The relative positions of the mounds or ruined Teocalli, as also of the monuments, are shown in the subjoined Plan. These mounds are made up of loose, unhewn stones, heaped together in apparent confusion. But although they now show no evidence of the fact, yet it is undoubted that they were originally regular in their forms; for we have the direct assurances of the early chroniclers, that the adoratorios or altars of the aboriginal inhabitants were conical and pyramidal in shape, like those of Mexico, and like them, ascended by steps. It was upon the summits of these that sacrifices were performed. Their present dilapidation is probably due no less to the hostile zeal of the conquerors who “broke down the altars” of the Indians, than to the destroying assaults of time and the elements. I attempted to penetrate into one of them, (A, in the Plan,) and removed a great quantity of stones, to the depth of several feet, at imminent risk of being stung by scorpions, but discovered nothing to repay me for my toil. The whole seemed to be a mass of rough stones, largely intermixed with broken pottery, some of the fragments of which were not only of fine material, but showed that the vessels of which they were once parts had been elaborately painted in brilliant colors, still retaining their original freshness and beauty. These mounds do not seem to have been arranged with any regularity in respect to each other; neither do the monuments themselves display any apparent design in their relative positions. It may be questioned, however, whether the latter have not been removed from the places where they originally stood.

No. 1.—This was the first stone which I discovered, and is very faithfully exhibited in the engraving facing page 52. It is remarkable as being one of the two which were found standing. I think it more than probable that it has been placed in that position by the Indians or others who have lately visited the spot. It projects six feet above the ground, in which it is probably planted about two feet. It is a flat slab, thirty-two inches broad by eighteen in thickness. The back is notched, something like that of the figure which I have already described as having been obtained from Momotombita, and planted in the plaza of Leon.

Nos. 2 and 3.—The first of these I have already described on page 54. Its position is indicated by the corresponding number of the plan, to the right of mound H. Near it was found a smaller and very rude figure, (No. 3 of Plan), which is shown lying at the foot of No. 2 in the plate. It represents a man much distorted in figure, with the head bent down upon one side, and resting on the left shoulder, the arms crossed, and the legs flexed together. The design seems to have been suggested by the natural shape of the stone, which is very little modified by art.

Nos. 4 And 5.—AlthoughAlthough not the tallest, No. 4 was the heaviest figure of the group; and, as I have already said (p. 474), was raised to an erect position with great difficulty. It is nine feet in height, and eight in circumference at the largest part, cylindrical in form, and encircled by raised, ornamented bands. The singular niches in front I have already alluded to, but have no conception of their design. When found, the preposterous figure on the top was imperfect, but the various fragments were afterwards discovered, and I was able perfectly to restore it, with the exception of a portion of the face. It is represented seated upon a low block, which has a kind of back, like that of a chair. The top of the cylinder also shelves in from the circumference. Neither of these features can be exhibited in the engraving. It will be observed that the head forms a cross, a feature which occurs in some of the other monuments at the same place, and which recalls to mind the repeated declaration of the early Catholic priests, that the sign of the cross was of frequent occurrence amongst the sacred symbols of Yucatan and Central America. It is impossible to resist the conviction, that this unique little figure, with its monstrously disproportioned head, was symbolical in its design, and probably ranked high amongst the objects of the ancient worship. More labor seems to have been expended upon its cylindrical pedestal than upon any of the others. The whole is sculptured from a single, solid block of basalt, of great hardness. The niches in front are cut with all the clearness and precision of modern art.

Near the figure just described was found another (No. 5 of Plan), which is shown in the same Plate. It is however of an entirely different character; and, as I have elsewhere said, represents a Silenus looking personage, with a large abdomen, reclining in a seat, which has also a high back, as will be seen by reference to the engraving. The features of the face are large, and expressive of great complacency. The head seems to have been crowned in like manner with No. 1, but the conical projection has been broken off and lost. The hands rest upon the thighs; but at the elbows, the arms are detached from the body. The point of view from which the sketch was taken does not permit this feature to be shown. Below the figure, and between the legs and the seat upon which it principally rests, the stone is artificially perforated. The whole is cut with great boldness, and has a striking effect. Our men called it “el Gordo,” “the Fat,” and it might pass for one of Hogarth’s beer drinkers petrified.

Nos. 6 and 7.]—This first figure (No. 6) is amongst the most striking of the whole group. It is twelve feet high, sculptured from a single block, and also represents a figure seated, as before describeddescribed, upon a high pedestal. In common with No. 4, the stone, behind the head, is cut in the form of a cross. The limbs are heavy, and the face equally characteristic with that of No. 5, but grave and severe.

Near the mound, or ruined teocalli, B, and amongst the debris at its base, I found the statue represented in the same Plate with No. 6. It had been broken, and the lower part, including its pedestal, if it ever had one, and part of the legs, could not be found. The face had evidently suffered from intentional violence, and the monstrous head and jaws which surmounted the head of the figure had also been much injured. The carving, in this instance, was comparatively rough, and the figure produced upon me the impression that it was of higher antiquity than the others.

