American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-02-16
THE INDIAN POET-KING.
/ He Who Built Magnificent Tower for the
Worship of the Unknown God.

He Who Built Magnificent Tower for the
Worship of the Unknown God.
From the san Francisco Buletin.l
CITY OF MEXICO, January 2.--I am
going to tell you of trip to the noun
tain of Tezcosingo, famous IN Aztec
days as being the pleasure garden and
retreat of the Indian poet-king, NeZa-
huacoyOlt. From Texcoco the trip is
wildly picturesque and grandly beau
tiful. The curiously constructed bath
of Nezahuacoyolt is cut from 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 a circular basin some
three or four feet deep and dozen or
more in circumference. Out of one side
is cut a seat for the accommodation OF
the bather, while, rising from the sur
face a little back is another having
perfect chair form, with a rest on one
side for the arm. Protecting the outer
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 re-
ceptacles for his toilet paraphernalia.
Following along the still well-preserv-
ed path, we came to a chamber cut into
the side of the hills, now unroofed and
in ruins, the floor being strewn with
debris. At the end of this vaulted
chamber was raised platform a 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 Il large calendar
| stone, which was later destroyed by the
neighboring Indians in search of treas
ure. This curious work must have cost
! its builders Il vast deal of labor.
Separating himself from the cares Of
his kingdom, Nezahuacoyolt came for
retirement to this beautiful mountain,
and here, four times every day for forty
days, on Bonded knees, he offered prayer
and incense to ''the all-pOwerful God,
hidden and unkown.''
It is said that in answer to these earn
est petitions vision appeared to one of
his servants in attendance, directing
him to 90 at once to his master with the
comforting assurance that the unseen
God had been pleased to accept his
prayers and offerings, and would avenge
him by the hands of his son, Axoquat
Yin, boy of only II years. The king
could not accept the supernatural vision,
which was, however, fulfilled.
Nezahuacoyalt, upon hearing of the
fulfillment of what he had considered a
false prophecy, retired in humiliation to
the garden of his place, and, kneeling
on the ground, gave thanks to the I'M
known God for his signal benefits,
proming to build temple to his house,
/ to abstain from idolatrous worship and
| human sacrifices, and to alone acknowl-
/ edge the supremacy OF the unknown
/ God. In compliance with this vow, he
| built a tower nine stories high, the in
terror of which he garnished with gold
and precious stones, and the exterior he
covered with black cement, embellished
with stars The workmanship was of
the most expensive order. In this su-
! perb 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.