ed voices were answered by barking dogs and Mr. Catherwood, who,
alarmed at our absence, and apprehending what had happened, was coming
out with Don Miguel to look for us. I had no change of clothes, and
therefore stripped and rolled myself in a blanket, in the style of a
North American Indian. All the evening peals of thunder crashed over our
heads, lightning illuminated the dark forest and flashed through the
open hut, the rain fell in torrents, and Don Miguel said that there was
a prospect of being cut off for several days from all communication with
the opposite side of the river and from our luggage. Nevertheless, we
passed the evening with great satisfaction, smoking cigars of Copan
tobacco, the most famed in Central America, of Don Miguel's own growing
and his wife's own making....

At daylight the clouds still hung over the forest; as the sun rose they
cleared away; our workmen made their appearance, and at nine o'clock we
left the hut. The branches of the trees were dripping wet, and the
ground was very muddy. Trudging once more over the district which
contained the principal monuments, we were startled by the immensity of
the work before us, and very soon concluded that to explore the whole
extent would be impossible. Our guides knew only of this district; but
having seen columns beyond the village, a league distant, we had reason
to believe that others were strewed in different directions, completely
buried in the woods and entirely unknown. The woods were so dense that
it was almost hopeless to think of penetrating them. The only way to
make a thorough exploration would be to cut down the whole forest and
burn the trees. This was incompatible with our immediate purposes, might
be considered taking liberties, and could only be done in the dry
season.

After deliberation we resolved first to obtain drawings of the
sculptured columns. Even in this there was great difficulty. The designs
were very complicated, and so different from anything Mr. Catherwood had
ever seen before as to be perfectly unintelligible. The cutting was in
very high relief, and required a strong body of light to bring up the
figures, and the foliage was so thick and the shade so deep that drawing
was impossible.

After much consultation we selected one of the "idols," and determined
to cut down the trees around it, and thus lay it open to the rays
of the sun. Here again was difficulty. There was no axe, and the
only instrument which the