s, who described this ruined city nearly three hundred years ago,
saw much more than Mr. Stephens. He described "the ruins of superb
edifices, built of hewn stone, which manifestly belonged to a large
city." He mentions, in connection with the great wall, an enormous
eagle carved in stone, which bore a square shield on its breast covered
with undecipherable characters. He mentions, also, a "stone giant," and
a "stone cross" with one arm broken. He saw a "plaza," circular in form,
surrounded by ranges of steps or seats, which reminded him of the
Coliseum at Rome, "as many as eighty ranges still remaining in some
places." This "plaza" was "paved with beautiful stones, all square and
well worked." Six of the great obelisks, which he described as
"statues," stood in this inclosure, and in its centre was a great stone
basin.

A history of Guatemala, by a writer named Huarros, states that the
"Circus of Copan," as he calls the "plaza" described by Palacios, was
still entire in the year 1700. He mentions gateways which led into the
inclosure, and says it was surrounded on the outside by stone pyramids
six yards high, near which were standing sculptured figures or obelisks.
No doubt, remains of this remarkable "circus" would be found now, if the
forest should be removed. What else could be found there by means of
careful and thorough exploration may never be known, for the region is
uninviting, the forest very difficult, and such an exploration would
require much more than the means and efforts of one or two individuals.

Not very far away, in the neighboring State of Guatemala, on the right
bank of the River Motagua, to which the Copan is a tributary, are the
ruins called Quirigua. It is manifest that a great city once stood here.
These ruins have a close resemblance to those at Copan, but they appear
to be much older, for they have, to a great extent, become little
more than heaps of rubbish. Over a large space of ground traces of what
has gone to decay are visible. Doubtless important relics of the old
city are now more abundant below the surface than above it. Mr.
Stephens, describing what he saw there, confines his attention chiefly
to a pyramidal structure with flights of steps, and monoliths larger and
higher than those at Copan, but otherwise similar. He states, however,
that while they have the same general style, the sculptures are in lower
relief and hardly so rich in design. One of the obelisks here is twenty
feet