Incidents of Travel in Central America: Chiapas and Yucatan, Volume 1

by John Lloyd Stephens

John Lloyd Stephens (1805 – 1852) was an American explorer, writer, and diplomat. Stephens was a pivotal figure in the rediscovery of Maya civilization throughout Middle America and in the planning of the Panama railroad.

Stephens read with interest early accounts of ruined cities of Mesoamerica by such writers and explorers as Alexander von Humboldt and Juan Galindo.

In 1839, President Martin Van Buren commissioned Stephens as Special Ambassador to Central America. While there, the government of the Federal Republic of Central America fell apart in civil war. His Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatán gives a vivid description of some of those events which Stephens witnessed. Stephens and his traveling companion, architect and draftsman Frederick Catherwood first came across Maya ruins at Copán, having landed in British Honduras (present-day Belize). They were astonished at their findings and spent a couple weeks mapping the site. They surmised that this must have been built by some long forgotten people as they couldn't imagine the native Mayans as having lived in the city. Stephens was actually able to buy the city of Copan for a sum of $50 and had dreams of floating it down the river and into museums in The United States. They went on to Palenque, Uxmal, and according to Stephens, visited a total of 44 sites. Stephens and Catherwood reached Palenque in April 1840 and left in early June. They documented the Temple of the Inscriptions, the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Foliated Cross. Of even greater importance, their book provided descriptions of several ancient Maya sites, along with illustrations by Catherwood. These were greatly superior in both amount and accuracy of depiction to the small amount of information on ancient Mesoamerica previously published.

Stephens continued his investigations of Maya ruins with a return trip to Yucatán which produced a further book.

His diplomatic appointment was for a specific purpose, not requiring a residence at the capital, and the object of his mission being fulfilled or failing, he was at liberty to travel. At the time of his arrival in Central America, that country was distracted by a sanguinary civil war, which resulted, during his sojourn there, in the entire prostration of the Federal Government. By the protection and facilities afforded by his official character, he was enabled to accomplish what otherwise would have been impossible. His work embraces a journey of nearly three thousand miles in the interior of Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan, including visits to eight ruined cities, with full illustrations from drawings taken on the spot by Mr. Catherwood.

This book originally published in 1858 has been reformatted for the Kindle and may contain an occasional defect from the original publication or from the reformatting.

Genres: History, Travel, Nonfiction, Anthropology, Archaeology, Art

344 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1969

About the author

John Lloyd Stephens was an American explorer, writer, and diplomat. Stephens was a pivotal figure in the rediscovery of Maya civilization throughout Middle America and in the planning of the Panama railroad.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Lloyd Stephens's Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas & Yucatan is, to my mind, one of the greatest works of 19th century U.S. hisorians, ranking on a par with the likes of Francis Parkman, William H. Prescott, and John Lothrop Motley.

In 1839 Stephens, accompanied by Frederick Catherwood, an accomplished book illustrator, landed in Central America to visit Mayan ruins in Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. President Martin Van Buren made Stephens a special ambassador to the then Federal Republic of Central America, which was in the throes of splitting apart in a civil war.

In Volume 1, Stephens visited the ruins of Copan in Honduras; and Catherwood drew dozens of illustrations for the volume of the highlights of whatthey saw there. More than half the book, however, consists of Stephens trying to find the government of the Federal Republic of Central America and talking to the Vice President in El Salvador and two rebels in Guatemala and Costa Rica respectively. At one point, Stephens muses:

The next day I made a formal call upon Señor Vigil [Vice President of the Republic]. I was in a rather awkward position. When I left Guatimala [sic] in search of a government, I did not expect to meet it on the road. In that state I had heard but one side [that of Guatemalan rebel General Carrera]; I was just beginning to hear the other. If there was any government, I had treed it. Was it the real thing or was it not? In Guatimala they said it was not; here they said it was. It was a knotty question. I was in no great favor in Guatimala, and in endeavouring to play a safe game I ran the risk of being hustled by all parties. In Guatimala they had no right to ask for my credentials, and took offence because I did not present them; here, if I refused, they had the right to consider it an insult.

I had originally read this book over forty years ago. It has lost nothing of its power across the intervening years.

[David]

I bought an original printing from the 1800's. It has mold and weird things staining the pages, but it is incredible just to hold.

