Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-31
local potentates, not one is now left to
wear the Erannescan narh

local potentates, not one is now left to
wear the FRANCISCAN garb.
Passing through the great portal of the
castle wall we enter an overgrown court
yard. In front is the old convent with its
immense corridors and two large churches,
the walls of all still standing, but window
less and doorless. The roofs of two of
them have tumbled in, but the oldest of
the buildings-that identified with the
time of the conquerors-strangelye enough,
is best preserved. Near its antique door
way now stands a blacksmith's forge,
where all day workmen are hammering at
bars of red-hot iron. Along the floors are
bevies of half-naked Indians, noisily en-
gagged in the business of making gun-car-
riages for artillery No doubt these are
better days for the country, since the over
throw of the clerical party, but mournful
to behold is the dissertation Of this and
other noble buildings. Being also occu-
pied as barracks, arms are stacked along
the walls, and above them, printed in red
letters spanish, of course), are First
Squadron" Second Squadron" ETC.; while
under a golden gloria that must once have
been the pride of the place, appear the
words, " Company Light Infantry
Remains of holy affairs are piled about in
heaps, and upon theruins OF several groups
of swarthy soldiers were squatted, playing
cards or awkwardly repairing their dirty
linen. In the sacristia and in the floor
near where the high altar stood were open
vaults, in which the bones of the long-dead
monks may still be seen, though most of
them have been scattered about in sacri-
ligious jest. The long refractory, where
the brotherhood took their meals and per-
haps enjoyed an occasional carouse, is now
used for stabling mules and horses, and
arms are stacked around the old stone
fountain.
But more interesting than any of these,
since it carries the beholder back through
the centuries to an unknown period. is
something which tells of greater and
sadder fall. In one of the lower cloisters,
under the main dormitory, are two par
allel corridors. The outer one, facing the
principal patio, has that peculiar arch
older than Spanish or Moorish and differ
ing entirely from all their rules of archl-
tecture-so often found in the buried and
ruined cities of Yutacan and Central
America. The two sides rise to meet each
other, and when within about foot of
forming an apex, are covered by fiat LAYER
of stones. Beyond doubt it once formed
part of one of those mysterious structures
which have given rise to so much specula-
ton, the construction of which has been
variously ascribed to the most ancient peo-
pie of the Old World and TO lost and I'M
known races.
In Cogolludo's account of the conquest
of Yucatan it is stated that when the
Spaniards arrived at the Indian town
Tihoo Ton the site of which Merida now
stands, they found many "hills made by
hand" or artificial mounds and on one of
these the Spanish army encamped. This
was the mound now occupied by the Plaza
Mayor. East of it was larger mound,
and between the two the conquerors laid
the foundation of their city, because the
stones of which the artificial hills were
bulded were so great a convenience in
economizing the labor of the Indians,
whom they Immediately set to work tear
| ing down their own most venerated struct-
ureS and building new ones therefrom for
the cruel task-masters.
This FRANCISCAN convent was founded in
the year 1547, only five years after the ar
rival of the Spaniards in Tihoo, and his
tory expressly states that it was built
upon a small artificial mound" one of the
many which INSTRUCTED the laying out of
| the streets, on which, it is added. were
some ancient buildings, which were incor-
porated into the convent" Therefore it
is quite certain that this strange arch and
| the corridor below it formed part of some
prehistoric temple where religious rites
were celebrated, of which no human being
has now any knowledge.
In all their historical accounts of the
Indian town of Tihoo the Spaniards make
| no mention of these mounds except as
| mere Instructions, or as furnishing them
with ready-made building material Prob
ably that on which the convent stands
| would not have been mentioned at all, but
| that Padre Cogolludo the historian was
himself a Franciscan, and wished to pay
tribute to the memory of the blessed
Father, Luis de Villpando, the convent
Superior. He says that the Adelantado
had fixed upon this mound for the site of
one of his fortresses, but on the applica-
ton of the venerated Superior he readily
yielded it to him. The same historian
! speaks of formidable obstruction" they
found in the mound called FL grande de
los hues ddordtorio que era de idoios," mean
ing the greatest among the place Of aborig-
inal worship, or the temples of their idols.
In the Maya language, which is still
spoken among the Indians of Yucatan, the
word Kues means place of worship" and
ddoratOrio, as defined in the Spanish die
tionary, is the name given by the Con-
querors to all the idol-temples they found
in America. FANNIE B. WARD.
1 s.s-s.,-z~z~v-sxx