New Orleans daily crescent., 1859-09-03
Bsh ORLEANS 4zilp Grsst.ut.
SATURDAY MORNING, sEp7EMBER ;, 1852
The Aur,1srous Grave. Of ch,r,q.s.

raj wealth to be found in those regions induced two
other gentlemen TO join me in an excursion up the
coast, 10 the direction Of Cbiriqu-our port of EN-.
barkation being Punta Arenas Costa Rica. The trip
was made in the then primitive mode Of travel on
those coasts, in bongo Of large dug ont. Our crew
consisted Of captain and his wife, with four seamen,
all understanding, in all, nine persons. Being well
supplied with provisions for an absence OF month,
set sail in the month Of February, 1884, with the
view Of making landings ct all the little inlets, and
pass as far south as David. We made several land
ings at different points, before arriving at Gnlf Duce
At all the points at which We landed seven in num-
Der, embracing distance Of one hundred and twenty
miles, we were either shown these Huacas told that
short trip into the forests we conld see others Of
greater extent and much greater interest.
| One Of them was represented as being tagged with
large fiat stones, with the figure Of tiger resting
upon the front, as Q guardian. On all that we saw
we found pieces Of pottery, and in some instances,
where they had been dug into to any DEPTH the rem
nants of small stauettes, in granite, lay scattered
over the ground of which made quite collection.
The entire coast, after leaving Punta Arenas thirty
miles, is unnhabited, until Gulf Dulce is reached, q
distance Of ninety miles more. Here there is small
settlement Of about seventy persons. The gull is
about forty miles in length, and the most beautiful
sheet Of water the Pacific coast and furnishes an
entirely safe harbor at all times.
Here we were informed by the natives, most Of
whom are the mixed Spanish and Indians, that the
same Indications of previous race to be found
in all the hills and mountains distant from FIVE to
fifteen miles from the gull, always with the same ap
pearances Of unbounded wealth to be obtained by
opening the Huacas. This, however, they disdained
to do, preferring to gain precarious living by hunt
ing, fishing and pearldving in the gulf. The latter
could be made great source of profit, were they not
too indolent for anything that requires continued
energy of purpose. The day is dawning, however,
when this as well many other sources of wealth,
now hidden, will be opened up by the universal
Yankee nation, on that coast This coast from Pa.
mama to San Juan del Sur, is covered with pearl
oyster beds the coasts Of the north with COM
mon oyster ..e... -.
From Cult Dulce to Chiriqui the coast is much the
same as that described lying north, with numerous
small inlets, which require skillful pilot to enter
and we were informed that at every point the same
antiquities were to be found greater or less abun
dance.
| About midway between Punta Arenas and Gull
Dulce, is the island of Cunas distant from the main
land about twelve miles. This island is one Of the
most beautiful spots I have ever seen in my some
length and two in breadth, commencing on the east
ern end at about forty feet in hight and rising
dualy toward the western end to near five hundred
feet-where it terminates in precipce overhangiDe
the ocean, The ascent from one end to the other is
80 gradual as to give it the appearance of perfec,
level This must have been one of the favorite dwell
ing places of the now extinct race whose graves are
causing such stir in our land, The whole western
end Of the island is covered with them and here, al
the time we found more indications of their HAVING
been worked to some extent than at anv other place
we visited-hundreds of them having been dug into
and the pottery and broken satuettes we're
in all directions, It was here we made our pripcjpa
collection of those articles On the north of the island
there are two safe harbors for small vessels into eact
of which there is small stream descending from the
mountains, furnishing an abundant supply of the mos
impid water. Here had the misfortune to lose ont
of my companions from fever then prevailing on the
coast and said to be fatal than it had been fo
years. The other remained in Costa Rica, and fol
more than two years has been resident of David.
The island is entirely uninhabited, and is onl,
visited by the Indians, who reside on the mountains
about seyenty.ive miles from the coast, and wht
make annual visits here, during the summer or DR.
season, bathing in the sea, fishing, etc.
After we had been three days on the island, wha
was our astonishment on seeing an old man, Span
lard, apparently near 10, approaching US along tn
beach. This was somewhat heightened by learnin,
that he had been nearly three months there, entire
alone. He informed us that he resided among tn
Indians aforementioned and added to our list O
wonders already described by those we had met pre-
viously.
The point at which found the greatest number o
these Huacas, is in the Department of Guanacaste
Costa Rica. In all directions around the Gulf o
Nicoya, at the entrance Of which Punta Arenas i
located but particularly on the peninsula living be
tween it and the Pacific ocean, they are to be foun
in the greatest abundance This district of countr
is sixty miles in length and varies in breadth from
fifteen to forty miles, and in all the numerous valley
in which these interesting monuments Of a forma
time nrove prominent feature to the travele,
One which 7 visited fonnd to he raised abont ,,v
feet above the surrounding surface as though f.Gpe
hv ronoh mason Of the nresent dav. Ateach corne
and facing ont. stood a rather roughly vrouoh,
tbouob 6ns,v mon,dea statpe of granite ranroson,
no rather o;ant than man of the nresent centnrv
nlaced there as a guardian of the remains Of som
nrince Of his time. And how well has be cparde
them 10 the nresent t;me Rnt. alasI for bs cbarce
and b;mself too-tbe universal Yankee has learns
that he and his kind probably stand guard over tn