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| Note: | Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries. See https://archive.org/details/cu31924020427823 |
THE
ANCIENT CITIES OF THE NEW WORLD.
DÉSIRÉ CHARNAY
THE
Ancient Cities
OF THE
NEW WORLD.
BEING
Travels and Explorations in Mexico and Central America
From 1857-1882.
BY
DÉSIRÉ CHARNAY.
With numerous Illustrations.
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY
J. GONINO and HELEN S. CONANT.
LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL,
Limited.
1887.
CHARLES DICKENS AND EVANS,
CRYSTAL PALACE PRESS.
TO
MR. PETER LORILLARD.
Sir,
When the Minister of Public Instruction entrusted me withthe study of the Ancient American Civilisations, you wished to becomeassociated with my labours in a truly munificent spirit. You willfind in the following pages the result of my discoveries, which, youare aware, were attended with perfect success. I strove, during theprogress of these studies, to carry out the programme laid down byyou towards the reconstruction of civilisations that have passed away.I think I have succeeded; and I hope to have sufficiently demonstratedthat these civilisations had but one and the same origin—that theywere Toltec and comparatively modern. If the learned world shallconfirm my theory, and success crown my endeavours; if it shall befound that I have solved this vexed American question, so hotlycontroverted hitherto, it will be mainly due to your generous support.
Pray accept the dedication of this Work as a token of my deepgratitude.
DÉSIRÉ CHARNAY.
TRANSLATORS’ NOTE.
The justification for having ventured to correct the spellingof some proper names, and other slight emendations, is to befound in the Author’s Preface, where he state