dst of the Floor, singing certain Songs, or Ballads; after
which a Priest of the great Temple went with some of their Religious
Men to bless it; he uttered some Words, threw the Ball about the
Tennis-court four Times, and then it was consecrated, and might be
play'd in, but not before. The Owner of the Tennis-court, who was
always a Lord, never play'd without making some Offering and performing
certain Ceremonies to the Idol of Gaming, which shows how superstitious
they were, since they had such Regard to their Idols, even in their
Diversions. Montezuma carry'd the Spaniards to this Sport, and was well
pleas'd to see them play at it, as also at Cards and Dice."

With some slight variation in details, the general features are so
identical as to leave no doubt on my mind that this structure was
erected for precisely the same object as the Tennis-court in the city
of Mexico described by Herrera. The temples are at hand in which
sacrifices were offered, and we discover in this something more
important than the mere determining of the character of a building; for
in the similarity of diversions we see a resemblance in manners and
institutions, and trace an affinity between the people who erected the
ruined cities of Yucatan and those who inhabited Mexico at the time of
the conquest. In the account of Herrera, moreover, we see incidentally
the drawing of a funeral pall over the institutions of the natives, for
we learn that the sport which "Montezuma took much delight in seeing,"
and which, beyond doubt, was a favourite diversion of the people, "the
Spaniards have since prohibited."

[Engraving 48: An Edifice]

At the southern extremity of the eastern wall, and on the outer side,
stands the building represented in the engraving opposite, consisting
of two ranges, one even with the ground, and the other about
twenty-five feet above it, the latter being in a good state of
preservation simple, tasteful in its arrangement of ornaments, and
having conspicuous a procession of tigers or lynxes, which appear on a
small scale in the engraving. From its lofty position, with trees
growing around it and on the roof, the effect is beautifully
picturesque but it has, besides a far higher interest, and on some
considerations may perhaps be regarded as the most important structure
that we met with in our whole exploration of ruins.

The lower building, standing on the ground, is in a ruinous condition:
the front has fallen, and shows on