Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-06-01

was nearly buried when DR.. Gordon ar
rived. The next stone directly east OF
this is also fallen. II contains the rich
est and must beautiful carvings or all
on the south front Is the form of a Wo-
man. smaller than life, In q sitting pos
ture, with feet crossed, and hands rest
ing on the thighs. The features are
beautiful, and the rich decoration OF
feathers above are artistic TWO other
monolithic pillars stand south OF THESE
and then another hundred yards brings
us to the south mound. Passing down
inside the partial enclosure we ilrst see
four small stones. small as coinpaieu
TO the others, but In weight varying
from 200 pounds to a half ton one Is
circular stone with hieroglyphics ana
the figure of man in a sitting posture
carved on the top. Another Is carved TO
look like the head OF some large AMI
NAL The next stone, about one-half
ton In weight, Is broken, probably nav
ing fallen from the mound above, IL ls
carved to look like an ANIMAL with
human head and human arms and legs
These are doubled as II the beast was
about to jump Heavy carvings are all
over its back
In front of the mound and facing the
north are two large stones. The first
viii weigh probably fifteen tons. 1t IS
beautifully decorated With carvings OF
human heads, and hleroglyphics But
the stone that has attracted most al
tenti0n both because of It's size and
the beauty Of the Workmanship upon Il
lies on the west of the last named. IL
Is estimated TO weigh sixty tons, and
Is called '"rhe Great Turtle" from It's
.l.l ma
On the south side Is the head OF an
animal supposed to be that Of n turtle,
The carvings around ii are very rich.
On the north side is the figure Of a
woman about life size in a sitting
posture with feet crossed, Her hands
are at her side and appear TO be
grasplng something. Her headdress
and clothes appear 20 be very rich. Oh,
the east and west sides Of the rock are
rich carvings Of figures and HERO
glyphlcs, so also on the top. The whole
work Is from the hand of master. In
fact this can be said of the work on
every stone, IL Is done by master
and conceived by an artist. The instru-
ments used must have been equal I'm
every way TO those used by the work
men OF today. Ii would be ridiculous TO
think that stones were used as tools.
The people, too were IN high state OF
civilization. and must have been O peo-
pie OF great wealth. Who were they?
IL we could but read those hieroglyphics
we could find out Perhaps their whole
history Is there written. How they
came here, who their forefathers were,
and what prompted them TO build these
beautiful monuments. Perhaps In some
future day a key VIII be found which
Will enable students 20 decipher these
characters. and II so, what flood OF
information will come into the world.
No people would give that information
better welcome than we, for 10 none
would It mean so much. ! think, there
fore that our people should obtain ac
curate copies OF all the hieroglyphcs;
not alone in Quirigua but In ali the
ruined cities Of Central and South
America. The work would be beyond
price when completed.
Sunday night we slept In the deep
forest. No sound could be heard ex-
cept the occasional howl OF a monkey.
on the croak Of an owl. a solemnity. a
deep solemn spirit brooded over the
place. In the moonlight from our ham
mocks under the shed could be seen
the towering forms OF the monolithlc
pillars with the stiff staring men and
women looking down upon US. Oh. II
they could only speak. could only tell
us who they were, and what Is their
history