File:The ancient cities of the New World - being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882 (1887) (14802894203).jpg

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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Text Appearing Before Image:
es wear no beard, and the hair that makesits appearance is immediately extracted. They are well formedand of medium size, but their flesh is flabby, their teeth decayed,and they look anaemic, owing probably to their forest life.They live on the produce of the chase, fishing, and agriculture.I am told that their fields are better cultivated than those of thewhites, their cabins neat, and that there is no lack of tobacco,cotton, maize, and fruit. They have lost many useful artswhich were known to their ancestors, such as pottery, whichthey replace by a variety of calabashes ; nevertheless, they arefar from being as savage as is supposed. Their cruelty is theresult of their hospitality and confidence having been grosslyabused by the monteros. I could learn nothing respecting theirreligion, except that before the discovery of the ruins by thewhites, they used to perform their religious ceremonies in them.They are extremely diffident, and will hide in the woods at theapproach of strangers.
Text Appearing After Image:
CHAPTER XXIII. Peten, Tayasal, Tikal, and Copax. Departure from Peten—The River—The Sierra—Sacluc or Libertad—CortezRoute—Marzillos Story—Flores—Ancient Tayasal—Conquest of Peten—Various Expeditions—The Town Captured—The Inhabitants Disappear—Monuments Described—Tikal—Early Explorers—Temples—Bas-reliefs onWood—Retrospection—Bifurcation of the Toltec Column at Tikal—Tikal—Toltecs in Guatemala—Copan—Demolition of Copan—Quetzalcoatl—Transformation of Stone Altar Bas-reliefs into Monolith Idols—End of an ArtEpoch—Map of Toltec Migrations. Peten can be reached from Yalchilan either by going up theUsumacinta, which a few hours beyond takes the name of Rio dela Pasion, or through the woods on the abominable old Indianroad described by every traveller. We elect the latter, which,although longer, is easier for our men, who will have mules tocarry the heavy baggage. About noon we come again upon Pepe Mora, who looksworse than ever; but far fro

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