Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, 2 Vols

by John Lloyd Stephens, Frederick Catherwood (Illustrator)

Edgar Allan Poe called it "perhaps the most interesting travel book ever published." Here, complete in one volume, is the classic real-life adventure--originally published across two volumes in 1841--that mesmerized readers with its evocative descriptions of journeys in Mesoamerica. With a wandering spirit mellowed by an analytic eye, American diplomat and writer JOHN LLOYD STEPHENS (1805-1852) introduced Westerners to the mysteries of the Yucatan in this contemporary bestseller, riveting armchair explorers with his lyrical account of visits to 44 Maya sites, including the then-unknown Chichen Itza and Uxmal. Complete with all the beautiful original illustrations by English artist and architect FREDERICK CATHERWOOD (1799-1854), this is essential reading for those fascinated by Mesoamerican culture as well as those under the thrall of an itch to see the world.

Genres: Travel, History, Nonfiction, Adventure, Archaeology, Ancient History, Native American

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1843

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

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephens' previous book, Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas & Yucatan, 2 Vols was a great adventure story and had me flipping pages just to see how these men would actually make it back home alive at some points in the narrative. This one continues their travels a couple of years later, this time through the Yucatan, where they made a circuit of several ruins from Copán to Tulum. While the going was not at all easy -- they battled ticks, mosquitoes, malaria, dense jungles, rough terrain and more to explore this region, they managed to make history with this journey. Their wonder at these discoveries is well documented in this book, along with Stephens' theories about the people who built these once-flourishing cities and Catherwood's brilliant illustrations.

An amazing read, and highly recommended for anyone at all interested in Mayan archaeology, the history of this region, and especially for anyone who's been to the area.

More here, where I take a look at Stephens' books as well as William Carlsen's Jungle of Stone: The True Story of Two Men, Their Extraordinary Journey, and the Discovery of the Lost Civilization of the Maya, which revisits Stephens, Catherwood and the significance of their work.

[Bob Arbogast · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my 50th birthday, my wife and I spent a week in Valladolid, taking day trips to various Mayan sites. Some sites, like Ek Balam, we had completely to ourselves. It was desolate, and only partially excavated. Having now read Incidents of Travel, I am so envious of John Stephens and the amazing exploration he undertook in the mid-1800s. On our drive from Cancun to Valladolid, we passed numerous thatched houses, hidden in the woods. They are probably modern versions of structures described by Mr. Stephens, similar to houses Mayans have been inhabiting for centuries.

The most impressive aspect of this 170-year-old work is its objectivity. Mr. Stephens admires the Mayan people, and abhors bullfighting and subjugation of the Mayans to the Spanish. He points out the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church, but esteems the priests nonetheless. The book is an interesting window into a region that that gets all too little attention and a culture that is certainly under-appreciated. The Mayans are among the most advanced civilizations ever known, and while millions are spent investigating the Egyptian sites, hundreds of known Mayan sites remained buried and unexplored.

[Javier X · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m Mexican and I’ve been in Yucatán three times, so when I found out about this book I was very excited because I know the impact he made and the drawings are very insightful.

But after finishing the book I feel somehow appealed, I liked the parts when the books serves as a Travel Dairy, but not so much when it got to technical with the sizes of every ruin and him giving a lot of wrong theories, because if he had researched a little bit more it would have been a more trustworthy book. What I didn’t like is how he romantically/sexually writes about underage girls and also how he always was proclaiming to be the first white guy in every settlement, also stealing all the paintings, sculptures and bones just because of it? Why didn’t he brought them to a Mexican museum? He had a white savior complex.

Finally, I was amazed at how he captures the lives of Merida, Izamal and some places that now are full of life like Cancun or Cozumel!! Also the ruins are in so much better conditions now than 160years ago.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

His writings were best sellers when popular travel writer John Lloyd Stephens published accounts of his exploits in 1843. He made two trips to the Mexican Yucatan area in an archaeological discovery of "lost" Mayan sites. He explored and discovered a number of little or unknown Mayan cities, including Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Uxmal. On one of the trips, he was accompanied by an artist. This volume is a selected compilation of his extensive writing. It is fresh and absorbing and contains the in situ drawings of the time as well as modern photos of restored sites. Stephens writes in a style that makes you feel you are there with him, and you can almost hear the buzzing of the mosquitos and other vermin that tormented his travels. Stephens exhibits some of the prejudices of the time and often deplores the rude and unmotivated character of the local Indians, who served as his guides. Nevertheless, he debunks the prevailing opinions of the time and asserts that the huge and complex Mayan structures were in fact designed and constructed by the ancestors of the local Mayan people, rather than some alien race or Egyptians conquerors. The volume served as excellent background for my recent trip to Yucatan. The mosquitos are still there.

