Omaha daily bee., 1900-09-09

in their blind zeal for the Catholic faith
destroyed nearly everything they could get
their hands on which showed the peculiar
civilization of these people. Whence they
got this civilization has often been asked.
The Toltecs appear to be the first Of the
aboriginal races who had attained any de-
gree OF civilization. They inhabited the
valley OF Anahuac Ohe valley of Mexico),
built cities and temples and did not indulge
any hendish desire for human sacrifices.
The Aztecs, a fierce war-like tribe, came
down from the north. dosolated their cities
and drove the Toltecs south into Central
America and Yucatan, and took to them
selves some Of their arts and industries
So that we see the civilization of the Aztec
was that of the Toltecs. Now we have
the remains of the Mayas in Yucatan, who
were evidently Toltec, and what do we
find?
Remarkable Evidence.
In the National museum at Madrid there
1 is preserved one OF the books Of the Maya5
which escaped the general auto da fe OF the
Bishop Landa. who burned these books
whenever found The paper resembles very
| much the paper manufactured by the
| Chinese, and 1t consists Of n long strip
| doubled in folds between two boards like
| their early books. The text consists OF
hieroglyphcs and picture writing, which
| is the only thing about il not resembling
the Chinese. 1t is. indeed, a beautiful
piece Of aboriginal book making,
| In Mexico there existed traditions OF the
| visit of "A strange people to the country
who taught many things, and Alexander
Won Humboldt, in his Views of the Cor
dilleras," mentions a number OF surprising
| 4 h. md
Asiatic civilizations. Recent travellers in
Mexico and Central America must have
noted the fondness displayed by the native
races for fireworks, which they manufacture
themselves, and set off in honor of their
Catholic saints. which were substituted for
| their idols by the Spaniards. Now, where
| did they obtain their knowledge OF fire.
works IL not from the Chinese? Certainly
| they did not get them from the Spanards
who care nothing for fireworks. and, like
ourselves, II they ever had any got them
| from the Chinese. Another thing which
the modern Mexican Indian INDUCED in
which Is peculiar to the Chinese is the
straw or rush mat. They use it in one
form or another as an umbrella, an awning,
curtain, a rug, and, finally, cover to
their couch TO sleep on. And what is more
Japanese or Chinese than the suyacal of the
| Central American Indian, This is form
OF waterproof cloak, made by stitching long
blades of the palm leaf, one over the other
| like the Stats OF Persian blind, or the
shingles on a house When not in use
it is conveniently rolled and carried by
the Indian on his journeys, and upon the
appearance OF rain he unrolls It, holds one
end up over his head, and, letting the rest
of it hang down his hack, 1t sheds water
completely.
| Racial Resembinnccs.
or course, IL old Hwui Shans account oI
Fusang. is correct, and that country Is
really Mexico, his FIVE Buddhist mission.
aries left there could not be expected tc
change the physiological characteristics
OF the people, though the effect of religion
education and training is evident in d
single generation OF our own people
Nevertheless, the Mayas OF Yucatan closely
resemble the Chinese, Some years ago al
English company, endcavoring to start
sugar plantation in the colony of British
Honduras, imported several hundred China
men. indentured for number of years tC
work it's plantation, 1t was not Ions
before these Cinnamon disappeared, They
had seen some OF the Maya Indians and
discovering some similarity between then
and themselves, had taken to the busl
with them. Among the people inhabitinl
the lake city OF Peten, on the southern
borders OF YuCatan, the writer of this
article discovered a Chinaman whom hi
did not distinguish from any Of the natives
although he was generally called tht
"Chinaman." He was one of the survivors
OF the coolie traffic to British Honduras
aud when questioned talked freely OF tn,
little he could remember Of his past. FL
did not seem to be speculative enough I,
discuss any afinity between his own rae
and the Mayas, though he spoke thei
language, probably better than he di,
Spanish, He showed me the wooden out
side door OF house which one OF hi
countrymen had artistically painted wit
pigments and brushes Of his own discover
and invention.
Testimony of the Temples.
When We come to search the remains o
The Toltecs, or whoever the builders o
those cities were, now scattered in ruin
throughout lower Mexico and Yucatan, W
and in many places the counterpart of sue
Buddhist temples as are found in Java an
many other Asiatic countries to which tn
Buddist religion was carried N. Desll