to oppose it. We need not here point out the advantages which must follow a thorough investigation of the existing, and a faithful inquiry into the past, relics of the ancient inhabitants of our country. Every one, we believe, will at the first glance perceive those advantages, and unite with us in awakening public attention to the importance of a critical examination and description, under the authority of our government, of all the relics of this country, if not those of Central America. It is due to ourselves to observe, in closing this slight digression from our subject, that we were induced, at the commencement of these articles, in a great measure, by a desire to elicit general attention, the more effectually to secure that of Congress, to the all-important objects of a national exploration, illustration, and record, of American Antiquities.

The name of the great and ancient city which has been denominated Palenqua, from the Spanish village some fifteen miles distant, may, from the opinion adopted respecting the earliest Mexicans, the paintings and traditions which they preserved, be called Huchuetapallan, Atzallan, or Tulla. The city of Copan, Ytzalan, or perhaps some other one of the many cities that were inhabited by the first people of the American continent, may also be that referred to by the Mexicans, as the point from whence they wandered. Copan, the first of these, was, beyond doubt, the last city deserted by those primitive inhabitants, and, consequently, is best entitled, we think, to the distinction of being considered the source of the Toultecs; from whence, after wandering about for one hundred and twenty-six years, they arrived at a spot in the Mexican Valley, where they settled, and which they called Tula. Waldrick thinks that the Tultiques (by which he means, no doubt, the Toultecs of Humboldt,) knew nothing, except from tradition, of the extinct nation of Palencians, or Huchuetapallans. This may be true, and yet that nation have been derived from the latter people, inasmuch as they were more than a century on their way, or more than that period of time had elapsed since they left their original city. He thinks, likewise, that the religious worship, the hieroglyphics, nor the architecture, had any connection with the Toultecs or Aztecs. From this we are disposed to dissent, so far as some portions of of their religious worship and architecture are concerned; and more particularly, in consequence of the remarkable coincidence in their respective knowledge of the science of astronomy. There were nevertheless, in the two first particulars, some striking discrepancies; yet even these might be attributable to the union of the Chichemecas, the Aztiques, and other northern nations, with the remnant of the Tultecans, after their arrival in the Valley of Mexico. Notwithstanding it has been thought that the Tultecans possessed a more perfect knowledge of astronomy than any other people of their own or of any subsequent time, except the present, yet we are induced to believe that many, if not all, the primitive inhabitants of the United States, and especially those of the Ohiöan valley, were as well versed in that science, as the ancient Mexicans. Hence it is not impossible that the country to which the early Mexican traditions and paintings allude, may have been some city or populous place within that valley, as, for instance, at Circleville, Newark, Chillicothe, or Portsmouth;

or perhaps the site of the ancient stone buildings on the Rio Gila, in New Calafornia, may indicate the spot from whence they emanated.

The before-mentioned traveller, to whom we owe much deference, in the way of description, at least, supposed the ancient city of Palenqua to have been destroyed by a neighboring power, with which the Palencians had a long and desperate war; and that this took place about nine hundred years before the Spanish conquest, or in the year 630 of the Christian era. The neighboring power alluded to, was probably Ehulha, the capital of the kingdom of Tlepallan. The city he supposes to have been taken by assault, and left uninhabited.

The original stock of the Palencians, he concludes, might have been Chaldeans; and he also infers that the Hindoos subsequently made up the principal body of the people. Still, the monuments and buildings bore no remarkable resemblance to those of that people. According to the dates which this devoted explorer has given, the monuments, temples, etc., could not have been long in ruins when the trees which he found growing upon them took root; for, admitting that there had been no previous growth of trees upon those ruins, a circumstance by no means improbable, two hundred and thirty-four years only would be left for the building to have decayed, fallen to the earth, and after all, to have acquired, by a slow and natural process, a sufficient depth of earth for the growth of forest trees, of very great size and age. This is not at all probable. But the inference before stated, as to the date of the destruction of the Palencian city, is shown to have much less probability, from the fact that many of the Palencian buildings are yet standing, and in a tolerable state of preservation, one thousand two hundred and seven years after the supposed destruction of the city. The other buildings throughout this great city, therefore, must have fallen within two hundred and thirty-four years after the city was taken by assault; for it will be recollected that one of the trees cut down by Waldrick, on the top of one of the buildings, was nine hundred and seventy-three years of age! Deducting this period from the previously mentioned dates, and we have the result as above. How long, then, may not the edifices now standing remain, before they shall have crumbled into an indiscriminate mass, and become the foundation of a dense and aged forest, like the others? Certainly more than two hundred and thirty-four years. There can be no more satisfactory reasons for believing that the destruction of the city of Palenqua was the result of a war with a neighboring power, for no concurring facts prove the existence of any such power during that of the Palencian empire Colonies from that populous nation may have been established, as heretofore stated; and, in fact, distinct divisions of that nation are clearly proved to have existed in the neighboring provinces of Yucatan and Guatemala; yet there are no reasons to conclude that these local divisions rebelled against the general government, or that they destroyed the great metropolis. On the contrary, every thing shows the greatest identity of interests between every part of the empire; the uninterrupted harmony of the people, and the ultimate desertion and destruction of the capital, in consequence of the combined causes of famine, pestilence, and time. Great anxiety is felt for the

