The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-05-24

cities are thlckly OverIrOwn with trees
and it is know that other cities lie buried
i'll the forest districts, which have been a.
yet but little explored. More is known
respecting the Mexican area from its hav
ing been the centre of Aztec civilization
at the time of the conquest; and though
some doubt has been thrown upon the &C
counts of the city of Mexico given by the
Spaniards, it is certain that comparative.
ly high state of civilization, although in.
ferior to that of Central America, existed
in the valley of Mexico at that time.
Their city had considerable architectural
pretensions, and their temple was rect
angular terraced pyramid, assembled by a
flight OF steps on the outside, like the pyr-
amids Of the mound builders; but they
did not possess the phonetic alaphabet of
the Central Americans, and their records
consisted of picture writings.
The third sub division of this central
area is found in New Mexico and Arizona
amongst the Pueblo Indians, the chief
characteristic of whose culture consists in
their residence in large communal build
ings, each of which contains an entire
town or village of small rooms ranged in
three or four stories above each other,
forming huge rectangular structure not
altogether unlike some of the great edific-
es i'll the ruins of Central America, such
as the palace Of Palenque or the Casa del
Gobernado at Uxmal, but yet differing
from them both in character and purpose.
These buildings were in use at the time of
the conquest, and are still inhabited in
some places. The Pueblos are vastly SUI
perior in culture to the wild tribes of Indi-
ans on the north, with whom they are con-
stantly at war.
The Peruvian ruins consist in cities, pal
aces, fortresses, aqueducts, one of which
is 400 miles long, and great paved roads,
admirably constructed throughout the
whole length of the empire, which latter
were originated during the earlier civiliza-
ton and restored by the Incas. Their
work was admirably done; but it is every
where seen that their masonry, although
sometimes ornamented, was generally plain
and massive in style. They had no in
scriptions, though it is thought that at the
time of the conquest they possessed the art
of writing in hieroglyphics. Their tenn
pies were not high truncated pyramids, and
their great edifices were not erected upon
terraces, as in Central America; but the
doors in the older buildings around Lake
Titicaca had the popularity of being mar
row at the top, like some of the prehistoric
structures of Europe. Their tools were of
bronze: but it has been coniectured that,
although iron was unknown in the times of
the Incas, it may have been employed in
the earlier times, as that ore is abundant
in Peru, and some of the existing langu-
ages, if not all, have names for the metal.
In their knowledge of astronomy, they
appeared to have been inferior to the Cen
trail Americans.
The antiquity of the mound builders is
established by the growth of forest sur
mounting their remains. In the debris
covering the ancient copper mines of Lake
Superior, trees showing 395 rings of annu-
al growth have been found growing; and
Sir Charles Lyell counted 800 rings in the
trunk of tree growing on one of the
mounds at Marietta. 1t is evident also, in
both cases, that several generations Of trees
have preceded those now standing in the
soil. In the valley of the Mississippi, four
terraces are usually seen, marking four
distinct eras of subsistence since the river
began to flow. The ancient works, mounds
and Enclosures are found on all these ter
races, except the fourth or lowest; showing
that this last terrace, which probably
marks the longest period Of any, was
formed since the works were erected
Some of the mounds have also been de-
stroyed by streams that have since reeeded
more than half mile, and which, at pres
ent, could not reach them under any Cir
cumstances. The antiquity of the latest
relics of the mound builders is further
confirmed by the state of decay in which
all the skeletons of these people are found.
Although the soil is not unfavorable to
their preservation, only one or two skulls
have been found in condition to be restored.
In Central America, similar evidence of
great antiquity is afforded by the growth
of timber, and by the fact that everything
perishabe has disappeared, except the lin
tells of some of the doors of the more
modern structures of Yucatan.
In Peru, Mr.. James Wilson found at
various points on the coast near Quito,
ancient pottery and other manufactured
articles finely wrought, and some of them
of gold, beneath a marine deposite of six
feet, having trees growing on the surface
which were older than the Spanish invasion;
which proves that this land must have
submerged beneath the ocean and again
elevated to its former position since these
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