The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-12

under the light Of day, wend our way to
the mouth OF the gorge, then out upon a
level basis, fertile and green, a mile or
more IN diameter, circular in its general
form, locked IN by towering mountains on
every SIDE, except lowing from the gorge
Just behind US the broOklet winds its
way TO nearly the center of this plain
There II Is joined by streams from
several similar gorges. A small.
lake is formed of cold, clear water, and
1rom this a nobler stream flows out
through a-natural cleft in the solid noun
tam wall, narrow its channel and steep its
ped. The waters rush through with a
steady roar, resem bling the deep toned
running otthunder. Around this pool, or
lake, have mentioned. and covering sew
erdl hundred acres in its bounds, is the
remains of rock wall built by human
hands, and yet perfect beneath the sur
Ia e, and easily traced. Within its
bounds Is cemetery IN the southwest
corner Who builded so great and strong
wall as this must once have BEEN What
people lie in that cemetery}
L The fact that this wall was six feet
thick, laid in regular courses, and ce-
mented together by the use of a mortar
now difficult TO determine its component
parts, is proof that it was built BY peo-
pie who certainly could not be classed as
ignorant savages.
IN CONDITION FOR A SIEGE.
The further fact: that it was built
around never failing supply of pure
water, in the center of fertile plain,
with but one narrow outlet. which could
be easily guarded and defended, ard 10
which buffalo and other animals could be
herded, shows that it had been selected
with keen sagacity and for some well de-
fined purpose 80.
If ~ aro,,,;o- -, -
prepared to stand with comfort a long
one. and in times of peace secure against
the depredations of ierocious animal ma
rauders, with which the. forests were
then undoubtedly thickly inhabited No
descent could be made successfully by
men from the precipitous mountain sides,
as these, being sparsely covered with
vegetation. would at all times be exposed
to view; and again, If descent were made
they would be at the mercy of those shell
tered behind strong and almost impreg-
nable wall, while this distance was too
great for a fight of arrows to prove de-
structive. or even the tolt from a cross
bow or the shot from an arquebus fired
from the surrounding heights. 49,.
Thus we lind them at home and obtain
an idea of the manner in which thew
lived, In brief, they were constantly
at war with some other tribal race. They
lived in fortified cities; their feod CON
sisted of fish and fowl and flesh, with
edible plants, maize, roots and salads
There is, however, no vestige of grain
food or slightest sign of their having ever
titled the soil They had intercourse
with the tribes along the seacoast or
made expeditions themselves, as proved
by the clothing, which we have shown
already in another part of this article in
some nStanceS to be a cloth Ornamented
with sea shells, sharks teeth and ami
nal teeth, serpents' teeth, etc.
WAYS OF BURYING THEIR DEAD.
Thus we know they strove 10 ornament
| their dress probably used plumes and
feathers in their headdress; wore pic
turesque costumes, mantles of furs and
cloaks.of bright colored feathers.
They buried their dead in two ways al
though a common cemetery was used.
One way was to bury the body-wrapped
in cloth or fur mantle-laid full length
upon the back, with arms crossed upon
the breast, with the head to the west,
the feet to the east. In other words, IN
rising the face would look toward the
rising sun.
Slabs of stone incase the body, as a
vault in appearance. In some instances
Inscriptions have been cut upon these but
in lapse of centuries water and fire have
destroyed all but the traces OF these. In
the other way the bodies are buried in a
sitting position, with the knees doubled
back upon the arms diagonally crossed
over the breast and supporting the chin
These bodies are sewn up in mat of
woven feathers soft, thick and skillfully
put together. These bodies are not in
cased with stone slabs, but sit with their
faces turned to the rising sun.
These remains of walled cities and
cemeteries have been found in several
places in Tennessee. Haywood briefly
mentions one discovered by the first SET
tiers from Virginia and North Carolina
near the present site of Nashville, but
only in casual way and without particu-
lars. The ruins can yet be seen by exca-
waiting at that point.
When l visited the worlds fair spent
ten long days in the anthropogical build
ing, and also visited the cave of the cliff
jewellers. To my great surprise I found
perfect duplicates of what my researches
in the mountains of Tennessee had
brought to light.
EVIDENCES TO SUPPORT THE AZTEC THEORY.
Now, let US take all the evidences we
have before us-the names, features, bear
ings, habits, fOndness for bright clothing
and ornaments, traits of character and
disposition, relics yet preserved in their
homes, although unassociated as links in
the chain of a direct history of their
ancestry, in the minds of the present
tribe or race of "Melungeons, >" yet is con-
vincing to me that they are the direct de-
sendants of the Aztecs and Portuguese,
the latter cemingling with the Aztecs
probably as far back as the sixteenth
century.
The terrible tribal conflicts, disease
and later conflicts with our own people
have decimated and destroyed all but
few of their descendants, who yet linger
among the mountains which once knew
the presence of a great aud powerful ma
ton other than ours. This nation in
Tennessee-as shown by the evidence l
have introdueed-both in their mode of
burial and weapons and habits of life,
contained the blood also of another sep
urate and distinct race in their veins,
and that these were men of Portugal or
Spain, who either deserted or were
captured from De Soto's army.
Il would like further to sug-
gest that the evidence found here, in
New Mexico Nevada. Arizona. Mexico,
Peru and Chile, and the examinations of
Egyptian tombs, proves that the Aztecs
were the same rae of people in every
country above named, only modified by
climate and surroundings; that they ruled
in Egypt and ruled the western hemi-
sphere, with The Maltese cross following
them everywhere, and to the almost utter
extinction of their people and their race
down to the present race. There is pn-
doubfa blH 'rn1oOf of the exiStanoa Of "A