The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-12-21
AN AMERICAN PYRAMID.
a Monumental Structure in Mexico Equal
to tho Egyptian CheOps.

|
to tho Egyptian Cheops.
1t is not necessary to leave North
American soil to visit genuine pyramid
which will compare in size with the pyr.
amid of Cheops itself. 1t ran be reached
without crossing the sea; in fact, a rail.
way will carry us almost to the base. A
branch of the Mexican and Vera Cruz
railway runs from Apizaco to Pueblo,
and horse railway runs from Pueblo
to Cholula, about nine miles distant,
where the great pyramid stands.
Although it is on American soil, no.
body knows just when the pyramid was
built. 1t is very old-that we know
and may be older than that of Cheops, in
Egypt.
The Aztecs invaded Mexico thousand
years ago, and it was standing then.
Perhaps the Toltecs or the Omlecs had
hand in its construction, or perhaps il
was there when they came.
Who they were, what they were, why
they built this huge structure-all these
are questions which have been asked in
vain. Certain it is that it was built by
civilized race, one skilled in engineering.
The measurements Of the pyramid diff
fer, Humboldt giving the sides of the
base at LAO feet each, and Bandaller
made the north side 1000 feet, and tho
east side 1,026 feet, the south side s33
feet and the west side 1000 feet. The
height is about IA feet or more from
the base to the top.
A view which Humboldt gives shows
that formerly the four terraces of the
pyramid were very distinctly to be seen,
but now, owing to the crumbling of the
sharp edges of the terraces by the action
of rain and time, the pyramidal aspect
is not so Immediately to be discerned.
But near view and not very minute
examination shows at once the artificial
character of the mound.
A broad paved road winds up to the
top, whore in the time of the conquest
stood an Aztec temple. This site is now
occupied by pretty church, built by the
Spaniards. The Aztec temple was dedi-
Gated to the mysterious fair god,"
Quetzacoatl, of whom tradition is that
he came from over the sea in ancient
times to teach the Aztecs the arts of civ
ilization.
There is some ground for supposing
that this neurological parsonage was a
Christian missionary who found his way
from Greenland-in old times a fairly
civilized land--to Mexico, who lived
with the forefathers of the later Aztecs
and taught them many arts. He was
called ''the god of the air." his statue
was crowned with golden inter; he
wore gold collar, turquois earrings,
and carried scepter studded with gems
and shield painted with emblems of
the four winds.
The pyramid is built of adobe brick,
and it is supposed that it served both as
a fortified place and site for worship.
At the top was a temple of the gods, and
on the terraces were dwellings, the
whole making fortified pueblo, no
doubt impregnable to assault in the
days before gunpowder was known.
This pyramid and the smaller ones in
the vicinity resemble marvelously the
Assyrian and Chaldean temples, which
Layard and other explorers have SO
mlnutely described. Cholula has never
been explored, but doubtless contains
rare antiquarian treasures.
At the time of the conquest, in cutting
off an end Of the pyramid to make room
for a more direct route from Pueblo to
Mexico, vast hollow chamber under
the structure was disclosed to view.
1t was built of stone and and sus-
tanned by beams Of cypress. In it were
two skeletons, some idols and a large
number of glazed vessels.
From the top of the pyramid can be
seen on the plain below some curious
mounds, one somewhat resembling an
olephant-all Enthusiastically artificial,
showing that this region was once re-
ligious gathering ground, a sort Of
American Mecca.
Cholula has one great advantage over
Cheops. The latter is built on fiat
and arid plan. Cholula stands in the
1,idst of magnificent scenery. Perhaps
ibis is rather a disadvantage, the pyra-
mid being dwarfed in appearance by the
huge mountains which form vast wall,
separating the valley of Pueblo from the
Valley of Mexico.
From the top of the phyamid there is
to be seen good-sized hill lying up
under the base of Popocatapetl. 1t looks
like a sailboat alongside of the Great
Eastern.
In other directions one sees Malinche,
the most curious of mountains, and the
lofty, ''star-shining" peak of Orizaba.
The entire district is beautiful, and at
the same time impressive, and should
be better known to American tourists.
Golden Days.