The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-05-07

o0o"s Aauo VI PoiIsneu agate, Cdrnellan
obsidian and other materials, spear and
arrow heads of quartz and obsidian,
hatchets and knives Of stone, stones for
grinding colors, water jars and vases of
earthernware, tobacco pipes. stamps for
stamping figures on cloth, musical instru-
men's of wood and clay, spindles, and
host of other things of most interesting
character.
The most important object of the COL
lection is stone idol, which is supposed |
% have been made By the primitive race
that inhabited that portion of Mexico
From the traditions handed down by the
Indians, and from the Pop.lvuh, or sacred
book of the tribes Of the Quiche Nation,
his idol is supposed TO represent the Gou
Cacumaz, or the God of the dir, also call
ed Oy the Indians Qu.tzalcoatle. This
idol IS about two feet high, aud eighteen
inches IN diameter. It is cut from block
of chocolate -col~red posphyry, and repre-
sents fea:hered serpent in solid coil.
From, its mouth, which is widely distend-
ed,the head of woman emerges. her arms
and legs appearing from among the coils
This is supposed to represent the origin
Of woman. 1t is in perfect state of
preservation, and is highly polished. The
type OF the face of the woman bears 70
resemblance to thatcf The race that in
habits that portion Of Mexico to day, and
is very much like the carved faces seeh
among the Egyptian ruins. The idol is
thought by the Mexican antiquarians to
be at least twenty thousand years old.
The stone masks of which there are fifteen
or twenty. are made of different kinds of
stone, and are of varied types. There is
one which deserves special mention IL
is OF jade or nephrite, mineral not found
in Mexico F; whether it was originally ia
ken to that country from Asia, or how it
come to be there, is question which still
has to be settled. Ii is Of a light apple
green, and semi-transparent. Some of the
masks are highly polished. while others
are quite rough. Two of them, both OF
white marble, were evidently made to
represent death. On one of these, eyes
made of a blush stone had been fastened
The gold ornaments in possession of Mr..
Ortiz are the only ones that have been
found up to the present time. They con-
sist of two rings one OF open-work, of a
very delicate description, which has a
projection on one side in tie shape of the
head-dress or crown worn by the ancien'
kings or emperors. Il measures abou
one inch and a quarter in the wides
part. The other is Of plain beaten gold
and is about one inch and half wide.
They are both of very small diane ter
and could have been worn only by a
person having very small hand. Be-
sides the rings there are also ornaments
: of beaten gold, evidently iptende to be
worn on the head. q number of gold
beads, and plate of gold in the shape Of
sandal, which is supposed to have been
worn by the kings son, between his foot
and the sandal, which up to this day is
used by the lower classes in all parts OF
Mexico. The articles o. copper are very
few. Among them are Ratchet, of the
exact shape of those found among the
cities of ancient Greece four bells, made
J on the same principle of our sleigh bells
and number Of needles. A very singu-
Jar thing is that among the ruins of Pal
enque there were found number oil
crosses made in exactlythe same shape as
those used by the Christians of to-day
Some of them are of stone, and some are
of obsidian, aud were worn as we wear
them, suspended from she neck. Several
of the Idols, also, have necklaces OF
bea with pendant crosses. Among the
polished stones, which were used as orna-
ments, or insignia, there are TWO which
bear the regular Greek cross inlaid with
silver, In ole of them, stars, made OF
copper pyrites, are set in the extremity OF
each srm. The mirrors, which are said
to have been made for the use of the
kings, are well worthy of attention.
They are made Of plates of polished