Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-11-14
Prehistoric America.
Finding Buried Prehistoric City in MeooA Great remple
2ooxeoo Feet-Carvirss In Imitation Of Egyptian and
Assysn Flauros-EvIdonoe OF Great Seismic Commissions

their ends projecting IL was q unique
arrangement aud an entirely new ue'
pafture In ancient architecture. Here,
as well a. in many other localities we're
found large circular stones, when peat
marked resemblance TO our grnu,
. ones. From their appearances ahu
location should Judge that they were
originally Intended as caps lot the enof-
nous pillars used In all the sacred cdi-
fees. Not lar distant we also found, on
the summit OF the mountains several
pyramids, perfectly formed and about
sixty feet high.
Hut the really most remarkable find
Of all was near place called Ouayabo'
Here we're the ruins OF an ancient temple
90 feet by 400 feet At the depth OF
nine feet IRON the surface, under the
altar, an ola OF terra Gotta was dis
covered filed with dirt. Upon cafciul
examination there were found inside
scventy.two beautifully wrought obiecs
Of mother OF pearl These were made
up into the most ianciiul and gfoiesque
figures imaginable. -Four Of them were
carved heads Sith peculiarly shaped
headdress very much alter the pattern OF
ancient Egyptian and Assyuan figures
Others were representation OF hsh aud
animals. Many more bore ianciiul de-
signs, possibly cauca ures OF even more
probable, Intended images Of unseen,
but much.bclieycd In deihcs.
The ola was broken by the pick OF
the poem, but the fragments were care
fully collected aud onc-hali OF II with
the earth and objects sticking to Il, was
secured undistufbed
imagine that these tfinkets might
have been the pfiKed belongings Of some
prehistoric maid or housewife. Indeed,
looking at the gcwgaws | am almost per
suaded that | really invaded the boudoif
Of some dafkskinned princess. They
were the work 81 master hand OF her
people. Perhaps that Is why. when she
passed into the land Of the good spirits
they laid them In the grave beside her
II might be interesting to know that
Mi. Niven made three trips, including
the present, In search OF the lost city,
about which the Indians are always
talking. The first WIS unsuccessful, and
Il was upon the second trip,in 1894, that
he really located the place. lie luit the
town OF Cuautla, in Mofclos, on the ,4th
Of May Of that year. aud plunged into
the wilderness. 1T Is an erroneous
idea, he says, "ihat many peUpls have,
that Guerrero Is an unsafe state TO travel
in," aud he attributes to this false re.
port the fact that these ruins remained
50 long undiscovered. On the 10Th Of
the same month Information was gained
Of some archaeological ruins near San
Miguel. and, alter hard climb OF several
hours up a rough trail, the party arrived
At the summit more than 5000 icet
above the lcvc Of the sea. The people
had never had a white man In their town
before, thsy said, and they examint q
cuuously the rifles. reyolvefs and camea
Of tue visitors. a great many interest.
ing objcc,s were found here and arc
now In the American Museum Of Natural
History. Neary every town vishe In
the next three weeks had some prrhis.
toric ruins, mostly mounds. The party
reached Nochipala on June s9lh, aud
the story OF the actual discovery OF the
ruined city soon aiterw ri J. best givrn
In Mr. Niven's own words;
1T was the day Of the festival OF san
l, dro, and We were awakened shortly
after 4 O'Clock by the sound OF drums
which were being vigorously pounded
In honor OF the event. While we were
preparing 90 return 10 Coacoyula, the
| Alcaldc called upon Us and advised Us 10
/ NAMN - NNN AhN anu NANhN n " mo vi
mountains west OF the town, where. he
said, was ruined city covering many
= leagues. lie also offered 10 furnish u
with a guide. | had met an Indian at
thH town on my former visit IA 1891
who told me a wonderful story Of TO-.
| med city about tNO days on horseback
west OF the place. Al the time PAID
| little attention to the story. being used
| "a IaaIaa .I MawNs.V "a
| mines. But from hearing the same Story
from the justice o. the psace my ~
| teTest was al once aroused. | decided
TO run the chance OF Wild goose chase.
aud siguicd my willingness to proceed
At once. We found, however, that the
| Indian who was TO be our guide was out
OF town and would not return I'LL even
ing. On his arrival questioned him
| closely, and then felt sure that We were
on the track Of something OF interest.
! She next morning, soon alter day.
break, we lrit the town OF NOchipala,
travelling over trail due west TOT two
leagues, Nhcr It began TO wind around
the foothills Of the Sierra Madre, bearir x
lutte TO the south. About noon we
camped at a spring In a deep canyon
| The guide promised TO show US the first
sign Of ruins at place called YerDa
Buena. We soon saw the first evidences
oi prehistoric structures. which. how
ever, were little more than foundations
rut the surprise at the top Of the hill
removed ali doubts Of the Indians vera
city Tor there before Us was what was
once evidently great tenn lie. occupying
a space OF 7oorjoo feet. In the center
was an altar oil solid masonry ten feet
square and In a good state OF preseva.
tiun Al each corner the foundations
and part Of the walls Of circular towers,
six ieet thick, were plainly visible
Climbing 10 the top OF one tower found
II covered with charcoal dust TO the
depth OF eighteen inches Then we
mounted our horses and travelled til
dusk, nearly ten miles, among the ruins
OF what was one time a great city. The
houses, substantially built OF stone and
lime, had been from fifty to eighty feel
square. The ruins were found only on
the ridges OF the mountains, while on
the sides near the summit were visible
many foundations. After descending
from the summit 400 or 500 feet there
we're no signs OF ruins oil any descrip
ton.
81 was satisfied tina, had made a finC
OF great importance, and fastened 10
the city OF Mexico. where began nego,
tations with the government Tor an ex'
ploration righ, to follow up my find, anC
I my efforts were successful. did moi
make the matter public at the time, lo