After matin song on the morning of the 9th of December, Correliana announced the near approach of couriers with letters. At noon the train arrived having in charge Padre Simon as a special envoy from Captain Greenwood. His convoy brought letters from Europe and Montevideo in answer to those despatched by M. Hollydorf and Mr. Welson, also to the other members of the corps. The padre, although looking jaded with fatigue, was in his usual happy state of mental confusion, to which the affectionate greetings of the Heracleans and Kyronese greatly added, causing him to exclaim: “Well, I truly declare upon the soul of my conscience, I believe you are truly glad to see me!” His mental perplexity was increased by the nature of his mission, which will be gradually developed in progressive relation. Mr. Welson received a large budget of letters, many of which were from his correspondents in Panama, who were anxious to learn the cause of his long delayed return. Those relating to his business engagements were quickly despatched, his interest being more directly enlisted in the perusal of letters from his Montevidean and Buenos Ayrean correspondents. We will first offer the transcript of M. Baudois’s letter.
Buenos Ayres, November 19, 182-.
To Señor Don Guillermo Welson:
Heraclea of the Falls, Andean La Plata.
My Dear Sir,—Your letter was duly received, and I can truly say that its contents taxed my credulity to its utmost stretch. The discovery of remnant Latin and Asiatic races was quite sufficient for the rational digestion of wondering admiration! But the revelation of Animalculan representatives of humanity quite staggered and mazed my powers of marvelous conception, until reason had with cool reflection weighed your written evidences of sanity. Then, quite convinced that you did not design to test the extent of my gullibility with the conjurations of your imagination, I found within myself evidences of sustaining approval that confirmed my believing reliance in the sincerity of your imparted happiness. If the extinct Giga animal species are represented by living Animalculan, it appears quite reasonable that the order of continuation should embrace the human. With these deductive considerations my reason became reconciled for the recognition of your Manatitlans as real negotiable representatives of humanity. Again my wondering admiration expanded from your description of their habits and educated power of self control for the exampled reciprocation of good will. It is but natural to conceive that affectionate confidence must result from self government, for purity and goodness are the parents of unselfishness. In comparative degree we have seen that the children of our race, who from necessity have been trained for the exercise of self denial, are reliable and affectionate in contributing to the associate happiness of others. It is impossible for me to find adequate words suited for the expression of the relief afforded from the light that dawned upon my perception through the vista opened for the realization of Creative intention! Dull, indeed, must be the faculties of a person unable to realize, upon the moment, the certain effect that would result from cultivating the germ of goodness for the control of instinctive animality. In deference to the Manatitlans’ loving perspicacity, which has enabled them almost innately to discover the impression of design in cultivating from infancy the germ of goodness, my body seemed to shrink with shame from its distended growth of fungus, emblematical of stupidity, under the influence of their imparted intelligence. But with a knowledge of cause my efforts for relief were attended with an instinctive oppression from animality, so apparent in its selfishness, that with my utmost effort I could only obtain partial relief, with the resolve of affording, at most, an imperfect example for the benefit of future generations. Under the presaged reality of the Heracleans’ affectionate and enduring sympathy, my hereditary infidelity, begot from the adverse fatuity of sectarian delusions, faded like the Pampa mists before the brightness and genial warmth of the morning sun. Now that the Manatitlan system of education has revived my hopes, I look forward with trustful desire that my life may be prolonged to witness the full inauguration of self-legislation, for time and eternity, in freedom from the proxied impositions of instinctive priestcraft, and politic statesmen.
With regard to the search you wished to have me make for relic information: I have succeeded in unearthing collateral evidence which proves beyond a doubt that many galleys from the interior waters of the eastern continent, connecting through the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, reached the shores of the La Plata estuary before the advent of our Christian era. At different dates during the last two centuries rumors have been rife attesting to the existence of a walled city inhabited by a white race, situated in an Andean valley that gives rise to the river Vermejo, or its tributary source. The reports, at different periods, caused the Jesuits to make several attempts to negotiate a favorable disposition on the part of the Indians to impart knowledge in verification; but all their overtures were treated with an evasive skill that involved the question of its real existence in greater mystery. Their missionary attempts to penetrate the country of the wild hordes, beyond the river chacas, were opposed with determined and successful hostility. The community of Pompolio has been an acknowledged fact for centuries. The ancestors of your Kyronese were the reputed founders of Mendoza, from which they were driven by the mongrel progenitors of the present inhabitants.
