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"The contrivances of thy slave had been useless," Horam replied, "if a
less than my Sultan had afterwards led his troops to the battle.
Therefore thine only be the glory and the honour of the day; but my
lord must know, that some time since we were informed that the
enchanters Ahaback and Desra were preparing to uphold... |
"Nor have I," answered the Sultan, "forgot their distress; but the
cares of my empire have hitherto prevented my search after them. As to
the Princess, she is possibly with her father in Cassimir; but Mahoud
is doubtless an inhabitant of Delhi, where he lived before his
transformation; therefore, O Vizier, give immedia... |
"Amazed and wondering how it was possible for me to destroy two lives
by avenging myself on one wretch, who, without offence, had meditated
my death, I stayed my hand; which the young man seeing, he aimed to
pull the sabre out of my hand, whereupon I lifted up the sabre above
his head, and at one blow severed it from h... |
In the evening of the same day, the Princess, being recovered from her
fatigue, sent the chief of the eunuchs to the Sultan, and desired
leave to throw herself at his feet in gratitude for her escape.The Sultan received the message with joy, and ordering Horam his
Vizier to be called, they both went into the apartments... |
"Ah!" cried the enchantress Ulin, who that moment entered the vaulted
chamber from the closet, which, my Prince, you have heard described by
Mahoud, "what hast thou done, thou enemy of our race? Accursed and
fatal neglect, that I had not at first secured Bennaskar from thy
power! But since the inexorable word is gone f... |
She returned in haste. "Princess of Cassimir," said she, "one who
calleth himself Mahoud inquires for thee; and the Grand Vizier,
understanding that he was instrumental in your release, waits without
to know your will."At the name of Mahoud I started from my reverie. "Mahoud," said I, "O
Eloubrou! deserves my notice; a... |
Hobaddan, having notice of the increase and progress of his enemies,
and finding that to engage them upon equal terms was vain, sent an
embassy to the Vizier Horam, assuring him that he and his whole army
would surrender themselves up to the mercy and clemency of his
master's troops. Horam rejoiced at the success of hi... |
After two days' march, they halted beside several small pools; and
such was the excessive drought of Misnar's army, that many perished
before they could be prevailed upon to quit the refreshing waters of
the desert. These, indeed, thought of little more than present relief;
but Misnar, their lord, was overwhelmed with ... |
"Mindful of my father's words, I resolved to quell the commotions of
the empire before I made myself known to the Sultan of Cassimir; but
Allah has so wound the string of our fates together, that it is
needless to repeat the rest of my adventures. Only the Princess must
forgive me this, that, hearing she had been taken... |
All three having entered the court, the Chief Eunuch went straight to
the first cell. He found there a man of about forty years of age,
smoking a pipe with a serious air, and leaning his elbow on a table,
upon which there were some papers. He saluted the smoker, who made him
a due return."I suppose," said Mesrour to hi... |
These short and public scenes did not answer the design of Haroun, nor
the purpose of the agreement into which he had entered with his
ministers. It was his turn to go into a cell, where, like his two
companions in adventure, he might have a private conversation. He
passed near one, which appeared larger and better fur... |
"The unknown lady caused other stuffs to be brought to her. She chose
some of them, and carried from my shop goods to the value of three
hundred pieces of gold. In my enthusiasm I would have given her credit
for two thousand. As soon as she was gone I returned to my mother, and
now showed as much joy as formerly I had ... |
"I arose. A great door opened; and I beheld the person approach who
had marked me out for her husband, preceded by twenty other slaves,
whom she alone could surpass in beauty. At the sight of her I remained
almost senseless; but this first impression instantly gave place to
love; and my passion at length assumed over m... |
"'Your slave informed your father and mother that you were to spend
the remainder of the day and the night in a garden with your friends.
This prevented them from being uneasy during that evening and next
day; but on the following days all the merchants of Bagdad were in
search of you. Messengers were sent to all the g... |
"Venerable dervish, I will confess my weakness, and declare that I was
gained over by these flattering praises and this language of love. I
had no suspicions, and was unable to discover the features of the lady
through her veil. Overcome by self-love more than by her entreaties, I
retired into a dark part of the shop, ... |
The Vizier's opinion was highly approved of, and orders were instantly
given to go for Halechalbe.When the young man was at the foot of the throne, the Caliph thus
addressed him: "Halechalbe, I have been informed that you have been
confined in a madhouse, by a series of the most extraordinary
adventures: recover your s... |
"You have now," replied the Caliph, "let me into the secret. I see
that the multiplicity of my affairs makes you neglect your own, and
renders you perfectly ignorant of what passes in your own house.
