The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-05-16
WHOLE NUMBER SIS.
From The Bafalo Democracy.
Discovery OF a New People ON the
Western Continent.

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A discovery which, even in this age of al
most daily revelations of antiquities and
wonders of remote times and people, must
strike the world with wonder. has just been
made by the officers of the sloOp-of-war De-
catur. II will be recollected that the De-
catur sailed from Rio in company with the
Massachusetts (propeller)--that they part
ed company, and that for some weeks the
loss of the Decatur was looked upon as GER
tain. She was afterwards discovered by her
consOrt, part way through the Straits of Ma
gellan, and was towed into the Pacific BY
the Massachusetts. The New Orleans Pic
tyuhe of the lst instant publishes letter
received from o. H. Green, dated on board
the Decatur, "off the Straits of Magellan,
Feb. l5." and which contains some state
ments SO startling that we make the fol-
lowing extracts. From the apparent re-
spectability of the source, we see no rea-
son for doubling the narrative, remark able
as it is. The writer says:
"There being no appearance of change
of weather, obtained leave of absence
for few days, and, accompanied by my
class-mate and chum, Er@ Bainbridge, As
sistant 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 opon
plain of surprising richness and beauty;
fertile fields, the greatest variety of fruit
trees in full bearing, and signs of civiliza-
ton and refinement meeting us on everv
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
we'll armed, and you can judge of our sur
prise. The inhabitants we're utterly aston
ished at our appearance, but exhibited no
signs of fear, nor any unfriendliness. Our
dress amused them, and, being the first
white men ever seen by them, they imag-
ined 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 feet to 81, well proper
toned, very athletic, and straight as an ar
row. The women were among the most
perfect models of beauty ever formed, ave.
raging 8 feet high, very plump, with small
feet and hands, and with jet-blaek eys
which takes you by storm. We surrender.
ed at discretion and remained two weeks
with this strange people. . - --
"The teachers of religion speak the Latin
language, and have traditions from success
sive priests, through half hundred centu.
r;es. s- u- -, @
"They said this island was once attached
to the main land; that, about 1900 wears
ago, by their records, their country was
visited by violent earthquake. which oc.
casioned the rent now known as the Straits
OF Magellan; that, ON the top of the moun-
tain 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
l7,2O8 feet square, and over 1900 feet
high, built of the purest pantile marble.
"The ship is in sight that will carry this
to you, and must now close; only saying
that the official report of Dr.. Ba inbridge to
the Department will be filled with the most
interesting and valuable matter, and aston
ish the American people. The vessel
proves to be the clipper ship Creeper, from
the Chincha Islands, with guano, for your
port, and will avail myself of this oppor-
tunity to send you specimen of printing
on porcelain, said to be over 500 years old,
and an image, made Of gold and iron, ta-
ken 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 immem-
orial ages, AS the aged grew 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 the
ancient Greeks called "Gymnosophists."
They are all Of one peculiar race, neither
will they admit stranger into their or
der. They lives for the most part, near
the beautiful stream called Tanuhau, which
takes its rise in the mountains, passes
through the magnificent valley Of Leuvu,
and empties into the Atlantic at the ex-
treme southwestern point Of the island.
"This residence is chosen for the sake of
their frequent publications. Their diet con-
sists of milk, curdled with sour herbs. They
eat apples, rice, apd all fruit and vegeta-
bles, esteeming it the height Of impiety to
taste anything that has life. They live in
little hnts or cottages; each one by him
self, avoiding company and discourse, EN-.
ploying all their time in contemplation and
their religious duties. They esteem this
life but necessary dispensation Of nature,
which they Voluntarily undergo d pen-
nance, evidently thirsting after the dissoln-
tion Of their bodies, and firmly believing
that the soul 1T death Is released from Tie
prison, and launches forth into perfect lib
ery ard happiness Therefore, they are
- s - -. II. a; sss.ssa - L. E1 -. xs4s