Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-08

defieS calculation, Prof. Niven found
TIE clay image of a Chinam2n, with
oblique eyeslits, padded coat, flowing
trousers, and slippers, Only the quous
was lacking to make a complete por-
trait of mandarin of the recently de-
funct Chinese empire. 1t should be re-
memberod, however, that the Chinese
did not adopt the queue until after
they had been conquered by the Tartar
hordes from the north
The image is about seven inches in
length, and where the arms are broken
,the edges of the clay show red and
friable in the centre. The outer surface
of the clay. however, is of granite
hardness. and it is only with the great
est difficulty that it can be Clipped
With hammer. in the ears are huge
rings, and on the head is a skull cap
with a small button in the centre pre-
ciSely like that worn by the modern
mandarin The court which is loose
and of the type still worn by the older
Chinese, is fastened with Il frog and
button. and on the breast is Il circular
plate, evidently once covered with
thin layer of beaten gold hut worn
hare by contact with tho earth for UNI
known centuries.
This Chinese image" writes Prof.
NiVcn. was not made by tho .AZtecs. IT
is much cider and proves that che an
cient peoples OF Mexico Were familiar
with the Mongel type. Il was found III
ruins of two other ancient eiViliza tons
thirty feet and three inches below the
surface The room, which was thirty
feet square and built IF concrete walls
WAS probably a tomb
"On a raised cement platform in the
centre lay the skull and bones of a man.
of not more than five 5eet III Height.
His arms were vcIH long. reaching al
most to the knees, while his skull was
of 4 decidedly MonsoI type Around his
/ neck had been "a string Of Green jade
| heaGs-another link in the Chinese the
! orv. for real Jade has hecn found in
/ Mexico in the natural state.
Reside the skeleton was string OF
/ ~ pieces of she'll With this money
/ lay the greatest find Of all-ihe little
! Ghinaman 1t is the first Of the kind
/ ever found in Mexico though Mongol
types are found in sufficient numbers
among the American and Mexican In
dams to argue an Asiatic origin Near
| the Iatform was flower vase about
! fifteen inches high, that had evidently
been filled with Xochite, the sacred
yellow flower of all those ancient races
| OF Mexico.
1T should be borne IN mind that this
image was not God OF IN idol, but
an ornament. perhaps a portrait done
in clay by some prehistoric sculptor
..tThe age of the figure is difficult to
determine without further data. Cir
| cumstances, however, warrant the
rough guess that about 5000 years ago
Chinese navigators crossed the Pacific
II their primitive iunks and discovered
American thousands Of years before
| Columbus was born. Settling there,
they built a city, and in a grave of one
% Their number, many Years after. d
! clay image of the man vas buried with
him.
This great city fell into runs-per-
| haps through conqucst-but the image
lay safe. The ruins o. this iirst city
WAS covered With earth and there arose
through the centuries another splendid
and mysterious city. This, too fell in
To ruins. and upon il WIS raised a
third metropolis of some forgotten race
of nleII At last the tl3if1 city crumbled
into dust, hut underneath them all the
ohinaman's image still lay safe and
und'sturbed until d little group OF
scarcheIs in the cause OF science in
| this wonderful twentieth century OF
ours, have brought it to light, and per
haps through il we may nov solve the
enigma of the new worlds beginning.