The Prehistoric World: or, Vanished Races | Page 8

Work. 265. Queen Consulting the H-men. 266. Chaac-Mol. 267. Bearded Itza. 268. Arizona Ruin. 269. Tribute Sheet. 270. Yucatan Axes. 271. Carpenter's Ax. 272. Mexican Carpenter. 273. Copper Tool. 274. Huitzilopochtli. 275. Mexican Numeration Signs. 276. Maya and Mexican Day Signs. 277. Maya Months. 278. Calendar Stone. 279. Sign of Rain. 280. Sign of a Cycle. 281. Indian Picture-writing. 282. Chapultepec. 283. Amen. 284. Historical Sheet. 285. Chilapi Tribute. 286. Child-training. 287. Migration Chart. 288. Landa Alphabet. 289. Maya T. 290. Maya Picture-writing. 291. Hieroglyphics, Tablet of the Cross. 292. Map of Peru. 293. Fortress, Huatica Valley. 294. Ruins at Pachacamac. 295. Relics from Guano Deposits. 296. Burial Towers. 297. Palace. 298. Section of Palace Walls. 299. Ornamentation on Walls. 300 Adobe Ornament. 301 Gold and Silver Vases. 302. Bronze Knives and Tweezers. 303. Water-jar. 304. Water-jars from Ancon. 305. Cloth Found in Grave. 306. Wall in Huatica Valley. 307. Burial Mound, or Huaca. 308. Fortress Mound. 309. Temple Wall. 310. Fortress, Huatica Valley. 311. General View of Pachacamac. 312. View of the Temple. 313. Relics from Graves at Pachacamac. 314. Relics found Buried in Guano Deposits. 315. Prehistoric Pottery-ware. 316. Silver Cylinder-head. 317. Terrace Wall, Tiahuanuco. 318. Method of Joining Stones, Tiahuanuco. 319. Gateway, Tiahuacuno. 320. Ruins on the Island of Titicaca. 321. Ruins, Island of Coati. 322. Burial Tower. 323. Terrace Wall at Cuzco. 324. Temple of the Sun. 325. Fortress Wall. 326. Section Fortress Wall. 327. Quippos.
ENGRAVINGS
1. Cliff Houses, Rio Mancos Canyon. 2. Engraved Title Page. 3. Paleozoic Forest. 4. Rock Shelter at Bruniquel. 5. Antarctic Ice Sheet. 6. Lake Village, Switzerland. 7. Pueblo of Zuny. 8. Cliff-town, Rio Mancos. 9. Restoration of Pueblo Bonito. 10. Painted Pueblo Pottery. 11. Pyramid of Cholula. 12. Copan Statue. 13. General View of Palace. 14. Bas-relief on the left-hand of the Altar of the Cross. 15. Plan of Uxmal. 16. The Governor's House, Uxmal. 17. Room in Nunnery. 18. Zayi. 19. Castillo, Chichen-Itza. 20. Tribute Sheet. 21. Huitzilopochtli. 22. Calendar Stone. 23. Historical Sheet. 24. Pachacamac.
END OF LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS****************

The Prehistoric World: or, Vanished Races by E. A. Allen
Processed by D.R. Thompson [email protected]

THE PREHISTORIC WORLD--Chapter I

Thou unrelenting Past! Strong are the barriers round thy dark domain-- And fetters, sure and fast, Hold all that enter thy unbreathing reign.
Far in thy realm, withdrawn, Old empires sit in sullenness and gloom; And glorious ages, gone, Lie deep within the shadow of thy womb.
Full many a mighty name Lurks in thy depths, unuttered, unrevered: With thee are silent fame, Forgotten arts, and wisdom disappeared.
W. C. BRYANT
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION.
Difficulties of the subject--Lesson to be learned--The pursuit of knowledge--Recent Advances--Prehistoric past of the Old World--Of the New--Of Mexico and the South--The Isles of the Pacific--Similar nature of the relics--The wonders of the present age--History of popular Opinion on this subject--The teachings of the Bible--Nature of the evidence of man's antiquity--Geology--Astronomy--Unfolding of life--Nature of our inquiry.
Who can read the book of the past? Who can tell us the story of Creation's morn? It is, not written in history, neither does it live in tradition. There is mystery here; but it is hid by the darkness of bygone ages. There is a true history here, but we have not learned well the alphabet used. Here are doubtless wondrous scenes; but our stand-point is removed by time so vast, the mist of years is so thick before us, that only the ruder outlines can be determined. The delicate tracery, the body of the picture, are hidden from our eye. The question as to the antiquity and primitive history of man, is full of interest in proportion as the solution is beset with difficulties. We question the past; but only here and there a response is heard. Surely bold is he who would attempt, from the few data at hand, to reconstruct the history of times and people so far removed. We quickly become convinced that many centuries, and tens of centuries, have rolled away since man's first appearance on the earth. We become impressed with the fact, "that multitudes of people have moved over the surface of the Earth, and sunk into the night of oblivion, without leaving a trace of their existence: without a memorial through which we might have at least learned their names."<1>
To think of ourselves, is to imagine for our own nation an immortality. We are so great, so strong, surely nothing can move us. Let us learn humility from the past: and when, here and there, we come upon some reminder of a vanished people, trace the proofs of a teeming population in ancient times, and recover somewhat of a history, as true and touching as any that poets sing, let us recognize the fact, that nations as well as individuals pass away and are forgotten.
The past guards its secret well. To learn of