The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-01-25

through rivers and over nigh mount
aims, with no vehicle or other possibility
than being dragged here by the Indiansi
If the latter, why should such venera'
ton attach to the relic by the uncivil'
lied tribes who found it? These were
the pulling questions prompted'by oul
discovery, which was not cleared away
by the tradition that was repeated by
the ptta in whose possession we had
found it. AS near as could be inter
preted the tradition runs as follows:
The aoita indicated by handful OF
| sand that it was SO many suns ago as the
| grains it contained, that his dizes fore
fathers) were oppressed and many OF
them murdered by strange men who
came up out of the water, blew fire with
their breath and carried thunder and
| lightning in their hands. They prayed
to Rushilta, their God, for deliverance,
when great mink (earthquake) fol-
| lowed and this stone was heaved from
the stars, and falling upon and rolling
amid them destroyed the strange men.
From this circumstance it was called
Silnaa aodlpG, or stone from the stars, and
tribe ever since and guarded jealousy
by every generation.
This tradition undoubtedly points to
the early Spaniards, as they were the
men "who came up out Of the water"
and their murderous firearms, unknown
at the time to the Indians, led them to
think that the strange men blew fire
with their breath and carried lightning
in their hands. And in this country Of
| frequent earthquakes it is quite likely
that the day the Spaniards had died OF
were destroyed a ntknii; should ocoEr
and the finding Of the inscribed stone
near the same place was interpreted by
| their ignorant wise men as stone Of
deliverance, hurled from the stars upon
their enemies. Else the party mad died
of starvation about the stone, where
they had left this record Of their fate
and there they were found simultaneous
| lywith the appearance of an earthq uake.
In fact, it is known that throughout the
tropical world many earthquakes oc.
CURED during the early part of the six
teenth century. So that the tradition is
| founded upon fact, with a strange ad.
mixture of superstition.
While at this village we encountered
in one Of the huts a beautifully-chas
antique bowl, and upon inquiry found
that it was obtained at an old ruin
about one league distant. We iMme-
diately prepared ourselves, and under
the direction of the native wore con-
Quoted to the point indicated, in broad
valley covered with profuse growth
of trees and vegetation. The ancient
city was surely there. All about us
might once have been the seat of a
grand and populous empire. Here
and there were PROSTATE walls
of ruined chambers, and anon
ruined bath or aqueduct-all cov-
cred with vast forests Of huge trees.
All was a mysterious assemblage of
past magnifcence yet tenantless,
silent and solitary. To obtain better
view of the expanse Of the valley and
possibly ascertain the extent of the
ruins we concluded to climb the side Of
one of the mountains bordering the
valley. This we found an arduous and
trying task, as the rank underground,
sewed together by endless tangled
vines, seemed almost impenetrable at
every point. We finally entered small
| rayine which terminated in rocky
| gorge with stone-terraced sides, up
which we clambered and then followed
sort of gulley half way to the summit.
Before we had reached a convenient
point of observation, by reason of the
tiresome journey, twilight had overtaken
us, but the view was not obscured and
we were we'll repaid for our trouble. In
the midst of the verdant valley we be-
held innumerable crumbling evidences
of the ancient city. Broken colonades
| and pillars, piles Of moldering stone,
obelisks and walls arose at intervals
amid the underbrush and forests. What
we had observed in the valley was but a
prelude to a once powerful city, which
stretched away for some unknown dis
lance over the valley. AS we stood
above the place contemplating its
former magnifcence and as the shades
of twilight grew deeper over It's somber
solitudes we could but wonder that such
| powerful empire could have fourished
and gone to decay without any knowl-
edge Of the outside world.
We returned to the village after dark,
determined to delay another day and
visit the ruins for closer inspection. But
the following morning was ushered in by
severe Fain-storms, which continued
throughout the day. Despite this fact,
we returned in the afternoon, and
though working under great difficult
ties, succeeded in securing several mag
nifcent archaeological specimens of
vases, idols and other minor pieces. One
Of these was an idol about two feet
high, representing woman in sitting
| posture, with the head turned aside and
hideous forked tongue protruding from
the mouth, with great elongated ears and
an ugly visage, which gave it the APP
pearance of a demon. The arms were
held akimbo, originally holding some
thing in the hands, which had been
broken away. A peculiarly designed
necklace was carved about the neck and
the body was made nude to the waist,
where some sort Of drapery was con-
structed. 1t was very quaint specimen
-th@duplication of which have never
|