The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-07

voice of zibalbay calling us.
Arise. ne said, 1T is time to start
upon our road"
Are the lfrters here?" asked.
Nor can they be for some hours. I
desire to reach the city this nighI.
therefore we must push forward on foot
TO meet them" Then, having no choice
we got up and dressed ourselves as
best we could in the garments of the
country that had been given to us, for
our own were but rags, in which we
were ashamed to be seen, and went in
70 the common room, where we found
Zibalbay and the Lady Maya.
Eat, said the old man, pointing to
food that was all ready, land let us
be going
Ten minutes later we were outside the
mousse There was no wind, but at
6hlS great height the air was of SO
piercing a quality that we were glad
to fold our serapeS round us and walk
briskly forward, Zibalbay leading the
way. At first gray gloom reigned.
but presently, snowy peaks shone
through it everywhere, radiant with the
hueS of the uprisen sun, although the
mountain sides beneath us were still
wrapped in night.
By degrees, as the light grew we saw
THAT the country at our feet was shaped
like bowl, whereof, the mountain
range upon which we stood formed the
rim, and at the bottom Of this bowl
fed by numberless streams that had
| their sources among the surrounding
SHOWS, lay the lake, the Holy Waters
of this people. OF this however. wa
could as yet see little since the vast
eXpanse beneath us lay hidden in vol
umeS Of mist that moved and rolled
like the face of the ocean.
Never before had we looked upon
I a m 60 cfr a.
ment of vapor while the light Of
heaven gathered upon its surface, ting
ing it with lines and patches of color.
/, 1t seemed as though a map Of the
world was unrolled before us; CONT
nents, seas, islands and cities formed
I themselves only to disappear in quick
succession and assume new and end
| less shapes.
at is beautiful. is 1t not?" said
Maya. But wait until the mist
breaks. Look, it is beginning"
| AS she spoke, of a sudden the sea Of
mist grew thin and opened in its cen
tire, and through the gap thus formed
showed first the pyramids and temple
tops and then the entire panorama Of
! the city, Heart of the World, floating
as it were upon the surface Of the holy
waters. 1t was far away, but now the
night. fog no longer thickened it, so
clear was the atmosphere and so high
were we above it that it seemed to be
at our feet.
The city, which appeared to be snr-
rounded by wall, was built of marble
or some other snow-white stone,
wherein the light cleaned and flashed.
1t stood upon a heart-shaped island,
and round about the shores of this
island, stretching further than the eye
lcould reach, sparkled the blue waters
lof the holy lake. By degrees the ring
iof mist rolled up the sides Of the
mountain and vanished, and in place
lof it the round bowl of the valley was
filled with the clear light of day
! Now we could see the shores of the
lake with their green fringe of reeds.
and above them grass lands threaded
by silver streams, and above these
iagain, upon the TANKS of the noun
tains, great forests of oak and cedars
rising almost to the snow line. To the
right and left of us the huge, round
shouldered mountains stretched in a
majestic sweep till they melted into
the blue of the horizon, while here and
there some tall snow-robed peak, the
Icone of an extinct volcano, lowered
tabove us like a sentinel.
There lies my country, said Maya
with a proud wave of her hand.
i''Does it please you, white man2"
1T pleases me so well, Maya" he
answered, "that now less than ever
lean understand why you wish to
Ileave it."
Because. though lakes and nnouns