Travels Amongst American Indians, Their Ancient Earthworks and TemplesFront matterReading editionChapter navigation25 reading sectionsGo to chapterChoose a chapter…Front matterTRAVELS AMONGST AMERICAN INDIANS THEIR ANCIENT EARTHWORKS AND TEMPLES;PREFACE.ILLUSTRATIONS.Chapter I · New York.—Mr. Grinnell.—Search for Sir John Franklin.—Southern States.—The Negroes and their prospects.—Naval Academy at Annapolis.—Military Academy at West Point.—Shakers.—Boston.—Professor Agassiz.—Prairies and Glacial Action.—Coral Reefs in Florida.—Mr. Ticknor.—Shell Mounds in Florida.—Schools.—Dr. Howe’s Institution for the Blind.—Laura Bridgman.Chapter II · Professor Wyman.—Indian Antiquities.—Concord.—Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson.—Margaret Fuller.—Note upon a visit to Mr. Longfellow.—Saturday Club.—Dinner at Harvard University.—Shell Mounds at Concord and Damariscotta.—Note upon the Ancient Inscription upon the Dighton Rock.Chapter III · Indian Reservations.—Lake Superior.—Beavers and their works.—The Forest.—Houghton.—Ancient Indian mining pits and trenches.—An Indian battle ground.—The Glacial Drift.—Note regarding the Dauphin.Chapter IV · ANCIENT INDIAN MOUNDS AND EARTHWORKS IN OHIO. Earthworks of the Mound Builders and their geographical position.—Miamisburgh Mound.—Grave Creek Mound.—Ages and contents of burial mounds.—Rectangular, circular and octagonal Inclosures near Newark.— Marietta Earthworks.—Discoveries made in a burial mound.—Fortifications near Portsmouth.—Encampments in the valley of the Scioto.Chapter V · MOUNDS AND EARTHWORKS IN OHIO. Ancient Fortified Inclosures at Circleville.—Discoveries in a Burial Mound.—Alligator Totem near Newark.—Fort Ancient.—Age of Trees growing upon the Ramparts at Fort Hill.—Traditions.—Geometrical Ground Plans of Indian Inclosures.—Conclusions.Chapter VI · The burning of the Steamer Stonewall.—Indian Mounds and Earthworks at Cahokia.—Confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri.—Sacs and Foxes.—Education of Indians.—Nauvoo.—Winona.—Sioux Encampment.—Ancient Mounds near St. Paul’s.—The Sioux War in Minnesota.—Note upon the Ogallalas.Chapter VII · Prairies in Minnesota and Iowa.—Boulders.—Glacial Drift.—Wild Rice.—Snow Storm.—Nebraska.—The Pawnees.—Human Sacrifices.—Note on Indian Customs in War and Cannibalism.—Prairie Fires.—Prairie-Dog Villages.—Rattlesnakes.—Variations in the succession of growths of Trees.—Causes of absence of Trees upon Prairies.—Shoshone Indians on the Western Deserts.—Note upon Ute Indians and Fuegians.Chapter VIII · North American Indians.—Diversity of Languages.—The Iroquois.—Dialects.—Descent of Iroquois chiefs through the female line.—Pagan Indians.—Belief in a Great Spirit.—Ceremonies.—Dakotas.—Superstitions.—Dreams.—Fasts.—Sun worship.—Medicine men.—Customs of mourning by widows.—Supernatural influences.—Lightning.—Transmigration.—Worship of Spirit rocks.—Serpent worship.—Human sacrifices.—Burial customs.—Method of curing sickness by steam.—Note upon analogies between the customs of the Indians, Maoris, and the natives of the Sandwich Islands.Chapter IX · The Golden City.—Coast of California.—Cape San Lucas.—Manzanillo.—Alligators and Sharks.—Acapulco.—San José de Guatemala.—Escuintla.—City of Guatemala.—Indian pilgrims from Esquipulas.—Ancient mounds on the plains of Mixco.—Insurrection of Indians.—Decapitation of their leader.—Preparations for the journey across the Continent to Palenque and Yucatan.Chapter X · Mixco.—La Antigua Guatemala.—Volcanoes of Fire and Water.—Comolapa.—Ancient Indian Ruins of Patinamit.—Kachiquel Indians.—A Dominican Priest.—Barrancas.—Las Godinas.—Panajachel.—Human Sacrifices to the Lakes and Volcanoes.—Lake Atitlan.—Sololá.—Orchids.—San Tomas.—Quiché Indians.Chapter XI · Barrancas.—Santa Cruz del Quiché.—Padre Andres Guicola.—Ruins of Utatlan.—Report of Don Garcia de Palacio upon human sacrifices to the gods in Central America, Statement of Bernal Diaz, about the sacrifices in Mexico.—Burning of the Quiché Caciques at Utatlan.—Worship of idols by the Quichés.—Sierras.—Gueguetenango.Chapter XII · The Sierra Madre.—Todos Santos.—Evening Prayer (La Oracion).—Indian domestic habits.—Religious devotion.—Goitre.—Jacaltenango.—Indian Festival.