Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1855-05-09
DISCOVER OF NEW PEOPLE ON
THE WESTERN CONTINENT. %


THE WESTERN CONTINENT. 1"
A discovery which, even in this age of almost
daily revelations of antiquities and wonders OF
remote times and people, must strike the world
with wonder, has jast been made by the officers
of the sloop-o of. war Decatur. 1t will be recol-
lected that the Decatur sailed from Rio in CON-
pany with the Massachusetts (propeller)-that
they parted company, and that for some weeks
the loss of the Decatur was looked upon as cer-
tain. She was afterwards discovered by hercon-
sort, part way through the Straits of Magellan,
and was towed into the Pacific by the Massachu-
setts. The New Orleans Picayune of the lst
inst, publishes letter received from 0. II.
Green, dated on board the Decatur, "off the
Straits of Magellan, Feb. l5," and which con-
tains some statements so startling that we make
the following extracts. From the apparent re-
spectability of the source, we see no reason for
doubling the narrative, remarkable as it is. The
writer says: ~ I4 'a 1fh
"There being no appearance of change of
weather, obtained leave OF absence for few
days, and, accompanied by my classmate and
chum Dr. Bainbridge Assistant Surgeon, was
landed on Terra del Fuego. With great labor
and difficulty, we scrambled up the mountain
sides which line the southeast shore Of these
Straits, and after ascending $500 feet, we came
upon plain of SURPRISING richness and beauty ;
fertile fields, the greatest variety of fruit trees
in full bearing, and signs OF civilization and re-
fnement meeting us on every side. We had
never read any account Of these people, and,
thinking this island was wholly deserted, except
by few miserable cannibals and wild beasts,
we had come well armed, and you can judge Of
our surprise. The inhabitants were utterly as
tonished at our appearance, but exhibited no
signs of fear, nor any unfriendliness. Our dress
amused them and, being the first white men ev-
er seen by them, they imagined that We had
come from their God, the Sun, on some peculiar
errand of good! They are the noblest race ev-
er saw, the men all ranging from feet to 81,
well proportioned, very athletic, and straight as
an arrow. The women were among the most
perfect models of beauty ever formed. averaging
feet high, very plump, with small feet and
hands and with jet black eye which takes you
by storm. We surrendered at discretion and
remained two weeks with this strange people,
"The teachers of religion speak the Latin lam
guage, and have traditions from successive
priests, through half hundred centuries.
"They said this island was once attached to
the main land that, about 1900 years ago, by
their records, their country was visited by Vi
olent earthquake, which occasioned the rent now
known as the Straits of Magellan; that, on the
top Of the mountain which lifted its head to the
Sun, whose base rested where the waters now
flow--stood their great temple-which, accord
ing to their description, as compared to the one
now existing we saw, must have been l7,20S
feet square, and over 1900 feet high, built of
the purest pahtile marble.
Tho shin ia in siuht that will carrv This To
you, and must now close only saying that the
official report of DR.. Bainbrdge to the Depart
ment will be filled with the most interesting and
valuable matter, and astonsh the American peo-
pie. The vessel proves to be the clipper ship
Creeper, from the Chincba Islands, with guano,
for your port, and will avail myself of this op-
portunity to send you specimen of printing on
porcelain, said to be over 5000 years old, and an
image, made of gold and iron, taken in one of
their wars many years before the Straits of Ma
gelan existed
"They numbered about three thousand men
women and children, and was assured the pop
ulation has not varied two hundred, as they
prove by their traditions, for immemorial ages
AS the aged grow feeble they are left to die
and if the children multiply too rapidly they are
sacrificed by the priests. This order comprises
about one-tenth of the population, and are what
tho ancient Greeks called 'Gymnosophists.'-
They are all of one peculiar race, neither viii
they admit stranger into their order. They
live, for the most part, near the beautiful stream
called Tanuhan, which takes its rise in the noun
tains, passes through the magnificent valley o.
Leuvn, and finally it empties into the Atlantic
at the extreme southwestern point of the isl
and
"This residence is chosen for the sake o.
their frequent publications. Their diet consists
of milk, curGled with sour herbs They eat ap
pies, rice, and all fruits and vegetables, esteem
ing it the height Of impety to taste anything
that has life. They live in little huts or Gotta
ges, each one by himself, avoiding company ant
discourse, employing all their time in contem
plation and their religious duties. They esteem
this life but a necessary dispensation of nature
which they voluntarily undergo as penance, ev
identity thirsting after the dissolution of thei
bodies, and firmly believing that the soul a
death is released from its prison, and launche
forth into perfect liberty and happiness. There
fore, they are always cheerfully disposed to die
bewailing those that are alive, and celebratin!
the funerals of the dead with joyful soemnitie
and triumph" ugi e,s. aiot
A GoNER.-The Van Buren (Ark.) Intelligen
Ger of the 30th ult says .,...
at has been mathematically proven and prac
tcally demonstrated, that the Arkansasriver will
no more be fit for navigation. The banks hav
Of the river immeasurably, requiring large
L.. Ia -