The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-05-25
miscellaneous.
THE GOLD MOUNTAINS.
BY CORA MONTGOMERY.

The existen nee of land of gold and
gems, of stately temples and noble cities,
Inhabited by the remnant of talr com
plexioned race, who guard the approach
es to their forbidden regions more Jea'-
ously than the Oriental their harem doors,
is an old belief among the bold frontiers
men of Texas. Small Jumps of virgin
gold and uncut gems ofrare purity have
from time to time, found their way into
Texas, through the intermediate tribes
that swarm between the mysterious and
enchanting "Gold Mountains" and the
Rio Bravo which is equally the "Great
River" of Indian and white parlance,
However dim and varying in the minor
detail the precious specimens OF natural
wealth were always traceable to one
common origin-a cluster OF mountains
in the unexplored country between Tex
as and the Pacific Ocean. Many indica-
tions pointed out tributary of the Gia,
as the far.famed and mysterious SACRED
River" of Indian superstition; and thous.
and wild legends Of the Apaches and
Navahoes confirmed the main fact, that
ruined cities, whose builders were de-
parted and forgotten, but whose splendor
and magnitude shamed into insignlf-
canoe the proudest edi6ces of the recent
White Race, still lowered along its banks
while the mountains which overlook it,
and the very pebbles and rocks of Its
source, were composed of sparkling gems
and Jumps Of pure gold-but it was all
interdicted and sacred to the dead Spirit
of Fire. None of the inhabitants but the
pSests devoted to his service were per-
mitled to handle or apply these treasures
to any use, and the few Jumps which, in
one way or another, passed into the pos
session of the neighboring tribes, were
stolen under the peril Of death for the
sacrilege.
These traditions of a country abound
ing in gold and precious stones, far be-
yond the treasures of Mexico and Peru
were vaguely known to the early settlers
ofTexas score of years before the mine:
of California proved the possibility O
their truth, but with differences ofcircum
stances and locality. The Gold Regior
of California is on the Pacific slope, anc
at the further end of the mountains
bounding the California plateau. Will,
the Gold Mountains of the Texas legend
are on the higher side Of this winding
range, and near the point of intersection
with the great central chain; and thus. b,
geological laws-and this Inference i
confirmed by the undoubted presence o
precious stones--is more likely Il
contain the largest masses and creates
quantity of gold.-Wild and dim, and i'm
penetrable, as once seemed these sto
ries Of an unexplored land, pave'
with gems and gold. and studded wit
rocks of silver-beyond Texas and o
the line towards the Great Ocean of tn
.WeSt-one by one their principal an
most startling features have been confirm
, ed by several distinct and unconnecte
sources.
An officer of the United States, Will
thinking only of a military survey, stun
bles upon tho evidence of an India
worship, in which the alter of their 60
is lighted by perpetual fire kept burning
like the temple flames of the Roman We
ia, or the mole ancient Persians, frol
immemorial time, by tribe whose fail
ers came from the west. ba'1