Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-05-09
TRUMBULL COUNTY. OHIO, WEDNESDAY
INTERESTING DISCOVERY.
AN ANcIExr AND CIVILIZED PEOPLE FoU

The following curious letter is calcula-
ted to arrest more than ordinary atten-
tion. 1t is from the pen of o. H. Green,
of the U. s. sloop-of-war Decatur, is
dated "off the Straits of Magellen, Feb,
18TH" and appeared in the New Orleans
Picayune Of the 1st inst:
There being no appearance of change
of weather, l obtained leave Of absence
for few days, and accompanied by my
class-mate and chum, DR.. cambridge,
Assistant Surgeon. was landed on Terra
del Fuego. With great labor and diff
Guilty we scrambled up the mountain
sides, which line the whole southeast
shore on these Straits, and after as
cending $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 refinement 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 cannioals and wild
beasts, we had come well armed, and
you can judge Of our surprise. The in
habitants were utterly astonished at our
appearance, but exhibited no signs of
fear, or any unfriendliness. Our dress
amused them, and being the first white
men ever 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 / ever saw,
the men all ranging from 6 feet to 81,
well proportioned. very athletic, and
straight as an arrow. The women were
among the most perfect models of beau
ty ever formed, averaging 5 feet high,
very plump. with small feet and hands,
and a jet-black eye which takes you by
storm. We surrendered at discretion,
and remained two weeks with this strange
people.
Their teachers of religion speak the
Latin language, and have traditions from
successive priests, through half hund-
red centuries.
They tell us this Island was once at
tached to the main land; that about
1900 years ago, by their records, their
country was visited by violent earth
quake, 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 according to their
description, as compared to the one now
existing we saw, must have been IL, ,208
feet spare, and over 100 feet high,
built of the purest pantile marble. A
thousand reflections crowd upon the mind
in viewing this people and this paradise,
unknown to the world.
The ship is in sight that will carry
this to you, and must now close only
saying that the official report of DR..
Bsinbridge to the Department, will be
filed with the most interesting and val
liable matter, and astonish the American
people. The vessel proves to be the
clipper ship Creeper, from the Chichi
Islands, with guano. for your port, and
1 will avail myself of this opportunity to
send you a specimen of painting on por-
celain, 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 Magellan existed.
They number about three thousand
men, women and children, and / was
assured the population has not varied
two hundred, as they prove by their
traditions, for immemorable 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 what the ancient Greeks
called "Gymnosophists." They are all
of one peculiar race, neither will they
admit stranger into their order. They
live, for the most part, near the besud-
full stream called Tsnuhan, which takes
its rise in the mountains, passes through
the magnificent valley of Leuvu, and
empties into the Atlantic at the extreme
southwestern point of the Island.
This residence is chosen for the sake
of their frequent publications. Their
diet consists of milk, curdled with sour
herbs. They eat apples, rice, and all
fruits and vegetables. esteeming il the
height of impiety to taste anything thai
has life. They live in little huts or cot.
tages, each one by himself, avoiding
company and discourse. employing al
their time in contemplation, and theil
: religious duties. They esteem this lift
; but necessary dispensatiOn of Nature
which they voluntarily do as penance
, evidently thirsting after the dissolutio.
of their bodies /; and firmly believing
that the soul. at death, is released from
3 its prison, and launched forth into per
y feet liberty and happiness. Therefore
they are always cheerfully disposed t
d die, bewailing those that are alive. ant
+ celebrating the funerals of the dead will
Joyful solemnities and triumph.