Marriages are contracted, and men's lives disposed of, without your
knowing anything of the matter. Imagine the conseque... |
"You have, my lord," replied the courtier, "one of your subjects whose
moderation and wisdom made him renounce all public employments under
the reign of your illustrious father: your Majesty, perhaps, is
ignorant of what happened to him in the city of Shiras."The King having commanded him to inform him of it, Abourazie... |
[Footnote 10: Joy of the heart.]"One of the great Lamas," said she, "of whose supreme authority in
this country you are not ignorant, fell in love, in this very place,
with a maiden of my tribe. She not only refused all that he offered to
her, but she would not accept the proposal he made to marry her. The
love she fel... |
The lady found it more difficult to answer the question of the second:
for a moment the whole assembly thought her vanquished. This idea,
which she perceived in the eyes of all who looked upon her, made her
blush. She appeared only still more beautiful from her modesty; and
Nourgehan was charmed when he saw the sage wh... |
"Ah! Damake," cried Nourgehan, "I should have had no regard to all
that I have done for him, to his illustrious family, nor to the
fatigues that he has suffered in coming so far, if any one but you had
recommended him to me. I would have had his head struck off the moment
he presented himself before me, and it was whol... |
"I imagined that, having another not unlike it, he designed to offer
me that; but, without saying any more to me, he immediately commanded
they should steer the vessel to the land. When he was arrived there,
he sent his slave to his treasurer to demand a small casket which he
described to him, and cast anchor to wait t... |
"Then the Prince, hastily drawing out his poniard and sabre, struck
off the head of Antinmour. His train did the same to all those who
composed the divan; and running directly into the city, an infinity of
heads were flying off without knowing who caused this disorder. After
this great execution, the ambassador and his... |
The kingdom of Dineroux comprehended all Syria and the isles of India
lying at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. This powerful State was
formerly subject to King Bohetzad, who resided in the city of
Issessara. Nothing could equal the power of this monarch. His troops
were without number, his treasures inexhaustible, and t... |
"Vizier, write to the King, and express to him how sensible you are of
the unexpected honour which he has done you, to which you could never
have had the smallest pretensions. Along with this letter send another
to your daughter, in which you must seem delighted with her good
fortune. Supplicate Heaven with her, to pou... |
The noise they had made in coming thither had frightened away from the
brink a hind, who, along with her fawns, was refreshing herself at
this exuberant fountain. As soon as they were gone, she returned, and
approached the languishing creature, which seemed about to lose for
ever the little strength which remained. A p... |
Nevertheless, he appeared to receive with gratitude the embassy of
Bohetzad, and the presents with which it was accompanied. Meanwhile,
he was informed that the auxiliary troops, which he had furnished this
monarch, had returned into Persia. The officers who commanded them
extolled to the skies the bravery, the abiliti... |
Nature spoke in the monarch's heart in favour of his new page. He
never saw him without feeling emotions which he could by no means
account for. He always wished to have him with him; and that which at
first appeared no more than a rising inclination, soon became a very
warm attachment. An interest which he felt very s... |
There was no scarcity of these in Bagdad; and Kaskas, taught by his
ill success, thought the advice of his friend deserved attention. The
soothsayer drew out his horoscope, and assured him that his star was
so malignant, that he must of necessity lose whatever stock he should
hazard in commerce. Kaskas, shocked with a ... |
On this confession, which appeared to the jeweller an acknowledgment
of guilt, he took Kaskas by the hand and carried him before the civil
magistrate, accusing him of having stolen his pearls. This judge, led
away by appearances, and on the declaration of the rich citizen,
condemned the poor Kaskas to the bastinado, an... |
"In ancient times a young wolf was put to school, to endeavour, by
instruction, to correct his natural propensity to voracity. His
master, in order to teach him to read, transcribed, in large
characters, some letters of the alphabet, and attempted to make him
understand these signs. But instead of reading K L S, as it ... |
The young people went from the inn where their mother was, running,
the one after the other, till they had come under the windows of the
apartment where the Vizier was at rest. They took possession of a
little eminence on which a number of bales of goods were collected to
keep them dry. The thoughtless youths went to p... |
"Alas!" replied the young man, "the waves soon separated the planks on
which we were carried, and I can tell you nothing of his fate."This answer redoubled the affliction of the husband and wife; but they
