, 1853-11-12
The Antiquities Of AmeriCa-MOre Ruins
In the DeSCrt-The MOGuiS.

In the DGSCrt-Thc MOquiS.
From the San Francisco Herald.
A lively interest has been excited Of late
by the accounts we have published of ruin
ed cities and lofty pyramids in the soiIudes
ol the Great Basin. In corrOboration of
Capt. Walkers account of the implements
he discovered in the ruincd cities of the
Desert, the State Journal says:
"Hand mills, similar to those described
have been found scattered through all the
mining regions Of the State collections Of
them, dug up in the search for gold, may
b. seen in almost every mining camp. We
remember to have seen two, taken in one
day, on the bank Of the Yuba river, from
distance of sixteen feet below the surface Of
the ground. They are all made from pc
cular kind Of stone, which has the appear
ance Of combination of granite and burk
stone. This stone is filled with small cells,
but does not appear to be porous. The pes
ties, when found with these mOrtars or
mills, are usually of gnciss. There are
two Of these mortars near the Court House
door in this city, (Slcramento), probably
brought as cuIioslies from some part Of the
mines. These mortars are the only evil
dences of the work Of man that we have
heard of having been discovered in the di-
luyium containing the gold deposits ol Cali
fornia.."
MORE ANCIENT RUINS.
A correspondent of the Place5yillc Her
aid, the same who originally communicated
the particulars of the discovery of the Great
Pyramid between the Sierra Nevada and
the Colorado, writing from San Bcrnardno
Valley, under date of September 10, gives
the following account of an immense stone
bridge said TO have been found in the same
vicinity:
4" have received the Herald quite regu-
larly, one number containing the account
sent you Of the ancient pyramid in the Great
Colorado Desert. From one Of the three
advcnturers who made the discovery, by
their hazardous trip across the Desert, ]
gather the following somewhat interesting
account Of their further discoveries, in the
vicinity of the pyramid already described
In north westerly direction, distant about
three miles, they discovered the ruins of
what appeared to have been a bridge, the
foundations of which were Of stone, and
nearly six hundred feet from one Of the
outer abutmcnts 10 the other, while between
the two are no less than seven distinct
piers they were all apparently of equal
height, though many OF the top stones are
now dislodged. These piers were, nppa
rently, all Of the same size, and al the top
must have been about six feet by twenty.
In no place are they elevated more than
eight feet above the present level Of the
sands, nnd this can be said, only of one Of
the. piers. The two outer abutments are
nearly perpendicular upon the sides facing
inward, while The outer gradually slope TO
the level and even below the surlace--how
far below, was moi asceltained II is con.
elusive, therefore, that the bridge was elc-
waited to q considerable height above the
surrounding country, and that the original
foundations are now more or less submerged,
by the accumulated sands Of centuries
There is not the slightest appearance that
a river ever had its course nearer to this
ruin than tho Colorado, but from the fact
that this structure does not conform to
either North and South, or Feast and West,
but rather lies in a Norlh-eas, and South
west direction, would lead TO the belief that
some ancient river from the Northwest
once flowed between its walls and piers.
Evidences Of other structures having
existed in the vicinity, are apparent, in nu-
merous detached portions ofwhat were once
unquestionably the walls Of buildings, and,
as these extend for more than half mile
in every direction, except in the very di-
rectioh and line that the position Of the
bridge would indicate TO have been the bed
Of the river, it corroborates the suppositlon
that these immense piers and abutments
were the vertical supporters of an ancient
bridge of wood, for there is not the slightest
indication about them Of their having been
the supporters OF arches"
We take the following interesting des-
cription of strange people said to reside in
the interior Of the Great Basin, from the
Panama Star. 1t is entitled to full conf
dence:
WHO BUGLT TIE CALIFORNIA PYRAMID
In our summary of the California news
received by the 'Winfeld Scott , we noticed
the discovery of an antique pyramid in the
Colorado region, and in subsequent num-
Der of our paper published long article in
relation to it, from the San Francisco Her,
aid. The whole subject must be a deeply
interesting ono 10 everybody; and from n
gentleman now in this city, we have within
day or two, derived additional informa-
ton, which he has had the kindness 10 put
on paper for us. 1t is as follows:
"Your article on the antiquities of the
Erpot T,ptrol Il,c;n colls 10 r..r,Il,cIi n