The Empire County argus., 1856-05-24
From the Alta California
A Thousand Years Ago.

Here said !, was II popuous citv
Here was once the seat of II puweiln empire
NoLNLYs RUNS
Th,rp a mass of many images
CIowdt d ike waves upon me, bu he was
a parl ct all and in The last he lay
KeIoSIhg nom the n0ouIide sui rnesS,
C"ucrd anorg fallen columns in 'he shade
vi iuI' d walls thai had survived the names
VI those who reared them. BYRON
How lalmy is the atmosphere" said A -.
How bright the sky above. how beautiful the
earth beneath us; and how like IA feather our airv
castle floats through the blue ether -
Aye answered B., And how far superi
or our present mode of travelling to the uncut h
c"nv'yancrs in 'y gone times accounts of which
have come down to Us in history. Such were the
crude and cumbersome days of steam. when men
were drawn at ii snails gait, by numbering lncomo-
uNes. along dusty ways of rough and rafting iron
and clumsy ships ladened with pondrrnus engines
slowly Pl"wed their sluggish way across the
trackl"ss oc'an aud oft in storms disabled or in
an unsu~prcting moment driven ON uanypr., us
shoals. sark with IL the u and souls +" death or rs-
Gaping these. 'i ~ llcir 'wh iIh,,cnt ha les.
ar Dangerous elements "f fire and steam prni up
within were wrap in flames or torn IN countless
ate MS "r flew IN ,alrr flame and a>les ON the
restless winds. 'r fl at,d .lless IN HE waste Of
waels.
Yes blr>>l in l.el are wr" respond Il -
look t"h"hl what beautiful tract If conn,ry we
are approaching. Speak to the director of the Ar
""liIr I" check its speed moment. whl. | pro-
VIDE II lunch and prepare p,rachu es to de-
scrnd.
here now. " said |. as we gently touched the
earth. - we are again on terra frma :: then turn
ing to catch glimpse of the airy ship which we
had just ler. the Arieue. iighfyrr hrhcld her
a> speck upon the dun horlznn speeding away
at the rate of two hundred miles per hour
Nv hat delightful climate is here-hnw pictu-
rescue the landscape- with hill and valley abrupt
cliffs of towering rocks and lofy mountains, shape
les, with otrhanging masses. which lean. as it were
against each other Ior support. if like toys they
had been tossed IN Some great ,ulson of the
earth. And here along this rugged mountain 5
side. and upon the sands beneath. are shells and
coral reefs and deep ahraoions in the solid rock.
IL, If the waters OF the many miles
away. once found inlet to some inland road or
bay or. prrcl'nncr. s' me mi Shty river cleft
the bills IN lis resisle>s course and rushed hntw .xt
these lofty walls Of stone. in torrents to the sea-
And here upon the left h.holL II level plain. u e,-
strcwn with scattered runs OF some na.iiress and
lung turgottrn cy Here fallen column and tot
tcring arch. with moss oergrUwn and drap"d with
IVY bear cord of many centuries fl ,wn since their
day of glory wan"d. where now the mldrws of de-
cay dciace the rescUed walls, and the night of dim
oLscuri'y drools ike funeral pail around the
couch or luny departed glory"
= Here let Us rest Il willie, said my companion
upon his fallen column in the shadow of this old
ruined wall with SIN ubbriy crowned twill shield
from the sun while discuss This lunch OF bread
and VINE slowed away in the basket 1T parachute -
We hal scarcely finished our lrpasI when anoI-
or party of four p"rs"no composed ct NV" gentlemen
accompanied l.! ladies. approached the spot where
were seated. ana. Ike ourselves. seeking II mo-
mcnte rest and shelter r'm the sun. sat down upon
some m">,y stones IL few feet from us
Now. sand one of the gentlemen. who was hol-
ding book IN hi, li ip.'i Will Commence reading
where left IF :" And thu, he cunt,nurd:
! ti>. It's prime pal cy Of the most re-
mnrkalre "I it, day IN truth, lhe wonder of lhe
world and o the 'ine>. 1t sprung rs if 10y magic
mt" Existence. AID grew and extended win II ra-
lty never before witnessed, since. In It's early
day.. the devastating ,h mcnt "t fire swept it aya,n
and again from The earth hut II, otlen II, it was
thus struck down. it did rise again. Ike the tahed
hrnix fOm its ashes.
One circumstance which tended more than any
other to elevate this cry to the renowned position
winch it had attained at the time of Its destruction,
was the sudden and unexpected discovery Of rich
and almost inexhaustIble mines OF gold and silver,
in the bowels Of the very bills upon which it was
built. and on almost every side surrounded. Never
before was such txhaus,le>s treasures revealed to
the eyes OF men, when in an unexpected moment
the SNOWY qnartz cropped out from meath the baser
st"ne and thlckiy scanned with massive gold, stood
gllttering in the light of day.
] his great discovery. wnich happened in the
eighth ur tenth y"ar aIt,rthe toundnG aud settle
mrnt of the ciiy iI Ann r,caii>. was made v few
lah"lei> VIII l' grading ami cxcisaIlna the streets
thIuus u hill ur il m,luiaIn cntf, orrhung
the ningn fcrnt bay upon w"irh 'he cay wa, sta
aici. ntl upon wh"se expansive ts'>tln H. aled an
immense fleet. laden win the veal ANA Commerce
oi the w,lid. 80 e,ca,. indeed was The wealth ol
tins cry. AT the inhabitants arr H. -urai,rly said
10 have d" roll ii IN the lap "f luXu'y whicu yam
bul"d as IL goddess p'urlnS treasures at The fre'
ui her la >urr. adorned the man ticcnt temples "t
alnl,,i incnt which graccd The clN. and iii honor at
wirm IA SPECIAL temple was eroc,cd OF Prciou,
sloncs. inaid and scanned with purest gold. rival
Lny in sulrlldur the comblned trca -ures of the
world l.d, IN his greatness and his glory. were
forgotten. and Luxury. G,ld and Crime were w"r-
shiped in his stead. \ climate of tabed >auhrliy
tingcd wunan's cheek with brighter. oyeher hue.
and ted her lustrous eyes with fire angelic. Flow
of rich and varied hues, d'tfusng sweetest per-
fumes. sprung innumerale and kissing from the
mellow earth and fruit overladen b"uShs dropped
with their mellow hurlhrn to the ground. Here
the grape attained purpler hue, whose juice de-
lciuus miduess brought he BRAINS OF men grew
eiIdy with delight and every throbhing pulse and
rich ,mlurl-lcd vein were gushing streams "i joy
and love. and passion and every drop OF blood
there III the essence t >oiup u>tesS.
from the period ut the mlSn icent and wonder
fu discovery above alluded To. the ciiy grew II
spI-udor and greatness, almost fabulous To relate
and until it covered the enIre peninsula on wnicl