Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-05-04
Curious and Tnteresting Dlscoyery.

An ASCIEET AND CIVILIZED PEOPLE,
The following curious letter is calculatet
TO arrest more than ordinary attention. 1
;, is from the pen of o. H. Green, of the U
\ S. sloop-of-war Decatur, is dated "off tn.
IStraits Of Magellan. Feb. 18TH" and ap
lpeared in the New Orleans Picayune ofthe
lst inst: a $3.50
I There being no appearance Of change
of weather, Iohtaiued leave of absence fol
a few days, and accompanied by my class
mate and chum, DR.. cambridge, Assistant
Surgeon, was landed on Terra del Fuego
With great labor and difficulty we scram-
bled up the mountain sides, which line the
whole southeast shore Of these Straits, and
after ascending $500 feet, we came upon =
plain Of surpassiug richness and beauty
Fertile ields-the greatest variety Of. fruit
trees in full bearing. and signs Of civiliza-
ton and refinement meeting us on every
side. We hadineyer read any account OF
these people, and thinking this Island Who'll
ly deserted, except By a few miserable can
hibals and wild beasts we had come well
armed, and yoa can Judge Of our surprise.
The Inhabitants we're utterly astonished 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 imagined
that we had come from their God, the Sun,
on some peculiar errsnd of good. They
are the noblest race ever saw, the men
all ranging from 6 feet to 81, well proper
toned, very athletic, and straight as en- ar
row. Tie women were among the most
perfect models of beauty ever formed, av-
eraging 5 feet high, very plump. with small
feet and hands, and with jet7blRck eye
which takes you BY storm We surrender
ed at discretion, and remained two weeks
with this strange people. -ie1s4 os
Their teachers of religion speak the Latin
language, and have traditions from success
sive priests, through half hundred centu-
ries.
They tellus this Island was once attach
ed to the main land; that about 1900 years
ago, BY their records, their country was WIS.,
tied by violent earthquake. which oceas-
ioned the rent now known as the Straits of
of Magellan; that on the top of the noun
tain 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
20e feet square, and over LOO feet high,
built of the purest pantile marble. A
thousand reflections crowd upon the mind,
in viewing this people aud this paradise,
before unknown to the world. -
The ship is in sight that will carry this
10 you, and l must now close; only saying
that the official report of DR.. Bainbridge TO
:he Department, VIII be filed with the
most interesting and valuable matter, and
astonish the American people. The vessel
proves to be the clipper ship Creeper, from
the Chinchi Islands, with gnano, for your
port, and will avail myself of this Oportu-
nifty to send you specimen of painting on
porcelain. said to be over three thousand
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 had not varied two hundred as
they prove by their traditions, for immem-
orable 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 beautiful stream
called called Tauuhan, which takes its rise
in the mountains, passes through the mag
nifcent valley of LeuVu, and empties into
the Atlantic at the extreme southwestern
point of the Island 1 ail ldl
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 and all fruits and vegeta-
bles, esteeming it the height of impiety to
taste any thing that has life. They live in
little huts or cottages, each one by himself
avoiding company and discourse, employ
ing all their time in contemplation and re-
ligious duties. They esteem this life but a
necessary dispensation of nature. which
they voluntarily undo as a penance, eyi-
IDENTIFY thirsting after the dissolution of their
bodies; and firmly believing that the soul,
al death, is released from its prison and
launched forth into perfect liberty and hap
piness. Therefore, they are always cheer
fully disposed to die, bewailing those that
are alive, and celebrating the funerals Of the
dead with joyful solemnities and triumphs.