Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-05-09
Curious and Interesting Discovery An Ancient
and Ciyilised People.


is from the pen Of o. II. Green, Of the U.
s. sloop of war Decatur, is dated "off the
Straits Of Magellan, Feb. 18TH" and APP
peared in the NewOrleans Picayune OF the
lst inst.
"There being no appearance OF change
of weather, obtained leave Of absence Tor
a few days, and accompanied by my class
mate and clum, Dr. Bainbridge, Assistant
Su geon, was landed on Terra del Fuego..
With grea, labor aud difficulty we scrambled
up the mountain sid, .. which line the whole
southeast shore Of this Strait, and after
ascending $500 feet, we came upon plain
Of surprising richness and beauty. Fertile
felds-the greatest variety Of fruit trees in
full bearing and signs VI civilization and re-
inement meeting US on every side. we
never had read any account OF these people,
and thinking this Island was wholly desert
ed. except by few miserable cannibals and
wild beasts, we had come well armed, and
you can Judge of our surprise. The inhabit-
ants we're utterly astonished at our appear
ance, but exhibited no signs Of fear, nor
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 err
rand of good. They are the noblcst race
ever saw, the man all ranging from 0 test
to Ga, 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 plum p, 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.
Their teachers ofreligion speak the Latin
language and have traditions from success
i've priests, through half hundred centuries.
They tell Us this Island was once attached
to the main land; that about 1000 years
ago, by their records, their country was
visited by violent earthquake, which oc
caioned tho rent now known as the Straits
OF Magellan; that on the top OF the mount
ain which lifted its head to the sun, whose
base rested were 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
II .oOS feet square, and over l 100 feet high,
built of the purest pantile marble. A thou
sand reflections crowd upon the mind, in
viewing his people and this paradise, be-
ore unknown to the world
The ship is in sight that will carry this
To you aud | must now close; only saying
that the official report Of DR.. cambridge to
the Department III be filled with the most
interesting and valuable matter. aud aston
ish the American people, The vessel proves
10 be the clipper ship Creeper, from the
Chincha Islands, with guano, for your port,
and ] will avail myself OF tins opportunity
to send you a specimen of painting on por-
ceiain, said to be over 1900 years D and
an image made Of gold and iron, taken in one
OF th;ir 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
the, prove BY their traditions, for immem.
orial ages. AS the aged grow feeble they
are left 10 die, and it the children multiply
too rapidly they are sacrificed by the priests
This order comprises about one-ten,h OF the
population, and what the ancient Greeks
called "Gymnosophsts. They are all OF
one peculiar race neither viii they admit
a stran .rer into their order. They live, for
the most part, near the beautiful stream
called Tanuhan, which takes It's rise IN the
mountains, passes through the magnificent
valley Lenva, and cmpties into the Atlantic
ut the extreme southwestern point OF the
Island.
This residence is chosen for the sake OF
their frequent publications. Their diet con-
ssts of milk, curded with sour herbs. They
eat apples, rice, and all fruits and veget-
ables. ;cs,eeming il the height OF impiety
to taste anything that mas lite. They live
in little huts or cottages, each one BY him.
self, avoiding company and discourse, EN-.
pIoying all their time in contemplation, aud
their religious duties They esteem this life
but a necessary dispensation OF Nature,
which they voluntarily undergo as PEN
anee, evidently thirstIng after the dissoiu-
ton of their bodies; and firmly believing that
the soul at death, is released iromits prison,
and launched forth into perfect liberty and
happiness. Therefore, they are always
cheertuIly disposed to die, bewaihng those
that are alive, and celebrating the funerals
of the dead with joyful solemnities and
triumph "