CHAPTER VII.
SURVEY OF THE RUINS—ACCOUNT OF THEM BY HUARROS AND COLONEL GALINDO—THEIR SITUATION—THEIR EXTENT—PLAN OF SURVEY—PYRAMIDAL STRUCTURES—ROWS OF DEATH'S HEADS—REMARKABLE PORTRAIT—"IDOLS"—CHARACTER OF THE ENGRAVINGS—RANGES OF TERRACES—A PORTRAIT—COURTYARDS—CURIOUS ALTAR—TABLETS OF HIEROGLY—PRICE—GIGANTIC HEAD—STONE QUARRIES—MORE APPLICANTS—FOR MEDICINE—"IDOLS" AND ALTARS—BURIED IMAGE—MATERIAL OF THE STATUES—IDOLS ORIGINALLY PAINTED—CIRCULAR ALTAR—ANTIQUITY OF COPAN.
That night there was no rain, and the next day, as the ground was somewhat dry, we commenced a regular survey of the ruins. It was my first essay in engineering. Our surveying apparatus was not very extensive. We had a good surveying compass, and the rest consisted of a reel of tape which Mr. C. had used in a survey of the ruins of Thebes and Jerusalem. My part of the business was very scientific. I had to direct the Indians in cutting straight lines through the woods, make Bruno and Francisco stick their hats on poles to mark the stations, and measure up to them. The second day we were thoroughly in the spirit of it.
That day Don Jose Maria refused to execute the contract. Don Gregorio was the cause. He had ceased to interfere with us, but at the idea of our actually taking root in the neighbourhood he could not contain himself, and persuaded Don Jose Maria that he would get into difficulty by having anything to do with us he even told him that General Cascara's passport was worthless, and that General Cascara himself had gone over to Morazan. He carried his point for the moment, but in the end we beat him; and a fortnight afterwards Mr. Catherwood paid the purchase money and completed the contract.
After three days of very hard but very interesting labour, we finished the survey, the particulars of which I intend to inflict upon the reader; but before doing so I will mention the little that was previously known of these ruins.
Huarros, the historian of Guatimala, says, "Francisco de Fúentes, who wrote the Chronicles of the Kingdom of Guatimala, assures us that in his time, that is, in the year 1700, the great circus of Copan still remained entire. This was a circular space surrounded by stone pyramids about six yards high, and very well constructed. At the bases of these pyramids were figures, both male and female, of very excellent sculpture, which then retained the colours they had been painted with; and what was not less remarkable, the whole of them