seemed to be comforted with the hope of another blessing similar to
that which they had just received; and in this ... |
Having said this, the King dismissed the divan, ordered his hunting
equipage to be got ready, and gave himself up for some days to the
amusements of the chase.On his return, he was again set upon by the enemies of Achib. The
longer, according to them, that this criminal's punishment was
delayed, the more the people wer... |
Abosaber, hearing of the lion's death, said to his wife, "See of what
advantage patience hath been to us! Had I followed your advice, and
exposed myself to the danger of attacking an animal against which it
was necessary to draw out so much strength, I should have lost my
life, with all my people, to no purpose."The da... |
"Let us have patience," would he say to himself; "let us not repel
contempt with reproach; we are not suffered to avenge ourselves in any
shape whatever. Let us allow the crime to come to its full height:
Heaven sees, and is our judge. Let us have patience."The King had a brother, whom he had always concealed from ever... |
"A tyrannical King who respects not the laws, and is only directed by
his passions and caprice, is the scourge of his people. If it is not
lawful to make any attempt upon his life, it is still less so to grant
him such assistance as would authorize him in the perpetual exercise
of revenge, and in the indulgence of the ... |
They soon met a numerous caravan, and the robbers, constrained by
their natural propensity, attacked it in disorder. They were repulsed,
however, with the loss of several men and a considerable number of
prisoners, among whom Bhazad was included. He was conducted to the
capital of the country to which the caravan was t... |
"Men pursue me," interrupted the undaunted Aladin. "I am the object of
hatred and slander; but, if the Eternal and His Prophet are for me, I
have nothing in this world to fear. Heaven protects my innocence, and
the sword cannot deprive me of it. It will always shine upon my
forehead, even when it shall be separated fro... |
The Prince believed he had heard his guardian angel, and hastened his
journey towards the capital of his kingdom. Scarcely had he reached
the frontiers, when he met a party of those who had been most faithful
to him. They lived under a tent, ready to seek another asylum on the
least instance of tyranny in the usurper. ... |
There this unfortunate Prince, left to his own reflections, thus
communed with himself: "Heaven chastises thee, Baharkan. Thou wast
cruel, vindictive, and inexorable. With thee humanity had no value.
Thou sacrificedst thy brethren on the slightest suspicion. Behold
thyself now on a level with the vilest of mortals. Tho... |
This time was employed in a very different manner by the astrologers
who were employed to cast the infant's nativity. They could not
conceal from the Sultan that an evil star had presided at the birth of
his son. The orbit of his planet, black and stained with blood,
announced misfortunes, which it would be difficult t... |
"Hold," said he, "you shall have the repast of a penitent. I carry
these with me to supply my own wants and those of others; but we will
go to my cave, and there you will find both repose and plenty."Abaquir, before he began to eat, returned thanks to the holy Prophet
for so seasonable a relief. When the first calls of... |
By the light of the candle, which was still burning, he examined the
immense cave which served him as a prison. He thought he perceived at
the bottom a passage, the path of which could not be followed without
stooping. He approached it with his light, but there came from it so
strong a wind that it was instantly exting... |
In a short time these vagabonds spread themselves over the desert, and
robbed and plundered travellers and caravans. Their number was every
day increased by the success of their fatal expeditions. At length
their ravages became so considerable that the Sovereign of these
countries put himself at the head of some troops... |
"There is a method of consulting beforehand," replied the magician,
"such as I made use of in my last search, and I received for answer,
'_In order that you may run some danger, it would be necessary that
you should meet with your victim on earth_.' Now, having put him two
hundred feet below ground, I could not fear th... |
Balavan, the eldest of Selimansha's sons, expected to ascend the
throne at the death of his father. Smitten with the charms of his
beautiful relation, he was reckoning upon offering her his hand, and
associating her with his fortune. Indignation and jealousy took
possession of his heart when he saw the rank and happine... |
The aged monarch of Persia, pleased with a demand which offered to his
amiable niece so advantageous an establishment, instantly laid the
proposal before her. The feeling Chamsada could not hear it without
tears. Her heart still belonged wholly to the husband whom she had
lost, and she must tear herself from the arms o... |
Balavan yielded to these arguments, and affecting clemency in the
presence of his Court, he set the young Shaseliman at liberty, dressed
him in a rich robe, and gave him the command of a distant province.
