tly to Chichen-Itza and Izamal as inhabited towns during the time
that the Spaniards were coming, from 1519 to 1542. If there could have
been any lingering doubt as to the correctness of the views of Stephens,
Morgan, and Charnay, this contemporaneous documentary testimony dispels
it once for all.[154]

[Footnote 154: Brinton, _The Maya Chronicles_, Philadelphia,
1882, "Chronicle of Chicxulub," pp. 187-259. This book is of
great importance, and for the ancient history of Guatemala
Brinton's _Annals of the Cakchiquels_, Philadelphia, 1885, is
of like value and interest.

Half a century ago Mr. Stephens wrote in truly prophetic vein,
"the convents are rich in manuscripts and documents written by
the early fathers, caciques, and Indians, who very soon
acquired the knowledge of Spanish and the art of writing. These
have never been examined with the slightest reference to this
subject; _and I cannot help thinking that some precious
memorial is now mouldering in the library of a neighbouring
convent, which would determine the history of some one of these
ruined cities_." Vol. ii. p. 456. The italicizing, of course,
is mine.]

[Sidenote: Maya culture very closely related to Mexican.]

The Mexicans and Mayas believed themselves to be akin to each other,
they had several deities and a large stock of traditional lore in
common, and there was an essential similarity in their modes of life; so
that, since we are now assured that such cities as Izamal and
Chichen-Itza were contemporary with the city of Mexico, we shall
probably not go very far astray if we assume that the elaborately carved
and bedizened ruins of the former may give us some hint as to how things
might have looked in the latter. Indeed this complicated and grotesque
carving on walls, door-posts, and lintels was one of the first things to
attract the attention of the Spaniards in Mexico. They regarded it with
mingled indignation and awe, for serpents, coiled or uncoiled, with
gaping mouths, were most conspicuous among the objects represented. The
visitors soon learned that all this had a symbolic and religious
meaning, and with some show of reason they concluded that this strange
people worshipped the Devil.

* * * * *

We have now passed in review the various peoples of North America, from
the Arc