Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-14

buildings. evidently temples and palaces
surrounded by fortifications. They were
built of large blocks Of granite. squared
and dressed. from five to eight feet long
and from two to three feet square. and laid
In regular courses. Most of these walls
are still in perfect condition. They are
30 substantial that time has not trified
with them, and Mr.. Cox says that several
are twenty-five feet high or more. In the
center of the group of buildings upon the
summit of the mountain IL q great temple,
surrounding courtyard containing what
evidently was an altar. and he found a
eacrihcfal stone similar to that of the
AStecs now preserved In the National Mu-
scum at Mexico
Reports Worthy Of Consideration.
II these ruins. within few hours walk
Of one Of the most populous cities on the
Pacific coast Of Mexico, have remained un-
noticed all these years by the official
archaeolosists and students OF the republic.
Mr.. Cox thinks that the discoveries re-
ported by the tie-hunters are worthy of
serious attention. They are in the midst
OF dense forest. and It would be difflcult
Tor any person not accustomed to penetrat-
Ing 1ungles to reach them. But a trail
might be cut through for mules or horses
without much dimculty or expense and
Gov Pimental OF the state Of Chiapas who
takes deep interest in such things would
doubtless furnish assistance either from
the army or elsewhere to any competent
person who would organize an exploring ex-
petition. Gov. Pimental is now In the City
OF Mexico where he has recently suffered
q surgical operation, but will soon resume
his public duties.
The tfe-hunters are provokingly indefinite
concerning the location of the new ruins.
Iney are neither surveyors nor geographers.
put are confident that they could find them
eSain easily. The nearest town of i'm
portance 10 Tuxtla. and they lie on the
eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre the
mother range OF. Cordilleras about ninety
or hundred miles from Jalisco station. on
the Pan-Amerfcan railroad. A stage runs
thence to Tuxtia, where horses mules and
an OUTFIT with guides may be obtained. 1t
ID certainly to be hoped that the Carnegie
institution, the Chicago University or some
other American scientific association will
look into these reports. and, If they can
og1sts down here to make thorough ex-
animation. Mr.. c. B. Cox. superintendent
OF the Pan-ATnerican railway, whose adj
dress Is San Geronimo Isthmus of Te-
huantepec, will be glad to do everything in
his power to assist an expedition and he
Is particularly anxious that the prehistoric
city on the mountain behind Tonola should
ties.
Remains Of Prehistoric Peoples.
This part Of Mexico was once densely set
tied by race who reached a high degree
OF civilization. but have entirely vanished.
They disappeared centuries before the adj
vent OF the Spaniards, but they left us
abundant evidence Of their knowledge and
skill In agriculture, architecture and other
arts and industries, and the fnscriptions
upon the walls OF their temples reveal to
US something OF their religion Ruined
cities are scattered all over Chiapas Guat-
emala and Yucatan, and they apparently
belonged to at least three different races
and existed in at least three different Nc
RODS Of time The present occunants of
this country know nothing about them.
me vanished races have no part in their
! xraaltions, and If you ask the wisest of the
nvlng generation that occupies their ground
VINO they were and when they lived he will
shrug his shoulders and shake his head and
answer: N
''Dios sabe!'
We know. however, that the peonle who
putt THESE cities are not the same as the
Mayas who occupied Yucatan. and also
that they were never conquered bv the
AZtecS. Their disappearance from the
earth may be attributed to destructive
wars with the nations of northern and
ern .h. Me ol or to epidemics: These
Tered, and we know that the Aztec emper-
ors invaded the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
shortly before the arrival Of the Spaniards
and fought several bloody battles without
result.
Conquest of the Aztecs.
Finding that he could not overcome the
Tehuantepec tribes by force. Ahuitcotl the
Aztec emperor, and the father of Monte
yuma, withdrew his warriors and endeav-
ored to secure control by diplomacy He
declared peace, sent ambassadors to his
former enemies and offered his daughter
in marriage to CoelJose, the king of the
Zapotecas. The marriage was celebrated
with great pomp and ceremony and when
the bride departed for her new home her
father instructed her to keep him posted
as to the intentions and movements of her
husband Shortly after Ahuitzotl asked
permission for his army to pass through
the territory Of his son-in-law, ostensibly
to invade Guatemala. Following the In
junction Of the Scriptures. of which she
was doubtless ignorant, the bride ''clave
unto her husband" and warned him of
her fathers treacherous intentions Coel-
jose profited by the warning and advised
the Aztec emperor to postpone his ex-
petition for a while until he could pacify
his people and induce them to allow their
former enemies to enter their country in
peace. In the meantime he called out all
his reserves and put his army and de-
lenses in the best possible condition The
AZtecs, through their spies, learning of
these preparations, abandoned the expedi-
the throne, and that was the situation
when the Spaniards invaded the country
in 1919.
The Pan-American railway runs along
averaging about thirty miles distance
from the Pacific coast and touching two
ports. Arista and San Benito, although.
unfortunately, both are open roadsteads
tives skfllful in running lighters
through the surf and, In this respect, CHA
pas is no worse off than Guatemala or Sal
vador There is no harbor on the coast of
either republic. The scenery along the
Pan-American line is attractive, although
it is not imposing. The mountains aver
age four or five thousand feet high, with
an occasional peak that reaches seven
or eight thousand feet. There are
no jungles swamps on the Pacific side
Of the Cordilleras, and the climate is
much healthier than along the gulf coast
The weather is hot, but the atmosphere is
dry and the people do not suffer from the
humidity that makes the other side of the
Cordilleras so uncomfortable. The rain
fall is about 1876 inches a year at Tonola,
and the year is divided into wet and dry
seasons as In other parts of Mexico