Mexico -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel
did we stick in the mud, nor did the streams drown the machine, nor
did the springs break, nor did we puncture! When Mr. Conway pointed
in a direction and said to the chauffeur: “That is where we want to
go ...” we went quite regardless of whether there was a road or not.
“Is that a road?” I asked once or twice, and was told it was! When
nearly at our destination, and having taken three hours instead of
two, we had a final delay: In a lane we met three galloping soldiers,
who signalled to us to stop. We were made to draw up onto the grassy
roadside and there we stood for half an hour, while at least eighteen,
if not twenty, guns went by, drawn by their mule teams of six each. It
was very picturesque, the men riding the teams shouted and urged and
beat their mules, trumpeters galloped by, officers stood escort by our
car while they passed. The soldiers were dressed in coarse white linen
uniforms, and white leggings and hats, with red cord and tassels on
their shoulders. They looked rather dilapidated individually, but very
picturesque collectively. I did not dare photograph them, as it might
have been a troop movement. The papers this morning are full of the
insurrection of the troops under Gen. Herrera near Tampico in the state
of Vera Cruz, Huasteca District, and there seems to be something in the
air ... who knows, trouble again perhaps? But no one troubles.
At last we arrived in the wonderful valley. It seemed completely
deserted except for the workmen who are digging the excavations, and
some big eyed barefooted silent children who watched us. Instantly on
arrival we climbed up to the top of the pyramid of the Sun. Its base
measurement is said to be that of the Pyramids of Egypt, but it is not
so high, nor so pointed. It has been flattened out on the top, for the
sacrifices. The human bodies, after their hearts were cut out, were
simply thrown over the edge, and there are supposed to have been men
stationed on each platform below, to pitchfork them on and over down to
the next until finally at the bottom, they were collected by those to
whom they proudly belonged, and taken away, ... it having been a great
honor to be sacrificed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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