ever been explored. Neither Don Simon nor any of the Indians knew
anything about them, and, entering them now for the first time, we were
excited by the hope that we had discovered a rich mine of curious and
interesting fabrics wrought by the inhabitants of this ruined city.
Besides this, we had already ascertained one point in regard to which
we were doubtful before. This great terrace was not entirely
artificial. The substratum was of natural rock, and showed that
advantage had been taken of a natural elevation, so far as it went, and
by this means some portion of the immense labour of constructing the
terrace had been saved.

On the same terrace, directly at the foot of the steps, was another
opening of the same kind, and, on clearing around, we found near by a
circular stone about six inches in thickness, which fitted the hole,
and no doubt had served as a cover. This hole was filled up with dirt
to within two feet of the mouth, and setting some Indians at work to
clear it out, we passed on in search of another.

Descending the terrace, and passing behind the high and nameless mound
which towers between the Casa del Gobernador and Casa de Palomos, the
Indians cleared away some bushes, and brought us to another opening,
but a few feet from the path we had cut through, entirely hidden from
view until the clearing was made. The mouth was similar to that of the
first; the throat about a yard deep, and the Indians lowered me down,
without any obstruction, to the bottom.

The Indians looked upon our entering these places as senseless and
foolhardy, and, besides imaginary dangers, they talked of snakes,
scorpions, and hornets, the last of which, from the experience we had
had of them in different parts of the ruins, were really objects of
fear; for a swarm of them coming upon a man in such a place, would
almost murder him before he could be hauled out.

It did not, however, require much time to explore this vault. It was
clear of rubbish, perfect and entire in all its parts, without any
symptoms of decay, and to all appearances, after the lapse of unknown
years, fit for the uses to which it was originally applied. Like the
one on the terrace, it was dome-shaped, and the sides fell in a little
toward the bottom, like a well-made haystack. The height was ten feet
and six inches directly under the mouth, and it was seventeen feet six
inches in diameter. The walls and ceiling were plastered, still in a
good state of prese