Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-02-28
NlCARAGUAN RELICS.
REVELATIONS OF BLOODY sAca,-
fees or 4 LONELY ISLAND.

Huge rd"is surtnsunfed NJ. ~.
o. A"ima'.s- Evidences That Horass a,
People Once worshiped There-An
AIiigator's Sanitation.
ID the beautiful lake Of Nicaragua tb.rs
are situated number Of islands one ~
theni called Iapatera, which has been fnr
thousands OF years seat Of ancient Indian
worship. The island is not inhabited ma
y only partly known to natives and for
eigners. Having heard Of some i,nportant
discoveries recently made by a German
achnologist. who was formerly connected
with DIR. Settlements excavations Il
Ma1cenal, decided to pay a visit to the
place.
arrived ut small bay. the shores Of
which were adorned with hundreds Of law
alligators, reached a landing place. where
the remains Of n small artificial harbor are
SILL TO be recognized Hence was guided
py an indian to staircase hewn ii, huge
rocks. In ascending the hill counted 707
steps.
Arrived at the top, saw a vast plain. in
tne center of which rise seven elevations
mat form Latin cross. These hills are
surrounded by number Of small cene-
teries, that evidently contain the remains
OF victims sacrificed to the (seven times
seven) forty-nine idols, besides statues of
priests and kings cut out Of hard, black.
polished granite. The elevation that forms
the center OF the cross is about twice the
size OF the remaining six, and is some hun
dred feet in diameter. On the top of it are
seven large sacrificial stones, surrounded
by vessels into which the blood Of the vic
Tins ran when the rites were performed.
IL IS evident that on the center hill the
nigh priests performed their bloody office.
as on the smaller elevations the sacrificiai
stones are smaller and OF inferior work
manship
The center hill is adorned with seven
huge idols, some of them perfectly pre-
served The principal one represents a fig
ure about fourteen feet high, showing a
striking likeness to Assyrian idols. and
wearing a long beard. on which remains OF
red coloring are still visible. The head i
covered with huge elephants head. On
one side of this rather hideous idol stands
female figure of very fair appearance.
whose features are strfkingly Egyptian.
The head is covered with the head of a
oue ni'u.n "iue open on the
r,hos. ha.d,.;a 80 'sa.u u = hign PRIEST
curled up, fitting the grim looking face
like the turban of an Eastern priest. In
the right hand the figure holds a short
knife, while the left holds something that
looks like human heart. The other idols
represent both male and female figures,
80 r,.a-,. ..is.s "apee'' hiie 'he iat-
NJ -. - .i s.c
,,;.t -. =. -. ~. ei'iaie ny ures are pierced
.s ~ :, "'n ee' seu 70 non, earrings
-, m. "ao io"iu ourieo I'D the
!, 80 VI sne golu ana pearls IN
&C. ant;.,;e W eue so' hv' thciuoine
o,.I.,'t. " , raioe' Ine
-. i,.l "a' 'er! h"e. me heads
y. o., '"e a'".ae1 are 'overe" Win mon
- li'a a ., ainsa.ors' tisers'
- - -, "n: o.nei ahiii,ais' .ne spe-
~, ,nipossioie W ueter-
60 w a.' al. ~ very
- -, ,.s p e'ioii' "piie souic
-. r''5'; " s,ooAs VI eaf'n ,
~ lioln .ne siec.s oi
W. ,ho,,aan si up'n enese 'uois' .ney lnus'
~ pe .,oua ,,1 y. years oii' CONSIDERING inc
a aa.o q1mns u .ne s.one anu 'he uainaee
. l.
W. .he p'acs, ~ mas escaped obstruction py
~ ' =. W" op'eien pri.s.'
. IN aon.e VI 'ue ,uo's Inei are h'erosi!p pine
T., ,ons e..a' dpsoiu'ey no'nins
~ IJ'nn " ~" .ns .uue ciipoions een
go. 60. t'"u y" s'e"' '"u'''' 'ei"'i' ~
n',.'
ro.au,.aa :. -. 80 49,, -. 90 p
eii'' ~ GU en"o - nus, na'e oeel ions III
80. spI' - y. - W oLe VI sne nm u.
,,l,,,,,o aa,,I.,,."5 !, ~ a..
Pop'N '"' Pc i"A
OF the year to witness the bloody rites OF
their priestcraft. That the place was in
habited, except perhaps by a few guardians,
Is not probable, Tor the surroundings con-
sist of barren rocks. and traces of habita-
tons are not found.
from TINS gloomy place l went TO
smaller island, which certainly IN times
past formed part OF Aapatera. oh TINS
barren spot, which Is partly covered by
volcanic ashes, STANDS monolith ABOUT
Soo feet IN diameter The top is covered
Win variety Oh caoaIlstic sighs-1igers'
Mons, SNAKES hippopotanl ana ooher
strange anlhaIs-lil he"h IN rock ana
partly aishgured by the weather. very
reharkaDle are great many l.a.lh' MAJ.
tese ana Greek crosses beautifully WORKED
and well conserved. In the center OF the
surface there Is large, stately hgure OF
grim appearance holding smaller hSure
light IN eaeh haha' perhaps the repre-
sentation OF powerful chief holding ms
yanquished foes. The place Is covered with
inscriptions that bear great resemblance
20 the ancient Inscriptions on tue island OF
Cyprus Professor Max Muller OF Ok
ford, to whom some fragments nave been
forwarded, deems II possible 10 decipher
tneln 90,