The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04
LAND OF RUINS AND coin.
Wonderful Discoveries in Mexico That
VIII Yield Riches.
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
Mexico is a land of an ancient civilization.
The discovery of prehistoricN ruins, extend
ing over an area of at least a thousand
square miles in the State of Guerrero. has
been partly described in letters by William
Niven, the explorer TO the Herald. Now
he has returned to New York with a large
collection of interesting photographs and
antiquities, and while making preparations
for another trip TO the ruined Mexican city
he told me an entertaining story of his adj
ventures and discoveries.
My last letter to the Herald Mr.. Niven
began. was sent from my camp near the
southern boundary of the ruins of Omitlan.
1t described my discovery of the layer of
human bones. visible for three hundred feet,
seven feet from the surface, and the strik-
ing figure of terra Gotta. After that | made
a journey to the Pacific ocean. reaching the
town Of AtCyac after travelling most of the
way through a virgin region.
In the neighborhoOd of omaxOchitl. /
came upon sealed cave, evidently a sepul-
chre, which proved to be one of the most
interesting interest; dlscoXerIes OF my trip Whlle
digging into ruin /. found the entrance to
the cave. 1t was filled with human remains,
in remarkably fine state of preservation,
and was about thirty feet long, eight feet
wide and only about three feet high. None
of my servants could be persuaded to enter
and when | crawled in, carrying a lantern
light, the sight presented was CHASTITY on
a floor covered with a volcanic dust as
fine as magnesia. and perfectly dry. were
perhaps dozen skulls, which, as they faced
the opening of the cave, seemed TO grin
at me horribly as / made my way in and
almost touched them with my face before
| discovered their presence The fine gust
voluntary prisoner there ] was Obliged to
tie my HANDKERCHIEF over my mouth in order
to breathe. l dug out all the relics and
passed them to my servants outside.
Regarding these bones, it may be SAID
that no two skulls appear to belong to the
same race of people. For instance, one skull
has so curious a conformation that 1t is dis
similar to the skulls of any known race
anywhere. The frontal and occipital bones
a rn a in 1G IN ri
when viewed from profile, pyramldal
shape. The two parietaf bones, on the other
bump of Yeneration. Some OF the skulls IN
dictate intellectual development above
the average. The general formation sug-
gests the square head-Teutonic type.
Mexico has always been regarded as one
of the most important and fruitful fields
for exploration on this continent. The Mex
lean antiquary, OrOZOco Berra, in his
Geographic di las Linguas, asserts his be-
lief that within it's area will be found one
of the oldest sites of the American race.
The romantic stories of diamonds and other
precious stones having been discovered by
the famous General Guerrero, and the more
or less popular belief that this country was
the source of the golden wealth of the Az
tees. invest it with a halo of romance and
make it a fascinating field for the trav-
eler in search of adventure.
1T may be said, moreover, that if half of
what has been recorded of the AZtecS in
AtOntezuma's time is true gold was the COM
monest of their metals. 1t was not valued
so highly by them as by the Europeans, and
Cortez and his followers were in conse-
quence enabled to rob them magnitcently.
Ever since l started on this exploration /
have never failed to prospect for gold IN the
gravel of the streams we crossed, and at
Campo Morado, east of the Continental Di-
vide, was agreeably surprised to ma
fifty colOrs of gold in my first pan of dirt
This showing encouraged me greatly. had
an improvised sluceboX cut from the trunk
of a tree, the Indians making the bars and
rifles with their machetes. In this prlmi-
tive manner we washed out over an ounce
of coarse gold of the value of 500 in four
days. Two poems assisted me at the work,
and as the wages of both for the four days
amounted to only S1.5Q, including FOOD, the
results were very satisfactory. l sent the
black sand found in the gravel to Samuel
l.. Penfield, professor of mineralogy In the
Sheffield Scientific School, who is testing II.
this character there may be some or the
rarer minerals. / also discovered there the
minerals, essonite, hematlte, malachte'
tOurmaline, pyroXene, orthocIase: mdSco-
vite magnetic, galenite, sphareite, chal-
copyrite, fluOrite, caicite, ep1dote, AMMAN
dife AMETHYST, argentite, cinnabar ana opal.
ION the ridges of the auriferous gravel
beds were prehistoric ruins. There Is plen-
ty of water there the year round ana UNI
Der in abundance-white and black oak,
black walnut, several varieties OF pine.
spruce and fir-some of the trees being TOUR
or five feet in diameter and hundred ieet
high to the first limb. The geologlcal TOT
nation is chiefly syenite and slate, with
veins of quartz brilliant cubic crystals OF
pyrite occurring in the slate. me golu Is
coarse as rice grains and even larger
I'm the mountains near the Pacific coast
the Indians ride bulls instead of mules or
horses. as bulls may be purchased for $S or
So while mules cost $50 or more. 1t is not
an unusual sight to see a mother ana her
forest paths seated upon the broad back OF
q single bull. ,, =
wild mountainous region at times ten or
twelve days distant from town, was nat
urally attended with some danger, ana al
WAYS with much discomfort 1t is a mis-
taken idea, however, that there is any dam
ger from the natives, as the Indians are not
cruel. like our Apaches, but are domestic
and bOSDitable.'