The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-05-13

the border line OF Costa RIGA and ChriQui have al
ways been hostile and in several instances have
risen against the whites and massacred them. The
Taamanca Indians who still inhabt these parts
were especially bellicose.
The existence of the "Tisingal" mine has never
been doubted. nor is it considered the product of
the fertile Imagination Of the natives Of ChiriQui.
At Cana, in the province of Panama, at the pres
ent time there is being operated gold mine for
mery worked by the Spanards. Several years
ago, while blasting in one of the galleries of the
Cana mine aperture was made into what proved
to be buried the remains of gold mine worked
several centuries ago. Leather buckets, with
straps that fit around the forehead and around the
shoulders Of the mine workers and instruments Of
steel were found in a good state of preservation.
The mouth of this mine had been so completely
hidden that mining operations had been carried
on for years almost paraleling the entrance shaft,
without the engineers suspecting its proximity.
Records of the old Cana mine in existence, but
its exact location had never been fixed before
Gold can be found in almost all the rivers Of
Chiriqui In 1859 there were discovered the first
Indian graves, from which were taken gold orna-
ments, stone figures, points, etc. Since this
time there have been found in ChiriQui hundreds
of these Indian graves known to the present day
natives by the name of "guacas." The writer him.
self opened up grave from which he took IS
pieces of pottery.
1t is a well-known fact that the half-Indan ma
tives Of Chirqui, knowing the whereabouts of a
rich "guacal," prefer to work it alone and to sell
the gold found only in such quantities as their
needs may require. They are suspicious of the
white man, this suspicion and distrust being inbred
in them and handed down in tradition from their
ancestors, who in truth had cause, to hate that
race. A hunting and exploring party that recently
returned from the vicinity of Buenos Aires and
Boruca in the heart of the Indian country to the
west of David, reported that although they were
not openly attacked by the Indians yet they were
conscious of being constantly watched; that food
scarcely obtainabe, and that on several occa-
sions they found the water of the springs mu6died
apparently but few minutes before their arrival
If this report be true and there is every reason to
believe that 1t Is, lnasmuch as it is but repetition
of former ones of similar nature then it is quite
evident that the party were not cognizant of the
customs, Ekngs and language of the natives with
whom they had to deal.
Odd inscriptions and decorations are found
carved on volcanic powders in many parts of Chi.
rQui, and these inscriptions according to the In.
dians indicate the burying grounds of the caciaues
Many Of these decorations appear on the pottery
found In the graves and in the ethnologica report
referred to are classified.
Goldbearing copper ore has been found in many
districts in ChiriQui especially in that of Bugaba
IN which "TlsingaP' Is in all probability located
the analysis OF which has shown Is per cent COD
per bearing two per cent. gold
The Panamanian government is at the present
time planning the construction of railroad from
David in Chiriqui to the city of Panama, which,
when built, will greatly open up this part of the
country and make it more accessible The Indians
of Chiriqui will give way before the advance of
civilization and the earth will give up another of
her treasures so we'll hidden for centuries by ma.
lures barriers aided by the avenging hand of the
vanQuished American.