Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-09-23
From the San Francisco Herald,

FROM the San francisco Herald.
The Antiquities Of AEneSiea-The Discovery OF . |
Remarkable Pyramid.
travellers upon the Colorado and its tributaries
nave long since spoken of the existence of ancient
ruins IN different localities, embraced by the great
american Desert, lying upon both. though princi-
pally upon the west bank of the Colorado and be-
tween it and the California range of mountains.-I
Even Baron Won Humboldt, during his researches
upon the American continent, discovered unmis
eakeabIe evidence of the existence at some greatly
remote period, of race of people entirely unlike
and apparently superior to those nhabitine the Con
tinent at the time of its discovery by Europe.ns
These evidences are becoming every day more and
more conclusive, as the energy love of travel and
novelty OF the American people, leads them into
earths widest businesses and over its most forbidden
sterile, and inhospitable wastes We remark as
above, on perusing article from the pen of our
San Bernardino correspondent giving an account of
an ancient pyramid lately discovered upon the great
desert OF the Colorado, by party of adventures,
FIVE IN number, who attempted to the desert in
a westerly direction from point the Colorado,
at least two hundred miles above its confluence with
the ella.
SAN BERNARDINo VALLEY, June 23d, 1858
Dear Herald There has been little excite
rient here OF late among the antiquarans and the
curious rising from the discovery of ancient py
ramid, upon the Great Colorado desert, and which
fixes the probability beyond all dispute of the pos
session and occupancy nj some greatly remote peri
cd of time. of the American Continent by race of
people, of whom all existing history is silent
party of men, five in number. had assembled the
Colorado for nearly two hundred miles above the
mouth of the ella. Their object being to discover
1t possible, some large tributary from the west, by
which they might make the passage of the desert
and enter California by a and more direct and
easier route, inasmuch there are known to exist
numerous small streams upon the eastern slope of
the mountains, that either lost in the sands of
the desert unite with the Colorado through trib.
utaries heretofore unknown. They represent the
country on either side of the Colorado almost to-
tally barren of every vegea BILE product and level
and montonous that any object sufficient to arrest
the attention possesses more or less of curiosity and
interest and it this which led to the discovery
and examination of this hitherto unknown reict of a
| forgotten age
An object appeared upon the plain to the west,
having SO much the appearance of a work of art,
from the regularity of its outline and its isolate DO
slton. that the party determined upon visiting it
Passing over an almost barren sand plain, distance
of nearly five hours they reached the base of one
of the most wonderful objects, considering its oca-
ton. lit being the very home of desoln.ion,) that
the mind can possibly conceive of-nOhng less than
an immense stone pyramid, composed of layers and
courses of from eighteen inches to nearly three feet
in thickness, and from five to eight feet in length
1t has a level top of more than fifty feet square,
though it is evident shat it was completed, but
that some great CONFUSION of nature ha. displaced
it's entire top, it evidently now lies huge and
broken mass upon of its Sides though nearly
covered by the sands
This pyramid differs, in respect, from the
Egyptian pyramid it is or was. more slender or
pointed and while those of Egypt composed of
steps or layers. receding they RISE the American
pyramid was, undoubtedly more finished structure
the outer surface of the blocks evidently cut
to an angle, that gave the structure, when and
complete, smooth or regular surface from top to
bottom.
From the present level of the sands that surround
it, there ftytwo distinct layers of stone, that
will ayeraoe at least fot rhs gives present
hnJ0h hnnIr oH an6f fook hat hofO he
top displaced, it must have been, Judging from
an angle of its sides, at least twenty feet higher
than at present. How far ii extends beneath the
surface of the sands: it is impossible to determine
without great labor.
Such is the age of this immense sructue that the
perpendicular joints tween the blocks worn
away to the width of from Eve to ten inches at the
bottom Of each Joint, and the entire of the pyramid
much worn by the storms, the vicisstudes and the
corodlngs OF centuries AS to make II easy of ascent
particularly upon one of its sides. We say one O
its sides, because a singular fact connected with this
remarkable structure is, that it nclines nearly ter
degrees TO side of the vertical perpendicular.
There is not the slightest probability that il thu
erected but the of its inclination is not easily
accounted for. BY whom, at what age of the world
and for what purpose this pyramid erected, viii
a probably forever remain hidden mystery. The par
y in their unsuccessful attempt to the desert a
this point, in their wanderngs discovered other evi
e dences, of a nature that would TO make it Ger
tain, that the portion of country upon the Colorado
now that most barren, the garden and gran
airy of the continent and the abode of millions of
a race
We have condensed the following statistical tabl
; of the trade and commerce of the Republic of Mex
L leo, statement which compiled from ofhcia
: documents, and given to US by young gentlema
in the Office of the Mexican Ocean Mail and Inlan
Company, of which MIR Rankin is agent. The ia
. BILE dscoses interesting facts. 1t would seer
. that the largest share of Mexican commerce and in
tercourse with the United States, and which