The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-10-29
The Fabulous ''Silyer Cities" of Central
America.

Nh. L. O.. Squier, in the November mum
Der of Putman's handles with much abilty
the evidence of %vatiously impericctly exc
plored mysteries IN Central America, adding
his own personal observations To those Of
travellers like stephens, Morelet Count
Waldeck etc. At the close Of hi5 article
he thus disposes OF the priestly tales Of "A
hidden capital, lustrous with the precious
metals, which has been supposed to exist
east OF Chiapa. in the stronghold OF the
neyer-couquered Lacandone-:
ut was in the region of the Lacandones
that the cura of Quiche affirmed to Mr. Ste
phens he had seen from the heig hts Of Que
-saltenango. the white wills OF great cities
| phfteuing like silver in the sun. The no.
ton of such living cities, nyaling Palenque
| and Mayapan. in the district referred TO, ~
not peculiar to one part Of the country. but
prevails also IN Chipa in lucatan. On the
"a OF August, lSi9, the Secretary OF state
OF Chipa addressing an official letter to the
p~erfect of the department otChillon border
INC on the district OF LacandOn, stating
that he had been informed that ylcln-
ity Of san Carlos Narcalun, beyond the
| Sierra de la Pimienta, a great city had been
discovered. IN the distance, with large edl-
fees. and many cattle IN its pastures; and
that although there appeared no road 10 A.
yetit was supposed that 1t could not be
more than two DAYS distant. He therefore
ordered the perfect to make all possible
efforts 10 reach the city and report the
result 10 ms Office IN San Cristobal. But
as nothing further was ever heard OF tue
discovery, 1t Is to bepresumed that the city
could not be found by the perfect
Nor, IN TACT, IS there any good reason
for supposing that such cities do exist.
For although the Lacandones and the II
zaes spoke the same language with the
builders OF Palanque and Copan, yet every
thing connected with their history and
character proves them TO have been consld-
Cmbly below the other families OF the same
stock IN the degree Of their civilization.
Whether the Tzeudals, the Mayas, Clutches,
Zutugils, and Cochiquele were families OF
the same origin, who had reached n higher
stage of development; or the ltZaes, Lacan-
dones, Manthes, and others, were the de-
generate oh5hoots from these, may be a
question: but the presumption strongly is,
that the disruption Of the ancient Iolticau
Empire, Of which Palenque was probably
at one time, the capital various fragments
were thrown on and driven by force Of cir
cumstancos into remote districts, where, IN
the course OF time, they developed peculiar
characteristics OF then own. Al any rate,
the earliest accounts of the L%RcandonGs rep
resent them as a relatively barbarous II not
n nomadic race, strongly contrasting witt
the more advanced and polished nations
above Enumerated, although, so far as Ian
Fliage Is concerned, betnying an intimate
relationship with them. In Peteu, the II
zaes build temples and other edidces, close
ly resembling those OF Yucatan, but less II
size and somewhat uder IN construction
such as we might expect TO find in "A weake
efforts Of "a colony. But in Lacandon W
! have no account of such structures in tn
= towns reduced by the Spaniardsi nor doe
, 1t appear that the temples GIFTS people wer
more remarkable than their private houses
on differed from them in size.
r 1--WE are compelled, therefore, to resigl
: the traditions of great cities with whit
} walls Of stone, covered over with mystef1
y Gus symbols, and with steps crowded wit
= the worshipers of primitive religion. I
j. the poet and romancer, or surrender thel
4 as the appropriate property Of enterprisiu
y eXploiters Of supposititlous Aztec childrel
y The mct of the existence of a frontier pc
pie, in the heart Of Central Ameica, OF Il
y same stock with its must advanced an
u powerful nations, and with characte
a habits, religion aud government, little,
u all, changed from what they were at Il
. period of the discovery, rs one sufficient
" interesting in itself, II requires none
" pomp and circumstances ofgorgeous spe
. ulation 10 draw 10 it the attention OF Il
y student and adyenturer, who may find he
'e a more interesting and important field
&c research and investigation than'among I
Ut desert-snows and icebergs of the poles,
among the sable sayages OF Ethiopia"
c; SINGULAR EFFECT or LIGHTENG.-An
~ count of the singular effect produced
a lightning was lately given by Gen, Mo-
N before the French Academy of Sciences.
m the Department Of the Yonne the lightni
ms struck a whole village, and set several c
I'M tages on fire; and in one instance cause
is most extraordinary metallurgic phenom
he on. In the drawers of one of the bu
,m cottages were some gold coins and 25-ft
pieces in silver. The electric fluid mel
nd these coins in four ingots of a most straI
asst appearance. The silver coins have b.
ell completely melted, but the gold coins,
mt though encrusted and adhering to o.
Oh other, have not been defaced, the efig
he on each being distinctly treaceable, tn
elf ingots have been deposited at the Com
vatoEe DIES Arts ct Meters.