Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-01-21
DRY BONES VALLEYS
PLACES WHERE DEAD BODIES ARE
PRESERVED BY THE CLIMATE.

In Chile. For Instance, the Atr IN 30
Dry That 1t la Almost Impossible
For an Cnburied Body TO Decom-
pose In the Ordinary Manner.
Among the most curious things In
this queer old world perhaps the weird
est Is the valley of dry bones" which
continually crops up in various parts
of both helnispheres.
In Chile, for instance. the air Is so
dry that 1t is almost impossible for
body to decompose In the ordinary
way. Here and there In the mountains
or on the plains one may discover
body that has been clay for several
years. but has no more returned 10
dust than to life.
There Is literally valley OF dry
bones" not far from Valparaiso where
q battle was fought during the Balma-
ceda troubles Here may be seen today
bodies of men and horses scattered
among the rocks that are like nothing
80 much as Egyptian mummies. shriv-
eled by the fierce sun and embalmed
By the natural dry atmosphere.
This is not. strictly speaking. "A val
ley Of dry bones" but that there Is
real one In Ceylon no one who has VS.
tied that island can doubt for mo-
ment. 1t is a peculiar fact and one
which is borne out by the testimony or
the English planters in Ceylon that
when an elephant feels its last hour
approaching It will II permitted 20 do
30 escape into the jungle to die. once
the sick elephant gets away 1t Is never
seen again. Where they go to Is the
problem.
It is absolutely certain that they
must go somewhere. and therefore as
they vanish so mysteriously In the
hour Of death one cannot but give
credence to the tale which Is often
brought down from the hills by the
Tamils and Cingalese.
According to these people, there is
"valley Of dry bones" near Talawakele'
which is about twenty-five miles south
OF Handy, the old capital Of the is-
land. This valley. to be correct. Is
said 10 be vast underground tunnel
with numerous but difficult to find en-
frances and exits. Such places are
common in Ceylon. but the particular
cave where the elephants go to die has
never been discovered. though numer'
GUS expeditions have sought for 1t.
In view Of the fact that the ele'
plants do disappear when they are
about to die 1t seems probable that
some such place does exist on the Is
land. for It Is certain that the grea'
unwieldy beasts do not swim across
the gulf of Manaar. The person who
hnds this elephant sepulcher will prob
ably reap a fortune in ivory.
Another strange place exists as
real "valley Of dry bones" In the Is
land Of Jamaica. West Indies. VI
course there Is d legend attached TO II
hut here are the hard facts and al
actual description Of the valley itself
II ia situated near the CuDacuna gap
in the Maroon country, at the eastern
extremity of the island. This region Il
clothed in primeval forest, and the FAC
that rain falls on an average twelve
hours a day all the year round gives
the Jungle a luxuriant green vegeta
ton not to be found elsewhere. Blu
this valley. though situated right II
the heart Of the wet country" Is BAR
OF leaf and life.
The limestone rock Is white and hot
Giant trees that seem to have oeei
blighted suddenly stand up all gaunt
white and dead. The valley is sheltere'
from the wind and the first force or IN
transforms. AS consequence tni
arrange ravine Is silent, unmoleste'
and quite dry.
The weird feature Is that, although
vegetation seems to have been oenS
here In former years, nothing vii
xrow now. Nature has come to 4 com
plete standstill During the hot seasol
the temperature Of the valley is almos
unbearable, and it Is visited by seismi
disturbances that cause the dead tree
and dry hot stones to rattle like DIR,
bones; hence the name the valley na
acquired.
The legend Of this valley of DIR,
bones" can hardly be taken without
pinch Of salt, but let US be nothing
not complete. Many years ago, say
the nero story teller, a woman i've
ON a plantation In Cuba. She was nc
torious for her cruelty to her slaves
She used to throw cayenne pepper l
their eyes and afterward stick cactu
needles into their bodies just for spor
One night the slaves revoited an
burned the plantation house to tn
ground. The woman managed to e.
cape in an open boat to Jamaic'
where she sought refuge from her en'
mics in the heart of the jungle.
Here she developed mania for co
lecting all sorts and conditions of cat
When she had procured a multitude
the feline tribe she amused herself b
torturing them. The legend has 1t thu
every night the demoniacal shrieks
the woman and the cries Of the cal
were to be heard even in the Marco
villages. But one night severe cart
quake came and swallowed up IL
cats, their tormentor and her home
New York Herald.
East Indian Names.
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to write to India tradesfolk are to