The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-07-28
CENTRAL AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES

LoriIlard. of New York, a member
of the family of wealthy tobacco
nists. ttted out an expedition for the
exploration of Central America,
with a view to learning more OF the
archaeology Of a region so full of
interest to the American antiquarian
and those who find pleasure in
studying the races of the earth.
| Mr.. Charnay, the French traveller
and areh8ologist, was placed at the
head of the expedition, which has
just completed its explorations,
though full account of the
journey and what was found has
not yet appeared in print.
Perhaps the most important of the
discoveries was the ancient city in
the interior, known Ivy the 1. dams
as the city Of the dead or phantom
city, because no tradition among
the tribes related when or by whom
it was inhabited. The existence of
the city had long been known, and
Stephens, the famous traveller, made
long and fruitless search for it;
but it was left for Mr.. Lorillard's
| generosity and Mr.. Charnay's en-
terprise, to find the famed town.
Charnay started from Frontera, a
Mexican village on the shore of the
Caribbean Sea, and with extreme
difficulty made his way to the inte-
rior along the Usumacinta, a stream
which flows into the TObasco river.
His progress was necessarily slow,
owing TO the lack of means for
transportation. He says, Gone
might almost traverse Africa in
less time than it takes to travel $50
leagues in this miserable country"
However, the wearisome Journey was
relieved somewhat by the frequent
di scovery of curiosities and things
Of archaeological value. At a vii
lage on the stream along which he
travelled he found one of those
rare instruments, an In dian piano,
called the marimbu, which, by the
way is the same name given to it
in Central Afr lea. The instrument
is constructed of bass of sonorous
wood, has four Octaves, and above
each bar is a hallow wooden cone
1 which I increases its sonorousness.
Two persons are required to play
it, striking the notes with sticks
tipped with gutta-percha. The
performers are remarkably pre-.
else in passing from note to note,
and the native airs which they
play are strikingly original and
pleasing. During the journey
down forests of cedar and mahog-
any were passed through, the trees
towering to immense heights.
Aft T reaching the ruined city M.
Charnay was by no means
satisfied it was the phantom
city told about by the
Indians. Still, it, is certainly one
of the most important of the famed
Central American cities, and little
inferior to Palenque whose ruins
are not far distant in the Mexican
state Of Chiapas. Charnay christ
eaeed it LorIllard City, and pro-
ceeded to make thorough examina-
tions. 1t consists of a multitude of
buildings, some being palaces, Others
temples and many evidently de-
signed for dwellings. They are not
the cliff houses of Mexico, nor the
communal dwellings Of the Pueb-
los, and MOquis, but are erected on
natural elevations and entered by
means Of steps and boulders. Char
nay declares them the work of the
Toltecs, of whose presence in Mex
leo twelve or fourteen hundred
| years ago there is little better record
thanlegend. The Toltecs left many
noble ruins in Mexico clearly show
ing a high degree of art. skill and
civilization. The similarity in the
hieroglyphics and facial types i'll
Lorillard City to those of other
ruins, causes Charnay to say the
phantom city was built by
the Toltecs. The hieroglyphics were
remarkably well-formed, and some
Of the bass-reliefs are very fine.
Many casts of the latter were taken.
and these are to be put on exhibi.
ton in Washington and Paris. where
the explorer says they will excite
great establishment.
The buildings are nearly all re-
markable for their irregularity of
construction. The palaces have
massive walls rising above the
roofs, in which are oblong openings
like windows. There is a great