The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-12-16
me CRIBCHAS.

The rich regions Of the ANecs
were discovered in 1919, and the
conqueror of Montezuma was already
returning to Spain when Pzarro set
sail for Peru. In 1882 the empire of
the lucas was entirely overthrow I;
while in 1886 there still existed,
unknown to the world, upon the
high tableands of the eastern cordil-
lera of the Andes, an agricultural
people composed of more than a
million souls, possessing populous
cities, fortified places, and paved
roads, an established priesthood
with temples, affairs, and sacrifices !;
an organic d, hereditary government
and standing army and approXi-
mate computation of time and vari-
Gus industries, and no little intell-
gence in husbandry. Over this grow
ing civilization of the Chlbchas the
conquest swept like a hurricane,
devastating villages, archives, manu-
factures, and cultivated felds-dis-
persing the bones and annihiating
the traditions of the miserable In
dians. In the course Of a few wears
they were deprived of their indie
pendence, their chiefs, their liberty,
and even of their language, at the
hands of the most cruel, blind, and
persistent persecution their very
name was stricken from the catalogue
of existing nations, their descendants
were condemned to complete obli-
won of their origin, while the anti
quarian was left in the doubt and
confusion of fabulous ages with re-
spect to events which Immediately
preceded this epoch.
The hurriedly written narratives of
the conquerors speak of the grandeur
Of valley of Castles '-Bogota, 50
called because Of the high edifices of
its Cities of the extensive salt mines
Of Zipaquira; of the pOtteries of Tin
jaca, and especially of the great
riches, the golden decorations, and
the upright mummies covered with
fine mantles, that were enclosed in
the temple of Suamoz, the principal
sanctuary of the Chibchas. Nor
were these descriptions exaggerated.
In our day there have been found in
ancient sepulcherS the most delicate
cotton fabrics, well-preserved mum
mics, deliberately carved wooden
articles of furniture, exquisite vases
of baked earth, often initiating the
human form and the figures of ami
mails, and an infinite variety of
golden ornaments and images.
Beyond doubt the Chibchas had
attained the third place In the civil
lzation 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 be-
cause OF the frequent recurrence of
the syllables "chi" and "cha" in
their tongue, but Humboldt calls them
Muiscas or Moscas. According to
the distinguished historian Acosta
(whose excellent work has been
freely consulted and often translated
in the preparation of this paper), the
term ntHtScd merely si9nitied ''peo-
pie" in their langu'ge, and mOSca
(Castilan for "hy" was probably
corruption of the former, or may
have been applied to these Indians
because of the great number that APP
peared before, and endeavored to
stay the progress Of, The handful Of
Spaniards led by Quesada, As sue
cesstul as COrtez or Pzdrro, unlike
them, this famous captain was never
rewarded with the coveted marqul-
safe of Spain, and has lacked the
master hand of Prescott to portray
-he thrilling incidents of his no less
conquest. Lieut.. Lunly,
n October Century.