A little to the right of this, on the slope of the mound B, about one-third of the way to its summit, stood another figure, somewhat smaller than the last, and half buried amongst the stones of the mound. It was so firmly fixed, as to induce me to believe that it occupied its original position. Like the one last mentioned, it had suffered much from violence, and, the stone being defective, from exposure. I could only make out that it represented some animal springing upon the head and back of a human figure, very nearly in the same manner as represented in No. 10. I did not think it worth sketching. Its place is shown by the figure 8, in the plan.

No. 9.—While cutting a path around the mound indicated by the letter C, which was covered in part by an immense fallen tree, and overgrown with a tangled mass of small trees, vines, and bushes, I came upon a flat slab of stone, resembling a tomb-stone. It had been broken, probably about in the middle, and the upper half, which is represented in the accompanying engraving, alone remained. This fragment is about five feet in length, by three in greatest breadth. The sculpture, differing from anything else found in the island, is in bas-relief, and represents the upper half of a human figure with an extraordinary head, which appears to be surmounted by a kind of skull-cap or casque. The face bears slight resemblance to humanity; the eyes are represented by two holes deeply sunk in the stone, and the tongue seems to project from the mouth, and to rest upon a kind of flap which hangs upon the breast. It appeared to me that the design was to represent a mask; and the whole probably had a profound symbolical significance. Manuel pronounced this to be one of the “frailes,” and said that there was formerly another, in the attitude of prayer, in the vicinity of this. After much search, we discovered it, beneath the fallen tree of which I have spoken, but it was impossible to reach it. The tree was far too large to be cut away with the rude native axes; I tried to burn it, but without success, and was obliged to leave the figure to be described by some future traveller.

No. 10.—This figure, which is now in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, formerly stood at the base of the mound A. It represents a man, squatted upon his haunches, after the common manner of the Indians to this day, with one hand at his side, and the other placed upon his breast. The head is held erect, and the forehead is encircled by a kind of ornamented fillet. The features are unlike those of any other of the figures found here; indeed, each one had its individual characteristics, which could not be mistaken. Upon the back of this statue, its fore paws resting upon the shoulders, and its hind ones upon the hips, is the representation of some wild animal, grasping in its mouth the back part of the head of the figure. It seems intended to represent a tiger.

No. 11.—In the vicinity of the mound D, were several small and comparatively rude figures. No. 11, shown in the accompanying engraving, is sculptured upon the convex side of a slab of stone, about five feet in length by eighteen inches broad. The figure in this instance also is represented seated. The outlines of the limbs are alone indicated. The head, however, is cut in rather high relief. The expression of the face is serious; the forehead is bound by a band or fillet; and is surmounted by a rudely represented head-dress. The hands rest upon the abdomen, and support what appears to be a human head, or the mask of a human face. I brought this figure away, and it is also deposited in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution.

No. 12.—This is also a very rude figure. It consists of a rough block of stone, slightly modified by art, and seems designed to represent a human body with the head or mask of an animal. The mouth is widely opened, exhibiting long tusks or teeth. The stone projects some distance above this head, and has upon each side a round, cup-shaped hole, smoothly cut in the stone. The representation of a human head surmounts the whole.

No. 13.—This is a curious little figure, not more than three feet and a half high. The original shape of the stone is retained, and the art expended upon it is but trifling. The engraving on the next page will sufficiently explain its various features. The position of No. 14 is indicated in the plan, but it is so much defaced that no engraving of it is considered necessary.

No. 15.—Amongst the heaps of stone surrounding the mound situated at the extreme left of the group, were found a couple of statues, very elaborately carved. They were extricated with great difficulty, but amply repaid the labor.

The one first uncovered is a colossal representation of what is here called a “tiger,” seated upon its haunches. It is very boldly sculptured. The head is thrown forward, the mouth open, and the entire attitude and expression that of great ferocity. Indeed, as it stood erect, beneath the gloomy shadows of the great trees which surrounded it, I easily comprehended the awe with which it probably was regarded by the people, in whose religious system it entered as the significant emblem of a power mightier than that of man. The base or pedestal, it will be observed, is ornamented in the usual manner. A considerable portion of it, two feet or more, is buried in the ground. The entire height is eight feet.

No. 16—This statue was discovered not far from No. 15, and is one of the most remarkable of the entire series. It is upwards of twelve feet in height, and represents a very well-proportioned figure, seated upon a kind of square throne, raised five feet from the ground. Above the head is a monstrous symbolical head, similar to those which surmount the statues in the island of Pensacola. The resemblance to some of the symbolical heads in the ancient Mexican rituals cannot be overlooked; and I am inclined to the opinion that I shall be able to identify all these figures, as I believe I already have some of them, with the divinities of the Aztec Pantheon. The surmounting head is two feet eight inches broad, and is smoothly and sharply worked.

