Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1850-03-01
From the Chicago Daily Tribune
WONDERFUL RUINS IN NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA.

WONDERFUL RUINS IN NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA.
The extraordinary monuments Of a departed
people scattered over the American Continent.
especially the northern half oft, have lorg sug-
gested the question to the learned, which is the
Old World, and which the New Every fresh
exploration of onr untrodden wilderness by the
! curious traveller, brings 10 light some new me-
MORALS of human power and civilization, Of
which there is now no other evidence save in
the vague and unsatisfactory traditions Of the
present Indians of the country. These memo
| rails are found here and there throughout the
whole Valley of the Mississppi; those of a far
more striking character have been discovered
within these few years in Yucatan and Central
! America; and there is good reason for believing
that similar vestiges of an extinct race exist in
many parts Of Mexico South America is also
/ rich in antiquities, perhaps equal in magnitude
and interest to those existing on this half of the
| continent, bat they have not been 50 fully ex-
/ pored by the curious in such matters
! 1t would seem, however, that a far richer field
of discovery is now opening to anliquarians than
any hitherto explored; and it is not a little re-
! markabie, that while the whole world is arog at
the vast and ineXhaustable treasures of Califor-
mia, country but just opened to the Anglo-SaX-
on race, ruins should be found within its limits
that out-vie in antiquity the Pyramids Of Egvpt,
Tadmor in the Desert and everything, in short,
save those of Ninevah recently brought to light
by Mr.. LAYARD, if we may except even these
But such is the fact, il we may rely upon recent
statement, especially these made by cores
pondent of the n. Y Herald
! Last May, the writer referred TO visited the
Island of lgnaco, situated about thirtv-fve miles
south OF the northern extremity of the Calf of
! California, in the centre of which are situated
some very remarkable ruins, called by the ma
tives "The City of the DEAD World" After
stumbling over "Piles of stone nnumeraba, and
every form and position Imaginable" the wreck
of ancient editices, the explorer finds, "near the
centre OF the plain, an immense pyramid of loose
stones, two hundred feet square at the base, and
forty feet high having an irregular basin or era
ter in its top, fifteen feet deep Surrounding
this pyramid, one hundred and forty yards from
its base, in perfect circle, and at about equal
distances from each other, arc seven circular
/ ridges of loose and broken fragments Of stone
sixty yards in circumference at their base on the
inner side, with an average of twenty feet in
height. In the centre Ofeach is concal mound
of the same material, and about the same height,
with one exception, and this is the only instance
whore anything like perfect wall remains visi-
bic amid this vast assemblage of unmoaning rU-
ms. In this is found a solid column of masonry
thirty-sx feet high and thirty feet in circumfer-
ence at its base, surrounded by loose stones that
seem to have fallen from its top" Not pic
ture or image was to be found, and the whole
ruin was thickly oyergroWn with grass, flowers
and forest trees.
Subsequently the writer visited some ruins of
hitherto unexamped character, on the west
bank of the Colorado, not very far from its
mouth. Here, on the top of an Immense mound.
resting upon triangular base Of blue granite
ten feet on a side and ten feet thick, he found
three triangular pillars each formed Of single
block OF stone, three feet a side and eleven
feet high, surmounted by a triangular block Of
the same material.
Threc-tourths of a mile from this are what are
termed the 'Fnger-Rngs" the remains of sin.
gullr structures, apparently the object of which
no one can conjecture. They are immense
hoops of stone, cut out of solid rock, of various
sizes and lying in all positions, the whole hav-
ing apparently formed tall hollow columns
In one case lofty oak, nine feet in circumfer-
ence, was found surrounded by one of these
huge rings of solid stone. There were no less
than nine of these rings encrcling as m5ny trees.
though some of them were quite small Sever
al other trees, similarly girt about with stone,
were dead from their too close embrace. The
foundations of six of the columns referred to
were discovered in the valley.
About hundred and fifty miles up the Colo
RADIO the writer penetrated 4 valley filled with
ruins far more extraordinary than any vet de-
scrib2d, consisting OF edihces in every coUceiva-
bic state of preservation, and among the rest
huge pyramids like those Of Egypt. But we
will let the writer speak for himself:
Having personally visited, and being familiar
with the construction of the Egyptian pyramid
can speak positively of their almost exact SINH
Iarty-composed OF large blocks of stone, near
" three feet thick at the base of the pyramid
and from six TO ten feet in length, placed one
upon another, and each successive Ilyer recel-
ing about fifteen inchees-the only marked diff
ference being the apparent great age CT this, as
compared with those on the bank of the Nile -
many of the Creylces between the blocks of the
same layer or course, being more than four feet
wide; and So generally are the upper edges worn
away, presenting round rather than an angu-
lar corner, that it Is with difficulty their ascent
is made. Examining the other barren pyramid,
we find it differing in only one respect from this;
it is evidently of much later origin, for though
the material aud construction is the same, nei-
Their the edges of the stones, nor the creyces be-
tween them, present that time worn appearance
as does the one first described. Before attempt
ing any examination of the interior OF these pyr-
amids, we determined on penetrating to the hill,
or mountain in the centre of the forest; for the
nearer we approached, the more Ike noun
lain it appeared. Two days of incessant toll
/ brought us to the foot OF mighty temple call
/ ed by the Indians, Of every tribe in the vicinity
'Na-ha-go; though it seems to be applied by
them to the whole valley alike, with every struc-
ture in it, the meaning of which, in our Ian
guage, is best conveyed by the word "myste-
~ - or, il more words than one be used and aP-
/ piled to the whole valley, then VALLEY of Mys-
/ terv !" But when the Indian is called upon 10
explain its meaning, with great yehemence he
/ invariably answers, '.Na-ha-go!' or 1.-The place
we know nothing about" 1t would be in vain
! to attempt description, by language alone, of
this stupsndous monument OF human labor; for
I whether viewed as q structure entirely Of the
workmens hands, or as a natural mountain ter
raced from bottom to top in either case the
grandeur of the design, and its entire accom-
plishment, cannot bat fill the beholder with as
/ constituent and admiration; for not only does it