The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1910-06-04
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ABOVE sea level Two other craters of lesser
neignt rise one on either side of the main crater:
tnen sheer drop Of several thousand feet of su
pnur-coated rock to the highest signs of yegeta
uon. Below this on the Pacific slopes stretch
Deou'iu roiiing lanos or steppes. lower and
'o"ef on down to the palm-fringed coast line
Somewhere on these immense slopes lies the
LOST mine OF the Indians. 'Tisngal" known to
ana worked by the early Spanish settlers who
changed its name to La EstrellA" or Mine of the
Star
During the year 1s33-34, in going through the
archives at Carriage. Costa Rica some official doc
uments pertaining to this mine were found and
permission was obtained from the Costa Rcan
government for their publication. Shortly there
aiter company was formed in Carriage to send
out exploring parties. and although considerable
ume ana money were wasted and several lives
LOST In an endeavor to locate this mine, no ndica
IONS OF Its whereabouts were found.
Reprints Of some of the documents referred L,
nave come into the hands Of the writer in which
ID preserved the old style Spanish in which they
were originally written during the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries. Translations of these pa-
peis nave been made and the information con-
taineo therein summarized. to which have been
added data obtained through personal acouaint-
ance with the country described During last
year an unsuccessful attempt was made by the
writer to ascend the highest crater of the Chiri-
qui volcano for the purpose Of verifying certain
information purported to have been secured IN
the year 1905 from this point and pertaining to
me ilsingal NINE During the dry season of this
year second attempt win probably be made
Among the documents consulted Ia one that
literally translated. reads as follows:
within the limits of the department Of Cb,ri
qui. contiguous to the Republic Of Costa Rica,
exist places rich in gold, known by the names of
Tisineal. Quebrada Ancha, Quebrada de Orc and
others quite important The first of these places
was explored some time ago by Spanish colony
which In the year 1901 founded the city of Con-
sepcion de la Estrella, near this mine of great
wealth The excessive stinginess of the conquer
,rs reduced the Indians Of the locality to the con-
Hilton Of slaves they being forced by the Spanish
o work. mining the gold of the Tisingal These
indians became tired Of the excessive work and
bad treatment and became desperate In the year
81 they revolted against their oppressors and
,xterminated them; but other Spaniards at the
'iace OF the mutiny again compelled the Indians
o resume the working Of the mine and made
larder for Them their state Of slavery This al
most eliminated the Indians from this stretch of
ountry.
~On the twenty-eighth Of September some
ears after these happenings, the Indians re-
urned. and without pity or consideration took
he life of every foreigner living in the country;
nd not only this. but. carrying stones from dis
ant localities. they covered up and destroyed all
races Of the workings Of the mines, and they
lso razed all houses and churches belonging to
be spaniards. The only traces remaining OF
hese ancient buildings today are the foundations
the church and bell belonging to 1t.
AT last the news Of the new rebellion reached
'artago in Costa RIGA. where immediate prepa-
atoms were made for revenge. 1t is known that
the beginning Of the year ITO the government
Carriage sent 200 men by the way of Boruca
nd Tuis TO San Jose Cabecar, a town to the east
bout Is leagues from Conception. This expedi-
lon took 500 Indians of both sexes prisoners and
educed them to a state of slavery. and as such
unsigned them to the inhabitants around about
artago upon their return to that place These
risoners and all other Indians they met along
be way were massacred shortly thereafter.
From that time all Indians living in the
fountains In all directions up to a distance of 20
'agues turned bitter enemies of the foreigners
nd up to few years ago would have nothing to
o with the white races. Due to these events all
aces Of the villages Of Turrialba, Tuis, Atirro.
an Jose Cabecar and other places that lay on
Re route to Conception de la EstrelIa and Tisin-
al were lost and the trails of communication
Nh the mines were covered with brush and
ompletely destroyed. 90 that after 40 years in
artaeo no knowledge was to be obtained a. to
he locality Of the Estrella and practically no
erson living knew or had seen the mines at