Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-16

plcSiosaurus. or the sacrficial stone of
the Zapotekes. and resembled cross be-
tween a modern victoria and a beach
wagon. or carryall. Beyond doubt it was
antique
Harnessed to this were three-I very
nearly said horses. and yet the driver
thereof frequently alluded to them as
such. in Spanish They were unSeaSon-
able horses: that is to say. they would
have become horses. perhaps. if an undue
haste for income producing animals had
not FASTENED their weaving.
The worst part OF the road is in the
city streets of OaXaca. some of which in
Cline to the center like the precipitous
sides of a mountain canyon along whose
concayity rushes little torrent of water.
the unearned Increment of the mountain
reservoir. Once outside the paved streets
of the city the road becomes less rigid
yet still full of surprises. 1t is not adj
visuble % settle back and assume the air
of a Grand Army veteran in the front
carriage of a Decoration day procession,
however. Interruptions to this sort of re-
pose are sure to follow.
AS we passed peon after peOn we fire.
Quently bowed to them, receiving the
most polite response. with the broad SON.
brero invariably raised. On one occasion
well-dressed peon returned polite in
clination of the head from my wife by my
side by not only removing his hat. but by
kneeling in the dusty roao To his mind
this must have constituted tribute he
was paying to something, will not VEN
ture to say what
On the way to Militia we pass the famous
Tree of Tule. 154 feet in circumference.
but lacking the symmetry and height of
the California sequoias. 1t more resembles
a cypress or a willow; is wide spreading
and heavy. The small cluster of dwell
ings that constitutes the present village
of Militia is on comparatively level plain.
at the base of the mountains. and the
principal houses are of adobe brick. and
one story only in height. The shelters
generally. however, were of bamboo. with
, the matched roof. Militia being located
well down in the tropics
1.-THE Surprise"
The cochero halted in front of long
rounding our prisons, and Immediately
before a small open store. bearing the
legend above the entrance, La Sorpresa"
CThe Surprise), which 1t pr esently proved
to be. and of most agreeable nature.
The white-haired old Don Felix, the
feudal lord of the hacienda, greeted us
and directed our steps through a most
unpretentious and obscure doorway. into
the patio of the hacienda, and what had
previously impressed US most unfavor-
ably suddenly developed into a Garden Of
Eden-a veritable Paradise.
The building was constructed like a
on all four sides. the entire patio being
filled with trees of various kinds-or
anges. grape fruit. bananas, trees of
roses. masses of boganvillia, fountains.
ana lHtctspeTSeu dHloHS Tic IOlldSe were
many cages of birds. whose sweet music
filed the air. In the center. like a steeple.
rose a tall tree of close and compact
foliage. which evidently sheltered many
song birds not held in captive cages.
After enjoying delightful dinner pre-
pared by the dons own daughter, who
spoke English very well, and which was
served under the portales shaded from the
tropic sun. and made ever memorable by
the songs of birds sailed forth to view
for ourselves the marvels of construction
left by a race of beings whose labors date
back into the mists of ages so far no intel
llgibe communication remains.
Within the brief space of five minutes,
and by an easy walk between lofty hedges
of the organ cactus, We reached the first
partially excavated ruin. In itself it Is inn
pressive evidence of the achievements
OF past race, but 1t Is wholly a ruin,
very little of the wall being left, although
on the east side evidence of q former
massive doorway Is still seen.
Across the greatly decayed columns
stretches a huge stone. with stil per-
ceptible pattern sculptured In the face
Passing through and beyond this court
for about hundred yards We beheld the
walls of a much larger structure. through a
breach of which We passed and descended
to the hard cement floor OF the central
court or audience chamber.
While there is much more remaining of
the former grandeur of this structure than
of the first. still 1t does not present 50
much in its original state as is seen in the
u
huge Intel fallen from its position over a
doorway, and now prustrate at its feet.
Passing through this court to the next
we soon entered the grandest and best
preserved of all. Nearly all of these four
walls are still standing or at least sufficient
TO give almost perfect idea of the prob
able formation of the structure. At
height of about five feet extended a stone
platform around the entire court patio,
with stone steps some thirty feet in length
in the center of each of the four sides.
In the main wall were three openings
into an inner apartment of perhaps forty
feet in length by ten in width, but with
no other means of egress than the openings
in the massive wall by which We entered
Around the walls of the grand audience
chamber In the massive stone panels were
sculptured designs, each section with the
same design numerously repeated, but in
the entire structure a great variety of de-
signs exhibited.
The Hall Of Mosaics.
The inner apartments, and especially the
one known as the Hall of Mosaics. was
solidiy covered with these designs still in
very bold relief. There Is nothing about
all this to indicate hieroglyphics, and no
evidence that 1t conveyed any idea or