Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-04-03
NO. IA.
The Indian Poet King.

am going to tell you of trip to the
| mountain of Tezcosingo, famous in AZ
tee days as being the pleasure garden
and retreat of the Indian poet-king,
Nezahuacoyolt. From Texoeo the trim
is wildly picturesque and grandly beau
tiful. The curiously constructed bath
OF Nezahuacoyolt is cut from a solid
block of granite Overhanging the brow
of the hill. The rock has a smooth sur
face several yards square, and dropping
from its center is circular basin some
three or four feet deep and dozen or
more in circumference. Out of one
side is cut seat for the accommodation
OF the bather, while, rising from the
surface little back is another having
perfect chair form, with a rest on, one
side for the arm. Protecting the out
er side of this is a wall-a part of the
same rOck-into which seats have been
cut, and various little inches in the form
OF miniature steps, which might have
been used by the old Indian monarch
as receptacles for his toilet parapher-
MALTA.
Following along the still well pre-
served path, we came to chamber cut
into the side of the hills, now unroofed
and in ruins, the floor being strewn
with debris. At the end of this vault
ed chamber was raised platform foot
in height and several feet square, hewn
from solid rock, and on either corner,
back of this, were inches chiseled out,
with fragments of cement still clinging
to their sides. We have since learned
that between these, above the platform,
there still remained at the beginning
of the present century a large calendar
stone, which was later destroyed by the
neighboring Indians in search of treas
ure.- This curious work must have cost
its builders a vast deal of labor.
Separating himself from the cares of
his kingdom, Nezahuacoyolt came for
retirement to this beautiful mountain,
and here, four times a day for forty
days, on bended knees, he offered pray
er and incense to "the all-pow erful God
hidden and unknown"
lt IS said that in answer to these earn
est petitions vision appeared to one of
his servants in attendance, directing
him to go at once to his master with
the comforting assurance that the un-
seen God had been pleased to accept his
prayers and offerings, and would
avenge him by the hands OF his son,
Axoquatzin, boy of only seventeen
years. The king could not accept the
supernatural vision, which was, how
ever, fulfilled.
Nezahuacoyolt, upon hearing of the
fulfillment of what he had considered a
false prophecy, retired in humiliation
to the garden of his palace, and, kneel-
ing on the ground, gave thanks to the
unknown God for his signal benefits,
promising to build a temple to his
house, to abstain from idoiatrous wor-
ship and human sacrifices, and to alone
acknowledge the supremacy of the un-
known God. In compliance with his
VOW he built tower nine stories high.
the interior of which he garnished with
gold and precious stones, and the ex-
terror of which he covered with black
cement, embellished with stars. The
workmanship was of the most expen-
sive order. In this superb tower were
stationed men, whose duty it was, at
certain hours of the day, to strike upon
plates of fine metal, at the sound of
which the monarch fell upon his knees
in prayer.