Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1859-08-09
From California.

From California;. j
Our files by the steamer Moses Taylor,
lat New York, contain some interesting
news, which we subjoin .B
From the Isthmus.
DISCOVERY OF GOLDEN IMAGES, IDOLS, ETC.
Much excitement has been occasioned
at Panama. and on the Isthmus generally,
by the accidental opening Of some Of the
Indian graves in the Chiriqui5 district,
and the discovery therein 81 large guam /
titles of. golden images. gods &c. As
there are supposed to be many thousands
Of these graves, equally weakly. many
hundreds Of persons have gone thither.
and many thousa1dsfof dollars worth had
been taken out and sent to Panama.
The Panama Star says:
H There il tradition that in former
times Spanish ship. obliged % put in
to one OF our ports from stress pf weather
for repairs, brought off A box of earth
from the shore for the gallery fireplace,
and that on arrival at home. on removing
the box thin cake Of gold was dissoy-
cred at the bottom of il the circumstance
gave rise to- large immig to the
district, and the city Of ga Estrella was
founded. who're the richest mines between
Cana and Sam Martin were for mary years
worked, but the aepredatioas of the FL
ilibusters and the hostility of the Indians
compelled the inlabitantst 10 abandon the
spot, aud they retired 70 Costa Rica,
where they founded the city of Carriage.
notwithstanding many attempts madeto
discover the site Of the city and its geld
mines. it is still unknown; but It is
thoughtt that these discoveries will induce
fresh explorations, which may at least
lead to the discoveries Of the rich aurife-
Erous deposits known 10 exist ID the prov
ince. Thenumber Of huacos throughout
the country is very great and may yield
immense treasure"
We have had the pleasure of examining
nine Of the golden images dug from the
Indian tombs Of Chiriqui, Central Amer
lea, and described by our Panama cores
tpondent on another page. These images
are in possession Of Messrs, Ball. Black
& Co., but belong to hi. Otis, the sur
geon Of the steamer Noses Taylor
Among them are representations of the
bat, the eagle, the peccary, the frog land
other animals. The largest. representing
a bat, is about FIVE inches long by three
and half inches in width, and weighs
six ounces. The gold is generally about
twenty carats 6ne-some of it slightly al
loyed with copper--and Is worth as ner-
Ichandise, about SIT the ounce but as
lobiects Of curiosity, the images are sold
on the spot for $50 the ounce. The i'm
lagos are cast and polished. and exhibit
much ingenuity in the modelling. The
people by whom such objects were made
must have been eonsiderablyiad advanced in
civilization. The study of American an
Itiquities will doubtless beadvanced by the
discovery of these remarkable images. -.
j The specimens We have seen viii be on
exhibition at Messrs. Ball, Black Il Co.,
for tToIor three days,-ssN. Y. Ifi6ane,
IA correspondent at The new = Dig
/ gings says Il
4 II saw 8 900 worth in the hands Of
one man alone, and there are others who
have still more. There are millions Of
these graves all over the country il this
province and also throughout Central
i America, enough TO employ thousands
of men for many years. 1t Is only three
weeks since the diggiags commenced
and the amount of wrought gold discoy-
erred is enormous
a The letter goes on toIsay that agricul-
ture is quite deserted, and that Iprovis-l
ions, liquors, clothing and tools would
find good market. The Panama Star
adds: as 5--ttlE rs
& These accounts come from reliable
and disinterested sources aad worthy Of
every credit. Chiriqli is a beautiful
and healthy country, sparssly populated
byTa quiet and simple people. As the
graves are scattered over aYast extent
and far from any settlements persons who
think ot trying this novel mode Of mining
should 60 well prepared, and not trust to
, the present resources Of the country.
eve saw Yesterday, (JnIy 18Th, ] at
the Office of Messrs. Cabrera, Hourquet
y Co.. some twenty ponds Of gold ina
lges, idols, DE, recently taken from an In
dian !" huaco' (burying place, J near Da-
5 flus ~ tnlS DtdVo auut UIOu9ub mere IOf
sale by Mr.. Manuel Fernando. tits Cur.
rently reported that The company who
are engaged jim the speculation have Ia.
ken ont some eighty thousand dollars
! worth from the same fhuaco.'
& Among the LOT wseaw some curious
lily wrought alligatorss similar to those
found in the India11 Iburying places 81
j Peru and Mexico. AT. what date these
: relics Of antiquity wers deposited here No
lone knows some of them look old
fenough to have been made by Tuba
Cain. The alligator seems to have beer
!, in great veneration BY the aborigines Of
these countries as veil as Of aacien
Egypt.
b No doubt large quantities Of manu-
o factured gold lie buried all through
5 North and South America in these Indi-
d LAND huacos. In all Of the wars between
i different tribes no enemy was ever guilty
dIof disturbing the resting places Of tn
d Idead.n
j. RATHER SINGULAR.- The body Of
Railroad eoTlductar Tecentlv drovfned Il