have been made, there is no reason to doubt that it is entirely a work of art.
In addition to trees and shrubs covered with vines and mosses, lovely wild flowers of delightful fragrance abound everywhere. We gathered our hands full, and pressed them on the spot as souvenirs of the Pyramid of Cholula. Relic venders in rags followed us around with a unique collection of cross-bones, pottery, idolos, and the customary bric-à-brac. We were ready purchasers, being willing to believe almost anything on this historic and pre-historic ground.
Much speculation has arisen as to the object in rearing so stupendous a work, whether constructed for religious use, or as a place of sepulture for kings and notables. A recent theory is, that it was erected for defense, as a place of refuge for an agricultural population otherwise unprotected.
According to Humboldt, "In its present state (and we are ignorant of its original height), its perpendicular proportion is to its base as 8 to 1, while in the three great pyramids of Gizeh, the proportion is found to be 1-6/10 to 1-7/10 to 1; or nearly as 8 to 5."
A table made by Baron Humboldt, relating to the proportions of various pyramids, is as follows:
Pyramids Built of Stone.
| Cheops. | Cephren. | Mycerinus. | ||||
| Feet. | Feet. | Feet. | ||||
| Height | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 448 | 398 | 162 | ||
| Base | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 728 | 655 | 580 |
Pyramids of Brick.
One of five stories in Egypt near Sakharah, height, 150 feet; base, 210 feet.
Of Four Stories in Mexico.
| Teothihuacan. | Cholula. | |||
| Feet. | Feet. | |||
| Height | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 171 | 172 | |
| Base | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 645 | 1355 |
Humboldt continues: "The inhabitants of Anahuac apparently designed giving the Pyramid of Cholula the same height, and double
