The new era., 1911-07-13

To visit the ancient city now, one jolts for
15 long and weary miles in a twowheeled COW
cred cart drawn by three mules over the rough
est kind of highway imaginable. This pres
ent Inconvenience fortunately is not to be one
OF Ions standing. A new and straight road Is
about to be built and an automobile service to
the ruins probably established. which will
shorten the present length of the trip from
four hours to about half an hour. Now, how
ever, this ride from Citas, the nearest railroad
point interminable. The road, so
called by courtesy only. winds through the I'M
penetrable bush, which everywhere in the nat
ural state covers northern Yucatan. Through
this the creaking cart finds dubious way mile
after mile until every muscle in ones body
groans an agonized protest. Finally, when 1t
seems that the limit Of physical endurance has
been reached, the cart suddenly lurches around
a sharp turn in the road and as II by magic
the lofty Castillo flashes into view, towering
high above the plain and the rest Of the city
In its lonely magnifcence.
This imposing structure the highest in Yu-
catan, rises 78 feet above the plain. The
pyramid on which the temple stands Is 1876
feet long on each side at the base and covers
about an acre OF ground.
Tho Castillo would seem to have been the
center of the ancient city, and probably Its
chief sanctuary. To the north lies the Sacred
Cenote and the causeway Just mentioned.
leading to 1t. On the east is a vast group OF
buildings, colonnades, courts and pyramids
1.-THE City of Thousand Columns" as some
one has picturesquely described it. Due west
is the group Of structures known as the Ball
Court To the south for half mile or more.
scattered through the Jungle. are pyramids.
courts temples and palaces The central 10
cation of the Castillo with reference to all OF
these, as we'll its great size and command
ing height, argue strongly that 1t was the
chief sanctuary Of the Holy City
Another interesting group of structures at
hi {oh1 It1o ell
character than the Castillo is the so-caled
Ball Court" mentioned above as lying just
west of the Castillo. This group is composed
of two parallel masses of solid masonry. each
272 feet long, 27 feet high and 16 feet wide
placed 119 feet apart from each other. These
two great walls, for such they really are, form
a court nearly 800 feet long by 119 feet wide
High on the side of each at the middle point
from end to end there is attached stone
ring four feet in diameter with hole through
It, These rings are fastened to their respec-
tive walls by lemons of stone, and are SO
placed that the surface of each is perpendicu-
lar to the vertical face of the wall The
rangement Is very similar to the baskets in
our modern game of basket ball. except that
at Chichen Itza the baskets" have their open
ings perpendicular to the ground, while in our
game the openings in the baskets are parallel
with the ground. To make basket at the
Chichen liza court a somewhat horizontal
throw, as in baseball, necessary. while
nowadays 1t is toss that wins the goal.
At the open ends Of the court formed by
these two walls stand temples. which in effect
inclose the area, definitely marking its boun-
daries. On top OF the east wall, at Its south
ern end, there Is beautiful temple. which
affords commanding view Of the entire court.
This has been called "The House Of the
Tigers" because of frieze of stalking tigers.
which is sculptured in alto-reievo around the