The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-01-31
AZTEC MoNuMrNrs.


A Roadway Built by the Sun worshipsrs
1900 Feet Up "A Mound
You have asked me to give an account
of the interesting mountain my friend
Jesse D. Grant and myself saw during
our trip through Mexico en- route to this
city, says O. J. Wmmple in tho San
Francisco CAL Well, that mountain is
at once one Of the most gigantic exhibit
/ tions Of mans handiwork and something
almost beyond credence were we not
already familiar with the works Of the
Aztecs
just imagine a valley 40 by 80 miles In
area, and from its center rising q mound
over 1900 feet in height, then you can
realize the first effect created upon our
minds when we came before the hill
am to describe. My foreman was with
u.s. and had partly prepared us for the
surprise, but we had treated his story
with incredulous remarks, and had by no
means suspected he had but given
modest description of the mound.
We gazed to the top and allowed our
eyes to follow the windings Of road
down TO the base. We went around the
base and conjectured it was about one
and half miles in circumference. Then
we started for the summit The road
way as built Of solid rock clear to the
pinnacle, and was from 80 to 40 feet in
width. A wall of solid rock formed a
foundation and an inside wall at the
same time. The outer edge 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. a
floor and is covered with broken pieces
OF earthenw are water vessels
Half way up the mountain is an altar
cut in solid rock; in the niche is a bowl
der which must weigh at least six tons.
The bowlder is Of different stone from
that used in he walls. The rocks in the
walls are dressed by skilled workmen,
but ara not polished. We saw no iu-
scrip,ions, but we had no time TO spare
in making searching investigation.
We did look for arrowheads or other
warlike implements to satisfy ourselves
that the mound had not been used for
defensive or offensive purposea Nor
was there any evidence TO prove that the
roadway had been built for the purpose
of witnessing bull fights and other sports
in the valley. I could only conclude
that the Aztec sun worshipers expended
years Of labor on the hill in order that
they might have an appropriate place to
celebrate their imposing festivals, mas.
much as the roadway was strewn with
broken earthenwsre, and those scions of
bygone and notable race were known
to carry at sunrise large quantities of
water in earthenware jars to an emf
nence, and then pour out the liquid and
smash the vessels.
Whom we descended we brought with
us number of small ssashells which
had petrifed, and if you look at these on
my 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 have Travelled on both
sides of the mountains from British
Columbia to Central America. and on
either side of the Sierra Madres where
the cliff dwellers have left such remark
able mementoes Of their skill and Gus
toms, but have never witnessed any
thing SO wonderful and magnificent as
the mound which l have been telling
you about The valley is about 900 feet
above the sea level, aud is about 10 miles
from the coast It is situated in Sonora,
between the cities of Altar and Magda-
lena, and near the Magdalena River.
We call the curiosity Palisade Mountain,
and il is well named.