The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-09-30

al co VI 1ibtlO Iu6n LIZ OUO QoI y
Mills. and total population of not
quite 8 100000. Costa Rica is consid
cred the most liberal of them alex
cept in the matter of religion which is
INTENSELY ROMAN CATHOLIC.
It's government is supposed to be repre-
sentative, and its supreme executive
elected every four years. is not eligible
according to the constitution, to two
successive terms; but it sometime J
happens, as in Myeio, that if a Presi-
dent is shrewd enough, he may keep
himself in power through many terms,
by judicious alienation with an Oblig-
ing friend.
The Costa RIGA Indians are unlike
any others l have seen, many of them
being poor and miserable to degree
yet intensely religious and scrupu-
lousy honest. Among the various
tribes, perhaps the most interesting are
the Talamancas and the Guatuso3.
The former are confined to the Atlantic
slope, inhablting those Low lands be-
tween the Martina River and the Rio
Estrella-" River of the Star" which
flows into E. Baco del Zorro. This
region is one OF great historical inter
est, as it comprises those lands granted
by the Spanish crown to Christopher
Columbus, soon after the famous dis
coyerer entered the Boco, in 1902; from
which circumstance its lovely little
harbor is yet called Bahia del Almlrante
Admiral Bay" AS usual in those
days, the territorial grant was accom-
panied by
TITLE OF NOBILITY.
the Dukedom of VIragua. In he
assignment of jurisdiction made to the
first governor of Costa RIGA this Duke
dom was especially excepted. Not
many years later, however, the discOv-
er's oldest son. Don Luis Colon, entered
into an agreement which incorporated
these lands with the royal estate;
and thereafter the governors of Costa
RIGA were authoriz to occupy and
administer them.
1t is in this region that those famous
gold and silver mines, from which the
country was named, are supposed to be
situated. More than two centuries ago
two galloons, laden with precious dust
and ore, sailed every year from this Rio
Estrela to Cadiz. After the Indian
massacre of 1907, all traces of these
mines were lost, and, in course of time,
impenetrable forests sprang up in the
foot prints of the greedy Spaniards,
blotting them out forever. To-day,
nothing is known, either in Spain or
Costa RIGA, concerning the wonderful
Ell Dorado of Estrella and Tisingah BE-
yond the vague traditions Of the
Indians.
A missionary priest of the College of
Propaganda, writing on this subject in
| 1880, says: The region is barrsn, but
it cannot be doubted that many rich
mines exist in it. In particular. we
have accounts of a wonderful silver
deposit in high hill called San Mateo,
| from which large quantities of ore were
| taken il the last century. l have been
told by a converted Indian that the
Cabecaras of the present day relate that
1901, vast quantities of gold were
thrown into the lake, where they still
remain"
About thirty years ago, it was re-
ported that some documents, proving
the exact whereabouts of
THE LOST TREASURES,
had been discovered in the archives at
Havana. Immediately President Mora
dispatched secret agents to secure the
papers; but it was never known
whether the coveted informa ton was
gained, for if so, interested parties
secretly aYailed themselves of it.
From Time immem Orial the Talamen-
cas- have been considered the most war
like and unmanageable race on the con-
tinent. In tie summer OF 1910, when
the sapacity of the Spaniards became
unbearable they uprose one day and
massacred all the inhabitants Of the
city called San Jago de Talamanca,
which stood on the left bank the
Estrella. In their savage thirst for
vengence some dreadful atrocities were
committed such as pouring melted
gold down the Threats of their hated
oppressors, and butchering men,
women, children and priests in one
wild carnage.
Half century later they were par
TALLY subdued by Don Roderigo Nal
donado, who fitted out an armed ex-
petition against them and rebuilt the
city of San Jago in greater splendor
than before. But in 1707 the uncon-
querable Indians again arose, and with
knife, melted ore and devouring torch,
ExTERMlNATED THE UsURPERs.
So complete was the humiliation that
to-day not only the gold mines of the
are faint traditions only, bu