—A Temblor.—Indian Idolatry.—Custom of ancient inhabitants to serve the parents whose daughters they wished to marry.—Doubtful fidelity of my guide.—Condition of Mule.—Mexican Frontier.—Comitan.—Note on President Juarez, and the Execution of the Emperor Maximilian.Chapter XIII · Camping on the plains.—A night amongst the hills in Chiapas.—Lopez.—Indian Sun worship.—Ocosingo.—An ancient idol.—Proposed expedition through the unknown region occupied by the Lacandones to British Honduras.—Bachajon.—Tzendal Indians.—Chilon.—Indian Carnival.—Yajalon.—Carnival amongst the Tzendales.—Drunkenness.—Dances.—Horse races.—Ruined Churches and Convents.—Influence of the Priests over the Indian Tribes.—Las Casas.—Forced labour.—The Presbitero Fernando Macal.Chapter XIV · An Indian steam bath.—Tumbalá.—Sierras and Forests.—San Pedro.—Desertion of guide.—Alguazils.—Construction of Indian huts.—Habits of Indians.—Cargadores.—Crossing a River.—Forests beyond San Pedro.—Powers of endurance of Indians.—Arrival at San Domingo del Palenque.Chapter XV · Palenque.—The Forest.—The Palace or Monastery.—Night at Palenque.—Brilliancy of the light of the fireflies.—Pyramidal Mounds and Temples.—Tablet of the Cross.—Hieroglyphs.—An Indian Statue.—Antiquity of the Buildings.—The Tower.—Stucco Ornamentation.—Action of the tropical climate upon the Ruins.—Note upon the decipherment of the hieroglyphic characters.Chapter XVI · Mounds in the valley of the Usamacinta.—Lacandones.—Catasaja.—Canoe voyage.—Rivers and Lagoons.—Alligators.—Jonuta.—Cortes’s March to Honduras.—Cannibalism.—The Mexican Emperor Guatimozin.—Palisada.—Laguna de Terminos.—Island of Carmen.—Campeachy.—Yucatan.—Pyramidal Altar.—Human sacrifices.—Tzibalché.—Maya Indians.—Arrival at Uxmal.Chapter XVII · Uxmal.—Extent of ground occupied by the Ruins.—Teocallis.—Burial places at the foot of the Pyramid of the Dwarf.—Evening Service at the chapel of the hacienda.—Casa del Gobemador.—Sacrificial customs.—Preservation of the wooden lintels.—The Nunnery or Casa de las Monjas.—Religious customs of the Indians.—Emblem of the Serpent.—Sculptures.—Conjectures respecting the possibility of Moorish, Spanish, or Oriental influence upon architectural design.—Methods of construction.—Note upon a fall of rain supposed to be caused by the fires of the Indians.Chapter XVIII · Departure from Uxmal.—Indian officials at Abalá.—Indian Ceremonies.—Worship of demons.—Baptismal customs.—Laws of the Emperor Charles V. for the government of the natives in Yucatan.—Superstitions.—An Indian Well.—Halt at night.—Merida.—Convent of the Conceptionistas.—Sisal.—The Basque brig Aguinaga.—Departure for Cuba and Florida.—Tampa.—Cedar Keys.—Buccaneers.—Shell Mounds.—Ancient Burial Mounds.—Florida Indians.Chapter XIX · Mounds and Earthworks in North and Central America.—Migrations of the Toltecs and Aztecs.—The Quichés.—Aboriginal races.—Palenque.—Hieroglyphs.—Temples.—Desertion of the Temples and stone buildings in Yucatan.—Conquest of Yucatan by the Aztecs.—Antiquity of Palenque and Uxmal.—Aztec custom of imprisoning captives in cages and sacrificing them to the gods.—Civilisation of the Toltecs.—Note upon the symbol or Totem of the Serpent.Chapter XX · Conjectures respecting the descendants of the tribes who built the Temples.—Knowledge and education of the Caciques and Priests.—Traditions of the arrival of white strangers from the East.—Las Casas.—Quetzal-Coatl.—Crosses found in Yucatan.—Gomara.—Legend of the flight of Spaniards by sea towards the West after the conquest of Spain by the Saracens.—Fabulous island of Antilia.—Columbus on his outward voyage steers for Antilia.—Trade-winds.—Considerations upon the probabilities of vessels being driven across the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans towards America.INDEX.Beginning of this editionNext chapter →TRAVELS AMONGST AMERICAN INDIANS THEIR ANCIENT EARTHWORKS AND TEMPLES;All chapters and sections (25)Opening pagesFront matterOther sectionsTRAVELS AMONGST AMERICAN INDIANS THEIR ANCIENT EARTHWORKS AND TEMPLES;PREFACE.ILLUSTRATIONS.Chapters1234567891011121314151617181920Other sectionsINDEX.ALTAR-PIECE, TEMPLE OF THE CROSS, PALENQUE.◇TRAVELS AMONGST AMERICAN INDIANS THEIR ANCIENT EARTHWORKS AND TEMPLES; →