Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-08-10
Correspondence of the N. Y. Times.]

PANAMA, guy 10, ioo0'
The principal topic of conversation in Panama the
past week has been the extraordinary gold discov'
cries Just made in the Province of Chirqui, in this
State, about 200 miles from this port An extensive
Indian burial ground, lying about four miles from
the city Of David has been accidentally discovered
and from almost every grave many ornaments OF
either pure gold or gold and silver mixed, have been
taken out. Last week man by the name OF Fer
nanda came to Panama with fifteen pounds OF these
trnkets consisting of alligators tigers lizards birds
and fishes, and some leaf or plate gold, the latter
very fine and pure He says more than $50, 1000
worth of this stuff has already been found by the
one thousand persons who hastened to the "EuacaS"
immediately on their discovery. 1t was the custom
Of the Indians of Spanish America to bury their
dead with all their personal ornaments and keep
Sakcs, and in some instances thousands OF dollars
worth were buried with chief And in all their
wars with each other these graves and their rich de-
posts were always held sacred. letter from
gentleman of Chiriqu, says: ..
There is tradition that in former times Span
ish ship obliged to put in to one Of our ports from
stress of weather for repairs, brought oil box OF
earth from the shore for the galley fireplace, and
that OH arrival at home removing the box, thin
cake of gold was discovered at the bottom OF it, the
circumstance gave rise to large immigration to the
district, and the City of La E>trella was founded
where the richest mines between Cana and San Mar
tin were for many years worked, but the deprc'a-
tons of the fillbuscrs and the hostility of the lndi-
ans cOmpelled the inhabitants TO abandon the spot,
and they retired to Costa Rica, where they founded
the City of Carriage. Notwithstanding many at
tempts made to discover the site of the city and Its
gold mines. it is still unknown; but it is thought
that these discoveries will induce fresh explorations,
which nav at last lead to the discoveries OF the
rich auriferous deposits known to exist in the pro-
vince The number of huacas throughout the coun-
try is very great, and may yield immense treasure
Another letter. published in the Star ind He'ud,
says:
~ saw $4,000 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 conn
try in this Province and also throughout Central
America enough to employ thousands oil men Tor
many years. 1t is only three weeks since the dig
gn.s commenced, and the amount OF wrought gold
discovered is enormous"
1t looked like old times. in Panama, to sec the
other day, large posters" Brig Joseta for the gold
dggings of Chiriqui,' and signed j. l!awcS. posted
all the street corners. Sboyels ready-'nade
clothing provisions and bad rum have already been
sent off from here to the agsings.
Since writing the foregoing, a German Jew has
arrived at Panama with SIS, 900 worth OF these I'M
ages He will take them to Europe Mr.. HaweS
commits ion merchant mentioned above, has shipped
some of the finest and most curious specimens to
New York which, as a matter of cOnrSc. will find
their way to the shop windows of Tiffany Co, of
New York, and Ball, Shrenr & Co.. of Boston, where
AL the world and the rest Of mankind will have
the opportunity of a'miring Indian ideas and Indian
workmanship The difference in the fuincss Of the
gold and the appearance of alloy in some of it, will
be accounted for from the fact that the aborigines
always melted and worked the gold in It's original
state as taken from the deposits, 50 that whatever
might have been the atmiXture was melted up IN It,
without any attempt at separating the different
minerals.
MASONRY IN THE UNITED SrATES-From docll-
Incnts entirely reliable. an exchange has compiled
the following statistical table of Masonry in each
State, showing the number of lodges in each their
increase in one year, the number of members be-
longing to each lni-c as well rs the number Of I'M.