The San Francisco call., 1898-06-19

will hear of the occupation of the
 Caroline group of islands by Uncle
 Sam's ships and men. In fact the
 Carolines, whatever the Germans
 may say, naturally go with the Philippines and if the islands are small they are rich, and possess one feature of especial interest.
 At Ponape, the largest of the group, is one of the greatest of Pacific mys- teries. These stupendous ruins have puzzled ethnologists for years. Evi- dently they are the work of superior race a race skilled in architecture, with enormous resources at its command. AS with the gigantic statues at Easter o Island, the ruined temple-if it was ao temple-at Ponape, indicates that once, o perhaps thousands of years ago, a high o ly developed people ruled over the Pa cific. having legions of slaves at itso command. What was the race? o
 How did it manage to disappear 500 completely? Scientists are still search o ing, and none have found an answer o
 The ruins are situated on a small :. islet, not far from Metalaneum liar bor, where there is an American miso sion station. Scattered among the shal- o low waters of Ie coral reef, and about o a mile from the high volcanic shore, isO a group of tree covered islets, and q threading through these. the visitor o who makes his way to this outlandish spot finds that his boat has reached 7 regular ck This little harbor isO about 250 feet square. and the sides are so evenly cut that F. J. Moss, who in-O spected the ruins In 1886, has not theo slightest doubt that it was formed byO the hand of man. o
 Leading from this water square areo number of canals, which once evil dently formed avenues to the ruins. The islet is embanked with massiveo walls of masonry, and in the center, o resting in solitary grandeur, Is all thato remains Of the great temple. Onceo these canals must have been filled with o wOrshipers, hurrying along in their o canoes to attend some great mystical or sacrificial rite .
 To-day there Is nothing but theO primeval bush, the marvellous tropicalO vegetation, by means of which nature, o for centuries, has been doing her bestO to destroy all trace of mans handi- O work. The structure, or as much of It. as remains, is about twenty feet high o and Quadrangular in shape. The long est side measures 245 feet, and theO front or short side TO feet This wall incloses the outer court, to which ac- cess is gained by a great central en-o trance fifteen feet wide and a couple ofO narrow tunnels through the side walls. o Just as in the case of the Jewish taber- O nacle the worshipers probably gathered q in the outer court, while the tunnels o connecting with the inner inclosure served as stage entrances for the priests who performed the mystic rites. o
 The inner court occupies a very largeo portion of the inclosure, as there is o only a space of twenty eight feet be- o tween the outer and inner walls Theyo are both of the same height, but the inner walls are only ten feet thick, while the outer reach eighteen. At the v east end of the inner court and fiftyo feet from its entrance is a great raised U platform, or altar, six feet high and forty feet square. A raised vault five feet high and six feet broad is built in the center of this platform, and along the outer walls three other vaults of a similar character are to be found.
 If there ever was a roof to this strange structure 1t must have been built of some perishable material and have long since disappeared. Neither Is there any trace of a door or window, so that it seems probable the worship was conducted in the open. Some peo- pie doubt that the structure was used for religious ceremonials, and the theory has been advanced that it was constructed by the buccaneers who once frequented the Carolines and used by them as a fortress wherein to con- ceal their treasure.
 Moss settles this point very effectu- ally when he remarks: NO civilized people could have wasted time and la bor in raising such a structure, but that some powerful savage chief should have conceived the idea of increasing his glory and perpetuating his name by a temple to his gods, and that his peo-