No. 95.
Mr. Williamson to Mr. Fish.
Guatemala, October 7, 1874. (Received Nov. 17.)
Sir: I have the honor to state that there are a number of mounds near this city of unusually large size, which have never been carefully explored, so far as I can learn. There are probably one hundred and fifty of them. They run across the wide plain in which Guatemala is located from the base of the mountains on the east to the base of those on the west. They are not in right lines, but are at irregular intervals apart, and the general direction is east and west. They extend over a distance of ten or twelve miles.
I have seen many of the mounds in our country, and these mentioned have the same general appearance, but I think are larger.
They appear to be of the same kind of earth that surrounds their bases. Two attempts at exploration have been made, one by Carrera, many years ago, and one within the last year or so under the direction of the British minister, Mr. Edwin Corbett. A gentleman who was present at the time Carrera’s exploration was completed, says that many articles of stone and earthenware were taken out of the mound. Unfortunately he cannot tell me, nor can I find out, what has become of any of these curiosities.
The exploration made under the direction of the British minister appears, from the statement of his secretary, to have been incomplete. That gentleman says a few human bones were found, and near them some earthenware-vessels, which were sent to England.
I have seen two vessels in the museum of the “Sociedad Economica,” of this city, which are said to have been taken out of one of the mounds referred to, and are reputed to be a part of those obtained by Carrera. Both are of common, but hardly burnt, earthenware, made apparently of a reddish clay. One is in the shape of a quart-measure, without handle or ornament of any kind. The other is a pitcher of rather [Page 136] curious form, of small size, and apparently of the same material as the first mentioned.
As I cannot learn from any book at my command, or from any of the scientific men here, whether any of these mounds have ever been carefully explored, I make the above report to you, with the suggestion that, if the Smithsonian Institution wishes to have one or more of them explored, I shall be pleased to undertake to superintend the work with your approbation, and also to see the judicious disbursement of any remittance made for the purpose.
From the best estimate I can have made, I do not believe it will cost exceeding fifty dollars to have any one mound thoroughly explored.
The freight on any articles found and forwarded to the Institute would depend upon the quantity, weight, and packing. It could not be much.
While on this subject, I beg leave also to say that there are in this city many ancient manuscripts in Spanish which have never been translated into English, and some of them never into any other language. These manuscripts might prove of great value in the study of the ethnology of America.
Most of these manuscripts are in the hands of Mr. Juan Gavarrete, who is reputed to be an excellent antiquarian. I will mention one: The History of the Origin of the Indians of the Province of Guatemala, translated from the Quiche to Spanish, for the convenience of the clergy, 1557, by Fray Ximenes. This should not be confounded with Ximenes’ other two works, which are published, and with his general history of Guatemala, which has been translated into French. I will mention another of interest. It is the “Popol Vuh,” or “Sacred Book of the Quiche Indians,” the original manuscripts of which, I am informed, have never been fully translated into any language. I have before me now what purports to be a complete translation into French by the Abbé Brasseur de Bourbourg, which is contained in his valuable work published in London in 1861.
It is said to be incomplete, but this could only be verified by comparison. Mr. Francis Gavarrete, the brother of the owner of the manuscripts, and a good scholar, has agreed with me to make any translations of these ancient manuscripts from Spanish into English at the rate of twenty-five cents for each page of such paper as I am now writing on, or he will copy the manuscripts at the rate of 12½ cents for each page. His brother, the antiquarian, will allow me to select any I wish translated.
I mention this also with the view of stating that, if the Smithsonian Institution wishes copies or translations made of the above, or any other manuscripts here, it will afford me pleasure to superintend the work.
It seems to me probable that explorations of some of the mounds referred to in the first part of this dispatch, and the translation into English of judiciously selected manuscripts, might throw light upon the ethnological researches of the Institute.
Although I am by no means an ethnologist or scientific man, and perhaps am not sufficiently informed to materially assist in the prosecution of studies of that kind, yet I feel a lively interest in the subject, and will take pleasure in doing what I can to assist others in the collection of data. It is this spirit which I present as an apology for troubling you with this dispatch.
I have, &c.,