gated
the ruins, wondered over them, and passed on, without materially adding
to our knowledge respecting them. In 1873 a French scientists Dr. A.
Le Plongon, accompanied by his wife, visited Yucatan for the purpose of
exploring the ruins. They spent a year in Meridia, thoroughly studying
the customs of the country, and preparing for work.

Their first field of work was this ancient city, Chichen-Itza. As a
result, he lays before us a picture of life and times not only vastly
remote from us, but surpassing in wonder any thing hitherto presented.
In the field of American antiquities we need scarcely be surprised at
whatever conclusions are presented to us. We believe, however, we are
not too harsh in saying that scholars, as a rule, consider Le Plongon
as too much carried away by enthusiasm to judge coolly of his
discoveries.<54> The most important part of his discoveries seem to have
been in the buildings in connection with the Gymnasium last described.

At the time of the Spanish conquest, a very common tradition among the
natives was that, in ancient times, three brothers governed the country.
This legend of three rulers in olden times, was not peculiar to
the Mayas, but was found among all the Indian nations of Central
America.<55> In our opinion this last statement at once shows we have
here to deal with a question belonging to mythology and not to history.
But M. Le Plongon considers the buildings at Chichen, especially those
of the Gymnasium, illustrative of the lives of the three brothers, and
of the queen of one of them. In brief, he tells us the names of these
three brothers were, Chaac-mol, Huuncay, and Aac. The first of these,
Chaac-mol, means Tiger King. It was he who raised Chichen-Itza to
the height of its glory. M. Le Plongon would have us believe that the
merchants of Asia and Africa traded in its marts, and that the wise men
of the world came hither to consult with the H-men,<56> whose convent,
together with their astronomical laboratory, is still to be seen. Aac
was the younger brother of the three. He conspired against the life of
Chaac-mol, and finally killed him. The queen of Chaac-mol then erected
the buildings around the Gymnasium as his memorial.

Illustration of Building at end of Gymnasium.------------

At the south end of the eastern wall Mr. Stephens noticed two ruined
buildings, an upper and a lower one, of which our next cut is a
representation. He was struck with the remains of pain