The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-12-20
zsroEufEck % rtlE cALEpoHiAH.
the AZTECs,

Df3R SiHi- foumay have seen some no.
tlce Of two diminuiive specimens Of humanity,
belonging 10 race which was supposed 10
have been long since extinet-now on eshi.
hition Ia this city The strangeness Of their
history, the light they are destined 10 throw
pPoR che HITHERTO liule bpoWR history Of an
eient Ameiea and their singular physiha
aud mental conformation, must excite the
deepest interest In tho minds o. Psychologists,
historians, and philosophers. They are de-
scondAnts Of tho saceriola casts Of the an
cieut Aztec founders Of this ruined temples
Of Central America, and were captured from
the idolatrous city Of Iximaga, ia tho spring
oflsAD. The following description cut from
the Journal NJ Commeroe
aThe race Of priests 90 which they belong
IL supposed 10 have become Ldlliputian by
tho deguneraoy which results FROM limiting
intermarriaPa 10 those Of their own caste
The specimens brought here are perfect in
form, though slight MASlmo. tho boy IL on,
y thirty three inches in height and Bartola,
the girl, three or four iBehea shorter, Their
ages can only be- conieoiured but there are
indications OF maturity about the boy, that
are seldom, II eyer witnessed NJ No early an
age as twelve. The girl IL supposed 10 DO a.
bout nine, Their skin IL of the Indian hue,
hair and eyes jet black, the latter large, bril-
liant aud expressive. The hair Il wayy and
VERY beautiful Their neat little figures we're
exhibited 10 great advantage, in black stocki-
net dresses, htinR closely 10 their bodies aud
Limbs, and short fanoiiul tunics, They re-
ccived us With easy ghyoty. Indeed, they
seem 10 have Perieet confidence in all who
approach thom Nothing rust rsins ,AaiV live
~, juvenile propensitirs. They seemed 10
derive INFINITE amusement from their tin cups
presenting them, AZ m giving water 60 all
who were present, aud fnAllyto the cane on
which they seemed 10 think il fun alive 10
ride horseback fashion, They arr exceed
ingly docile and aileclionAtc, aud the little
girl seemed quito cmulous Of rcreiIng M
much notice as her companion. Their head,
are singularly foFmed-the forehead forming
nearly straight limo with tho nose aud re-
ccding 10 an apex which IL forms with the
back Of the head-stnkingly's similar 20 the
I sculpinfvd ngUrcE on trntrnf Attefis.aH ulanz
umcnta. Nor are they less peculiar In their
manners and carriage. 10 general, their al
titusles exhibit pcricct grace but We noticed
ilai whenever the boy sat upon the floor, n
be frequently did, he Invariably sat upon che
inside Of his iegs aid thighs. bending hi,
knees outwards, and forming With his lcgs on
A
tude We have frequently seen exhibited IN
drawings from Egyptian seulpturrs,s
The manner IN which they were procured
Is related 10 pamphlet recently published
entitled "a Memoir ~ an ErenyfR Eypecii
lion d, Ceprd .imerica,' % partly compiled and
partly translated from the Spanish Of Pcdr,
Nelasqucz Of San Salvador. From this pam
phlcl we CLEAN the following fac,si
Stephens, in his travels in Central A
morica," gives an account Of n large city q
mong the mountains OF that country, inhabit
ed by race which had never been subdue,
by the white man, and the inhabitants Of whirl
slew ever, stranger who penetrated into thci
trcrritUry. That traveller hal the atreagea
dcsirc 20 visit thu city, bur a. II rould rrus b.
done except by forrc, he was not prepared q
undertake the adventure.
lie says-"Fivc hundred men could prob
ably march directly 90 the city, aud this IN
yasion would be more justifablc than an,
made by the spaniards Two young men o.
rood constitution, and who could afford &
sp6Hd i've yvHrs u'IFht rsfrr--+ls So ss..s., Il
ever so willing TO peril his life, could under
tako the enterprise with any hope Of SUGGEST
without lowering for one or two years on th
borders Of the country studying the lAuguae
and character Of the adjoining Indians, an
y making acquaintance with some Of the ma
I lives" ---
Two young men melted by this passage i
Mr. stophens' book ono, Mr. Huertis ol
Baltimore, an American Of Spanish parents
: possessing iortUnc, and who had travcle
in Egypt, Persia, and Syria for the persons
inspection of ancient monuments and III
other, Mr. Hammond, ciyilcugincer fror
Canada, agreed 20 undertake the perilous cr
terprise. Having cqaippqd themselves wit
oIesythiHg necessary for scientific, as We
as warlikecxpediton, they sailed from Ne
, Orleans in the fall of sls, for Balze Theme
they proceeded through the wilderness, wit
party Of ten Indians to Coban, where the
! fortunately made the acquaintance Of VclN
. quez, the author Of the narrative. He accom-
8 panied them to Santa Cruz del Quicho,wher
the curato lived, who gave Mr. Stephens III
account OF the mysterious aud inacccssibl
q city, the white limits Of which he had see
from the mountains, glittcring in tho sun
They obtained guide, mustered oompan
= Of thirty five persons, with ifly revolving r
: flcs and other arms, climbed the mountains
, the height of 10000 feet, and were rewarle
with a view Of the city Of Iximayu. 1t wa
ofvast Dimensions with LOFTY walls, domes an
p temples. They were not permitted to entc
! however, without a skirmish, in which tn
natives were worsted. Mr. Hammond recci,
cd a wound from spear, from which he 500
, aitcr died. The invading party were the
e admitted into the city the walls of whic
were sixty feet high, They were massiy
work of a remote period, the sculptured az
nnls Of tho city recording them an antiquit
, of 1000 years. They formed parhllelograi
four miles long and threo in width, thus CT
closing an area oftwelvc square miles ther
, being q single gate on each of the four side
! On approaching the eastern gate, the trpve
lers discovered that tho foundations Of th