The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-27
AZIEC- D|)DDHA FOUND
In Nicaragua, Near the Pro-
posed Canal Route.
SLANT EYES AND PIGTAlL
Musical instruments That Run
the Chinese Scale.

| Committee on Commerce and later its
Costa Rican representative, has dug UP
a Buddha in a thousand or more years
old Aztec burial place in the neighbor-
Buddha Of the pronounced Chinese type.
pig tail, almond shaped eyes, and all
and the discovery at once revives the old
| controversy to the Asia tic origin of the
| early American race.
The question arises: How did Buddha
| get over the sea to serve as a model for
the aboriginal Aztec potter in America?
For he is made of American, or. to be
more precise, of Nicoyan clay, like humid
reds Of other vessels, implements, and
articles of decoration and utility, which
treasure boards. He had the shape Of
vase seven inches high, beautifully
enameled and polished. Buddha is sit
ting down and seems to be proud Of his
Celestian appendix.
When pressed for an explanation, Mr..
Chable replied: 81 can only give my ex-
perience, but have no theory to offer; If
1 did, scientists would probably consider
me an ass, even though the public might
take me for a scientist"
Mr.. Chable continued: ''If the construc-
ton of the new canal will draw the at
tention of American scientists to the COM
paratively unknown fields for ethnolog-
icar researches in the many Islands of
Lake Nicaragua, which 1 have but in
adequately explored, the problem Of the
origin of the American races will certain
.ly be solved
There are many places in Nicaragua
where mementoes of ancient American
civilization of Asiatic origin are to be
had for the diggings. One is in the
Province of Nicoya and another on the
slopes ofthe Volcano Irazu, 5000 feet
above the sea level Mr.. Chable also
found several islands in Lake Nicaragua
rich in buried treasures of clay, gold. Sill
yer. and semi-precious stones.
These islands lie almost on the line that
viii be followed by steamers crossing the
lake from the mouth of the San Juan
River to the canal at Las Lajas
Mr.. Chable also bug up gold and jade
amulets and all sorts Of pottery of ethno-
logical value in the Solentfname group
of islands, while the island of Ometepe,
with the two volcanoes of Ometepe and
MADEIRA, yielded him fine specimens of
stone carving and remnants of house
hold goods of former races that were
buried with their owners Pottery of a
rough and uncouth sort is found every
where about the route of the canal
Local tradition has it that the buriers
Of these pots and jewels were Aztecs, who
came there by the sea as far south as
Nicaragua, where they took the name of
Mangues, and after time drifted into
Nicoya. Those who hid their dead in the
Volcano Irazu were probably another
Aztec tribe, who padded through the San
Carlos River and up the crest of the
mountain until they reached Irazu. Thus
1t will be seen that the Aztecs, who sup
posedly came from the NORTH practi-
cally followed the route laid down for the
proposed twentieth century canal.
The existence Of a race far superior to
the aborigines from which the present
Indians have sprung is attested by their
burial places. They have three kinds of
graves-some walled in, with fagstones
on top and bottom; some partially walled
and others without top or bottom, scoop
ed out in the earth In all of them the
dilligent archaeologist will find pottery
made of a coarse, raw clay, that the
modern artisan would not touch.
Mr.. Chable, who opened hundreds of
these graves, says he rarely came across
remains in the shape of bones. The
graves are situated from five to six feet
below the surface. seldom more, the heavy
laia, or top stone, five by three feet in
size, resting firmly on the fagstone side
walls.
When the lid is lifted with crowbars It
remains to remove the dust which has
sifted down through the crevices Of the
stones in centuries past.
This done. you begin to look for re-
ward" said Mr.. Chable. "Au the bodies
are laid out facing the rising sun, and
as rule two pieces Of pottery are found
at the head, one on either side Of the
Uranium that was.
AT the side, within reach Of the hands.
there is more pottery, some Of it contain
ing mould an ANALYSIS OF which shows
remnants Of cocoa or toasted corn: and
some pottery at the feet. and about the
neck some precious ornaments OF Jade.
olithoclase. or gold. # the grave is that
Of a rich man
As to the Asiatic-American's pottery,
no living man can make its eial today.
The fowls Of the air, the beaz. Of the
land. the FISH OF the sea-they li--r red
them ali on their bowls and jars ana IA
se.s. The birds are full OF motion. e
though japanese artist had painted
them with q stroke OF his never failing
brush. 1t was evidently the artisans
chief aim to depict the animal world.
Among the articles dug up by Mr. cha