Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-03-02
-wRIrrnN For THE DAiLy PREss.--
PREHISTORIC RUINS OF AN uN-
KNOWN RACE.

During my four years ramble through
the Southern States and the Republic
of Old Mexico, in search of relics OF
the past, it was my pleasure, in com
pany with parsonage known through
out the United States as "Billy the
Indian Fighter" formerly Buffalo Bills
right hand man, to personally visit an
ancient pyramid, located in the State
Of Sonora, that surpasses anything OF
like character known to exist through
out the length and breadth of Monte.
zuma's vast domain.
A mountain schooner" propelled
BY sixteen mules, dropped us in des-
olate mountain region at camp known
as "Greasers Ranch" This was to be
our headquarters and general depot Of
supplies during the time we proposed
spending in this uncivlized and almost
unknown country. Our motive power
to the pyramid, some 10 miles distant,
consisted Of burros (donkies) not much
larger than New Foundlanc dogs.
Having secured our blankets to the sad
dies of these diminutive little animals,
packed our grips with a quantity of
sardines and Mexican crackers, and
filed our canteens with an inferior
quality of Adams ale, we set out
upon our mission in search of this
mammoth relic of past ages.
A we'll defined path led us through
country, that anywhere save IN this
desolate region, would have elected
great deal of curiosity. Scorpions, liz
ards and tarantulas crossed our path
way by the thosands; giant cacti. meas
uring forty feet in height, stood like
sentinels upon this arid plain Spanish
bayonets and sage brush grew every
where in the widest profusion, but
aside from this, there was not vegeta-
ton enough upon thousand acres, to
sustain the life of a saddle horse
Through such scenes, we urged our
patient burros for some eight or ten
miles, when Suddenly, upon reaching
the summit of an intervening mountain,
we beheld prominent object looming
heavenward to the height of nearly a
thousand feet This was the pyramid.
To contemplate it from that point
and be told that it was the work of
man was more than we could at the first
moment believe Its appearance from
a distance is that OF a high cone-shaped
mountain overgrown with cacti and
Spanish daggers. Upon closer in
spection, however, we find not only
mammoth pile of dirt, bearing evi-
dences of having been thrown up by
the hand Of man, but unmistakable
proofs, in the shape of great blocks of
granite and uniform walls of masonary,
that the work was performed with such
skill and mathematical precision as
would puzzle the ingenuity Of some of
the most skillful engineers of the present
day.
The pyramid has base of nearly
quarter of a mile in diameter, and
height of seven hundred and fifty feet.
with winding carriage way of uniform
curve and regular grade, twenty-three
miles in length, leading to its summit.
The present condition of this pre-
historic thoroughfare would hardly adj
NIT of the passage of vehicles, the outer
walls being badly broken in places and
in appearance. Monte
overseer Of highways seems to
have long since lost all interest in its
preservation, though in some instances
there is not break in its still well de-
fined walls for long distance, and
thorough examination would warrant
the conclusion that its stupendeous walls
will stand for centuries to come. We
found blocks Of granite halfway up this
grand winding stair way that weigh
hundreds of tons, and how in the name
of Mexican ''greaser," they were ever
placed in position we didn't stop to
igure out. Perhaps some wandering
Mathematician or adventureSome arche-
'logist will eventually enlighten us
ipon this point.