surrounded the hill, a league in circumference,
and the whole of that immense mass was eased in stone. Beyond these
terraces, again, there was still another immense task in the ditch, of
even greater extent, which had to be dug and regularly embanked.<39>

Now, what was the object of all this labor? This must have been the
center of a large settlement. It seems that the surrounding hills--or,
at least, some of them--were also terraced. Mr. Taylor says: "On the
neighboring hills we could discern traces of more terraced roads of
the same kind. There must be many miles of them still remaining." In
a Mexican book we are told "adjoining this hill is another higher
one, also covered with terraces of stone-work in the form of steps. A
causeway of large marble flags led to the top, where there are still
some excavations, and among them a mound of large size." Mr. Latrobe,
from the top of the "Hill of Flowers," saw that it was the center
towards which converged several roads, which could be traced over the
plain. The road he examined was "about eight feet in breadth, composed
of large stones tightly wedged together." It is extremely probable that
in Xochicalco we have another instance of a strongly fortified hill, on
the top of which was their pueblo, arranged around their teocalli, or
temple.<40>

In our description of this ruin we must not forget to mention some
curious underground chambers, excavated in the hill itself. On the
northern slope, near the foot, is the entrance to two galleries, one of
which terminated at the distance of eighty feet. The second gallery
is cut in solid limestone, about nine feet square, and has several
branches. The floors are paved with brick-shaped blocks of stone. The
walls are also, in many places, supported by masonry, and both pavement,
walls, and ceilings are covered with lime-cement, which retains its
polish, and shows traces, in some parts, of having had originally a
coating of red ocher. The principal gallery, after a few turns, finally
terminated, or appeared to, in a large room eighty feet long, in which
two pillars were left to support the roof. In one corner of this room
there was a dome-shaped excavation in the roof, from the apex of which a
round hole about ten inches in diameter extended vertically upwards.

The natives say there are still other excavations. We have seen no good
explanation of the uses of these excavations. The labor in constructing
them must have been very great