San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-25
NIoARAGUAN ANTIQUITIES

rifices on a Lonely Island.
Granada Letter In New York Post.
Iu the beautiful lake of Nicaragua
there are situated number of islands,
one of them called Zsnatera, which
has been for thousands of years seat
of ancient Indian worship. The island
ia not inhabited and is only partly
known to natives and foreigners.
Having heard of some important dis
coveries recently made by German
acha )logist, who was formerly con-
nected with DIR. Schilemann's excava-
tions in Msjcenal, decided to pay
visit to the place.
Arrived st q small bay. the shores
of which were adorned with hundreds
of lazy alligators, I reached landing
place, where the remains Of small
artificial harbor are still to be recog-
nized. Hence was guided by an In
dian to 8 staircase hewn in huge
rocks. In ascending the hill counted
707 steps. Arrived at the top saw
vast plain, In the center of which rise
seven elevations that form Latin
cross. These hills are surrounded by
a number of small cemeteries, that
evidently contain the remains OF VIC
Tins sacrificed to the (seven times
seven) forty. nine idols, besides statues
of priests and kings cut out OF hard,
.poiished granite. The elevation that
forms the center of the cross is about
twice the size of the remaining six,
aud is some hundred feet in diameter.
On the top of it are seven large sacri-
iicIal stones, surrounded by vessels
into which the blood of the victims
ran when the rites were performed.
tits evident that on the center hill
the high priests performed their
bloody office, as on the smaller eleva-
tions the sacrificisl stones are smaller
and of inferior workmanship.
The center hill Is adorned with
seven huge idols, some of them per.
fectly preserved. The principal one
represents q figure about IA feet high,
showing a striking likeness TO Assy-
risn idols, and wearing long beard,
on which remains of red coloring are
etill visible. The head ia covered
with a huge elephants head. On one
side of this rather hideous idol stands
a female figure of very fair appear
ance. whose features are strikingly
Egyptian. The head Is covered with
the head of a lioness, the mouth wide
omen. On the other side is the statue
OF a high priest. whose headpieca con-
sists Of big snake curled up, fitting
the grim-looking face like the turban
of sr Eastern priest; in the right hand
the figure holds q short knife. while
the left holds something that looks
like a human heart. The other idols
REPRESENT both male and female fig
ures, the former Of hideous aspect,
while the latter present pleasant
faces. The ears Of the female figures
are pierced with holes, which served
TO hold earrings, as one of these was
found hurried in the soil. The value
Of the gold ard pearls in it amounted
to some $500. not including its artis-
tic and archa illogical value; the
workmanship was very fine. The
heads of all these statues are covered
with monstrous heads of lions, ALI
gstors. tigers, horses, sheen and
other animals, the species of which it
isimpossiole to determine. Most of the
statues are in very fair state of
preservation, while some have been
difigured bv shocks of earthquakes.
Judging from the effects of the wealth
or upon these idols. they must be
thousands of years old. considering
the hard quality of the stone and the
damage d0ne. Thanks to the hidden
position of the place. it has escaped
destruction ny the hands of the fanat.
ical priest. On some of the idols there
are hieroglyphic inscriptions that
have absolutely nothing in common
with the rude inscriptions generally
found on ancient Indian remains in
Central America.
Descending again the artificial
staircase, I remarked that it must
have been long in use as it was pretty
well worn out by footsteps. 1t evi.
IDENTIFY led to one of the principal
pIaces of worship, where masses of
peopIe cnngregated during certain
periods of the year to witness the
bloody rites of their priestcrsft. That
the place was inhabited, except, per-
hsps. by few guardians, is not prob.
able; tor the surroundings consist of
barren rOcks, and traces of habita.
tons are not found.
From this place 1 went to small
er island, which certainly, in times
past, formed part of Z4patera. On
this barren spot, which is partly GOV
cred by volcanic ashes, stands a mon
, olith about 200 feet in diameter. The
top is covered with a variety of cabal-
istic signs-tigers, lions, snakes, hip.
popotami and other strange animals,
ali hewn in rock and partly disfigured
by the weather. Very remarkable
are a great many Latin, Maltese and
Greek crosses, beautifully worked and
we'll preserved In the center of the
surface there is a large, stately figure
of grim appearance, holding small
er figure tight in each hand, per-
haps the representation of a power
full chief holding his vanquished foe
The place is covered with inscriptions
49, Ioor a rraat rasan1 hlanpa tO fhc