El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-25
A LOST AZTEC CITY.
Story of a Vain Search By ExplorerS.--R
markable Mirage Accounts for the Tales
of the Missing Town. The Story Sounds
Like One of Joe Mulhatt0n'S.

10 a DOlnI ITOIu WHICH, IL COulu Dt Sttu
"Of course that was all we wanted.
We set off the next day. accompanied
by the whole crew. and travelled south
until shutdown. When we camped we
had reached ap ONT in the mountains
where a valley, apparently twenty
miles long and seven or eight wide.
spread out. 1t was beautiful sight,
and we regretted not having a large
panoramic camera, for the picture
would have been a prize winner at the
next international Photographic ex-
hibition.
After finishing our night repast and
smoking our evening puro (cigar), we
got into our hammocks and prepared
for the last nights rest before sleeping
in La Ciudad de Perdido. as our guide
had promised On the morrow to show
us the city, and then leave Us to ne
gotiate Cor admittance as best we
could.
Perhaps it was the novelty of the
situation. possibly 1 was a little ner-
vous at the prospect OF being the first
white man to tread the streets of the
lost city of Observation-Disclosures the
reason. sleep did not come easily and
it was well on toward daybreak before
/ lost consciousness, and / slipped off
into a troubled dream. / dreamed
was about to make a grand entry into
a wonderful city, more fantastic than
anything l have ever seen or read of,
crowded with a strange people distinct
in type and manner from those with
which I was familiar. In an instant
the city lad vanished. and as / opened
my eyes beheld the face of our guide
peering down into my own.
Indicating that / should keep 81
lent, the guide led the way to the end
of the spur on which we were camped.
Pointing off to the south. he said: See
yonder range of hills? Well. look we'll
to the western slope and you will see
La Ciudad de Perdido.'
For several minutes 1 strained my
eyes, but could sec nothing. Then.
suddenly, as il a great search light had
been turned on gradually, caught the
outlines of a large square. Judging
from the distance 1 estimated it to be
mile or more in extent. Slowly il
lost the indistipctiveness at first mark
ing the sight. and slowly the outlines
of bouseSe began to appear. One thing
which l recalled afterward was that at
the time mist seemed to extend
across the valley and to within a few
hundred feet of the nearer wall. From
the slant of the city I concluded it was
built on the sloping ground which led
up to the hill still further south. 1t
was certainly very remarkable sight.
Temples. palaces. houses. market.
squares. even the faint flicker Of the
temple fires could be seen. The streets
we re deserted which gave the place
hte apparanc of city of tn dead. The
houses, I noticed in particular even at
the great distance which interviewed
shone as though incrusted with silver.
while from the fiat top of the pyramidal
temple I caught glimmer like the re-
Election of beaten gold.
When / had looked at it for some
time l turned to the guide, who was
resting on alarge fiat stone. apparently
as much absorbed in the spectacle as
myself, and asked. What is the name
Of the place and have you never been
any nearer than this?'
He shrugged his shoulders and
to the city. replied. For many
years / have yearly seen a Ciudad de
Pedido. but l have never tried to go
here. NV father once saw it and told
some 'griEgos' (Americans) about il.
, hey came, and saw as you do. and
hen induced him to go with them
They never came back. but my mother
,nce got letter from eel padre telling
her never to let me or any of her paO-
Die attempt to find La Ciudad de Pc
lido. She expects him to come back
some day. but / don't think he will. !
or mi padre es IN hOmbre muv nluy
nalo.' When he finished his explana-
ion he turned on his heel and slowly
walked back to camp.
'Of course I had hard time con-
yincing my companions that | had To-
.ated the lost city of Mexico. but at
asst / persuaded them to make the
rip with me to the hill district and