The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-09-25
From the Graves Of Peru.

s
From the Graves Of Peru.
AUaMIEs, SKULLS, AND IDOLS ON THE AUCTION
BLOCK. sss
IRON the New York SUM-
antiquity resumed its reign yesterday,
rearing its throne in the Clinton Hall a,ic-
tion.rooms. Yellow-skinned mummies,
hideous stone and wooden idols, and grim
ming human skulls, were its visible forms.
A pamphlet catalogue made it known that
the antiquities are Peruvian, and that they
are the property OF q man who exhumed an
ancient graveyard on the sight Of one OF the
temples OF the fncas, near Lima, and that
the public is expected to buy them.
About a hundred persons assembled to
see the uueerest OF auctions. Several
women examined the age-grimed mummies
with deep interest. The gem Of the collec-
ton is mummy still wrapped in its cere.
ments, and looking like q bundle OF old
bedclothes. Speculation ran high as to
what might be found after this bundle was
unrolled, because the old Peruvians had q
custom Of wrapping up with the preserved
bodies OF men and women not only rich
garments, ugly weapons, kitchen utensils,
and farming implements, but costly jewels
OF gold and silver.
Now, them the auctioneer sand, as he
confidently mounted the auction block,
.swill anybody bid on this mummy Re
member, nobody knows what it's got in
side. There may be something very Halua-
bic there" ~
Everybody stared at his neighbor and the
ghastly goods that the auctioneer was offer
ing, but nobody Yentured bid. At length
Z a man in far-off corner-a man who clearly
had speculation in his eye-muttered in
hesitasing way, Five dollars" The auc-
tioneer raised his eyebrows, and the owner
Of the mummies scowled. The spectators
looked ut each other suggestively, but said
nothing.
owe don't want to throw away num-
miles," the auetioneer said; "start it ut
twenty dollars, and let it run up" But
nobody wanted mummy in his house, and
nobody would start it, and so the grlnning
skulls were taken up. "Here are thirty
z, five sklllis-skulls Of men, skulls Of women,
tifully preserved. How much for the lot 7"
Fifty dollars,' shouted gentleman,
whom everybody at once took for phIe-
nologist. tsFifty-five," chimed in another.
Lively bidding followed, and the skulls
were knocked down for $3.50.
Then somebody called for another chance
at the mummies, and after some chatting the
owner consented to let the bystanders be-
GIN the bidding on the wrapt-up mummy at
$5, and it was sold for Sl1. Then nm un-
wrapt and peculiarly horrible mummy was
knocked down for SO; and three baby
mummies, one with crimson skull, were
knocked down at 81. so apiece.
A "dissected dog" which looked as
though an elephant had stepped on 1t, was
sold for $1.50. Ancient moratrs, grinding
stones. fishing nets and ropes were ratified
off for few shillings, and then attention
was attracted to wooden idol eight feet
high, which, at the beck Of the auctioneer,
and by the agency OF boy behind 1t, walked
out from the wall and grimly nodded to the
bidders A stout, good-natured woman
bought it.for $3.50. An Idol, only six feet
high, was sold to q man for half that sum.
Ancient standards, flags of indescribable
cloth, clubs, and other weapons, and artii-
cial heads of stuffed. woollen cloth were
sold at good prices. Then the stout wo-
man, beaming with smiles, bought two lit
tie idols to keep the big ones company.
She also did some spirited bidding on come
8. funeral ornaments" in the form OF sticks
X wound with 5colored cords and hung with
woollen tags, but acknowledged man got
them for about 81.
Some beautiful seals and hieroglyphics cut
d in wood with marvellous skill sold for only
S1.75. A beautiful string Of ornamental
- beads Yielded S13. and four silver chahees,
vigorously wrought, were sold for $3.50.
Beautiful terra Gotta jars and vases ,orna-
,mented with the figures OF quadrupeds and
mems faces, exhumed from the ancient
& graves eighty feet below the surface, We're
sold ut from 81 to SIS each. A lot of little
grinning idols went of at lively rate. The
stout woman got an armful, and as the num-
Der diminished the excitement increased,
until the table was surrounded by men
pushing one another, and each holding a
dingy little idol in his hand, and shouting:
.tpli take him for fifty cents; !" "I'll give a
dollar for two.' a priests toga, which
looked in color and figure like country
bed-quilt, was sold for $12, and a gown OF
exquisitely beautiful birds feathers was
knocked down ct So. .,..,,...<t-z -
49, ~! ------------.cp .-- = IL -