The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-18
AZrSc-MoNUMENrs.
Roadway Built by TIE sun Worship
pers 200 Feet Up a Mound.

a Roadway Built oyt sun Worship
pers 1900 Feet Up a Mound.
C. J. Win'pl- ia The San Francisco Call.
You have asked me to give al account Of
the interesting mountain my friend, Jesse
u. Grant, aud myself saw during our trip
through Mexico en- route TO this city. Well,
that mountain is at once oae OF the most
gigantic exhibitions of mans handiwork
aod sometimes almost beyond credence
were we not already familiar with the
works of the Aztecs.
just imagine a valley forty by thirty
miles IN area, and from its center rising q
mound over 100 feet in hight, then YOU
can realize the first effect created upon our
minds when we came before the hill arr to
describe. My foreman was with us, and
had partly prepared us for the surprise, but
we had treated his story with incredulous
remarks, and had by no means suspected he
mad but given q modest description of the
mound.
We gszed to the top and allowed our ewes
TO follow the windiags of a road down to the
base. We went around the base and con-
JectueTd 1t was about one aud a half miles in
circumference. Then we started for the
summit. The roadway was built of solid
rock clear TO the pinnacle, and was from
thirty to forty feet in width. A wall Of
solid rock formed foundation and an in
side wall at the same time. The outer DE
OF the road was unguarded. These stones
weigh all the way up TO ton each, and are
not cemented. The roadway is as level as q
floor. and is covered with broken pieces of
earthenware water vessels
Half way up the mountain is an altar cut
In solid rock in the niche is bowlder
which must weigh at least six tons. Toe
bowlder Is of different stone from that used
In the walls. The rocks in the walls are
dressed by skilled workmen, but are not
polished. We saw no inscriptions but we
had no time to spare in making a searching
investigation. We did look for arrowheads
or other warltke implements to satisfy our
selves that the mound had not been used
ior defensive or offensive purposes.
Nor was there any evidence
10 prove that the roadway had
been built for the purpose of witnessing
Dull nights and other sports in the valley. |
could only conclude that the Az5ec sun
worshipers expended years of labor on the
hill in order that they might have an appro.
pirate place to celebrate their imposing
festivals, inasmuch as the roadway was
strewn with broken eartbenware, and those
scions of a bygone and notable race were
known to carry at sunrise large quantities
of water in earthenware jars to an eminence,
and there pour out the liquid and smash the
vessels
When we descended we brought with us
number of small sea shells which had peUrl-
fed, and if you lo)k at these on nv table
you will see how they have been perforated
by the Indians. We again took long look
at the mountain and saw it was oblong in
shape, and that the upward road commenced
on the eastern side. l have Travelled on
both sides of the mountains from Brit
ish Columbia to Central America, and
on either side of the Sierra Madras
whore the cliff jewellers have left such re-
variable mementos of their skill ard Gus
toms, but | nave never witnessed anything
SO wonderful and magnificent as the mound
which have been telling you about The
valley is about 600 feet above the sea level,
and is about seventy miles from the coast.
1t is situated in Sonora, between the cities
of Altar and Magdelena, and near the Mag
dalena river. We call the curiosity Paiisade
mountain, and it is we'll named.