But this was not so much with a view to procure him prosperity as to
get rid of him altogether, by sending him to t... |
But while the presumptive heir of the Persian throne was reduced to
such a strange situation, how was Queen Chamsada employed? Every day
this disconsolate mother felt her uneasiness increase. In the struggle
betwixt her affection for her son and the secret which she must keep
from the monarch, for the sake of her uncle... |
"He is son to the nurse of your Majesty's august spouse. I was
bringing him to your Court, with the view of procuring him a place."After these two unfortunate men had received proper food, the King
returned to his palace. He flew instantly to Chamsada, to give her an
account of what he had seen, of the return of her sl... |
In the meantime the irresolute soul of the Sultan was abandoned to the
greatest uncertainty. His passion for Chamsada seemed to acquire new
strength in proportion as he attempted to destroy it. He knew not what
step to take. How should he take vengeance on the guilty? How could he
discern if they were both equally so? ... |
The Sultan entered without making the least noise, and found her
asleep. He approached very near her, in order the better to judge of
the soundness of her sleep, and, thinking it profound, he judged it
proper to try his experiment, and gently applied the heart of the bird
to that of Chamsada, saying to her, "Chamsada, ... |
"Let the execution of the sentence be suspended," said he; "let this
young man be conducted back to prison. The silence of the night, and
the reflections which his recital will occasion, may enlighten my
judgment, and to-morrow I shall more easily take my resolution."As soon as Aladin had been led back to his dungeon, ... |
Full of confidence in the Sovereign Arbiter of Destiny, he then cast
his eyes into the dark cavities of this den. There were many clothes
in it: he put his hand into the pockets of one garment, and found
there a stone and a piece of steel for striking fire; the earth was
covered with a dry moss, which served as litter ... |
The ten Viziers alone, far from participating in the public happiness,
were thrown into a dark dungeon, where the remorse of their
consciences anticipated the punishment which, at the end of the thirty
days that had been appointed for feasting, they were doomed to suffer.
At length, by the orders of the Sovereign, they... |
Nouri did all she could to comfort the wretched Houadir, and, having
persuaded her to rest awhile on the bed, returned to the labours of
the day.When her work was finished, Nouri, with the wages of the day,
purchased some provisions, and brought them home to feed herself and
the little Urad, whose portion of food, as w... |
The young virgin was amazed at the novelty of her instructress's
behaviour, especially as she seldom moved without assistance, and
hastened into a little inclosure to look after her; but not finding
Houadir there, she went to the neighbouring cottages, none of the
inhabitants of which could give any account of the good... |
"Your losses are certainly great," answered Lahnar; "but you must
endeavour to bear them with patience, especially as they are the
common changes and alterations of life. Your good mother Nouri lived
to a great age, and Houadir, though a kind friend, may yet be
succeeded by one as amiable; but what I am most alarmed at... |
Late at night the robbers returned, and the moon shining bright,
reflected a gloomy horror upon their despairing faces. Urad shuddered
at the sight of them, though so well concealed, and dared hardly peep
out of her hole--so difficult is it to forget our former fears. The
gang resolved to spend the rest of the night in... |
"Know, then, Urad--I speak not from myself, but He speaks who, from
casual evil, can work out certain good--He forces me to declare that
no specious appearance, no false colours, should incline the virtuous
heart to listen to the wiles of deceit; for evil then comes most
terrible when it is cloaked under friendship. Wh... |
The eunuchs bore away Urad to the seraglio, taking her through by-ways
to the palace of the Vizier, lest her shrieks should be heard.
