The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-30
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or some 20 years before the Spanish first landed
in Yucatan; but even after the conquest, the Xius
in their new home continued to exercise consid-
cradle authority the natives. and their
friendly attitude toward the Spanish greatly IA
cilitated the final pacifcation of the country.
The ruins of Uxma1 are best reached today by
stage from the little town of Muna, the nearest
railroad station. a ten-mile drive from the latter
place brings enc to the hacienda of Uxmal. from
which the ruins are about a mile and a half
distant. The first view of the ancient city is to
be had from the top of hill just behind the
plantation house Across the plain a dozen
more imposing structures Of white limestone may
be seen rising above the dense vegetation which
here enshrouds the countryside Beyond, in the
distance, a ragged chain of low mountains cuts
across the horizon, each succeeding ridge
deeper blue But one does not dwell long the
beauties of nature at Uxmal; the habtations of
bygone race claim the attention Descending
the hill again, takes the road which leads
through the bush. The distant temples and pal
aces sink below the tree tops and for aught that
one sees of them they might as well be on the
other side of the world After half hours walk,
during which the ruins never once reappear, the
road suddenly makes a sharp turn to the right,
and just in front of one apparently blocking the
way. there rises lofty pyramid, the highest
structure in the city.
The splendid temple surmountfng this gro
tesquely called the House of the Dwarf OF Ma
gician, probably was the chief sanctuary Of Tx
NAL The pyramid which it stands is over 80
feet high and covers nearly acre of ground.
The summit is reached by a steep stairway its
east and apparently back side The temple
however, faces in the opposite direction, or to-
ward the Monja's quadrangle, adjacent group
of structures, with which, presently shall
see, it closely connected. Clear down into
Spanish times, long after Uxmal had been aban-
doned by her native rulers, this temple held
in particular generation by the Indians. About
a century after the conQuent Father CogolIudo,
provincial of Yucatan, visited Uxmal and climbed
to the summit of this pyramid. He found there,
he says, in of the apartments offerings of
cacao and the remains of copal, burned but a
short time before. This he thought indicated
that some superstition idolatry had been com
mitted here recently by the Indians of the local
ity. And again. slightly later in 1873, petition
addressed to the king Of Spain says:
THAT the Indians in those places (Uxmal)
worshipng the devil in the ancient buildings
which there, having in them their idols to
which they burn copal and perform other de-
testable sacrifices"
Long after the conquest, doubt the natives
continued practice in secret their ancient rites
and ceremonies. particularly at those places
which formerly had been sacred or holy to them
It was to such survivaIs of the ancient
ceremonial and ritual that the above citations
probably refer.
The Monjas quadrangle, mentioned above as
being adjacent to the House of the Dwarf, Is, in
fact separated from it only by small court. The
four low massive buildings of which it is COM
posed, are built around the sides Of a square.
and. with the exception of the house on the south