The San Francisco call., 1898-07-31

been artificially terraced, the top had
 been razed and fortified on all sides till it was impregnable.
 The temple itself was a magnificent piece of architecture Beyond 1t on the
 broad area of the mountain top were
 the. crumbling ruins or amphiteaters, palaces and other public buildings. Streets and passageWayS were exactly as they had been during the long cen turies since their desertion. Here on this terraced mountain, overlooking great stretch of country at its foot, was at last found the lost capital or the Zepotecan nation, at one time probably the rulers over most of the other peo- pie of the continent, certainly thelr leaders in art, civilization and industry. The mountain on which the skeleton Of this prehistoric metropolis was brought to view is marked on the Mexican Gov ernment maps as Monte Alban. Its crowning wall is completely hidden by the surrounding growth of lofty trees and 1t is so difficult of access that 1t has never been attacked or even seriously thought of as a field of exploration. That there were ruins upon this sum init was known before MT. Savilles visit but they were supposed to be only the remains of some rude Indian fortress instead, as has been proved, the wreck of a stately and civilized city.
 "zachila was, in all probability, the ancient name of the city on Monte AL ban," says MT. Saville. Not very far away there exists little village which now bears the same name. The spot was strategically an ideal place for great capital city in the troublous times when 1t must have existed. It's situa- tion made 1t an impregnable fortress. The mountain stands at the intersec- tion of the three broad valleys, OaXaca, Etla and Jalplan. Thus it commanded a wide view in all directions, and, be- ing isolated by these valleys from the surrounding mountains and looming high above them all, 1t kept perpetual guard over all the country round about.
 "Of course my work did not extend over a sufficient length of time to de- terrnine the exact extent of the cul- ture, wealth and civilization of the peo- pie who once inhabited the city, but they must have been far in advance of most of those with whom we have be- come in a degree acquainted through other mounds and ruins. The city was certainly one of considerable size, ex- tending over several square miles. We came upon stone aQueductS over six feet wide. In the different parts of the plain are big mounds which, on inves tigation, proved to be the crumbled re- mains of what were once great public buildings. The frequent earthquakes of that region, which probably caused the destruction of the city, have shaken these once important structures into mere heaps of dust and debris.
 "In the southern end of the city we found big mound over Q thousand feet long and three hundred feet in width. The slopes of it's sides were regular and faced with masonry and there was a stairway leading to its summit It may have been the site If a vast temple or of a series of public buildings At the opposite end of the city there was rectangular basin of about the same size which once formed a great amphitheater where public gatherings were held and religious ceremonies performed.
 No reliable proofs are left of what a Zapotecan dwelling was like Ex- cavations of temples, causeways, ptl. lars, arches and other magnificent pub lie structures and a searching study of the plans and general appearance of the city have furnished the most con-