst of which were the ruins OF great
city. 1t was surrounded by a wall, por-
tions of it still standing, which measure
twenty.seven feet in height, by thirteen
in thickness. 1t has only one entrance,
and that by covered way defended by
series of small stone forts. In the midst
is palace, the walls in a good state Of
preservation, and covered with scu pture
and paintings. The architecture of the
palace belongs to the period of the con-
quest. The struc ure is of stone, If the
kind known here as piedra de aaaota, a
hard variety, u e d for gpindstones.
West Of the palace is another stone build
ing, on which is a meridian for calcua-
ting the hour OF the day. 1t is ofan oval
shape, resembling the shape of a watch,
with rays from the center pointing o
hour marks. Under the dial is the paint.
ed figure OF an Indian, looking toward the
dial with sword in bis hand, of Chinese
Or Moorish pattern, aud i n the act Of
striking a blow.
The coloring of the circle goes entire
y through the coating of mortar on ii,
which is one inch thick, and the whole is
ut in the stone underneath. There are
tx doors to the palace, hermetically seal
d with blocks of stone. The roof, or
lone has fallen into the center of the
red with rank vegetation. They found
/ vast cistern to the north Of the palace
If curious construction. The palace it.
ielf is surrounded by monuments of a
,astellaled form, and which must have
involved enormous labor in their con-
The streets Of the city part
every way from the palace as center,
and are paved with flag stones. They |
entered to the interior Of the wood,
primitive mountain forest, containing gi- !
gantic cedars, mameys pepper, ebony rose,
lemon, and orange trees. Here they
found a we'll, fed by curious combina-
ton of aqueducts, showing great science
and skill i n their construction. They
discovered here also many ancient idols
Of cut stone.
Among them was one weighing four
or Eve hundred pounds, having sort OF
metre or imperial crown on its head
This figure is covered with sculptured
stars aud flowers. In The center of the
stone, within a niche, is the bust Of wo-
man, and on the reverse of the stone is |
carved drapery and the figure f the
cross. These curious relics were con-
veyed TO a.plsce of safety, and are soon
to he transported to Mexico to be presen.
ted to the Emperor The population OF
this ancient city seems to have been com
posed of warriors who feared an invasion |
from the coast OF Tuxpan, and went away |
expecting to return, as appears by their
precaution in sealing the entrances to
the palaces and other buildings. They
never came back, and The barriers res
main unmoved to this day. The table
land where these ruins stand extends foi
ten or twelve leagues, and offers excel |
lent lands for the cultivation of sugar
cane, # e e, together with tobac-
co, cotton, vanilla, ard maize. Pine. APP |
pies, plantains, bananas, &c, grow there
in abundance. The government is al.
ready directing its attention to it for pur-
poses of colonization. Altogether this
discovery is a most curious and interes.
n.