Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-23
MYSTERIES OF THE PACIFIC.
Interesting Evidences OF Civilization of
Great Antiquity.
From the Chicago News.


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 something of a
history for the Aztecs and the mound builders,
stands baffied at the mysterious ruins Of the
Pacific sea islands
Kusaie, otherwise known as Strong Island
OF the Caroline archipelago. with a eircumfer-
ence OF fifty miles, is covered with massive
ruins Of remote date. They bear the
outlines of Notifications and are built of
stones ten feet long, duly squared on six sides,
of geological formation not met with on the
island.
Ascension Island, known also as Panape, il
larger than Kusaie, possesses similar
ruins. but much larger. In one place remains
wall 300 feet long and 80 feet high, forming
q court
Little Easter Island. on the eastern outskirts
OF Polynesia has no running water, no trees
nothing to attract inhabitants. Yet this island
is peopled by Polynesians OF the fair type, such
as are found far away i'll the Society, Islands
and is covered with remains Of a prehistoric
civilization Of which every record but that of
stone has persisted.
At the southwest end of the island there are
to be found the rnins of nearly hundred stone
houses. built in regular lines and facing the
sea. The walls OF these houses are five feet
thick and over five feet high. built of LAYERS of
fiat stones and lined inside with fiat slabs. In
ternally the houses measure about forty feet
long by thirteen feet wide, and they are rooted
over with slabs overlapping like tiles. The in
side walls are painted in three colors-red.
black and whito-with figures CT birds and
mystic beasts and faces and geometrical figures
In one of these houses was found a curious
stone statue, eight feet high and weighing
about four tons, which IL now in the British
Museum
The sea cliffs near this ancient settlement
are carved into grotesque shapes not unlike
the paintings on the walls, and the coast il
marked with hundreds of these sculptures.
Again, on each headland of the 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 in the seward side a wall face
twenty or thirty feet high and two or three
hundred feet long, and on the landwsrd side a
wall of about three feet in height, rising from
= leveled terrace.
which have supported images. and on some
broken figures remain. On one platform fifteen
images were found, in size ranging from 8 to
s. feet in height. They are OF human shape,
representing the upper part of the body only,
with arms and hands close to the sides. The
heads are cut fiat 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 n large
number OF crowns were found finished and
ready for removal before some strange fate de-
peopled the island Of these ancient worshippers.
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
| crater-called Otouli-there are several fin
| ished and partly finished images, Just as they
we're left by the workmen. The head of one of
these measures twenty feet from the nape of
the neck to the crown. The faces of the i'm
| ages have well-defned features, with thin lips
| broad noses. expanded nostrils and q general
| disdainful expression. 1t is believed from the
| appearance Of the eve sockets that obsldian
/ eyeballs were intended to be inserted. The
| ears are very carefully carved and are promi-
nent
There are also in different parts of the island
| wooden tablets covered with curious carvings
and strange hieroglyphics, which no one can
| explain.
| At Opara, or Rapaita, Capt Vine Hall found
temple, or CASTLE in five stages, surrounded
| by walls which inclose stone houses. and also
square platforms 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 latter say their ancestors
| came from Opara.
Who we're these ancient people? The ruins
present an antiquity equal to that Of the pre-.
| historic civilizations of America. The present
| inhabitants are simply tattOoed savages. The
ancient race possessed intelligence far beyond
| anything now found in the Pacific; had ideas
OF architecture, sculpture, painting and engi.
neering, and an elaborate religion Arch
biologists and ethnologists have given US no
light yet The mystery OF the Pacific awaits
| solution