[Amerynth · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an archeological examination of ruins in Mexico, John Lloyd Stephen's book is very successful, but as a travel and adventure narrative (which is how it is marketed but not necessarily Stephens' aim while writing) it doesn't. The narrative is too dry as Stephens documents ruin after ruin with only a modest bit of speculation about the ancient people who built them. His efforts to pry out and carry away interesting bits of the temples makes him seem more like a grave robber than an archeologist, but I suppose that is just due to the era he lived in. If you're looking for a textbook like description of ancient buildings, this book is for you.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up 17 years ago in Mexico when my husband and I were touring various Mayan sites. Very professional almost textbook like book on Stephen's archeological trips through Central America. The illustrations are amazing. There's a lot of information in this book, so if you haven't been to any Mayan sites, take it slow to savour a trip.

[Drtaxsacto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is remarkable. It was written in the late 1830s and was a run away best seller for a decade or more. It has been in continuous print since the first edition.

John Lloyd Stephens and his friend Frederick Catherwood were adventurers. They did a set of trips to Egypt and Turkey but in the late 1830s Stephens was appointed an ambassador to the Central American Republic. The US Administration was tying to continue commercial relations with the area which was in turmoil with a bloody and confusing civil war. While he took his diplomatic responsibilities seriously, as much as anyone in a country in chaos could, his real purpose was to do an investigation of the ruins in Guatemala and the Yucatan. Catherwood used a camera obscura to do some of the illustrations but after that was destroyed continued to do detailed drawings (he was an architect and one of the treats of this book is his illustrations).

To describe the travels they undertook as treacherous is to understate the point in extreme. The two travelers endured all sorts of privations and both ultimately succumbed too young. When the partnership disbanded Catherwood traveling to California for the Gold Rush was lost at sea. Stevens died at age 52 from the complications of all the tropical diseases he had suffered in his travels.

Stevens has a gift for description so the book reads like a travel story written by someone who has a keen eye for detail. I have not been to the major Mayan sites in Guatemala although his descriptions of places in the Yucatan (including what is now called the Pu'ch route - which includes Izmal and Tullum) rings true. This is a long book but well worth the effort.

[Robert Frecer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stephens' (mis)adventures in Maya land are hilarious. He mocks the Indians' efficiency and beliefs, but on the two occasions where he actually joins in the work, he falls sick with fever, and on the two occasions when he splits from the group and travels without guides, he gets hopelessly lost.

Still, it's hard to ignore this as an account of true exploration - uncovering enigmatic palaces in the jungle and following in pirates' footsteps - as there are no places like this left in the world nor will experiences like this ever be possible for anyone, period.

Also, this edition is sorely missing a map.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys travel, adventure, history, architecture, art and mystery. Very lucky to have this first-hand account of the discovery of ancient structures in the Yucatan jungle, as well as the beautiful drawings from Catherwood.

[Nilan · Rating 5 out of 5]

got this book after visitng the yucactan

[Hisuhn]

Dnf

[Alejandro Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al llegar a vivir a Yucatán comencé a leer este libro.
Es una extraordinaria narración de los lugares visitados y hechos acontecidos al grupo de aventureros conformado por John Loyd Stephens, Frederick Catherwood y el Dr Cabot. Desde su desembarco en Sisal hasta su partida.
Cualquier lector interesado en la cultura, arqueología y costumbres Yucatecas encontrará una maravillosa lectura en este libro. Mas aún si pueden visitar las zonas arqueológicas descritas en el libro, háganlo! No se arrepentirán.

[Stephen Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This amazing trek shows how well-intentioned travellers in the 19th century plowed their way through ancient sites (in this case, Mayan ruins) pillaging merrily along the way. I suppose the upside is that others were able to go there later and repair some of the damage. To think that John Lloyd Stephens had to be told that local indians might look unkindly on his robbing bones and skulls from the community's graveyard...

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sixteenth century Pope's quote in the conclusion on P 275-276 is a fearful example of the power of the written word to subdue a people. By 1547, complete Spanish control reigned over Yucatan, though even as late as 1550 there were only 1550 Spanish in all of the colonial proviince.

[Jersc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got about halfway through and it was due at the library. I had to force myself to read that far. I think it would of been a lot more interesting for me if I was into archeology or planning a visit to that area or had been there. It is essentially a cataloging of ruins.

[Jessica]

Toting this along on our first trip to the Yucatan.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

On National Geographic's list of 100 Greatest Adventure Books. Interesting adventure and travel book.