The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-09-03
PACIFIC SEA ISLANDS.
Remains Of Civilization Of Re-
mote Antiquity.
Mysterious Ruins Found In Places Inhab-
tied ht This Day BY Tattooed Saw
ages-A Great Field for Lovers
OF Archaeology.

OF Archaeology. az ~
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 baffied
before the mysterious ruins Of the Pa
cifc Sea islands, writes correspondent
Of the Chicago News. 's~ sUft
Kusaie, otherwise known as Strong Is
land, of the Caroline archipelago, with
Q circumference of fifty miles, Is covered
with massive ruins Of remote date.
They bear tho outlines of fortifcations,
and are built Of stones ten feet long,
duly squared on six sides, OF q geologi-
cal formation not met with on the Is
land. ho wa
Ascension Island, known also as
Panape, is larger than Kusaie, possesses
similar ruins, but much larger, IA one
place there remains wall 800 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 In
habitants. Yet this island ID peopled
by Polynesians Of the fair type, such
as are found far away ir tho Society ISL
spds, and Is covered With remains Of Q
prehistoric civilization Of which every
record but that Of stone has perished.
At the southwest end Of the island
there are TO be found the ruins Of nearly
! . hundred stone houses, built In regu-
lar lines and facing the sea The walls
Of these houses are fve feet thick and
over Ave feet high, built Of layers Of
nat stones and lined inside with nat
slabs. Internally the houses measure
about forty feet long by thirteen feet
wide, and they arc rooted over with
slabs overlapping like tiles. The In
side walls are painted in three colors--
red, black and white-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. hn NJ
The sea-ciifis near this ancient settle
ment are carved into grotesque shapes
not unlike the paintings on the walls,
and the coast is marked with hundreds
OF these strange 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 on
the seaward side Wallace twenty or
thirty feet high and two or three hum
dred feet long, and on the landward side
a wall Of about three feet in height ris-
ing from leveled terrace.
Upon these platforms are stone pedes-
tails which have supported images, and
on some broken figures remain On one
platform fifteen images we're found. In
size ranging from three 70 thirty-fve
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
fat TO allow Of crowns being placed on
them, which crowns seem 10 have been
made, not Of the same material as the
statues, but d red tnfa. This has been
traced TO an extinct crater within a few
/ miles OF the houses, and on tho brink Of
this crater large number OF crowns
were found, finished and ready for re-
moval before some strange fate depeo-
pied the island Of these ancient wor-
shippers.
The images themselves are made OF
gray lava, which is only found at quite
another crater at tho other end OF the
island. At this scrater-called Otouli-
there are several finished and partly
finished images, just as they were left
by the workmen. The head OF one
OF these measures twenty feet from
the nape OF the neck to the
crown. Tho faces Of the images
have well-denned features, with thin
lips, broad noses, expanded nostrils,
and general disdainful expression. II
Is believed, from the appearance OF the
eye-sockets, that Obsidian eyeballs wero
intended TO be inserted. The ears ara
very carefully carved, and ore promi-
nent.
There are also, In different parts Of
the island, wooden tablets covered with
curious carvings and strange hero
glyphics, which no one can explain.
At Opsro, or Rapaiti. Captain vins
Hall found . temple, OF castle, In hve
stages. surrounded by walls which In
close stone houses, and alsd square plat-
forms Of stono on the -sidess ~ one vi
the hills, similar 10 those on EAster
island. This Isle is 1900 miles ftotn
1 I<hqpo. but the fnhsbfisnts n DO ut
u - tbeir spcestots chbde fiop Opsrp.
1@ho Sere these ancient peoplef The
ruins present an antiquity equal 10 that
Of the prehistoric civilizations Of Amor
lea. The present inhabitants are sim
4 ply tattooed savAgeA The ancient raoe
possessed intelligence far beyond any
thing now found in the Pacific; had
ideas Of architecture. sculpture, paint
ing and engineering and IN elaborate
religion. ! Afeheologists and ethnolo-
gists have given W no light yet Tho
mystery Of the Pacific awaits solution.