rge class of readers the wonderful nature of the ruins, not only at
Palenque, but in Yucatan as well.

In this outline we have given an account of the early explorations at
Palenque. Private individuals have visited them, and governments have
organized exploring expeditions, and by both pencil and pen made us
familiar with them. As to the remains actually in existence, these
accounts agree fairly well, but we have some perplexing differences as
to the area covered by the ruins. Where the early explorers could trace
the ruins of a large city modern travelers can find but a few ruined
structures, which, however, excite our liveliest interest. One of the
earliest accounts speaks of the ruins of over two hundred buildings.
Another speaks of them as covering an area of many square miles. Mr.
Stephens thinks a few acres would suffice.

From the researches of M. Charney, it would seem that the ruins are
really scattered over quite an area. His exploration made in 1881, seems
to confirm the older writers. With abundant means at his command, he was
enabled to explore the forest, and he found many ruins which escaped the
other observers. According to him, the ruins are scattered over an area
extending about one mile and a quarter from north to south, and about
one and three-fourths from east to west. Throughout this space, the
ruined structures were in all respects similar to those previously
described, consisting altogether of what he calls palaces and
temples.<10>

There seems to be no especial order in the arrangement of the buildings.
They are separated by quite an interval, excepting to the south of the
palace, where there are groups of buildings near together. The fact that
such careful explorers as Stephens and Waldeck failed to notice these
additional ruins, gives us a faint idea of the density of the forest.

Illustration of Plan of Palenque.-------------------

The plan represents the distribution and relative size of the ruins of
which we have definite descriptions. Those having no numbers are some of
the groups that were passed by as of no account. We must understand that
so dense is the forest that not one of these structures is visible from
its neighbors. Where the trees are cut down, as they have been several
times, only a few years are necessary for it to regain its former
density, and each explorer must begin anew.

The largest structure, marked one on the plan, is known as the palace.
This is only a co