hundred and sixty feet, rising with
perpendicular sides to the height of thirty-two feet. This is seen to be
a departure from the method of constructing pyramids hitherto described.
The proprietor of the estate on whose grounds these ruins are located
used this mound as a stone-quarry. An excavation of thirty feet revealed
no secret chambers.

The probabilities are that it is solid throughout. A grand staircase,
fifty-six feet wide, leads up to the top of this mound. Mr. Stephens
tells us that three ranges of buildings occupied the summit, and his
drawings represent the same. The roof of the one forms a promenade in
front of the one above. So each range of buildings rests on a foundation
solid from the ground. Mr. Bancroft describes this mound as having but
two ranges of buildings on the summit. Of these buildings the second
range was, seemingly, the most important. Several of its rooms contained
niches in the back wall, extending from floor to ceiling. From traces
still visible, they were once covered with painted ornaments. One of the
rooms was fifty-seven feet long and nine wide.

In the rear wall of this room were nine of these niches. "All of the
walls of this room, from the floor to the peak of the arch, had been
covered with painted designs, now wantonly defaced, but the remains of
which present colors, in some places, still bright and vivid; and among
these remains detached portions of human figures continually reappear,
well drawn, the heads adorned with plumes of feathers and the hands
bearing shields and spears." To this pile of masonry, at one end, a
wing had been attached. This building was similar in design to other
buildings in Yucatan. Theoretically we would expect this wing to be much
later in time than the buildings on the mound. That it is so, is proven
by the fact that in two rooms the internal core of masonry, as described
at Zayi, had not been wholly removed.

We have noticed in all these structures, the builders first threw up a
mound or pyramid to support the building. In one of the Chichen edifices
the earth had been excavated from all around it, so as to still present
the appearance of a mound. Perhaps the most prominent object at this
place is a stately pyramid, with an imposing building, represented in
the plate opposite. The mound itself is nearly two hundred feet square,
and rises to the height of seventy-five feet. On the west and north
sides are ruined staircases.

Illustration of C