Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-10-23
A Newly Discovered Nation.

The campaign Of Gen. 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 It contains chain of ancient cities
in ruins, and a coterie of ancient towns
still inhabited by race which holds itself
aloof from the Indian, the Mexican and the
American, prides itself on its descent from
the ancient inhabitants of the country, and
maintains religion and a 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 this newly discovered
race. Capt. Manning, who was with Gen.
Crook during the whole campaign, and
was recommended for promotion by the
latter on account of his gallantry in the
field, explored during the intervals offight-
ing. He visited the inhabited towns, talk
ed with their rulers, and informed himself
concerning their customs. The largest
settlement is in New Mexico, about thirty
miles south of the border line. 1t is type
of the rest. A strong wall surrounds it.
Within are houses for about 4, 900 people.
The population has dwindled, however,
to about 1900 The place was mentioned
by Spanish Jesuit, who published in
1926 description of his wanderings in
America. About 1886, another Jesuit
wrote mil >lte account of it. This ac-
count is true in every detail to-day. The
language resembles the Chinese. So an
ardent archaologist, who visited the city
years ago, says. Some of the minor Gus
toms correspond to those of the Chinese.
The women are of the true Celestial type
almond eyes, protuberant bodies, &C.
They dress themselves and their hair in
Chinese fashion. Their religion is barba-
rously magnificent. Montezuma is their
deity. His coming is looked for at sun
rise every day. Immortality is part of
their creed. The priests have heavily en-
broidered robes which have been used for
unnumbered years.
The ceremonies of worship are formal
and pompous. The morality of this
strange people, so tar as foreigners recon
cerned, is irreproachable. 1t is probable
that they keep record of events by means
of tying peculiar knots in long cords
This, if true, seems to establish some kim
ship or remote acquaintance between
them and the Aztecs. Their government
is a conservative republic. Power is vest
ed in council of thirteen caciques. Six
of them are selected for life. Old men are
generally chosen in order that their terms
of Office may not be inordinately long
The remaining seven are elected from time
to time One of them is the Executive
\ .lother is sort of Vice President. There
are War Chief, Chief Police, sc. These
seven caciques are usually young men,
They serve but few months. Suffrage is
UNIVERSAL. 1T is SCARCELY necessary To sup
IYrvz4svrrs--s...> - .--4s---------A
that these dwellers in towns are-q'uite far
advanced in civilization. On this point
one fact speak volumes. Woman is not
beast of burden among them as she is
with all Indian tribes. She is held in
high respect. Her tasks are confined to
those of house keeping. The written re-
cords which we have mentioned show
that this desolated community has main
tanned its traditions unbroken for at least
three and half centuries. Its history,
carefully studied, may prove clue to the
problem of the original Americans. The
mound builders Of the north and the city
builders of the south may be represented
in the town -dwellers OF New Mexico and
Arizona.