The arms of this figure, as in the case of No. 5, are detached from the body for some distance above and below the elbows.elbows. The face has suffered from violence, and the statue itself is broken in the middle.

Nos. 17 and 18 of the plan are oblong stones, modified by art, and were unquestionably the altars whereon human sacrifices were made. There is a hollow place sculptured nearly in the centre of each stone, which it is not unreasonable to suppose was designed to receive the blood of the victims.

No. 19.—This is a basaltic rock deeply imbedded in the earth. The part which projects above the surface is somewhat rounded, and is covered with ornamental figures, sculptured in the stone. Those which could be distinctly traced are given in the accompanying engraving. They are cut with great regularity to the depth of from one-fifth to one-third of an inch, by about half an inch in breadth. They do not appear to form any intelligible figure.

The shape of this rock favors the suggestion that it was also used as a stone of sacrifice.

Besides these, I discovered many fragments of other figures, of which, however, I could not make out the design. Some of these fragments were found at the very edge of the extinct crater of which I have spoken, and which, as will be seen by reference to the supplementary plan, is only about one hundred yards distant from this group of ruins. It is not improbable that, in their zeal to destroy every trace of aboriginal idolatry, the early Spaniards threw many of these monuments into the lake. None except those which, from their massiveness, are not easily broken or defaced, were found to be entire. All the others had been entirely broken or very much injured. Not a few have been removed at various times. Those which I have described as still existing in Granada were obtained here; and it is said that some of the most elaborate have been taken by the Indians within a comparatively late period, and either buried or set up in secluded places in the forest. Manuel said that when he was there, about ten years ago, he noticed a number which were not now to be found, and which he was confident had been removed, or were so covered up with grass and bushes as not to be discovered. I myself am satisfied that other figures exist here, and at other points on the island, which might be found later in the dry season, when the grass and underbrush are withered, and may be destroyed by burning. When I speak of grass and underbrush, it is not to be supposed that I mean anything like what in the United States would be meant by these terms. Around the large mound A, there were few trees, but the whole space was covered with bushes and grass; the stems of the latter were as thick as the little finger, and if extended would measure from ten to fifteen feet in length. When matted together they are like tangled ropes, and are almost impenetrable. The explorer has literally to cut his way inch by inch, if he would advance at all.

The dry season had just commenced at the time of my visit, and the grass was only sufficiently withered to be twice as tough as when perfectly green, without being dry enough to burn. I offered rewards for the discovery of “piedras,” but the men preferred to lounge in the shade to clearing away the undergrowth; and although the Dr. and myself worked constantly, we discovered no new ones after the second day of our stay on the island. Manuel was certain that there were one or two small, but very elaborate ones, to the right of the great mound A. I commenced clearing there on the third day, but had not proceeded far, when I was startled by the stroke of a rattlesnake, and the next instant discovered the convolutions of his body amongst the tangled grass. I only saw that he was a monster, as thick as my arm; and as he had the advantage in a fight amongst the grass, I beat a retreat, and resigned the grassy citadel to his snakeship. I was not particularlyparticularly ambitious to resume my explorations in that direction, and the Indians, who entertain a profound dread of “cascabelas,” utterly refused to go near the spot.

There is a part of the island called “Punta Colorada,” where the Indians told me there were some remains, and where, upon excavation, many ancient vases were to be discovered. Some of these, from their accounts, contained the bones and ashes of the dead. This point was on the exposed part of the island; and with the wind from the north, and a rough, rocky coast, it was impossible to reach it by water. As to going over land, the thing was quite out of the question. High volcanic cliffs, walls of lava, and deep fissures and extinct craters intervened.

In respect to the monuments discovered here, it will be observed that, although the style of workmanship is the same throughout, each figure has a marked individuality, such as might pertain to divinities of distinct attributes and different positions in the ancient Pantheon. The material, in every case, is a black basalt, of great hardness, which, with the best of modern tools, can only be cut with difficulty. Like those described by Mr. Stephens, at Copan, these statues do not seem to have been originally placed upon the Teocallis, but erected around their bases. They are less in size than those of Copan, and are destitute of the heavy, and apparently incongruous mass of ornaments with which those are loaded. They are plain, simple, and severe; and although not elaborately finished, are cut with considerable freedom and skill. There is no attempt at drapery in any of the figures; they are what the dilettanti call nudities, and afford strong corroborative proof of the existence of that primitive worship to which I have elsewhere alluded, as of common acceptance amongst the semi-civilized nations of America.

There are reasons for believing that these monuments were erected by the people who occupied the country, at the time of the Conquest by the Spaniards, in 1522. I am not disposed to assign to them a much higher antiquity. Entertaining this opinion, I reserve what further I have to say concerning them, as also concerning the others which fell under my notice in this country, for the chapters on the Aboriginal Inhabitants of Nicaragua.