Graham guardian., 1903-12-25

been cut in the immediate vicinity
TT choppers were negroes anC
: eng superstitious would not cut
this tree as it was standing on the
ruins. One told me the carving
on the stones was the hand WORK
of God. After passing number
of these mounds we came to what
must have been a park or public
garden. Large columns of sand
stone covered with hieroglyphics
were placed here and there. The
| first one we came to had tumbled
down, but was lying on logs, hav-
ing been raised from the ground
by representative of the Peabody
Institute for the purpose of obtain
ing an impression of the characters
which was done with plaster of
Paris by sections forming tablet
which was dried and shipped to
the Institute. The dimensions
through the thickest part were
2 l-2x4xl6 feet, tapering toward
the top and a very little toward
the bottom. Owing to the fact
that this had laid for some time
on the ground and become covered
with messy vegetation the char
acters were not very distinct.
Passing on few rods we came
to one that was leaning on an
angle Of about 40 degrees. This
was the largest one we saw, being
about 4x5x30 feet and leaning
toward the North. On the under
side.was large image, the features
of which were so fine and well
preserved they looked as though
the carver had just put on the fin
ishing touches, On the opposite
side was another huge statue on
whose head rested two other heads
of nearly the same features, one
above the other successfully.
From the head dress it must have
been made to represent some one
on authority; one hand rested on
the hilt of a sword, while the other
grasped some kind of wand.
l took off my shoes and climed up
this giant of.stope, sitting down on
the top of the column and resting
my feet on the adornment of the
top head. The other sides were
covered with heiroglyphics in sue
cessive order from top to bottom.
Next we came to two huge stones
lying together on the ground; |
had been told that these were
called the two turtles, and on look
ing at them from a little distance,
they did very much resemble u
couple of turtles; they were about
8 feet ~ diameter and covered to
the gr,und with characters, which |
some scientists claim are dates.
We visited twelve other columns
and stones containing hierogly |
phics of a similar characters, but
none so large as the leaning one.
Going East from the turtles about
two or three hundred yards, we
came to wall laid up Of hewn
stone about l8 inches square, I
which form courses in a semi
circle successively arranged as are
the seats in our opera houses, and
was no doubt used for similar
purposes,
Here is a vast field for archeo-
logical research and should the
lime ever come when these writ,
ngs VII be deeiphered they will
40 doubt reveal many historical
events relative to the period of
lime when that now extinct race
1ourished.
1t is a difficult matter to deter
nine the extent of these ruins at
he present time, owing to the
act that they lie in the heart of
ropical forest, whose vegetation
s so dense that one has to cut his
way through wherever he goes.
Our time was now limited for
We had TO catch the evening train
or home and old Sol was fast go
ng to the west. We all felt like
taying and doing some excavat-
ng, but this the government will
lot allow, neither can any of the
tones be moved which have carv-
ng on. Fabulous sums have been
'tfered by different museums for
he permission to remove these
tones, but the government wonld
iot consent TO their removal.
On retracing our steps, l noticed
'ur tracks covered by those of
Wild hogs, u herd having crossed
he trail during the day, The
rack of a Tampier, that had fol-
owed our trail fora short distance,
ould plainly be seen in the marshy /
,laces.
After pulling our boat up to Los !
Amates we were quite ready for
upper and all hands did justice to
he spread, which consisted of {
-ied potatoes, black beans, corn ,
ortilas and black coffee.
We had not long to wait for the i
rain and were soon flying along 3
the rate of 10 miles per hour for /
ONE, where we arrived about 10 !
m. I
FRANK A. CLUFF,
Guatemala, G. A.