Identifier: ancientcitiesofn00char (find matches)
Title: The ancient cities of the New World : being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Charnay, Désiré, 1828-1915
Subjects: Indians of Mexico Indians of Central America
Publisher: London : Chapman and Hall
Contributing Library: Getty Research Institute
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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h—Setting out for the Ruins—Route—Forest Camping—Second Day—Traces of Monuments—A Mule and a Horse Lost—Cortez—Arroyo Yalchilan—Provisions left Behind—Crossing the Cordillera—An Old Montero—Tracesof Lacandones—Yalchilan Pass. Here we take our passage for Campeche on the Asturia, adiminutive, small steamer, having but four Liliputian berths;luckily enough we are the only passengers ; had it been otherwise,we must have kept on deck day and night. The sea is likean immense sheet of glass, the heavens radiant with stars ; ourboat draws very little water, so that we skirt close to the shore,and are able to follow the graceful panorama which unfolds beforeus; and in the morning early we cast anchor four miles offCampeche because of the high surf, but the outline of which isplainly visible. Campeche was built on the site of an Indian city, andvisited by Antonio Cordova in his first ill-fated expedition (1517).The natives, says Diaz, were friendly, and took us to ex-
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Camieciik and Tknosiquk. 417 tensive buildings which had in them idols and sanctuaries. Theseedifices were built of lime and sand. On the walls were enormousserpents, and near them paintings representing their idols, rounda kind of altar stained with drops of blood still quite fresh. Onone side of the idols were painted human figures niassed in theshape of a cross. We were amazed at the sight of things sostrange, as we watched numbers of natives, nien and women,come in to get a sight of us with smiling, unconcerned counte-nances.* But the scene soon changes; osier braziers, forburning copal, are brought, and the priests tell the Spaniardsto leave the shore immediately under penalty of death. TheSpaniards sailed away, and did not settle at Campeche until 1541- These ancient mounds, these temples, with their ceremonialand gory priests, carry us back to Mexico ; but it would bevain to look for traces of such buildino^s alono- the coast, or inthe proximity of Spanish settlements. In proce

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