Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-11-26
THE cHIHoHAs.
Littie-Knowh .Cdhtsmporarles of tue Az
800 tees and Incas.

Uttie-KnoNh contemporaries OF tue AZ.
toes and Incas.
The rich regions of the Aztecs were
discovered in 1919, and the conqueror of
Montezuma was already returning to
Spain when Pizarro set sail for Peru
In 1882 the empire of the Incas was en-
tirely over,hrown; while in 1886 there
still existed, unknown to the world, up
on the high tablelands of the eastern
eordillera of the Andes an agricultural
people composed of more than million
souls, possessing populous cities, forti-
fed places and paved roads; an estab-
lished priesthood with temples, altars
and sacrificesI an organized, hereditary
government and standing army; an
approximate computation of time; and
various industries, and no little intel
ligence in husbandry. Over this grow
ing civilization Of the Chibchas the con-
quest swept like a hurricane, devastat'
ing villages, archives, manufactures and
cultivated felds-dispersing the bones
and annihilating the traditions OF the
miserable Indians. In the course of a
few years they were deprived of their
independence, their chiefs, their liber.
ty, and even of their languages;
ut the hands of the most cruel,
blind, and persistent persecution,
their very name was stricken from the
catalogue of existing nations, their de-
scendants were condemned to complete
oblivion of their origin, while the anti
quarian was left in the doubt and con-
fusion of fabulous ages with respect to
events which Immediately preceded this
epoch. The hurriedly written narra-
tives of the conquerors speak of the
grandeur of the valley of Castles"-
Bogota, so called because of the high
sdi6ces of its cities; of the extensive
salt mines of Zipaquira; of the potter
.es of Tinjaca, and especially of the
great riches, the golden decorations,
and the upright mummics covered with
fine mantles, that were inclosed in the
temple of Suamoz the principal sanct-
uary of the Chibchas. Nor were these
descriptions exaggerated. In our day
there have been found in ancient Sc
pulchers the most delicate cotton fab
RIGS, well-preserved mummies, elabo'
rately carved wooden articles of furni-
ture, exquisite vases of baked earth,
often initiating the human form and
| the figures of animals, and an infinite
variety of golden ornaments and i'm.
ages. Beyond doubt the Chibchas
had attained the third place in the
civilization of aboriginal America; yet
volumes have been written upon the
Aztecs and Incas, while the name OF
this enlightened contemporary is al
most unknown, They are said to have
been denominated Chibchas because OF
the frequent recurrence of the sylla-
bles 'chi" and "cha" in their tongue,
but Humboldt calls them Muiscas OF
Moscas. According to the distin
guished historian Acosta (whose excel
lent work has been freely consulted
and often translated in the preparation
of this paper), the term muisca mere
ly signified ''people" in their language
and mosca (Castilian for "fy") was
probably corruption of the former, OIL
may have been applied to these Indians
because of the great number that ap
peared before, and endeavored to stay
the progress of the handful of Span
iards led by Quesada. AS successful
as Cortez or Pizarro, unlike them, thi'
famous captain was never rewarded
with the coveted marquisate of Spain
and has lacked the master hand o
Prescott to portray the thrilling Incl
dents of his no less remarkable con
quest Lieut.. Lemly, in Century.