The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-03-16
Wonderful Ruins in Northern California.

peciiiy tie northern hall Of II, have long sugges
ted the question to the learned Which is the Old
World and which the Ncwi Every fresh explo.
ration OF our untrodden wilderness by the c,lrious
| traveller, brings to light some new memorials OF
human power and civilization, of which there is
now no other evidence save in the vague and I'M.
satisfactory traditions Of the present Indians of the
country. These memorials are found here and
there throughout the whole Valley Of the Mssiss.
| ppl; those OF a far more striking character have
| been discovered within these few wears in Yuca-
tan and Central America and there is good rea-
son Tor believing that similar vestiges Of an extinct
| race exist IN many parts of Mexico South Amer.
lea Is also rich III antiquities, perhaps equal il,
| magnitude and interest to those existing on this
halt OF the continent, but they have not been 50
fully explored by the curious IN such matters.
| 1t would seem, however, that far richer field
oi discovery Is now opening to antiquarians than
any hitherto explored; and it is not n little re-
markable, that while the whole world is acor at
the vast and apparently inexhaustible treasure,
oi California, country but iu,t opened To the
Anglo.Saxo race, runs should be found within
MS limits that outye in antiquity the Pyramids of
Egypt, Tadmor in the Desert, and everything in
short, save those OF Nineyah recently brought To
light by Mr.. LAYARD, if we may except even
these But such is the fact if we may rely upon
recent statements especially those made by Il cor.
respondent Of the .Ncr York WcrdH
| Last May, the writer referred to- visited the Is.
land OF ignaclo, situated about tlirtv-five miles
south OF the northern extremity of the Gulf of
California, IN the centre Of which are situated
some very remarkable runs called hy the native
The City Of the Dead World After stumbling
over piles Of stones iunumemblc and in every
form and position imag Unable" the wreck Of ati-
cleht edl1ceS the explorer finds, near the centre
oi 'e pam aii immense pyramid of loose stones,
TWO h"hnfed ioet square at the base, and forty
iec' lsh' having anlrreGular basin or crater in its
'oP' ii''eeii ieet deep Surrounding this pyramid,
one huiidied ana forty yards from its base, in a
perfect circle, and at about equal distances from
eHci oIher are seven circular ridges Of loose and
broken fragments OF stone sixty yards in circun,
'e'ahee al ther base on the inner side. with an
aVerag" "t twenty feet ia height In the centre
oi each Is cohcal mound OF the same material,
anu about the same height, with one exception,
anu tlils Is tiir only Instance where anything like
perfect wall remains visible amid this vast as
s.h'o"Sc o! unheahins runs. In this i found n
solid column Of masonry thirty. six feet h.h and
1riy i'et IN circumference at It's base, surrounded
y! .'o>e stones tilat seem TO have fallen from its
pp =, Not picture or image was to be found,
ana uie whole rum was thckIy overgrown with
grass MOWERS ana forest trees
Subsequently the writer visited some ruins Of n
hitherto unexampled character on the west bank
OF the Colorado, not very far from its mouth
ii1'r' Oh 'he Top OF m i'nmcnsc mound resting
upon triangular base Of blue granite ten feet
on SIDE and ten feet thick, he found three singu-
inr triangular pillars each formed Of n single
block Of stone, three feet on a side and eleven
itet hiSh, surinounted by triangular block Of
the same material.
Three -iourths OF mile from this are what are
termed the Finger Rings the remains Of sngu-
iaf structures apparently, tho object of which no
one can conjecture. They are immense hoops of
stone cut ont ol SOLD rock, OF various sizes, and
Nlns III H,l positions the whole having apparent
~ i"h',d t'll haIiow columns. In one case a
ioi'y OAK hihe icet IN circumference, was found
surrounded by one OF these huge rings of solid
stone ihefe were no less than nIne ot-tlese
rings ehcHcHiiS as many trees, though some of
u'e,ii were 4ute small Several other trees, sim
marry SH' ABOUT with stone, were dead from their
W" 'io'e e'noface' Inc foundations OF SIX OF tie
So'!'nhs referred to were discovered in the val
icy.
ABOUT nihdred and hity mules up the Color
auo 'ne writer penetrated n valley hlIed with
runs i-r more extraordinary than any Yet desert
ueu' 'c'''7'"S OF ehlhccS III every conceivable
''''' W "'IS'' '|''""' anu among INC res, huge
pyramids Ike those OF Egypt But We will let
'hc writer speak Tor himself
Having personally visited, and being familiar
with the construction of the Egyptian pyramid. |
can speak positively of their almost exact -imil-
anty--composed Of large blocks Of stone nearly
threc icct thick at the base Of the pyramid and
from SIX 10 ten Feet IN length, placed one upon an
other' ana each successive layer rcceding about
iii'een lnches-the only marked difference being
the apparent great age OF this, as compared with
those on the banks Of the Nile, many of the ere.
vices between the blocks of the same LAYER or
course beng more than foot wide; and so gen
orally are the upper edges worn away, presenting
ronnd rather than nm angular corner, that it is
with dIihcnlty their ascent Is made. Examining
the other barren pyramid, We find 1t differing IN
only one respect from this tits evidently of much
iater orgn Tor though the maicrml and construc.
uon Is the same neither the edges Of the stones,
nor the crovices between them, present that time
WON appearance as does the one first described
Before attempting any examination of the interior
OF these pyramids, we determined on penetrating
to the hill, or mountain, in the centre of the forest
Tor the nearer we approached, the more like n
mountain 1t appeared Two days of incessant toll
brought Us TO the foot of a mighty temple, called
by the Indians OF every tribe in the vicinity, Ma
haSo; though 1t seems to be applied by them TO
al