Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-14

leagues from the Aztec capital and but
seventy miles from the southern city of
oaxaca These distances as given by Cor
ties conceded with those on the chart and Il
was not long after the find" that three
curious Americans might have been seen
IN the city or OaNeca preparing for trips
into the hills, where the conjectural Malinal-
tepec was located. OF those trips, which
consumed several weeks and necessitatcd
nearly thousand miles of the toughest
travel on horseback and muleback Il is
not my purpose TO speak. except incidental
~ as they are altogether aside from the
intent of this article. which is merely 10
give the evidence by which We were guided.
In Search of Treasure.
As all of Us were more or less "affcieu-
ados. as the Spanfards say. or amateurs
of ethnology, We derived full compensation
from the rare exhibitions of human types
in those little hills where dwelt the semi
savage Zapotecs. Mixtecs and Mixes. Some
of them had never seen an Englsh-speaking
white man at that time and some of them
had the reputation of being ritual canui-
balls, but they closely guarded the secret
OF the mines. To show. however. that
there was foundation for our venture aside
from tradition and picture writing j may
mention that one member of our party has
since visited that region and obtained evil
dence of the most convincing character IN
tIit SHAPE VI Soiten vases anu ilalltrS,
images and bars dug from some of the
numerous mounds that still dot the valleys
of Ejutla.
Mounted upon three fine stations. in
whose veins coursed the mingled blood of
Arab barb and mustang. and guided by
famous eN-bandit, we first climbed the hills
above Oaxaca, crowned by the ruins known
as those of Monte Alban. From this an
cient spot of the Zapotec kings We looked
down the valley of Etutla. which runs
thence southwardly. and there beheld In
dian mounds almost without number
Beneath us lay the wretched little Indian
town of Cuilapan. which had been a center
of Zapotec civilization in ancient times and
where stands a convent once endowed by
Cortes.
Grave OF MaIinche.
This convent is an immense structure
with big central dome and thanking towers
groined arches supporting the stone roof,
and ranges of clustered cells around an
open patio. Directly beneath the dome. in
the pavement in front of the altar. is a
massive slab, with quaint devices carved
on its surface. This slab, the old "cura"
told US, covers the grave of Malnche, the
Iabascan princess, mistress of Cortes and
who contributed essentially to the sue
cess OF Spanish arms and the overthrow
OF the Aztec monarchy.
There is great proba bility that this state
ment is true, as the old convent said to
have been founded by Cortes Is in one of
the three Indian towns given him by the
VI Spdlil, Nnen he was created Mar
qus or the Valley (of Oaxaca) Another
event which ranspired here connects the
ancient building with more modern times
lot mere the lion hearted Guerrero was shot
"hlle nghting for the independence of his
country BY strange freak of fate the
council that tried Guerrero was presided
over by General Montezuma; in the con-
sestt founded by Cortes, and within a few
rods OF the grave of Malinche. the one who
betrayed her country into Spanish hands
~, inside the church, where nearly all
tne paintings and sacred images are falling
10 pieces from age and exposure there &c a
me oil painting of Santiago, patron saint
OF great Cortes, who. as we know, once
appeared on his pale horse, at the battle of
Iapasco-year 1519-and frightened Inc
poor Indians out of their wits
Conditions Are UNCHANGED.
am particular to mention these details,
merely in order to show that relics Of
Ccrtes and his time still exist outside the
CITY OF Mexico, and that there is nothing
improbable in the traditional accounts of
MS doings. They are substantiated by facts.
indeed, as | can testify. And what I am
getting at is that the conditions of south
ern Mexico have not greatly changed since
the conquest even where the railroad has
penetrated Before we left and after We
had been treated to "mescar' and "teuuil-
la, the good old cura who lived here all
ai0he, TOOK US to the top of the dome
whence he pointed out TO us more than
twenty Indian mounds, which he said.
We're reputed to contain golden treasure
Each mound was the center of an Indian
village. and If we could get permission, he
told MS, to dig into the mound at QuaIicna,
we should find something that would well
reward us for all trouble. Following his
directions, we rode through half-submerged
corn fields over narrow trails to the viii
lage of Qualicha, where we dined with the
priest, to whom the cura had given us a
letter of Introduction.
We mentioned our desires to the priest
who held up his hands in horror at the
mere suggestion of disturbing that ancient
mound. which was regarded with reveren-
tial awe by all his Indian subjects. At the
same time, while protesting that excava-
tions there would be impossible he whetted
our curiosity by telling us that at one time
some antiquarians had dug into IT, super
ficially, and found there a tomb, containing
several tiers of metal platters, upon each
j. W. 2