Mussapulta followed at a distance, and the slave was left with the
tortured and faithful lion.In a few hours they reached the palace, and Urad, being conducted to
the seraglio, was order... |
There lived once on a time, in the province of Khorassan, a rich
merchant, to whom, in his sixtieth year, a son was born, and he called
his name Alischar. Fifteen years afterwards the father died, but not
without giving his son, in the hour of death, many excellent advices
and moral instructions as to his conduct throu... |
Alischar, scarcely conscious of his proceedings, obeyed the girl. The
instant afterwards she drew a purse from her bosom, and said, "Take
that, my love; you will find a thousand ducats in it: pay nine hundred
to my master for me, and lead your new slave home with all speed."When they came to the house there was neither... |
The children collected about him, and first one and then another of
them entreated him to tell his story. He did so, and whoever heard him
pitied him. After he had in this way gone through the whole town, he
happened to see an old woman of his acquaintance sitting at her door,
and saluted her respectfully. The old lady... |
"Believe not," answered Smaragdine, recollecting herself, "believe not
that in me you hail any low-born Prince. No, my lords, I am the son of
a noble house, who happened to take into my head the fancy of riding
through the world in quest of adventures; and here, as you perceive,
gentlemen, here is one that appears to b... |
After he awoke in the street without his turban, and learnt from the
old woman what had happened, and that his dear Smaragdine had indeed
vanished, though not in his company, his spirit was yielded up as a
prey to the bitterest anguish. A sore illness fell upon him, and for a
whole year he had lain helpless, nursed car... |
Produced by Julia Miller and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from scans of public domain material produced by
Microsoft for their Live Search Books site.)Transcriber's NoteA number of typographical errors and inconsistencies have been
maintained in this version o... |
Page
1. Gateway at Labna _Frontispiece._
2. Great Mound near Miamisburg 16
3. Square Mound near Marietta 18
4. Works at Cedar Bank, Ohio 19
5. Works in Washington County, Mississippi ... |
There have been a great many conjectures in regard to the purposes for
which these mounds were built, some of them rather fanciful. I find it
most reasonable to believe that the mounds in this part of the continent
were used precisely as similar structures were used in Mexico and
Central America. The lower mounds, or m... |
On the Ohio and its tributaries, and farther south, where the mounds are
numerous, the inclosures have more regular forms; and in the Ohio Valley
very often their great extent has incited speculation. At Newark, Ohio,
when first discovered, they were spread over an area more than two miles
square, and still showed more... |
There appears to be evidence that the Mound-Builders had the art of
spinning and weaving, for cloth has been found among their remains. At
the meeting of the International Congress of Pre-Historic Archaeology
held at Norwich, England, in 1868, one of the speakers stated this fact
as follows: "Fragments of charred cloth... |
1. One fact showing this is pointed out by those who have examined them
carefully as follows: None of these works (mounds and inclosures) occur
on the lowest-formed of the river terraces, which mark the subsidence of
the western streams; and as there is no good reason why their builders
should have avoided erecting the... |
He points out that they were sun worshipers, like the Mexicans and
Peruvians, and calls attention to the disks dug from their mounds, which
appear to have been designed as representations of the sun and moon.Their long occupation of the country is suggested by the great extent of
their mining works. All who have examin... |
Among all these Indians there was a tradition that their ancestors came
from a distant region in the Northwest, and this tradition is accepted
as true by those who have studied them most carefully. Mr. Morgan
supposes they came across the continent, and estimates that not less
than a thousand years must have passed bet... |
It may be true that all the aboriginal peoples found inhabiting North
and South America, save the Esquimaux, belonged originally to the same
race. Some writers assume it to be true, although it seems strongly
improbable, not to say impossible. If they were all of the same race,
time and development, under different con... |
Their constructions were similar in design and arrangement to those
found in Mexico and Central America. Like the Mexicans and Central
Americans, they had many of the smaller structures known as _teocallis_,
and also large high mounds, with level summits, reached by great flights
of steps. Pyramidal platforms or founda... |
In the northern part of this region we find ruins of great buildings
similar in plan and arrangement to those still used by the Pueblos, but
far superior as monuments of architecture, science, and skill, and much
more unlike those farther south than is apparent in the principal
structures of the Mound-Builders. They sh... |
Ruins are abundant in the Rio Verde Valley down to the confluence of
that river with the Rio Salinas. It is manifest that this whole region
was anciently far more populous than it is now. Lieutenant Whipple says,
"Large fields in the valley of the Rio Gila, and many spots among the
Pinal Lena Mountains, are marked with... |
At Papantla, in the State of Vera Cruz, there is a very ancient
pyramidal structure somewhat peculiar in style and character. It is
known that important ruins exist in the forests of Papantla and Mesantla
which have never been described. The remarkable pyramid at Papantla was
examined and described by Humboldt. The onl... |
The chief peculiarity of these ruins, that which especially invites
attention, is the evidence they furnish that their builders had
remarkable skill in architecture and architectural ornamentation. All
who have visited them bear witness that the workmanship was of a high
order. The rooms and corridors in these edifices... |
The largest known building at Palenque is called the "Palace." It stands
near the river, on a terraced pyramidal foundation 40 feet high and 310
feet long, by 260 broad at the base. The edifice itself is 228 feet
long, 180 wide, and 25 feet high. It faces the east, and has 14 doorways
on each side, with 11 at the ends.... |
Mr. Stephens describes as follows his first view of them: "We came to
the right bank of the river, and saw directly opposite a stone wall from
60 to 90 feet high, with furze growing out of the top, running north and
south along the river 624 feet, in some places fallen, in others
entire." This great wall supported the ... |
"It is a bewildering maze of courts and buildings, with facings
ornamented with mosaics in relief of the purest design; but under the
projections are found traces of paintings wholly primitive in style, in
which the right line is not even respected. These are rude figures of
idols, and meandering lines that have no sig... |
We shall notice only some of the principal ruins in Yucatan, beginning
with Mayapan, the ancient capital. The remains of this city are situated
about ten leagues, in a southern direction, from Merida. They are spread
over an extensive plain, and overgrown by trees and other vegetation.