The remains of vessels of undoubted Phœnician, Egyptian, and Roman construction have been found imbedded in the preserving guanic and alluvial deposits that have filled with their accumulations the inlets where they were moored. Of these Don Pedro Garcia will give you a succinct written account. The following notice of a relict discovery I have copied in translation from an old number of the “Gazette de Bogota”:—
“Voice le passage tel qui le donnent les Nouvelles Annals des Voyages, 1st Tome, page 393, anne 1832. Au village de Dolores deux lieus de Montevideo un plantuer decouvrier une pierre tumuliare des caracteres inconuus. Relevant cette pierre il trouve un caceau de briques renfermant, deux sabres antique bronze, un casque, et un boucler, tres amphoræ par le huile, et une in terre de grand dimensions. Tout ces debris emporter au savant pere Martinez Garcia, il est parvenir a lire la pierre ces mots in caracteres grec. Voir ton Phillipi * * * * *. Alexand fils to Macedon * * *. Vasi epi tes execui * * * *. k * * ty * * * en * to * * top * * Pelatin. Ca est dire completement les mots. Alexander fils de Phillipe etait de Macedon, vers la 63 Olimpiade in ces lieux. Petolemie les reste manque. Sur le poignee des epies est grave un portrait que commun etre celui de Alexandre, sur le casque on remarque un circulure representant Achille trainant le cadavre Hector ante de murs Troie. Fait il conclure de cette decouverte de contemporaire de Aristotle a fouile de du sol Bresil. Est il probable que Ptolemie ce clef bein conu de la plotte de Alexandre entraine par un tempte an milieu dece las enciens appelaient les grand mur ait ete jette les cotes du La Plata et y ait marque son passage pax ce memorial monument fait dans trois les ces fort curieux les archeoloques.”—Gazette Universelle de Bogota.
At the period this relic discovery indicates, the proximate swiftness of the current stream setting to and from the Strait of Gibraltar to the La Plata estuary can be estimated by present calculation, which has been rated at twenty miles an hour during the height of a monsoon gale. This would give a surface speed to a floating object of four or five miles an hour, under direct impetus; and with a due allowance for counter slips from eddies, lack of direction, and other causes, a chance voyage might be accomplished in from twenty to thirty days. With the square sails used in Ptolomic vessels, with shallow prows made to imitate the breasts and necks of water fowls, a swift passage could have been made with intention and a favoring wind; but it was the superstitious custom of the ancient mariners to rely upon the direction of fate. M. Hollydorf or Dr. Baāhar could arrive at a proximate conjecture of the derivative source of the Kyronese from the Syriac root and terminals, and by like tests, if of Beberi or Morisco extraction. The fourth wonder of your Arabian Knights’ discoveries is the fact that a savage of the wild hordes can be favorably influenced by exampled goodness, or in any way hold himself amenable to either reason or kindness. Yet I would urge the necessity of impressing them with a knowledge of good and evil, with a detective perception sufficient for your protection against their revengeful instincts, that you may not become the victims of misplaced confidence for the malicious injuries inflicted by our race.
In closing my epistle I will truthfully declare that I envy the meanest capacity of your party his privilege of contributing to your common fund of enjoyment. How I have longed, waited, and despaired, for the irresistible charm of affectionate sincerity, that betokens in its reach immortality. A note from Don Pedro advised me of his family’s desire that I would visit them as a consulting aid in your behalf. You are but too well aware of his past source of disquietude. Greatly to my relief I found him with his two daughters, your little favorites, Lovieta and Lavoca, filled to overflowing with an affectionate appreciation of the manifold resources of your discovery. As our meeting, under the circumstances, was characteristic, I will endeavor to render the mutual impressions of the scene in enactment. In the place of the Teutonic custodian, with the forbidding Cyclopean visage, Don Pedro received me at the open puerta, evidently in waiting expectation of my arrival. Confronting each other at the entrance we stood for a second regarding each the other with the mutual reflection of wistful eyes, until the rising flush of our united emotions bespoke like impressions; then with an impulsive disregard for formalistic dignity, and greatly to the surprise of watchful neighbors, we embraced with the allied warmth of our new role of sympathy. Shrinking from the curious gaze of strangers we entered, Don Pedro surrendering his post to the portress who received from me, for the first time, a courteous greeting, which was returned in kind. In the patio we were met by Lovieta and Lavoca who, with the quick interpretation of infantile affection, discovered the prompted source of our unusual cordiality. Receiving permission from their father they at once commenced to unravel the tale of Don Guillermo’s wonderful discoveries, with frequent halting questions for elucidation, and commentaries upon the startling information imparted from your letter to them, which was premised with the confidential acknowledgement: “Why, M. Baudois, it’s queer we love you so much this morning, and were so afraid of you before, which kept us from liking you!” Then for an hour or more they prattled of affection with such a clear perception of the Manatitlan rendering, that I felt acutely the poverty of my own resources. In testimony of affection’s inexhaustible attractions, I remained with them three days before the prime object of the visit engaged our attention, and then, with reluctance, we turned our vision back to trace with our material guide-posts the progenitorial evidences of Heraclean advent.