Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-09-16

y vM&S@s the general desola.
Ition are the ruins what was once great
temple. These villages are only three or
four out of hundreds to be found in the
great empire. Now and then their his
tory can be traced back to some terrible
plague which depopulatcd them in a
month, and again the desoation is due
to war between tribes and factions. AS
"a rule, no native will approach one of
these ruins, and no attempt is ever made
to rebuild the towns. In 1868, while I
was Mt the village of Bheeta, about thirty
miles from Garrow, the Government
sent commission of three officials to
survey and inspect the village with n
view of restoring it by Offering to re-
build the temple and give free deeds to
iall settlers. l was invited by the com.
mission to go along, and this appearing
splendid opportunity for an extended
inspection of the historic ruins | gladly
accepted. Including servants there were
twelve OF lis in the party. On arriving at
"a small village called bTussan, six miles
cast of the village we meant to survey,
we were told of some strange things that
had lately happened. 1t was declared
that spirits had taken possession of the
ruins. Strange lights had been seen dit
ting about at night, and hunter whose
sardor had led him among the ruins had
heard the sound of stones being moyad
and had been pelted with rocks. He
had O bad bruise on the shoulder to prove
the latter statement. While the most
Intelligent natives of India are full of
superstition, the common Villagers and
farmers are so thoroughly imbued with
it that signs and dreams guide most of
their daily transactions. The commits
sion was headed by an Englishman named
Grant of the civil service. The second
was MIR. Artwell of the same branch,
and the third MIR. Martin, who was n
civil engineer. With them, rs secretary
and clerk, was young man named
ThOmasson.
Little attention was paid to the stories
-of the villagers, and next day we moved
over and camped in grove ON the
stream, about half mile above the
head OF the desolated town. The site
was covered with shrubs and grass and
vines. and here and there were groves of
young trees. No tigers had been seen
In that neighborhood for years, but the
place looked like paradise for panthers,
wolves, hycnas and serpents. The town
had extended along the bank of the
stream for mile and half. That
evening, while we were settling down in
our new quarters, q number of stones
from some unseen assailants were sud
denly thrown with great force at one of
the natives who had strayed beyond the
limits OF the camp, hitting him on the
head and rendering him insensible for
several minutes. The missiles came
from a thicket between us and the first
ruins of the town, aud after we had
located the direction we fired yollev
from our guns and put an end to the dis
urPance. The native servants were
thrawn into state of great consterna-
ton, believing and arguing that our
presence had offended the spirits keep.
ing guard over the ruins, and but for
MIR. Grants threats the crowd would
have bolted and left US:
II think | can see into this business. u
he explained to lis after the sci wants had
quoted down. "These ruins have either
peen taken possession of by a band of
robbers or there is party here hunting
Tor treasure. In either case our presencs
IS undesirable, and that demonstration
was to drive us away. Wen try TO
make it a bad job for them, whoever
they are"
= The explanation was reasonable one.
and when 1 asked the gentleman if a
ruin as old as this ever yielded I'D treas.
.ure, he replied:
bless you, yes! 1t has been my luck
10 DC IN ON two jobs as old as this.
IL a tribal war depopulated this town,
then moro or less treasure was hidden
away because it could not be carried off.
II atplaguc appeared, then those Who
hurried awny thought only IF saving
their lives, and took little or nothing
with them. Somewhere in or about
that temple we arc pretty sure oil finding
"a Plant worth picking up"
Ht was still talking when queer lights
appeared at intervals among the shrub
berry, and strange, wild cries were
heard from amcug the ruins. TheSna-
.tives fell down and covered their heias
with cloths, too frightened to even cry
out, but the Commissioner calmly con-
,tinued:
"You have been wondering how it
game about that such treasures were left
iundisturbed so long. Here is the ex-
planation at hand: Such survivors as
knew of its existence feared to return.
No native of India would give an En-.
ilishman pointer on treasure. We have
gathered In plenty of loot since the
mutiny, but never with their assistance.
They call it robbing the dead. If the
: party there are after the treasure they
belong to some clan up among the
mountains. They rob each others ruins,
but never their own"
BY and by tho lights disappeared and
silence rcigred over the ruins and we
turned in again. Soon after daylight
game one of the natives, who had now
recovered q portion of his natural cour-
/age, inspected the shrubbery and found
plenty of evidence that it had been oc.