The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-10-09
is 1T A GENUINE RELIC ?

The Globe Democrat is responsible LOT
story which will revive the old theories
about he oriental origin of the Central
Americans. 1t is said that seven years
ago an Indian from Merida. Yucatan, sold
tn curio-dealer, in the City of Mexico
sword when the Indian said he had found
in the depths of tomb in YucataD, and
supposed to be a Spanish weapon. On
examination the sword and scahoard were
found to be encrusted with half an inch
of oxidation. The blade was OF bronze,
inlaid with silver characters, when were
partly old Assyrian and partly cuneltorm.
o. the round head of the hilt OF the sword
crouches the AsSyrian lion, and below IL
is a portrait, apparently that oil the owner
of the weapon. Under the hilt, at the
junction with the blade, are fantastic
figures, inscribed with fifteen crescents.
On one side of the blade is silver-inlad
likeness of Baal, and below this portrait
of the Greek Pallas. The total length of
the sword is 26a inches by 31a at its
widest part. Its weight is twelve pounds.
The first comment which will be made
on this discovery vii! be the EXPRESSION OF
a doubt of its authenticity. Before enter
ing into discussion of the find arch8olo-
gists would like to have the affidavit of
some well-knOwn person averrlng that he
has seen the sword, and that it CORE
spends to the description. For, 10 the ID
sence of such evidence, well-informed
persons will be inclined to suspect that
the whole story is canard. No such
sword as is here described was worn by
any Spanish invader of Mexico, and we
Ill of 60 tim nd m o.
in that country before Columbus.
To say that the Assyrians did not at any
time plant colony in Central America Is
more than any one can do. What passed
10 the ages before history began is known
10 no one. SpeculatiOns over the myster-
les of prehistoric times have always been
attractive, and ingenious and learned men
have loved to indulge in them. Thus Her
nandez and Acosta satisfied themselves
that Mexico was pe0pled by race OF
antsdiluvial giants. SiguenZa believed
that the original MexicanS were descended
from a grandson of Noah. Lord Kings
borough spent fortune in bringing out
An illustrated book on Mexican antiQui-
lies, which aimed at proving that that
country was at one time the home OF the
lost ten tribes of Israel. In our own day
the traveller Stevens persuaded himself
that Central America was inhab ited by a
highly civilized race at the time the pyra-
mids of Egypt were built These theories
received blow when the Lorillard expe-
ditiOn reported that there were nc antiqul'
ties in Guatemala or Yucatan which dated
further back than the eighth or even toe
.enth century OF our era. But it cannot be
said that speculation has been silenced.
The date of the Toltec migration south
ward from Mexico is pretty we'll settled as
having taken place some time in the eley-
enth century-say about the time of the
first crusade. But when the Totecs. fly
ing from their merciless conquerors, sought
refuge in the aim ost impenetrable Jungle'
of Central America, did they find those
places empty? If they did, their expert
ence was quite uneXampled. No part Of
the world that was calculated to sustain
| human life was ever found uninhabited
In every continent voyagers found. wher
| they landed, some race of human being
established, more or less civilized, more o.
| less savage. Yet still there is nothing il
our records which forbids the hypothesi
that the ancients may have wandered ia
and wide in search of new homes as TIL
| noderps do.
Recently the theory has been preached
with some show of plausibilty, that tn
Phenicians, In the course Of their adven
turous voyaging, reached America.
true, that could easily account for tn
presence of an Assyrian weapon in
| Yucatan ruin.