HACKING A WAY TO A LOST CITY.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 January 1925, Page 4

HACKING A WAY TO A LOST CITY.

WHERE WHITES CAN LIVE ONI.V 7 DAYS. LONDON, Nov. A. To-day .Mr E. A. Miteheli-Hedges, the explorer, leaves London for Liverpool en route for British Honduras, on the first stago of what may prove one nl the must memorable journeys in the whole history of travel. The companions of his quest are l)r Thomas Gann, and Ladv Brown, wife of Sir Richmond Brown. These three tried explorers, alter some preliminary work at one of the better known ancient sites of Central America, will at the end of .January return to the strange, unknown and' deadly region, where last spring they discovered the ruins of the lost city of Luhaantum, the seat of the Mara people. EARLIEST CIVILISATION.

In one hemisphere of the world at least, the Alaya people seem to have hei-n the absolute first to forsake the ways of the beast, to react to their souls and catch the inspiration of beauty. Mr Mitchcll-Hedges therefore fronts the task of discovering the discoverers of civilisation.

What type of men were they.' It is within tbe buunds of possibility that this expedition may win some proof oi what has been dimly suspected, that incalculable years ago the lands of Central America were peopled. Heaven knows how, from tin* Mongolian stock. Unlike all other pennies the world lam seen, they lived on a high peak of .civilisation and fought no war for an estimated period ol a thousand years. Invaders, bringing with them the institution ol lighting, were the cause ot their downfall, and of their shrinkage to the few thousand degenerate descendants, diseased and waning to their end. themselves unknown and buried like a temple in untrodden jungle till Mr Mitchcll-Hedges was romantically led to them last spring. CITY OF PYRAMIDS.

la an inn at Panama he met by chanee an American, who asked him il he had ever heard of San Bias. He had heard vaguely of it as a closed country. The American had a boat, and said he would take him there if he would pay till costs. And then the roving American was suddenly obliged to return homo, and sold him the boat for a-little, and he cruised in her to San Bias, and *-heie cured the .Maya descendants with simple drugs of some of their ills, and they called hint a god and revered his party, and told them of the great city of pyramids overgrown by the hush of a thousand years. Thither he and Dr Gann and Lady Brown penetrated and glimpsed the exterior marvels and brought some trophies without parallel in the world hack to the British .Museum, and now (blessed bv tin* Museum and a host ol scietititir’authorities) they return to complete. if possible, their task, or at least to make I'm ihor progress. At the end of the rains they will finally start for LubaaiiLum. "\\e shall Cut 120 miles south of Belize,” savs .Mr .Mitchcll-Hedges, “and then strike AA miles inland through the impend ralile hush, where the temperature averages lOAdeg. in the shade. As conditions are to-day the maximum life for white human beings in that legion i.s seven days. Me shall thereloie have fi-epuentl.v to make our way heck to the coast. In the hush, to add to the overmastering heat, are mosquitoes, tics ,sanil-lies, liotlas Hies, and an infinitude of (lies mure, preying the whole time on every exposed part ol the llesh. filling tin* system with poison and draining life away. BURIAL CHAMBERS. ‘*\Ye shall huni the hush and get Indians to clear the forest which grows around the pyramids of Liibaantiuii We shall open the stone-lined burial chambers, which we I eel are there, ami from them perhaps extract some c ries or account buried with a Maya nigh priest, telling of the life and origins ot ibis extraordinary people there were iotbbbO of them in Luhaantum pro b.ihly who never raised an arm in All wishes will go with this inlref.nl leader as lie sails m-day. I|L party will remain two years in the wild, virfnallv laying siege to history.