s having been found on
the lower terrace. The wide promenade of the second one supported some
structures of its own, but they were in too dilapidated a condition
to furnish a clear idea of their original nature, except in one
instance--that is of the building at A of the drawing. This building
was ninety-four feet long, thirty-four feet wide, and about twenty feet
high.

The roof had fallen in, so that we do not know the arrangement of the
rooms in the interior. The simplicity of ornaments on the outer wall is
commented on. Instead of the complicated ornaments, so apparent on the
buildings of Yucatan, the only ornament in this case was a simple and
elegant line of round columns, standing close together, and encircling
the whole edifice. At regular intervals on the upper cornice appeared a
sculptured turtle. From this circumstance, the building was named "The
House of Turtles." No steps lead to the terrace below or to the one
above. "It stands isolated and alone, seeming to mourn over its own
desolate and ruinous condition."

At B, along the south end of the terrace, there was a long, low mound
of ruins, and arranged along its base was a row of broken columns
about five feet high and nearly five feet in circumference. Some have
supposed, from this, that columns extended along the entire promenade of
the second terrace. This would indeed give it a very grand appearance;
but there is no foundation for such a view. East of the central stairway
at C, was a low, square inclosure. This contained a standing pillar, now
in a slanting position, as if an effort had been made to throw it over.
It was about eight feet above the surface of the ground and five below.
The Indians called it a whipping-post. Mr. Stephens thinks it was
connected with the ceremonial rites of an ancient worship. He found a
similarly shaped stone in connection with other buildings at Uxmal, and
at other places in Yucatan.

Illustration of Two-headed Monument, Uxmal.-------------

Still further east, at D, he found a rude, circular mound of rough
stones. On excavating this, he was rewarded by the discovery of a
double-headed monument. It was carved out of a single block of stone.
The probabilities are that it was purposely buried when the natives
abandoned Uxmal, to prevent the Spaniards from destroying it. Scattered
about over this platform were found excavations much like well-made
cisterns in shape. As it is something of a mystery where the inhabit