The most prominent object seen by... |
This field of ruins is extensive, and only a portion of it has been
examined. It is so overgrown that exploration is very difficult. The
buildings and mounds are much decayed, and they seem to be very old. It
is believed that ruined edifices of which nothing is known are hidden
among the trees in places which no explor... |
Water is scarce on this peninsula, and a sufficient supply is not
obtained without considerable difficulty. The ancient inhabitants
provided for this lack of water by constructing aguadas or artificial
ponds. These, or many of them, doubtless, are as old as the oldest of
the ruined cities. Intelligence, much skill in m... |
Those who have sought to discredit what is told of the Aztec
civilization and the empire of Montezuma have never failed to admit
fully the significance of Copan, Palenque, and Mitla. One or two
writers, pursuing the assumption that the barbarous tribes at the north
and the old Mexicans were of the same race, and substa... |
Take Copan, for instance. This city may have become a ruin during the
time of the Toltecs, which began long before the Christian era, and
ended some five or six centuries probably before the country was invaded
by Cortez. It was built before their time, for the style of writing, and
many features of the architecture an... |
Various theories, some of them very wild and irrational, have been
advanced to explain the origin of what is seen in these relics of
Ancient America. If it had been the fashion to explore and study them as
their importance deserves, as Egypt and Nineveh have been explored and
studied, our knowledge of them would now be... |
Some of the more intelligent investigators have maintained, with no
little confidence, that this ancient American civilization came
originally from the Phoenicians. Among those who use reason in their
inquiries sufficiently to be incapable of accepting the absurdities of
monkish fancy, this hypothesis has found more fa... |
In the second place, he appeals to the story of Atlantis, preserved in
the annals of Egypt, and related to Solon by the priests of Sais. It is
stated in Plutarch's life of Solon that while in Egypt "he conferred
with the priests of Psenophis, Sonchis, Heliopolis, and Sais, and
learned from them the story of Atlantis." ... |
We may claim reasonably that Brasseur de Bourbourg's Atlantic theory is
not proved, and on this ground refuse to accept it. So far as appears,
it is a fanciful theory which can not be proved. No one is under
obligation to attempt disproving it. It may, in some cases, win
supporters by enlisting in its favor all the for... |
"It should be known that in all the commonwealths of these countries, in
the kingdoms of New Spain and elsewhere, among other professions duly
filled by suitable persons was that of chronicler and historian. These
chroniclers had knowledge of the origin of the kingdoms, and of whatever
related to religion and the gods,... |
According to the "Popol-Vuh," the world had a beginning. There was a
time when it did not exist. Only "Heaven" existed, below which all space
was an empty, silent, unchanging solitude. Nothing existed there,
neither man, nor animal, nor earth, nor tree. Then appeared a vast
expanse of water on which divine beings moved... |
The Colhuas are connected with vague references to a long and important
period in the history previous to the Toltec ages. They seem to have
been, in some respects, more advanced in civilization than the Toltecs.
What is said of events in their history relates chiefly to their great
city called Xibalba, the capital of ... |
We can not reasonably refuse to give some attention to their chronology,
even while doubting its value as a means of fixing dates and measuring
historical periods. Its method was to count by equal periods of years,
as we count by centuries, and their chronology presents a series of
periods which carries back their hist... |
The first inhabitants of that part of the continent seen by Spaniards
were Mayas from Yucatan. Columbus met them in 1502 at an island near
Ruatan, off the coast of Honduras. While he was stopping at this island,
these Mayas came there "in a vessel of considerable size" from a port in
Yucatan, thirty leagues distant. It... |
In every Spanish description of the city we can see its resemblance to
cities whose ruins are found farther south. If the Spaniards had
invented the temple, they would not have made it unlike any thing they
had ever before seen or heard of, by placing its altar on the summit of
a high pyramid. This method of constructi... |
"On the horizontal plane of a large, carefully-worked stone, three
arrows were cut in relief, so that the shaft ends came together and made
equal angles in the centre. The points were directed eastward, the two
outside showing the two solstitial points, and that in the centre the
equinoctial. A line on the carved band ... |
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