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- Memoir of an Eventful Expedition in Central America Resulting in the Discovery of the Idolatrous City of Iximaya, in an Unexplored Region; and the Possession of two Remarkable Aztec Children, Descendants and Specimens of the Sacerdotal Caste, (now nearly extinct,) of the Ancient Aztec Founders of the Ruined Temples of that Country, Described by John L. Stevens, Esq., and Other Travellers.
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Memoir of an Eventful Expedition in Central America Resulting in the Discovery of the Idolatrous City of Iximaya, in an Unexplored Region; and the Possession of two Remarkable Aztec Children, Descendants and Specimens of the Sacerdotal Caste, (now nearly extinct,) of the Ancient Aztec Founders of the Ruined Temples of that Country, Described by John L. Stevens, Esq., and Other Travellers.
Chapters
1 totalTranscriber’s Note
Description
An intrepid 19th‑century explorer recounts a daring trek through untamed Central American jungles, guided by whispered legends of forgotten temples. After weeks of river crossings and mountain passes, the party stumbles upon Iximaya, a concealed city of stone carvings and towering pyramids that seem frozen in a pre‑colonial world. The narrative captures the awe of standing amid plazas lined with glyphs, while the local priest shares stories that bridge myth and history.
The memoir turns especially vivid when the travelers encounter two children from a nearly extinct priestly caste, their features echoing ancient statues depicted in the ruins. Detailed observations of their dress, language and rituals offer a rare glimpse into a culture that has survived in isolation. Through careful description and modest illustration, the author invites listeners to imagine the fragile link between past empires and the living descendants who still guard their secrets.
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Full title
Memoir of an Eventful Expedition in Central America Resulting in the Discovery of the Idolatrous City of Iximaya, in an Unexplored Region; and the Possession of two Remarkable Aztec Children, Descendants and Specimens of the Sacerdotal Caste, (now nearly extinct,) of the Ancient Aztec Founders of the Ruined Temples of that Country, Described by John L. Stevens, Esq., and Other Travellers. Resulting in the Discovery of the Idolatrous City of Iximaya, in an Unexplored Region; and the Possession of two Remarkable Aztec Children, Descendants and Specimens of the Sacerdotal Caste, (now nearly extinct,) of the Ancient Aztec Founders of the Ruined Temples of that Country, Described by John L. Stevens, Esq., and Other Travellers.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (81K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Julia Miller and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2009-07-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
About the author
Pedro Velasquez
Known from a sensational 19th-century adventure narrative, this name is tied to one of those strange literary cases where the story became almost as famous as the writer behind it. The surviving record suggests “Pedro Velasquez” is best remembered for a book about a dramatic expedition in Central America and the supposed discovery of Iximaya.
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