Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-01-18

and oven now infest this part Of the
coast. This brings us to tho evidence
above described as throwing long-de.
ferred light upon this mystified part Of
the history OF tho early Spanish con-
quest. 1t corresponds closely to the
historical account Of the loss Of Nicuesa
and party, who left the Rio Belen on
March 1, 1911.
But how came this huge stone here,
over one hundred and twenty miles from
the coastP Did Nienesa and party aban.
don their boat and penetrate the interi'
or? II not, how could such large stone
have been transported from the coast,
through rivers and over high mount
aims, with no vehicle or other possibility
than being dragged here by the Indians?
II the latter, why should such venera-
ton attach to the relic by the uncivil-
lied tribes who found it? These were
the puzzling questions prompted by our
discovery, which was not cleared away
by tho tradition that was repeated by
the rita in whose possession we had
found it. As near as could be inter
preted the tradition runs as follows:
Tho scita indicated by handful Of
sand that it was so many suns ago as the
grains it contained, that his aizes 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 Rushika, their God, for deliverance,
when a great niknik (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 1t was called
Sflna calpa, or stone from the stars, and
had been kept in the possession OF the
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 or
were destroyed q niknik should occur
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 had 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 On earthquake.
In fact, it is known that throughout the
tropical world many earthquakes &C.
Cured during the early part Of the six
tenth century. So that the tradition Is
founded upon fact, with q strange adj
mixture Of superstition.
While at this village we encountered
in one Of the huts beautifully-chased
antique bowl, and upon inquiry found
that it was obtained ut an old ruin
about one league distant. We inme-
diately prepared ourselves, and under
the direction of the native were con-
Quoted to the point indicated, in q broad
valley covered with profuse growth
of trees and vegetation. The ancient
city was surely there. All about US
were unmistakable evidences of what
might once have been the seat OF
grand and populous empire. Here
and there were PROSTATE walls
Of ruined chambers, and anon
ruined bath or aqueduct-all COW
cred with vast forests Of huge trees.
we returned to the village after dark,
determined to delay another day and
visit tho ruins for closer inspection. But
the following morning was ushered in by
severe transforms, 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
nificent 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 ap-
pearance Of 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
the duplication Of which have never
seen in any collection in the States, and
It will no doubt prove an interesting
study for modern antiquarians. Among
other specimens obtained at these ruins
are a number Of ancient designs or
molds, corrugated with figures Of frogs,
snakes, turtles and animals, rs well as
queer-loOlring hieroglyphs. Some OF
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