The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-11-21
ETHNoLoGY AND ANTIQUITY.

II
Mr.. 8. G. Arnold, "a gentleman travelling
in South America,) have been read be
:. fore the chronological Society. The let
ter Of Mr.. Squier gives some curious ant
interesting facts, which illustrate in 8
beautiful manner the character Of the In
dams of Central America, and develops
new and hidden stores Of Indian antiqui.
Ity. Hatred Of the Spanish race has rails
an impossible barrier between the Tndi
an and his conqueror, and whatever would
tend to crafty the cupidity or curiosity
OF the latter. has been either destroyed
or hidden by the former.
Such are the feelings Of the Indian OF
Central America towards the Spaniard,
and under circumstances so favorable to
the antiquari Of other lands did Mr..
Squier owe the kind reception which tt,e
says he has received frons the ill-treatcd
aborigines. $780,
In one Of Mr.. Sluier's visits to the
Indian town Of ,Sub,iaba, he was received
in formal manner, and in the address
which was made to him on that occasion,
he says that the spokesman exclaimed
with startling emphasis, s'The Spaniards
have had their feet on our necks very
long; we hope the sons Of Washington
will overwhelm them as they have u.s.
we hate them" sit sounded strange -
adds Mr.. Squier, "to hear the Indian talk
Of Washington. But his name is familiar
in every rancho, and the common saluta-
tion, "Hail son Of Washington" is heard
from barefooted mosos on the road"
Mr.. Squier had gained so much of the
confidence Of the Indians, that they dug
up for him several Of their ancient idols,
and were exhuming more. They i'm
posed on him but one condi,ion-that
that was, that he should keep the locali-
ty secret from the Spanards. He gives
a graphic description Of visit which he
made to the Island named Mornotombi,a,
in lake Monogua. This Island is vol:
canic cone, rising majestically from the
bosom Of the placid lake, on which it
seems to lean in calm, silent, and melan-
choly grandeur. In this locality he dis.
covered several idos-one of which, with
the labor Of twelve men and hard days
work, he succeeded in bringing away, and
intended to ship it, with some dozen 9TH
ers, to Washington.
Mr.. Arnold's letter is addressed 10 the
p resident Of the United States, and &C.
companying it are some documents from
an aged priest, who represents himself as
the last Of tho Incas. The old man asks
for the protection ofthe United States
This he does in compliance with an an
cient prophecy Of his nation, which both
foretold its ruin by the Spaniard, and its
establishment in more than its ancient
spleudor by the aid Of people from
country called England. The Inca says,
GAS tho prophecy does not expressly say
whether their restorers arc to be Anglo
Europeans or Anglo-Americans it appears
to me that the children Of the Sun ought
to follow their own incIinatons." And
hence he concludes that they are al liber-
ty to place themselves under the grand
Republic Of North Anne RIGA. He concludes
by placing himself under the protection
Of the U. States; and prays the Almighty
to preserve tho health Of The Presiden:
all the years that America may require it.
This old man is more than ninety years
Of age; and when visited by Mr.. Arnold,
the latter was surprised to find him in
his garden, at the juvenile employment Of
reading Tasso's Jerusalem.
We regret that our space limits us TO
this mere sketch Of these interesting doc
uments. On another occasian, and that
very soon, we trust that our arrangements
will enable US 10 lay before our readers
all such sketches as may tend 10 illustrate
anddleyelop the manners, customs & laws
/ of the ancient aborigines Of this CONT
nelts
be apostacy Of Benz, and other
4 Hung lien chiefs, affords subject for
4 nsxsp psr Speculation. A variety Of O.
Pinicus = given ~ the press upon the
probable motives which induced them to
4 take this step among these, there is not
one more probable than that an an'icipa-
led struggle with Russia Or Austria, on
tho part Of Turkey, induced them 70 Join
the latter powsr not oas il sits political,
but also social ~ religious relations.
This step viii giye 4 Aese chiefs more IN
fluenee u the E Army than they
would other wise + WI ma should Al !,