Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-01

low shore which generally serves to mark
the spot. had entirely vanished under the
water. We now breathed more freely. and.
glad OF having thus far surmounted all din
c%ulties, we fastened our cayuco 20 a tree.
Ny men admired cath other as heroes and
each one asserted that had IL not been for
him we never could have come up the river.
In the meantime we sought shelter in
the neiEhboring shore temple But as the
entire stone structure was soaked with rain
and all the ceilings dripped with moisture,
my men constructed for themselves a palm
leaf hut, while /. after discovering the
Labyrinth. CDr. Maier's name for a struc-
ture afterward explored more thoroughly
settled myself within its walls with my
most important baggage, for the ceilings
we're dry. and the great stone benches were
very convenient for sleeping purposes or
for spreading my things upon them.
II was rather dangerous to spend the
nights alone in that solitary ruin on &C
count Of the tigers. But fortunately we
escaped all collision with these felines,
which are always TO be greatly feared.
We were so fortunate as to have a month
Of glorious weather, which greatly les
sened the difficulties of my work among
the ruins. 1t generally rained at night
and hardly ever by day. Even the Usu-
matsintla soon sank again TO a less dan
gerous level. But we had another trouble
to contend against. Our stock Of provis-
ions had run very low, because the men
when living at some one else's expense eat
enormously and know no moderation. "
Later, It may be added. provisions were
obtained and some three months were spent
in examining and excavating the ruins 80
deeply buried under a tangle Of trees,
zhrr.kg EVA 4rong,ul eraanava that ~ was
only possible to picture the general plan
Of the city after each structure had been
examined In detail.
City of Terraces.
But this plan. once completed. presents
a curiously vivid picture Of temples, dwell
ings, affairs and palaces. The ancient city
was not a city Of streets but of terraces
rising from the water. front that is slowly
and inevitably being eaten away by the
turbulence Of the river. Many Of the struc-
lures were 90 overgrown that they could
not be excavated and photographs Of va
rious parts Of the ruins had to be taken
at special moments when the sun forced
its way through the thick foliage. Here
and there were found circular stone affairs,
probably set up over the graves of persons
Of rank. About the temples we're many
beautiful stone stelae carved on both sides
the side facing the temple almost invari-
ably representing the ancient god ketsal-
koatl, who seems TO have been the special
deity Of the city, while the other side
represented a human figure,
Perhaps the most remarkable OF the
memorials Mr.. Mailer discovered is a
I sculptured Intel which he considers the
finest piece Of sculpture yet found in the
city. 1t was done in hne-grained lime
stone OF a light yellow color and so we'll
preserved that 1t looked as new as II It
had just left the hands Of the sculptor.
The figure is that OF a warrior, holding
in his right hand what appears TO be a
culver with bow and arrows which he ex-
tends toward a second warrior. From
his shoulder hangs an ornament Of cords
to which are attached the ave human
heads of as many slst1 onemies. He wears
a huge helmet. adorned with feathers, on
the front of which is fastened the small
figure OF a man holding another human
head. A serpent with open jaws rises from
the top Of the helmet. The warrior him
self. It may be. lies buried on the plat
form OF the temple which the Intel was
carved TO adorn.
Great Figure of q God.
Here, also, In the temple OF Ketsalkoatl,
much Of which Is still standing, the ex-
plorer found a great figure OF the god
sitting cross legged and yet so tall that it
originally must have almost touched the
| ceiling. AS a whole it is curiously sugges-
tive Of some Of the eastern representa-
lions OF the Hindoo Buddha. The eyes,
also, are oblique, like a Chinaman's-two
facts which are interesting in view Of the
theory that America was settled from
Asia. More curious still is the story Of
the woodcutters who work in the neigh
boring forest and who told DR.. Mailer that
the Indians still come and offer sacrifices
TO this very image. burning incense in
vessels adorned with feathers. and per-
forming strange dAnces-one Of which is
called the Dance of the Toucan" because
the dancers wear the stuffed skin OF this
bird as a head dress. Whence they come
and whence they go not even the wood
cutters can answer.