[Leonide Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Stevens and Frederick Catherwood's travels in the Maya lands became famous as soon as they were published in the mid-1850s. These travel stories intrigued readers with their detailed descriptions of exotic landscapes and enigmatic people. Stevens (US) was the writer and Catherwood (Great Britan) the illustrator. Together they created books of enduring fascination and brought ancient Maya culture to the attention of the world. This spurred an onslaught of adventurers and explorers who wanted to find ruined cities in tropical jungles, and endure the grueling primitive conditions of travel in undeveloped areas of Mexico and Central America. Stevens writes with wry humor and picturesque detail, capturing innumerable crusty and sinister characters while encountering unexpected kindnesses. Catherwood's drawings are charming and mysterious; the first accurate accounts of many glyphs, monuments and buildings. There are essentially four volumes, two of Central America, Chiapas & Yucatan and two of Yucatan. Each covers their travels to different Maya sites, and all are eminently readable.

[Todd Stockslager · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review title: Journals of a disinterested diplomat

Stephens was appointed in 1839 as the diplomatic representative of the US government to Central America. When he arrived to find his post to be in the midst of civil wars and dissolution into multiple national and regional factions, he spent the next two years searching for a central government he was supposed to be serving, and redeeming his time and energy in travel and exploration. He compiled these volumes from his travel journals after his return to the US in 1841. This is a joint review of volumes I and II of this journal of diplomatic, political, economic, geographical, and archeological interest.

Truth be told, once Stephens realized the political and diplomatic mess that existed on the ground, he was seldom bothered with his diplomatic charge (a relationship between the US and its southern neighbors that still exists in much the same condition) and devoted his real interests and most of his time to the geographical and archeological opportunities he saw. He did in fact keep up the search to the extent of learning about the various factions and wars and trying to meet and understand the objectives of the leaders, but in such a volatile situation he had to be wise about when to represent the US government (which then as now was not always viewed favorably) and when to use his diplomatic credentials to get the heck out of Dodge, as it were. That he was able to pay attention to the other aspects of his journey to the extent that he was able to write the account that he did is testament to his skill in staying on the right side of each faction even as those sides shifted day to day and town to town during his travels.

It is also testament to his arrogance and tone deaf (to modern ears) presumptions about race and "civilization". He is keenly aware of his perceptions of the differences between his presumed groups, gradations of perceptions that really shine through in his mentions of "Indians", "mestizos", "Spaniards", "blacks", "mulattos", and "whites". I put all of these terms in quotes because his uses of them have more to do with his perceptions than with any racial or cultural reality. Central America is a melting pot of many ethnic origins, both then and now, so using such terms is both imprecise, often wrong, and usually indicative of offensive stereotypes. Paradoxically I think his inability to understand and sympathize in most cases helped him survive in situations where the various factions he may have offended would sooner just be rid of him (or humor him as a representative of the US government) than try to disabuse him of his wrong-headed notions. In any case, as a modern reader, be warned that you will encounter offensive stereotypes along the way that clearly were socially acceptable enough not to trouble Stevens as he I clues them in his journals.

At the same time, he and his traveling companion Frederick Catherwood, his diplomatic secretary primarily hired and brought along to sketch the archeological sites Stevens hoped to explore, were often sympathetic to their hosts. Catherwood was an amateur doctor and traveled with a pharmaceutical kit bag of current remedies, and they often had to set up impromptu clinics in villages and remote houses where there was no access to even the rudimentary western medicine of the day. They paid for accommodation and food--at least most of the time, and were not above complaining if an impoverished home owner in a remote hacienda refused to give up their limited food and shelter even for money. They paid for mules and guides along the way, even as they expected these poor men and animals to carry heavy loads under circumstances which they themselves would not have been able to survive.