important truths which may yet be developed by the key to the hieroglyphics, which Waldrick believes he has discovered, during his twelve years' study, among the extensive ruins, and the expenditure of eight thousand pounds, in deciphering the mysteries of this once powerful people. The characters which every where mark these ruins are still very perfect, and supposed to have phonetic power. How far they will be found to corroborate this or that theory, respecting the origin and history of this remote American people, should the true key have been discovered, remains to be known. Their resemblance to the African alphabets and glyphs, as presented in a tabular view by Professor Rafinesque, is striking in some particulars, yet not sufficiently satisfactory to be considered conclusive. The lovers of the antique, therefore, look with intense interest for farther light upon this subject, from the promised descriptions and illustrations of the enterprising explorer in question. Other descriptive accounts and drawings have added to our acquaintance with the remains of this extraordinary people, some of which, in our possession, are from a gentlemen now, and for several years past, on the ruins of the ancient Palencian city. Among the idols found there, one of which is in this city, was an image of massive gold. Numerous articles, tables of hieroglyphics, specimens of sculpture, and of architecture, have been transmitted to Europe, while none of very great importance have been received in this country. Casts of many interesting specimens of art have however been promised, and materials were long since forwarded from this city to Central America, for the purpose of facilitating and securing these valuable works. From no source are we justified in believing that more interesting information will be found, than from the continuous and laborious researches of the before-mentioned traveller, respecting whom a passing remark may not be without interest.

Having resolved to prosecute his inquiries to the greatest extent, after a tedious voyage from Europe, and much vexatious delay, he was admitted to the Mexican museums, where he copied very many curious manuscripts, the finest specimens of sculpture, with other valuable relics of art, descriptions of customs, natural history, scenery, etc., together with a hieroglyphic grammar, and a vocabulary of the Aztique language. Among these, was a copy of an original likeness of Montezuma, the great chief of the Mexicans, when subdued by the Spaniards, and whose melancholy fate, as the victim of Spanish cupidity and bloody tyranny, cannot be unknown to the reader. This portrait was painted by an Italian artist, who accompanied Cortes in his expedition of robbery and murder. Lithographic drawings of the collections of relics in the University of Mexico, were also made, which, if preserved from subsequent plunder, will prove of much importance to the antiquarian. Proceeding thence to the ruins of Palenqua, he labored with enthusiasm for two years among the fragmentary arts of that once opulent city, during which time Santa Anna's revolution deprived him not only of his means of subsistence, but of his invaluable drawings, the result of his long and ambitious labors. Far from being discouraged, or relinquishing in despair his devoted purposes, by this sudden and unexpected act of treachery and paltry theft, by a base government, he continued his re

searches, pennyless and alone, subsisting upon the wild game which sported in the forest that entombed the wide-spread arts of primeval greatness and splendor. During this time, he made one hundred and nineteen drawings, with a valuable collection of zoological specimens, etc. At length, driven by sheer necessity, he made his way to the province of Yucatan, at a time of famine and pestilence. Here, aided by the liberality of a European gentleman, he turned his attention to the central mountains, where are ruins equal in extent and grandeur to those of the far-famed city of Palenqua. Among the remains of an ancient city in this province, he spent two years more. Although his enthusiasm and wonder had been excited beyond the power of description, at what he had beheld at Palenqua, yet here his ideas were raised to the utmost extent of the imagination. He continued his observations throughout this province and Guatemala, for several years longer; when, after taking many drawings, and critically examining innumerable ruins of antique greatness and labor, he returned to Europe to prepare his researches for publication. Why these have not yet appeared though their preparation is doubtless attended with much labor and expense is yet a subject of concern.

