Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-04
ATTORNEY TELLS
OF MAYAN RUINS
Explores Coba, in Area Where
Ancient Gods of Empire
Still Rule.

Amid the massive ruins of Coba, hub
OF the religious world of the highly
CIVILIZED Mayas 20 centuries ago, still
rule the ancient gods of the mysterious
Magyar race, and there still the Indian
descendants of men of bygone and
almost obliterated civilization worship,
make sacrifice and revere the higher
things of life with curious mixture OF
modern religious ritual and ancient tri-
bal ceremony.
Just returned from a six weeks trip
of exploration of one of the greatest
cities of the Mayas, a city upon which
the eyes of but few white men have
rested and wherein lie ruins as massive
as the pyramids of Egypt and as enig-
matte as the Sphinx, Robert r. Bennett,
a Washington attorney. who financed
his own exploration party. has this to
say ot-his trip:
i towr of Yucatan. at the end of
marrow gauge railroad, early in Janu-
ary with nine pack mules, carrying
canned goods and camping outfits, pass
ing through the Indian villages OF
TiXuaIatun, Kanxoc and Chulutan, the
latter being the last sign of human
habitation we encountered on our jour
ney to Coba, the city Of decomposed
water.
Two Days Journey to Ruins.
1.-THE ruins of Coba are two days
Journey from Chulutan. and the trail
runs along the side OF the old Maya
stone road. where there are many ruins
of the MAYA civilization of a bygone
day, and dotted here and there with
Stelae, or monuments OF that clVlll1a-
ton. The route We took was toward
the eastern end of the stone road. the
IS xxyI1f aY1dS nhTIInflV AT
che ruins of the ancient Magyar town
of YAKIMA, a known but unexplored
town, the site of a once large and
beautiful center of life, having beau
tiful stone acropolis and monuments.
1.-The ruins of Coba are colossal. Huge
piles of ruined pyramids flank both
sides of an enormous plaza, about SOU
feet wide, approached by terraces prob
ably 200 feet wide with steps and plat
forms so overgrown with huge trees
and bush as TO neceSsitate time expo
sures for photographs. Even then the
Indians of my party had to clear a
space for the camera, while the suns
rays made white spots over everything.
Ruins Between Two Lakes.
"The ruins lie between two lakes. A
large ruined temple of stone faces the
smaller lake. The top of the ruins
1DOhe0 lAkC q 11QSC pAdbAOln dOOub AoO
to 200 feet square, md had steps, or
what might have been a staircase, lead
ing down to the waters edge, with a
dock built of stone. There was a sort
of Venetian effect to this particular
spot.
There also is gigantic amphitheater.
Tramping around Swampy edge Of the
lake, We reached a location called
Mackinxoc, where there are nine huge
stelae, dated around the early Christian
era.
I'VE were a dirty, thirsty crew when
the lakes first came to view. and the
Indians of our party rushed to the
banks of one with buckets for water,
but upon examination the lakes proved
to be full of decaying animal matter
and not fit for drinking purposes
Il Immediately plunged in for a
swim, but got out as quickly; for the
lakes we're infested with alligatorS, and
a big one, edging in toward me, re-
ceived an explosive rifle bullet in its
head from my companion, Crawford
johnson.
1.-THE word Coba means in Maya de
composed water and we can vouch for
the authenticity of the name the city
derived from its lakes.
Killed Huge RattIesnake.
johnson also killed 'crotatus terri
dcus,' the Central American rattlesnake.
about feet long. He brought its skin