Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-09-17
The Golden Graves.

who has spent several years in South Amer
lean countries, furnishes the Crescent with
some interesting particulars concerning the
"lluacas,' or Auriferuus Graves, which
have made such a stir in the papers, and
sent 50 many empty-pocketed aukees IN
hcad-long pursuit of plumber. and, eventual
ly, of territorial conquest. II we may be-
lieve this gentleman, and there is no reason
to do otherwise, the stories we have heard
about the golden graves of Chiriqui are any
thing else than Pixies Peak, Fraser River,
or Arizona fables. gotten up by designing
spectators to gull needy or avariclous fools.
Starting from Punta Arenas, Costa Rica,
in the month of February, 1853, our travel
lcrs, with the other gentlemen, made an ex-
cursion up the coast in the direction OF
Chiriqui. The result of his voyage may be
gathered from the following extracts:
AT all the points at which we landed,
seven in number. embracing n distance oi
l20 miles. we were either shown these llua-
cas-, or told that by short trip into the for
ests we could see others Of greater extent
and much greater interest
At Gulf Dulce he was informed by the ma
tives that in all the hills and mountains dis
tant from FIVE to fifteen miles from the Gulf,
the same indications Of previous race exls-
ted, always with the same appearance OF
unbounded wealth to he obtained by open
ing the IIuacas" This the Indians dis
dained to do, prelcrrns to gain precarious
living By hunting. fishing, and pearl-diving
in the Gulf
THE day is dawninS when this rs well as
many other sources Of wealth, now hidden,
will be opened up by the universal Yankee
nation on that coast. This coast, from Pan
anna to San Juan del Sur, is as covered with
pearl oyster beds rs the coasts of the north
with our common oyster.
Midway between Punta Arenas and Gulf
Duce and twelve miles from the mainland,
is the uninhabited island OF CunaS,-''one of
the most beautiful spots he has ever seen in
his somewhat extended travels" 1t is new
or visited except by the Indians in the sum-
mer time who 30 there 10 fish and bathc.-
From what follows, it may be inferred that
Cunas island will very shortly become Ia
vorite resort both in summer and in winter
for others besides Indians:
"Ths must have been one OF the tavorlte
dwelling places of the now extinct race.
whose graves are causing such Il STIR III our
land. The whole western end of the island
is covered with them; and here, at the time,
we found more indications of their having
been worked to some extent, than at any
other place We visited--llundreds of them
having been dug into; and the pottery and
broken stauettes were scattered III all dlrec-
tions. 1t was here we made our principal
collection of those articles. On the north oi
the island there are two safe harbors for
small vessels, into each Of which there is 4
small stream descending from the mountains,
furnishing an abundant supply of the m"st
limpid water"
But there ~ u spot still richer than CunaS.
1.-The point at which found the greatest
number of these lIuacas. is in the Department
of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. In all directions
around the Gulf of Nicoya, at the entrance
of which Punta Arenas is located but par
tcularly on the peninsula lying between it
and the Pacific ocean, they are to be found
in the greatest abundance. This district of
country is sixty miles in length, and varies
in breadth from fifteen to forty miles, and in
all the numerous valleys in which these in
teresting monuments Of a former time prove
IL PROMINENT ltdtuIc W tUt tIdNtiiti.
As to the amount which may be realized
by an active and unScrupulous Sraye-diggcr,
this statement is made:
"About FIFTEEN miles distance from the head
of the Gulf of Nicoya is one burying ground,
embracing about one hundred and fifty acres,
from which the former owner, Don Francis
co Gral, used in former years to extract
mines of wealth, although he opened but few
of the IIuacas. lie died in the summer of
1855, worth an estate valued in that country
at two hundred and sevcnty-fve thousand
dollars-most Of which, it was reported, he
had taken from these graves
This part of the continent on account of
its valueable mines, was called by the Span
iards Costa Rica, or Rich Coast. II our Yam
kce rcsurrcctioniStS meet with anything like
the Don's luck we suspect the name will be
retained. But golden graves and gold mines
are not all tho sources OF wealth in Costa
Rica. There is silver lake:
"A tradition of the Indians is-"That be-
ing seized and taken to the mines, and made
to work as slaves, they arose en- masse and
massacred the entire population of whites,
closed the entrance to the mines, and took
all the gold and silver found in the town and
mining establishments to the lake, ut some
distance, and cast it into the deepest part, 80
that should their opprcssors return, they
could never recover 1t.
Is not this enough TO make m American
adventurous blood tinslc and his fingers
itch? And who shall dispute the Traveller
when he sums M the manifest destiny Of
"Rich Coast in this wise:
This is only one Of the many legends OF
the country that 90 10 show the wealth
that did at one time, and no doubt still does
exist, and which will he developed when
this interesting country shall pass from pos
session Of the hybrid race who now inhabit
it. into tho possession Of one whose energies
are equal to the task of bringing out n 1.-THE
Of its exhaustleSs treasure
Take it all in all, we have nowhere seen
"A more exciting narrative than this, and, n
said before, we know Of no good reason to
doubt its truth. Hut it is well to TAKE every
thing with grain Of allowance. 1t is well
also to remember that the coasts where these
treasures Of buried gold abound are not the
most healthy in the world. Every man who
goes to Chiriqui does it ut the peril of the
yomito, and not all who escape that peril
will come back full handed.
But what if it all be true, what II the hall
has not yet been told, what if the treasure
from Chiriqui pours in as as fast rs the gold
from California? We shall all be rich
Money will become drug in the market.
But if money gets to be drug IN the mar
kct, it will cease tu hr OF any value, and, in