Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-05-09
THE PHANTOM CITY.

A reporter of the New York Tribune.
in an interview with Mr.. Rice, editor Of
the North american ReUieac, has obtained
some additional particulars relating to the
discovery by Mr.. Charnay, of The Phan'
tom City." in Guatemala. Having been
asked in what sense the term Phantom
Citv" is to be understood, Mr.. Rice replied
that the most satisfactory answer to the
question would be an account OF the way
in which this city was first brought into
notice. :,
Upward of forty years ago.. said ne,
"when the distinguished American trav'
eler. John L. Stephens, visited the village
of Santa Cruz de Quiche, Guatemala, ne
learned of the existence of great inhab.
tied city in the Sierra de Guerra (land OF
war;. the region in the northwestern part
of Guatemala occupied by the Candones or
Lacandones, tribe of people said to TINS
day to perpetuate the traditions and the
mode OF life Of their Maya forefathers.
Though nominally subject to the laws OF the
republic of Guatemala, the Lacandones are
in fact absolutely independent, and jealously
refuse white men entry into their settle.
ments. Stephens thought that force OF five
hundred men would be necessary IN order
to overcome the resistance OF the natives
to the intrusion of an exploring party
Whether Mr.. Charnay, the chief OF the ex'
pedition, had to employ 80 strong force
as this I can not, of course, say, but II
such force was required he no doubt had
it at command, orders having been given
by the Government to the comaaand-
ants of the several garisons TO furnish
him a sufficient escort. But to return to
the Phantom City, Mr.. Stephens was as.
sured by the cure, or parish priest, Oh
Quiche, that he himself, while still young
man and living in the village OF ChaJul:
had climbed the summit of bare and
lofty peak of the neighboring Sierra, and
had then, at hight of 10000 or 10
feet, looked over an immense plain extend
ing to Yucatan and the Gulf of Mexico, in
the midst OF which, at great distance, ne
saw large city spread over considerable
space, with turrets white and glistening IN
the sun. This place was, according to the
cure, a living city, large and populous.
From other sources Stephens learned that
from the Sierra large ruined city was WIS.,
ible; while others, who had climbed to
the same elevation, had seen nothing, owing
to dense cloud resting on it.. Later
writers pretty generally relegate this city
to the class of phantoms and mirages or OF
fables. Yet in itself the cures story is in
nowise improbable, for there are through
out that entire region in Guatemala, Yucca
tan, Chiapas, Tabasco, ETC., to be seen, IN
ruins, it is true, hundreds of places, cities,
which, while they fourished, must have
presented just such an appearance as that
described by the old cure. And it is
worthy of note that Stephenson embodi-
ment Of common sense, an explorer who
had never a pet theory to support-saw no
reason to doubt the truth of the padres
story. And now Mr.. Charnay has found
this city, though, of course, we can not as
vet affirm that he found it living and
populous.
this discovery"
"The best reply to your query can be
made in almost the identical words OF
Stephens. II that city is still inhabited,
then place is left where Indians and an
Indian city exist as Cortez and Alvarado
found them, there are still living men who
can solve the mystery that hangs over the
ruined cities OF America perhaps who can
90 to Copan and read the inscriptions on
the monuments. You know what absurdi-
ties have been published about the age of
these monuments, these cities. Brssseur
de Bourbourg is satisfied that some Of them
are at least 1900 years old. Mr.. Char
nay has stubbornly maintained that the
oldest of them date from period not an -
terror to the eleventh century, and that
many OF them are of still later origin, and
that nearly all of them were fourishing at
the time Of the Spanish invasion. 1t con-
Germs every student Of American history to
have this vexed question settled beyond
dispute, and Mr.. Charnay's discovery
promises to supply the missing link
which connects the founders Of those Gen.
trail American cities with the present in
digenous populations OF the same region.
''When do you expect to receive de-
tailed account Of Charnay's 3 discovery"
"Mr. Charnay's journal, in which he
notes every step made in pursuing his ex-
plorations, is doubtless now ON its way
from Guatemala by courier and post.