e
areas, there were immense influxes of people from Asia via Bering
Strait on the Pacific side, and from northwestern Europe via
Greenland on the Atlantic side. The Korean immigration of the year
544 led to the founding of the Mexican Empire in 1325.

To trace then the gradations of ascent from the native American--called
"Indians" by a blunder of the Great Admiral, as afterward they were
nicknamed "redskins" by the English settlers--to the Mexicans,
Peruvians, or Colombians is a task far beyond our strength. Leaving the
question of race, therefore, we now turn to the antiquarian remains,
especially the architectural.

The prehistoric civilization which was developed to the south of Mexico
is generally known as "Mayan," although the Mayas were undoubtedly akin
to the Aztecs or early Mexicans. The Maya tribes in Yucatan and
Honduras, from abundant evidence, must have risen to a refinement in
prehistoric times, which, in several respects, was superior to that of
the Aztecs. In architecture they were in advance from the earliest ages
not only of the Aztec peoples, but of all the American races.

In Yucatan the Mayas have left some wonderful remains at Mayapan, their
prehistoric capital, and near it at a place called Uxmal which has
become famous from its vast and elaborate structures,[13] evidencing a
knowledge of art and science which had flourished in this region for
centuries before the arrival of the Spanish. The chief building in Uxmal
is in pyramidal form, the principal design in the ancient Aztec temples
(as well as those of Chaldea, etc.), consisting of three terraces faced
with hewn stone. The terraces are in length 575, 545, and 360 feet
respectively; with the temple on the summit, 322 feet, and a great
flight of stairs leading to it. The whole building is surrounded by a
belt of richly sculptured figures, above a cornice. At Chichen, also in
Yucatan, there is an area of two miles perimeter entirely covered with
architectural ruins; many of the roofs having apparently consisted of
stone arches, painted in various colors. One building, of peculiar
construction, proves an enigma to all travelers: it is more than ninety
yards long and consists of two parallel walls, each ten yards thick, the
distance between them being also ten yards. It has been conjectured that
the anomalous construction had reference to some public games by which
the citizens amused themselves in that long-forgotten period.