The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-12-12
PACIFIC SEA ISLANDS.
Remains of a Civilization of Re-
mote Antiquity.
Mysterious Ruins Found In Places Inhab
tied at This Day by Tattooed Saw
aEes-A Great Held for Lovers
Of Archaeology.

Modern science. which has brought TO
light buried Troy. revealed the place OF
ancient Babylon. untombed the mummy
of the Pharaoh of Moses. and constructed
somewhat of history for the Aztecs
and the mound builders. stands bafiied
before the mysterious ruins of the Ia
cific Sea islands. writes correspondent
of the Chicago News
Kusaie, otherwise known as Strong Is
land, of the Caroline archipelago. with
a circumference Of fifty miles. is covered
with massive ruins of a remote date.
They bear the outlines OF Notifications,
and are built of stones ten foct long.
duly squared on six sides, OF a gcologi-
cal formation not met with on the is
land.
Ascension Island. known also as
Panape, is larger than Kusaic. possesses
similar ruins. but much larger. In one
place there remains wall 800 feet long
and 80 feet high. forming court.
little Easter Island. on tho eastern
outskirts of Polynesia, has no running
water. no trees. nothing to attract in
habitants. Vet this island is pcoplcd
by Polynesians Of the fair tvpc. such
a. are found far away in the Society ISL
ands. and is covered with remains Of
prehistoric civilization Of which cvcry
record but that of stone has p"rishcd.
At the southwest end Of tho island
there arc % be found tho ruins Of nearly
a hundred stone houses. huilt in rogu-
lar lines and facing Tho sea. Tho walls
Of these houses arc five foot thick and
over five foot high built of layers Of
rat stones and lined inside with nat
slabs. Internally tho honscs measure
about forty feet long ly thirteen feet
wide. and they are rooted over with
slabs overlapping like tiles Tho in
side walls arc painted in thrcc colors-
rcd. black and whitc-with figures OF
birds and mystic beasts and faces. and
geometrical figures. In one OF these
houses was found curious stone statue,
eight feet high. and weighing about
four tons. which is now in the British
Museum.
The sea-clifIs near this ancient settle
ment arc carved into grotcsquc shapes
not unlike the paintings on the walls.
and the coast is marked with hundreds
of these strange sculptures.
Again. on each hcadland OF tho island
there is an enormous stone platform.
built of hewn blocks Of great size fitted
together without cement They are
built on sloping ground. presenting on
the seaward side wallace twenty or
thirty feet high and two or three hun
dred feet long. and on the landward side
a wall Of about three feet in height ris-
ing from leveled terrace.
Upon these platforms arc stone pedcs-
tails which have supported images. and
on some broken figures remain On one
platform fifteen images were found. in
size ranging from three TO thirty five
feet in height. They are Of human
shape. representing the upper part of
the body only. with arms and hands
close 10 the sides. Tho heads are cut
fat TO allow of crowns being placed on
them, which crowns seem to have been
made. not Of the same material as the
statues. but OF red tufa. This has been
traced TO an extinct crater within a few
miles of the houses, and on the brink OF
this crater largo number of crowns
were found. finished and ready for re-
moval before some strange fate dcpeo-
Piled the island of these ancient wor
shippers.
The images themselves are made OF
gray lava. which is only found at quite
another crater at the other end Of the
island. At this scratcr-called Otouli-
there are several finished and partly
finished images, just as they werc left
by the workmen. Tho head OF one
of these measures twenty feet from
the nape of the neck TO the
crown. The faces of the images
have well-defined features. with thin
lips, broad noses. expanded nostrils.
and general disdainful expression. 1t
is believed, from the appearance Of the
cye-sockets. that obsidian cyeballs were
intended to bc inserted. The ears are
very carefully carved. and are promi-
ncnt.
There are also. in different parts OF
tie island. wooden tablets covered with
curious carvings and strange hiero-
glyphics, which no one can explain
At Oparo, or Rapaiti. Captain Vine
Hall found a temple. or castle. in five
stages, surrounded by walls which in
close stone houses, and also square plat
forms of stone on the sides of one of
the hills. similar to those on Easter
island This isle is 1000 miles from
Panape. but the inhabitants of the lat
ter say their ancestors came from oparo.
Who were these ancient people? The
ruins present an antiquity equal 10 that
of the prehistoric civilizations of Amer
lea. The present inhabitants are sim
ply tattooed savagcs The ancient race
possessed intelligence far beyond any
thing now found in the Pacific: had
ideas of architecture, sculpture. paint
ing and engineering and an elaborate
religion. Arch8ologists and ethnolo-
gistS have given US no light yet The
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