The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-16
Memories of u Wang Race-R ecent
Discoveries in BUIfv1a.

Senor Walker Martinez, the Chilian Min
| lister To Bolivia. has sent to the Exposition
at Santiago an interesting relic, found III an
| Indian gravr on The slopes of the Iitimani
and gives the history of 1t with his opinions
as to the date OF its ant quity. The rehc
consists of plate of gold four inches wide
and In the form of plume. The golden
tiara was met WIKI i'll u huaca OF Indian grave
on the Illimani 10 1871, adorniDg the head
OF n mummy in the manner of crown, with
all the appearance of having been deposited
as found, many centuries ago. At the same
place were also found ohj7cts made of cop
| per, but tie most oi buruL ctay, and several
of gold, all more Ur less similar 10 the
relics met with among the ruins of Titicaca,
Cuzce, etc. 1t Is well known that Indians
burled their dead With their most portable
property, such as jars, idols, ornaments and
arms. 80 much 50 was this custom, that
old Spanish chroniclers CT the conquest tell
of Spanish soldier fiudingin one Sepulchre
deposits valued at 30, 900 castellanos, ana
another becoming rich by finding COL
lection of golden vases worth so, 900 ducats
At the present day the interest that at
taches to those resting places of extinct
races of men is of a moral and scientific
value in so far as they serve to throw light
en- the manners and customs of people who
in their way did great things, the result of
\ civilization peculiar to the epoch. The
relics they left and discovered at this day
become the stepping stones of history chat
extends its researches back into those ,,eriods
of prehistoric obscurity. The spanisl :
American government, as a rule, have hith-
erto paid little attention to matters of the
kind, an Indifference which doubtless in
ternational exhibitions and museums will 90
great way to remedy. 1t were to be de-
sired that respect for such relics should
he iRculcated by the school, and even from
the pulpit. The Ignorant, we know, are
apt to regard with contempt the finely ex-
ecuted earthsnware vessels, the idols that
look like those of Egypt, as welIas the arms
made OF stone and copper, as things of no
value. The mnmmies themselves, found so
numerous over all upper Peru--those solemn
but interesting inhabitants of the Indian
tombs, while they proclaim the existence of
that feeling of repugnance in human nature
To be buried and iorgetten, help the COM
Parative ethnologist in his researches to
lind out the who, what and whereabouts Of
the primitive men in both hemispheres.
OF the huacas found studding the de-
cliyities Of tie gigantic lima OF Bolivia,
some belong To the time of the Incas, others
evidently ts an anterior and conquered race
to whicn Gsrcilssco de Is Vega gave the
name Of Aninaraes, and said they were con-
quered by the Inca YupaDqai, in the four
teenth century. There seems little doubt
that the extraordinary ruins found at Ira
huaneca belonged to this race. The ruins
are found scattered over 50 extensive space
that large city must have existed on the
spot. and may have been the capital of T.
lost empire. The opinion of Minister Walker
about the relic under consideration was,
that it belonged to that race, for the two
following reasons: 1. Because it was dis
covered in place where the Incas had no
large centres Of population. but where the
ADinaraes evidently had. g. Because the
relics formed q crown Of gold on q dead
body which the Incas never permitted to any
Of their subjects. The princes even could
only wear species Of woollen turban.