Previous to our proposed notice of the magnificent ruins in the province of Yucatan, and of farther particulars respecting those at Palenque, we shall mention the extraordinary ruins of an ancient city in the north of Mexico, recently discovered, and which, with the many other relics of a people beyond all computation as to numbers, and all tradition and history as to antiquity, that have inhabited this continent far and wide, are calculated to increase our astonishment and admiration, as we proceed in our inquiries.

On the acclivity of a mountain, a few miles to the north of Villa Neuva, and about thirty-five to the south of Zalcatecas, are to be seen remarkable and extensive ruins, which clearly indicate the existence at some remote period of a populous and strongly-fortified city. The buildings yet remaining are called by the people there' Los Edificios.' These are situated on terraces, formed either by art or nature; and affording a fine view over the valley at the base of the mountain. The location on the declivity of a steep mountain, instead of that afforded by the beautiful plain, was evidently selected for the purpose of defence, which was regarded as of more consequence than mere convenience. The principal buildings are on the south-east side, while the most numerous are on a wide terrace on the east, with the summit of the mountain towering high above the ruins. The largest of these buildings is on the south of the mountain, and upon a terrace projecting from the south-west. It is at present quite insulated, but seems to have been connected, at some distant date, with other buildings on the west. Its longest dimensions are from east to west, which are divided by an opening intended as an entrance. The eastern division is surrounded by a wall, yet in very perfect preservation, eighteen feet high, and eight feet thick. This division of the building is one hundred and thirty-eight feet long, and one hundred wide. At the distance of twenty-three feet from the longer side of this apartment, and nineteen and a half from the short side, are fourteen huge pillars, running around the in

terior, eleven of which are in good preservation. They are placed at equal distances, so that three are on each of the short sides, and four on each of the long sides. These pillars are eighteen feet high, and seventeen feet in circumference, or more than five and a half feet in diameter! They are perfectly round, without base or capital, and appear to have supported a roof which covered the space from the wall to the pillars, leaving the inner space open. No such roof, however, is now to be seen. The whole interior is covered with high grass. The western division, or apartment, is two hundred and thirty-one feet long, and one hundred and ninety-four feet wide! Unlike the other apartment, the longer side is reversed, or runs from east to west, instead of from north to south. This division of the building has also been surrounded by a wall eight feet thick, and eighteen feet high, but which has not entirely resisted the effects of time. In the centre of this great apartment, is a basin five feet deep, surrounded by a stone wall. From the centre of each of the four sides of the wall, descend broad flights of steps into the basin. A drain is perceived around the basin, lined with stone, and covered with slabs of the same material, which was intended to convey water, no doubt, as it came down the mountain, into the reservoir. These basins, we are inclined to think, were intended for, and used as baths. But one pillar is standing in this apartment. It is of the same height and diameter with those in the other, and, with an equal number, probably, supported a roof over a part of the enclosure around the basin. In the middle of this basin stands a small pyramid, like those to be seen in the other building; but this is now a heap of rubbish. The walls, pyramids, and pillars, are composed of unhewn stones of trachyte-porphyre, which being easily split into thin plates, afforded a good and convenient material for the buildings. They are carefully and admirably cemented together, by a composition of black earth, dry grass, roots, etc.

Proceeding from this great building, you ascend by means of artificial terraces, made on the side of the mountain, of innumerable slabs of the porphyrytic stone, to a similar building at the north-west. This stands much higher above the plain, and upon a terrace projecting to the south. It has two apartments like the first, one of which contains a basin similar to the one before described. There are no pillars in this building; and, from the size of the apartments, it is thought to have been more difficult to enclose by a roof. There are two truncated pyramids in the basin, both of which are much decayed. One of these is thirty feet square at the base, and thirty feet in height, around which were walls in the form of stairs. The ruins of smaller buildings are perceived on one side of this edifice, forming a labyrinth of small chambers, built in the same style with the other building, but without any roof. A little lower and farther to the eastward, are large mountain-terraces, of masonry, formed of slabs of stone. From these are two ways, which lead down into roads extending beyond the buildings, and conducting onward to a neighboring stream. One of these roads terminates at the stream, while the other appears on the other side of it, and proceeds to heaps of stone which formerly composed a great pyramid. These roads are fourteen feet wide, perfectly straight, and well-paved! At the