And Stevens and Catherwood were actually quite able and surprisingly forward thinking archeologists. Stevens had researched the little archival material available on the Central American ruins we now know as Mayan. Catherwood captured detailed sketches, over 100 of which are published here to Stevens's acclamation of their originality and quality. They removed very few artifacts, focusing on finding, clearing vegetation, and measuring the sites they found. And when a technique or tool (notably primitive, to Stevens's chagrin) failed in its purpose or started to damage a find, they stopped using it, with Stevens at multiple points noting that they left these finds in hope that future archeologists with improved tools and techniques would be able to do further exploration. And Stevens reached modern and measured conclusions about the age and source of the sites:

As yet we perhaps stand alone in these views, but I repeat my opinion that we are not warranted in going back to any ancient nation of the Old World for the builders of these cities; that they are not the work of people who have passed away and whose history is lost, but that there are strong reasons to believe them the creations of the same races who inhabited the country at the time of the Spanish conquest, or of some not very distant progenitors. (v II, p. 455)

In sum, I have rated these journals three stars as Stevens is an amiable travel companion, by turns attentive to detail, extemporizing on the big picture, describing dramatic travel incidents, or inserting humorous incidents and making comical asides with a little wink to the reader. Not all of his travel stories are as dramatic or interesting as he thinks, and the contemporary stereotypes we already discussed have to be filtered, but the archeology is fascinating and the journals have enough interest to keep the reader engaged to the end as both a readable travel journal and a historical artifact of one of the very first eyewitness accounts of Central American ruins ever published.

[Станислав · Rating 4 out of 5]

Открытие Майя
Первый том описание путешествия Джона Ллойда Стефенса в Центральную Америку и Юкатан. Будучи нью-йоркским адвокатом в 1830-х годах Стефенсом овладела страсть к путешествиям. И прервав адвокатскую практику, он отправился в Европу, Египет, Левант, посетил Россию, Турцию и Польшу. Его отчёты о путешествиях получили некоторое признание в США. Заинтересовавшись сочинениями Гумбольдта, Стефенс решил посетить Центральную Америку. После крушения Испанской Империи в Америке регион находился в хаотичном состоянии. Выросла целая плеяда креольских политических лидеров, у многих были буквально "наполеоновские планы" на создание единого и могучего Испано-американского государства. К сожалению такие планы натыкались на: разделение общество, которое привыкло, что правительство присылает Испания, борьба местных фракция, слабая экономическая база, отсутствие дорог и современных портов, неграмотность местного населения и т.д. В 1823 году были созданы https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%...
или Центрально-американская Федерация. Такие Соединённые Штаты Центральной Америки со столицей в городе Гватемала. В государстве возникло две "условные" политические партии: либеральная и консервативная. Либеральная пыталась секуляризировать церковную собственность и двигаться по пути США и Франции, консервативная стояла за сохранение власти и имущества католической церкви. Когда либеральный президент Франциско Моразан начал изымать церковную собственность и репрессировать сопротивлявшихся священников, началось восстание консерваторов к которым примкнули обездоленные слои населения. В результате, либеральное правительство теряет власть везде, кроме Сан-Сальвадора. Стефенс получает в Вашингтоне назначение на должность Посла США в Центрально-американскую Федерацию, хотя на момент его прибытия в британский Белиз неизвестно существует ли ещё такое государство. К тому же полномочия Стефенса действуют в отношении либерального правительства Моразана, что вызывает ненависть консерваторов, видевших в нём шпиона.
Стефенс не обладает огромной широтой взглядов: о центрально-американских делах он судит как "янки" 1830-х годов. То есть с грустью и отвращением. Его явно печалит упадочное состояние этой страны, богатой ресурсами, но бедной волей, терпением, расчётом, умеренностью. Нравы жителей кажутся уму предосудительными: католический фанатизм с одной стороны, безнравственность в частной жизни с другой. Несколько раз за этот том он обращал внимание на поведение девушек: вольности в обращении между полами с одной стороны, зажатость и неразвитость женщин с другой. Почти все слуги или погонщики мулов представляют собо�� настоящее гнездо пороков. Ещё в Белизе, Стефенс вынужден перебарывать себя видя полное расовое смешение, так что белые, цветные, негры и индейцы вынуждены находится в одном обществе. Несмотря на либеральные убеждения нью-йоркера Стифенсу приходится перебарывать себя. Страна находится в упадочном состоянии, не только из-за гражданской войны, но и из-за 300 летнего испанского правления, когда всякая инициатива подавлялось и правительство мало о чём заботилось. Дороги чаще отсутствуют, нет гостиниц или постоялых дворов, часто нельзя купить еду и приходится довольствоваться шоколадом и кукурузными лепёшками. Необходимых запасов нельзя приобрести за любую цену. Кроме исследования текущего, печального, состояния региона, Стифенс проявил интерес к древним руинам, которые тогда были скрыты джунглями. Стифенсу повезло встретить Фредерика Кезервуда, британского архитектора, который сопровождал его на протяжении части пути. Вместе они добрались до руин Копана, древнего города майя. Город почти полностью зарос и был известными местным жителям как "идол". Стефенс договорился с местным землевладельцем о покупке руин города (к удивлению местных жителей, считавших руины бесполезными). Кезервуд отлично умел рисовать и вместе со Стифенсом они сделали текстуальное и графическое описание руин. Когда рисунки и текст получили известность в США и Европе - это наделало много шуму, поскольку тогда мало кто предполагал, что в Америках есть памятники сравнимые с египетскими или греческими. Потерпев неудачу в дипломатической миссии Стифенс решит вернуться уже только для исследования памятников. Книга интересна в трёх отношениях: одно из первых свидетельств исследования майя, состояние латинской Америки в 30-е годы 19 века, состояние умов американцев в тот же период.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fun Travel Narrative

Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan was a joyous read for several reasons, and, admittedly, I read through the entire volume in one sitting. Initially, my first response when reading is to analyze the interaction between the narrator and Indigenous peoples who come into contact with the narrator during the expedition. What I found quite interesting was the fact that the narrator made an explicit point to mention that he himself had no problem with interacting with other races, especially the mulatto individuals that he sits with during a dinner, because “colour was considered mere matter of taste” (12). Whereas other narrators have been perplexed by race, or have even been both advertently and inadvertently racist, here we have examples of actual bonding between races. However, one has to note that the narrator does mention that when it comes to academia, “the brightest boys, and those who had improved most, were those who had in them the most white blood” (16). While the narrator himself claims that he is in no way racist, he still does mention some race-based claims that have since been proven inaccurate.

There are also moments where the narrator comments on gender from a very male-centered and religious point of view. Since the narrator has been traveling and describing all of the different churches and religious ruins along the way, and he is traveling with a priest, it makes sense that priest will eventually try to spread the Christian word to the non-Christian inhabitants of the country. However, the priest determines that since many women with children are unmarried, they are “very wrong and unbecoming a good Christian woman” and should “marry the child’s father” in order to be good women (30). While this is a sentiment that the padre has, I feel as if there are moments when the narrator again seems not to fully subscribe to that doctrine. Since the narrator seems to be somewhat more “liberal” than everyone else he travels with, he comes across as being quite likeable. As a whole though, it seems like many members of the Indigenous population are excited to receive mass or take part in religious activities. On one hand, this is likely representative of conversion (religious) and assimilation efforts during colonization. On the other hand, I am always suspicious when too much emphasis is placed upon religion within these types of stories because I question the authenticity of the event. Taking this event as truth, it is quite interesting that the Indigenous women that are being called “bad Christians” because they are not wed to the father of their child/children are the women that are running up to get their children baptized – seems like a contradiction, as they are “good Christians” in some respects.

The narrative takes on a “Tomb Raider” feel as soon as ancient remains and temples are found during the expedition. At first, it seems as if the narrator is merely documenting the different objects and antiquities but it actually became apparent that he was thinking of bringing some things home with him, or at least out of the area. The narrator states, “In fact, I made up my mind, with a pang of regret, that we must abandon the idea of carrying away any materials for antiquarian speculation, and must be content with having seen the ourselves” (120). This is not the first instance in which it is implied that perhaps items are going to be taken for study. As a reader, I was wondering if the Indigenous population was at all aware of the fact that the “researchers” were going to be taking items out of their sacred ruins. However, on the same hand I can see where Stephens was excited by the fact that he was exploring areas that had previously been undiscovered. Thus, it makes sense that he may have wanted to take artifacts away from the site for future studies. Nonetheless, this is something that is still grappled with today: who has the right to those items and the remains?

