Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-05-08

however, c0uld De spent IN viewing the
enchanting valley; the great work was
still before the party, and the axmen
we're soon pushed forward upon the trail
toward the lost city.
As the explorers cut their way through
the forest the trees grew larger and
older, showing the verges Of the forest
were the last to be abandoned, and had
been cultivated long after the interior
had become wilderness. Most Of the
beasts Of prey, natives of the American
continent, as well as animals peculiar to
tropical climates, were seen in great
numbers, and insects innumerable, many
of them before unknown to naturalists,
gave great annoyance to the adyentn-
rers. General Lyon writes that bottom
land of the Mississippi river do not COM
pare with those he found in the Metal
taloyuca country, either for soil, verdure
or impenetrability, frequently his whole
party not being able to make more than
five hundred yards Of survey per day.
After dangerous and wearisome work
the lost city was finally reached, and for
the first time the foot of the Anglo-Saxon
pressed its streets. With awe and won
der the party gazed upon the works Of an
extinct race. Trees hundreds of years
old we're growing among the ruins, show
ing that the city had been abandoned
before the days of Cortez, and the ar
chtecture of the buildings is Of an order
before unknown upon this continent.
Some few houses are in tolerable state
of preservation and still habitable, while
their halls are adorned with paintings of
rare beauty and merit. Carved door
ways and images abound in every street,
evincing in their former inhabitants a
knowledge of the fine arts not found
among the most civilized aboriginal
races. Most remarkable of all is, some
of this sculpture indicates among the
people the existence of the Christian re-
hgion. Places of worship are said to
be numerous, and upon the reverse of a
statuette Of man is carefully carved
that emblem of Christianity, the cross.
Whence this race or what their fate is a
mystery The existence Of this city was
unknown to the Aztecs, and not tradi-
ton concerning them is extant among
the Indians, who when spoken TO respect
ing them reply, Antique" " Antique.
The doors of the houses were generally
closed with rocks, showing the abandon
ment of the city having been a precon-
certed movement; but whether this was
caused by civil wars, fears of savage foes
or earthquakes, is mere conjecture.
Gen. Lyon will make thorough ex-
ploration of the Metaltaloya country, and
his report will be received with rare in
terest As the letters received at the
capital from the party state facts, the lost
city will cause a commotion in the lite
rary world as its development must
throw light upon the history of the lost
races of America The Spanish party
who visited il in October say the ruins
bear little resemblance to those of Yu-
catau, or any other portion of Spanish
America, and their paintings and scul lp-
ture show them to have been fully as far
advanced in the arts and sciences as the
most enlightened European nation of
their own day. .o
The statements of the Spanish party
must be received with many grains Of
allowance. Americans who have tra-
veled through Yucatan and other old
settled States of Mexico concur in the
opinion that every fact is greatly exag-
gerated, and that the lost city is but the
ruins of some Spanish city, deserted by
it's inhabitants during the slave insurrec-
ton, early in the present century. No
record of such city is to be found in the
Mexican archives, and if it was ever an
der Spanish rule its existence had faded
from the public mind. The country is
filled with ruins of most remarkable
character, and which casual observer
would pronounce to be four or five cen
turies old, but which are known to have
been the abodes of elegance and luxury
within eighty years. u sa