Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-01-22

hLAb
En-. IN VIRGINIA CITY, I,SrAnr H.
BY MAJOR y. A. O.. oEARiso.I
Previous TO my first visit to Mexico IL
was my fortune to visit Spain. where l
spent several months journeyins In COM
pany with an Intelligent party Of tourists.
.ome Of whom we're we'll read and excel
lently we'll informed on Mexican and
spanish history. both written and legsn-
dairy. With them I visited the museums
Of Madrid and tho Escurial. and there sav
many curiosities from Mexico that excited
i'm one q desire 70 SEQ the country and
know tho people who produced these won
dcrs I saw. saw and heard much Thai
leads me to the opinion:that va underesti'
mate tho civilization Of prehistoric Mex
| co. and deal too lightly with her semi
legendary history. Thers I saw vessels
aud ornaments Of gold; vessels. ornA.
ments andimplsmsnts Of silver Of crystal
and Of stone; implemsna. vessels. weap-
ons and tools Of copper. stone
and wood all curiously construct
ell, wonderfully made. quantity paint
ell and ornamental. I also saw vases.
urns. pots and Jars. statuary. toys .
other articles made from clay-sii OF the
higher order Of the potter's art. othefs
made from wood, stone and the metals
neatly sculptured. engraved and chased ;
cleverly cut and neatly polished gems
fabrics manufactured from cotton, the hair
Of the bison and the llama. from the inner
bark Of trees and from . hbrous plant .im.
liar 10 our rzmie, equal 10 the pfouuc.
from any loom. Some were - hne -
those from India, others - coarse All
from our own domestic looms, while otn,
ers. so fine In texture. thick In body ana
soft in the touch ~ would DO hness
felt: while In color. Lowell and Manchester
have never equaled them In brilliancy anu
durability. 1 there saw enough 10 CON
vince me that these people have not been
equAled by any people. OF whom We have
tho history, in the art OF hand-weAvihs
for this much OF my
am indebted TO the Spanish pirates. who
plundered these people and placed their
booty In museums, In limo 70 become
monuments W tho industry and eiviiixa-
ton Of q country and people far superior
to Spain or its people then or OF the pre-.
emit day. To the friends with whom 1
journeyed I I'm indebted Tor much his
toric information. When the spanish
conauererors irst set foot upon the soii OF
Mexico. they found q country thai In
beauty and wealth exceeded by lar their
brightest dreams ; q people who In many
things equalsd those OF civilized Europe
In the arts they even excclled European
Turkey, Russia and the greater portion OF
Germany; In science. all OF Germany.
Russia. England and spain. and were only
ercellel by France and Italy; In Agricui.
ture. all Of Europe excepting France. Italy
and perhaps Holland-her fields rendering
TO the thrifty husbandman bounteous crops
Of maize, vans, many varieties OF beans
and squash. cotton. tobacco and many
products that now enrich the fields OF Eu-
rope and America. Her plantations and
orchards Of cocoa. guAva, hmArands,
plantains. bread-fruit and rich spiees,
causing the strangers 10 gaze In wonder
the fragrance Of her bright and beautiful
fora intoxicating their senses; her broad
plains pastured by tho bison and the llama;
her rivers and lakes swarming with hsh ;
her gulf and sea-coast alive with mammoth
Turtles; the bosom Of the waters covered
with water fowl, and her forests abound.
| ing with game and rare songsters, arous-
| ing all Of the sportsman In their venture
some natures. The copper and lead OF her
| mountains excelling all before known ;
greater than spain and Germany In silver ;
richer than Africa and India In gold and
in gems. created in tho invaders an un-