ieroglyphics, which the discoverer and his able coadjutor, Mrs. Le
Plongeon, found in the building shown in the pictures 1 and 2 on the
opposite page, upon the south-east wall of the so-called
Gymnasium,[58-*] which Dr. Le Plongeon says was erected by the queen of
Itza, to the memory of Chac-Mool, her husband. As may be seen from a
careful inspection of the picture, the stone building is decorated by a
belt of tigers, with an ornament separating them, which may have been
the "totem."

[Illustration: _Decorated Building at Chichen-Itza, Yucatan, and the
external appearance of the place whence the Statue was exhumed by Dr.
Augustus Le Plongeon._

DESCRIPTION OF PLATE.

1. Represents the building at the southern extremity of the eastern wall
of the so-called Gymnasium described by Stephens--Travels in Yucatan,
vol. II., page 308. It is supposed by Dr. Le Plongeon to have been a
monument to the chieftain Chac-Mool.

2. This picture shows the upper portion of the same edifice, in which
were found "the mural paintings, bas-reliefs and other signs," which
gave a clue to the discovery of the statue.

3. Shows probably the locality where the statue was excavated. The same
sculptured slabs that appear in picture 8 in the foreground on the
right, are seen resting against a mound, in their supposed original
position, and serve to indicate the identity of the localities. In the
rear of the slabs is probably the heap of stones forming the pedestal
for the stone figure of a tiger spoken of in the "_Mexican Memorial_."

4. This is probably another view in the immediate neighborhood. Among
the scattered debris is the sculptured head of a serpent, with open
jaws.

5. Represents the sculptured slabs, which are seen also in pictures 3, 6
and 8. They are of unequal width, but the length and thickness was
probably the same in each.

6. Another view of the sculptured slabs. The first shows a bird of prey;
this is apparently a tiger. Both of them hold in their grasp objects of
a similar character.

NOTE. Several of these pictures are described in the _Mexican Memorial_,
but are there differently numbered.]

The exact spot whence this statue was exhumed cannot be certainly
stated, though among the plates which represent the discovery are two
which may reasonably be supposed to exhibit the locality. One of
these pictures shows the sculptured slabs which may have decorated the
mound where the excavation was made, and which again appe