, 1885-09-26
CHOLULA'S PYRAMID.
ALL THAT is LEFT TO TEL CT
FORMER MAGNlFicENce.
The Present Cholnia - Rare Gem II
neauty-yiew from the Pyramid
A Shrine on the Noun
tain Top.


Fannie y WARDS Letterl
In oue OF his letters TO the Spanish
sovereign Cortcz wrote. This city of
thurultccal (the ancient name Of CholulAi
is situated on Il plain and contains 20. 900
houses within the body of the town and
a. many more in the suburbs Its people
are well dressed and the ~neighborlng
fields exceedingly fertile | certify to your
ma. esty that from one Of the temples J
lave counted more than 400 towers and
they are all the towers Of temples
To-day no trace remains of the Al. 900
houses and 400 towers-nothing but the
great pyramid TO hint Of former magnih
ccnce History has made familiar Cortez'
tragic advent into the Rome OF Anahuac.
how. through the medium Of Donna Ma.
rina. lie discovered "A plot among the
tholulans to eXterminatc the hated in
vaders, and determined to make an eX.
ample of them which should strike terror
10 the heart Of the nation and make NJ on
tcluma tremble upon his throne beyond
The mountain. Treacherously assembling
all the chiefs and leading citizens In thu
great square of the town. without Il mo
ment's warning Cortez turned his arms
upon them and slaughtered the defense
less people by thousands. We are told
that the peaceful streets of Churultecal
were crowded with the corpses Of unof.
tending citizens, their houses and temples
all burned TO the ground. and the near by
river Atoyac ran rcd with blood After
this Christian work the great temple on
top Of the pyramid was solemnly purified
by Coriez order and the standard of the
cross uplifted above the dcsolated city.
The present Cholula Is a rare gem in
the yay%ot picturesqueness. Battle
mented churches surround its grass- grown
plaza Cannon balls, bedded In all the
walls. tell Of wars alarms. and among its
numerous nun forsaken converts is ono
now used as a prison, where the c%onvicts
arc forever weaving sashes on primitive
hand looms Indeed. the business of
everybody in this isolated community
appears 10 be sash-weaving or relic. hunt
ing Each little p%ulqueria and fondita,
where mild native intoxicants are dis.
pcnsod. has It's collection of Toltec idols
ana ancient pottery for sale among the
beverages Ragged boys and barefooted
maidens follow the stranger about the
streets imporiuning him TO buy the gods
of their ancestors. Five. hundred year. old
divinities OF uEdoubted authenticity may
be bought for IA few cents. and for 81
or 81 one may purchase household gods
by the peck. and the sacred vessels once
used in their worship Frequently small
vases or glazed and colorcd pottery arc
hAAiAi Ahiu III tAAhNtAlOlHi VI NIt lOulu III
tact in the fields and can always be
secured from their unappreciative owners
for "A tritiing sum
A well paved road, with steps cut in
at intervals. winds among rose bushes
and cypress trees 10 the top of the pyra
mid. TN its lofty summit, among tombs
OF blue and yellow tiles. Is an enormous
cross OF carved stone, set close at the edge
Of the terrace and bearing date 1866
From this point one OF the most beautiful
view in the world is obtained, and here
Humboldt made many Of his astronomical
observations. No less than twenty villages
may be counted within the near. by circle
Of hills, the fertile fields between look
like a gigantic checker board. roads diverge
like spiders webs. in all directions, and
the snOw-topped volcanoes stand guard
over all. The church that now occupies
the site OF QuetzaloOatls temple Is dedi.
Gated 10 an equally mythical divinity,
called the Nirgcn de los Remedies.
Whether she was brought TO Mexico by
one Of Cortez' soldiers. or was manufact-
urcd o O after their arrival here. is a
mootcd question.
She Is a small. ugly wooden doll, a bout
three feet high. evidently carved with a
rude knife, having holes gouged out for
eyes aud ~mouth-and yet was supposed
TO possess divine power to heal all wounds
and diseases The image was lost on that
memorable noche triste, when the Span.
iards were forced to flee from the Aztec
capital. and nothing more was heard from
her for half n century, till one day a wan.
drring Indian found her pcrched In the
heart OF q huge maguey on top of a bar
rem mountain The restoration OF the
image was joyfully hailed by the Span.
iards, who proceeded 10 build u church
upon the spot where she was found. and
IN which she was Installed with grea.
ceremony. her shrine being "a century
plant Of solid silver. The original image.
somewhat the worse for wear and tear.
may still be seen by anybody who cares
to make a mule back pilgrimage to that
lonely mountain. Your correspondent
has made ii, and declares that ii is by no
means worth the trouble
As long rs Spain prospered in Mexico.
untold sums were lavished upon this
Nirgcn dc los Remedies. But bye and.
bye she found a powerful rival in the
Creole Virgin, Guadalupe When Mexi.
cos Washington-the brave Miguel Iii.
dalgo-raised for his evolutionary stand
ard a picture Of Guadalupe, his rebellion
assumed the character OF a crusade. After
his defeat and execution the Nirgen de
los Remedies assisted in celebrating the
victory. borne about the streets Of the
City of Mexico dressed in the full mill.
iary costume Of a Spanish general. every,
where hailed as the patroness OF Spain
and ccnqucrOT of her other self. the c reolc
Virgin. The tables soon turned. however.
for when the revolutionary army finally
triumphed. the military sash was torn
from her sacred person by a bold soldier
of the opposition. she was revilcd aud
rolled about In the dust, and a~fterward
Tho TnnunursNtn anfarra mad. .sf I..
passport. as for a living person. and or
dered her TO leave the country. She was
restored at length to her shrine on the
mountain top. but never to the older
honors and emolumcnts-which to day
are all bestowed upon her rival. Guadn
lupe. the patrOness Of the Indians
There being no public house in Che
lula, travellers must depend upon private
hospitality, or bring with them u
luncheon from PueblA One may leave
the latter city early in the morning and
return at evening. a days time being
suil' ciont 10 do the sacred city. A
more delightful excursion cannot be made
the wide world over. and what grnnder
dining place eau be imagined than under
the giant expresses OF that mysterious
pyramid. with the matchless panorama
spread out below After such a plunge
into the misty past. one returns reluct
antly TO the commonplace. and casts
many backward glances on the homoward
journey toward that providing place OF
NEUROLOGICAL spooks, the Rome Of Ana.
huac, whose white towers glisten In the
sunset as II 1t were still tho city Of predlc
ton
In Genon the policemen wear silk hats
and carry silver headed walking sticks
For snrains. sw%ollinrs or lamenes.