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Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, Vol. I. By: John L. Stephens |
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[Engraving 1: Frontispiece Casa del Gobernador, Uxmal] INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN YUCATAN. BY JOHN L. STEPHENS, AUTHOR OF "INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN EGYPT, ARABIA PETRÆA, AND THE
HOLY LAND," "INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN CENTRAL AMERICA," ETC. ILLUSTRATED BY 120 ENGRAVINGS. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS
FOR HENRY BILL.
1848.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843, by
HARPER & BROTHERS,
In the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of New York
PREFACE.
In his "Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan,"
the author intimated his intention to make a more thorough exploration
of the ruins of the latter country. That intention has since been
carried into effect, and the following pages are the result. They
describe, as the author has reason to believe, the most extensive
journey ever made by a stranger in that peninsula, and contain the
account of visits to forty four ruined cities, or places in which
remains or vestiges of ancient population were found. The existence of
most of these ruins was entirely unknown to the residents of the
capital; but few had ever been visited by white inhabitants; they
were desolate, and overgrown with trees. For a brief space the
stillness that reigned around them was broken, and they were again left
to solitude and silence. Time and the elements are hastening them to
utter destruction. In a few generations, great edifices, their façades
covered with sculptured ornaments, already cracked and yawning, must
fall, and become mere shapeless mounds. It has been the fortune of the
author to step between them and the entire destruction to which they
are destined; and it is his hope to snatch from oblivion these
perishing, but still gigantic memorials of a mysterious people. The
descriptions are accompanied by full illustrations from Daguerreotype
views and drawings taken on the spot by Mr. Catherwood, and the
engravings were executed under his personal superintendence.
CONTENTS
OF
THE FIRST VOLUME. CHAPTER I. Embarcation. Fellow passengers. A Gale at Sea. Arrival at
Sisal. Orinthological Specimens. Merida. Fête of San Cristoval. The
Lottery. A Scene of Confusion. Principle of the Game. Passion for
Gambling. A deformed Indian. CHAPTER II. Housekeeping. Description of a Bull ring. A
Bull fight. Spectators. Brutal Torments inflicted on the
Bulls. Serious Accidents. A noble Beast. An exciting
Scene. Victims to Bullfighting. Danger and Ferocity of
Bull fights. Effects on moral Character. Grand Mass. A grand
Procession. The Alameda. Calesas. A Concert, and its
Arrangements. Fête of Todos Santos. A singular Custom. An
Incident. CHAPTER III. An Old Friend. Brief Account of Yucatan. Early Voyages of
Discovery. Columbus. De Solis and Pinzon. Expedition of
Cordova. Voyages of Grijalva. Expedition of Cortez. Mission of
Montejo, who receives a Grant from Charles V. Discoveries, Conquests,
and Sufferings of Montejo and his Companions. Efforts to convert the
Natives. Contreras. Farther Particulars relating to the Conquest of
Yucatan. CHAPTER IV. Political State of Yucatan. Alliance with Texas... Continue reading book >>
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