The illustrations and the descriptions of the carved stone idols are phenomenal, which makes them a focal point within the first volume to readers that are searching for travel narratives. Because the edition of the text I was working with had illustrations, I attempted to go through these sections without looking at the illustrations with any depth (it was hard, and occasionally I glanced at an illustration as I turned pages) in order to read just the description of the idols. Even simply constructed sentences like “The stone is a soft grit” conveys the overall look of the stone – you can almost feel it as you continue reading the description (146). I think that these representations are meant to draw the reader into the atmosphere of the ruins, and it is quite effective in allowing the reader to be part of the conquest (as discussed in Pratt’s work, especially when discussing travel narrative as a type of ‘propaganda’). It is also notable that the environment is being excavated, it is being colonized again per se, but the environment is able to fight back against her colonizers this time. The narrator mentions that there are moments where “It was impossible, however, to continue; the earth was matted together by roots which entwined and bound the monument” (161).

Lastly, there was some commentary on the Spaniards and their methods for colonizing and exploring the area that Stephens is working in. Stephens himself is, in some ways, attempting to take artifacts away from Indigenous peoples, so he is not exactly an innocent bystander in the continuously evolving colonization of Central America, Chiapas, and the Yucatan. That being said, his commentary on the Spaniards is something that I would like to mention in class. Unlike other travel narrative authors (thinking of Cabeza de Vaca, especially) that were unable to write all of their true feelings down because they were reporting back to the person that had just funded their expedition, Stephens just negates the Spaniards. His comments I would like to discuss in a bit more detail are: “At least, no European army could enter such a city now without this result following; but the silence of the Spaniards may be accounted for by the fact that these conquerors of America were illiterate and ignorant adventurers, eager in pursuit of gold, and blind to everything else; or, if reports were made, the Spanish government, with a jealous policy observed down to the last moment of her dominion, suppressed everything that might attract the attention of rival nations to her American possessions” (160). I think he brings up a good point about how the Spanish were colonizing, but that they were unconcerned with the antiquities (another form of wealth) of the country. They overlooked that just for gold – whereas these relics Stephens is uncovering are perhaps the most valuable part of this civilization.

Worth a read if you're interested in the area or travel narratives in general.

[Jeffrey Covey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know the highlights of Stephens and Catherwood’s journeys from *Jungle of Stone* but wanted Stephens’s full descriptions of the sites I’ve visited and plan to visit. This first of his four volumes has little about Mayan ruins. He’s still pursuing his official duties and trying to find a government to offer his credentials. It’s an interesting history – I didn’t even know there *was* a Republic of Central America – but if you only want archeological researches, you only need the chapters on their stay at Copán.


The rest is numbingly repetitive. (Stephens must recount *every* incident.) After the seventh or eighth or thirtieth time he declares a view to be the most beautiful he’s ever seen, it all blurs together. He has a fresh, sardonic style that relieves the monotony (“The major-domo was sitting on the ground doing nothing, and two ablebodied men were helping him.”), but you still feel like you’ve ridden a donkey for weeks yourself by the end. I look forward to his rejoining Catherwood and heading back into the jungle.

Speaking of Catherwood, readers have long wondered at the portrait of Stephens he chose for one of his books, possibly drawn from a lithograph they shot in Mérida. In it, Stephens stares daggers at the viewer like a fire-and-fury John Brown crossed with an even angrier Thoreau. I think Catherwood caught him as faithfully as the facades of the temples; in Vol. 1, Stephens has already erupted in many tantrums and fits of rage. He was a good man to send to a war-torn country – he could clearly take care of himself – but I suspect he wasn’t a pleasant traveling companion.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting travel journal of an American government representative in Central America in the 1830's. Did you know before Panama they considered putting the canal in Guatemala? Descriptions of scenery and ruins are vivid, especially Easter week procession in Guatemala. Travel and communications especially in war-torn regions, were even more difficult than they are today. However, conflicts between different political parties are very much with us today as they were then.

[Roland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Standard 1800s-style racism aside, this is a fascinating glimpse at Central America during this era. There’s also some delightful unintentional comedy when the author, apparently horrified that someone would be named “Jesus” in Latin America, decided to refer to him as “Hezoos” throughout the book “to avoid what might be considered profanity.” I know it was the 1800s, but still.

[Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is wonderful book! I look forward to volume 2.

[Bart]

todo

[Wayne Abrahamson]

Started to read this work some months ago but put it aside to take care of other house-keeping items. Am now proud to say I am cracking the binder on this work again. And looking forward to it.

[Hazelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

equis

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I lied, I read up to page 283, and put it down about three months ago. Not because I stopped liking it, but because it is not what they call "light reading" and after carrying it around and getting as far as I did in the amount of time I did, I calculated the average page number per day I read and realized it would've taken me at least another month and a half to finish, so I thought "I will take a break, and read something less scholarly, and then pick it up again" but that did not happen. I would love to finish this book, but the mood has not struck me. I did find it very interesting, and it gives insight into a world that is long gone and for anyone with an interest in this topic who is looking for more than a textbook, I think you will enjoy it. Plus, there is that splash of adventure, like the time he went party hopping in a small village and a fight broke out and the loser of the fight ended up getting his hand cut in half at the knuckles by a sword, and the guy was screaming and they knew they had to amputate, but only the people who knew how to carry out the procedure stayed, while he and the others went to bed, because they were tired from all their partying. That's how they rolled in 1840. He has a very technical way of writing, and some details I could've lived without, but his consistent focus makes for some great observational writing and this is an important historical, and social look at a society I only knew vague details about. His technical style is interspersed with waves of literary beauty and his way of looking at the world is something I'm glad he kept track of and shared with the world. Also, this is 1840, so there are some racist and insensitive things he says, but he doesn't seem to be a racist, otherwise he would've never even taken the trip; it was a different time, and while that does not validate these aspects, that is the way it was.

I did highlight favorite passages, here they are:
- In my intercourse with the world I have more than once found my overtures to an acquaintance received coldly, but I never experienced anything quite so cool as the don's reception of me. (page 93)

- The beauty of the sculpture, the solemn stillness of the woods, disturbed only by the scrambling of monkeys and the chattering of parrots, the desolation of the city, and the mystery that hung over it all created an interest higher, if possible, than I had ever felt among the ruins of the Old World. (page 119)

- While she thought we were consulting in regard to her malady, we were speaking of her interesting face; but the interest which we took in her was melancholy and painful, for we felt that she was a delicate flower, born to bloom but for a season, and, even at the moment of unfolding its beauties, doomed to die. (page 148)

- The foundation of the city was laid in 1776, a year memorable in our own annals, and when our ancestors thought but little of the troubles of their neighbors. At that time the old capital, twenty-five miles distant, shattered and destroyed by earthquakes, was abandoned by its inhabitants, and the present was built in the rich valley of Las Vaccas, in a style commensurate with the dignity of a captain-generalship of Spain. (page 193)

- All day I had felt particularly the influence of the beautiful climate; the mere breathing of the air was a luxury, and the evening was worthy of such a day. The moonbeans were lighting up the facade of the the venerable church, and showing in sadness a rent made by an earthquake from top to bottom. As we walked home, the streets were lighted with a brilliancy almost unearthly; and the ladies, proud of their moonlight, almost persuaded me that it was a land to love. (page 219)

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephens' three books titled "Incidents of Travel," for they all fit together, are a very special work. There is almost too much in them.

They are first: books of travel and adventure throughout Central America. They are second: books of early archaeology. He was the first to investigate and explore and describe, many of the Mayan ruins. His co-worker, I think he called him a draftsman, did very fine drawings. But, third: he was a diplomat working for the American government during the time when Central America went from the "United States of Central American" into the countries as we now know them.

Add to that the wincing at his colonial superiority and casual use of the living Mayan people, and you have writing that will move you -- actually it may shake you. Preconceptions may roll, and you will love it.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a love hate relationship with this series of books. Great because of the drawings and descriptions of the archeological sites not to mention the history that is happening at the time. But I can't stand the way Stephens speaks about the people. I know that that's the way people spoke then, but seriously its dated. If you want to know about archaeological sites because you are a tourist look at other books.

[John Mertz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone wrote "for archaeologists and historians only," and for those so inclined, it's worth four if not five stars. The author seems to invite and at times to require the reader to "read between the lines," but even so he treats us to a remarkable adventure story and a fascinating glimpse into our recent and ancient American past.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is best left for time travelers who won't wince at racial language or colonialism in all it's forms. If you can handle that, you'll be rewarded with unforgettable descriptions of ruins and people circa 1840. All told through the voice of a dapper barrister type and his trusty male companion and illustrator.

[keatssycamore]

I just got this from Amazon and am having a friend pre-read it. Ange and I may go to Copan so I thought it would be appropriate.