The Mayas, the Sources of Their History Dr. Le Plongeon in Yucatan, His Account of Discoveries   By: Stephen Salisbury (1835-1905)

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. A list of changes is found at the end of the text. Inconsistency in spelling and hyphenation has been maintained. A list of inconsistently spelled and hyphenated words is found at the end of the text. The use of accents on foreign words and the capitalization of titles in foreign languages is not consistent. This text maintains the original usage. Use of italics on titles of cited words is not consistent. This text maintains the original usage. Oe ligatures have been expanded.

The following codes are used for characters that cannot be represented in the character set used for this version of the book:

[] Dagger [] Double dagger [C] Capital open O [)o] Lower case o with breve [=e] Lower case e with macron

[Illustration: Plano de Yucatan 1848]

THE MAYAS, THE SOURCES OF THEIR HISTORY.

DR. LE PLONGEON IN YUCATAN, HIS ACCOUNT OF DISCOVERIES.

BY STEPHEN SALISBURY, JR.

FROM PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY, OF APRIL 26, 1876, AND APRIL 25, 1877.

PRIVATELY PRINTED.

WORCESTER: PRESS OF CHARLES HAMILTON. 1877.

[Inscribed to Mip Sargent,]

WITH THE RESPECTS OF THE WRITER.

CONTENTS.

THE MAYAS AND THE SOURCES OF THEIR HISTORY, Page 3

DR. LE PLONGEON IN YUCATAN, " 53

ILLUSTRATIONS.

MAP OF YUCATAN, FRONTISPIECE.

LOCALITY OF DISCOVERIES AT CHICHEN ITZA, Page 58

STATUE EXHUMED AT CHICHEN ITZA, " 62

RELICS FOUND WITH THE STATUE, " 74

THE MAYAS

AND THE SOURCES OF THEIR HISTORY.

[Proceedings of American Antiquarian Society, April 26, 1876.]

The most comprehensive and accurate map of Yucatan is that which has been copied for this pamphlet. In the several volumes of travel, descriptive of Maya ruins, are to be found plans more or less complete, intended to illustrate special journeys, but they are only partial in their treatment of this interesting country. The Plano de Yucatan , herewith presented the work of Sr. Dn. Santiago Nigra de San Martin was published in 1848, and has now become extremely rare. It is valuable to the student, for it designates localities abounding in ruins those not yet critically explored, as well as those which have been more thoroughly investigated by a peculiar mark, thus [rectangular box], and it also shows roads and paths used in transportation and communication. Since its publication political changes have caused the division of the Peninsula into the States of Yucatan and Campeachy, which change of boundaries has called for the preparation of a new and improved map. Such an one is now being engraved at Paris and will soon be issued in this country. It is the joint production of Sr. Dn. Joaquin Hubbe and Sr. Dn. Andres Aznar Pérez, revised by Dr. C. Hermann Berendt.

The early history of the central portions of the western hemisphere has particularly attracted the attention of European archæologists, and those of France have already formed learned societies engaged specifically in scientific and antiquarian investigations in Spanish America. It is to the French that credit for the initiative in this most interesting field of inquiry is especially due, presenting an example which can not fail to be productive of good results in animating the enthusiasm of all engaged in similar studies.