Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-01-11
The HRONICLE
The Ruined Cities OF Central America

Captain Carmichael read, at the
recent meeting of the Biographical
Section Of the British Association, q
paper Of much interest on the ruined
cities Of Central America. He said
that in his opinion, formed from per-
sonal investigation, the architecture
Of the aboriginal Indians Of Central
America was but a reproduction Of
that OF eastern countries. He then
pointed out a number OF similarlties
in their architecture, designs, Gus
toms, etc, to nations of the east and
showed how, as a general rule, It was
very difficult TO explore these ruins,
owing to the hostility Of the existing
tribes of Indians.
As regards their antiquity, he as
signed 10 many of them an earlier
I foundation than that accorded to them
by Stephens and Squier, and addueed
some very convincing proofs In sup
port OF his theory. The picture lie
drew of the palaces Of Quiche, in
Guatemala, fully bore ont the state
ment of TOTguemada, that they ri
vailed those of MOnteZuma and he
showed that if that city-one Of
some eight hundred years stand
lng-was in such a state OF conser-
walton some fifty years ago that the
pare Of a neighbOring Indian vii
lager who then walked among its
streets and palaces, imagined himself
in Spain, what must be the era of
those numerous cities, compared with
which Quiche Wa modern?
Hethen pointed out the ~greatlength
Of these ruined cities, and added that
in connection with this a remarkable
fact had seemingly been overlooked
by most Central American writers,
viZ.-that the stone buildings whose
ruins we now find extsnt, were used
as temples, palaces and public offices
generally, the poorer inhabitants liv-
ing in huts Of a p~erishable nature-an
arrangement which represented an
almost incredible amount Of pOpula-
ton. He then analysed the various
elements composing the architecture
Of the ruined buildings and mOnu-
ments, and gave an interesting &C
count OF the various uses to which
the teoeali and tumuli were put by
the TOltecan and Aztec priests-viz.,
Z for sacrifcial and burial purposes, TO
serve as beasOns, for warlike defenees,
etc.-and explained the relations be-
tween the temples and palaces, aud
offered a few hints as to the decipher-
ing Of the hieroglyphies, a subject 70
( which he has paid much attention,
and for which he is specially qualified
from his knowledge of the Maya, or
Indian language, showing that they
were chiefly the works Of the Indian
I priesthood, and, above all, were in
tended to inCalcate moral and relig-
iOus p~reeepts, chronological events
being made quite su~bservient to them.
He then referred briefly to the round
towers, which contained the eStty0s
for the sSered fire of MOntezuma, in
connection with the worship OF the
sun, and passed on to explain the ma
ture and significance Oflthe various
hideous and ,awe-inspiring idols TO
whom the human sacrifice was offered
on the summit OF the t~eOcali, and
stated il as his belief that these idols
as well as the planed stones, were
carved with clay or flint instruments,
as he had often found flint and Obsi-
dian implements, but in no instance
an instrument OF metal.
Referring to the state Of decay in
which they were mostly found, ne
4 stated that there were ruins which
had never been visited by the Span
iards al the time of the conquest, and
expressed Il as his opinion that their
crumbling and Tuinous condition was
mainly brought about by the earth
quakes so prevalent throughout Cen
tral America, In conjunction, OF
course, with the action on them oil
time and the elements. He gave
----H #wHwa1aNsUna nnnwHnmW Of q
ruined city in british Honduras,
called Xmul, which he claims TO
have discovered, and concluded by
pointing out the great extent Of IN
known and untraveled districts in
Central America, particularly Guate-
mala, as presenting a fine field for
future geOgraphers and ~naturalists,
and expressed IL as his firm cOnVic-
ton that there existed at the present
day an Indian City-yet 70 be discOv-
ered-whose inhabitants occupy the
same splendid palaces and temples as
in the days of the Spanish conquest,
whose priests lnscribe fresh precepts
on their tablets, and who would then
read to US their nov mystical hero
glyphics. He supported the state
ment by describing an exploration he
made in the southern district OF Brit
ish Honduras, westward toward Qua
temala, where, after several days per
ilOus river navigation, and further
journey on foot, he discovered, in the
neighbOrhOOd of CoXcomb Peak, the
remains Of an abandoned maize plan
tation, and saw smoke ascending from
the distant forests, and believes that
the tribe Of Indians who occupy this
part Of this country, which was be-
fore considered to be uninhabited,
have some connection with the mys-
FERROUS Aztec city he spoke Of.
In the discussion which followed,
Captain Carmichael stated that he had
recently returned from California,
where he had. heard a japanese and a
Digger Indian, of Nevada, then brO't
together for the first time, converse
intelligibly. This remarkable fact, in
connection with the well known re-
semblance Of the tribes on the AMOR
river to our Indians, has a very i'm
portant bearing on the question of the
source from which America was orig
inally peOplsd,