Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-01-10
speeIal Correspondenee.

opecihl NOlfeSpOnutnce'
Santa Fe dc Bogota, Colombia,
90 1902. colombo capital, the city
OF Holy Faith" occupies a little de-
tached plateau OF the Andes, nearly
5000 feet above the level OF the sea,
Away up here, almost half a mile
higher than the top Of Mount Wash.
ington, one can easily imagine oneself
in the north temperate zone, so thin,
pure and cool Is the atmosphere.
Though only few degrees removed
from the equator the temperature ay-
erages 81 degrees t., and most Of the
northern products are found here,
flourishing amid a surprising profusion
Of tropical fruits aud flowers. This
mountain yauey Is dOubly interesting
as having been the traditional para
disc OF the Chbehas, the ancient pe0-
pie who inhabited this region In the
dawn OF history Quesada, the ancient
historian, an ancestor of the present
minister from cuba TO the United
States. tells Wis that In 1887, at the time
OF the conquest, the Chibehas number
ed nearly million. Here stood their
sacred city, called Bo-cat-a. The cap
ital Of today, which occupies the same
site, evidently took its name from the
older city; though the corrupted mod
em word has quite a different sound,
the accent being strong on the final
syllabie-as Bo-go-tah.
They were n curious race, those
long-dead Chibehas, and around no spot
IN the two Americas are clustered more
Wild stories and improbable traditions
concerning a vanished civilization The
world knows absolutely nothing Of their
remote history, except that they were
very ancient and powerful people
WHOM fho Sraniards found them not
quite four centuries ago. Their most
a-ieie.it ,,..u iAipor,al ,otltai ongrc TIE
emperor dwelt, was Manguita, on the
opposite side Of the plain, while Bo-
cata was the sacred city OF temples
and the residence OF the priests. The
study Of Chlbehan religion from the
shattered legends that remain. Is fas
cinating one; but newspaper space will
not permit more than the briefest men,
ton Of It, Their faith seems TO have
been a strange mixture Of the I}uddh-
ism OF antiquity, combined with mod
ern theosophy and Bible religion but
included no sanguinary sacrifices, like
those that marked the rituals Of the
nelghborlng tribes of Central and South
America. They had divine Mediata.
or deity Of mercy, corresponding 10
Christ, the Nazarlne. Like all other
races, they had tradition Of the flood.
and character closely resembling the
Hebrew Noah. the Mexican Coico. the
Greek Ducalame, the Inca Nance Cap
&C. To complete the scheme OF saliva
ton, they had also a spirit Of evil, akin
20 the scriptura Satan who was forever
striving to get the better Of the higher
powers, with more or less success.
Their god Of science, as typned by
earthern Images, was almost identical
with the Buddhist god OF wisdom, rep.
resented In the idols that are today
found In Chinese temples; while their
Chibehacum was n fac smile Of the
Buddhist god of agriculture. The most
splendid temple Of old BOcata, conse-
Grated TO the god OF agriculture. stood
exactly whore the grand cathedral
stands In the center Of the modern cap
ital. Thither, twice every year. went
the emperor, his chief calcques. and all
the royal retinue, to offer oblations TO
the deity who was believed TO preside
over the harYests--a ceremony not un-
like the moon feasts" that are yet eel.
ebrated in many of the interior dis
trlcts OF China ana the chuna. (potato)
FESTIVAL OF Bolivia, In South America.
The present inhabitants Of this his
toric plain appear to be different
people from any we have met elsewhere
IN Colombia. Perhaps II Is owing TO the
altitude that they possess more energy
and show a disposition to keep un AT
least within haling distance OF the
times. Here agriculture and the useful
arts seem 10 be a century ahead OF
their practice IN the torrid valleys
along the burning coast. The wooden
shovel and clumsy forked stick have
given place to the iron spade and pa
tent plowi and the qulntas (farms), en-
closed within substantial walls of stone
and adobe. have spacious houses that
wear an air OF palatial elegance as
compared with the mud and bamboo
huts along the great rivers. Sentl-
mentalists may attribute this TO the
influence Of the early owners of the
soll--to the pastoral Chbehas, whose
spirit Yet fingers In the land they loved;
but the truth Is that natural conditions
OF the soil have more TO do with the
condition Of the people, than heredty.
While the LATEST denizen OF the tropics
might work 70 some advantage so near
10 the stars as Bogota, the most ener-
getic Yankee would soon lose his
Wanted win" and become utterly
shlftless IN the humid lowands near
the equator. There Is yet another side
OF the question. While this pure and
celebrating climate incllnes ora TO 10
Dor OF the hands, II Is not conducive TO
longevity. or TO mental activity. A