The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1855-05-18
Discovery CT a New People On the Wes-
tern Continent.

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 Just been made by the officers
Of the sloop-Ci-war Decatur.
il will BE- recolIected that the Decatur sailed
from Rio in company with the Massachusetts,
(ProPellerl-that they parted company, and
that for some weeks the loss Of the Decatur was
looked upon as Certain. She was afterwards
discovered by her conSort, part way through
the Straits Of Magellan, and was lowed into
the Pacific by the Massachusetts,. The New
Orleans Picoyune OF the lst inst, publishes a
bitter. received from O. H. Green, dated on
board the Decatur. .'of' the Straits of Magellan,
Feb TO-" and which contains some statements
50 startling that we make the following ex-
tracts. From the apparent resprclabiity OF the
source, we see no reason for doubling the
narrative, remarkable as il is. The writer
saws
There being no appearance of change of
weather, obtained leave OF absence for few
days, and accompanied by my classtnate and
schum, Dir. Bainbridge, Assistant Surgeon, was
landed On Terra del Fuego. With great labor
and difficulty we scrambled up the mountain
sides, which line the whole southeast shore of
these Straits, and after ascending $500 feet, WE
came upon plain Of surprising richness and
beauty: fertile fieIds-the greatest variety Of
fruit trees in full bearing, and signs of ciyihza-
ton aud refinement meeting It's on every side.
We had never read any account Of these pto-
pie, and thinking this island was wholly de-
serted, except by few miserable canui6als and
wild beasts, we had come we'll armed, and you
can Judge OF our surprise.
The inhabitants were utterly aStonished al
out appearance, hut exhibited no signs of fear,
nor any uniriendIineSs. Cur 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 prculiar errand Of
good. They are the noblrst race ever saw,
the men al! ranging from 8 feet 10 6 ;, well pro-
portioned, very athletic, and straight an
low. The women We're among the most per-
feet models OF beauty ever formed, averaging
feet high, very plump, with small feet and
bands, and with Jet black eye which takes
you by storm We surrendered at discretion
and remained two weeks with this strange peo-
pie.
The ship is in sight that will carry this TO
Won, and must now close only saving that
the official report OF DR.. Bainbrdgs' to the De-
partment, viii be filled with the most interest
ing and valuable matter, and aStonish the AmrI-
Ican people The vessel proves 10 be the clip
per ship Creeper, tiom the Chinchi Islands,
with Guano, for your port, and will avail my
self OF this opportunity TO send you specimen
of painting on porcelain, said to be over three
thousand years old and an image, made of gold
and non, taken in one OF their wars many
years before the Straits of Magellan existed.
-f,f Irtt
language, and have traditions from Scccrssive
priests, through halfa hundred centuries
They tell US that this island was once attach
ed to the main land that about 1000 years ago,
hv their records, their country WAS visited by
violent earthquake, which occaSoned the rent
now known as the Straits of Magellan that on
the top Of the mountain which lifted lis head
TO the sun, whose base rested where :he waters
now flow, stood their great temple--which, ac
cording 10 their description, as compared 10 the
one now existing we saw, must have been H.
200 feet square, and over 100 feet high, built
OF the purest panlIle marble.
They number about three thousand men, wo-
men and children, and was assured the pop
uIation had not varied two hundred, as they
prove by their traditions, for immenorial ages.
As the aged grow feeble they are left 10 die,
and if the children multiply too rapidly they
are sacrificed by the priests. This order COM
priSes about one tenth of the population, and
what the anclent Greeks called ''Gymnopbists."
They are of one peculiar race, neither will
they admit stranger into their order They
live, for the most part, near the beautiful stream
called Tanucan, which takes It's rise in the
mountains, passes through the magnificent val
ley of Leuvu, and empties INTO the Atlantic at
the extreme southwestern part OF the Island.
The residence is chosen for the sake OF their
frequent purifcations. The diet consists oi
milk, curded with sour herbs. They eat APP
plies, rice, and all fruits and vegetables, esteem
ing il as the height Of imPety TO taste anything