Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-07-29
A Newly Discovered Nation.

A Newly DlSCOteFeu hd'iVh'
The campaign of General Crook against
the Apaches last year opened to research
a tract of land 200 miles square which Is
rich in relics of our country's unknown
past. II contains a chain Of ancient cit
les in ruins and coterie Of ancient towns
still inhabited By a race which holds itself
alocf from Indian and Mexican and Amer
lean, prides itself on its descent from the
ancient inhabitants of the country, and
maintains a religion and government
both of which are peculiar to itself. We
are indebted to Capt. w. G. Manning of
the regular army for the facts in our pos
session concerning the newly discovered
race. Captain Manning, who was recon-
mended for promotion by the latter on ac-
count of gallantry in the field, explored in
the intervals Of fighting. He visited the
inhabited towns, talked with their rulers,
and informed himself concerning their GUS
toms. The largest settlement is in New
Mexico, about thirty miles south o. the
border line. 1t is type of the rest. A
strong wall surrounds it. Within are
houses for about 1000 people. The pop
uation has dwndled, however, to about
1880. The place was mentioned by a
Spanish Jesuit who published, in 1929, a
description Of bis wanderings in America.
About 1885, another Jesuit wrote a mi
mute account of it. This account is true
in nearly every detail to-day. The Ian
guage resembles the Chinese. So an
ardent archeologist, who visited the city
year ago, says: Some of the minor customs
correspond to those of the Chinese. The
women are of the true Celestial type-al-
mund eyes, protuberant bodies, little feet,
&c. They dress their hair aud themselves
in Chinese fashion. Their religion is bar
bariously magnificent. Montezuma is their
deity. His coming is looked for at sunrise
each day. Immortality is part of their
creed, The priests have heavily en-
broldered robes which have been used for
unnumbered years The ceremonies of
worship are formal and pompous. The
morality of this strange people, as far at
least as foreigners are concerned is ire
proachable. 1t is probable that they keep
a record of events by means of tying Pc
cular knots IN long cords. This, if true,
seems to establish some kinship or remote
acquairtanceship between them and the
Aztecs. Their government is a conserva.
live republic. Power is vested in coun-
ell of ID caiques. Six of them are select
I'd for life. Old men are generally chosen
n order that their terms of office may not
De lnordinately long. The remaining sew
IN are selected from time to time. One
If them is the Executive. Another is a
sort of Vice President. There is War
Jhlef, Chief of Police, &c. These sew
N caiques are usually young men. They
erve but a few months. Suffrage is uni
'ersal. 1t is scarcely necessary to sup.
element these facts with the statement that
hese jewellers in towns are quite far adj
'anced in civilization. On this point one G
act speaks volumes. Woman is not a :
east of burden among them, as she is B
nth all Indian tribes. She is held in a
Ugh respect. Her tastes are confined to a
hose of housekeeping. The written rec
rds which we have mentioned show that G
his issolatea community has maintained
IS traditions unbroken for at least three ,
nd half centuries. Its history carefully
tuded, may prove clue to the problem
f the aboriginal Americans. The mound
uilders of the North and the city.builderS
f the South may be represented in the
own-dwellers of New Mexico and Arizo-
a.-Chicago Tribune.